Many books on startups and business talk about how there are right and wrong reasons for starting a business. So, we asked a handful of successful founders about their reasons and the thought-process behind starting their business.

San Stokes | Owner of Blue Skyy Apparel & San Stokes Photography

In 2010, when the oil spilled in the Gulf of Mexico it triggered me to focus on Nature, instead of our family adventures. I love being at park, barefoot to the ground, listening to the birds sing. After that spill, I thought, ‘What if my Grand kids don’t get to see what I see right now?’ Read more>>

Michelle Orrantia | Clothing Brand Founder

I wanted to create something that would challenge me creatively and I was inspired as a mom of two young girls to design clothing to make them feel special and have fun getting dressed in the morning. Read more>>

Katherine Sliclen | Owner & Designer of Stone Cooper Jewelry

I started SC shortly after graduating from Skidmore College in 2013. I had grown up making and loving jewelry and worked at two different bead-stores starting at age 15. I fell in love with the notion of wearing jewelry to hold meaning or represent something larger or sentimental, and loved creating my own jewelry with intention and lots of symbolism. Read more>>

Andrea Ponce | Multi-Business Owner

My husband and I started our first business together. We both have MBA’s, my husband had corporate experience in financial analysis and mergers & acquisitions and my corporate experience was in sales and marketing. We felt confident we had a good foundation to be able to start and run a business successfully. We always talked about opening a business and it was not until we had our first daughter and we were living in Chicago that we began our search process. Read more>>

Kevin Araujo | Producer & Publishing Administrator

Before I had even started my own business my goal and mission was to make sure as many music creators as possible had a way to make a living off doing what they love, music. I spent a lot of time learning the music business as well as teaching it to all of the other music creators I came across. Read more>>

Christina Goudeau | Fine Artist

At the age of 33, I decided to give up my career as an Sr. Information Assurance Engineer, my home, my family, friends, and church to relocate from San Diego, CA with my then husband to the Treasure Coast to stay at home with my children. Less than a year later I found myself in the middle of a tumultuous divorce; the bitter battle would drag on for the next two years. Read more>>

David McAlpine | Sport Court Contractor

After working for other people for the better part of 20 years, I just wanted to be my own boss. I didn’t want to have to answer to anyone else. Read more>>

Laurie Boge | Founder, Physician

I have been working in the medical field for over 20 years as an emergency medicine physician. Although I loved wearing scrubs, I did not love the way they fit. Scrubs were originally made for men in the operating rooms. I wanted to create a luxury medical apparel line for women in medicine to make them feel comfy chic, all while remaining functional, long-lasting, and machine washable. Read more>>

Kenitra and Mo Hopkins | Your Dope Memory Creators

This business venture all started on my 40th birthday. I rented a photobooth and had so much fun with it…my daughter, who was 9 at the time said, how cool would this be to have and I could host kid parties! Great idea… Read more>>

Monica Gonzalez | Esthetician, dental hygienist and permanent makeup artist

Independence!!! Since I was in middle school I picked my career, my parents took me to the dentist routinely I liked talking good care of my teeth then I realized I wanted to be a dentist and the best part was I would be my own boss and also independent. Read more>>

Cristyn Myland | Permanent Makeup Artist

I thought that I would have more free time when I decided to start my own business. This was surely not the right thinking! Starting a business from the bottom up is not for the weak. I still have my regular job that I have to juggle with my business, which makes it much more difficult to successfully build my business. Read more>>

Roque Medina | Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer

I decided to start my own business at the age of 24. At the time, I was working for an Interior Design Company, I worked hard every day and was very productive and successful, the company’s growth was big and steady.  Read more>>

Crystal Ly Tran | Luxury Realtor and Tech Innovator

I wanted to create a business where I was able to deliver world-class service to my clients with the use of technology. Also while building a team to help agents become successful realtors. The two really work hand in hand because I am able to get assistance to service all my clients and coach agents. I love creating systems that help with make the homebuying and selling process easier. Read more>>

Shawn Green | Clothing Creator

I grew up like many out here considering myself a sneakerhead. Later in life I found myself buying shoes and never really wearing them because I could never find the right shirts and hats to match them up. I would get tired of doing just the plain black or white tee shirt to wear with my stuff. Read more>>