Starting a business is a commitment and requires dedication, resources and sacrifice. We asked some of the rising stars in our community how they thought through the idea of starting their own businesses.

Enrique Rosell | Musician in Stillblue

When we were starting the band, there was a few things we were thinking about when first talking to potential members and a few things I always made sure to clear up with different people who called the number on our flyer. 1. We are looking for people who are dedicated and want to play music professionally. We want people who are serious musicians and are willing to put the work in to make this happen Read more>>

Dr. Audrey La Noce | Psychiatrist, Founder and Owner Of Total Mental Wellness, Inc

I was working for other companies and I was frustrated about how they were running their businesses. I would give input that could help improve patient care but it fell on deaf ears. No surprisingly, the patients did suffer and they would hold me responsible for it but most of it was out of my control. Eventually I realized that I was ready to see if I could do it on my own, and do it better. There are fewer and fewer psychiatrists out there opening their own practices. Mostly it is just large corporations that act like “patient mills”. When the doctors are running the practice, we put patients first. Read more>>

Tiffannia Grant | Founder Dvora Lofts & Counselor

Starting my own business was always a written plan. The goal was to start the right business that compliment my gifts and support my assignment to help people. Read more>>

Becca Meyer | Florida Couples Photographer

Honestly, I was super nervous but very eager to start my own business! Nervous because I wasn’t sure where it will take me. If it would even work out or not. I once was told by a wise friend that “You can do anything you set your mind to.” That always stuck to me. Read more>>

Ken Jones | Owner/Fitness coach

“If you build it they will come “ was my thought process in starting my business. Giving the customers what they want and need . Read more>>

Samantha Jones | Founder & Designer

I originally got started with Beau Swim by wanting to start a sustainable luxury swimwear company. This was something that I felt was missing from the industry. We see either luxury or sustainable, but rarely see both combined. During the early start to the pandemic I was laid off from my position with a menswear company in California. I then decided it was the perfect time to start my own brand. I visually had so many ideas and knew the aesthetic I was going to go for. I started fast, developing, designing, trademarking, and sourcing. Read more>>

Tanty Sidibe | Fashion Consultant & Personal Shopper

As an avid fashion lover, I founded Simply Tanty Wardrobe as a creative and luxury consignment outlet where I compiled all of my daily inspirations, findings and photos of my personal style and shopping experiences. I wanted to create a website where you can shop beautiful, classy and affordable products at an affordable cost. Read more>>

Raffaela Marinetti | owner of a clothing store

After a graduation in FASHION HISTORY and DESIGN, I expected to make my dream come true and to start working in some important fashion company. I live in Italy, there are many fashion companies. I’ve sent a lot of cv everywhere, and I’ve also done a lot of job interviews. Unfortunately many companies were simply looking for interns, there was no salary: I did various internships, but I needed to have a really work. So I contented myself with going to work in smaller companies, less prestigious but I was hoping for a decent contract. Years went away, by but my contract was always fixed-term: I worked many hours a day with very low remuneration. Read more>>

Amelia E. Faggétt | Author, Entrepreneur, Personal Consultant

I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset. Having a special needs child really detoured my thinking. With much prayer and guidance from other leaders aim my life, I decided to step out and start not only one business but multiple businesses including becoming an author. I was very nervous starting out. That negative mindset was really beating me up and thinking about what others might say about me. Read more>>

John S. Perez | Architect, Builder & Real Estate Developer

The idea of starting my own business is one that I have carried with me my whole life. My father has owned his business since I was born, and that my brother and I complete access to him, and we often accompanied him on his work day. I also understand that as a business owner you can chart your own way forward, in style, schedule, and you are in control of the pace of growth of your company and career. This comes with risks and potential downfalls, but it also comes with the possibility of huge rewards, both financially, but professionally, more than anything. Read more>>

Lucia Serje, Maria Zegarra | Lumar Co-Founders

The beauty about our agency is that there was not an initial intention to create a business. We each decided to use our social media and marketing skills to help local small business owners in Miami pivot to digital at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brick and mortar stores were being closed and we wanted to give back. Once the word spread, we decided to tag team on our clients and that is when we decided to start a business built on helping small business owners thrive online. We were doing what we love, we just decided to give it a name: Lumar. Read more>>

Manisha Mundhra Beriwala | Diverse Community Builder

As an immigrant diverse woman,a desire to be accepted, included by representing my heritage and sharing that with the world through the Diwali festival has added me and my company The Corporate Diwali as the ONLY company in the world working towards sharing & spreading the light of Diwali,festival of lights on this earth. This furthermore attests the peculiarity of me and owning that by converting my unowned into a strength by creating a Diwali dream world into reality. A local diverse community is created in our operating cities – New York City , New Jersey , The Hamptons , Long Island , Syracuse , Tampa , miami , Chicago , Austin , LA Read more>>

Tara Forrest | Mobile Notary, Loan Signing Agent, and Officiant

The thought process behind starting my own business was “Am I really gonna do this?” Throughout my whole life I’ve always admired people in business and the risks they take to pursue their dreams. During 2020 I decided to take that leap of faith as well. I had been entertaining the thought of becoming a Loan Signing Agent and Wedding Officiant for awhile and seeing the state of the world at that time was a wake up call for me. It pushed me to take the risk of starting my own notary business and to not look back with the regret of “What if?” Read more>>

Silkisha Sneed | Social/Reproductive Justice Activist & Full Spectrum Doula

When I first learned about the importance a Doula, I was extremely impressed and it sparked my interest. I loved the advocacy part of helping people of color, Black women and other marginalized individuals. But at the time, I was not ready to take that jump. I felt I was not ready to be that available and to take on that much responsibility. So I pocketed the idea of being a Doula. Fast forward, I was working a job as a Sexual Health Educator in the New York City neighborhoods for a year and was laid off due to the contract not being renewed. Read more>>

Amber McDaniel | Caterer, Poet & Divisional Engage Life Director

I honestly didn’t start out to start my own business. I have always been a fairly shy person and my passions require that I put myself on display – writing and cooking. I started cooking when I was 8. It started with small things and a lot of not so great meals, but food was always something that intrigued me. When I was in college and working in a call center there were potlucks constantly, and me and a friend never ate and eventually began volunteering to collect money and cook all of the food ourselves. Read more>>

Jacob Kelley | Yacht Captain & Fishing Guide

Starting my own business was something I knew I always wanted to do, but like many others, I wasn’t quite sure which idea was worth fully investing in. After working 8-5pm in a corporate sales environment, one day I just had enough. Quitting a full-time salary with benefits was a tough decision, but I would rather fail at something and give it a try rather instead of remaining in the status quo doing the same thing everyday at the office. Read more>>

Joseph Miranda | Real Estate Broker/Owner

I’ve only worked at 2 brokerages since becoming a full time real estate agent in 2012. At both brokerages I worked at it I always felt like the amount of dues, fees and split were disproportionate to the value the brokerage was offering me. My feeling was if I were able to keep more of my money I could reinvest more into my business and that would lead to more closings for me and in turn generate more income for the brokerage. What pushed me to finally make the move was when I finalized my books for the year 2018 and I saw I paid in total to my brokerage more than the median income for Broward County. Read more>>

John Wensveen | Chief Innovation Officer, Nova Southeastern University and Executive Director, Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation

Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur. I have been fortunate throughout my career to have started a number of businesses primarily focused on the aviation sector. In my early years, I recognized that one learns from failure but only if you acknowledge mistakes. My mind is constantly working always looking for new challenges that can be solved with creative strategies. Read more>>

Sophie Faith | Personal Stylist/Fashion Stylist

After working in fashion for years in London and Miami, I gave it all up to get married and have babies. I was a stay at home mum for 13 years until I turned 40 and thought my kids are older, what do I do now, Like I said I have always loved and worked in fashion but it is not the same industry as it is in London and the same opportunities are not available. I needed to find a niche that worked for me and my mum lifestyle so I decided I would build my business as a personal stylist. Read more>>

Reyna Figueroa | Reyna Figueroa Miranda / Media Founder + TV Producer

Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of becoming a journalist, and since my freshman year in high school I have been working hard to make it happen. At first, I just started writing articles about what’s happening in my community as a way to gain experience. Then over time, I got more involved in the entertainment industry and noticed that there was a need to have a platform where up and coming Latino artists can tell their story and share their latest music. And that’s how The Latino Wave was born. Over the last year we’ve worked with music labels such as Sony Music, Warner Music, Spinning Records, among others, and have published +300 interviews with their artists. Read more>>

Lea Black | Photographer and Graphic Designer

Starting a business occurred pretty organically for me. After spending the majority of my childhood exploring visual arts, I discovered photography as a teen and loved how it allowed me to apply everything I had learned in drawing and painting class and apply it whilst interacting with people- generating and evoking joy. Read more>>