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.

Krystal Phillips | Founder & Creative Director| KAPHILL

Well, my journey to starting KAPHILL was deeply personal and fueled by a desire for change within the fashion industry. After working in product development for over a decade, I found myself increasingly frustrated by the lack of representation and inclusion, particularly for black women like myself. I felt unheard and unseen, both professionally and personally. This frustration eventually transformed into a driving force to create something that not only catered to black women but celebrated them in a luxurious and inclusive way. Read more>>

Le’ Shawn Salmon | Photographer & Videographer

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the restrictions on socialization sadly rendered my then job position redundant. Before this ordeal however, it’s like I had a feeling that it would eventually happen so I started to really think to myself, what will I do if this was indeed the outcome of COVID. The thought of being jobless due to the pandemic thrusted me into quickly developing a strong business mindset and to put steps into making it happen. As a man of many talents I really had to just sit down and think to myself, what service can I offer, what’s in demand, what area isn’t too saturated. After much introspection, I decided on photography and immediately I started reading and doing a lot of research into photography as both an art and as a business. At the time, I only owned one camera and one lens and so I began sacrificing and buying additional equipment with each paycheck. Trying to be a proactive as possible, I started networking with a couple of fellow creatives, got some guidance and insights and from there I was just fixated. My hobby became my passion and my passion became my profession. Read more>>

Maggie Weagley | Silversmith and jewelry designer

Growing up, I always ran “businesses” throughout elementary and highschool. I made everything from handmade erasers and bracelets to art I’d sell to friends and family. My childhood dreams became my livelihood when I was 20 years old. Around that time, I became very sick. I found out I was dealing with a host of chronic conditions that caused me intense pain. I was in college full time and I had to drop my classes and my part time job to focus on my health. It flipped my world upside down. Trying to figure out what was going on with my body and battling pain became my full time job. Weeks quickly turned to months of being debilitatingly sick. I had to ration my motivation with my limited supply of energy. I was faced with the stark realization that I didn’t have the luxury of good health. My time, energy, and physical capabilities were limited. Everything I decided to do became an intentional choice. My time became incredibly important and critical to me. I would spend it only with the things that made me the happiest. It didn’t take long to conclude that creating and expressing were the cornerstone of my calling. I wasn’t able to work a “normal” job or participate in my college classes, but I could create and sell art at my own pace. A lot of my days would have me with blankets and pillows and art supplies littered on the floor around me. I would work for a bit, then rest and repeat. I sold online and every now and then, mustered up the energy to sell at markets for a couple hours at a time. With so much fear and uncertainty in my life at the time, this brought me fulfillment. I realized that my success was possible for me. It’s been a long road. My health has improved in some ways but I struggle with pain and chronic illness everyday. Creating jewelry allows me to work at my own pace while maintaining a means of income. I am very grateful for my business and love giving back to it. Read more>>

AY Young | Singer-songwriter, Founder of Batterytour

My thought process behind starting my own business was deeply influenced by my passion for music and my unwavering dedication to making a positive impact on the world. Music has always been my medium for expressing myself and connecting with others, but I realized it could be so much more—it could be a catalyst for change. Read more>>

mario santos | technical consultant

I have always enjoyed fixing machines! I started doing it when I was around 14 years old. But mostly, I wanted to help people and also contribute to keeping our planet clean. I figured that a machine that could be repaired and used a few more years would not only save the customer money, but would also reduce environmental pollution and preserve our planet’s diminishing natural resources. Read more>>

Natalie Sanaty-Nya | Founder of The Wholistic NP

If you would have asked me a few years ago if I would ever have my own business, I would have smiled and said “never.” I was working as family nurse practitioner in a primary care office and was content to let someone else run the business so I could focus on treating patients. It wasn’t until I realized that I wasn’t truly healing people with the resources western medicine provides and the limited time I was given to spend with each patient that the thought first crossed my mind: care could and should be administered differently. I researched how to help address root causes of diseases and enrolled in my first course through the Institute of Functional Medicine. I remember feeling that I was finally on the right path. As I moved through the different curriculum, I started to apply this newly-learned information in the primary care office, however I was still falling short due to not having enough time and feeling that I would get in trouble for recommending more natural remedies or trying to help patients without pharmaceuticals. By this time, I understood the business model of primary care, which was to have as many patients as possible returning every 2-3 months for management of their chronic diseases. I started growing more and more discontent and disheartened that I finally had the information but was not able to share it freely with my patients. It wasn’t until I started going to conferences to get certified in NET (Neuro Emotional Technique), that I met amazing healers of all backgrounds, many of whom were entrepreneurs and business owners. Through watching them and working on my own blockages with NET, it gave me the confidence I needed to see that I could do this too. And that was when I founded “The Wholistic NP” on the premise of finally being able to treat and heal my patients holistically, without a broken healthcare business dictating the type of care or restricting the resources utilized. Needless to say, I did not start my business on my own. I credit my NET community and friends with their own businesses who were especially supportive during this process. Read more>>

Ufficio Studio Crista Bernasconi & Sofia Noceti | Graphic Design Office

Our thought process was deeply rooted in our desire to establish a clear and authentic voice for our studio. We prioritized how we wanted to communicate, what the essence of the studio would be, our motivations, strengths, and the unique value proposition we could offer. Read more>>

AJ | Photographer

Honestly starting a business is a huge commitment. You must have the time and patience if you are expecting your business to succeed and eventually expand. Throughout the entire process I’ve had plenty of days where I would ask myself, “is this something you really want to do? Do you have the ability to gain the perfect clientele? my thoughts were everywhere as any business owner would be as well. Read more>>

Irene Raissis Alton | Owner, M&C Clothing and Gifts

I had been a loyal customer of this existing business for over 20 years and just absolutely loved the business. In 1990, The former owner started Mother and Child as a small consignment shop focusing on clothing for mothers and children. As the business grew, the name changed to become M&C Clothing and Gifts which honors its origins while being more reflective of the business today. My husband and I would always joke and say when the owner is ready to move on, we need to jump in! And here we are! Read more>>

Vassilia Binensztok | Psychotherapist & Business Owner

I reached a turning point in my career when I was in my PhD program and simultaneously getting divorced. Getting divorced caused me a lot of anxiety and I left my marriage feeling very disempowered. As I think is the case for a lot of women, I believed then that men were inherently better than women at things like managing finances, buying a car, getting contractors to remodel the house, and, of course, doing business. These beliefs were something I just absorbed from society – the old myth that boys are better at math still haunting me from elementary school days. I worried about how I would take care of everything in my life without a partner. Read more>>

Scott Mayer | Yacht Consultant and Licensed Broker

The first half of my career was in Corporate America, climbing the ladder to middle management by my late 30’s, and executive management by my early 30’s. I joined the C-suite of a small aircraft management company shortly thereafter, but something still wasn’t right. I felt like I could make a much larger impact and have greater independence if I had more autonomy to take bigger, more calculated risks. The challenge was that I had the “golden handcuffs” securely on my wrists, so making the big leap also came with some big financial risks. I decided to take that leap, and in roughly 2016 I went off on my own as an independent consultant while figuring out the next steps. While on that nearly 2-year journey of self discovery I landed in Key West and rented a boat to sail to Cuba for about 10 days. It was there I met Captain Tyler Martin, one of the most organically intelligent and visionary individuals I had ever met. Tyler came with me to Cuba and we quickly became great friends. Over the next 6 months he called almost everyday with a new idea to start a sailing business, and eventually one day an idea of his stuck, so I pulled the trigger and a few weeks later, in January 2018, started Bluesail, based in Key West and with Captain Tyler at my side to help get the infrastructure and team up and running. Read more>>

Karli Scorpio | Baker

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease two and a half years ago, and since then I have not been able to find gluten free baked goods, especially cookies, that were both gourmet and actually tasted great! There was always something missing, and I shared this sentiment with many others in the GF community. At the time, I had taken a major interest in bodybuilding and wanted to give other gluten free bodybuilders the same post-show treat experience everyone else got to indulge in. Feeling inspired, I began to experiment and after about 6 months I developed my first cookie recipe, the Grim Reaper. Read more>>

Sabrina Yanguas | Artist

I started working when I was 15 for free while I was at school, I wanted to learn and have the experience in a kitchen. I moved to Miami from Colombia and continued working while I studied. One of my many jobs I had was at the Mandarin Oriental, and I think this job made me realize that all the commitment, professionalism, and sweat I was giving was more than enough. And when I quit, I said to myself, if I ever give again 100% in something, it better be mine. That’s when I started my delivery healthy meals, that evolve into a catering business. Funny enough, I always say things happen for a reason and catering gave me the tools to fund my art, which I always did as my hobby, now my day to day job. Read more>>

Jennifer Cruz | Doctor of Acupunture and Oriental Medicine

Our decision to establish Eastern Acupuncture and Wellness stemmed from a deep-rooted desire to create a healing sanctuary that embodies our shared vision of holistic well-being. As co-founders, one of whom is a licensed physician of acupuncture and oriental medicine with a doctorate in integrative medicine, and the other a seasoned licensed massage therapist with over 30 years of experience, we recognized a gap in traditional healthcare that could be filled with our unique blend of expertise. Read more>>