The first step to starting a business is deciding to start a business. They say the first step is the hardest and in our experience this is especially true when it comes to starting a business. Getting over the mental roadblocks can be tough, often harder to overcome than the challenges you’ll face once you actually start the business. Fellow entrepreneurs share their thoughts below.

Ashley-marie Weston (ashley.maybe) | Chef and Curator

My Step-Father, Dr. Vaughn Clemens, has always described me as a woman that can do anything. I just have to WANT to do it. If I don’t have the desire, it won’t get done. With that in mind, he told me to find the lifestyle I want and build a business around that. Read more>>

Kourtney I Nikki Rincon I Carney | Kourtney Rincon, MS- Founder Nikki Carney-Founder

The thought process behind starting our business stemmed from a deep recognition of the gaps in the industry. Nikki saw firsthand, growing up with a mother who worked with special needs children, how crucial support and care were. Her later work with adults with disabilities further solidified her desire to start a business that could offer families the help they were looking for.
Kourtney has always had a knack for seeing how things could be better. What I [Kourtney] used to think was just me complaining, I later realized was my way of identifying gaps and holes that needed filling. Read more>>

Deena Rahill | Sound Healer Practitioner, Conscious Coach, New World Practitioner

Starting my own business stemmed from a deep desire to create a space where people could truly experience transformation and healing. My thought process was driven by recognizing a gap in holistic wellness practices that combined both ancient and modern techniques, like sound healing and innovative therapies. I wanted to offer more than just a service; I aimed to create a nurturing environment where clients felt empowered to take ownership of their well-being and journey toward self-discovery. Read more>>

Shyana Barrozo | Entrepreneur, Cotton Candy Artist

I knew from a pretty young age that my goal was to own a business one day. When I started Sugar High Cotton Candy, I just turned 25 years old and was working at a restaurant in an RV park. I was desperate to change my life somehow and do something different. What intrigued me most about entrepreneurship is the unlimited potential to make money and allowing yourself the freedom that comes with it.  Read more>>

Felecia Allen | Brown’s Senior Care Owner

Growing up, I was blessed to spend countless moments with my great-grandmother, helping her with daily activities and watching her face light up with each small gesture, whether it was combing her hair or simply helping her feel clean and cared for. I remember the warmth in her eyes, the smile that said “thank you” even when words didn’t. Those moments showed me early on the power of compassion and connection, but life took a sharp turn when she got sick. I had to move to Florida with my mom, leaving her behind and shortly after, she passed away. Losing her was a struggle that stayed with me, but it also planted a seed in my heart for what would later become my life’s mission. Read more>>

Catherine Ordonez | Speech Language Pathologist

Flexibility and the chance to provide the best patient-centered care. The delivery of speech and language therapy services in the home has increased significantly due to an increase of senior patients with speech, language, voice and swallowing disorders. Delivering SLP services in patient’s home including ALF, nursing homes and memory care facilities is a great way to provide personalized therapy services. All the settings mentioned above provide an ideal setting to address the functional needs of patients in their own environment. Read more>>

Brenda Spalding | award winning Author, public speaker, publisher, consultant

I wanted to help new author avoid making the same mistakes I made when I first started my writing career. I learned the hard way and it cost me a lot of money I couldn’t afford.
I seem to get a lot of authors that have made mistakes and I have to unscramble them and set them on the right path.
I have a list of illustrator, editors, and formators I can refer them to to make their books the best they can be.
I always ask my clients what is your goal with your book, a few copies for family and friends, or the shelves of Barnes and Noble. The answer will tell me how dedicated they are. Read more>>

Artur Meyster | Laundromat Owner & Technology Entrepreneur

My thought process behind starting Normandy Laundry was rooted in both personal experience and a strong desire to bring an essential service my family was using into the modern age. After my family immigrated from Ukraine to New York, chores were a family effort, and laundry was always my responsibility. Over the years, I grew to appreciate the process and even enjoy it. My wife, Giselle, who’s from Puerto Rico, shares a similar story. Since childhood, laundry was something we each did to help our families, so it became something we both understood and valued deeply. Read more>>

Timothy March | Pod castor, Food Blogger, Youtuber and Community Activist
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Well for me, I can say its a decision you have to live by or die by. I have actually worked in many different fields. From sales, auto adjuster, I also currently have my 2-15 healthcare insurance license. What separated me from others is I started opening small businesses in my early 20s. For example, I created a cleaning service called “T & S Cleaning Service”. My business partner at the time, locked in a contract with the City Oakland Park. So we did residential and commercial. It began becoming too much for my business partner, so I decided to go in the food industry. Read more>>

Kely De Jesus | Chef/ owner

I learned some of the harshest lessons of the industry early on. My first job ever after culinary school was at a catering company where I quickly rose to Sous chef. During my first summer I learned what the “off season” meant. Two months of drought. No income and no job without notice. From there I moved on to another catering company where I became the executive chef. I helped that small business increase revenue and revived its image. Only to be met with another summer of disappointment. Read more>>

Joshua Christie | Owner & Music Supervisor

I worked for an advertising agency for a few years and became the “Music Guy” while I was there. When I left I was trying to figure out my next move and a former colleague of mine hit me up and asked me to help him get an Anita Baker track cleared for a Nike Ad. Anita Baker is notoriously difficult to get approval for, but it took me 2-3 days with lots of talks with her management team, the labels execs, and attorneys I finally got the approval. Nike did not want to use the track since it was a bit pricey for them but then I got a friend who is a producer on the project. From that point in 2023 I got the entrepreneur bug. Read more>>

Briana Ali | Founder & Jewelry Designer

Starting Bittersweet was really about following a feeling—a pull to create something meaningful. Back in 2013, I was just playing around with beads and charms in my dorm room, and I fell in love with how jewelry could hold memories, emotions, even little pieces of magic. I wanted to build something that felt deeply personal, something that could capture that beautiful, bittersweet balance we all experience in life. My goal is to create pieces that people could connect with on a personal level—jewelry that serves as a gentle reminder of both the light and the shadows we carry. Read more>>

Jason Perlow | Tech Industry Marketing Communications and Content Professional

I lost my job in November 2023, coinciding with a significant wave of layoffs in the tech industry due to the economic climate. While losing a job can be challenging, I quickly recognized the strength of my professional network, which supported me in understanding that my 25+ years of experience in technology was indeed valuable. Rather than seeking a permanent position, the feedback I received pointed me toward opportunities as a consultant or contractor. Though I hadn’t initially planned to start a business at this stage in my career, the influx of contract offers made it clear that it was a path I couldn’t pass up. Read more>>

Angelina Granitz

When I graduated college in 2018 at Nova Southeastern University with a Bachelor of Arts and minor in business/entrepreneurship, My initial goal was to continue teaching dance to make enough money to move to L.A or New York to further my dance career. As I got more into teaching, I was being hired right and left for several styles and at many hours. I found myself engaging with at-least 50-100 students a week at several studios. I was doing this all while being on tour assisting known choreographers/teachers at a dance convention at the same time… I realized I was stretching myself too thin but knew I wanted to continue to teach dance for I liked sharing and being a positive influence on students. Read more>>

Doublete

Building our own business gives us the freedom to shape our path and move in any direction we choose. It’s not without challenges—often, we’re our own greatest critics, limiting ourselves by not seeing the endless possibilities or our true potential. But when we overcome that fear and uncertainty, we’re ignited by the freedom to define who we want to be and what we want to create at any given moment. Our project can either focus deeply on one passion, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves, or it can explore countless opportunities, expanding our creativity and the services we offer. Read more>>

Century Williams

Becoming a mom brought a profound shift in my identity, reshaping how I viewed ambition and success. I had already achieved my dream role with the NFL – (Washington Commanders) standing proudly on a foundation built from years of dedication, hard work, and my extensive Rolodex. Read more>>

Ingrid Desormes

Service. To speak plainly, I am a serviced based person. Going from healthcare to corporate to business development- the thread has been the same. I think ultimately, serving others is my calling so no matter the angle- all feels the same. Read more>>

Celina Alvarez

I wanted to create a safe and judgement free space for creatives in my area! I lived in kendal at the time and I felt like so much was happening in the more popular spots of Miami like Wynwood, and the beach. I envisioned a place where people could cultivate genuine connections, and could feel seen. I saw my pop-up at places outdoors, like at parks, and community centers. I wanted to host things like art markets, exhibitions, and spaces where people could make things. Read more>>

Tomas Barel

my thought process was to do what i love, so i started my carrer by doing content, (youtube videos and streams) and then i got a little bit bored of doing streams everyday and at the same time i started loving going to the music studio and record songs. so i keep going with that. i practiced a lot by myself from the shadows. i wanted to be a good artist before i start working with other producers. I always say, do what you love and if you still dont know what you love, try lots of things and one day you will find it. thats your purpose. If you are working in something you dont like that much, try to spent your free time on what you love, not on a random distraction. Read more>>

Lasana Smith

In March 2020, I was comfortably in my role as the Digital Sales Manager overseeing the South Florida Region for Excelerate Digital at the Miami Herald. Becoming an agency owner was not on my radar. The pandemic was also not on my radar. But in mid-March, the Covid-19 pandemic shutdowns impacted me and the rest of the planet by surprise. In the following months, I was laid off from my job. Read more>>

Jessica Farr

Hi there. I started my career as an actress. I branched out into playwriting after that. I found directing in NYC shortly after that. I was a child actor and a trained opera singer. I went to school at New World School of the Arts and continued my training at Fordham University and Moscow Art Theatre. My career began in the theater, working with local companies that were developing new work and attempting to reach a younger, more diverse audience. I worked as a teaching artist as well and in Development, helping companies to meet their full potential and thrive.  Read more>>

Andrea Morales

We started Self Love Club as a way to create community around the things we love. To promote wellness, and create experiences to help people feel good in their bodies. Mallory and I met in college, we were roommates when we studied abroad in China for 2 semesters, which lead us to travel the world together. After graduating from FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, we went our separate ways but always stayed in touch while finding our own paths into the world of wellness. Read more>>