Starting a business is a commitment and requires dedication, resources and sacrifice. We asked some of the rising stars in our community how they thought through the idea of starting their own businesses.

Lauren Goodwin | Founder and Creative Director of GOODWINXXII

I’m Lauren Goodwin, founder of the accessories and handbag brand GOODWINXXII. I worked in the fashion and beauty industry as an E-commerce and Digital Marketer for over 10 years. After grinding in NYC, I needed to change my scenery and prioritize my mental health. I saved some money, quit my good job at Shiseido, rented out my house in NJ, and moved to sunny Los Angeles, CA, on January 7th, 2020. During COVID-19, I asked myself if I was living for myself. Read more>>

Ryan Burnett | Creative Director of FHLA, and Founder of Flavor House Photo Club

It happened pretty organically, actually. I had been freelancing for many years, but after receiving the opportunity to shoot a product photography contract for a large brand, it made sense to turn this into a proper business. My friend (now business partner, Zach Thistle) and I then started Flavor House LA to handle these types of contracts, and have been growing ever since, creating photo and video content for brands. Read more>>

Raffi Joe Wartanian | Writer, Musician, Educator

Growing up, I was fortunate to be surrounded by music, art, and an appreciation for history. My grandparents and great-grandparents survived the Armenian Genocide, and my parents were displaced by the Lebanese Civil War. My siblings and I were the first generation in our family to be born in the US, in the great city of Baltimore, Maryland. We were raised speaking Armenian at home, eating delicious Lebanese Armenian food, and learning our ancestors’ stories – their trauma and resilience – which became more vivid during summertime visits to be with family in Beirut, Lebanon. Read more>>

Wanda Martin Woodard | CEO & Founder, Author, Motivational Speaker, Podcast Host, Personal Care Enthusiast

I guess I threw myself into business before realizing that’s what I was doing. When my merchandise required me to open my online store and orders began to come in then I realized I am a business owner. Wow I never would have dreamed of becoming. For one during my childhood, I had different dreams. When I first started, I said to myself are you really doing this? I stopped thinking and questioning myself and fell in line with my passion as I create with excitement and drive to be the best I can be in business and to see the smiles on people faces after purchasing form my online store gives me joy and I am grateful. Read more>>

Cara-Hope Lorraine | Founder & Director of Lorraine Film Studios

My thought process for starting up “Lorraine Film Studios” came from my deep passion for community. Being an actor myself, I found a profound love for connecting with people on and off screen. Whether you are in front or behind the camera, there are two stories taking place, so I wanted to find a way to bridge the gap between the two. With founding my own studio, I saw an opportunity to help build and cultivate an environment that is founded based off of deep and meaningful relationships. Read more>>

Trisha Hershberger | TV Host, Streamer, Creator

Starting my own business came out of necessity honestly. I found over and over that my worth as an employee was underappreciated and my tendency to overachieve and outperform goals was being taken advantage of. I knew if I ever wanted to take control of my own career, both financially and creatively, I’d have to branch out on my own, so that’s exactly what I did. In 2015, I started my own production company and I’ve never looked back. Read more>>

Sam K. | Artist | Creative | Entrepreneur

I already knew that I did not want to work a corporate job for the rest of my life. I wanted to have the creative freedom to establish a business where I can be my own boss, do what is fulfilling for myself and be able to give my best to others. First and foremost, I believe it’s extremely important to enjoy what you do and love your work, because we spend most of our lives working. We perform better when we do what we enjoy. Read more>>

Rebekah Clarey | Ex Police detective, Dog walker/ boarder

The main thought process behind starting my business was to work doing something I love and to have the freedom of one day starting a family and being alone to watch them grow up. I’ve always been known for my elaborate ideas and love for doing a million things at once. So, back in 2022 I had an another one of my idea’s that I wanted to become a dog walker, whilst juggling my jobs as a Police officer, working those dreaded shifts and long hours, but I realised this wasn’t an idea to make extra money, it was an idea about doing something I love and gaining happiness. Read more>>

Ulises Tolentino | Senior Sales Director & COO

I did not start this business on my own I was one of the contributing factors to start it. The idea came during the pandemic, there was high demand and not enough material to cover our needs and other companies. We noticed that the fee’s in the ports were really expensive and that a lot of people were in need of material and there were only a few suppliers in the industry at least here in California. These suppliers have been very specific to who they would provide material cutting a lot of us out. Read more>>

David Crafa | Founder/Owner The Cutting Room Studios Group

I never really thought about actually starting a business. It came about organically from freelance work. Once I realized that the Freelance gigs weren’t dying down but actually increasing to a point that I had to hire an assistant, I started the Cutting Room. Read more>>

Petecia Le Fawnhawk | Artist and Designer

Well, initially when working as a Creative Director for brands… I was working long hours on a demanding schedule that never relented. One day meditating I sat with my 80 year self and she told me I needed to get up from behind that desk and run and leap and do back flips in fields of flowers… essentially live life to its fullest and greatness. I took her advice and left the corporate life for freelance before embarking the wild and wonderful journey of committing myself to my artistic voice and vision and craft it into a sustainable livelihood and thriving business. Read more>>

Peter Winkelmann | Actor, Filmmaker, miniature maker

In 2023, there’s a hard truth that all creatives must face: the Bohemian age of the arts is over. Any romantic visions of scratching a living from project to project are perpetuated by trust fund babies LARPing in the Silverlake property market. However, it is still possible to live as an independant artist. If you plan carefully, look for effective ways to structure your life so that you can create space for the arts, and forge the prerequisite stability to continually grow your craft; then, you can reliably survive as an artist. Read more>>

Roz | Singer/Songwriter/Producer/Music Instructor/Instrumentalist/Choir Director

I started my own business after I started making a little bit more money for tax purposes. Nothing fancy! It felt good to know that what I love could actually turn into a business. Read more>>

Georges Jamous | Managing Partner

This question takes me back to when I was young. Being part of a family that raised few entrepreneurs, enjoying the challenge to start a business was always part of my character. It provides an infinite amount of possibilities. Seamless Construction is making me grow personally at a rapid pace, and allowing me to get exposed to more and more opportunities and challenges on a day to day basis. Since becoming a Managing Partner at Seamless Construction, my job has brought me a high level of satisfaction and accomplishment. Read more>>

A.D.H.D. | Music Artist

When i was younger i had been told there were a few things you needed to succeed in life: a diploma, a safe job, a car, a house etc. And of course these things are true, but only if the passion is there. I never really knew what i wanted out of life, especially after my father had passed away. He was a professional pianist (Glenn Corneille), and music was always there in our life. Read more>>

Heydy / Adrian Merino/ Caldera | Jewelry Designer

(Heydy) It began with me making polymer clay earrings that I would gift to my close family. I began making them for Adrian during the early part of her transition. They were really special gifts to her because they allowed her to express herself for the first time. We thought about it together how cool it would be to find a shop that’s inclusive where everyone can feel comfortable and safe and we figured why not just create that space ourselves. The name, Moments for Her, was already an active Instagram account where I would post poetry paired with photographs that were meant to capture a moment in time. Read more>>

Dylan Garrett Smith and I’m an artist, illustrator, designer, and filmmaker.

When I was a teenager growing up in the punk scene, I was in bands, but I wasn’t a very good musician and all of my friends were into skateboarding, but I wasn’t great at that, either. I always kind of felt like I wasn’t good at anything, but what I had was a lot of passion and thankfully some of my teachers recognized that early on. They really pushed me to draw and write more. Eventually, I was designing for a lot of my friends’ bands and I realized that was a way for me to be a part of the scene as more than just a spectator. Read more>>

Emily Cohen | Resist Co-Founder!

Over 163 million Americans have a hormonal imbalance, from PCOS, to Insulin Resistance, to Endometriosis, to Diabetes. Food plays an active role in supporting or triggering symptoms. When my co-founder, Drew, was diagnosed with PCOS and Insulin Resistance she was recommended a high protein, low carb diet. We were students in New York, running from class, to internships, to jobs, and relied on on-the-go snacks. However, Drew’s hormonal symptoms started to flare- up. Her skin was breaking out, she was losing hair, and her face was incredibly inflamed. Read more>>

Jack Quint | Owner of Deltina Coffee Roasters

Prior to working in coffee, I was an international tax consulting and gained incredible insight into the workings of our country’s political and financial systems. I began to wonder what it’d be like to instead of acting as a tiny piece of a large operation, to create something organic and completely grass roots. Towards the end of my journey as a CPA, I begin to focus less on what’s going on in the country and turn my focus inward. Read more>>

Sunny Liu | filmmaker & entrepreneur

In our dynamic careers within the entertainment industry, we distilled the essence of a successful founder: one who envisions beyond the present, empathizes with customer needs, and orchestrates teams to actualize their vision. This mindset propelled us to create YoPo, an innovative AI solution revolutionizing Visual Media Arts post-production. We aimed to harmonize efficiency and artistic brilliance, catering to both industry professionals and enthusiasts. Read more>>

Hennie Roos | Skin and wound care research scientist, plastic surgeon

I am a plastic surgeon by profession. Working as surgeon made me realise that in clinical practice, even though it is a highly satisfying profession, you can only earn while you work with your hands. A friend once used the analogy that if you compare arithmetic to the medical profession, you work with plusses. You cannot work with multiplication. I wanted to work with multiplication. The logic business direction to go into was related to plastic surgery. Read more>>

Shayla Williams | Visual Designer and Owner of Shay Design Studio

I founded Shay Design Studio driven by a deep passion for creativity and an unwavering belief in the power of artistic expression, irrespective of an individual’s skill level. My journey began with a simple yet profound aspiration: to offer products and services that inspire and empower people to embrace their inner artist and discover the joy of creating their own works of art. In a world where self-doubt and perceived limitations often hinder artistic exploration, I envisioned a space where anyone, regardless of their experience or expertise, could feel encouraged to pick up a brush, a pen, or any creative tool and embark on a journey of self-expression. Read more>>

Valerie Broatch | Artist/Designer

Our work is in it’s essence vibrational and we are both healers, so our intention is upliftment through various mediums. My partner, BT Taylor is a jewelry designer. Late last year I began photographing his work and building a WordPress site for him. At the same time I was experimenting with clothing design, and the two things came together in our brand ‘By Infinite Design’ Read more>>

Berangere Altier | Photographer

Starting my own photography business was a natural evolution. Once I had enough experience and clients under my belt, I decided it made sense financially to open up a business in order to keep track of everything. Read more>>