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.

Charmaine Mitchell

Ha! Starting a business wasn’t something I ever really thought about. Entrepreneurship chose me.
After staying home and raising the next generation for 23 years, I found myself divorced and destitute. I applied for jobs at real estate brokerages and brokerages as I love real estate. No one hired me. Even Starbucks turned me away! Starting my own business became the path. But what would that be??
With a BA in Government & International Affairs from Georg Mason Jniversity, Read More>>

Ramandeep Kaur

I had always dreamt of becoming financially independent while pursuing something that I enjoy doing every day. Starting my own business not only provided me independence but also boosted my confidence as an entrepreneur as well. Read More>>

Marvene Machaalany

My thought process behind starting my own business was actually an accident. I’ve always loved entertaining and bringing people together. After the pandemic and 15 years in retail, I found myself searching for what was next… as I was over retail. That’s when my friends (you know who your are) encouraged me to start selling my charcuterie creations. What started in my kitchen for parties and gatherings quickly became something bigger, rooted in creativity, passion, and the desire to bring people together through beautifully curated experiences. Read More>>

Jennifer Salerno

I’ve been in the events industry for 20 years. I have worked for various companies, learning and growing along the way. I’m a loyal & dedicated employee and have always treated my various positions as if I was running my own company. Why put all the work and effort into a job working for someone else when I could apply the same effort being my own boss? And after many years I decided to take the leap a year ago and start my own company. I own JS Inspired Events AND Pixie the Photo Booth Trailer. Read More>>

Cheree “shuga Rae” Bell

“When I first started my promotion and marketing company, my primary goal was to promote my music and support other independent artists. As I gained more experience, I realized that a significant part of effective promotion and marketing involved having high-quality videos and photos to showcase a brand and present artists in the best possible light. Read More>>

John Hyland

I’ve been an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember—always tinkering with ideas, always seeing possibilities. Growing up in a small beach town in Florida, I felt a constant pull toward something bigger. So I packed up what I could and took off for New York City with just a bag, determined to turn my dreams into a reality. It was exhilarating and a bit terrifying at the same time. Read More>>

Summer Roden

When I started my business, I never envisioned myself as a traditional ‘business owner.’ I never wanted to own a business. I am neurodivergent and have never been a type-A person, so “business owner” was never a title I felt equipped to carry. My initial desire was simple: I wanted to create meaningful art for people who resonated with it and find a way to support myself and my daughter through that creative work. Over the last 15 years, that passion evolved into something much bigger. Read More>>

Paul Gilmartin

I felt there was an absence of in-depth conversations around mental illness, trauma, addiction, negative thinking etc. This was back in 2011. Having dealt with (and still deal with) those topics myself, I felt comfortable talking about them. My ultimate goal was to help people who were suffering know they’re not alone. I had felt hopeless and suicidal and found hope. I thought it would be helpful and I could bring passion (and occasional humor). I never imagined I would eventually make my living doing it but by 2013 or so I was able to do that. Read More>>

Marie Saloum

My husband got into a serious car accident and cannabis was what helped him wean off of pills. From that moment, I was able to see just how beneficial cannabis could be. That experience changed my perspective of cannabis and that’s when my passion for this industry started to pick up. By the time all of this happened, the Arizona cannabis market was still in its early phase and I saw this opportunity to be a part of something new. I truly believe in the healing power of cannabis. It’s not just a product; it can be a way for people to regain control of their health and wellness. I think that’s what drives me the most. Read More>>

Bill Edwards

I started Apogee Composites while I was a graduate student at the University of Southern California. I was involved in research focused on the manufacturing science of carbon fiber composite structures where I helped develop a method for producing composite structures that was faster, cheaper, and more reliable that current industry practices. When we saw the potential impact of the technology, we approached several existing composite materials manufacturing companies to convince them to adopt our approach, but most of the companies we talked to did not think the technology was mature enough to deploy. Read More>>

Nora Abajyan

As a baker and a mother, starting my own business was a natural step for me. I’ve always had a passion for baking, and I wanted to create something that not only brought joy to others but also allowed me to balance my work and family life. My family has been a huge support system—helping me with everything from baking to managing orders and even watching the kids when things get busy. Read More>> 

Adrian Gonzalez,imelda Ayon

Adrian : I stared working in the nightlife industry in Hollywood 2007 and really enjoyed it. I was hands on creating events from scratch, from the theme of the night to hiring talent, I did a little of everything. After 6 years it started to take a toll on my body and personal life. So I got to thinking of ways to get out of the industry but keep the contacts I made along with the knowledge of producing events and I started a part time Photo Booth company, RSVP Photobooths.

A year after starting the Photo Booth company clients started to ask if I carried tables or chairs, I didn’t but said YES and so it began.I began with buying a Dancefloor and a few chairs. I continued to work out of my home garage and little by little started buying more equipment and the business started to grow. Read More>>

Skylar Swinney

Starting Sky Beauty was a deeply personal and strategic decision for me. I’ve spent years leading operations, scaling businesses, and ensuring regulatory compliance in highly complex industries, particularly in cannabis and consumer packaged goods. But beyond the operational expertise, I’ve always had a passion for product innovation—especially when it comes to skincare. Read More>>

Sarita Jackson, Phd

I started the Global Research Institute International Trade, LLC (GRIIT) during my time as an assistant professor of political science at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC from 2007 to 2013. GRIIT is a think-tank and consulting firm that was registered in and is located in California, chosen for its heavy global trade activity stemming from several ports, including the Port of Los Angeles. GRIIT was formed to help importers and exporters manage risk, save money, and grow their businesses in a global economy shaped by international trade policies. Read More>>

Britney Kronberger

I’ve always had a passion for photography, a love that began in my childhood. I still vividly remember my dad gifting me my very first disposable camera one Christmas. I spent hours snapping countless pictures of my dog, Nala. In middle school, I joined the yearbook team, and by high school, I was taking my dad’s camera to school every day, capturing fun and silly moments with my friends.
When I became a mom, my desire to document every moment grew even stronger. I hired photographers to capture my daughter’s milestones—her first at six months, then again at one and two. I got creative with Pinterest-inspired ideas like cake smashes, surprise pregnancy announcements, and my favorite, a hot air balloon-themed first birthday shoot. Read More>>

Zackary Shreves

Collin and I first crossed paths at Arizona’s Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences. Even after graduating, we kept in touch, and our shared passion for music and creativity only grew stronger. During the pandemic, we came up with this crazy idea of starting our own record label. At first, I was hesitant. The timing felt uncertain, and there were a lot of unknowns. However, we quickly realized we had the chance to make a real difference in our local community by helping up-and-coming artists get their music out into the world. Read More>>

Jerrell Jones

Well, I knew one day I wanted to achieve becoming my own Boss. What solidified it for me was my last major Job I had as a Manager for Hertz Car Rental Company. I accumulated a lot of Sick leave hours from my job in order to take my Wife to Paris for her birthday. I put in a notice 3 Months in advance to make sure I had at least 2 weeks of off time to spend with her. The week of my time scheduled to leave, my General Manager told me I could not go on my Trip. What stuck out to me the most in that moment was not the fact that I couldn’t go, but they fact someone told me I couldn’t spend time with my Wife.  Read More>>

Cole Goslee

It was in the midst of the Covid pandemic that I began producing audio dramas. A longtime friend and avid fan of fiction podcasts approached me with a pitch for a story he had been thinking about for many years. Because I had moved to LA to pursue screenwriting, and I was fortunate enough to still be working in television but on the development side, he thought maybe I’d want to scratch my own storytelling itch by helping him write his story–  Read More>>

Amanda Crean

In the beginning (17 years ago!), it was more of a thought that I innately possessed a certain myriad of skills that when combined, looked like the makings of what I thought would make a good photographer. Of all skill sets, art was always my strength first and foremost. Pairing that with having a fundamental knowledge of what people want, the ability to relate and put subjects at ease, and maybe a smidge of delightful ignorance made me feel that I could succeed in making this my career path and small business. Read More>>

Andrew Hall

I feel like a lot of times when you hear an entrepreneurs interview, they always tell the story about how they were so entrepreneurial growing up as a child, and they were the type to always be scheming and dreaming and coming up with a business idea even when they were young. That’s actually not me – I was just sort of a normal student in school and worked the odd job around my neighbourhood cutting lawns and shovelling snow. Read More>>

Catherine Zhang

Over the years I’ve started up many different kinds of businesses, each one stemming from a different line of passion with my main focus being baking and desserts. In my opinion it is important to start a business from a place of love because that becomes the driving factor behind your work. On top of that you will always know the most and be most up to date on subject you are enthusiastic about, which will put you ahead of the game. Read More>>

Raven

My partner Migz and I wanted to bring our Magic Castle routines to my local town here in Simi Valley. We wanted to create a fun monthly magic show where we bring the magic to them! Read More>>