What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?

Every industry has its myths—stories insiders repeat until they sound like truth. But behind the slogans and the spin are unspoken (and sometimes unnoticed) realities – we asked some of the wisest folks we know to share what lies they’ve noticed in their industries.

Patrick Gloster

This is actually a good question, because it’s several. One is that traditional album sales are dead. Yes streaming is very big here in the states, but overseas traditional sales are still in high demand. A popular Asian group sold a million albums alone. Read more >>>

Brandy Hall

That it should be male-dominated and largely white. I wanted to make sure we were doing it a different way, one that reflects the same biodiversity we build in our landscapes. Where we can celebrate differences. We’ve led really difficult conversations with our team about how white dominant culture influences our work at Shades of Green internally and externally. Read more >>>

Ja’ness

The biggest lie is that you gotta play small or change who you are to fit in. That clout and streams mean more than raw talent. The wildest one? … that artists need the industry’s blessing to shine, when the truth is we can build our own lane and take it further than they ever imagined. Read more >>>

Megan Grant Pedersen

One of the biggest lies in the travel industry is the idea that bigger is always better. Mass tourism often caters to large audiences with the promise that more attractions, more amenities, and visiting more places at a quicker pace create the best travel experience. In reality, it can be the opposite. Read more >>>

Bakari Height

Achieving all of these certifications will advance your knowledge of transportation. In theory, yes. However, the lived environments are not one size fits all. I don’t care how many suffixes you have after your title. Read more >>>

Staci Reed

One of the biggest lies the wedding photography industry tells itself is that success comes from following trends — the next editing style, the next pose, the next viral aesthetic. But weddings aren’t trends; they’re art. They’re a deeply personal expression of someone’s love story, and no two are ever the same. Read more >>>