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.

Kristi Cook

It really came from a place of passion first, I didn’t set out thinking “I’m going to start a business.” I was just so obsessed with internet culture and had so much to say, and I noticed there weren’t a lot of people covering these stories. Once the channel started to grow, I realized I had something special and needed to treat it like the brand it was becoming. That’s when my mindset shifted. I started thinking about Spill Sesh not just as a channel, but as a full-on business — how to grow it, protect it, and build something sustainable. It was a really organic process, but also one that pushed me to learn a lot really fast. Read More>>

Jon Ross
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A lot of streams of experiences came together to enable me to start MicroAid International—the nonprofit that I founded in 2009 to rebuild permanent houses for disaster survivors around the world. I didn’t necessarily want to reinvent the wheel, but when I looked into helping during the “long-term” disaster response—when the world’s attention has moved on, but people still need help—there just weren’t many, if any, other organizations operating in that space. Read More>>

Jayr And Alisa

The thought process behind starting our business was rooted in a genuine love for human connection and storytelling. We wanted to create something more than just a service — we wanted to build an experience. With our photo booth and self-portrait studio, our goal is to offer people a fun, interactive way to capture moments that matter. Whether it’s a wedding, a birthday, or a date night activity at our studio, we believe that memories deserve to be preserved in a way that’s both creative and meaningful.  Read More>>

Tanya Jung

Well, starting my own business was a bit of an accident — the opportunity kind of fell into my lap, and I just ran with it. I used to work for my friend, who had her own cookie business, but she decided to close shop when Covid hit. Soon after, when one of her old clients wanted to place another order, she really encouraged me to give it a shot and was super supportive when I started thinking about building my own cookie business. She’s been such an incredible role model and watching her grow her business inspired me, and before I knew it, I was elbow-deep in dough and the rest is history. Read More>>

Mina Miracles

My journey to starting Miracles Foundation Inc was deeply personal. I’ve always believed that true healing goes beyond just the physical it requires nurturing the mind, body, and spirit. Through my own life experiences and working with others, I saw a real need for a space that provided holistic healing through sound therapy, breath work, shamanic journeys, and other spiritual modalities. I wanted to create a foundation that not only offered these tools but also helped people step into their peace, purpose, and abundance. My goal was to hold space for those seeking to heal, transform, and reconnect with themselves in a meaningful way Read More>>

Jessica Clark

My professional life has always been very organic. Actually, more so than that, any plan that I ever made did not work out the way I expected. So early on I decided that I would stay open to opportunities, say yes to any that felt good, and then maximize the experience. Read More>>

Tay Kincaid

The Whorror Show has quite a few inspirations behind the creation!

One of the main thought processes behind it had come from Dragula’s Monster of Rock episodes. These episodes would feature the drag artists becoming rockstars and would include a challenge where they would have to perform as a band. The looks and outfits were always stellar, but they would be air playing their instruments for it. That had always been my favorite challenge, but I couldn’t stop thinking of how cool it would be if they actually played their instruments. Read More>>

Jkeeth

I was always the kid who lived by my own rules. I always wanted to be in control of my own destiny. And getting my first job was the biggest eye opening experience for me. To have someone how much an hour of my time was valued at just never sat right with me. So being in control of my life was the real driving force behind it. Read More>>

Stella Summer

As a busy mom and beauty lover, I constantly found myself juggling a million things—kids, work, errands—and still wanting to feel put together. I realized there was a gap in the market for smart, high-performance makeup that fit into real life. I wanted to create a product line that wasn’t just beautiful, but practical—products that solved the everyday problem of time and space without compromising on quality or style. Read More>>

Luther Ocasio

I’ve always believed that a business should be born out of necessity—a response to something missing yet deeply desired. When I looked around, especially within my immediate community, I noticed two glaring gaps: the absence of genuinely inclusive, community-rooted creative spaces, and a lack of environments designed with both the nervous system and the senses in mind. Read More>>

Nikki Frechette

In the beginning of my healing journey, starting a business wasn’t even on my radar. My intention was simply to better my life—to shift out of a victimhood mindset and create real, lasting change. I immersed myself in personal development, and over time, I began to feel empowered in a way I hadn’t before. The tools, support, and mentorship I received completely changed my life—and that transformation sparked a passion in me. I realized I wanted to help others experience the same kind of breakthrough. Read More>>

Diana Yen

I started my own food studio in 2009 in NYC. I was fascinated by the intersection of food, design, and visuals, and had reached a point where I had enough clients to take the leap and go out on my own. Starting my own business meant total creative freedom — a space where I could do everything I love: write recipes, test them, style food, and photograph it. It was also important to me to have a space where other friends and creatives could stop by and collaborate. The community in downtown Manhattan at that time was incredibly inspiring, and I wanted to be part of that energy in a more intentional way. Read More>>

Autumn Griffin

Growing up with an entrepreneur as a father, I learned early on the power of multiple income streams, especially those that work for you even while you sleep. But for me, starting a business wasn’t just about making money, it had to align with purpose. I used to chase corporate success, thinking it would bring fulfillment, but I quickly realized that true satisfaction for me comes from inspiring others and creating spaces where people feel seen and empowered. Read More>>

Jose R. Grijalva

For me, starting a business wasn’t just about chasing opportunity — it was a continuation of my story. I grew up in the restaurant world. My parents opened the original Joselito’s in 1977 when I was just a kid, and I spent my childhood immersed in hospitality. So when I finally opened Joselito’s Tujunga, it felt like something I had been training for my whole life — but it wasn’t my first step. Read More>>

Tony Sauce

Well I started my platform after experimenting with podcasts for a year with friends just doing random recordings and then covid hit and I was mainly alone at home and decided to start my platform Tony’s Talk Podcast which later became Tony’s Talk Showcase, I started just playing music and showing off music of all kinds mainstream and underground, I have always been into independent artists music, my brother Primo was always involved with artists since I can remember and I was always a fan of music and loved collecting it, my platform is something I have always loved and done, I love that I was able to turn it into a business and service for Independent Artists Read More>>

Juanita Londoño

Starting my own business wasn’t just a strategic decision it was a soul decision. I was at a point in my life where I had experienced enough of the industry to understand what I loved, what was missing, and most importantly, what I could offer. I had worked in different areas fashion, beauty, sales, content and every chapter taught me something about what people needed and what made them feel seen and empowered. Read More>>

Yoyojin

In 2010, I was dispatched to Zambia, Africa, through a UNESCO program, which became the starting point for nearly nine years of living and working there. Drawing on my academic background in media content production and youth educational counselling, I helped establish a community-based filmmaking group with youth in the village. And also participated in a collaborative project called “Art4art” with local artists, where we created educational animations about HIV/AIDS. Through these experiences, I came to realise the many ways art can contribute to society deeply. Working alongside local artists on various projects, I naturally found myself drawn into the path of art. Read More>>

Greg Dulan

My thought process behind starting my own business was deeply rooted in my upbringing and a long-held aspiration nurtured by my family’s entrepreneurial spirit. My first real taste of the business world came as a young teenager working in our family’s hamburger stand. This wasn’t just about earning pocket money; it was an early education in customer service, efficiency, and the direct impact of hard work on the bottom line. Surprisingly, I discovered that I not only could handle the demands of the business but actually enjoyed it. I then went on to Howard University, with the intention of pursuing a business degree, and the hope of one day being able to run my father’s business. Read More>>

Jeanine Johnson

I was looking for greater autonomy so that I could have the freedom to create the life I truly wanted – which includes work/life balance and time for my hobbies and interests … and last but not least, the opportunity to take better care of myself. Read More>>

Gavin Cross

I started my therapy practice with the intention of creating a space where people whose experiences often fall outside the mainstream narrative could feel truly seen. I work primarily with men navigating the unspoken or internalized struggles of masculinity and anxiety, and with queer individuals and couples whose relationships don’t always follow heteronormative templates. I wanted a space where vulnerability wasn’t just allowed—it was invited. Starting my own business gave me the freedom to tailor my practice in a way that aligned with those values. Read More>>

Shann Christen

I had solid work at a salon cutting and styling hair, with a clientele I built through 15 years in the movie industry and diligent work in the salon, when my own hair started falling out. This prompted me to study Trichology at a world-renowned Trichology school in Italy. I was then able to stop my own hair loss and re-grow my hair back. I felt that this was just as important – or even more important – of a service to provide to others who had hair loss from illness, aging, stress, and even trauma. Read More>>

Mimi Perryman

Events With LML was not the first business I started. From about High School I always knew I wanted to be a mogul. I always was a create my own path kind of person. I was a natural born leader, risk taker, and hustler since I could remember. So, my first business was me taking that leap to create my own lane. For several reasons it never took off. I was in the service industry to help pay my way through college. Realizing how much of a good living I made I stayed well into my mid 20s which led me into management positions and moving up. Read More>>

Tirzah Morataya

Dancing was my passion! I started my business in 2012 with the love for dance so I started teaching 18 & 15th birthday parties (Waltz and Hip Hop performances). As years went on, clients started asking me for more services and from there I started my event coordination/ choreography business! Read More>>

Lina Leikam

Lina-Hair and Makeup Artist

How a Dream Took Flight Across the Atlantic –

Lina’s journey in the beauty industry began in her home country Germany. Her fascination with cosmetics drove her to work for various international beauty companies. Working for various international beauty brands, she honed her skills and deepened her understanding of cosmetics.  Read More>>

Justin Gordon

The idea for both Sierra Mixology and New Canon Theatre Co. really took shape during the pandemic. Like so many others in the hospitality and arts industries, I found myself at a standstill. Theatres were dark, bars were closed, and suddenly I had all this time—and a strong need to figure out how to keep moving forward.

That’s when Sierra Mixology was born. My friend Bryan Rogers, owner of Boozehounds Palm Springs called me in fall of 2020 and told me they were going to open a craft-forward bar and restaurant in Palm Springs, aiming for a spring 2021 opening, and he asked me to build their beverage program.  Read More>>

Cindy Lacy

Honestly, it came from one of the hardest moments in my life. I was wrongfully let go from my job while on maternity leave—just five weeks after having my baby girl. I was heartbroken and blindsided. But in the middle of that pain, a quiet dream I had buried for years started to surface.

I had always wanted to start my own photography business—I had the skills, the passion, and even a website just waiting on me to believe in it. That moment of loss gave me the push to finally go for it. Read More>>

Sabrina Hyman

I wish I could say I stumbled into this, or that I always knew this was exactly what I wanted to do right out of school—but that wasn’t my path. The journey really began with a period of deep self-discovery and intentional research during my Saturn return. Read More>>

Sergio & Desirée Vasquez

Over the years, we’ve somehow found ourselves designated as the “go-to” creatives of our friend group when it comes to photography — Sergio being head photographer and me creatively directing and occasionally secondary shooting. Something that started off as a hunger for adventure and a way to document the memory of our experiences, quickly turned into a sort of sporadic side hustle, if you will. Most of these side gigs came about from people Sergio knew who he’d shot events for previously. Slowly word of mouth carried and he found himself shooting more professionally (engagements, weddings, and families.) Read More>>

Hero Of The Story

You know when you’re crying on the bathroom floor about your life, and you have that one friend who will crack a totally inappropriate yet perfectly timed joke that 100% gets you to laugh through your snotty tears?! We’re usually that friend.

Humor has always been a huge part of my life, so if I’m going to have a business… I’m definitely going to be funny about it Read More>>

Maria Yecenia Larios

For years, I worked hard in the industry and gained valuable experience, but deep down I always knew I wanted more freedom, creativity, and purpose in my work. I was tired of working under someone else’s rules and limitations—I wanted to create something of my own, something that reflected my values and vision. Starting my own business was about taking control of my future, building a legacy, and finally doing things the way I knew they could be done—putting clients first, providing high-quality services, and creating a space that truly makes people feel good inside and out Read More>>

Andrew Ponce

Honestly, my thought process wasn’t some formal business plan—it came from a deep need to express myself through food. I’ve always believed that food is a powerful way to communicate identity and emotion. I wanted to create something that was mine, something that could reflect my story and the flavors that raised me. Read More>>

Fiona Hillery

I actually never set out to start a business—Esoteric Empowerment unfolded naturally! I had been quietly practicing intuitive arts for years while working in media. As I began sharing more with colleagues and offering friendly readings, word of mouth took off. My boss was incredibly supportive and encouraged me to own my voice publicly, writing spiritual articles, horoscopes and facilitating events. So when the pandemic hit and demand accelerated, I already had a firm foundation. And what started as a side passion quickly became a soul-led path. Read More>>

Simon Mulla

I started my own garage door repair company because I saw a real need for honest, reliable service in the industry. I had experience working for other companies and kept noticing how often customers were overcharged or given poor-quality work. I wanted to build something different — a company built on trust, quality craftsmanship, and real customer care. Plus, I always had that entrepreneurial drive. I wanted the freedom to create something of my own, set my own standards, and take pride in the work we deliver every single day. Read More>>

Kadie Bogart

I grew up in a family run business that my grandfather started. The business continues to be in our family, with both my parents having owned it and now my brother. I saw the hard work that my parents put into building it but I also saw the reward. This was something that I was willing to take on when starting my private practice. While I learned theories and how to do the clinical work, running a private practice is not something they teach you in graduate school. I did a lot of learning on my own and continue to do so. Read More>>