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.

Amy Morgenstern | Creative Director

The idea behind starting Kamp Studios came from a deep desire to channel our unique talents in a more meaningful way. We both felt that the creative potential we had was being underutilized in our previous roles. Kim’s strengths lie in her meticulous attention to detail, her organized, Type A mindset, while I thrive on creativity, adaptability, and curiosity. Together, we knew we could build something exceptional, blending those qualities to push boundaries and deliver excellence. That’s how Kamp was born—it’s not just a business, but a reflection of our combined passion for the craft and the process. Read more>>

Jingze Sarah Gao | Founder/Director of San Francisco International Piano Competition and Bay PianoFest

My thought process behind starting my own business has been deeply influenced by the many great musicians and mentors I’ve encountered throughout my journey. Their unwavering passion for music and dedication to their craft have inspired me to not only pursue my art but also to create opportunities for others to thrive in the creative space. Read more>>

Phelipe Davila | Founder

Living in L.A, one has to generate at least two income streams to meet the cost of living. My career, my 9 to 5 job, was Whole Foods Market. Whole Foods took care of me financially for the most part, but I always had a part time job throughout 13 years I worked there. During these times a friend of mine worked the local farmers markets. He would generate upwards of $700 a day, this sounded to good to be true. Money was the driving factor for me to look into building a business at that time, especially if it only involved 1 or 2 days out of my week. Juicing had recently changed my life, I was in love with it. I grew up not eating vegetables, not knowing what organic meant, or even knowing what a “healthy lifestyle” was. Read more>>

Levi Osborn | Founder/Host of Creative Ambiance

I discovered my love for storytelling in college while working at the school radio station. Hosting my own show gave me a chance to curate meaningful experiences for listeners, whether through music or thoughtful conversations. It was a creative outlet that I genuinely enjoyed and felt connected to. Read more>>

Aidan Wilde | Film Director

I never approached it with the intention of starting a business. My focus was always on storytelling—using visuals to create meaningful connections and evoke emotion. For me, success was simply being able to make a living doing what I love. Over time, the realization came that my passion for crafting compelling narratives could naturally evolve into something larger. Turning that passion into a business felt like an organic progression, driven by my love for the craft and the belief that powerful stories can resonate with an audience. Read more>>

Margaret White | Businesswoman & General Contractor

Power2Workers was created to support local residents gain access to construction career pathways in on projects being built in their communities. Affordable housing being built across our city and county does require hiring local, targeted and transitional workers such as those dealing with barriers to employment such as homelessness or being a former foster youth. Read more>>

Kiki Liu | Founder of Current State Studio

Hi there, and thank you for having me! The idea to start this business stemmed from a shared passion for uplifting artistic voices and creating opportunities for underrepresented talent. As three multidisciplinary artists working with various mediums—clay, paint, wood, lacquer, and modern technology—we envisioned a space where creativity could flourish and connections could be built. Read more>>

Chris Goode | Breakup Recovery & Relationship Hypnotherapist / Coach

I grew in up in a rather tumultuous and difficult home environment. Part of that experience resulted in me living in foster care for a few years as a child. The challenges I faced around my relationship with my father and mother had a huge impact on the various relationships in my life, especially those involving romance, but also including those with other family members as well as friends. As I got older I really struggled when it came to developing healthy relationships, regulating my emotions, having self-worth, implementing healthy boundaries, and not feeling like a victim to the adversities that life tended to present every so often. When my mother passed away on Christmas Eve of 2012 I made a conscious decision to reflect on why I struggled so deeply with these things. Read more>>

Josh Brodis | Actor, Writer, & Director

I’ve been working as an actor and songwriter in Los Angeles since 2012, but in 2018, things really took off when my band landed a national commercial. Not only were we featured on screen, but the ad also used my original song, ‘Row That Boat,’ which opened up a whole new chapter in my career. To properly license my music, I launched my publishing company, Beat-Rice Productions, named in honor of my late grandmother, Beatrice. Read more>>

Alberto López | Musician, Producer, Vinyl Record Manufacturer

While music is definitely a calling which I began answering to at a young age, the businesses I’ve started since I moved to LA in 1999 (Belú Music, Trópico Union Studios and now Belú Music Press) have been about providing services that satisfy the needs of independent musicians and artists in the area. We are not opposed to working with “major” artists (we have and continue to work with some, too!), but the focus has always been in finding ways make the resources that are available to me and the people I work with to those who may not have access to them. Read more>>

Jenny Lee | Video Artist

I don’t necessarily see myself as someone who “started a business” in the traditional sense. I’m an artist, and my journey has been about creating and exploring, not about building a business model. My work stems from deeply personal themes, like my relationship with my mother, and expands into broader explorations of human connection, memory, space, and time. I think my thought process has always been rooted in curiosity—trying to understand how the everyday, the mundane, and the deeply emotional interact and create meaning. It’s about expressing what I feel and discovering new ways to connect with others through art, whether through video, performance, or installations. Read more>>

Javon Carey | Actor, Entrepreneur, Producer, Creator

One day, it just clicked for me, everything I used to do as a hobby became something I truly loved. As my audience grew, social media transformed from just a platform into a source of revenue, allowing me to promote not only myself but others too. I saw actors, creators, writers, producers, and especially small businesses and entrepreneurs who needed a boost to get noticed. Building a network to help people gain visibility has always been a goal of mine, and now it’s a way for both others and myself to thrive in this industry. Read more>>

Kyle Otsuji | Co-Owner and Piercer

Shaughnessy and myself have worked in the tattoo industry for years prior to opening our own business. Shaughnessy in particular noticed a gap in the tattoo market for good cosmetic tattooing. Many women would come into the tattoo shop asking if anyone did eyebrows and noone did. She took matters into her own hands, took a course and quickly became busy. Permanent make-up has always been around but never done well. When you initially think of tattooed brows you would think of those blue brows that your aunties had. Shaughnessy created realistic hair strokes that totally changed the game. Instantly she had people lining up wanting her to do their brows and word got around fast. Read more>>

Caroline Polly | Social Media Manager and Photographer

I always knew I wanted to start my own business or do something creative on the side to diversify my income. After graduating college, I didn’t have a full-time job offer, so developing my photography business in the new state I moved to was imperative to supplement my income in addition to the internship I had. As I went from internships to part-time to full-time employment, I still made time to build my photography business and eventually, a social media management business, to continue that income diversification but also to build my reputation in the Palm Springs area to eventually become fully self-employed with those two businesses, which I was for roughly the last year and a half before taking the full-time job I have now. Read more>>

Jesse & Javier Zuniga | Co-founders, Arlo Los Angeles & Bad Habit Ice Creams

After founding the acclaimed ice cream company Bad Habit Ice Creams and working 15+ years at top New York City restaurants, we moved to LA from Manhattan to found Arlo Los Angeles, a creative culinary studio which curates tablescapes and dinners for boutique private events. With Arlo LA, we combine the best of both coasts, local Southern California produce and the dynamic quality of New York City’s ambitious and international influence. Read more>>

Evan Seymour | Founder, Black Women in Entertainment for Kamala

Black Women in Entertainment for Kamala is not a business, but a collective. Inspired by the July 21, 2024 call organized by Win With Black Women. I started Black Women in Entertainment for Kamala to organize Black women who work in my industry with the goal of providing educational resources, volunteer opportunities, and a collective for political fundraising, with the objective of encouraging people to become more civically engaged. Read more>>

Jamison Williams | Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner

When I moved to LA, I was very fortunate to get hired at 2 amazing practices! I was able to learn under some incredible minds in the aesthetics industry and I was taught how to develop my own style, create a unique brand, and a cultivate a client base that I really connected with. Eventually, I decided that I wanted to be able to give my patients more of myself… more of the person that connected with them on such a personal and professional level… at a place that felt truly authentic to me and the brand that I’d built. Read more>>

Katherine Waronker | Interior Designer

The idea of starting my own business felt inevitable—I’ve always had a deep sense of independence. From a young age, I found myself gravitating toward the mindset of, “I’ll do it myself.” While I’ve had the privilege of working with and learning from people I admire, it was never quite the right fit. I thrive in creative collaboration, but I also find joy and fulfillment in the autonomy of shaping my own vision. Running my own business allows me to lean into both creativity and freedom, blending them seamlessly in every project. Read more>>

Billy Moon | Still Photographer

I’m in the midst of starting my own business actually. It’s been a long time coming. Just landing and locking on a name is difficult by itself. My industry friends and mentors have been encouraging me to launch one and I shall. My thought process a few years ago would’ve been tremendously overwhelming with numerous, irrelevant overthinking ideas but as I’ve aged, it’s just wiser and more serene to be simple, direct, and meaningful. I’ve experienced and listened time and time again to people who talk the talk but take very little to no action to live up to their words. I refuse to be one of those people. I do what I say and I expect others to as well. Read more>> 

Thibault Gulielmo | Tattoo Artist

I worked for bosses for a long time and I was also in the military for a period of my life. Everything always went well and I didn’t have to complain about my conditions but like everyone else the idea of ​​independence and freedom always lingered in the background. The coincidence of life meant that I was able to practice for a certain time an artistic passion, tattooing, while continuing to work and ensuring a reliable and stable income and then one day the decision presented itself to me, I had to choose between continuing where I was or embarking on the adventure of entrepreneurship and becoming independent with all the risks that this entails, but after having skilfully prepared the ground and weighed the pros and cons it was finally time of get started. Read more>>

Raquel Mentor | Social Media Manager and Content Creator

Small business, the hustle of starting something out of nothing, is a family matter. Growing up, every Sunday my dad would go sell electronics at the Paramount Swapmeet. I’d help him set up his space, neatly arranging remote controls, cassette tapes, and other accessories. When he wasn’t at the swapmeet, he’d set up his space at home during yardsales. On those days I’d be my mom’s personal assistant as she sold pupusas from our kitchen. I’d take client orders, doing quick math for pupusas revueltas, queso, and frijoles. Eventually my mom encouraged me to sell snacks at school. Read more>>

Olivia Dunkley | Filmmaker

I decided to become a filmmaker because I wasn’t getting the roles I wanted as an actress. I thought if i could make a movie that it would show casting directors I could carry a film as the lead. I wanted to show them that I could do more than under 5’s and one liners.
However, after the film was released something wonderful happened. No, I didn’t get more work as an actress. Instead I started making money on my movie. The money continued to come in year after year. It became apparent that this was going to be a more lucrative career choice. Plus, it had the benefit of control. I wasn’t at the whims of a casting director, producer, or director. I was the creator. I made the choices, good or bad. Read more>>

Jada Cianne Arriola | Make-up Artist & CEO of Jada Cianne Artistry

I had been a makeup artist for about 7 years and in January of 2022 I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. When I heard my diagnosis there wasn’t much thought behind it besides if this disease progresses in fighting my body quickly what is a way I can hold on to my passion of makeup besides only applying it on others. That’s when launching my own makeup brand (Jada Cianne Artistry) came into play. I have always wanted my own makeup line eventually, but this kicked started a fire in creating my makeup empire on the spot. It was as simple as that! Read more>>

Pej Alaghamandan | Interventionist/ Recovery Coach/ Life Coach

Since I am man that struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism for many years I was super resistant to getting help an intervention was done on me by my family. Once I finally got the help God placed some mentors in my path to see them do interventions. I went to school with the intention of becoming a drug and alcohol counselor which I was for a while in the treatment space but over a period of time I felt it was my calling to become a trained interventionist and work as one both locally and nationally. It was a manifestation that developed as I learned what my calling was. Now I am not just an interventionist but also a recovery coach. This is exactly where I always wanted to be and am now. Read more>>

Leni Kumalasari | Business Owner

Our thought process behind starting Simpang Asia was deeply rooted in our passion for Indonesian cuisine and our desire to share it with our community. We recognized a gap in the local market for authentic, high-quality Indonesian food that could resonate with both our cultural heritage and the diverse tastes of the area. Read more>>

Gebar | Director / Editor

I founded own film production company, Ordinary Visions, in 2016 while still in college. Ordinary Visions is a creative studio that brings both small and large-scale visions to life through in-house development, pre-production, production, and post-production services. Our work spans multiple mediums, including short films, branded content, and music videos.
We specialize in crafting narratives that are rooted in authenticity, challenging traditional molds with a unique visual language. As someone who grew up in Eritrea and moved to the U.S. at age 11, I often struggled to express myself. Storytelling became my outlet—a way to share my thoughts and emotions with the world. That personal connection to creativity drove me to build a company where I could help others bring their unique stories to life. It’s been an incredible journey collaborating with talented artists in LA and beyond, and it’s a privilege to create work that connects and inspires. Read more>>