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.

Olya Stoyanova | Fashion Designer

Fashion has been part of my story since early age. I grew up running around my family’s clothes manufacturing company and playing with fabrics. The devotion of my parents into their work made me dream about clothes making so much, that creating my own designs was a natural step. My design language was paved with my fashion education in IED Milan, where I nourished my knowledge with the deep Italian traditions of tailor-made clothes and understanding of ready to wear. Read more>>

Mario & Kevin Cruz | The Hot Sauce-preneurs: A Fiery Venture from A Cuban American Family

The vision behind Barbaro Mojo was to share the authentic Cuban flavors we cherished growing up while infusing them with heat to create a one-of-a-kind hot sauce. As Cuban-Americans, we have a deep appreciation for the rich culinary traditions of Cuba, but our American taste buds crave the heat! Read more>>

Alex Jimenez | Content Creator – Fashion, Lifestyle, Beauty & Grooming

The reality of what I had originally thought in doing was a strategy of marketing to being able to create and identity and connection with the public, allowing me to bring together a community and being able to learn from them as well. At first, I had to learn on how to work with social media and participating in many courses to learning the life of becoming a fashion influencer. I have always been one to observe others that inspire me and had the same passion as I do with fashion. I take notes on how they worked to improve and receive recognition on what they do and wear and from that I creat my own vision and style on how I see it fit for me. Read more>>

Karina Catellani | Founder & CEO of Treelance Yoga – 560+ HR Yoga Teacher – PR & Marketing Expert

Passion for Yoga and Wellness
My journey began with a deep love for yoga and its transformative power. As a yoga teacher, I’ve witnessed firsthand how yoga can bring balance, peace, and relaxation to our bodies and minds. I wanted to extend this experience beyond the classroom and create something tangible to inspire and support others in their own lives. Read more>>

Candice Rohrbach | MUA and Influencer

My father was a business owner, and I quite literally grew up working alongside him in the 90’s. I didn’t go to daycare, I got up with the sun and headed to work with my dad everyday until I began school. I often joke that entrepreneurship is in my DNA. This of course stuck with me, but when I was in my late 20’s and expecting my second son I had developed crippling anxiety from my corporate job. Read more>>

Lisa Moses | Director and Co Founder of Xenacious Foundation

My thought process firstly has to do with the desire to do something impactful. This is how I established my charity, Xenacious Foundation with Co-Founder, Sherizah. Secondly, research to ensure that all the legalities are covered. Then moving forward with a business plan that details what exactly is the identity of company. Read more>>

Samantha Gil | President / Founder of Nest of Love

My best friend asked me to put together a fundraiser for women that have been in a domestic violent relationship & I said let me think about it since all the women in my family had been in those kinds of relationships. A week later, I decided to start a Non Profit to be a role model to women. Read more>>

Guillermo Riera | Sound Engineer

I noticed an uprising of recording artists and musicians moving to Miami when COVID-19 pandemic happened and as a Sound Engineer with Mechanical Engineering background, I realized the opportunity of building creative spaces for them in their new homes or commercial studios. Read more>>

Grettel Monge | Business Entrepenuer

My thought process behind starting my own business stemmed from a strong desire to provide financial stability for myself and my family. I wanted to create an additional source of income that didn’t rely solely on our regular jobs. After having kids, our priorities shifted significantly. We needed a way to ensure we could meet our financial needs without having to take on extra work hours, which would take us away from family time. Read more>>

Carolina Rodriguez | Founder & Designer of Orion Jewelry

Hi Carolina, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting my own business, Orion Jewelry, was driven by a deep-rooted intention to celebrate my Colombian roots and my family’s architectural legacy. I was drawn to creating bold, impactful, and unique designs that convey a powerful message, blending traditional Colombian aesthetics with contemporary flair. From a young age, I was immersed in the world of design, which ignited my creativity and shaped my vision for an authentic brand that resonates with others. Read more>> 

Aya Kuanysh | Financial expert/ consultant/ tax preparer/ accountant

Originally, the idea behind starting my own business was to be independent from any employer and have an opportunity to challenge myself daily. I believe that having a job challenges you to grow to a certain level, where you are a top specialist in something niche. However, any truly passionate business owner has to develop in all kinds of fields: b2b, b2c communication, marketing, PR, financial planning. Essentially, I believed starting my own business would create a better version of myself. Read more>>

Mirtle Peña-Calderón | Founder/CEO of Latinidad Collective and Freelance Copywriter

Like most of my career, starting my own business was happenstance. If you had told my super introverted younger self that I’d be an entrepreneur when I was older, she’d tell you that you were crazy. It wasn’t anything I ever imagined, but it was the journey that life took me on. When I look back, everything that I went through was preparing me for this season of life that I’m in. Read more>>

Ryan Malkin | Principal Attorney and Founder of Malkin Law, P.A.

My passion for the beer, wine, and spirits industry began when I started writing about the alcohol and hospitality industries, with articles appearing in such publications as SmartMoney, Beverage Media, SevenFiftyDaily, NY Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Esquire. This experience as a journalist exposed nuances of the industry I wanted to transform, which led me to work at Pernod Ricard USA and ultimately to create Malkin Law eleven years ago. Read more>>

STEPHEN HARRIMAN | CEO and Founder of Belltone® Guitars

Our mission was and is to offer a collaborative partnership with guitarists who seek to build distinctive, well-crafted, affordable ‘cool’ guitars … guitars that reflect the Belltone® perspective and aesthetic, but also provide and welcome the guitarist’s creative input in the sonic and visual design of their instrument. Read more>>

Grettel Moises | CEO brand baby & toddler clothes

My thought process behind starting my own business involved identifying a market need, feeling passionate about the idea, assessing my skills, conducting market research, and developing a detailed business plan. I also considered the importance of a support network, prepared for risks, and analyzed financing options. This provided the confidence and foundation to proceed. Read more>>

Natalie Jas | User Generated Content Creator (UGC) & Creative Strategist

I kind of fell into this. I was a stay at home mom for three years and I was ready to work again. I started applying for jobs and I was getting them, but then I quickly realized it was going to be very difficult for me to have a 9 to 5 and still be able to take care of my family. So I started looking into digital marketing, but I didn’t feel a passion for it. And then I saw someone online talking about how brands can send you a product and you can create a video for them as a consumer and get paid for the video. Read more>> 

Jhonny Delgado | Sandoches Chef and Co Founder

Starting a new business takes a lot of work. We tried different formulas for each recipe, chose the ingredients, and did thousands of tests until we were happy with the result. The branding and the visual part were also difficult, but thanks to the help we had, we achieved an engaging brand like the one we have. Leaving your regular job to take a risk without knowing if it will turn out well, investing and risking everything. In general, deciding to have your own business is challenging and risky, but we are happy to have made the decision. Read more>>