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.

Joe Hector | Owner of Extreme Kayak Fishing Inc.

Even when I was young I always wanted to create new things and then find out how I can make money selling those things. Sometimes I wonder if being a entrepreneur is in someones blood. I come from a family of entrepreneurs, my great grandfather sold land & houses, my grandfather after WW2 made & sold computers and gadgets and my father built and ran a commercial AC business in NJ and NY until he recently sold it. Read more>>

Cantor Debbi Ballard | Rockstar – Independent Spiritual Leader serving today’s modern Jewish lifestyle

After spending many years in the world of Jewish engagement, synagogue administration and my own Interfaith marriage to a Christian, I could see many reasons for disillusionment of families, and continuously played a thought in my mind….”If I could do things my own way, I would….” and I had so many ideas of how I could be warmer, more welcoming, more supportive, more flexible, more personable to families, and how serving the “self directed” Read more>>

Meghan Stewart | Real Estate Advisor

I embarked on the journey of starting my own business because I had a strong desire to have autonomy over my schedule and working hours, while pursuing something I am truly passionate about. From a young age, I knew that my calling was in the real estate industry, specifically in South Florida. It was not just about a career choice; rather, I wanted to build a legacy that I could proudly leave behind. By establishing my own business, I aimed to combine my passion for real estate with the freedom to create a lasting impact in the industry and the community. Read more>>

Connor Augustine | Media Entrepreneur

I wrote responses to all of them, I didn’t realize we were supposed to do just one – if you can use them all please feel free – thank you! Q: Can you share the thought process behind starting AUG Imaging? A: Photography captured my heart at a young age, around 13. As my skills grew, so did my passion, gradually developing into a rich body of work. Read more>>

Vicente Wolf | Interior Designer

I never did well working for other people. I have always had a very clear idea of what my style and tastes are and have never been able to compromise them. When I realized that I had better solutions, I knew it was time to go out on my own. First I started with a dear partner, Bob Patino, which lasted a good few years. Then in 1988, I launched Vicente Wolf Associates, which has continued to nourish my creative juices to this day. Read more>>

Bria Scott | Content Creator + Social Media Manager

After the pandemic, it sort of dawned on me that the combination of skills that I possessed couldn’t be put into one job description. I love a lot of things, and I am good at a lot of things and for some reason, I felt that the only way to showcase that was through working for myself. My mom also played a huge role in my decision as well. Read more>>

Christina Benoit | CEO & Founder

As a college student at an HBCU(Historically Black Colleges and Universities), most of us will go through a time where we ask ourselves about having a side hustle. Mine happened to cross my mind in a dorm room after having a conversation with my best friend Jordyn. I was tired of spending my money on glosses at the hair store that was sticky, made my mouth white or didn’t moisturize my lips. Jordyn stated, “You can make your own gloss!” And I had an epiphany! Read more>>

Trinket Vine | Pin Enthusiasts and Makers

Vine: We started as coworkers who eventually became friends as we bonded over our love of design, Disney and being creative. Our business began as a way to express ourselves through our friendship. Read more>>

Courtney Elder | Floral Designer & Artist

I’ve had an adventurous, entrepreneurial spirit for as long as I can remember. My dad says that I was “always creating” as a kid and when I look back, I realize that I actually was “always creating” and that’s when I was happiest. I remember my mom begged for me to be let into an art camp at Princeton University as a 5 year old (they wouldn’t take kids as young as I was) because it was literally the only thing I wanted to do that summer. Read more>>

Genesis Martinez | Creative, Seamstress, Hair & Makeup Artist

I spent about 10 years of my life working in the corporate sector for people I didn’t feel inspired by. I realized it was time to take a leap of faith and leave the security blanket of a 9-5 thankfully because I was surrounded by a bunch of creatives who encouraged me to hone in on my creativity and do something that brought the passion back into my life. Read more>>

Tiffany Purdy | Enterpainter

I struggled for years as a bartender. Twelve to be exact. I was living from Tip to tip, not even paycheck to paycheck. It was rough for a very long time, but once I became a mother I knew if I didn’t invest in myself and my family, no one would. I didnt want to get stuck struggling for the rest of my life. I just wanted more for my family, so I got a little crafty. Read more>>

Joyce Worthy | Real estate Expert & Entrepreneur

I wanted to create a legacy that I can leave behind for my family Read more>>

Chazzy Productions | Film Production & Photography

When I was a teenager I used to edit dance videos for fun. As time went on, I finally bought a professional camera and started playing around with it. I started shooting videos just for fun and not for long, my hobby ended up turning into my full-time career. It wasn’t really something I ever thought of turning into a business. I was just having fun with cameras and editing. Once I had people offering me money I started the business and never looked back since this is something I have a lot of fun doing. Read more>>

Shontelle Walton-Raphael | Real Estate Associate Broker

During the past four years, my focus and priority have been on raising my child and being there for their important milestones. I made the decision to leave my corporate job because I wanted to prioritize my family and not be away from home constantly, flying Monday through Friday. Read more>>

Gerusa Younes | Photographer

One of my motivations with photography I think was losing loved ones and very close, it made me see how valuable it is to be able to have memories that you can enjoy. Living is unique. I want to be able to awaken in people the importance of eternalizing moments through photography. Read more>>

April & Ajay Matta | April & Jay Matta, 5D Mystics, GnosticTV Network Founders, SpirituallyRAW Hosts, and ASEA Double Diamond Executives. Creators of SpirituallyRAW Secrets To Broadcasting Riches MasterCourse “Awakening The Power Of Your Voice” and SpirituallyRAW Secrets To Interview Riches MasterCourse “7 Steps To The Grand-Slam Interview Even If You Have ZERO Experience”. We are dedicated to helping conscious entrepreneurs and individuals harness the power of their ‘higher self and awaken the voice within’ to optimize their success in business and life.

Here’s the story of how our mission became a movement. Our life before broadcasting was vastly different yet very similar. 2009 burnout hit after a tremendous ten-year run as insurance and financial services agency owners. It was a great experience but spiritually unfulfilling. Our sales background laid the perfect foundation to learn how to connect with the audience, drive home the message, and ring the register. Read more>>

Sandra Quintero Franco | Photo Booth Business Entrepreneur

I’ve always been passionate about events and creating and keeping special moments in people’s lives. I noticed a demand for photo booth rentals at events, but many of the options available were either too expensive or low-quality, including a lack of excellent customer service. Read more>>

 Jessica Stinemire | Sports/Action Photographer and Firefighter

I have two boys that have been in sports since they were very little and have the standard posed end of season photos. Ive always tried to take photos of them while they were playing but the quality just wasn’t there. I realized I probably wasn’t the only parent missing out on these memories and after a while of going back and forth on the uncertainty of taking the leap to invest in myself, I took the plunge. Being able to photograph the moments that not only kids, but all ages, doing what they love without breaking the bank, is an indescribable feeling. Read more>>

German Rizzo | Chef/Owner

Starting own business for sure isn’t the easy thing to do.for sure the challenges are and the satisfactions the client give to you Read more>>

Creative Particle | Video Content & Strategy Agency

Daniel: I wanted to have a direct impact on the success of businesses and leverage my expertise in video marketing. Starting our own agency allowed us to work closely with small businesses and contribute to the community in a personal way. I was also ready to experience the freedom to work on projects we were passionate about and make our own decisions. And that’s how Creative Particle was born. Read more>>

Erika Vega | Creative Designer, Jewelry Maker

In early 2019, I encouraged my aunt to start creating beautiful handmade bracelets. My aunt has always been so creative, I just knew this would be a great opportunity for her. Sometime in late 2019, I joined my aunt on a trip to one of her suppliers. I never would have imagined that going with her on this trip would light a fire and make me join her. This pastime further developed in early 2020 after losing my dad unexpectedly. Read more>>

Tatiana Kallmann | Crossover Opera Singer, Recording Artist & Latinx Business Owner

With a vivacious and undeniable interest in Operatic Vocal Performance and the Historical European Culture, after concluding my undergraduate studies in the School of Music at the Florida State University in the year of 2009, I set off to embark on the life-changing odyssey of pursuing my dreams as a Lyric Soprano in Europe. I packed up all my bags, said goodbye to everything and everyone I loved dearly, and migrated to the continent of Classical Music, the birthland of my German Grandfather, Fritz Kallmann. Read more>>

Yavi Reyes and Hugo Quizhpi | Emmy/Telly Winning Media Production Company.

Together we (Yavi and Hugo) combined our passion for visual storytelling with photos and films. Hugo’s poetry writing skills and Yavi’s background as a fashion designer was the ideal blend to create a company’s whose heart and soul is the visual arts. Our commitment has always been to create visuals that resonate and can stand the test off time for all off our clients. Read more>>

Tanisha Powell | Luxury Charcuterie Board Caterer

Hi, my name is Tanisha and I make luxury charcuterie for every occasion. In palm beach county. I moved to the USA from the beautiful island of Jamaica to be with my husband. I was formally introduced to the culinary craft of charcuterie by my husband. Fall in love and decided to take it to the next level. Read more>>

Matt Williams | Illustrator, Artist & Designer

When I considered freelancing as an illustrator, I knew it would be the best way to open myself up creatively. Working in fashion was comfortable in the sense of full-time, benefits and bonus’, but investing in my own work introduced me to the freelance space. It brings more risk but allows me to push myself and grow more. I went the Master’s route. Read more>>

Madeleine Riande | Artist

Since art is so personal, I never saw it as a business. So making my art part of my business was really hard. Letting go of my work seemed very emotional to me. To be honest, in art, you just have to create and show your work and things will eventually happen. We are all trying to figure it out. When you look for opportunities, you find them. Like my mom would say “Who looks, finds” Read more>>

Glauce Djahjah | Interior Designer

since I graduated, I worked in some architecture and construction offices in Brazil. after a few years of experience, I saw that it was time for me to have my own office where I would have greater freedom of creation and connection with clients Read more>>

Lori Ann Ferreri | Artist, Mindfulness Guide, & Founder of WE ON AIR

The thought process behind starting my business, WE ON AIR, was rooted in the transformative events of 2020, particularly the pandemic and its global impact. Prior to the pandemic, I had retired from my career as a Broadway performer and was embarking on a new journey of opening a brick-and-mortar studio of a well know yoga franchise in London. However, life had other plans. Read more>>

Shanika Samples | The Vaguru

When I first started thinking about women’s health I was working as a waxing technician, and I saw the need. The majority of my clientele were women getting brazilian waxes. At the time it was my responsibility to provide information about best practices for waxed skin, but there was no product for unpleasant odor. Read more>>

Kat Moreno | Founder and Entrepreneur

The process behind starting my own business was that I learned so much from all of the mentors about sales, scaling.and marketing. When I saw all the success our clients were making I decided that I couldn’t work for anybody else anymore and I had what it takes to build my own dream. Read more>>

Yamiley Francillon | Healinghandsbyyamiley

It all started one Christmas season. I work in the medical field where we all wash our hands constantly. I started researching how to moisturize dry sensitive skin. So I decided to make sugar scrubs for my co-workers. I looked up moisturizing oils, essential oils, and their benefits. After receiving positive feedback from my co-workers, family, and friends, I was intrigued . I developed an interest in producing natural skin care products. I was encouraged by them to start a business. Read more>>

Jake Rosenfeld | Founder, Bonsai

I always felt like an entrepreneur, deep in my soul. Funnily enough, as a teenager, and eventually a college student, that self awareness and desire to create and evangelize initially manifested in the form of organizing, operating, and promoting events, night clubs, and vacation house rentals! Read more>>

Dale & Johanna Webb | Functional Nutrition, Fitness & Wellness Coaching

Our personal journeys to healing, fitness and wellness created this path for us. We both individually were on this path addressing our health issues before but recognized they were almost identical. Our path brought us together at a place called The Sanctuary on the magical island of Koh Phangan, Thailand. From here we connected, shared our individual stories, and future dreams. Read more>>

SABRINA DEMONICA | Home Décor Artist

Starting a new business can be intimidating, but I have always loved a challenge. Beginning my business venture with Dreaming Hippie came during one of the most difficult times in my life. I needed something to help with my anxiety, panic attacks and depression, so I decided to begin a business that could help alleviate the stress. Read more>>