Starting and growing a business is hard, but often deciding to start the business in the first place is even harder. We asked some successful entrepreneurs from around the community to open up to us about how they thought about starting a business.

Sara Finley

I worked in residential real estate for many years, and what I realized over time was my favorite part of helping my clients buy and sell homes was giving them advice on organizing/packing/decorating, etc. One day it just clicked that I was much better and much more passionate about helping my clients organize than I was about transacting real estate deals. So I decided to leave real estate and start an organizing business. Read More>>

Oxana Antonenko

That’s a very good question. Every business owner had this thought, and not even one, more than couple for sure, before starting the business. And the reason I said more than couple because not always business you start become a successful one. Then your next thought processes become even longer.  you try to think about every little detail and learn from your previous mistakes. But when you start your business, it’s like a new baby and every single child is different. Same with the business ideas.  Read More>>

Janet Cerda

When i first started my business, the process was extremely overwhelming, and i had no clear direction, but i knew i had to take the first step and just start. Read More>>

Fluffy Mccloud

We are always seeking joy! We found cream Read More>>

Syian

I went to the ER twice in 18 months while working for a company. Read More>>

Andy Nunez

I was born and raised in South Central LA and it is where my passion for soccer began. Soccer eventually became my therapy and my escape from the real world. Which is the reason why I decided to start my own business and realized that I did not want to be like everyone else and do something that I know I would regret later on in life. I wanted to do something that I would wake up and be extremely passionate about. My passion has and always will be soccer.  Read More>>

Rodrigo Archer

tbh it was between two things, one was the poor payment and treatment to young chefs back in 2017 when i came back to el salvador after 4 years developing my career in barcelona. it was a mix of long shifts(12-16 hours) and the payment that made it impossible to afford a living, After months of working in different kitchens from the best restaurant at the moment, the best pop up restaurant, and one of the biggest country clubs in the city i realized the only way for me to forge the future that i want was to start my own business. That’s when nomad pizza was born in the garage/basement of my parents house back in may 2018. Read More>>

Oliver Alpuche

My thought process behind closing redline and putting all my efforts toward Opening KISO was to not see another queer space close.

Redline was opened with the drive and passion to build community and when the lease came to renew , We thought bigger. The opening of Kiso could mark the beginning on a queer “gayborhood” in DTLA. Read More>>

Hiromi Sekiya

There weren’t much thoughts, I just decided to do it.
I was working for a newborn photography company and COVID happened. I got laid off and after few weeks was told I can go back to work. At that time, things were uncertain so I didn’t feel comfortable going back and that’s why I decided to start my own business.
I was thinking of starting it later but I took that chance as an opportunity. Read More>>

Jenifer Fairchild

There were things in me wanting to come out that couldn’t be contained within the traditional ‘work-for-someone-else’ system. Read More>>

Mai Ingevaldsson

Since I moved to US in 1999,
I was busy in school due to visa.
I dreamed to marry a rich man within 5 years and get a green card and my life was going to be set. Read More>>

Keith Tippman

Tutoring can be a professional service, and therefore tutors should be paid a professional wage. Many large tutoring organizations take a large cut of the billable rate, keeping tutor wages down, making it difficult for educators to consider tutoring as a long term career choice. We aim to offer high wages, in an effort to cultivate a team of top tier educators. We believe that year over year retention of top talent empowers us to deliver the most professional, and highest quality, services possible. Continuity helps students develop over the course of their academic, and long term relationship with students, allow us to cater to their individual needs. Read More>>

Ramon Montagner

Hi everyone, as a professional musician I have accompanied many artists in Brazil and although it is a decent job and sometimes very well paid, I started to think about creating my own albums, books and works, trying to be the artist myself, the central idea, always trying to generate relevant content for listeners, students and clients. Of course it was and is a long and arduous process, but it is very rewarding and I feel that, over time, I have done important work in the development and methodological organization of new techniques for drummers around the world. Read More>>

Melvone

My story begins a long time ago, in 1969, in London, England. I was a young girl with big dreams, living with my family on Haliday Walk. I attended St. Paul’s Primary School, where I studied art and drama, completely captivated by the idea of becoming an actress. My teachers, a married couple, saw my passion and nurtured it, helping me prepare for a chance of a lifetime—a tryout for one of the largest acting schools in England. For six weeks, they worked with me on a script, encouraging me every step of the way. Read More>>

Gica Pucca

When I started thinking about my career as an actress, I knew I wanted to connect with the people around me and make myself remarkable. It was a mix of strategy, passion, and adaptability. In this industry, you are both the product and the business, which means branding, networking, and skill-building are just as important as the craft itself. Read More>>

Shaun Marson

After seeing College Humlr and Two Best Friends, I always wanted to create something in a similar vein with my friends. That passion led me to start Trill Hippy – a space where we could have fun, express ourselves creatively, and bring our ideas to life with full creative freedom. Read More>>

Cristina Gómez

This idea began when I took my first psychology class at a community college; it was then that my love for psychology emerged. I envisioned myself working in a setting where I could create ways to support my community. Read More>>

Ruriko Terada Guo And Cello(qiele) Guo

The idea for Pink Mozart Entertainment was born out of both necessity and passion. When the global pandemic temporarily halted the performing arts industry, we found ourselves at a crossroads. As classically trained musicians who had spent our entire lives dedicated to performance, we were suddenly faced with the challenge of finding new ways to share our artistry. Read More>>

Chloe & Eliza Mozer

First off, for those who don’t know us yet: we are sisters, business partners and roommates (thanks to our therapists for getting us to this point, haha).

Because of our two year age gap, by the time we began our careers in food, we were already living on other sides of the world. The idea for our business, oooey studios, was sparked when we reunited after nearly a decade. During our time apart, our paths ran parallel in the culinary world, but each of us took a different approach… Read More>>

Karyna Yevsieieva

Back in 2018, I was offered the opportunity to sell eye glitters. Since I had my own makeup school at the time, I decided to give it a try—and I really enjoyed selling cosmetics! But after a few months, a thought suddenly struck me: why am I selling someone else’s products and making money for another brand when I could create my own and sell my own cosmetics? That realization inspired me to start my own beauty brand! Read More>>

Stanley Benard Harris Iii

I wanted to implement a different change in how the world viewed creators. Read More>>

 Johnny Jet

When I started JohnnyJet.com, I was working as a college recruiter in Rancho Palos Verdes. The newsletter and website were initially just a fun hobby where I shared my travel tips. But then, I got featured in USA Today, and the traffic to my site exploded. That’s when I realized I had a real opportunity to turn this into a business and become my own boss. Read More>>

Ronnel Ricardo Parham

I first began to think about starting my own production company back in 2017 when I was writing my web series, “Odd Man Out: The Series.” I thought it would be the coolest thing in the world to create my own stuff and have it all be under my company. Starting my production company was my way of taking my career back and taking ownership of my career. I knew it would be a struggle at first, but I knew it’d be worth it. And to this day, I couldn’t be happier with my decision to start it. Read More>>

Vidhya Ganesh

My passion for working with students truly blossomed during my time volunteering in the reading program at my children’s school. Witnessing the gratitude each child had for the simple opportunity to hear stories read aloud was incredibly fulfilling, and it solidified my love for working with children and being involved in education. Additionally, my background in finance and my long-held aspiration to be my own boss played a significant role in this decision. By becoming an owner and instructor, I am able to combine these passions and achieve my entrepreneurial goals. Read More>>

Errin Lema

I created my salon Beauty Babes & Co. to educate women and help them grow as an artist. The only times I have ever been fired in my life was because girls were jealous of me and lied to the boss or company to get me fired. So I decided after the second time it happened that I wanted to encourage and help other women succeed. I teach my girls if we work as a team, the clients will come. I help my girls build their clientele so one day they can start their own business. This is what makes my salon stand out over others. We do educational classes monthly, if not weekly to make them the best artists they can be. Read More>>

2lm

Music brought us together, and for years, we’ve been collaborating on music projects, art, and ideas. It’s been our passion from the start, and after more than a decade of knowing each other, we took the leap to turn it into a business. Read More>>

Christina Aviles

My thought process behind starting El Maya Gourmet Foods with my father Manny Aviles was deeply rooted in both passion and purpose. We wanted to create something that not only honored our love for bold, authentic flavors but also elevated the quality of hot sauces in a way that hadn’t been done before. Our goal was to craft a hot sauce that wasn’t just about heat—it was about depth, balance, and nourishment. We took a unique approach by incorporating vegetables into our sauces, something no other hot sauce brand is doing right now. This allows us to offer a healthier, more flavorful option without compromising on taste. Read More>>

Alejandra Ramos

The decision to start my own business was driven by a deep desire for greater flexibility and autonomy in both my personal and professional life. As a mother of three boys, I wanted the opportunity to be present for my family while also pursuing my professional ambitions. Once I saw the opportunity, I envisioned a business where I could set my own schedule, allowing me to create a healthy connection between my family responsibilities and my entrepreneurial goals. Read More>>

Alan Pekrul

As a musician, starting a business had never really been at the forefront of my mind until recently. I started playing the drums at a young age, but it wasn’t until I branched out and learned other instruments that I realized that the sky was the limit and I could make full productions. As the years have gone on, my obsession with creating great material has grown. Now that I’ve gotten to the point of being confident in my skills as a musician, producer, and engineer, it was a no-brainer to create a business to allow others to create great art with me. Read More>>