We reached out to some of our favorite entrepreneurs and asked them to think back and tell us about how they decided to start a business. Check out their responses below.

katalina klein

I have been a real estate broker for over 2o years. Sometime in 2014-2015 I began to notice a trend where many middle eraners were starting to move out of certain areas because they could no longer afford homes in those areas. So basically, you had the core of society: teachers, fire fighters, clerks etc.. that could no lomger afford to live where they worked. That is what prompted me to look for affordable housing solutions. Read more>>

Khaliel Abdelrahim

I was unemployed for maybe about 9 months, couldn’t find a job to save my life, and I couldn’t sit around my apartment anymore so I figured I should start creating. I called some friends and worked out a plan to start filming content for zero dollars. Then I took some money from my unemployment check and filed for a LLC to make it official. Read more>>

Michael Klaumann

In 1996 I became one of the first customers of fledgling internet service provider Earthlink Network. I quickly became interested in this thing called the World Wide Web and started to learn how to build a “web page.” Writing the code in a text editor, I went on to build my first website, which 27 years later, is still running. Read more>>

Brandon Egolf

Ever since I was 9 years old I somehow new I wanted to be an entrepreneur. Between the 2008 recession, my parents struggling to make ends meet / working multiple jobs, and me getting the old family computer as my own, I really took it upon myself to start a company so I could help my parents. I remember feeling so guilty that I couldn’t help them even though all my life they had never asked a single thing of me. So, I got my start in online server hosting when I was 10 with games like TF2 and Gmod with what little savings I had. Eventually when Steam trading came out in 2011 I really went all in on trying to make it my job and had a full Steam based company marketing I ran for 7 years. Read more>>

Emanuel C. Harris, Sr

All of my companies were born out of a profound and unwavering passion for the act of creation and an ardent pursuit of personal growth and fulfillment. You know, it’s fascinating to think about how inherently creative we humans are! It’s like we’re born with this incredible gift to imagine, invent, and bring new things into existence. It’s not just a talent reserved for a select few; it’s something woven into the fabric of our being. 1980 Creations was birth from a belief that we are created to be Creative. Creativity is not just about making art; it’s a superpower that empowers us to tackle challenges and find unique solutions. When we’re faced with obstacles, our creative minds kick into gear, thinking outside the box, and discovering paths we hadn’t even considered before. We wanted to help small business see the potential any project the could imagine and use our God given creativity to transform the look of any business. Read more>>

Jadé Ajose

I had been in corporate America for almost 8 years and I hit the unfortunate “glass cliff.” I had a workload that was not sustainable and unsupportive bosses who were jealous of my success. I got tired of looking over my shoulder and knew that I was at the level to start my own business. In hindsight, I’m grateful for these managers because I don’t think that I would have had the guts to start my own business if I wasn’t so unhappy. I always had the talent but I had to build up my confidence and grow into the CEO position. However, early on in my career, I had pretty amazing managers who laid the foundation and provided invaluable mentorship. My thought process was to lean into that and build a company where my employees feel safe and respected. It was never about the money or clout but truly wanting to give back and create something that would have a positive impact on the world. Always remember that the hard lessons will turn into blessings! Read more>>

Dudley Beene

For the past two decades I have worked in marketing, creating campaigns for other people’s TV shows, movies, politics and more. This has offered great opportunities for creativity but they are always tied back someone else’s product and agenda. I began getting excited with the idea of creating a brand from the ground up. (What do we sell? What are our values? What sets us apart?) I know that’s backwards, but the spark for going into business came from the desire to market it. I looked for the “white space,” an arena that wasn’t saturated but still in demand. That year two friends were throwing caftan pool parties and it all made sense. Clothing that was gender neutral, one size fits all, and more about the fabric design than the tailoring. It all seemed doable. An affordable, outrageous caftan line that went heavy on the “extra.” I had never run a business before but I am a big believer in learning on the job, so I took the plunge. Read more>>

Scott Conner

My work by nature is mainly freelance, so I figured I had better make it a business. Id rather work 80 hrs a week for myself than 40 hrs a week for someone else. Read more>>

Gustavo Lopez

As someone who has hosted events before, I’ve had the experience of waking up the next day and realizing that I was so busy cooking, serving, and cleaning that I didn’t have much time to spend with my guests. Despite this, I enjoy entertaining and believe in the significance of making lasting memories through parties. This is why I came up with the concept for Event Helpers LA. Read more>>

Averi Eckert

The process that has led to PAPERCOMPANY has been a long string of small decisions to best achieve success in the music industry. I started playing guitar at 17, a year later entered college and felt a calling towards music. I studied Audio Engineering and Music Business. I then built a professional mixing studio in Detroit Michigan and found a lot of success as an audio engineer. However my true passion was always producing. Once I realized how much money I could make as a a producer, I began to transition my career building a catalogue of work produced for other artists. Being a producer in the industry you can make money right away, if talented, with very little overhead. Where as an artist, even one who is talented, has a much larger task of selling both themself as the “artist” and their music, often relying on the grace of a donor, label, or self funding in order generate revenue. Read more>>

John Dolio

When I officially took on the role as Bridal Specialist at Oscar de la Renta, I didn’t really think that far ahead. My main focus was build that business gaining my bride’s trust, work with their budget and timeline, and help them look their absolute best on their wedding day. It wasn’t until my brides started asking me for my styling advice outside of those confines, other outfits for their wedding festivities, that I saw the potential of the business. My opinion could only go so far without it being a conflict of interest. Read more>>

Brandon L.

I started Always Lucky Studio with the intention of helping creatives and small businesses bring their ideas to life. I’ve always found strength and excitement in collaborating with others, and after years of working as a graphic designer and mortgage processor, I knew that I didn’t want to be confined to a desk or limited to one task for the rest of my life. Read more>>

Ashley Eaves

While starting my business Blue Skye’s and Co. I envisioned creating a luxury brand for all to embrace in their personal spaces. I also wanted to build something that I could pass onto my daughter, Aubrey Skye. I knew that starting this business would take a lot of time, money, and trial and error; but I was determined. I have always enjoyed burning candles in my home, especially candles that have very unique scents. After months of testing different waxes, fragrance oils, and cotton wicks; I had finally created the perfect formula to launch this business. Read more>>

Allison Lieberman

After having my son a little over 5 years ago, I struggled with postpartum anxiety, depression, and OCD. However, I had no idea what those were, and I’m a therapist. I could not find the appropriate treatment to help me manage the symptoms I was experiencing and started to do some research. Once I discovered Postpartum Support International, I knew I wanted to create a practice that could meet the needs of other new moms struggling with the same symptoms as me. Read more>>

Audrey Wang

As an Estate Director for over 15 years in the private service industry, I have had the privilege of working with ultra high net worth individuals and families, both nationally and internationally. As the gatekeeper and right hand to some of the world’s most influential and powerful leaders, I get the unique opportunity to share the same space in their personal and business life. Read more>>

Inga Kaplan

I started making healthy cakes, particularly – raw vegan, quite accidentally, when I realized that I am not able to find such treats anywhere around me. It was sometime September 2020, and Covid had taken over our lives – everyone was more or less tied staying at home, plus I also had a brand new baby. Not that I had lots of free time on my hands while caring for a newborn, but my family always loved something sweet and now being able to find something healthy became even more important. It turned out to be quite impossible with the whole economy just taking a break. However to be able to adjust the diet and find quality food while nursing the baby, and find treats that will not only satisfy your sweet tooth but also nourish yours and your baby’s body, is especially important for every new mother. Read more>>

Geng Li

It was quite simple. I started to get calls from people to write music and do sound design for their projects, so I thought, why not start my own business? Read more>>

Nicoletta Gauci

At Kismet Collective we wanted to create a space where beauty artists could come together and support each other with complete transparency of how the business is run. We operate on a collectivist cooperative structure where every one has an equal amount in decision making based on the amount of effort they put into the company. We were tired of artists being micro managed and it resulting in burnout and a general dislike for our industry. The Kismet concept is that everyone does what they love, works the schedule they want and grows to be as booked and busy as they personally desire. Read more>>

Eric DeHaven

Originally I needed to aquire cameras and lenses for the work I was doing creatively for my professional projects. I quickly realized that I could suppliment the costs of that gear by renting it out. But over time we created some amazing relationships with our customers and it became even more apparent that we could use our company as a hub for knowladge and support of filmmakers. So giving back to our community by hosting free educational events and other workshops also became an important part of our work. Read more>>

Chris Thomas

I wanted someone to finance my creative endeavors, I suppose. My first business was a recording studio when I was 15 or 16 years old. I wanted some new mics, was recording my own music, and found another band to pay me to record their music. I used that money to buy new mics, and basically have been using clients to finance my hobbies ever since. Read more>>

Sean McBride

Starting our own business was more out of necessity than anything else. My producing and writing partner, Michael Greene and I were working together on various different projects, but it eventually reached a point where the work was outgrowing what we were capable of doing on our own. Once we started doing larger scale projects, involving more people working with us, it became apparent we needed to actually have a business that would act as an umbrella over everything we were doing. Read more>>

Sam Hajighasem

Ever since I could remember, I’ve been passionate about bridging communication gaps and fostering authentic relationships. Over the years, working closely with B2B and SaaS companies, I noticed a glaring issue – these businesses were struggling to forge meaningful connections with potential clients using traditional digital marketing methods. The digital world, for all its convenience, had created a void in genuine, person-to-person interaction, and I saw businesses grappling with it. Read more>>

David C. Hernandez

I started Film Fight Fitness because I enjoy teaching and helping people. I wanted to combine my years of being a certified personal trainer with my experience as a stage combat instructor. I realized a lot of performers lacked some of the strength and mobility necessary to perform high level on screen action be it with their hands and feet or with a weapon. In one on one training, I can give a more customized routine for specifically what kind of fighting movement thru want to achieve. Read more>>

Phil Circle

As a kid I was always torn between being a creative person and being an entrepreneur. I pursued music, but always had a side hustle while working some day job. It was exhausting. Then when I was about 22, I had a life-threatening illness that offered clarity. I was absolutely going into music. But I also realized that my love of creating money-making opportunities for myself would help me succeed in the tremendously challenging business of music. I was right. Read more>>

Helga Douglas

I founded Svala as I was very interested in sustainable fashion and was unable to find the kind of bags and accessories that I was looking for. I started writing for various publications about local, eco-friendly fashion in Los Angeles and being exposed to other founders inspired me and gave me the confidence to start my own brand. Read more>>

Sunil Bhaskaran

There have been several businesses in the past and in the present. I usually start with the end in mind – i.e. what I want to have happen in the future – how this business will positively impact the world, my communities and myself. Read more>>

Ja’maal Hassan

First, I want to create something that is sustainable in the market. I conducted extensive market research and identify a gap or an opportunity where I believed my business could thrive. Read more>>

Sharon Raijman

I wanted to a create a one-stop-shop but also make it safe and inclusive for all under-represented communities! beTRUE Los Angeles has three cyc wall studios, design-inspired lounges, a customizable and unique event space, a social media agency that represents LGBTQ+ content creators, private offices and more to come, including one of our studios currently transitioning into a podcast studio! Read more>>

Mark Jarel

My first slot car track I built was for me and my son. He had no idea what they were and how they worked as this is more of a vintage toy. One day someone came over to race with us and offered me an amount of money that made it worth me selling it to him. I then simply built another one for us to play with. Again, someone saw my track and needed to own it. This prompted me to do a slight bit of promotion for these toys and now I find myself building custom tracks for private collections Read more>>

Tuesday Hammerl

I have always wanted to have a retail store of my own to create a contribution to the gothic community. I’m a long-time member of the gothic subculture which is where I get most of my influence. The culture is thriving again with new music and events. So many are curious. Eclipsed Emporium was created as a place to go and hang out as well as shop and try new styles. It is amazing to help people focus their style or add to what they already own. When I first moved to Los Angeles in the 90’s we had Melrose avenue and a host of satellite stores to shop from. We would make a day out of going to Melrose and enjoying seeing like minded people. Read more>>