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.

Kelly Mosser | Entrepreneur, Resilience & Leadership Coach, and Global Top 2% Podcast Host

My business was born out of both a desire and a need: a desire to support women in creating the lives and businesses of their dreams so they can experience the magic of living with a true sense of purpose, fulfillment, and impact. This desire was supported by a need to create my own path for my well-being. I spent the first 21 years of my life with undiagnosed PTSD, and working in high stress environments really took an extra toll on my mental health. Having my own business, though it can definitely be stressful, has given me not just a sense of purpose but a healing haven and so much freedom to live my life on my terms. Read more>>

Brittany Farinas | Brittany Farinas | Creative Director, House of One

When I was in design school and simultaneously landed my first project, I never really looked at another option besides starting and building my own business. I never worked or interned for a design firm, so I learned 100 percent through trial and error (and still do). Read more>>

Diandra Harvin | Owner | Noite Rose

I wanted to create something that I felt there was a need for and that would also serve a meaningful purpose. During the pandemic, I needed something comfortable and functional but cute to wear since I was a newlywed. After working long hours, I needed something to help with decompressing for the day. The idea of luxury loungewear is the answer for elevated self-care. It’s the perfect garment to wear around the house and feel good while you’re in it. There has been a lot of focus on the importance of self-care and I being apart of that industry made sense because people invest in it. Read more>>

Paolo Cadegiani | CEO

Like most innovative products, it is a problem that feeds the inspiration. “As a semi-professional athlete, I’ve struggled my whole life trying to keep up with a proper and balanced diet. It didn’t take me long to understand that I couldn’t deal with all the prepping, cooking and cleaning every day. I thought…there must be a way to have healthy, tasty, long lasting and ready to eat food, but how? In order to achieve the results, I wanted, I had to reinvent the whole food concept Read more>>

Lindsey Garcia | Esthetician & Skincare Brand Owner/Co-founder

I actually never intended to own my own business. I was working as a full time Esthetician and Massage Therapist for the last 15 years, in luxury spas and salons. It wasn’t until I met my now husband, who created a skincare line specifically for me to use for my sensitive skin and rosacea, that we realized we had a product to share with my clients and the world. After just a few weeks of using these products, my skin calmed, cleared, and was the best it ever looked. I have suffered from skin sensitives for many years, and was fed up with trying so many different products promising to calm my skin, with no results. Read more>>

Oriana and Briana Moreira and Giampaolo | Founders of Beauty4bodies Boutique

Our thought process behind starting our own business was having the freedom to one day be our own boss while sharing the common love for all things fashion. We love having the creative ability to reach a variety of audiences while empowering others to be the most confident version of themselves. Read more>>

Ray Fearon Jr | Entrepreneur, Video Creator & Psychologist

I always enjoyed the process of being independent, making my own decisions, and learning from my own mistakes. When I worked for other people, I felt restrained. Whether I wanted to do something extra or not do something I was told to do, I wouldn’t have a choice. With starting my own business, I feel that I can sink or swim with my own decisions. Read more>>

Olivia Whalen | Personal Trainer and Health Coach for Retired Athletes

I remember being a young girl and thinking about how I eventually wanted to be my own boss one day. I could not imagine working for someone else to help them get richer and have them tell me what to do everyday. I wanted to do that for myself. I went to undergrad for Finance which eventually led me into the corporate world right out of school. I still did not foresee this being the final destination for me career wise – I still knew deep down that I was never meant to work in corporate, even though it was a financially stable stepping stone into the world of entrepreneurship. Read more>>

Stephanie Nunez | Chef

I always knew I wanted to be a chef, but the moment I knew it was time to start my own business was just the simple fact of being my own boss. The most stressful thing about it was the decision of leaving my stable job not knowing what lies ahead, deep down in my gut I already knew it was going to be successful. The most important part of wanting to start your own business is just to start!!! Everything will come into place but putting yourself out there with confidence is key. Read more>>

Nikki Coote | Master stylist; owner of Vybe

When I decided to start my own business I really wanted to control my environment, and build my brand . I wanted to have a location curated to be positive and happy every time a client walked in. Top tier customer service is very important to me and always the focus besides producing beautiful, fabulous, healthy hair. Read more>>

Dominique Foster Burke | Purse Accessory Vendor

I wanted to provide an extra and dramatizing affect to getting dressed. You know that feeling when you get something new and you just can’t wait to wear it? You have to make sure someone saw you in it or you took the nicest picture just to post on your social media! I wanted to be that go to person to add that last touch to the perfect outfit to complete that’s confident feeling. With that being said I tried to come up with the most exclusive and extraordinary accessories to compliment anyone. Read more>>

Shalandria McGlown-Allen | Owner|CEO Hot Commodity EyeWear

Thank you. Back in 2011, I realized fashion and eyewear were my love languages. Why not blend them together and make a living doing what I love?! We specialize in men’s eyewear, women’s eyewear, and coming soon, children’s eyewear. Still making my childhood dreams come true in the fashion industry. Excited and ambitious to share my vision in the eyes of others. Read more>>

Silvana Deziderio | Entrepreneur

We wanted to give a genuine piece of us to those who would appreciate it. We work hard and longed for a way to show our creativity and passion of doing everything with love. The pandemic was a difficult period in our lives but was also the moment that gave us the time to reflect on what we wished to achieve for ourselves and as a family. Read more>>

April H. | Fashion Influencer & CEO

Since the age of 11, I have had a love for fashion. Overtime as I started thinking of how to get to that goal, having a boutique was what came to mind. Of course life has a way of steering you away from your ultimate goal sometimes, which made me put it on the back burner for a while, until after I was diagnosed with heart failure in 2018. I realized then, that life is too short not to go for what you love. After surgery and rehab I went straight to work on what I love, bringing about Crave Dior. Read more>>

Chelsie Cordero | Certified Personal Fitness Trainer

I have been in sports all of my life, conditioning was part of my day, I see the importance of being disciplined in one’s day and the effects it has on your body, your mind and energy as time goes on. In the gyms that I have worked in, I’ve seen how robotic it can be, use this machine, do that machine, you don’t really get to work with the client. Read more>>

MD Visual Arts | Photography and Graphic design

My wife and I, are both artists, she a graphic designer and I a photographer, we both had experience working for others, but at the same time we got tired of that and decided to join forces, knowledge and experience and that is how MD Visual Arts was born. Read more>>

Olesya Ianovitch | KISS LIFE – Founder. CEO. Creative Director.

KISS LIFE started out of passion to help women of all shapes and sizes, every direction in their lives, every age to feel comfortable, happy and confident. Our mission is to create key pieces for the wardrobe, that solve the question of “What am I going to wear today?.” A wardrobe concept with smart, yet simple fitting system where each garment is cut and sewn to flatter a wide range of body types. Our oversized, relaxed fit, as if you are always on vacation! dedicated to making 100% premium quality from softest textiles that are sealed printed based on original art. Read more>>

Kiddist Cowans | CEO Jesse’s Gifts & Décor

I was home on bed rest from having a difficult pregnancy and sever back pains and decided that I needed a maternity pillow to help to ease the pain. I borrowed a sewing machine from a friend asked my husband to take me to get some sewing supplies and at the end of that day I made some throw pillows. I posted them to social media and persons loved them and started to order and that is where Jesse’s Gifts & Decor was born. Read more>>

Jeanne Quintero | photographer/”Top pictures studio” owner

Top pictures studio, started with an idea, we wanted to create, not a business, but instead an experience, you don’t take a photograph, you make it. A photograph, cannot be put into words, is a story that speaks by itself, and we want all of our clients, to experience the magic of photography, to let that captured moment, become a beautiful memory. Read more>>

Trudie Ives | Freight Broker/Founder of Tru Logistics LLC

I was a teacher for almost ten years, working in urban schools. During this time, I had some of the most rewarding experiences interacting with my students, who were remarkable young people. Although I enjoyed teaching, I still felt that I was missing my calling. At a career showcase, a presenter talked about her freight company and her unique status as one of the few women in this industry. I immediately set out to research and familiarize myself with what I needed to do to enter this field. Read more>>

Mariela Galarraga | Personal Trainer and coach Life

Many years ago I stopped working for companies in the administrative area to become independent. I started an events company, then bought and sold clothes, accessories and more. Finally, I took goldsmith classes and dedicated myself to creating jewelry designs for 6 years. When I made the decision to emigrate, I did not know whether to go to the United States or to Spain. So I thought, what could I do anywhere in the world that could make me money? I am one of those who thinks that if you generate money with something that you are passionate about, it becomes easy. Read more>>

Jaclyn Patterson | Sustainable Wardrobe Stylist + Founder of Shopwise

I’ve been working as a wardrobe stylist for 8 years, which a focus on sustainable fashion! Essentially this means I help people dress to feel their best while incorporating sustainable practices into my work ethos. For example, I’ll help people define their personal style so they can avoid micro-trends, shop their closets or introduce them to more sustainable brands to shop. Read more>>

Citerina Atkins | Agricultural Entrepreneur

I have always wanted to be my own boss to build a legacy and to have my name attached to something that will bring a lasting change in the space I operate. I learnt early that I do not fit into the construct of a 9-5. I enjoy playing by my own rules and having full control of my time. When the Idea of a farming business was presented to me by my current business partner I immediately went into research mode to find out how lucrative a business in the agriculture industry could be and how I can start with the resources I had available to me. Read more>>

Andre Dawson | Photographer & Digital Creator

While working in the event space, I realized the passion I had for capturing moments & people just being their true selves. I would usually be the one at the event snapping photos & video of people just having fun & being themselves, or taking the group photo with my smartphone. I decided to elevate this passion I had & turn it into what is now 876Creative. Read more>>

Tianna Wilson | Makeup Artist

Building a foundation/business that’s solely formed on what’s to come has always been my way of thinking regarding my business. Truly understand that God has already made it clear that generational wealth is being establish in the heavens not just for me but for my community, for my children (to be), and for my family overall. Know that starting or stepping out on faith and acknowledging God in all my ways regarding my business has and will be the foundation on why I started a business to out live what statistics says about me. Read more>>

PJ Fetscher | Sawyer/Carpenter

I’ve always been told what to do. My entire life has consisted of rules, deadlines, and unsustainable expectations. Committing myself to starting a business was my way of trying to be in control. Instead of working hard for someone else’s dream, I’m doing even more for my own. Read more>>