The Early Days: why did you start a business

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.

Taylor Doherty | Podcast Host

When I started my first job out of college, I would listen to Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard and watch Howard Stern clips as I commuted on the train to Chicago. I would escape to this world of entertainment, so much so that I would envision myself having a conversation with Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Cameron Diaz…you name a celebrity, I “interviewed” them. Read more>>

Riccardo Vincenzi | Director of Photography and Co-Founder

In the heart of adversity, where isolation and uncertainty reigned supreme, a seed of creativity was sown that would eventually blossom into the dynamic entity known as Film33 Studios. The story of its inception, born from the shared experiences of Riccardo Vincenzi and Jacob Gonzales during their COVID-induced confinement, stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and unwavering determination. Read more>>

Maria Esparza | FacePainter

At first started off as a hobby. I’ve always been about the “hustle culture” growing up in a Hispanic household with 2 hard working parents I’ve always tried to find means to make money to make ends meet , but sometimes it didn’t work out, I would find myself feeling overwhelmed and overworked or stressed. A friend would recommend me to start facepaint since I love doing makeup and crazy looks with sfx and bright colors , soon enough with a great amount of practice I would find myself getting better and enjoying spending time learning brush techniques and color theories, loving each and every outcome. Read more>>

Tameika Fletcher Birmingham | Creative Entrepreneur and Designer

In starting my own business, my thought process was deeply rooted in my passion for creativity, fashion, and the desire to inspire women through unique pieces that are reminiscent of the vibrant Caribbean culture, colour and style. My journey began with a strong love for fashion in the family business and an innate drive to create something that not only reflected my personal style but also celebrated island life. Read more>>

Carla Labat | Jewelry Designer

I started CAMILLE K in 1995 with a desire to share my vision of what jewelry could look like both as wearable art and as a modern statement. To say that I was influenced by many years spent in France, is an understatement. I took my cues from the vintage treasures that I found mostly in the Paris Cligancourt Flea Market and decided to give them new lives as fashion accessories. Read more>>

Tyler Lambert-Perkins Tyler Glover | Lighting Designer

We began this process as a dream back in 2015 when we were working together for a lighting design firm in San Diego – Nautilus Entertainment Design (NED). Working for NED was an incredible opportunity because we grew in our lighting skills across the board – from architectural work to corporate work and beyond – but eventually we wanted to specialize more in live entertainment and events, so we decided to make the leap into the LA entertainment market as Shutter Cut Lighting Design. Read more>>

Sharlena Bernard | Founder, SOUS SUS

The SOUS SUS brand was established in 2004. The name SOUS SUS derived from my foundation in dance. In the language of ballet “sous-sus” means to rise up onto the pointes of your toes, while placing one foot in front of the other. With the same spirit, I want people to feel elevated when wearing my brand. I want them to understand that life is truly about moving in an upward direction, while placing one foot in front of the other. Read more>>

Wolf Marloh | Portrait/Headshot Photographer and Writer

I tried working for other people, but it’s not for me. From as far back as I can remember, I wanted to do work in a creative field. That pretty much means you work for yourself. I wanted to be a novelist, a photographer, a film maker, or maybe play the piano in a bar. I had my head stuck in books, had piano lessons from an early age and my first camera age ten. Read more>>

Trenisha Webster | Business Development & Credit Specialist

My thought process was about turning my skills into financial freedom. When I began my business, I was unemployed. The jobs that were available, didn’t want to pay an amount that was deserving for a bachelor’s degree. I was not willing to downgrade my skillset, education, or experience for $12/hr. I created a blueprint analyzing everything I know how to do. Read more>>

David Leopold Gonzalez | Chief Contract and Grant Officer

The decision to start Femtasia Fest (formally Les Femmes Underground International Film Festival) with my partner was a fusion of both our passions for film and my background in research administration and contract management. It was shaped by a dual commitment: to the world of cinema and to the underrepresented communities in both film and the broader community that had contributed to my personal and professional growth. Read more>>

Aleks Fisher | Lana & Aleks Photography : Wedding Photo & Video Production

My wife and I have been professional dancers and choreographers for over 20 years. I have been a part of major production shows such as “Riverdance” and “Dancing with the Stars.” Given this experience, I am intimately familiar with aspects of production, including posing, lighting, and angles. Some might wonder why, with our background, we’d choose to focus on weddings rather than larger productions. Read more>>

Sharon Ku | Founder of Uji Time Dessert

Uji Time Dessert opened its first pop up store in April 2016 and is known for its Taiyaki soft serve. Sharon Ku, John Ip, and Benson Leung have been taking far east flavors and desserts and making them mainstream in the Bay Area. Our famous Fish Cone, called taiyaki, is a take on the traditional Japanese dessert in the shape of a fish, usually filled with red bean paste. Read more>>

Kelli Heald | Meditation Teacher and Retreat Host

Eight years ago, my story took a significant turn when I lost my husband to a rare blood disorder called Amyloidosis. At 48 years old, I suddenly felt like my life had been upended, standing on the edge of a cliff with no clear path ahead. The next two years were focused on survival, but eventually I embarked on a healing journey that introduced me to new spiritual practices. Read more>>

Anne Letscher | Co-Founder of Her Story Mentorship

I’ve always wanted to help young girls better navigate the challenges inherent in growing up female. As a teen, I struggled a lot in finding and knowing my value. That struggle led me down some incredibly unhealthy and unsafe pathways. I felt lost and and had no where to go for help. Pursing my dream of being on Broadway was the outlet that saved me. Read more>>

Jessica Castillo | Personal Trainer & Fitness Coach

I decided to start my own business after working out of big box commercial gyms and noticed the lack of care that was given to the clients there. I would clock in to work, get a client assigned, train them and than after their session they would be on their way home. Management at the big box gyms didnt care about client results but only cared about how many sessions were being paid or renewed and the income. Read more>>

Andrea Ng | Glo Media Founder & Managing Director

I realized quickly that the conventional 9-5 office job just wasn’t for me. I began freelancing during my corporate job and had the desire to become a digital nomad, and when I got too busy with freelancing I knew in my gut that it was time to start my own business and build a team. I wanted the freedom to travel and time to spend with my loved ones. Read more>>

Waylon Fisher | Chief Operations Officer for a Video Game Publishing Business Specializing in Virtual Reality

My decision to embark on my entrepreneurial journey was motivated by my innate passion for process development, idea realization, aiding others, and problem-solving. While various occupations might offer opportunities to fulfill these individual desires, none quite compare to the fulfillment I find in running my own business. Read more>>

Megan Eng | Founder

When we first starting playing around with the formulas for our waterless skin care line, we actually tested a 60-80% water content which is standard for most skincare products. The texture was light and fluffy, even smelled nice, but just sat on the skin and did absolutely nothing. There was no magic. The amount of water potentially going into these products seemed atrocious on top of the copious amount of water needed to wash equipment, machinery and our glass packaging, when we looked outside and saw our garden dying and still desolate brown patches everywhere. Read more>>

Priya Jain | co-founder of Seventh Chakra Institute of Spiritual Sciences in California

Embarking on the journey of establishing my own business was driven by a profound calling, rather than a simple entrepreneurial aspiration. In the midst of a tumultuous divorce, the sensible path would have been to secure a stable job in the Finance Industry, given my credentials as a Certified Public Accountant, ensuring security for my 11-year-old son and myself but I can vividly recall the palpable feeling of my fingers freezing as I attempted to submit job applications. Read more>>

Priscilla Allen | Certified Health and Wellness Coach

When I decided to start my own business, I wasnt dreaming big. I originally intended to create a small income so that I didnt have to go back to the corporate world and I could be a fully present mom to my newborn. As I started seeing the impact and the lives that were changing because of the business I started, my vision and my purpose got bigger. Read more>>

Rachel Field | Mastering Engineer and Studio Owner

I didn’t set out to be a studio owner. In fact, my original plan was to work out of other people’s studios for my entire career. I thought, “let someone else worry about rent, gear purchases, computer upgrades, maintenance, security…” But when I sat down at the mastering console it quickly became pretty clear that mastering was where I fit in to the music production world. Read more>>

Megha Ahluwalia | Fashion Illustrator

I’ve always been drawn to doodling – from scrawling little pictures on the back of textbooks in school to illustrating during work breaks during my time in the corporate sector, my art has always felt like an expression of everything I love – fashion, femininity and fun. About 7 years ago, I started creating dresses for my illustrations that were inspired by fashion magazines and blogs. Read more>>

CB Event Planner | Destination Wedding Planner

My thought process behind starting my own business was that I wanted to work for myself and be able to travel with my business. I was first introduced to the event industry when my younger cousin was getting married in Mexico and asked me to help her plan, and I loved it. After her wedding, I searched for a school that offered classes to become a professional wedding planner and start my own business. Read more>>

Ben C-J | Creative Director & Founder of ‘One of None’

I think my friends and I always had personal style when it came to creating art, fashion, music, dance. We just needed a way to tie everything together… So I came up with “one of none” as the stamp for our work and it seemed to resonate with people. So we just ran with it. Read more>>

Griffin Moore | The Whiskey Lifestyle

The idea was to create a merchandising business and it takes time. I have been in the bar business for 23 years , I wanted to express the spirits in a different way through art and graphic design . The big picture is to be a great brand and bring our style and have it all over the world. Read more>>

Peilin Kuo | filmmaker – writer/director

I was born and raised in Taiwan, now a filmmaker based in New York. When I was growing up in Taiwan, my family couldn’t afford to take me and my siblings to movies at theaters unless it was a blockbuster like Star Wars. I didn’t grow up watching movies that would inspire me to become a filmmaker. When I was in high school, my grandmother passed away. I was sitting in a van with other family members to go to the cemetery. Read more>>

Morris Eaddy | Artist

I had seen artwork in many galleries and events and I kept thinking to myself, I’d do it differently. So, it sparked my desire to create my own artworks in my own style. Read more>>