Many books on startups and business talk about how there are right and wrong reasons for starting a business. So, we asked a handful of successful founders about their reasons and the thought-process behind starting their business.

Lesha Nelson | Coach & Somatic Practitioner

Most people think A LOT about taking that “leap of faith” to start their own business. But like most things in my life, it just happened as I listened to my own inner knowing and slowly took the steps that felt right at the time. I was doing a lot of training in craniosacral therapy with the Upledger Institute and traveling all over the Unites Sates to take courses. After some time I realized if I had my own business I could be writing off a lot of my expenses. That was the first nudge I needed to create a business and find a small studio rental to start offering hands on bodywork. Read more>>

Elizabeth Sanchez | LMFT and Founder of Calidad Holistic Wellness and Therapy and Cafecito y Calidad Podcast

My name is Elizabeth Sanchez, and I am a licensed marriage and family therapist running a private practice called Calidad Holistic Wellness and Therapy in Whittier, California and a mental health podcast called Cafecito y Calidad launching March 1, 2023 . I am a first generation, Mexican American, female based in Southern California. As the daughter of an immigrated family, I have always had a passion for helping others. Especially, the BIPOC community and under served communities. Read more>>

Renee Hambley | Property Production Management for filming

My husband and I were living at the Eastern Columbia building. In 2009, a TV show was set to film on Broadway right in front of our building. They wanted to close down the street which would have affected all of Eastern’s residents since the entrance to our parking garage would have been blocked. The building manager at the time called me since he knew I had production experience, and asked if I would help him navigate through the process of negotiating with the show’s Location Department on building impact, any late night filming and making sure our residents could get in and out of the building. Read more>>

Megan Ford-Miller | Multi-discipline artist

For me, starting my own business at this point of my life is about creating passive income. I have been making art over a multitude of mediums for many many years. But as I get older I think more about actually making money from what I create. Read more>>

Tina Choi | Wardrobe Stylist

I’m changing what used to be accessible to only the elite and making it affordable to those that want and need a wardrobe stylist. Read more>>

Vlad Davniuk | founder

Starting our own business was a dream come true for us. We’re a passionate couple who believe in the power of beautiful and memorable picnics to bring people together and create happiness. We believe everyone can experience unforgettable moments of joy with their friends, partner, or family at a lovely picnic party. We make it easy to organize a picnic party for any occasion. We’re excited to bring our passion to every event we plan and to help create memories that will last a lifetime. Read more>>

Melissa Ramsay | Chef & Owner

The idea of creating something from scratch has always excited and motivated me. My father taught me not to fear failure in that failure allows us to grow and improve. I used that mindset to help my thought process when I started my business. I am able to have creative and financial freedom in all aspects Read more>>

Abel Dominguez Jr | Chef, husband and business owner

My thought process was to be my own chef, my own boss. To spark something out of the passion in my soul. With that drive, build a business that will financially free my family. I wanted to focus my energy on creating Mecha BBQ to someday provide investment capital for not only me but for my family and friends to reach and achieve our dreams. I imagined being able to have the freedom to create eye catching dishes, pairing my Mexican roots with the aquirred culinary experience I’ve gained. Read more>>

Greg Garthe | Filmmaker & Photographer

The alure was an opportunity to help grown men and women ease the anxieties of adult life by reconnecting to their own creativity and things they loved when they were children. I’m actually working on building two businesses. The first is called GROWING UP MOVIES (www.growingupmovies.com), inspired by my lifelong journey as a filmmaker and collector of pop culture nostalgia. Read more>>

Megan Phillips | Executive Director of Cottonwood Psychology Center and CEO of Wellvity Health Group

When I started my private practice in 2016, I had one very specific goal–I wanted to eliminate postpartum depression one family at a time. I struggled with both anxiety and depression after having my first child in 2013, and I felt very alone and hopeless. Because I’m a mental health professional, I knew what to research to try to find support, but I was one of the lucky ones. All too often, new parents struggle alone and in silence because they believe that they are the only ones suffering. Read more>>

Galina Lang | Creative & entrepreneur

Starting my own business at a relatively young age (I was 20 and an undergrad student at the University of San Francisco) came with fresh energy and excitement. I was very confident and couldn’t wait to bring my first product, the Boba Bottle, into the world because I knew that there were other boba lovers who struggled similarly to me in drinking boba without contributing to single-use plastic waste. Read more>>

Brent Blossom | Creative Director & Founder of Helm & Oar

I had spent 14 years branding the dreams of other people and it was time to finally brand mine. Ever since I was a kid I dreamt of owning my own business and selling products that people would experience in a profound way. After a while, I started to ask myself something foundational: “When will I start demanding the best for myself?” (borrowed from an ancient stoic Epictitus). Sunday scary, after Sunday scary this question began to reverberate in my bones until I woke up one day and decided to run after this. I haven’t looked back since. Read more>>

Jasmine Gonzalez Anna Look | Founders of The Pot Mamas Social Club

Well, the world was imploding (aka The year was 2020) and we were tragically bored with our selection of available creative outlets in our community. We are both ceramic artists and wanted to get into selling our work locally. There was a variety of local markets advertising as “artisan” markets but were underwhelmingly locally represented and lacked originality in the sea of mass-produced wares. We have a wide variety of bargain shopping in Lompoc, which adds its own value to the community. Read more>>

Raven Dakota | Fashion Artist & Designer

I started my business to inspire people to achieve a high level of mental happiness. This concept started with a deep connection with God and how I see the beauty of nature. I realized that nature improves people’s moods and reduces the likelihood of stress-related depression. My thoughts were to implement flowers in my work so that others can experience this positive effect that leads to a life of abundance. By developing aesthetically beautiful hand bags and clothes that are carefully assembled with real flowers, it really does an amazing job chasing away people’s anxieties, and maximizing a smile on their face. Read more>>

Roman Toporov | Professional Tattoo Artist

I think it was more about becoming mentally prepared for this step. There were multiple factors that I took into consideration, such as: big enough clientele to sustain business on my own, strong presence on some social media platforms, and probably an understanding that I am experienced enough to deliver a quality work for my clients. Obviously that didn’t happen overnight, and took maybe couple of years working for tattoo shops as an employee rather than an independent artist. Read more>>

Elenia Beretta | Illustrator

I thought of starting my own business as a freelance illustrator after years of working as a graphic designer for a company that produces clothes for cyclists. I realised I needed a change to nurture my creativity. I decided to approach the world of illustration because painting and drawing has always been a passion of mine, for which I have to thank my mother who paints in oils. My way of communicating feelings, emotions and recording events has always been drawing. Read more>>

Annabelle Chang | Founder of Annabelle’s Book Club LA

I think the literary community has historically undervalued the power of young adult readers, but I think we are at a moment where that is changing. When I started doing my market research, I learned that more than 70% of YA titles are purchased by people in the 18-64 age range. It made me think that a YA-focused store would appeal to a much wider audience than just teens. Now that the store is open, that is exactly what we are seeing. Read more>>

Bordin Marsinkul | Artist

I was tired of looking for job and work for someone else. So i decided to make my own path and promote my own art style. Read more>>

Bianca Gonzalez Kylie Skoe | Owners & Lead Planners

We were both in a place where we were eager to grow and put our creative abilities to work. We spent a few years gaining knowledge in different areas regarding this business. Bianca was working in the industry and learning about the forefront of how events come to life while I was studying business and learning how to operate a business on the backend. Read more>>

Sugandh Agrawal | Fashion Designer & Brand Strategist

As a fashion and animal lover myself, I found a huge gap in the market when it came to high quality, luxury animal friendly handbags. Having a background in Industrial design and experience working with brands such as Victoria’s Secret, KitchenAid, JennAir I started on a journey to solve this problem and developed my first collection of vegan handbags in the heart of Manhattan’s Fashion district. Read more>>

Maggie Enterrios | Commercial Illustrator

My business grew from the desire to turn a passion into a profitable career. When I was young, the idea of being an Illustrator (or at the time, the concept of “getting paid to draw”) seemed so far from reality. I was an academic with a flair for the mathematics, but my hobby was drawing, and it was the one past-time that stuck with me well into adulthood. While I knew I would end up in the arts, I figured it would be in a management role; being a full-time artist just seemed too dreamy. I didn’t know a single person with a job like that. Read more>>

Chantal & Charlie Sanchez | Realtor

The Spinelli-Sanchez Group was created to introduce a powerhouse team in real estate that allowed us to deliver more value to our clients than ever before. The synergy between Romina Spinelli and Chantal Sanchez creates a force to be reckoned with. After a year of collaboration in the real estate market in San Diego and creating events for their clientele and the local communities, Romina and Chantal decided to join forces as two of the most respected agents in our community. This merger has been extremely meaningful for not only the principals, but to Chantal’s husband and business partner, Charlie Sanchez. Read more>>

Dr. Lulu | Pediatrician, Parent Coach, Author, Speaker, Youth Suicide Prevention Activist and LGBTQ+ Advocate

In 2018, I retired from “active-duty” pediatrics practice. Following that, I decided to start my own direct primary care practice (a type of concierge medicine) where I only cared for high-risk teenagers who struggled with depression and suicidal ideations. I found that a good majority of these patients are in the LGBTQ+ community and many of them struggled with a lack of acceptance, affirmation and support from their parents. Read more>>

Cindy D’Andrea | Actor/Writer/Fitness Expert

The thought process behind starting my own business came by default, really. I had worked in several gyms as an aerobics instructor, and my students started coming up to me after class wanting to work with me in a more personalized way, one-on-one and in their homes, not in a gym. As soon as I got my certifications, I started branching out and working as a personal trainer in the home and word of mouth helped me to build a clientele. Read more>>

Elysia Fairfax | Photographer & entrepreneur

I’ve always had a CEO mindset meaning working for myself. I understand that our government and school system alters our minds to be an employee, working under someone to survive and live a good life. I’ve been into photography, fashion and entertainment since a little girl, I’ve always wanted to dress up, draw dresses, clothes and be behind the camera. Read more>>

Hanieh Sigari | Qyral Founder & CEO. Helping others age well, live well & do good.

I’ve been interested in entrepreneurship since I was a child. My mom was a social worker in Iran, and she taught war widows how to gain independence through learning new skills and starting their own business. I was so inspired by the change she brought to those women’s lives. Then when we emigrated to America, my belief in entrepreneurship was reinforced by the vision of the American Dream. I knew I wanted to found my own company and experience that freedom for myself. So I did! Read more>>

Coco Awesome | Coco is a Multifaceted Fine Artist and Founder of the start up For When You Are Feeling”. Her main goals with this company is to develop products geared towards helping Neuro-divergent people thrive in a predominately Neuro-typical world. “

Personally, Starting my own business was something I had done by accident. When I created my first book I had created an LLC under the name of “For When You Are Feeling” in turn accidentally creating my own business. At the time, I was a Sophomore in college and had no clue what an LLC was and or how to run a business, as my major was in the Fine Arts program with a concentration in Graphic Design and animation not business. Personally, I think thats the beauty of it all. I truly live by the mantra: Read more>>

Deeptha Venkatesan | Entrepreneur and Tech Recruiter

The idea of being an entrepreneur was always in the back of my mind, but I never put too much thought into it. But when I was pregnant I realized how expensive baby/kids items were including clothing. So, I thought why not start something small? That’s how the idea of starting Hugs and Cuddle happened. I started with swaddle blankets and teething accessories and then slowly after a year, we expanded to small-batch handmade clothing. The main idea is to bring quality, sustainable fashion at affordable pricing to all. Read more>>

Jake Carroll | Design Thinking and Innovation Consultant

The world is changing, fast. Organizations are faced with new opportunities, possibilities, and risks everyday. A company’s ability to adapt and innovate can be their greatest strength, or their biggest weakness. And the key to this adaptability is understanding and serving the needs of people. One way to do that is by practicing Design Thinking. The thought process behind starting Create Kaizen is simple. Read more>>

Cheryle Brown-Williamson | Realtor, Realtist, Home Stager

I love home decor and helped friends & family with their homes. Read more>>

Khadija Fox | Holistic Doula/Traditional Home Birth Support & Doula Trainer/ Mentor

It has always been important to me to have the ability to provide for myself ever since I was a little girl. I was taught at a young age that if you want nice things in life that it takes hard work and dedication to achieve those goals. As I have lived life and grown to have actual passions in life, having nice things no longer leads me in my passions to start my businesses. I started to realize that I have a natural and often subconscious gift of service for my family and community. Read more>>

Francesca Po | Scholar of Religion & Nonreligion, Peace Activist, Esoteric Artist, Historical & Avant-garde Fashion Enthusiast, Poet, Musician, Nature Lover

To be honest, there wasn’t a major thought process behind starting my own business. I’ve got a full time job that pays the bills, although it isn’t everything—I’ve got so many other passions that it was natural for me to have side projects. That said, I like that I’m not financially dependent on my side projects. That way, I can truly enjoy them for their own sake, without the pressure of burnout or meeting quotas. Read more>>

Christina Kortum | Special Effects Makeup Artist

In the early two thousands, I visited LA and several different special effect makeup shops because I was interested in getting into film . What was striking was there were no women in any of the shops I visited, and I was regaled with stories of how much they were not welcome either. So I bought materials and decided I would start my own business without an existing glass ceiling. Read more>>

Paulus Linnaeus | Graphic Novel Creator, Artist

As an artist, I create because I must do so in order to feel fully alive. Really, the business aspect is something that naturally follows. Being able to create stories (in my case, my original graphic novel series The Demonhuntress) is a matter of incredible good fortune. Waking up and doing what you love doing, without any restrictions of time or other practical limitations – how many people attain this point? So it was a matter of expressing the art, and the business simply formed around it. Read more>>

Gary Brown | Chief Executive Officer and Owner

At the end of 2021, the company I worked for had sold, the company that purchased it did not have my position and had no role for me. I was without a job for the first time in almost 30 years with no real leads. I interviewed a lot, looked at many roles. One day I was talking to the now former owner of Talent Dynamics and asked if she was looking to sell. She said it depends on the day, after that I went to work. Read more>>

Utar Artun | Composer, Arranger, Pianist, Percussionist and Educator

1 – I don’t call music [as] a business. It’s a lifestyle and dedication. I remember watching György Sándor with Bilkent Symphony Orchestra in 2005. He was 92 years old. He played Bela Bartok’s Piano Concerto No.3 one last time. That night was fantastic. I was so impressed. He played this complicated music like a 40-50-year-old virtuoso. A literal effortless mastery. It was my moment of realization; there is no retirement, no 9 to 5 in music. You just live with it, and you die with it until the last moment. Read more>>

Jeshiqua (J.) White | Founder & President

The vision for Project Love Strong is to show continuous selfless love and support to the unhoused (homeless) community without judgment. We want to create a community movement of change to support vulnerable populations. The goal is to create awareness about the underprivileged and unhoused communities that are in our neighborhoods while creating new resources and long-term hope and hands-on help. Read more>>

Stacey Antine | Registered Dietitian

During a master’s class in 2002 at New York University a professor mentioned the quote that, “this would be the first generation to not outlive their parents based on lifestyle.” I was in disbelief based on medical advancement and heart broken for children. Then, during my dietetic internship at Beth Israel Medical Center, I observed children getting weighed in and sitting in front of food models to talk about serving sizes with their parents. Read more>>