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.

Valentine Wats (Waturuocha)

Well, I started my career as a Software Analyst Programmer to solve business problems by implementing digital solutions across several large enterprises. Starting my own related business years later was me leveraging the problem-solving skills I had acquired in solving everyday business problems I came across. Read more>>

Anastasia Fox

Starting my own business was never just about skincare. It was about creating freedom, purpose, and something meaningful for my family and community. I came to the United States from Ukraine in 2012 with my husband and our 10-month-old daughter. We arrived with very limited resources, no family support, and many uncertainties. Read more>>

Parm Sidhu

Honestly, it started with noticing a gap between what businesses needed and what they were actually getting. Coming out of Deloitte’s operational consulting practice, I was working with large enterprises – complex structures, dedicated teams, significant budgets. But when I looked at the small and mid-sized businesses around me. Read more>>

Natalie Dial

My husband and I both previously worked in healthcare before opening Tomat, and it was always in our 10-15 year plan to open a restaurant. Though the jump between hospitals to hospitality may seem bizarre, we share a deep passion for food and community that we were compelled to explore. Read more>>

Helen Pacheco

My thought process behind starting Calma Vida Wellness was simple: I wanted to create the kind of experience I felt was missing in the wellness space. While massage can be incredibly therapeutic, I found that many people were craving something more personalized, intentional, and convenient. I envisioned a wellness experience that met clients where they are literally. Read more>>

Michael Ghiam, MD

The driving force behind starting my own ENT practice was a desire to offer highly specialized care for complex sinus and skull base issues in a more accessible, personalized private setting. Read more>>

Nicole Karl

I’ve always wanted to open my own barbershop. The opportunity to open The Velvet Razor overseas was especially meaningful because it gave me the chance to bring that vision to life and serve as a real-world test run for a future full-scale shop. From the beginning, my goal was to create more than just a place to get a haircut. Read more>>

Vanessa McCaffrey

I come from a long line of dreamers, innovators, and idea makers, so creativity has always been part of my DNA. But a big part of my drive also comes from being a mom. Having my own business gives me the flexibility to be present for my children while pursuing my passions, allowing me to build something meaningful without missing the moments that matter most. Read more>>

Yarden Brikman

Honestly, I sacrificed a lot to start my own business. And I know it sounds like a cliché, but I don’t think I really chose it. It chose me. Being a business owner is probably the worst job anyone can have. You carry everything. The pressure, the money, the people, the uncertainty, the mistakes. There is no real off switch. Read more>>

Shryel Washington

Starting Mrs. Washington’s Childcare came from a deep love for children and a passion for creating the kind of environment where little ones feel safe, seen, loved, and excited to learn every day. I’ve always believed that early childhood is such a special and important stage, and I wanted to create more than just a daycare. Read more>>

Wendy Garcia

Honestly? It wasn’t this big strategic plan. It was survival and then it was purpose. I spent so many years living in a version of myself that wasn’t really me by people-pleasing, having no boundaries, always in survival mode, giving everything to everyone but myself. At some point in all of that, I got tired. Not lazy tired or even body tired, but soul tired. Read more>>

Anson Li

I started Moorpark Marketing after watching friends with small businesses struggle to keep up with the daily demands of running and growing a company. They were managing customers, staff, operations, finances, and constant fires. Marketing mattered, but it was often the part that felt the most confusing, fragmented, and unsupported. Read more>>

Garrett York

We love wine, and we like to work with our hands, so we thought the best way to get to know wine better was to make it. Read more>>

Hannah Elling

Having grown up deeply environmentally conscious and interested in the beauty and cosmetics sector, I was always curious about the intersection of the two. Particularly, how to find a way to combine them without compromising a product’s efficiency and quality. Read more>>

Robyn Tamanaha

Starting my own business came from wanting to create the kind of mental health space I felt was often missing — one that combines deep clinical specialization with genuine human connection. As an Asian therapist specializing in bipolar disorder and OCD, I saw how many people were struggling not only with their symptoms, but with feeling misunderstood, dismissed, or ashamed of what they were experiencing. Read more>>

Samantha de Leon

My thought process behind starting my own business as a nail tech was to create a space for people to relax, feel safe and enjoy self care. I personally also wanted to take the approach of working with specifically people who bite their nails or pick their skin, and help them have pretty but most importantly healthy nails. Read more>>

Nischal Basnet

Starting Himalaya’s Momo came from a mix of personal passion, cultural connection, and seeing a real gap in the market. As someone with a Nepali background, momo were always more than just food to me they represent comfort, community, and a big part of our culture. Read more>>

Estella Altman

Honestly, I don’t think I started my business from some big master plan. It came from hitting a point in life where I realized I needed more freedom, more purpose, and more control over my future. After going through some major life shifts, I started realizing how many women were emotionally strong but still financially unprepared. Read more>>

Allison Sellers

I’ve lost really important people in my life and the only thing I have to look back on them is photographs. I love being able to capture special memories for my clients that they can look back on for years and years. Read more>>

Ashley Reamer

I started my body care business in 2020, but the inspiration really began in 2018 when my skin went through a major shift. I never questioned coconut oil being apart of my body or hair care routines, but over time my skin developed a sensitivity and allergy to it. Read more>>

Roberta Cardona

My decision to start my own organization came from both personal experience and professional insight gained over more than 20 years working in the nonprofit and human services field. As a formerly incarcerated teen, I understand firsthand how important it is for individuals to have access to support, guidance, resources, and people who genuinely believe in their ability to succeed. Read more>>

Jonty Pretzer

Since graduating from University I have been studying the gap between green technologies and potential customers. I noticed that the commercial real estate sector is well served by owners-reps and managers of all types advising property owners of the potential pitfalls and opportunities of owning a given piece of property. Read more>>

Kevin Baker

For as long as I can remember, I always knew entrepreneurship would be part of my future. I did not always know exactly what it would look like, but I knew I wanted to build something of my own. Something that would make a real impact. Like a lot of people, my path hasn’t been a straight line. Read more>>

Petra Persolja

Starting my own business actually happened very naturally. What began as a side quest slowly grew to the point where I could no longer balance weekly teaching lessons without constant interruptions to my students’ schedules, my own calendar, and family life. At the time, I was still heavily focused on teaching, while performances and private events kept expanding in the background. Read more>>

Leighton Campbell

My motivation came from seeing smaller brands get stuck in the print-on-demand trap. Platforms like Printful and Printify offer low margins, shipping delays, and unpredictable quality. I knew there had to be a better way. I founded Lialvaro T-Shirt Printing to address cost, logistics, and quality pain issues. The aim is to be a reliable, high-quality printing alternative for small brands and local creators. Read more>>

Kodai Uno

I grew up in a restaurant family. My father founded an Izakaya group in Tokyo that now operates 12 locations across Tokyo and over 200 Izakayas and restaurants run by his apprentices all over the world. Watching him build the business from the ground up had a huge impact on me from a young age. Read more>>

Rev. Michelle Prieto

I jumped in head first. Starting my own business had always been on my mind. In 2017, I was laid off after 14 years in the plastic industry. Before that, I had spent my life on the corporate proverbial hampster wheel in a wide variety of industries. Read more>>

Devin McGovern

For me I started my own brand and business out of necessity. After working for a decade in reality TV, the industry took a downturn. Working my way from PA to EP in a decade, I loved what I did, but the jobs were no longer there. So in my mid-40’s married with two kids, I had a decision to make. Read more>>