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.

Rachel Garcia | Owner & Founder

I grew up in an entrepreneurial family where my mother ran my father’s ophthalmology practice so I saw the pros and cons of owning your own business first hand from a young age. I was always dreaming up businesses, coming up with ideas, and trying to see what felt right, but ultimately decided our current business was the one to really test and get off the ground because it hit upon three major areas of my life at the same time. Read more>>

Marcelo Galvão | Filmmaker

I wanted to start my own business because I have always enjoyed telling my stories, and to do that, I would need to be involved in every step of the process, from crafting the screenplay, to producing my films, directing them, and often editing them as well. Only by having my own production company would I be able to have complete control over all these stages. Read more>>

Max Kiejdan | Founder & CEO

I wanted to start a new business that would make a real difference in people’s lives. It all clicked when I realized that homeowners undertaking renovations or construction projects were left hanging without anyone truly looking out for their best interests. Sure, you could turn to your friends or family for advice on whether that contractor’s quote seemed fair, but if you weren’t in the industry yourself, you’d just never know for sure.  Read more>>

Elyssa Jimenez | Photographer

I have always loved photography and had been shooting for friends and family for some time. I’ve also had some opportunities to shoot live concerts and sports, but it was all unpaid or for online publications. So it got to a point where I figured I could try to take it a step further and maybe try to earn some income from my passion. It was definitely scary to consider putting myself out there and creating a business, even if it was going to be more of a side hustle, but I knew I wanted to challenge myself to do more and be more involved in the industry. Read more>>

Astrid Pachano Arévalo | Trainer / Holistic Therapist / Family Constellation / Quantum Coach / Reiki Master / Pendulum Therapist

I worked for more than 17 years dependent on the public administration of my country, whose income is so minimal that it does not even allow me to survive, not being compensated with my level of dedication in the execution of my work. Feeling my talents wasted and having professional training, my proposals for personal evolution, spiritual growth, order, and development at all levels were not accepted by the key people where I worked. Read more>>

Shani Avidar | Baby & Toddler Sleep Coach

I was always passionate about my career in the financial industry and envisioned my husband and I as a power couple who can have it all, successful careers and family life. When I had my first child in 2019, I realized that not only is work-life balance challenging, but it’s even harder to parent when you are sleep deprived. I literally did not know anything about infant sleep and as most parents, my husband and I were exhausted. By the time our second child arrived in 2021, I had done my research and was able to learn tools to support my children’s sleep. When our third child arrived in 2022, I considered myself a sleep pro! Read more>>

Danellia Aitcheson | Conservation Manager

I was born in rural Jamaica, where natural remedies and use of medicinal plants were prevalent. I would always resort to natural remedies first, as I grew up with my grandparents who utilised natural remedies for any ailment. Prior to the pandemic, I would use sea moss daily to combat symptoms of an autoimmune I was diagnosed with. It really solved all the joint aches and I reaped many secondary benefits friends and family could see. Read more>>

Enter the Stargate | A Magickal frequency experience

We’ve been all around the world attending & performing at concerts & artistic events of all kinds and noticed that people arrive to shows in the midst of a sea of distraction. The crowds are noisy and intoxicated, the seating can be uncomfortable, the people in front of you stand up and block the view, speakers fade in your section, and there are distractions aplenty that separate you from the magick of the sound and experience as a whole. Many people enjoy moments of concerts in between the distractions, believing that this is the best experience available to them. Read more>>

Carmen Rolon | Owner/Founder of Rock Your Body Fitness Studio | Group Fitness Instructor

Starting Rock Your Body Fitness was an exciting journey that stemmed from a combination of factors and personal convictions. First and foremost, my passion for health and fitness has always been a driving force in my life. I’ve witnessed the transformative power of exercise and healthy living, not just physically but also mentally and emotionally. This deep-rooted belief in the importance of well-being compelled me to create a business that would make a positive impact on people’s lives. Read more>>

Carissa Rhule | Blogger, Travel Advisor, and Digital Entrepreneur

Such a good question! I’ve worked in corporate america for over 10 years, and the more time I have spent with my coworkers who are baby boomers or older, I have realized a share common thread: wanting more time or not going after their dreams. I know have all heard the saying: “Go to school, get good grades, and get a job.” – then the average works for 40+ years, and then get to enjoy how many retirement age? Sounds kind of grim! Majority of us have been programmed to live by this standard – but life is so much more. Read more>>

Naomi Pittman | Electrician & Entrepreneur

The process of starting a business usually requires many steps. However, in my case the process of starting a business actually came naturally through the process of experimenting with offering various services to family and friends years ago (early 2010s) before my first llc. One of the first services I offered was resume writing. This business showed me how to convert a skill into currency. Another service I offered years ago was selling hype-beast sneakers on eBay. Read more>>

Micaela Valdez | Esthetician & Sugaring Specialist

I wanted to make a difference in waxing services , considering many clients have had bad experiences when it comes to the removal of the hairs. I wanted them to experience a treatment that’s different in which they could be understood and where the prices for waxing would be much more tolerable. Read more>>

Chardeline Vigne | Real Estate Investor| Wholesaling Queen

Honestly it was a fun and exciting, I didn’t think too much of it at all. I didn’t ask no one for their opinion to start investing in Real Estate, I just trusted my gut & DID IT. Making money has always been fun to me, Real Estate was something new to me and the truth really is I needed something new at that very moment. I wanted to be challenged & I wanted to prove to myself that I if I can sell $1Million dollars of True Religion Jeans, I could sell more than $1Million plus of Real Estate too, but this time for myself. Read more>>

Marcus Machado | musician

My process was building up a foundation first of what i wanted the business to be and what came out of that was QSTV which is music collective of independent artists, producers, DJ’s & creatives which was put together along with my sister Vicky Casis (Producer/DJ) It all started during the pandemic, not being able to tour at the time & everything being at a stand still we didn’t know what was coming next. Read more>>

Donte Harris | Commercial Insurance Advisor

Starting to building my own book of business has always been, “Betting on myself!” And when it comes to betting on myself, I don’t think there is a better bet I could ever make. I know who I am and what I am capable of more than anyone on this planet. And, when I put my mind to anything, it gets done at a high level with great attention to detail. I’m in business for myself, with the end in mind, I’m doing this for my family. Read more>>

Veronica Barney | Veronica Design Studio. Creating Spaces that Love you Back.

I have always had a passion for beautiful things, including architecture, the mixture of lines and curves, textures, contrast, and cohesiveness. This was my creative side. At the same time, I was great at administration, setting up processes, paying attention to details, budgeting, time management, and other related tasks. I initially pursued a business degree and worked in related fields, but I felt trapped because I couldn’t express my love for design or connect with people in a meaningful way. Read more>>

Jeanne Luis | Behavior Analyst and ABA Business Owner

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a prescribed 1:1 behavioral therapy for individuals diagnosed with autism to target developmental areas of deficits such as communication, social, and daily living skills.. We provide these services to children under the age of 17. We work very closely with their families and other healthcare professionals that they are seeing to produce meaningful changes. Being that our services are in demand and medically necessary, burnout is a real problem for staff. Read more>>

Kendra Bergman | Founder and Executive Director

Saving sea turtles is a global effort, successfully achieved by a network of partners from universities, government agencies, nonprofits, and consulting firms. Every partner plays a role in research, rehabilitation, education, conservation, policy, and human behavior change. When deciding to start Coastal Connections, I identified a need, and that need was to include all people in the conservation success story of sea turtles; helping them identify their personal role for sea turtle recovery. Read more>>

Michelle Vallejo | Private Chef/Upscale Caterer

I had been laid off due to the pandemic and three months later things were not getting any better for hospitality and i found out I was pregnant with baby number two and due in December. So my husband one day said why don’t you start your own thing? And it really sounded like a good idea, all of the sudden I was making facebook posts in every city group and surrounding area posting pictures of my work and experience advertising a private chef Exclusive high end Restaurant experience at people’s homes, and bussiness took off! After that I started thinking what other services I could offer to my clientele that would be beneficial and keep me busy not inly in the weekends. Read more>>

Chrissy Banks | Exotic & Luxury Rental Business Owner

The thought process behind starting my business was mainly me trying to find something to stand out in as a female. I had to find something that I really loved and it was not cosmetics, instead it was cars. A lot of women do not have an interest in cars but I do and that helped develop BanksLuxx Rentals. Read more>>

Reese Wood | Basketball Skills trainer for all levels

My thought process of starting my business was being able to use basketball as a way to positively affect the community, players of all ages , skill levels, and ethnic backgrounds . Also, I wanted to use my passion of being an athlete/basketball background my entire life to help those increase their basketball skills. Read more>>

Kirsi Gentile | Celebration Sign Rental Owner

I wanted to start a business that we could do together as a family. Our 2 youngest children are ages Avarose 9 & Danilo 7, or oldest Jaylin 22 and I wanted to do something fun and creative that they can be a part of. Back in 2021, I was at my sister’s house celebrating my niece Courtney’s birthday. My sister had rented a Happy Birthday yard sign for my niece. It was my first time seeing these fun and colorful signs, and i thought how fun and creative. Read more>>

Derrick Hadley | President & Producer

I started my company on Memorial Day Weekend 1999 when I had my first Motown Tribute show. The movie “The Temptations came out in November of 1998. The movie inspired me to form a Motown Tribute Production. The storyline of BG and how he made them a universal group to the liking of people from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds enjoyed Motown music and this was my desire to do the same and make people feel good. This music appeals to the young and mature and this continues to be a well-received genre of music today. Read more>>