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.

Zenah Khair

Starting Nexity wasn’t just about launching another marketing agency. It was about fixing what we saw broken in the industry. After years of watching businesses get cookie-cutter content and surface-level strategies, we knew there had to be a better way. The thought process was simple: what if we created an agency that actually showed up, literally and figuratively, for small businesses? Read More>>

Asha Walker

Both of my businesses felt like a calling when I started them. It was almost like my soul committed and my body and brain just had to follow through. There was a certainty, a knowing- and giving up just wasn’t an option.
I am happiest when I’m helping others. I think that’s a pretty natural state for me. So when the nucleus of the ideas for
Health in the Hood and Cured were formed, they felt extremely aligned. Read More>>

Yemxy Perez

The thought process behind starting my own business came from a mix of passion and purpose. I noticed a real gap in the market when it came to l helping people navigate their finances, taxes, or credit repair. I saw so many people struggling with things that I knew I could help with, and I realized I didn’t want to just work for someone else—I wanted to build something that could make a real impact. I also wanted the freedom to make my own decisions, grow on my terms, and create opportunities for others along the way. So it was really about combining what I’m good at with where I saw a need and stepping up to fill that gap. Read More>>

Steven Salgado

“I have to achieve it, no matter what—and I’m going to start with what I have.” That thought lit the spark. I’ve always believed that waiting for the perfect moment can sometimes mean waiting forever. I had this vision of a production company that didn’t just offer services, but that could also tell powerful stories and build community through art. So I stopped waiting. I grabbed the few tools I had—my camera, my experience, and my will—and I started what would become Salgado Studios. Read More>>

Giselle Spasojevic

When my daughter was born 17 years ago, I took her to a mall photography studio for baby photos. They pulled out a dusty black cloth, placed her on it, and quickly snapped a few pictures. The whole thing felt impersonal and rushed and I left me feeling guilty as a mom for even putting my tiny baby through that. That moment stuck with me. I started my business to give families something better: a warm, personalized experience. I travel to my clients and bring the entire studio setup to their home, offering the most convenient and comfortable newborn photography experience in the Miami area. Read More>>

Karen Cano

Honestly, starting my own business came from this deep feeling that people deserve more than just quick fixes and cookie-cutter plans. I knew what it felt like to struggle, to start over (again and again), and to think that the answer was another diet or more cardio. But what changed my life wasn’t restriction—it was learning how to move with purpose, eat to fuel my body, and shift my mindset. Read More>>

Miasha Coleman

I’ve always had a desire to live a life of leisure and luxury. And I realized early on that having those combined required me to be my own boss. So when it came to starting any of my businesses, I considered two things 1) being able to work from anywhere in the world and 2) being able to make money in my sleep. Read More>>

Caitlin Sarian

I saw a huge disconnect between how important cybersecurity is and how little most people actually understand it. Hollywood has made cybersecurity seem scary, complicated, and daunting, when in reality, it’s simple and essential for everyone nowadays. So many of the resources out there felt too technical or out of reach for the average person. I wanted to change that by making cybersecurity simple, relatable, and human, something people could actually use to protect themselves and their families. Read More>>

Shardae Tripp

The decision to start my own business came from an unexpected and challenging situation. I, along with six other staff members, worked for a company called Brighter Heights of Florida for several years. Without warning, the company made the decision to close its doors, giving us only one month’s notice. This sudden closure displaced both staff and clients who depended on consistent mental health services. Read More>>

Claribel Taveras

I honestly just wanted to do makeup. I was working beauty retail, and my opportunity to do makeup were few and far between. I started my business while working retail, and once I found true success in it Belle Beauty, I left. Best decision I could have ever made! Read More>>

Alana

I always knew I wanted to be a therapist and I knew from the time I graduated college that I wanted to open a holistic center. My career and life path have had many twists and turns since then, but I have known for a few years that I wanted to move to Miami and open my holistic center here. After moving and settling in for a few months, opening Soul Space was a natural progression of the plan I have been working on for years, and I have been letting the process unfold naturally since then! Read More>>

Emmanuel Diaz

A lot of people assume that personal trainers have flexible schedules that’s coupled with a liberating lifestyle. Sure, I can agree that sometimes that may be true… but when you have a fully booked business of clients, there comes a problem. If you have 8 clients in one day and you train them all at the same gym, that means you are committing 8 hours of your day living inside that gym – what we like to call “living in the box”. Being a high-level personal trainer requires a lot of physical and emotional energy in order to show up best for your clients, and as a result, can be so fatiguing that there isn’t any energy left in the tank to invest into your creative and other business endeavors. Read More>>

Brian Booth

I realized as a teenager that I didn’t want to work for someone else. I wanted a trade that was creative and physical and that I didn’t mind selling. Woodworking and furniture design is very equitable: a person wants something, you are the expert that can give it to them, and they pay you for it! Read More>>

William Perez

My thought process behind starting my own business really came from wanting to create something that combined both my nursing background and my passion for wellness. Working in the hospital setting, I saw firsthand how important hydration and recovery are — not just for sick patients, but for everyday people who are busy, active, and need to prioritize their health. Read More>>

Mehdi S.Fallah

I love how ads tell a story and connect people to brands. When I saw that many businesses needed better, more creative ads—especially in cities like Miami, Toronto, and New York—I knew I could help. So, I started my own purposeful advertising pages. Read More>>

Cedricka Ross

1. Passion For My Craft – “ Hair has always been more than just a job for me. To me it’s a ART! Formed in a way to help people feel confident in their own skin. I knew early on that I didn’t just want to style hair – I wanted to create experiences”.
2. Seeing The Gaps – “ Working from any and everywhere I could, I started noticing that things could be better – whether it was lack of personal connection or limited creativity. I desired more freedom to truly take care of my clients as they deserved”. Read More>>

Alice Deluca

Starting my own business wasn’t just a dream—it was a necessity for my soul.
After years spent in environments where I didn’t have the opportunity to fully express my passion and vision, I realized I wanted something more. I didn’t simply want to “do hair”; I wanted to transform days, build confidence, and create an experience that made each person feel unique and valued. Read More>>

The Zappe Cats

It wasn’t some grand idea. We just wanted to make music we liked, with people we clicked with. That’s it. We’re all originally from Venezuela, and music’s been one of the ways we’ve found our footing here — a way to stay connected, stay loud, and figure things out on our own terms. No long-term strategy or five-year plan, just the urge to get in a room, make some noise, and see what came out. And when it started sounding like something worth keeping, we kept going. Read More>>

Sam Shumeev

I think any immigrants are leaving their home country because they can dream a little bigger and strive for realizing their highest potential. Sam was too talented for our hometown of Orenburg in the middle of Russia, I could see that he outgrew most of his colleagues and was too limited by most of the projects available on the market for videographers. I immigrated to the US in 2005, and got my citizenship, then I moved back to live in Russia for almost 10 years where I was running my own business, it was a dancing and swimming studio for children and adults. Read More>>

Elise Ellis

My thought process for starting my own business really began when I realized that I’m genuinely good at social media marketing—and I truly enjoy what I do. I feel fulfilled when I can help someone build their brand or grow their business. I love having meetings, understanding what the client wants, and figuring out how I can support them. I start by assessing their page to see what’s missing, what they want to portray, and how I can help bring that vision to life. Read More>>

Sabi Procacci

I got married young and at that time we didn’t have much money so we skipped wedding photography and instead asked a friend to take our photos. Needless to say they turned out horrible and we never had any photos that really showed who we are. This inspired me to become a wedding photographer and document the most important day of peoples lives. I am not only hoping to document the day but make people feel something, show my couples how incredibly beautiful and unique their love is. Read More>>

Valeriia Bychkova

If we’re talking about a personal brand — as in me as a person — then it’s always been natural. People were drawn to me, followed me because they were genuinely interested in my life, my personality, my looks, and everything I am.
As for the fashion brand, the idea came to me a year ago. Since then, I’ve been developing it — shaping its concept, its aesthetics, its vibe. I wanted it to reflect who I am: my character, my appearance, my energy. A brand that people would recognize because of me, and for me.The name is Queen’s code . Read More>>