Thinking through whether to start a business – whether to take the risk, whether to go out on your own – isn’t easy. So we asked some entrepreneurs we admire to tell us about how they thought through the process of starting a business.

CusCampbell | Trombonist

There was no thought process at the very beginning . As a child, I never thought I was going to be in the position I am currently in. Currently, I understand that a business is nothing more than enough money being made doing a particular activity. Read more>>

Whitnye Raquel | Artist

I had always dreamed of having my own shop. I envisioned a small, market style boutique with an eclectic, advant-garde aesthetic. However, in my current season of life this dream was just not feasible. I wanted to travel. The time and energy it would take to run a brick and mortar shop wasn’t practical for me. I had seen a video on Facebook of a Portland native, Taylor Valdés, who had started her own vending company, The Venderia, She filled her machines with quirky handmade treasures, thrifted goods, and locally made art. Read More>>

Elle Festin | Tattoo Artist & Cultural Revivalist

26 years ago, I had a calling to explore my ancestral roots and culture. I connected with other Filipinos and in 1997 I co-founded Tatak Ng Apat Na Alon (Mark of the 4 Waves Tribe), a Filipino tattoo revival organization. Read more>>

Jonaa Darrie | Founder and CEO of TOSCA HONEY

Representing luxury brands for over twenty years has made me intimately familiar with the world of fine fragrance.. These experiences , combined with my love of world travel, art, music, dance and the history of story telling through fragrance inspired me to create my own brand. Read more>>

Sandy Duarte | Actor & Producer

My creative partner (Nathan Blacklock) and I, individually have our respective careers within the entertainment industry. When we started to work together and collaborate on creative ideas, we felt organically inspired to create our own production company (Anachronistic Pictures) that would fully represent what our joint vision and ethos is in the landscape of film and tv. Read more>>

Seth Silver | Co-Founder, Silver Food Studios

I come from a long lineage of entrepreneurs, so naturally, being a business owner always made sense. While it was very uncomfortable to transition from getting a paycheck to creating a business in the beginning, I’m glad I decided to do so. In fact, until this day, I continue to put myself in uncomfortable positions to grow my business. However, I have learned that it is essential to have continuous growth. Read more>>

Brett Latteri | Owner of The Den on Sunset

I opened The Den almost 14 years ago, and before I did, I decided I wanted to make a career change into an industry I thought was fascinating. Even as a kid, I was intrigued by franchises in the food court at mall, like McDonald’s and Cinnabon. I even told my mom I wanted to open a franchise as a family. Read more>>

Norris Dorsey | College Professor and Entrepreneur

Initially, I started my business as a case study. I was teaching business courses at a few local community colleges and wanted my students to make real world connections to the things we were discussing in class. Reading about businesses in a textbook is ok, but watching me start and run my business in real life was much more powerful. Read more>>

Jenna Michele | Ceramic Artist

I was working at a job that was hands down the most unprofessional environment I had ever been in. It was one of those places that did not have an HR department and everyone hung out with eachother on the weekend. So me, coming in not trying to do anything but my job did not work. Read more>>

Ginger Burr | Image and Color Consultant

While I know many women in their teens and twenties have a sense of confidence in their personal styles and feel like they can throw something on and look good, that was never my personal experience. I always felt like something was missing or other people looked better, but I never seemed to be able to put my finger on what wasn’t working so that I could fix it! Read more>>

Kalina Mondzholovska | Multi-disciplinary Artist & Photographer

I am not sure it was much of a thought process more so than a strong desire to work for myself and live by my own rules. Call it a character trait as I’ve always been this way. I come from an immigrant family and no money. Moving to the States at the age of 12 was a blessing because I saw that having your own business is very possible and doable. Read more>>

Roman Anthony | Actor | Writer | Cosmetologist

As an artist we are independent businesses and typically file taxes that way. It just made sense to take the step and create my own brand and business legally. For me it is the ability to have as much creative freedom as possible. I want to control how I’m perceived- my image, my art and what I choose to disclose personally on public and social platforms. Read more>>

Lisa Gill | Founder & Principal Designer at Studio Mood

Starting Studio Mood was a natural progression. I have always been a driven individual, and want to develop and learn in whatever path I chose to take in life. Design is my passion. I have worked in the industry, and with high-profile clients for over 20 years and feel I still have a long way to go in my journey. Starting my own business was the next chapter in developing my passion. Read more>>

Irene Montantes | Founder & Community Organizer

There was a need in a community, I could not turn away because I knew I had the resources and capacity to help. Also, what really pushed me to pursue LA Baby Cooperative was that the need was and still is for mothers and infants, specifically for migrant and Indigenous families who often get overlooked. Read more>>