When working to grow a business, many new entrepreneurs will make missteps that could stop their companies in its tracks.

In this video, our Entrepreneur of 2011 award winner Lee Rhodes shares the mistakes she made when growing Glassybaby -- and the lessons learned along the way to find success. 

For example, when pushed to start manufacturing in China to save money, Rhodes says the experiment  backfired. "We lost a fortune on it," she says. "I listened to people who didn't really understand Glassybaby. It's all about the story and there was nowhere to fit 'made in China' in my story. It really taught me to stay focused on what we do well and not listen to the [naysayers]."  

Rhodes started in Seattle with her hand-blown glass candleholders and then expanded nationwide. The company donates a percentage of revenue (not profits) to programs that help cancer patients.