Are you thinking about starting a business? If so, we think you’ll enjoy reading about how these seasoned entrepreneurs thought about the question when they were in your shoes.

Julia Rabinowitsch | Founder, The Millennial Decorator

Since I was little, I was always super intrigued by physical spaces. Instead of playing with a dollhouse, I would literally design my own out of empty tissue boxes. So for me, design has always been a presence I grew up with whether it was physical, within my artwork, or in graphic design work. Read more>>

Ceilidh MacLeod | Co-Founder / Co-CEO

My husband and I started OEM because we were frustrated with the drugstore experience. This is a place you go to with you feel sick, under-the-weather, or you have your period. Read more>>

Samya Mohamed | Content Creator & Influencer

My thought process has always been “structure” starting my own business was about having the right formula for me and how I can articulate what I offer in a seamless efficient way that everyone would understand. Read more>>

Emily Brown | MS, Integrative + Functional Nutrition Practitioner, CEO Genetic Garden

Genetic Garden came to be when I was at CSULB getting my master’s in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition when my mom received her 23andMe results. Her interpretation of the results, Read more>>

Jasmine Husain | Cake Artist

The best things in life sometimes do come unexpectedly. Baking has always been a passion of mine ever since I was a little girl. Any time off I would get during breaks from school, Read more>>

Aaron Gutierrez | Audio Engineer

Growing up I always found my own ways to make money. When I found my passion for music I thought what better way to make a living than to do what I love. Read more>>

M.A.D. Smooth | Music Producer

I just wanted to compose music haha. I didn’t start with the idea of “I’m going to be business owner”; however, ownership is crucial to becoming successful in the music industry. Read more>>

Odie Hawkins | Author

As a free-lance writer, with radio scripts, film scripts, published novels and several short story collections to my credit (see: www.odiehawkins.com). I simply got tired of going through the “traditional process” — Read more>>

Tawny | 2D & 3D Artist, Owner of Tawny Illustrations

It was something I knew I wanted to do for a long time. Something I thought of even as a young teen. Wanting to run their own coffee shop, or some sort of clothing shop. Read more>>

Dylan Pelle | Photographer, Cinematographer, Coffee Roaster, & Small Business Owner

When I started Mongo Coffee Roasting Co., my thought process really only consisted of one main goal. I was getting tired of the lack of high-quality hometown coffee shops in the South Bay. Read more>>

Sharon Bushy | Co-founder of Vita Mia

My thought process was a reflection of what is valuable in life. My business partner and myself were discussing the uncertainty during Covid- how will we adjust post pandemic? What will people need during the pandemic to survive? What are people looking for? Read more>>

Natalia Trevino Amaro | Fashion Designer & Content Creator

I started my business in June of 2020 after graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology in May of 2020. I had been living in NYC but made my way back home to Indiana when COVID hit and was living with my parents again. Read more>>

Rowell Concepcion | Milliner

I am first gen Filipino American, and during my first trip to The Philippines, my parents took me aside and shared their dream for me. It was not to become a doctor or a lawyer, Read more>>

Arielle Moyal | CEO & Founder @ Moyal Enterprises. 17 year Athlete Expert.

While Moyal Enterprises is a place for me to carry out my vision for what a sports marketing agency and athlete advocacy can be, it is also a place where I don’t focus strictly on my success, but also the advancements of those around me. Read more>>

Byron Regej | Principle and Global Creative Director, R&Co

My career began in the publishing world and I worked for Condé Nast for 10 years in luxury lifestyle, focusing on fashion, beauty and travel. After the market crash of 2009, Read more>>

Eve Lahijani MS RDN | Nutrition Therapist | TEDx Speaker | Food Peacemaker

My thought process behind starting my own business started with a promise I made. One night, after overeating yet again, I made a promise that if I could someday heal my eating issues, I would dedicate my life’s work to help others heal their eating issues too. Read more>>

Kristen vucinich | Pregnancy and Postpartum Nutritionist

Seeing the gap in our maternal health care system when it comes to nutrition made me want to be part of the change. With Heartfed, we are educating and supporting women throughout their pregnancy in a way that also supports their postpartum recovery and their baby’s development. Read more>>

Jourdan Guyton Brandon | Content Coach & CEO of Vera Jean Media

My business was birthed during the height of the pandemic. I was a few weeks into collecting unemployment in my Harlem apartment. After being in the film and television industry I knew I was equip to make something out of nothing. Read more>>

Alexis Bagby | Business Owner & Veterinary Student

In the past around 2017, I found that cannabis would help me relax and relieve stress, but after a while my anxiety began to overshadow its benefits. Then around 2020, Read more>>

Maria Abdala Zolezzi | Ultime knitwear design label & Bespoke – Wildlife friendly certified.

When I returned from France after working for many years in the fashion industry, the first question I asked myself was with what natural resources I would be able to work with that could be found in Argentina, Read more>>

Crystal Cao | Sound Healer & Yoga Teacher

I saw a hunger in people to feel relieved of the heaviness and I recognized that I could provide a soothing environment for the bodies natural healing abilities with sound and meditation. Read more>>

Raven Jackson | Private Chef & Caterer

I did not set out with the intentions of creating a catering business. I enjoyed cooking as a hobby and televised cooking competitions were my jam, but I never thought I would be cooking for the masses. Read more>>

Payal, Kajal Vitha | Co-Founders & 3rd Gen Diamond Experts

We really wanted to simplify the process. When couples decide they’re ready for the next step in their relationship, it usually starts with an engagement ring. Read more>>

Danielle Kunzman | 20-something-year-old Content Creator

I decided to start my own brand and Tiktok account when I learned that, despite similar earnings, a man’s net worth is twice as high as a woman’s due to a lack of confidence and risk aversion in relation to investing. Read more>>

JENN ROSADO | Actress & Business Owner

Since I was a little girl, I wanted to be an actress, but in the process of taking many classes, and dedicating my life to it, I realized that it is an expensive thing to do, if you want to succeed in the industry. Read more>>

Rachel Corry | Sandalmaker

12 years ago, when I first sought out knowledge about shoemaking (sandalmaking specifically), I found that almost nobody was teaching simple shoemaking. Read more>>

Lizzie Horvitz | CEO & Founder of Finch

I never dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur. I always thought when someone said “I want to start a company but I don’t know what I would start” was similar to wanting at tattoo but not sure what kind. Read more>>

Mary Knoblock | Founder and CEO I Produced by a Girl & Aurally Records

Produced by a Girl was started for the sole purpose of creating a platform, movement and gateway for females in the music industry. Read more>>

Lena Fuller | Cybersecurity SME | BestLink Strategies Founder and CEO

My thought process behind starting the business was directly related to the legacy that I want to leave my son and family. I always knew I wanted to start my own business. Read more>>

Danielle Ortiz Nas Rivera | Co-Founders & Creative Directors of Nada Sole™

In 2020 we found ourselves in a position to make some serious life changes. After experiencing unpleasant corporate work environments, we decided it was time to branch out on our own. Read more>>

Shane Skaar | CEO/Founder of Streignth Sportswear

The birth of Streignth all stems back to a chest condition and surgery I had when I was 15 years old. Growing up being extremely insecure with a victim-mentality, Read more>>

Ziang Yang | Music Producer/Vocal Producer/Audio Engineer

Our company is committed to building a musical bridge between China and the United States, making it easier for Chinese and American artists to collaborate and giving artists more opportunities to perform in North America and China, as well as giving American musicians greater access to the Chinese music market. Read more>>

Kristen Kurihara | Founder & Chief Empowerment Officer, MoveForward Community, Marketing and Business Development Coach, & Yoga Teacher

There wasn’t really a thought process behind whether or not to start my business, it was just something without a doubt I needed to do. It was the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, Read more>>

Rakefet Gorman | Interior plant design

Working with plants is a major passion of mine, as it is relaxing and therapeutic. Also, I love working and building relationships with clients. I see their homes or offices as a blank canvas and I work with them to create a masterpiece. Read more>>

Lya Samsuri | Founder of ‘Makan Buddy’, a Malaysian food service in Los Angeles

Makan Buddy was born in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020. At the time, I had just been furloughed and eventually let go by my former employer in the engineering field, Read more>>

Claribel Tovar | Makeup Artist, Instructor , Agent

I always had my doubts about starting my own business, and to this day I still have them. The difference is that fear has not been an excuse to not do my things, because even with fear I do them. Read more>>

Erdem Şimşek | Holistic Chef and Sound Alchemist

To start a movement driven by health and consciousness. A health centric lifestyle was always my passion and with the start of pandemic I had the opportunity to begin a new path. Read more>>