Many books on startups and business talk about how there are right and wrong reasons for starting a business. So, we asked a handful of successful founders about their reasons and the thought-process behind starting their business.

Paulina Duxbury | Floral Artist

Honestly I never thought about starting my own business. I was so scared of the thought of not having a steady paycheck coming in paid medical coverage. I worked a full time corporate position and would do wedding events on evenings and weekends until I built up enough clientele to quit my full time job. It was the best decision, leap of faith I have made in my life. I have turned my passion into my career and couldn’t be more proud! Read more>>

Brandon Pham | Entrepreneur & Ophthalmologist

Growing up, we both loved to read. As kids, we always looked forward to bedtime stories with our parents and older siblings. As we grew older, we realized that one of the best ways to learn more about the world was by reading. When we started medical school, we often joked, “This would be so much easier if we were taught this material as kids!” Now, over twenty years later, we have become inspired to share our love for reading and learning with kids by writing our own children’s books. Read more>>

Kendrick Glover | Father, Executive Director, Educator, Community Activist, Life Long Learner

Starting GloverEmpowerMentoring-GEM was no easy feat. It was actually one of the toughest things I’ve done in my adult life. When I started GEM back in 2014, is wasn’t for money( because we all know non-profit is not a money grab), it was for the love and care I had for my community and the youth and young adults that made it up. During the inception of GEM, youth violence was at an all time high in King County Washington, especially in the City of Kent. Read more>>

Anbiya Nawfal Alfina | Creativepreneur, Event Consultant, Musician

When I first graduated from high school in 2018, I was really interested in getting involved in the creative industry. My experience when I first became chairman of the committee for a concert in high school made me realize that the event and creative industry is a big industry that cannot be underestimated and becomes a platform for artists and art connoisseurs. At that time I felt that this industry was still dominated by older people, even though young people were the biggest target market. today young people should be able to take on many roles in this industry, to deliver a concept that has higher relevance and creativity. Read more>>

Angela Boswell | Founder

Many different direct-to-consumer companies have entered the home interior space. They have disrupted how we shop and decorate our homes. You could buy a sofa, a mattress, bed sheets, and more, but there were limited options for custom window curtains. Why should a consumer be limited to the length that the retailer has in stock? Why should the grey velvet only be available as a grommet? What if you want a lining? I looked at all of these questions and the answer was to create, develop and launch the drape. Read more>>

Ian Chin | Proposal, Event, and Wedding Photographer

I initially took up photography in high school, learning with manual exposure, manual focus, and the good ole days of film. As I entered the college years, I realized I would spend my time in between classes going over photography forums in the library, and continued shooting and learning by critiquing images online. Eventually, I thought to myself – I knew enough to take a photo and had taken thousands of photos and learned from them, so why not create a website! Then I put myself out there to see if anyone would pay me to take their photo, which happened two weeks after I published my website. Read more>>

Erica Bledsoe | Clothing Designer and owner of Tayloraye

I started the business to share the my love for kaftans, and the feeling of freedom when wearing one. Kaftans to me are a way of life, they are much more than just a beach cover up or your granny’s mumu! I wasn’t able to find kaftans that I loved, so I decided to make my own special and unique pieces. I added on turbans to the business as a natural evolution of styling a kaftan, and more surprises to come! Read more>>

Cherry Watson | Coloured Pencil Artist

Starting my own business was a really daunting prospect, there were so many what-ifs and a lot of Googling – there still is! I’d always loved drawing as a kid and in my early twenties I could still feel a pull towards drawing, I was constantly buying sketchbooks and doodling whenever and wherever I could. After completing my foundation degree in Illustration, I went on to pick up a brand new medium in coloured pencils. It was an absolute joy, from my first drawing (which was awful now now I look back on it so many years later) – I was hooked. I have been an avid dog lover all my life, even with my allergy to cats I could never resist cuddling them. Read more>>

Allison Shawn | Ceramist & Architect, owner of SOMBRA

I grew up helping with my family’s small business, so it always felt natural for me to start a company of my own eventually. I just didn’t know that I would end up being in ceramics! I trained as an architect, and started SOMBRA even as I was deeply engaged in that career path. I was looking for a counterbalance to the exacting and technical nature of construction to explore my loves of form, space, and material in a more organic way. I found myself pulled deeper and deeper into ceramics as a creative outlet, until it only made sense to begin selling my work. And then I had a business! Ever since, growing SOMBRA has continued to be the most natural progression of my work as a designer. Read more>>

Katie Ferrigno | Katie Ferrigno | President and Founder, SocialMetrix

Interestingly, my two businesses were born out of a lack of opportunity. In the instance of my first business, which has since been sunset, INsights Social Media Consulting, it was because the resounding feedback in 2012-2013 post Bachelor degree was “you don’t have enough experience.” So I made my own. Building a small portfolio of clients from the ground up was just the edge I needed to set me apart from other candidates when I started interviewing again. Read more>>

Caroline Picha | Residential Real Estate Agent

I grew up with a mom who ran her own business. Her work was always such a part of her because she genuinely cared and loved what she did (and she refuses to retire to this day because she loves it so much!). My husband is a business owner and has always gotten out of bed excited about work because it is his baby. Although I always had visions of starting my own business too, my own desire for security and comfort always got in the way. I was finally able to go the entrepreneurial route when I no longer had a safe fallback plan. For me, it wasn’t until I let go of my thought process that I was able to get out of my own way. Read more>>

Home Sapiens Mercedes Marracos & Cecilia Ortega | Interior decoration, visual merchandising and solutions

When we started our career, we never thought that it was going to take this path. It was very different from what we do now, but every experience counts and leads us to what we do today. We both have different stories: my partner Mercedes studied Communication sciences, and me, Cecilia, Graphic design. Mercedes worked in commercials spots as a production designer, and I have always been linked to architecture, I love handicrafts and restoration work. The two of us had been working independently in different areas, always linked to design and decoration, and at one point we began to work together, mainly making shop displays in commercial premises throughout the country. Read more>>

Justin Smith | Serial Entrepreneur, CEO and Co Founder of Kolohe Juice

I’ve always been an entrepreneur though Kolohe Juice has been the most successful thus far. My brother and I came up with Kolohe Juice during covid when most people couldn’t really travel. We wanted to figure out a way to bring Hawaii to everyone. Born and raised in Hawaii we grew up on many local flavors that most people have never heard of which inspired us to incorporate these flavors into something that people can enjoy on the mainland. I’ve always had a love for social events and getting to meet new people which goes hand in hand with cocktails. Read more>>

Alexis Adams | Esthetician & lover of all things spooky

I wanted the freedom that comes with having your own business. I was tired of having someone on my back telling me what I should do, how I should do it and the time I should do it in. As an esthetician I’ve learned that everyone is different and they have different needs. So working for places that only saw you as a money making machine just wasn’t going to make me happy. I knew that starting off on my own wouldn’t be easy, especially because I was getting started in the middle of a pandemic, but I knew that it would be worth it in the end. I wanted to be able to be myself, have the availability to take care of my grandparents and to give my all to my clients every single day. Read more>>

Brandon Holley | Clothing designer/ CEO of BranVille Clothing. DJ/ Producer as B-Villain

I’ve always been driven by creativity so it only made sense to start my own business. Having my own style and vision has been important to me. I started BranVille Clothing in 2006 when I moved to Los Angeles shortly after high school so it’s been my vision and lifestyle since then. Between designing clothing and making music, my mind is in creative mode 24/7. BranVille allows me to get my vision out there in a creative way for the eye to capture. Read more>>

Molly Peach | Wedding Photographer

Wedding photography fell into my lap in a way. After having shot many portrait sessions, a few friends asked me to photograph their day. I never saw this as my future, even after a handful of weddings under my belt. It felt uncomfortable, and I fumbled through a lot of the day since it was still so new to me. After graduating with a degree in Graphic Design from Chapman University, I was determined to work in the design field upon returning to Nashville. Less than a year went by, and I realized working for myself may be a lot more enjoyable (and more lucrative, flexible, creative… the list goes on). Read more>>

Melissa Jane and Phil Kruse | Co-Founders and Owners

It all started with us being on vacation and wondering how we could travel and explore the world more often. How could we be our own bosses and still make money doing what we love? With both of our backgrounds being in acting, performance, and video production, we decided to start producing our own short films, which led to producing creative content for small and local businesses. Read more>>

Ben Sposato | Proprietor & Winemaker

Our goal for starting Acri Wine Co. was to make low intervention wines for the local community, using fruit sourced locally. There are endless wine options available to consumers and we wanted to create world class wines that were locally made, environmentally conscious, and most importantly delicious. Read more>>

Bryan Post | Founder of MajorMediaLeague.com

When I was a college athlete, even though I was on a scholarship I had no money. The demands of class and football practice limited my ability to have a job. Today with the NIL Rule available, for the first time young athletes can leverage their hard work and skills for financial security. Yet, kids today are being conditioned to be consumers of social media content and what they produce has very little direct benefit to them. This trend in social media consumption is causing many kids to lose sight of the importance of goals, focus, consistency, and delayed gratification. Read more>>

Xaviera Altena | Illustrator

There wasn’t an elaborate business plan or concept when I started my business. My business started like many other business: doing what you love. Slowly but surely people were noticing my illustrations, and started to ask me for paid projects. After 1,5 year I decided to quit my regular job and pursue a career in art full time. Until this day, 6 years later, it’s still going strong. Read more>>

Demetrie Washington | Owner of Pacepainters LLC

Creating a long lasting brand and a name for everyone to remember the moneys cool and all but its more about the impact how many people can you touch Read more>>

Matthew Tohme | Mixed media abstract artist

Starting my own business by becoming a full time artist was something that was completely unplanned. In the early years of thinking about career and what I’d do in life, the thought of art being something that could be more than just a hobby never crossed my mind. I had this notion that living artists struggled their entire lives and believed the only time success was gained, came after the artist had been dead for twenty or more years. Because my process of getting to this point was unconventional, and because each journey is individual, I appreciate the opportunity to share mine with you. Read more>>

Chloe Estelle | Autism Coach, Founder of OurTism, Writer, Speaker, Autistic Actor’s Assistant, Whatever I can do to help

There really wasn’t one. I went to school for film. Meanwhile I had gotten this reputation as the person who was autistic and had their life together. I didn’t think I had my life together, but I had answers to things other’s didn’t. I kept being asked to have these long conversations with parents of newly diagnosed autistic kids. I had all sorts of advice, things I learned the hard way that I wish I would have done differently. After enough of these meetings and talks of what I wish existed for me as a service, it clicked. I can make these things happen. I can build a place that I want to go to that can help in my struggles. Read more>>

Mike Escobar | Fashion & Design

The desire to be my own boss, without having to rely on anybody else for security. Because, at the end of the day the only person I’ll ever be able to truly rely on is myself. I believed that I was capable of creating something magnificent despite anybody who ever told me otherwise. I like to believe that the world provides everybody with more than enough resources to create the life that you want. Growing up I developed interests in a handful of different areas creatively. However, I never found myself stuck to just one area. Read more>>

Alicia Corbett | Founder of Juice Me Down

When I started Juice Me Down, I was experiencing some health issues that really just sat me down. I began to juice my favorite fruits and veggies and immediately began feeling a world of difference. I figured if I can help anyone else that may be dealing with similar health issues, I would feel like I’m fulfilling my purpose. I started letting my friends and family try my juices and they loved them. Here we are a year and a half later, and we’ve sold over 500 bottles of juice to our community. Read more>>

Bobby Morelli | Recording Artist, Founder, The Sausage King

My Thought Process behind Starting The Hot Dog Box was simply telling myself If I’m going to sell hot dogs, don’t be basic, don’t follow what everyone has done or is doing! I wanted to create an experience where the hot dog is front and center because it was the underdog of many restaurant menus. Read more>>

Dana Sue Miller | Founder on a Vegan Body Care Company

I started making plant based, vegan body care in 2000 out of necessity. At that time, I was not able to find beautiful smelling products with simple and clean ingredients that performed well for my dry skin without giving me an asthma attack and for my sister who suffered terribly with eczema. My initial thought was to create a collection of premium products that we loved for our family. I did this for a while until friends, guests and extended family members began noticing a difference in our skin, the way we smelled and that we never joined in on discussions about where to find the next best soap or moisturizer, etc. Read more>>

Lisa Larsen | Creative Director & Owner, Adore Digital Marketing

When COVID-19 changed our world we were forced to pause, to slow down, and to re-evaluate. I had worked in the hospitality industry for 12 years. At the time I was the Director of Sales and Marketing at a historic and amazing New Orleans restaurant group. I loved my career but in recent years digital marketing piqued my interest. Leading up to the pandemic, I studied the nuances of social media and I learned about digital trends. I took classes and immersed myself in the world of digital marketing. I knew digital marketing was effective and I wanted to know why. If had these answers, Read more>>

Kareem Gedra | Kareem The Director

I was motivated to start my own business because I wanted to be able to get up every day and do something that l love to do and I was passionate about. Read more>>

Debbie Pearl | Founder Dream Fetchers

Starting a non profit organization was always something I wanted to do so in 2005 Dream Fetchers was born. Here at Dream Fetchers, we live by a code to better the lives of those around us. In service to this code, we recognize and lean on the power that dogs have to heal those around them. Their unconditional love, their unfailing ability to listen to us when we need to be heard, and the peace that comes with their presence are what make them one of the world’s greatest forms of medicine. Read more>>

Brenda Rios | Full time digital marketer & full time founder

I’ve always been the stereotypical LA dog mom and right in the middle of the pandemic, I was really enjoying my time working from home. I could spend more time with my dog and new puppy. But I knew reality would soon be returning to the office, which I was not ready for. I thought of ways of how to spend my time at home being with my dogs more and during a dinner with a friend we ended up talking about dog gear. I suddenly had the thought of how there wasn’t anything innovative being done with dog gear when I suddenly had the idea to look into more eco-friendly options. Read more>>

Shelia Long/ Your Realtor For Life Long | Realtor

I worked as a Vice President of a bank for over two decades before my experience with managing mortgage inspired me to become a REALTOR®. After 21 years of employment, managing the bank’s mortgage call servicing center, the bank started laying people off. However, because of my performance and tenure, I had the option to rehire within a different department or retire with a nice severance package. I realized I no longer had a desire to work in an environment where there were layoffs. Read more>>

Saxx Vmcp | Artist,DJ, A&r , Entrepreneur

My thought process behind starting my business was based on the fact of the career path that I chose, & the industry that I work in along with the experience that I have. Read more>>

Allison Cuevas | Entrepreneur and Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice

Last spring my husband Thomas Ramirez and I decided to embark on a new venture of owning a business together. I wanted my hometown of Covina to be a fun, cool placed like Claremont or Pasadena. We envisioned something local in Covina since there’s been a lack of alternative spaces in the area; a space where fashion, art and culture would merge to reflect the kind of lifestyle that we live and love, and ultimately wanted to share with the neighborhood. Read more>>

Jada Lyshe | Entrepreneur

Building a business and being a business owner takes time and a lot of patience. I wanted to become my own boss which promoted me to become a business owner. I feel it is really important to have multiple streams of Income and that’s my goal in life. Read more>>

Cameron Jenkins | Artist

I didn’t really have a conventional thought process at the start but after being let go from my last job I applied to be one of the muralist for Meijer’s Rivertown Market opening in Detroit. After getting being selected and finishing the project I was kinda thrown into more murals because my work was in demand, and that it was just kind of a lot of people reaching out to me to do bigger and bigger murals so it was kind of just like jobs rolling in and I was like you know let me start a business out of this.The more my business grew the more I incorporated all the aesthetics of everything I liked building a brand that really reflected my love for creating and exploring that was bigger than just murals. Read more>>

Michael Bean | Parenting Coach

I have owned businesses in the past but the reason was always for monetary gain. When deciding to open Targe Parenting LLC, I was no longer concerned with making money, materialistic possessions, etc. This go round, I recognized a need in raising future generations and simply wanting to be of service to parents going through difficult times in their life. Targe Parenting is not necessarily something I wanted to do but have felt driven to do. Being a very meticulous and disciplined individual, I typically have a plan, everything has its place, process, procedure, etc but with Targe Parenting, I just opened it and started winging it, adapting and prioritizing as I went. Read more>>