Readers often email us asking us for advice about new businesses they are thinking about starting and we often find that many of them don’t have a framework for thinking about a more fundamental question: why should or shouldn’t you start a business?

Below, you’ll find how successful entrepreneurs from across the city thought about this very question when they were considering whether to start their businesses.

Egypt McClure

For me, it was personal. I got tired of feeling like I was just surviving. After I had my second child, I looked at my life and thought, “This can’t be it.” My 9-to-5 wasn’t cutting it—not just financially, but emotionally. I needed something that made me feel proud, something that was mine. Read More>> 

Chanel Hurlin

I’m from Cape Town South Africa, I spend every December in the city and coming back to LA brings a little loneliness after being with all my friends and family. I started Soul Prints from a place of seeking community and wanting to share some love and light with the world. I’ve had a challenging past 3 years and a lot of my healing has come through gratitude, slowing down and appreciating the small things. With this in mind, I wanted Soul Prints to also encourage people to do the same, pause and be in the present moment. Read More>> 

Liang Chiu

My thought process behind starting my own business was that I noticed a lot of the bigger more established brands have the budget resources to run influencer marketing campaigns and the smaller startups want to implement influencers but have no clue how to get started or have the budgets. So I started my influencer marketing agencies catering to all kind of companies, and making influencer marketing possible for companies of all sizes and budgets. Read More>> 

Kurtis Moss

I didn’t think much of it honestly. I spend most of my free time at local shows so I picked up the camera a few years ago just as something fun to do while I’m there. At a certain point I think I realized, if I put in the effort, I can turn this into a business and spend more time watching live music and less time doing other stuff. Read More>> 

Dierrah McInnis

The idea to start my business came from a conversation I had with my mom during my senior year of high school. I was preparing to get ready for college, and she told me, “Dierrah, I think you should find something you can do on your own time and control your own schedule.” Read More>> 

Danny Tang

I experienced homelessness during my senior year of college, and wanted to work on solving one of the biggest issues facing the high cost of housing for college students, who often make little to no money. Read More>>

Melissa Mondesir

Honestly, the idea for my business, VSSL, didn’t come from an intense planning session or a long-term goal—I wholeheartedly believe it was given to me by God. VSSL is a faith-based home fragrance brand that pairs scripture with scent to cultivate stillness, provide Godly encouragement, and help people reconnect with God and themselves. Read More>>

Elizabeth Amador

I’ve always had the desire to have my own business. I tried a few businesses along the way but it did not work out. I realized I was missing being creative and the importance of how being creative made me feel fulfilled.

I have a degree in fashion design but I only worked in the fashion industry for one day! I also have a degree in educational administration and have been working in education for 22 years. Read More>>

Herman Matthews

I’ve always wanted to start my own band, and play music that I thought people would like to hear from a group of musician at the top of their game. SO MANY of the bands play the same songs, so I decided to play my favorite “B” cuts, along with original songs to make Phatback, Earl & Me! somewhat unique. Read More>>

Sara Park

As a licensed acupuncturist, starting my own clinic was not simply a business move—it was a heartfelt mission. I wanted to create a space people could truly trust and have faith in, where they could find real healing and lasting hope through acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. That’s why I named my clinic Faith Acupuncture Read More>> 

Gio Angeles

Determination, love for Art, and Luck! Read More>> 

Kamden Riley

As a young actor in Los Angeles, work is never guaranteed. There are seasons where everything clicks — you’re booking roles, momentum is building — and then there are stretches where it’s just quiet. One of the most recent projects I am a part of is Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic, The Odyssey. I’m confident in my future in film, but I also know I don’t want to spend my life waiting for my ‘big break.’  Read More>>

Maksym Sukhomlynov

For me, it was about creative control and professional freedom. I had been working on high-level productions for years-concerts, film premieres, immersive events-and realized I had a clear vision for how lighting should elevate an experience. Starting my own business allowed me to choose the projects I believed in, collaborate with forward-thinking creatives, and fully own the artistic process. It wasn’t just about running a business-it was about building a reputation as a Lighting Designer who could bring something unique to every show. Read More>>

Lilia Doytchinova

Honestly, the thought process behind starting my own creative path came down to this: I didn’t want to wait for permission anymore.

After years of working on big Hollywood sets — incredible projects like The Expendables, Creed II, and Ray Donovan — I realized I was constantly helping make someone else’s vision real while my own stories sat in my head. I’m an immigrant — I came here alone at 17, studied film at USC, worked every kind of job to survive — and it hit me one day that if I could figure all that out, I could figure out how to make my own film too. Read More>>

Stephanie & Jenika

The idea behind starting our own business stemmed from a desire to use our skills to build something purposeful, something that could support and empower others, particularly within the corporate space. We recognized a need for smart, meaningful tools that could enhance day to day productivity, creativity, and confidence, and we wanted to be the ones to fill that gap. On a more personal level, we were driven by the intention to create a lasting legacy for our children, something they could be proud of and possibly carry forward one day. In a world that often feels uncertain, having a venture that inspires us and keeps us going has been both grounding and deeply fulfilling. Read More>>

Shannon Pfrunder

After over a decade of working as a nurse in high-acuity hospital settings—trauma, ER, and the OR—I returned to school to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). I then spent 13+ years practicing both in hospitals and private practice. During that time, I began exploring aesthetics as a side passion. I was drawn to the precision of injecting, the evolving techniques, and especially the science behind regenerative medicine and how it could be applied to the aging process. Read More>> 

Eddy Knoxx

Funny thing there was no thought process. It was pure young, wild, risky, curiosity. I actually had no clue about fashion, I was a avid consumer; chronic shopper. So i guess i was blessed to meet that perfect fusion between a shopper and an artist. So i became a fashion designer. There was no process. Just a idea like “i should make my own shit instead of giving polo all these funds.” Nothing more, nothing less Read More>>

Jaiden Randolph

I have always been into fashion, entrepreneurship and marketing since a young age. I was selling my own clothes when I was 14 and always had a love for the process. But leading up to the brand, I was struggling with confidence and losing my sense of self in life, and wanted to find more purpose in having an affect on more peoples lives. I wanted a bigger “Why” and starting it gave me purpose. Read More>>

Parham Javaherian

I’m the CEO of the company, though not the founder. When I stepped into this role, my goal was to grow the business and lead it into the future with a focus on helping people become healthier through better metabolic health and preventative care. What really inspired me to take this on was the chance to make a real, lasting impact, especially in women’s health, which is something I’m deeply passionate about. Women, particularly those going through perimenopause and menopause, have been underserved and overlooked in healthcare for far too long. Read More>>

Jeremy Acosta

I have been fortunate enough to work in the event production field for a couple different companies. But there was always this passion and desire to create something that is mine. Starting my own business gave me an outlet to be able to do things, how I wanted them to be done. From sourcing new clients to client interactions and event execution. I was able to take my experiences from other jobs and apply them successfully to the business. Read More>>

Shreya Pahwa

When I look back, my family’s decision to start VK Eyebrow Image really grew out of two simple beliefs: that real expertise comes from doing, and that the right environment can turn passion into impact.

When I first arrived in the U.S., I had no safety net—no college degree, no savings—just the hands-on threading skills I’d honed back in India. Landing my first job in just two weeks taught me that talent and persistence can open doors that paper credentials sometimes don’t. But it also showed me how easily skilled practitioners get overlooked in environments that don’t nurture them. Read More>>

Nathalie Moran

Art has always been a part of me, but the moment I got my first tattoo, it clicked. I didn’t just want to be around tattoos, I wanted to create them. Right out of high school, I bet on myself and started working out of my private studio. It wasn’t just about tattoos for me, it was about claiming my independence and building something of my own. Read More>>

Giovanne Schachere

Starting Mysti’s was about legacy and justice. My mother died during the pandemic, and I never felt her death was truly investigated because of the chaos and confusion in the world at that time; deaths left and right in L.A. in the hood. I named the company after her because I wanted to build something that mattered—something that lasts. Something healing. Read More>>

Melanie Mohr

As a creative person who has always worked in entertainment, I got to a point in my life where I felt that I needed something that was just for me. I tried several forms of art as a hobby and nothing fit. I found creating with wood and it was a feeling of ‘yes!”. After giving all my friends and family so many of my pieces I realized that if I wanted to continue making, I was going to have to start selling. Not only to help pay for my tools and materials but to not just shove my creations in a closet and forget about them Read More>>

Troy Zestos

I wanted to start my own business, because I really wanted to have control over how well my business does. I really wanted to make sure that it was going to be in my hands. I’m gonna make sure it’s successful because I’m gonna put all the hard work I can into growing my business and seeing my career through. Read More>>