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.

Erin Jones | Photographer & Video Creator |. Reiki Energy Healing

Throughout my career, I observed small and large business. I think I always believed I could run my own business, and so that’s what I did. I always enjoyed having multiple clients, versus one. I have always enjoyed the flexibility with my schedule, and I have ALWAYS wanted to create beautiful artwork and share it with the world in service of promoting business that help people and the environment. Read more>>

Nathaniel Smith | Owner of Post Up Audio

When I was a kid it was pretty clear that I had trouble following rules and obeying authority. My mom once told me “you’d better start learning how to run your own business because you clearly aren’t going to enjoy working for other people.” In late 2019 I had been working as a permanent freelance post production audio editor and mixer for Viacom Digital Studios for a little over three years. Prior to that I had been bouncing around in the film/tv music world as composer, assistant composer, and composer’s assistant for about 8 years. Read more>>

Matthew Vizio | Sleight-of-Hand Man / Comedian / Magician

I remember doing my first magic show back in the day with another friend of mine and when it was all said and done we both received our first payment – $50. I loved studying, practicing and performing magic, but getting money for the show was the spark for realizing I could get paid for this. It was wonderful. Fast forward to college where I ended up majoring in Business Administration and learned not only about business in general, but how I could apply that knowledge to my magic ( i.e. how to grow a business, marketing, accounting, etc. Read more>>

Katrina and Jordan Abbott | Photographer and Videographer

Freedom. Our end goal has been to have the freedom to enjoy the life that we are building together and use it to bless others. We both grew up with really traditional mindsets of having the standard 9-5 job, it was a safe and consistent space to be in. When we decided to start our photography/videography business I think it meant that we not just let go of the job but change of mindset. It really did take about a year of unwinding that traditional mindset in order to get our feet fully ready for our company. Read more>>

Tetro | Magician & Mentalist

Starting my own business was about reconnecting with my first love, magic. I spent years working all kinds of different jobs to pay the bills but none of them were fulfilling. I had a lot of hobbies I loved, but couldn’t decide what to focus on. There is a process that helped me to decide to start my own business as a magician and mentalist and it is called Ikigai. It’s a Japanese philosophy that means “reason for being”. It helps you find your purpose. Read more>>

Matt Bambrick | CEO & Founder of SoCal Youth Sports Solutions

There are 2 parts to this answer. Part one is what I have always wanted to do, Part 2 is how I got to this point to do it. I believe youth sports in particular youth soccer only lends and builds itself to a very small population of children, in particular access to good quality coaching. This shows in the statistics: -70% of children drop out of youth sorts by age 12 (this is 9 for soccer) -65% of children only play team sports for a maximum of 3 years There is something clearly wrong with the current youth sports environment. Our aim is to change this by doing the following: Read more>>

Michael Talbot | Freelance Illustrator, Artist, and Visual Story-Teller

With the decision to go into freelance full-time came the understanding that at some point I would expect to be successful enough to the point that my craft and work is no longer considered a side-hustle or a hobby. As such, it only made sense to allow myself the space to prepare for this growth and evolution. Read more>>

Carly Vong | Registered Dietitian & Snack Business Owner

SeedbarLA started with my vision to change the landscape of nutrition products for people receiving dialysis treatment. The inspiration came from my background as a Registered Dietitian specializing in kidney care. In my experience, finding a tasty, packaged snack bar with high-quality plant-based nutrition for my patients was not easy. It was also difficult to incorporate a variety of plant-based options into their restricted diets. Read more>>

Diedre Curry | Professional Sh!t Talker

SheeApparel was birth out of Necessity that saved my life. After going through a very emotional divorce and sleeping on my grandfathers couch while trying to find the purpose of my life while staying strong for my daughter. I needed a space where I felt safe, a space where I can love myself the same way I gave love to others , a space where I can feel valued and not ashamed for starting over. SheeApparel Saved me. We are here to hold space for the voiceless, for the women who no longer want to play small, for the women who think their voice doesn’t matter. Read more>>

Cody & Stephanie Hager | Photographers

It started with a fascination of all things tiny and vintage. I found myself scouring the web pining over tiny houses, food trucks, and old Volkswagen busses (something we’re still lusting after). I was sure the next business venture for my husband and I would be to restore our vintage trailer and turn it into a pop up food trailer, however, my sensible husband knew that was not us. Years of capturing our family and the love of a good party lead to the idea that would eventually come into fruition. Read more>>

Ali Hanley | Co Founder and Lead Photographer of Found In Euphoria

I knew I always wanted to start/have my own business. I went to school to study business administration and entrepreneurship and ended up getting my minor in photography as well. I knew I wanted to have photography be incorporated into my life but did not know just how much. After college I worked on the photography team for a major corporation. The experience was amazing at first but I soon realized that I was being worked way too hard for not enough compensation. I was working an average of 15 hour days with some days only getting 3 hours of sleep. I was exhausted and only 23. Read more>>

Erin Tufts Cartier | Handbag Designer & Maker | Creative Director | Artist

To be honest, NONE. I honestly just wanted to make beautiful things for people. I have tried to make this business work 3 times now. I am finally starting to realize that I still want to create beautiful things for people but I want to spark joy for every person that crosses the path of Rorin wether it be a conversation, the smell of leather, an ornate detail I created for a special client’s bag or the bag itself. The goal is to SPARK JOY. That being said, when I quit my full time job in December of 2019 to pursue Rorin full time, I did the grit work. Read more>>

Teresa Igler | Owner/Creator & Project Manager

When I started my own business, I was looking for an outlet to share my creativity. I love burning candles and I feel that scents are such a big part of our memories. When a fragrance hits your nose it has the power to transport you to another place and time. My career started with science, so I wanted to find something that I could physically create and bring my passions together. Making candles seemed like a lab experiment I could make my own. Tee Lights was born from a desire to spread my light – I was taking some time for myself at a friend’s wellness retreat and the idea came to me. Read more>>

David Storm” Manning | Mobile DJ/Entertainer

It all started in high school. I always enjoyed music, radio, and broadcast in general. In high school and college, I honestly wanted to be a film/tv actor first, radio DJ second. Being a mobile entertainer/party DJ wasn’t even a thing I knew you could do. I met one of my business partners Junior Year of high school and we shared a love for music. He told me that he had a small, but growing, dj business and invited me to tag along with him to an upcoming high school dance he was DJing. Read more>>

Katie Rae Mortimer | Vocalist & Stay at Home Mom

I didn’t expect to start a band at this point in my life but once the experience on “The Voice” gave me a rare opportunity to develop my confidence and momentum, I couldn’t pass it up. I don’t consider myself an expert business person but I am learning as I go and I’m excited for what the next years bring. Read more>>

Kimberly Tsan | Writer & Tarot Deck Creator

A decade ago, I went to a serious looking building downtown for a very serious interview. I was in my university’s co-op program and I applied to be a communications assistant at a doctor’s residency firm- both the office building and the grey meeting room where the interview was held drained the soul right out of me. I’ve always known that the life of a regular “muggle” didn’t suit me – my worst nightmare is being normal and living a conventional life with no magic in it. I didn’t get the job and didn’t want to get the job. Though I didn’t quite figure out what to do with my life at that point, I knew I wasn’t going to get a 9-5 job working under someone else. Read more>>

Greg Hwang | HOUSE Auto Group

To service the Porsche community by educating the consumers of their Porsche vehicles. It doesn’t matter if the customer pay a penny or ten thousand dollars for the visit… See the individual, couple, or family walking away educated and happy. Read more>>

Jayna Won | Tattooer & Co Owner of Angel Kisses LA

community we wished we had when we started in the industry. We wanted to create a tattoo shop that was not just something that benefited us as owners but also nurtured our residents. Read more>>

Sara Loffman | CEO & Co-Founder of Challah Back Girls™

• We were one of the first few people isolated in the area as our youngest sister, Eliana, was the first school in the nation to close due to COVID cases. • Challah baking has been part of our upbringing • We began baking to pass the time and enjoy an activity as a family that we hadn’t done together in probably about a decade • Our mom worked with the ER at Hackensack Meridian Health in NJ and we would bake for frontline healthcare heroes boarding up together there • People started to ask if they could purchase our challah but we didn’t feel comfortable selling it for a profit with everything going on in the world Read more>>

Erika Seidel | Intuitive Healer and Teacher

My thought process behind starting my business came from an idea I had when I was sixteen. I wanted to run a company that helped people connect with themselves and each other through travel and adventure. That initial idea evolved quite a bit, but my main intention has remained which is to help others grow and evolve through connection. Read more>>