Starting a business can be terrifying. Weighing the pros and cons, the risks, and other considerations can be so overwhelming that often promising entrepreneurs stop before they even start. We asked some phenomenal entrepreneurs about their thought process behind starting their own businesses. Our hope is that by making the thought-process less intimidating we can help more folks think through whether they should take an entrepreneurial leap.

Atlee Hayes | Crafter and Small Business Owner

After several years as a stay at home mom the kids were older. We were at a stage that it still didn’t make sense for me to go back into the classroom full time, but I had a little time in my day. I thought that if I could turn my hobbies into a side hustle that maybe I could make a few extra dollars for the family. (And help fund those hobbies at least.) Read more>>

Diana Lee | Agency Owner & Momprenuer

I have always always had and entreprenurial spirit, especially coming from a family of small business owners, but the decision came when I was working for the School Board of Broward County and working late hours on a daily basis. My husband, best friend and partner in business, Robin nudged me to step out on faith when our son, who is Dyslexic was having a hard time in school. I barely had time to help him with homework and provide the extra attention he needed to be successful. Being in business for ourselves allows me much more flexibility to help with homework, attend eveents and advocate for our amazing kids in a better way. Read more>>

Rhona Rubio | Artist, Interior Designer, Author, Certified Primal Question Coach, Co-founder @ The Miami Design Studio

As an Artist and Interior Designer I’m excited step into coaching! My desire is to bridge the gap between life + design. Sometimes life gets crazy. It feels confusing. Life is complicated. It’s easy to feel stuck in unwanted cycles. Read more>>

Violetta Ustayev | Interior Designer

I always loved design and fashion but went to school for law and finance. After the market collapse, I decided that I had nothing to lose and just start to do what I actually always loved to do. I love being my own boss, so starting my own business was the only option for me. This way I can never Read more>>

Sheinia Morgan | Author| Entrepreneur & Aesthetician

I didn’t really set out with the intention of starting a skincare and spa business – I simply have always cared about beauty and once I found how beneficial it was for teenagers and adults . I wanted to spread my skincare benefits with others. I came across formulating my own products when I was researching. I had decided to get into the beauty business and knew I needed whatever help I could get! Before the business was even an idea, I tried and tested products on myself during my research and I was absolutely blown away! On the days I had my own skincare products I knew these product would be great for all without causing any allergic reactions or harm to anyone skin but I also noticed my skin was flawless and my thinking was clearer. Sometimes with “skincare” , it seems like I just have to trust my doing with other products I really saw noticeable differences! People were hardly aware of my brand when I started the business, but I thought they should be. Skincare products are the best way to a glowing skin It was only after I realized how amazing my products were that starting a business became an idea again, although I had no experience in the industry! Read more>>

Ranjith Kankanala | Professional Photographer

My name is Ranjith Kankanala and I am a full-time professional photographer. I’ve always wanted to do something on my own, build a business and make a career for myself in arts. Photography is something I love and I really enjoy the whole process from brainstorming ideas to post-processing the images. Although I mainly do wedding and fashion photography, I love to photograph anything that I encounter in my daily life. Be it people, landscapes, moments with family/friends. Photography requires me to meet different people and I love hearing their stories and capture moments for them. Each day is same yet so different and it keeps me motivated, inspired to learn and better myself. Even to this day, I learn so much on every shoot I go to. I never had this kind of excitement doing anything else and sometimes I am lost in the art, trying to give best to my clients. I realised this kind of passion/interest is what will keep me happy throughout my life. Starting a photography business, although has many challenges and is pretty competitive, I felt like I could make a career out of it. I started off like any other, taking photographs of friends, working for really small gigs, and once I felt like I could turn this into a business and a full time job, I never looked back. Today, I am a full-time photographer and I enjoy learning the art with each passing day. Read more>>

Jennifer Jean-Baptiste | Profit Coach & Tax Strategist

Initially? The thought process behind starting my own business was that my accounting skills are great! I’m getting wonderful client feedback. When I transfer an account to a new CPA office, they are giving me direct feedback on my organizational skills, communication skills, and cleanliness of my financial statements. So, naively, I started my business betting on my skills when I felt like I was not earning my potential with my then employer had reached it’s limit. Read more>>

Robert Pallone | Co-Founder, Chinola Fresh Fruit Liqueurs

I am the co-founder of Chinola Fresh Fruit Liqueurs, we created the first-ever shelf-stable, fresh fruit liqueur inspired by the old-world style of European liqueurs. Read more>>

Anderson Pinto | General Contractor

I have been involved with construction for about 35 years of my life. I have always worked for someone else and made the companies I worked for successful. At around 2007 I started working for a construction company and I saw the potential the company could have if it was run differently. So around 2010, I became part owner of the company and ran it for almost 19 years, bringing the company from a handyman company to a multi-million dollar company. But unfortunately, my business partner had other ideas and made decisions that made me leave the company and start my own. My main reason now is the freedom to run the company my way, with good or bad decisions. Read more>>

Abuelas Counter Cristy Bustamamte & Ani Mezerhane | Food Blog

We wanted to start something reflective of what we love and what’s important to us. By sharing the recipes we grew up with and new recipes we’ve developed for our families, we have been able to start an amazing community on our food blog. Read more>>

Camyle Foley | Pastry Chef & Business Owner

After spending a few years in the restaurant business, I saw that there was a lack of Brazilian-inspired desserts. I had gone home to Brazil a number of times to learn different techniques from various chefs. I had studied classic French pastry at the Culinary Institute and all of my professors were chefs working for restaurants but they also had their own brands. Read more>>

Lucian Nastasi | Wedding and family photographer

I guess the goal for a lot of people is financial freedom while focusing most of your energy on something that is meaningful to you; That sounded great for me and I’m pursuing it. Then there is the thrill of taking pictures and capturing all the raw emotions and personality of my clients. Read more>>

Kim Khan | Founder of BIBI & KIM

For me, it was a burning desire to be in control of my own destiny. The spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation flows through my veins, so it was only a matter of time before I embarked on a journey that truly fulfills me. From a young age, fashion has captivated my heart, and the thrill of creating stylish ensembles with the perfect accessories has always been exhilarating. I’ve always strived to stand out from the crowd, and now, I aim to offer my customers a taste of luxury without breaking the bank. Read more>>

MICHELLE BROWN | Founder/CEO ihelpmoms.com

I took all the birth classes. I had the crib, the car seat, the diapers. I was so excited to be a mom and then I had my first baby and the experience was absolutely nothing like I thought it would be. She wouldn’t sleep, I was not making milk, my marriage was falling apart and I really needed help. I couldn’t afford the hundreds of dollars for a sleep consultant, or wait days for a lactation consultant, and listening to random moms in Facebook groups was actually hurting my milk production with all of the different advice. Where was the village so many people spoke about? After struggling for about 14 months, I decided to be the change I wanted to see in the world and I created ihelpmoms.com online parenting coaching. We gathered the best family experts on breastfeeding, sleep training, potty training, doula support, mental wellness coaches, child behavior experts, grief and loss support, working mom coaches, family nutrition- all on one convenient online website https://ihelpmoms.com. Best of all we made it affordable so not just the elite, affluent had access, but so ALL parents could connect to affordable parenting experts. Read more>>

Sam Reynolds | Yoga Teacher, Photographer and Creator of Cafe Namaste, wellness & lifestyle community

I wish I had some elaborate business plan to share, but honestly I did it as a declaration of independence. I wanted to be my own boss, live by my own values and stay authentic with what I had to share. I formed my LLC on a Tuesday and submitted the application online. It was as simple as that. Read more>>

Joshua René | Founder of The Spill Teem, Behavior Strategist, and Lover of people’s potential

I’ve been in Human services my entire career and saw so many systems, processes, strategies, businesses, and brands built and designed in ways that served self first yet desired outcomes and successes as if they didn’t. This illuminated a huge dissonance, between what one does and what one says it does. Read more>>

Kevin Roth | Founder/CEO

My wife and I had discussed moving from London to the US, and in particular Florida for many years, and when deciding what we would do for a living it could have gone many ways. Over the years since leaving school I had owned several upmarket Cafe’s and I had also built up a medical staffing agency, while on my wife’s side of the family they had a very successful glass fabrication company. Since I joined my wife’s family, my interest in the glass industry grew and grew and over the years it consumed me, so the decision when moving was very simple in the end as I wanted to start something fresh and exciting that I could build, while having the comfort of knowing it had been successful in the south of England. I was also bringing something new to the US Market, that I felt could be of use to the market place and that could change a space that had stagnated. Read more>>

Daven Sawh | GM CM Chicken Davie & Pharmacist

When we thought about opening our business, we thought about our common passion, which turned out to be food-we travel for it. We wanted to offer something unique, not only satisfy culinary cravings but also enhance the local cultural landscape. We acknowledged the difficulties in entering the food realm, but we approached the venture with realism and preparedness. We developed a comprehensive business plan provided a roadmap for success; We outlined our goals, target market, financial projections, and marketing strategies. Leveraging community resources for guidance and support allowed us to minimize our mistakes and ensure our chances of success. We kept our vision front and center throughout the process which helped us remain focused and provided motivation during challenging times. Read more>>