We reached out to some of our favorite entrepreneurs and asked them to think back and tell us about how they decided to start a business. Check out their responses below.

Richard Saintelus | CEO & Founder Of Outwork (Clothing Brand)

Launching “Outwork” was born out of adversity, I started “Outwork” off in debt -$650, at that point I was at the lowest I’ve ever been in life. That moment not only gave me the dedication to do something to better my current circumstances but to also motivate and encourage others that they too are capable of anything. Beyond personal transformation, my decision to start “Outwork” was grounded in a desire to truly inspire others. I wanted to be a living testament that anyone, regardless of their starting point, has the capability to achieve their dreams. By sharing my story, I aimed to encourage others to embrace their potential and turn their dreams into reality. Read more>>

Destiny Frazier | Esthetician & Dispatcher

My thought process behind starting my own business if to educate women on their skin and how to specifically take care of melanin skin tones. Black people are uneducated when it comes to taking care of their skin. Whether it’s dryness or hyperpigmentation we have to make sure we’re using the correct products.
DestinyFrazier Read more>>

Miterson Charles | Videograher & editor

The process of starting a business involves a lot of careful consideration and planning. For me, the initial spark came during the pandemic when I found myself spending a lot of time watching. YouTube videos. I couldn’t help but think about the potential to make money fromt myself. As I delved deeper into the world of content creation, I discovered a passion for not just being behind the camera, but also editing footage to create emotionally impactful content. I became fascinated by what made certain videos resonate with viewers and how to capture those moments that made them stop and feel connected to the content. Read more>>

Paula Cancino | Founder of Creations by Marisena: Crafting Organic Zero Waste Skincare for Families

I’ve always been passionate about creating organic, environmentally friendly skincare products, especially with my kids in mind. My passion for creating organic zero waste skincare products inspired me to fill a niche in the market. Combining my love for crafting with a desire for sustainable living, I embarked on this journey to offer people a natural alternative that aligns with their values. Wanting safer, healthier options for my children inspired me to start my own business, aiming to teach them better skincare habits while sharing these benefits with others seeking natural alternatives. Read more>>

Calibe Thompson | Creative Director at Island Syndicate Holdings LLC

At the start of my working life in the United States, I found that I was working overtime because I wanted to, not because I was being paid for it. I was giving my time away too freely. I enjoyed work more than I enjoyed leisure, so it just made sense that I would focus on doing my own thing rather than giving that dedication to an employer who may or may not have valued that quality, and who I eventually wasn’t happy working with. I’m also from an entrepreneurial family, and have always done some amount of revenue generating activity. Read more>>

Federico Vallin | Director at Vallin Health, clinincal hypnotherapist and spiritual mentor.

Vallin Health was created to support people transcend physical challenges through the use of mind based therapies such as self-hypnosis and medical visualization. Why? Because in my opinion, no other approach to healing is more empowering. Read more>>

Tracy DeFusco | restaurant owner/chef

Deanna and I had been working together for years at Rosalina & Kleos restaurants. On one of my trips back form Los Angeles where I had lived for many years I told her I wanted to open a restaurant that had a similar vibe to the ones I loved in LA and that I wanted her to run the bar since she is such a hard worker and amazing with people. She said lets do it together and the next day an Instagram page was made and a few months later we had our fist catering event at Lula Lux Salon and our first pop up at The Eddy bar. Read more>>

Kaitlyn Mahneke | Photographer

I received my first digital camera for Christmas when I was 10 years old and I’ve loved taking pictures ever since. When I started to transition my passion to a business in 2019, it was a leap faith. Photography is a very saturated market and I wasn’t sure where I would fit in, but in the beginning my focus was on fashion/editorial style photography and I was one of few photographers doing that kind of work in my area so it made sense to jump. Read more>>

Jennifer Marrero | A bartender of 19 years behind the stick who just wants to make you happy!

I did not start a business( although recently, that is something I think about doing). I currently am the President of the Miami chapter, a chapter within a National Nonprofit Organization called United States Bartenders Guild. I believe that the USBG sets you up so you can experience the real life when it comes to running a business, whether for profit or not. We get to run the chapter as you would run a business with specific guidelines/rules in place. The chapter is set up to mimic a business setting. On top of the basic business elements, you have a board that you have to run ideas through regarding money. You are held accountable in real life situations, which I think builds that inner core you need to be well rounded. Read more>>

Fabiola Angulo | Entrepreneur, 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 broker and filantropy

Since I was a child I thought about being the owner of my life and my business, I started working at the age of 9 in my father’s clothing factory and that taught me what business management and administration was. Read more>>

Amanda Morrison | Owner, Chef, & Sommelier

I was very lucky in my pathway to ownership. I was in a sales/management position at a new restaurant and we exploded with requests for in-house events and offsite catering. We couldn’t manage the volume within the space of the restaurant, but the owners saw an opportunity to open a new enterprise and offered me ownership in the venture. I have always been a hard worker, but knowing that my efforts were now going to something of my own was absolutely game-changing. Read more>>

Jorge Corona | Piacere Wood Fired Pizza Owner

Together with my wife Maria Gabriela, we had the incredible opportunity to found Piacere Wood Fired Pizza. It all began in November 2019 when we inaugurated our business—a dream come true for our family. The idea behind starting our own business, was inspired by our aspiration to leave a legacy for our family. Immigrating from Venezuela and starting our lives from scratch in the United States was a challenging experience. However, it taught us the importance of hard work, persistence, and determination in achieving our dreams and providing a better future for our family. Read more>>

Rebecca Halsema | Artisan Soap Maker

My whole business blossomed from the MLM essential oil trend many years ago. It never felt right to be a part of a multi-level marketing/pyramid scheme no matter how many times my sponsor asked me to host parties and sell kits. So, I started using my artistic mind to make roller bottles for essential oil blends I mixed. I put in a ton of research on how certain oils work together along with their valuable properties and I wanted to help others utilize them as well. I finally had a way to share the value of essential oils as well as education about cutting harsh chemicals out of people’s daily lives without asking them to spend a ton of money on overpriced kits. Read more>>

Whitney Parkhill | Real Estate Investor

After working in corporate America for over 15 years, I knew there was another way in the world. I was not opposed to working hard at all, but what left me feeling empty was the office politics, having a limit on my income, and navigating the antiquated 8am-6pm work week. I have always wanted to be my own boss from the time I was a little girl. After juggling the challenges that Covid brought, I decided it was my time to step out and build something on my own. Not only am I the creator of my own calendar, but I have freedom, my days are my own, and the sky is the limit on how much money I can make. Read more>>

Hassan hsleiman | Businessman

An interesting facet of my entrepreneurial journey is that I built my company right from the heart of tropical Miami, with the initial spark of inspiration coming to me from the serene ambiance of my personal involvement in building the business website right from my pool area back in 2018. Hello, I'm Hassan Sleiman, the CEO and Chief Design Innovation Officer of inStyle Coated Fabric Solutions, LLC. We specialize in supplying luxury, eco-friendly, and sustainable faux leather and fabric solutions for various industries, including cruise lines, river cruises, yachts, OEM/Aftermarket automotive, hospitality, aircraft seating, healthcare, and contract furniture for both interior and exterior seating applications, encompassing RVs, residential, and commercial spaces. Read more>>

Jonathan McDermott | Jonathan McDermott – Aibnb Owner – www.jonathanshouse.com

I have always loved the business model of the Airbnb or Short-Term Rental (STR) industry. Not only for an investment opportunity but for my personal travel experiences as well. If you think about it, in a very practical sense why would a family or friends of 8 want to spend twice the cost on tiny hotel rooms when you can have your own space, own pool and privacy for half the cost? Not to mention the significant savings you would have by staying home, dining in and enjoying the outdoor grill poolside during your stay. To me, it’s simply a no brainer in respect to cost, family time, privacy, personal spaces and making memories. Read more>>

Jenny Lorenz | Owner & Founder

It’s hard to put into words, but it feels like a culmination of my life that was leading up to this point. That might sound kind of dramatic, but when I look back at all the different jobs I’ve had and the path my life has taken, it feels like everything was driving me to this point. When I moved to Key West, I had to start my career over. My previous experience was at a major Midwest department store where I worked in various buying offices, advertising, and e-commerce. Key West had no similar job industry or corporations. Not only was I leaving salary and benefits, but the corporate world I had worked in since college. I left it all behind and dove into Key West’s primary industry: hospitality. My first job was as a front desk agent making $11/hour. Read more>>

Carolina Sarassa | News anchor for Univision, podcaster, author

As a journalist at Univision, my role has been a constant source of inspiration for my entrepreneurial journey. Reporting on diverse stories has allowed me to understand the heartbeat of communities, to empathize with individuals from all walks of life. It was during this time that I began to notice a common thread—a shared experience among mothers that transcends cultural and geographical boundaries. Being a mother of two myself, I found that social media provided an incredible avenue for connecting with other moms. Recognizing the transformative power of these online communities, I decided to channel my passion for storytelling and community-building into something more. Read more>>

Mallory Walker | Owner of The Revamped Collection

I started my small business for a few reasons almost four years ago. At the time, I was looking for a creative outlet that would also allow me to increase my income, but it’s grown into my favorite hobby. Read more>>

Rashea Shamone | Creative Content Strategist/Travel Writer and Founder of Club Spanglish

I wanted to create a playground for aspiring, novice, and avid travelers alike to come together and find community through learning a second language whether Spanish or English, and connecting with a plethora of travel and self-development content while exploring the world and themselves. Club Spanglish as the name suggests is a blend of cultures, languages, and people, a melting pot of sorts that offers language and self-development online courses, digital products, coaching services, a monthly blog, and a community of travelers. Read more>>

Dr. Amanda Sterk | College Advisor, Author and Presenter

Starting a business often springs from a desire to fill a gap or meet a need that you’ve identified. For me, it all began with a deep passion for education and the belief that knowledge truly empowers individuals to make informed decisions about their college and career path. I realized that not every high school student has equal access to the tools and resources necessary for success during this crucial high school to college transition. While I did not start with owning a business in mind, I sought to fill a gap of information my own college-going students had, and quickly realized the student curriculum I was producing would be valuable for all students. Read more>>