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.

Mariana Martín Capriles

Starting my own business was less about following a traditional entrepreneurial model and more about creating a platform for freedom: creative, cultural, and economic. As a multidisciplinary artist from Venezuela living in New York, I didn’t see my story, my sound, or my community reflected in many spaces. So I decided to build my own. Read More>> 

Alejandro Pinto

I was scared. People wanted partner up with me and I got several offers but thinking about having my own business and not depending on other people was what pushed me to chase that independence Read More>> 

Alex Palumbo

My business is more than just a company — it’s a legacy that my father started over 20 years ago in Italy. When we brought it to Miami, we were the first to introduce and sell piadina here. We’ve stayed true to our roots by making everything from scratch, just like we did back home. For me, it wasn’t just about starting a business — it was about continuing a family tradition and sharing a piece of Italian culture with a new community. That’s why our company statement is: Italian Traditions Made in Miami. It reflects both where we come from and where we’re going. Read More>>

Fentris Lane

Being a professional fitness trainer in the fitness industry, I was always working my ass off to bring the best service to my clientale. Whether that means starting at 4am and working to 9pm my business is a results oriented one. Majority of my clients are CEOs, upper management/professionals to the retired. They want someone that is knowledgeable and actually give a dam about helping them reach their health goals. Read More>> 

Leopoldo Herrera III

I want to elevate the world through the game of golf by creating experiences where people can compete, learn, and connect. Read More>> 

Clementina Busaya

The thought process behind starting Gloriouswills Ushering Services GWUS was that I wanted to provided an opportunity for people to earn and gain work experience simultaneously. Read More>> 

Deondra Johnson

I’ve always been a creator at heart. Growing up, we didn’t have much, but I found joy in making something out of nothing from handmade birthday gifts, Mother’s Day cards, or simple thank-yous to show love. Creating has always been my love language. Whether it’s candles, earrings, hand-sewn bags, or tumblers, I’ve always enjoyed making things that reflect who I am and what I value. Read More>>

Stacey Overton

Due to a the economy taking a hit in the early 2000’s My corporate position eliminated to save money. I had to pivot and turn my passion for healthy skin into a new career. At that time, there were very few aestheticians or even dermatologists that specialized in brown and black skin. I needed to go into the industry at an elevated level if I was going to make this work. I searched for a program that offered a degree in medical aesthetics. Read More>> 

Syrine Somma

For years, I followed a path that made sense on paper business school, entrepreneurship, strategy. But something always felt off. I’ve been an artist since I was a child, but I had pushed that part of myself aside for a long time.

Starting Ruth Heritage was my way of coming back to that. I needed to reconnect with creativity, identity, and a sense of emotional truth not just in my personal life, but in what I was building professionally. Read More>> 

Daniel Argota

I’ve never felt fully aligned working under someone else. While I genuinely enjoy helping people, doing tasks that feel disconnected from real impact has never sat right with me. From 2014 to 2023, I poured myself into music, booking my own gigs, creating my own opportunities, and always finding a way to move forward. After dealing with sciatic pain and shifting into personal training, I realized I was much more capable on the business side than I had given myself credit for. I’ve always craved freedom and movement and the truth is most systems out there don’t reflect who I am or how I work best.  Read More>> 

Cliff Dobson

Before officially starting my LLC, I was already doing all of the things I’m doing now – Playing gigs, teaching private lessons, and session recording. I figured that it was time to get my financials together and really start to do something on paper that matched up with what I was already passionate about doing.

I wanted to get away from my day job and focus the time I spent doing that into my personal goals and my business. It has been nearly a year since I quit that job, and I have made enormous leaps towards the goal of making a living doing what I love. I have been scaling, planning, and pushing for what is to come. It also helps to have an amazing and supportive wife. Read More>> 

Olivia Hensal

I started my brand, Olea Herbals, when I was studying clinical herbalism in grad school.

As a functional nutritionist, I see many women in my practice that struggle with symptoms of hormonal imbalance. What many people don’t realize is the personal care products we use can make a huge difference in our health. If we’re using products on our skin that contain preservatives linked to endocrine disruption, this can be problematic — especially long-term, chronic use. Read More>>

Andry

When I started My Dream Picnic & Events Miami, I wasn’t just starting a business, I was building a way to reconnect people through meaningful experiences.
The idea came to me during the COVID-19 lockdown, when we were all isolated, unable to reunite with friends and family. It was a time when many people couldn’t express love in the ways they were used to, no gatherings, no celebrations, no hugs. Read More>> 

Patricia Kelly Palmer

Alma Frequenzs was born from a calling to help people by creating a safe space for inner peace, nervous system restoration and self discovery.

I have always felt that mental health is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of well-being. During the Covid years, this crisis reached an all-time high, making it even more evident that people needed holistic ways to heal, restore balance, and reconnect with themselves. Read More>> 

David A Marshall

Throughout my life I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit—you could definitely call me a serial entrepreneur. My first business was mowing lawns at age 13, and since then I’ve launched ventures in real estate investing, fine art, property management, a gallery, and multiple real estate sales businesses. With each experience, I’ve learned that not every business is meant to last forever, but every one of them teaches valuable lessons. Read More>>