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.

Hieu Nguyen | Optometrist

I have always wanted to be a business owner. I grew up in a household where entrepreneurship and hard work was a way of life. As the youngest of eight siblings, I watched my brothers and sisters work hard to excel in their businesses. I pursued optometry because it allows me to live out my passion of helping people and also being able to run my optical one day. After graduating from Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry, I worked in corporate settings for about 2 years. Within those two years, on my days off from the corporate practices, I worked my 6th day in small private offices. These experiences allowed me the opportunity to see the ins-and-outs of an optometry business from all aspects. Read more>>

Lonny Anger | President of Merrick Industrial Management Corporation and Chief Executive Pickler at Custom Pickleball Courts

I would love to tell you that I had this life long dream of being an entrepreneur. Nothing could be further from the truth. I started it out of “need”, rather than “want”. In 2016, I lost my job in a (media) career that spanned 25 years. I was concerned about the future of that industry (radio), and my friend (and now business partner) had previously owned a very successful construction company in New York, and had an opportunity to do some work down here in South Florida. He was looking for someone established to partner with, and instead I suggested that we do it together. We have now grown our business for almost 7 years, and earlier this year we took on two more partners and started another new business (Building Pickleball Courts!) Read more>>

Bill Diggs | Economic Development Executive

One of the only ways to build real wealth in America is through owning your own business. As a 1st generation person in my family to go to college i have always wanted more. I want to give my children a real chance to take a bite out of the American Dream of financial independence. Read more>>

Christy Clark | Owner, Lead Photographer

All my life I’ve been a creative at heart. From a very young age, art is what made my heart happy. I know it sounds cliché but it’s true. As I got older and thought about what I wanted to do with my life, I knew it was going to be something hands on, something that would help someone else’s life, I wanted to be a person that was remembered for either teaching a child something important or creating something artistic for someone. When I graduated high school, I attended University for my Teaching degree in Elementary education. All along I photographed family and friends for free. It was something I loved so much. I worked at a school for 5 years and loved the creative part of it so much but I just wasn’t happy waking up and doing the same thing over and over again. Read more>>

Elizabeth Donat | Spa Consultant and Licensed Esthetician

After gaining extensive experience working with some of the top spas and beauty brands in both NYC and beyond, I recognized that my diverse background could be a valuable asset for fellow beauty business owners. The key to success in the beauty industry often hinges on the way clients feel during their interactions with a business. While the quality of services is essential, the overall experience takes precedence. Beyond competency, passion, and maintaining a safe and clean environment, a truly successful beauty business needs that special element that becomes the talk of the town. Read more>>

Maria Teresa Tupini | Jewelry Designer

I’ve always had a passion for designing and creating beautiful pieces of jewelry. I started at a very young age, making beaded necklaces and bracelets. My goal when starting Del Este was to create a brand that is meaningful and impactful, and to use my skills and passion to make a positive impact. For me, jewelry is a form of art and expression. It is extremely valuable as jewelry has an emotional aspect to it. Jewelry that is passed on throughout generations, that tells the story of a lifetime. Whether it’s a gift from a loved one or an everyday piece, I was always inspired by the idea that my designs would go on to become a part of our customer’s story, and be with them during life’s special moments. Read more>>

Lazaro Suarez | Pet Dental Technician

As a young adult, I always wanted to run my own business. I always had this vision of speaking in front of a crowd of people who were all part of a large company that I built, not a reality just yet, but I still have that vision. My thought process behind starting my business I would say, materialized from that vision. I worked for a company as a General Manager for a non anesthesic, pet dental company. Great opportunity,great company and I would have to relocate to grow a new market. New management came in and one person in particular felt that I didn’t have what it took to carry that title. Even though, With little support I felt that The market I was in was steadily growing. Read more>>

Donna Bilu Martin MD | Cosmetic, Medical and Surgical Board Certified Dermatologist

I have been very fortunate to learn from many great dermatology mentors during my training and professional career. During my residency, I gained medical knowledge, fine-tuned surgical techniques, and mastered knowledge of cosmetic procedures such as injectables, lasers, and peels. When completed my training in 2008, I worked in various dermatology offices and learned about running a medical office. I realized quickly that what I enjoyed most was being able to build a rapport with my patients by creating a more boutique, personalized experience. I started Premier Dermatology, MD nine years ago with the vision of a practice where patients had little to no wait time, were greeted by a warm, friendly staff, and were each treated by me personally. Read more>>

Charles Hively | Founder & Design Director, 3×3, The Magazine of Contemporary Illustration

I moved to New York in 1999, coming from a very successful career in advertising in Houston, Texas. It took a bit of time to find work and eventually went to work for a branch of the Mullen Agency in North Carolina as Vice President, Creative Director, commuting back and forth on two out of the four weekends. When Mullen lost the major account I was working on I returned to NYC and found work in a B2B Ad agency. Then 9/11 happened and everything in the industry dried up, fortunately I had an acquaintance at Graphis magazine who offered me a job as co-publisher. I had started out as an illustrator before moving into design and advertising and wanted to feature more illustrators in Graphis, meeting some resistance, I decided to strike out on my own and start a magazine specifically targeted to the area of contemporary illustration. Read more>>

Dyson Knight | Entertainer, Song Writer, Artist, and Master of Ceremony

With my first business being myself, my thought process behind starting it was rooted in an accumulation of unsolicited market research. After several appearances and performances on multiple entertainment platforms, my services became even more in demand. I took this as a sign that packaging myself as a brand and a business would be lucrative. Read more>>

London Miller | Entrepreneur, Published Author, Hip Hop Artist, Philanthropist, Motivational Speaker, and Child of God

At just the age of 9, I embarked on a remarkable journey by founding Londonade and The LondonAid Project. My motivation was twofold: a deep desire to make a difference in the lives of under-resourced children and an immense love for lemonade, a drink that never fails to bring smiles to people’s faces. My journey began after attending a young entrepreneurs event, where I witnessed the power of innovation and determination. Despite facing challenges associated with ADHD, I was repeatedly told there were things I couldn’t achieve. But I refused to be limited by those doubts, and so I adopted the inspiring moniker “Motivated 2 Inspire.” Read more>>

Tavasha Ancrum | Miami Braider

My thought process behind starting my own business was having the freedom to make my own schedule and paving the way for my children to inherit wealth. I’m a mom of two boys but when I first started my business I only had my oldest son and I knew the life I wanted to provide for him was not going to come from working someone else’s business. So I decided to take what I love and what I was already doing, which was braiding hair, and capitalize off of it. Read more>>