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.

Chris Lavish | Global Digital Director

I had a 9-5 for about two years of my life and knew that life wasn’t for me. I needed full freedom and creative control of my life and body. I knew the only way to do that was to start a business and become financially independent. Read more>>

Yolanda Grier | Owner

When the pandemic forced businesses to either shut down, or have their employees work remotely, I had a thought to start a lounge wear business that provide versatile pieces that can be worn whether you are lounging at home, attending a zoom meeting for work, or running errands. Covid definitely was the catalyst when it became frustrating to change from comfy pajamas to clothes appropriate for outside wear just to check the mail, or run a quick errand. Not to mention, having to return home to change AGAIN into something more comfortable to lounge in. The idea of having “grab n go” pieces was ideal as well. Read more>>

Marlena Shepherd | Spiritual Mindset Coach

My business was born through my own healing journey. Having gone through significant traumatic events as a child, I spent about 10 collective years in talk therapy. I believe the therapy helped me to a certain extent, but what it didn’t do was help me release the trauma from my subconscious mind and physical body. Several years ago, my physical health was declining. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and was struggling with severe depression and anxiety. Read more>>

Ivan Ormuž | CEO of D3Stooges3D d.o.o.

Something in the lines of: “Hey, this thing that we enjoy doing can solve other people’s problems and there’s room for personal growth, so why don’t we try making something out of it?”. Other than doing something we enjoy doing, we (myself and the other 3 co-founders) were extremely unhappy with our jobs at the time and were searching for something more to do with our lives. Additionally, we wanted to break free from today’s 9-17h standard, have better control of our time and finances, and responsibility for our own actions and decisions. Read more>>

Andy Garcia | CEO/Founder

As CEO and Founder, I am responsible for making sure we adhere to our core values and guidelines while staying fresh and relevant within the industry. I decided to start this business with one goal in mind: to spread the knowledge and awareness of a life-saving act so that anyone and everyone could be ready when needed. “CPR isn’t only a skill, but truly a life-changing ability.” Read more>>

Corinne Joachim-Sanon-Symietz | Co-Founder and CEO

Growing up in Haiti, I was aware of the poverty and lack of financial opportunities many people around me were dealing with. As a teenager, I was already resolved not to just do charity, but to create jobs. 15 years passed and I was ready to launch this business. It was important for me for the business to: Read more>>

Kirsti Lindgren | ONE9 Group, Inc President & Accountant

My thought process behind starting my own business really stemmed from striving to obtain ultimate autonomy in all professional aspects that align with my morals and values. I knew at a very young age that I wanted to be an accountant. I spent a total of seven years obtaining higher education and I have just completed the eighth year in my career. During the educational process I favored online and remote learning as much as my curriculum would allow. Having that option provided for a better work/education life balance. Read more>>

Juliana Pires | Party planner

I wanted to do something fun that I enjoyed and blend my Brazilian side with my USA side while working with my family & friends. My grandma & mother taught a lot about our tradition and culture and I wanted to bring that into my workplace. Since I grew up going to parties & weddings with my grandmother I remembered how much fun we would have, I decided I wanted to live in that moment as much as I could. Read more>>

Daniel Notarianni | Creator/Owner of Live 2 Fish

When I first got into tournament fishing, everything I read or watched seemed like an advertisement. Even fellow anglers would walk around in jerseys plastered in brand logos, that they paid to wear. At the time I just gave up my career as a musician. The one thing I remember from countless seminars and many of my mentors was that you should create value in yourself before you go looking for a record deal. That way you have more cards in your hands when it comes time to negotiate. Read more>>

Robin Zachary | Prop Stylist and Creator of The Prop Styling Experience®

I am a Prop Stylist and Educator. I have a passion for bringing beautiful objects together for photography and teaching others how to do it. I noticed that many women have a desire to work in creative fields yet they don’t always see the direct path ahead leading them to creative work from which they can make a living. They might have just graduated or had a successful career already and they need help figuring out which niche suits their lifestyle and goals. Read more>>

Melissa Mills | Content Creator/Creative Director

Here’s the crazy part, I never really planned to start a business. It kind of just fell in my lap, so I went with it because of how effortless it came to me. I was already doing photoshoots for myself, coming up with concepts, and pretty much directing them. When I started to post my pictures on my socials, to my surprise, people were impressed and started calling me a creator and saying I was creative. I just thought I was vain and loved seeing pictures of myself lol. Read more>>

Kayla Watson | Creative Director

My thought process behind starting The Living Room Sesh came to me about 4 years ago, I was the bar manager at a local event spot called Loud Gallery and every Monday they would host an open mic. During my time there I saw how many talented individuals we are in our city and across the country and I realized that I wanted to create a platform for artist to express their true selfs and their true aesthetic to their audience. Read more>>

Kay Hues | Content Creator & Creative Marketing Specialist

In this capitalist economy, specialization seems to be the epitome of professionalism. But I tend to disagree. Humans are multifaceted, multidimensional beings, and the success of my content creation business is the living proof of this point. Our education system is designed to produce tools for solving ever more specific problems, and these tools usually have a single purpose. Read more>>

Kasey Knights | Crafting/ Making Shirts

My thought process was primarily Independence of becoming my own boss, while doing something that I love. Entrepreneurship gave me the freedom to use my creativity. Read more>>

Adrian Perez | Beekeeper and Live Honeybee Removal Specialist

After living with bees in my roof for a good while and getting stung a few times my wife and I started looking into getting our new not so cuddly pets removed. While on our search We found so many articles about honeybees being in trouble and how population numbers were struggling. We started calling around to different pest control companies to see what our removal options were. Non of them offered live removal and relocation as an option. Read more>>

Chelsie Cervantes | Dimensional Colorist

I’ve kind of always known since i was younger that whatever i did i wanted to be my own boss. So when i found a career i was passionate about i knew that was always my plans…to open up my own business. I’ve always wanted to be independent and i love it! Read more>>

ZOE BROWN | Zumba Instructor

When the pandemic hit, we wanted to keep teaching our unique style, so we launched a virtualZumba® class to bring a little joy and excitement into the world. And because our classes promoted the importance of physical movement, we knew that it would be an incredible way to get women to practice radical self-care during very uncertain times. That’s when we decided that Island Beats was more than a hobby. The engagement we had with our students over the pandemic helped us realize that we had a solution to gaps in their self-care. Our mission is to inspire women to feel joyful, energetic, and confident about moving their bodies. Read more>>

Ana Rodriguez | Illustrator

I wanted to create artwork that was personal to people not just a piece that was merely decorative. It was very organic how it went from communicating from the heart through illustration to doing live painting events where Id invite people to paint with me and be part of the process. I want people to not feel intimidated by a brush and to not just give them some colors and expect them to create art. I intent to show that the process of picture making is intuitive and very human at the rawest levels Read more>>

Dominique DiBenedetto | Salon Owner / Luxury Hair Stylist

I knew that I wanted a place where I could be social , create and have fun. Being independent in a salon suite for so long I craved that interaction with colleagues and missing the salon buzz. I had a lot of time to think about how I wanted this salon to be. I wanted to create a fun and safe and open culture. Read more>>

Vanessa Rivas | The Oily Mama

Honestly, the genuine answer to this question is that it was divine inspiration. That’s what it was, and that is what it continues to be about-a calling, a desire to inspire others; a humbling sense of fulfillment and gratitude that comes with knowing that I am doing my very best to help others. Read more>>

Hilda Rodriguez | Flan maker

I wanted to be able to share my passion and talent with others. For many years I’ve been creating delicious flans for family and friends. It was time to show the rest of the people what I’m able to do. Read more>>

HairDiva Nicole | Master Stylist & Loctician

When I started my business my thought process was to create a career for myself that only I could control the outcome. I had just been laid off from my job at the county clerk of courts. I was tired of the let downs of not being able to advance and the minimum wage most jobs were offering weren’t enough pay all my monthly expenses. Hair is something that I have always been consistent with. So when I was laid off it was like this is your chance to chase your dreams. My parents paid for my braiding license in June of 2009. Since then I have been building and branding my business. Read more>>

Ebony Dorcelus | Founder of Lady in the Mirror International Inc. and Mrs Fort Lauderdale Plus America 2022

My thought process for starting my own business was to create opportunities for those who were always overlooked, or not considered to be of popular choice. When I was in high school I remember working for a company that overworked you and underpaid you. To be honest their management style always made me say to myself “I will never treat my employees and/or team members this way”. “I will always treat them with love, respect, and consideration.” Read more>>

Tyneesah Davenport | faithpreneuHER

Hi, my name is Tyneesah. Many know me as Ty. I love this question
“What was your thought process behind starting your own business?”
Funny. I didn’t really have a well thought out process behind starting my business. I honestly had no idea that when I said “Hop out your feelings and hop in your faith” durning a phone conversation with a friend that it would later become a business named “Pressed in Faith”. Read more>>

Ammie Salom | Yoga Teacher and Wellness Advocate

It was Important to create a platform where real health issues are addressed. Specifically, those health issues that impact women. We are burning out at alarming rates with much added responsibilities and no resources. We see many advertisements about health and wellness but what does that look like for women who don’t have access to those resources. if we don’t demand change, then change won’t happen. Read more>>

Erika Perry | Psychology Coach, Realtor, Business Owner

Far too often, I see so many entrepreneurs, and individuals confused and unfocused about their goals. Though they want to break free of that feeling, it can sometimes feel like they`re doomed to stay in their comfort zones of not reaching their goals. I personally know how that feels, and I have been that exact person. At times everything in my life seemed cluttered or not right, but with direction and balance, I changed the way I look at things and the things I looked at change. Read more>>