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.

Jorie Tonkinson | Jewelry Maker

My business was started from a passion of walking the beach and collecting sea glass. My husband and I were living on our beautiful 50′ yacht in the Ventura marina harbor. Read more>>

Avril O’Sullivan | Bespoke Stationery Designer

I began my business after working in the corporate section for many years. After my children were born I wanted a more flexible working lifestyle to balance work and my family life. I had studied Art & Design when I was younger and always wanted to go back to doing something creative. Read more>>

Emil Gallardo | Writer, Director, Business Owner

Before anything else, I wanna say thank you to Kevin and the whole team at Shoutout LA for the opportunity to share my story, and a huge thank you to my good friend, Pam Matew for recommending me! Read more>>

Bonnie Harris Hayden

I didn’t actually set out to start a business. It unfolded organically, which has been a wonderful surprise. BEHOLD THE POM began with a promise. And one cotton pom pom. I was going through a tough time in my life, dealing with an incredible amount of stress from work, family, and having health issues. I needed to find a joyful focus while navigating such a challenging chapter. Read more>>

Christopher Jeffries | Artist, Glassblower

My dream has always been to make a living as a professional artist. Read more>>

Kyle Cameron | Business Owner

Starting our own business was a unique journey, particularly because Kopa Kauai was originally founded by my remarkable aunt, Jenny, about 15 years ago in the serene landscapes of Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii. Read more>> 

David Hall | Educator, Writer, and Publisher

BreakBread Literacy Project was created out of two elements. I had been working summers as the director of the Kenyon Young Writers Program, a two-week, on campus creative writing workshop for teens, sponsored by Kenyon College in Gambier, OH. Read more>>

Britney Nguyen | Film composer, orchestrator, and arranger

I think most professional musicians agree that they all started with freelance and gig work. Being your own boss as a musician is the most flexible way to take control of your creative freedom. Read more>>

David Parker | Dancer and Choreographer

I am a New York City-based choreographer who started The Bang Group with my dance partner, Jeffrey Kazin, in 1990 to create dances that embody and reveal the ways that rhythm functions in human interaction. We also wanted to gather a group of dancers who straddled the contemporary and percussive dance worlds. Read more>>

Larren Wong | Recording Artist / Producer

“The motivation to start my own business came from my experiences in various organizations where I had little control over the direction. These experiences fueled my desire to create something I could shape and offer to the world without compromising my values.” Read more>>

Mayra Hernandez | Eyelash extension Artist

When I decided to start my own eyelash extension business, my thought process was driven by a few key factors: Firstly, I had a genuine passion for beauty and aesthetics, particularly in enhancing natural beauty through eyelash extensions. This passion made me eager to turn what I loved into a career. Read more>>

Alexa Fanchette Brown | Leading light in Personal development | Actress

The thought process behind my business was to become what I need. There are a lot of motivational speakers and lifestyle and inspiration brands but none of them really fit me. I want to create a space where people could feel safe, seen, and loved. Read more>> 

Eric Bourgoujian | Mad Dog Video Inc. founder/principal

It begins with both of my parents being successful entrepreneurs and from them I learned that being in control of your career based on your own decisions instead of someone else doing it for you was the direction that felt very comfortable for me. Read more>>

Billy Simon | Founder of Jacaranda Hemp, Nature Lover

After completing a Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship class at my school, Loyola Marymount University (where I majored in Entrepreneurship), my life-long best friend/roomate, Henry Gibson, and I determined it would be a fun endeavor to start a business together. Read more>>

Madalyn Bond | Personal Stylist & Wardrobe Consultant

My background and degree is in costume history, emphasizing on theatre and film. I was drawn to character work, putting intention and emotion behind their choice in clothing gives an audience insight into who this character is. As a self-proclaimed sensi (sensitive person), I burnt out of the industry after a few years. Read more>>

Kasey Scott, Kelly Giovannetti, and Kristen Gallegos

My sister Kelly and I were pharmaceutical sales reps and really hated our jobs. I think we both felt like there had to be more we could offer the world, and there had to be a work environment out there that felt more fulfilling to us. Our Dad had been an entrepreneur, so I think it that entrepreneurial spirit was always in our blood a bit. Read more>>

Samuel Andres Cedillo Reyes | Queer, Latine Owner of Samuelito’s Bebidas

I had realized that I thoroughly enjoyed connecting with people through food. I had always envisioned having my own business in which I could connect with the community. The culinary field has always been one of my passions, so I though that it would be a good idea to share my knowledge and happiness with others through food and beverages. Read more>>

Guillermo Silberstein | Composer & Sound Designer

I was working at 20th Century fox/Century City at the time and for some reason we where instructed to not initiate new work so for almost a months I didn’t have anything to do and only had to commute an hour from Pasadena, sit at my desk for 8 hours doing nothing and leave. I am just a workaholic by nature so I thought why not open a company. Read more>>

Kevin Hobby | Entrepreneur

Well, since I was young, I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and start a business that could impact my community and give back to it as well. That business that I ended up creating was The County Project, a clothing brand that tells the story of Orange County, California through art, fashion, culture, and community. Read more>>

D-Win

My inspiration for starting my business was my niece “Corrie”. With my design background, I felt inspired to get back into the field when she was born. It wasn’t about her desire to become a designer, but rather about creating opportunities for her to become a leader. Read more>>

Lincoln Roy | Artist

Concrete Jungle Live was started as a way to showcase my music as an independent artist. I believe it’s important to invest in yourself if you truly believe in your art. I wanted a way to perform my music and to create an environment where likeminded artist and creatives would appreciate.  Read more>>

Kate Obert | Stylist + Brand Consultant

I started my business because I wanted to make money being myself and live life on my own terms. I didn’t want to be restricted by someone else’s schedule or have only two weeks of PTO a year. I wanted to fully utilize my brain and help others with my unique skills. Read more>>

Naoshi

When I started working in Tokyo as an office worker, I was in search of something I could immerse myself in. One day at a bookstore, I came across a book featuring a collection of works by Kin Shiotani (https://kinshio.com), an illustrator and writer. Read more>>

Dr Chantal Lunderville | Founder of Inner Circle, Medical Director

Curiosity! After graduating residency in 2018 I did not feel drawn to getting a normal “doctor job” like the rest of my peers. Feeling more drawn to entrepreneurship, beauty and events, I approached my next ventures with a sense of play and joy. Read more>>

Luisa Lucia | Certified Life Coach & Human Design Specialist

When I transitioned my career to spiritual coaching it happened very organically. People started showing up and requesting my guidance before I had any business structure in place. I didn’t even have a website let alone a corporation and I was still wrapping up my certifications. Read more>>

Gherald Alaman | CEO/Founder of Talent & Skills

My entrepreneurial journey into the world of talent booking began in middle school, almost like a calling. It all started when I helped my siblings land gigs in commercials, educational videos, and print work, igniting a passion for connecting people with opportunities. Read more>>

Aleksandra Schiffer | Nonprofit Executive Director and Founder of I Stand With My Pack

I started ISWMP to strengthen the human-animal bond and be the voice for animals because they do not have one. From my life experience, I saw firsthand through war how horrible humans can be to other species and each other. I wanted to bring back the balance in the system that was and still is noticeably in distress. Read more>>

Sash Moreaux | Licensed Esthestician & Founder of Meaux Co.

I started my business as a means of survival as a mother of three it was impossible for me to find work in my unique Co parenting situation, a career where I could get my kids on the bus at 8 am be here when they got off at 3 pm and see my oldest child 2 Saturday’s per month across the country. Read more>>

George HannaWilson | Simpsons portrait artist

I’ve always been pretty good at drawing Simpsons. One day I thought to myself “I could probably sell these online to suckers who love pop culture”. After all, pop culture sells. Also I saw the competition online and knew I could do better than most of them. Read more>>

Dr. J. Casey Hobbs, OTD, OTR/L | Women’s Health Occupational Therapist

Like many good things in life, the idea to start my own business came as a surprise. At my full-time job, I was asked if I would be interested in seeing patients in the women’s health department.  Read more>>

Bette Bentley | Founder & Inventor

I’m Bette, the CEO, inventor and Founder of Skimpies, The Original Leggings Liner. I really see myself as a mom who is NOT a gatekeeper and wants to spread joy and support women. I invented Skimpies in 2020 when I was officially fed up with lines and bulges from panties. But skipping underwear was giving me UTIs and ruining my leggings! Read more>>

Eva Alexiou-Reo | Music Agent

As a young woman, I spent a lot of time focusing on taking risks, expanding, having fun, learning, and discovering who I was. When I was 16 yrs old, I was caught up with going to DIY shows/ concerts and snowboarding. Since I grew up in a smaller area, we didn’t have many bands coming into our area. Read more>>

Roya Nazari Najafabadi

On my artistic journey, I explore themes of self-discovery and expression relating to Iranian women’s experiences; my practice seeks to elicit strong emotional responses while exploring complex societal narratives through art. Read more>>

Kim Watson

I feel like everyone sees the unhoused all over the city, but few people get to know who they truly are. People walk by without a glance or a word as if the homeless are invisible, so when I started TRESPASS I wanted to open everyone’s eyes to their gifts and talents, struggles, and their dreams. Read more>> 

Hao Sun

While in film school, the idea of starting my own business first crossed my mind. During those years, I joined numerous film crews, willingly taking on various roles without payment, solely for the sake of learning. Read more>>

Ernie Merlan | Executive Director, Muralism

My entire career has been in art, as a scenic artist painting sets and backdrops for the movie industry or designing sets and editing animated movies on the computer. In 2011 I found myself at a crossroads. Disney my biggest client was changing my contract from a 30 day pay to a 90 day pay. Read more>>

Linda Vallejo | Artist, Non-profit Consultant and Fundraiser, and Artist Career Development Coach

I am an artist and entrepreneur. I freelance as a trainer, consultant, and coach for nonprofit organizations and individual artists. Because of my art career I always wanted to work on my own time to be free to paint, exhibit my work, and garner publications. Read more>>

Sean and Lisa Blanchard | Owners and curators

We opened The Good Wolf in 2019 located in the heart of Las Vegas. 18b was filled with eats, bars, and vintage, we wanted to add new apparel and Lifestyle shopping. In an area that had culture and heart beat. Read more>>