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.

RacQuelle Major-Holland

Honestly, I started my own business initially as a side hustle to help pay for my cruise “addiction”. I took my very first cruise in 2019 and have since gone on 36 cruises! I was a full time school administrator and cruised during every school break or long weekend. Once I learned that I loved cruising, I thought becoming a travel agent and having my own travel agency would be a great idea to help grow my “cruise fund”. Read more >>

Chicho Bezerra de Lima

Like a lot of things, it started with a depression. I had been an assistant director for 15 years filming commercials and movies…in Peru. I was at the top of my game and never in my life would i have thought i would end up opening my own business in South Florida. I worked in a very stressful environment for years, filming was my life, i ate, slept and filmed, my work life balance was non existant…then the Pandemic happened, that changed everything. Read more >>

Alonso Garcia

I had many thought, one of them for sure was fear because I did not know how this was going to be and also at the same time excitement for all the things I could accomplish thought this path. Read more >>

Westley Canty SR.

The reason behind my decision to start a mechanic business is deeply rooted in my passion for automobiles and my desire to provide exceptional service to vehicle owners. Here’s why: Read more >>

Chelsea Alana

I was receiving so many questions from people who wanted to start becoming an influencer for either free products or getting paid collaborations. I literally got tired of repeating myself to people over and over so I wrote everything down in a book I published back in 2018, Passions to Profit. Over time, the questions and situations had so many various answers that I created my own social media management agency, Read more >>

 Doris Jucht

Since I was born, I was overweight and had a bad relationship with food. As a teenager, I went through several eating disorders until eight years ago. I had two daughters who have also suffered from food and weight issues for many years. Read more >>

Alexis Renda

I was new to Miami and saw a void in the aesthetic skincare space. I wanted to marry the concept of injectables and bespoke skincare treatments in an ultra-luxe environment. No more stale doctors offices or facial studios with long menu items and add-on costs. Read more >>

Orla Ananda

I think my first thought was that I don’t want to work 9-5 anymore, or in general, work for someone else. My business sort of started on it’s own. Painting murals, canvases and creating collages started as hobby ay first. I had no idea that this will become my full time job. I started growing rapidly during the summer of 2022 and made a choice to start my own business, taking a leap of faith that creative work will be able to support my lifestyle. And it did! Read more >>

Krislyn Rojas

In a word: Motherhood. This life changing chapter served as the main motivator for starting my own business, particularly when it induced the assumption from previous employers that motherhood would or “should” steer me away from the stage. Quite the contrary. Never underestimate a Blonde with Ambition 😉 Read more >>

Christina Almeida

I launched the Rae Rituals community to be the the sisterhood I never had. It’s a space to show women all over the world how powerful we are and just how quickly we can heal when we support each other. Not only did I want to share my practices and Breathwork, but I felt the true healing lies in all women sharing their rituals and healing practices. Read more >>

Warren Woodberry Jr.

When I launched Millennium Magazine in 2010, I wanted to demonstrate my diverse range of media experience as well as embrace new media technology. I also wanted to offer consumers a wide range of options, that made it difficult to say no to doing business with me. In addition, as in everything I do, I strive to stand out among the crowd with impressive presentations. Read more >>

Brooke Joiner

My Co-Founder and husband, Matteo Onori and I had launched and grown a company previously. Together with the owner, we brought that company to over $1 million in year four of operations before starting Back2Business. We enjoy working together and our differing skillsets make operating a business natural for us. Read more >>

Maesie Paredes

We started our small business back in March 2020. The pandemic had just started and with our day jobs temporarily on hold, we saw an opportunity to pursue our long-held dream of creating something truly our own. Due to all the time we had off, we were able to fully commit ourselves to bringing our vision to life. Driven by our passion of bringing the beauty of art, nature, and colour into our daily lives, we aspired to help others achieve that as well. We purchased our first wallpaper printer and vowed to keep growing from there! Read more >>

Albert Fernandez

The answer is in the question itself…’Starting’ that’s the key. Whether or not you can begin doing something is almost as, if not as important as what you are doing. From my experience I’ve met a lot of people who want to start a business but the ideas never seem to materialize into anything beyond that. I’m a big believer in learning from observing other people rather than learning things the hard way, so I wondered why that was.  Read more >>

Virginia Martin Aliaga

I came from working in European firms with a different education than the American one and when I came into contact with the American market, the fusion of the two worlds has been very satisfying for my clients. After 18 years working as a makeup artist, of which the last 9 worked in New York, dedicated to celebrity makeup, editorial and events. I have wanted to grow professionally and go one step further by creating my own company VM Art Beauty arriving … Read more >>

Luca Parlato

With every successful business, the most imporant thing is to begin with a vision in mind. This vision HAS to be as clear as possible. In your head, you need to be able to see the vision. What does it look like? What does it feel like? Smell like? Taste like? Sound like? The environment that your business is in, the people that are involved, etc. Read more >>

Lana Davis

The decision to start my own business was a union of two passions that I had for quite some time. On one side, my love for cooking and the boundless creative opportunities it offers played a significant role. I found immense joy in crafting new dishes and experimenting with delightful twists, but often, these culinary creations would be forgotten if not documented. The realization that I wanted to preserve these recipes and capture their essence became an initial driving force behind my entrepreneurial journey. Read more >>

Martin Lingnau

When we dreamt up the idea for The Mermaid Experience, we saw an opportunity to provide exclusive trips for the photographers to come to the Turks and Caicos. We concierge their journey so that they can concentrate on creating the art of their dreams. We take care of all the logistics from arranging their lodging, hiring the models, and location scouting. We wanted to not only provide all these services to our clients, but to also bring together creative people. Put them in relaxing and inspiring environments so that their creative juices flow. Read more >>

Riley Smith

My passion for videography was ignited at the age of 10 when I received a GoPro from a friend. The thrill of capturing moments on camera was intoxicating, leading me down a path of exploration and creativity. This early fascination grew into a specialized focus on post-production, where I found joy in transforming ordinary moments into extraordinary memories, immortalized through film. Read more >>

Natalie Signorelli

started Bougie Blankets from a place of love, and necessity. I have been a long time cozy connoisseur and was constantly seeking out the best, coziest blankets around. I found these great blankets years ago but the problem was, my children kept stealing them nightly and I could never have my own! These were high end, luxury blankets and so very unique When our youngest went to kindergarten I thought, what do I absolutely love and am passionate about? My conclusion was: cozy blankets. Read more >>

Alexa Simeone

I converge art, science, and technology in an accessible way for learners. They get to build and engage in the climate conversation via design challenges. As a result, students show up as explorers, makers and doers – who transform science knowledge into environmental action. As a National Geographic Certified Educator, who redesigned a utility cart. Built-in collapsible tables and created a mobile, push-powered, art cart. Read more >>

Rachel Schultz

After being in the fitness industry for over 11 years now as an athlete, marathon runner, trainer, brand ambassador and pilates studio owner, I always found that I would wear cute sets to teach in but when it came time to workout, I would have to change into a more functional set. I decided to create Lerin to fill this gap and create functional but fashionable athletic apparel. Read more >>

May Bernhardt

I’ve always worked in the hospitality industry and was always impressed with the flowers that were being delivered to different events in the hotels I worked at and not to mention the lobby centerpieces made every week to welcome guests! This feeling of serenity, beauty and living art really inspired me to pursue it professionally. Read more >>

Valentina Delfino

What inspired me to start my own business was a culmination of my work experiences and successes. One pivotal moment was in 2012 when I participated in a sustainable competition and had the honor of having my eco-friendly gown worn by Missy Pyle at The Academy Awards. Winning Suzy Amis Cameron’s competition, Red Carpet Green Dress, not only changed my perspective but also made me realize that my path should align with sustainability. Recognizing the impact of the fashion industry and its supply chain on the environment, I was determined to make a difference. Read more >>

Lindsay Gottschall

End of June, 2020, at the height of Covid and lockdown. I had pain in my stomach for about 36 hours before I went to the hospital, thinking I might have appendicitis. After 16 hours in an ER hallway, (worrying I would catch Covid because there were tons of people coming in and out wearing hazmat suits,) I was moved to a private room. I was told a doctor would come talk to me. Read more >>