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.

Ryan Bauhaus | Experienced Creative/Art Director | Senior Designer

My name is Ryan Bauhaus, and my journey through advertising, marketing, and entrepreneurship has been diverse and deeply instructive. With over two decades of experience in advertising and marketing, my career path took an unexpected yet rewarding turn that led me to entrepreneurship. Read more>>

Silas Luster | Owner of The Bohemian Village Juice Bar & Plant Based Cafe

I wanted to create a business that helps people in their everyday lives. The Bohemian Village is juice bar & plant-based cafe serving healthy food and beverages to the community of East Chattanooga. Read more>>

Gema Gomez | Founder and Executive Director at Slow Fashion Next

I was a Fashion Designer. I worked first in Paris at Trend Institutes for 6 years and then I worked in large companies for 18 years. What I saw in these fashion chains when I traveled to Asia had nothing to do with my values. Read more>>

Bruce and Susan Swabb | Pastured Chicken Farmer

During the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, my wife and I became aware of how vulnerable our food supply chain was. Too centralized and controlled by too few big businesses! We also became more aware of just how poor and adulterated our food was. Read more>>

Kaeron Smith | Founder

Throughout my life, I’ve always been big on hygiene. Finding products that are affordable, high quality, vegan, and aesthetically pleasing has been a struggle for me. Most products I’ve come across were either not long-lasting, had weird smells, or just didn’t feel like they catered to my vibe. Read more>>

Ramon Valles | Foodie

Practically i hated my job and i loved food. I remember watching Anthony Bourdain and thought to myself i would love to that. Read more>>

Stef Salcedo | Jewelry Designer

I wanted to share an idea I had about making modern jewelry in various styles. I had a mission to spread about love, Jesus, and following your dreams. I started out in the beginning making a lot of modern protective jewelry, then a life change came about and completely shifted from when I started and I’m so happy I followed through. Read more>>

Dr. Giancarlo Simpson | Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Professor, and Photographer

I decided to start my private practice because I wanted to step into a space of professional independence and flexibility for myself and potential clients. I was in a position of comfort and made excuses or “took my time” to pursue my own business. Read more>>

Marilyn Santiago | Sunshine at your Service!

A mix of need and self confidence! Need, because in order for me to fulfill my ambitions, I needed to make more money. Latinas by US Census data, make less than 60 cents of what a white man makes and quite often, working way more than them. Read more>>

Cinthia Boni Cordioli | Founder and Creative Director

I had been working in the fashion industry my whole career and had been through a lot of different areas. Most recently I had consulted for brands in everything between designing, PR and sales. I thought it only natural to use all of my expertise towards something that was mine. Read more>>

Shadey Liadi | Women’s fitness coach

I started my business because I have always been into fitness. And I also wanted to help other women become better versions of themselves. By showing them how to live a healthier lifestyle. Read more>>

Laura Pucker | Social Media Manager/Content Creator/Publicist

These are my steps:): Identify my passion and skills: Consider what I enjoy doing and what I’m good at. Business should align with my interests and abilities. Spot a market opportunity: Look for a gap in the market or an unmet need that my product or service can address. Read more>>

Shani Avidar | Infant and Toddler Sleep Coach

Initially, I was passionate about my career in the financial industry. However, when my first child arrived in 2019, everything changed. Balancing work and family became more challenging, especially with the added stress of sleep deprivation. Read more>>

Matt Robb | Tech & Lifestyle Content Creator

From a young age I was brought up watching YouTubers and self made content creators. I was always fascinated with the idea of creating videos and money was never a thought in my mind when starting up. I wanted to be like the creators I enjoyed growing up and influence other people to give guidance on home office setups and the best tech products and software people should buy. Read more>>

Chibria West | Professional Makeup Artist

My thoughts behind starting my business is that one I love doing makeup. It genuinely brings me so much joy to be in a field where I am able to be apart of the behind the scenes of so many beautiful and special moments in the lives of my clients. Read more>>

Caleen Diedrick | Upcycle Artist

So I’m a nature junkie and for years I spent an inordinate amount of time at the beach/rivers collecting seashells, driftwood and anything interesting that caught my eyes. I moved to a beach front apartment 3 years ago and kept wondering what i could do with all the beautiful seashells and driftwood available at my fingers tips. Read more>>

Diana Mesa | Registered Dietitian & Certified Diabetes Care and Educator, Founder of En La Mesa Nutrition

I knew I always wanted to work for myself — to have the flexibility to do things how I see fit and now how upper management wants things done, which don’t always align with my values. I wasn’t sure what my business would look like in 2018 when I opened it, but I knew that if I worked toward it daily, I could someday realize the dream of having something of my own. Read more>>

Caleb Jerome Morales | Musician, Creative Entrepreneur

If we are the products of the environment in which we are raised, and I could distill my environment down to three key elements – my parents, education, and community – starting my own business was an inevitability that I pondered for my whole life. Read more>>

Sarah Caicedo Erica Quince | Stylist

Consistency, resilience and continuous learning have been the most impactful qualities in our journey. To have effective communication and adaptability, contribute significantly to personal and professional growth. For those early in their journey, focus on consistency by establishing healthy routines, cultivate resilience with a positive mindset, and embrace continuous learning by having new experiences and acquiring new knowledge. Read more>>

Breen Sullivan | Founder & CEO | Tech GC

As an executive, I realized there was no clear path to board service for women and as a General Counsel to tech startups, I realized startups and growth stage companies often have unfilled board seats and empty advisory boards precisely because they struggle to find the right people to help them grow and scale their companies. Read more>>

Tathiana Rosado | Founder of Ciao Studio, Storyteller, and Relationship Alchemist

With nearly 20 years in the PR world and experience across various industries, including fashion, luxury goods, real estate, hospitality, and design, I began to find my voice, follow my intuition, and get clear on my vision. I knew it was time to start a new chapter, when I started Ciao Studio. Read more>>