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.

Katerina Hung | Editorial Wedding & Fashion Photographer

Photography was something I had a natural knack for. I believe my experience in acting, my education in fine arts, along with my mother’s influence in fashion design – all coalesced into my ability to mold and shape people, directing them into position so I can capture that one beautiful moment where future witnesses of that photo would understand the story behind what I was capturing. Read more>>

Jason Hibbs | Professional Woodworker and content creator.

When you work for some one else you lack a certain motivation. Because you will always be working to better that person or company above yourself. When you work for yourself it’s different because every late night, every extra bit of effort directly benefits you. If you fail its on you if you succeed its on you. The stakes are higher but so are the rewards. Read more>>

Lorr Volatier | Owner & Creator of 333 Gallery ~ The Subterranean Forest

I moved to Los Angeles in 2018 as a Production Designer, I started working on tv shows like American Horror Story, Jack Ryan, & Ratched. Until the beginning of 2020 when I decided I wanted to go independent and work on music videos and commercials only instead. Then covid hit ~ I realized my love was for making sets for people rather than for productions. Read more>>

Eden and Jay Trevino | Creators of @PreciosaNight

When we would go out to queer spaces they never felt like they were inclusive to Latino culture and the ones that advertised for people of color didn’t feel that they were in the safest environment. We took a big look around and thought this cant possibly be it, so instead of waiting for someone to truly make an inclusive space for our community, we decided to make one our selves. Read more>>

Danielle Calahan | Perinatal and Pediatric Chiropractor

After I graduated from the University of San Diego with a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology, I went straight into chiropractic school at Southern California University of Health Sciences – Los Angeles College of Chiropractic. It was during my first year that I switched my emphasis of sports to family wellness. I took the ICPA Webster Certification during my first year and fell in love with studying and working with pregnant women and children. Read more>>

Latoya Vickers | Founder and Chief Operating Officer

I was thinking about my passions, my love for wine and spirits and event planning and how I could put the two together. It was a simple yet complex thought/question – Why are you waiting for someone to give you what you already know how to do?” From there Festival Noir ™ was born. Read more>>

Sonia Smith Kang | Founder & Designe

I’m a multi-faceted individual who made the transition from being a registered nurse to a fashion designer. With an Afro-Latina heritage and military upbringing, I have a unique perspective I bring to the world of fashion. Born in Puerto Rico and raised on the picturesque Hawaiian island of O’ahu, I have a rich multicultural background that is reflected in my work. Read more>>

Laurie Vitale | Mother, Traveler, Analyst, Crepe Master

After traveling 13 European countries over 3 months, and spending several months a year in Italy pre-covid, I decided I wanted to bring a piece of Italy back to Kansas City with me. During my travels I realized a majority of Americans never leave the US, and thus may never get to experience the beautiful delicacies of Italy. Read more>>

Bryan Dizon | Girl Dad, Husband and Chef who grew up in Glendale, CA and moved his talent to Long Beach, CA

As new parents, our main goal was to make sure we provide the very best for our child while still attaining to our goals. With the pandemic and inflation in the midst of everything, we had to make sure we stand firm while still doing what we love and that’s how we came up one night with “Marrow Thoughts”. We wanted something unique and not too common out there, yet still appealing to the public especially to the foodies! Read more>>

Emilia Bourland | OTR, ECHM, CEO

As a healthcare provider, one of the most frustrating things is when people come in with illness or injury that you know was preventable. When I first began thinking about starting a business, it was driven by that frustration. I deeply wanted to start serving people at the community level… before they had an incident that required medical intervention. Read more>>

Zach and Emily Simms and Cooper | Producer, DJ, Instrumentalists

Starting a business wasn’t our initial goal, but it’s how things fell into place. We just wanted to play music all the time and answer only to the groove. In 2018 Zach created the group Future Joy. He went on a few cross-country tours before meeting Emily in 2019. With the events of 2020, we had to pivot from our separate DJ residencies and decided it was time to hit the road to focus on Future Joy full-time. Read more>>

Heather Zoccali | Founder and Director of Atmosphere

The process that led me to this has been a long one but the real culminating moment that led to starting a business, emerged a few months after my eldest son was paralyzed in a hit-and-run vehicle accident. March 10, 2015. One day, one moment would forever alter our family’s lives in ways we could not possibly imagine. Read more>>

Elizabeth Seaford | Creator of Seaford Soap – Specializing in Breastmilk Soap

When my oldest son was born, he had such sensitive skin and anything would cause him to have “rashies” or itchy skin. My husband and I tried everything there was that claimed to be made for sensitive skin and made for babies and we never found anything that worked. As a new mom, I felt hopeless that nothing was working. Read more>>

Clemence Pariente | Owner of Le Boudoir Los Angeles

I was born and raised in the city of Bordeaux, in southwestern France. I was 17 when I moved to Paris. After a visit to a friend of mine who had moved to Echo Park, I fell in love with LA and flew back and forth for long and short stays for 10 fun years. When I finished my Masters in poetry studies at La Sorbonne University, I left Paris for good and moved my entire life to sunny California. Read more>>

Aliana Pipolo | Owner & Creator

I started my business as a way of making vegan drinks with original recipes and real ingredients more accessible during an uncertain time. It began 2 months into the pandemic after I left my barista job a month before Covid started. I was itching to make people coffee again, especially because I was known for my unique drink creations. My coworkers and boss would ask me to make them fun drinks and even suggested we have a “weekly barista drink” in which I could serve my creations to customers. Read more>>

brooke major | artist and sporthorse breeder

Born and raised in Atlanta Ga, I grew up in an entrepreneurial family. My maternal grandmother was a self-enterprising businesswoman with many hair salons and beautician schools that she owned and managed. My father, a Los Angeles native, has always liked creating new businesses and excelled in real estate and marketing, Thanks to these influences in my life, I have pursued a career as a full-time artist, for painting has been a passion of mine since I was 3 years old. Read more>>

Alex Kohnstamm | Creative Producer

• What was your thought process behind starting your own business? I felt that the best way to be able to make and tell stories was through film. From there, I saw the lack of film production in my hometown in Minnesota as an opportunity. Kobamm Productions started as a portmanteau to make comedy and action short films in college (It is my last name and my good friend and animator, Tom Coben’s, last names smushed together.) Read more>>

SHANEE WILSON | Founder & CEO

The thought process behind starting my own business was simple, I knew I desired more in life than a job could offer me. My entire life I was taught to go to school, get good grades, graduate from college and get a good paying job because that is what the American Dream looks like for many. I bought into this dream and truly believed that finding the “dream job” would make me happy, especially once the money aligned with my effort. Read more>>

Joseph Cartagena | duo divino

Growing up with single Latina mothers; our worlds collided with typical latino traditions but also being influenced by American pop culture. As we grew older rappers and graffiti writers became our idols; rappers became our fashion icons and the writers painted the streets like a museums. Read more>>

Frank Kilpatrick | Social Entrepreneur/Musician

Based on my experience building a business in the advertising and communication space with my wife Linda, not so long ago I began a “Second Chapter” professionally: I thought that I could utilize my background with the written word to create musical lyrics that tell interesting and valuable stories — so I targeted my efforts toward the creation and production of music. Read more>>

Yvonne Michelle Toney | Creative and Owner and CEO of The Cotton Seed Creative

My thought process behind starting my own business was as a creative to be free in my creative thinking and allow my ideas to take flight. I had the pleasure of serving as an Operation Specialist in the United States Navy. I always excelled at corporate life in my regular day job but found myself daydreaming about all the creative things I have wanted to do since I was a child. Read more>>