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.

Jack Underwood and Steph Carrasco | Founders & Content Creators

Jack: lowercase came to be mainly out of necessity. At the time, I recently lost my job due to COVID-19 cutbacks and started lowercase less than a month later in our 900 sq. ft. apartment in Little Havana. Our backs were against the wall and we just decided to go for it. Steph: Jack’s background in photography and my knowledge in design was the perfect union to start a creative studio. Not only do we share a lot of similar interests, we learned how to combine both of our talents to create content that resonates. Read more>>

Sylvie Coulange | Cookbook Author

“Fait Maison” came to life in 2016, as a small catering company with one purpose: to make simply good tasting, healthy, and visually beautiful food available to the ones around me. I began with good-for-you-food and while it was all about good food in the first place, I quickly realized that there was so much more I could give and share that goes way beyond food. It’s an idea mostly, but put into action it can change the way people think, act and treat each other. A lifestyle of healthy living and giving. I continuously want to share, inspire and lift people up. Read more>>

Joseph Trask | Modern Contemporary Artist

People seem to think that when I started a business it was a giant leap of faith or he knows what he is doing. That could not be further from the truth. It was a byproduct of graduating from college with an art degree and some success in showing and selling work internationally and being lost. Everyone knows how being lost feels and that was how I felt. I did not know where to go and did not like how some of the local venues treated the possible future patrons of mine and my art. Maybe it came from years of working hospitality for a major theme park, or not always having money in my life, or the thought that no matter if you buy a print, the cheapest piece of art that I authored, or the most expensive. You deserve the best quality in terms of the piece and how I treat you. No one knows me and could do me better than me so I said let’s do it. Read more>>

Sopanut Sopochana | Chef owner

Since I was a kid I was doing bad in school I hated when people tell me what to do But I also afraid of being poor I came from a broken home I am the poorest one on my dad side And the dummest one on my mom side I am a college drop out I start my first job when I was 14 as a Diswasher (illegal immigrant) got pay $2 an hrs push my self to be a general manager at the age of 22 I always be in the restaurant business I know from the bottom to the top So my dream to have my own place I open my first restaurant when I was 28 in. Nyc I guess to answer your question is I don’t want to be poor and I am good at what I do Read more>>

Kela Whitney | Healing & Self Care Coach

My business, KeeWhiSoul was born out of an intense personal journey of healing and self study. I grew up experiencing a lot of childhood trauma and neglect and in my early thirties, I started to realize how that was affecting the way that I show up in the world. I was exhausted of living through the same trauma loops, reliving negative memories and feeling stuck in my patterns. I started on my path to healing with bi-weekly therapy and almost daily spiritual work like meditation, breathing exercises and yoga. I really put myself out there by purchasing coaching programs and joining support groups for people who had survived tough upbringings, as I did. What I found changed my life. Read more>>

Corey Heyman | Yoga Teacher & Connector

When I first started out, all I knew was that I wanted to help people. I found that through practicing yoga, I was able to do just that. It started out as a sunrise yoga class, and it’s grown so much since then. I have figured it out day by day. I taught myself how to make a logo and website, i learned as much as I could about marketing, I studied and I practiced teaching as much as I possibly could. It has all been unfolding exactly as it should. I am transitioning into my full purpose full time, I am leaving my corporate job to chase my dreams. I now know that my purpose is to help people to connect. To themselves, to each other, and to something greater. This is my mission in my business as well. Read more>>

Malath Alsadun | Florist

I started my business in Saudi Arabia 2016, after graduating from college with a business administration bachelor degree. My thought was I wanted to apply all the knowledge I gained into reality and one thing that I absolutely love is flowers, I decided to start a small flower business and less that I knew it was a success. It took almost a year to establish it but eventually I had more than 2000 loyal customers. However, that was in Saudi but now I am located in Miami, I was lucky enough to receive a scholarship to do my master’s at Florida International University and I have some free time so I decided to start it again. I always had fun playing with flowers and that was what I like to do in my free time, so why not pursue it as a business, that was my thought process behind starting my own business. Read more>>

Kenneth Crawford | President of Kenneth Crawford interiors

I started working with one of the largest residential Interior Design Firms here in South Florida. When the economy turned in the early 2000’s, the firm ended up unfortunately closing. While working with this firm, I developed relationships with several major realtors whom became friends and immediately introducing me to clients from the get go. So, I decided to start my own firm based on the premise of honesty and total transparency with everything pertaining to the project. Read more>>