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.

Sandra Portal-Andreu | Creator/Co-Founder of Tappas

At Tappas, celebrating creativity and imagination is paramount. As an artist and mother of two boys, I am motivated to think big and encourage my children to do so as well. Our story began with a simple dinner table that had way too many plates and I thought, “If there were a container with multiple levels that could display food, one would have a unique centerpiece and perhaps, less plates to wash.” Read more>>

Adriana Sutil | Entrepreneur, Mom of 2 Beautiful girls ,and Wife to an amazing Spaniard.

I have always liked jewelry, and was always suggesting combinations to different handmade designers that would make jewelry for me. I will never forget 11 years ago on a trip to Spain, My moM suggested that i try making my own jewelry, I stated making a 10 knotted bracelet called a Decenarios. these bracelets original were used as prayer Bracelets.. Soon all my friends loved my bracelets and suggested that i start making them for them and selling them. Making these type bracelets was a way to release stress and would alwasy put me in an amazing mood. That is how i came up with the name Decenarios Cool.. 11 years later I have stores in Etsy , Amazon and a weekend pop up store at the Aventura Mall. Read more>>

Vanessa Liebl | CEO of Choice MD

Like many new business ventures, Choice MD was started because of the need to solve a problem. To be specific, health problems I encountered after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I have been living with MS for over 20 years and every time I moved I was faced with the same problems. Where do I go to find local MS resources? And more importantly, what resources exist in my community? You see, I didn’t have the healthcare sector figured out at the age of 21, and definitely NOT to the expert level needed to navigate something like MS. I felt lost and afraid and it wasn’t until I reached out to local resources that I realized I could find ways to succeed. Actually, everyone has the ability to thrive, despite their circumstances, they just need the desire and will to connect with the organizations that will help them. Read more>>

Anna & Erica The Good Life Girls | Co-Owners & Visionaries of Good Life Consulting, LLC

We both served as traditional high school counselors for the last five years until June 2021 when we ripped off the bandaid and ventured into the wild to open Good Life Co. This was, lets say, the most challenging, rewarding, exasperating, invigorating, exciting, terrifying thing we’ve ever done in our separate personal lives and professionally. We went into counseling to help kids. What ended up happening (to no fault of our particular school or internal admin) was that our responsibilities were spread too thin on things that did not benefit the kids. No one even knew what the hell a school counselor was. Read more>>

Tracy Memoli | Founder of FrutaPOP

I was working as a publicist in the corporate PR world and left my job to pursue my passion in the food and beverage industry. I always loved frozen cocktails, but they were always filled with a lot of sugar and bad ingredients. I was shocked that a healthier option didn’t exist and I wanted to change that. Together, with my life-long love for ice pops, I set out to create gourmet, low alcohol-infused ice pops without any added sugars, syrups or dyes. Read more>>

Christian Soler | MKI CEO

As I. was preparing to start my own business I had a clear thought in mind, I was to create something meaningful. Not something I thought people “would think” is meaningful, something truly meaningful; something born out of a necessity, a business that would help people achieve something or do something better. I took a lot of time in the research process, evaluating every aspect of the hospitality industry and its needs; moreover where exactly we would have an impact in the process. Read more>>

Parious Green | Artist (Music, Fashion & Film)

Ownership was my thought. I knew if I owned I controlled and with control I’m able to create as I please. Read more>>

Maiko Suzuki | Jewelry Artist/Designer

I didn’t really have thought process when I started my jewelry business…. I started making jewelry because I was very curious about metal working and I am very passionate about create things with my hands. So I started making rings that I want to wear in the beginning but people are started to show some interests on my pieces and it became very expensive hobby so I decided to start my brand. Read more>>

Maria C. Avila | Makeup Artist

When starting my own business the thought process behind it was simply always wanting to be my own boss and have the ability to create my own schedule. Read more>>

Cheyona Broomfield | Celebrity Makeup Artist & Beauty Influencer

When it came to starting my dream business, it started with a prayer and thought of owning something for myself. I would Rather put 110% energy into my dream than putting that energy into someone else dream . Read more>>

Yurilka Hernandez | Psychotherapist, Adjunct Professor, Author, CEO

I graduated from New York University with my master in 2015 and immediately register my business the same year with the IRS. back then, I was very young and only thing I knew was that I want to be my own boss. You see it all the time people starting business and being successful however I am from the Bronx, and you can be a product of your surroundings. The Hispanic small business owner I knew, own Bodegas, food stands and small bakeries. Read more>>

Paulina Hurtado | Real Estate Broker

I have always had a push toward the real estate industry. I started in the banking industry when I was 16 as teller. Then, at 18, I got my mortgage license. By the time I was 20, my father insisted that I get my real estate license. At first, I was skeptical of pursuing a career as real estate agent. However, my father’s persistence eventually won me over, and I ended up getting my license. At the time, I didn’t know how to feel about making the switch from mortgages to real estate agent, but today I can proudly say that it was the best decision that I have ever made. Read more>>

Betsi Hill | Founder and Storyteller, Recipes Travel Culture Magazine

Deciding to downsize and live on a boat started my travel journey with Jim at my side. As we traveled more and more, what started as documenting my journeys and thoughts on a blog grew into an incredible passion for sharing the depth behind the destinations we visited. I realized that this passion for storytelling and sharing not only experiences, but tips with other travelers had grown larger than a simple blog- I wanted a magazine. Now I’m unveiling Recipes, Travel, Culture Magazine which will be a cumulation of all the elements I am most passionate about. The recipes, culture, and travel experiences behind the destinations I visit and showcase. Read more>>

Jeniffer Erickson | Jada Candle ( Maker)

When I started this project, I wanted it to be different. While a candle is universal, there is a world of different supplies behind the scenes. I choose work with wax from natural oils as raw material, which is soy wax, a material derived from plants, a renewable and biodegradable source, thus creating a sustainable product, its combustion does not pose any risk to health, nor does it increase the toxicity levels of the environment. In addition, the wicks of my candles are 100% cotton soaked in honey wax. Needless to say, the most luxurious thing a candle can have is not the packaging, but the heart. And that prominence is taken by the fragrance. And we do it with natural oils. Read more>>

Naz De La Rosa | Certified Life & Spiritual Coach, Author, Podcast Host

There was no real thought process. I make intuitive decisions and starting my business was another one of those intuitive decisions. I got a feeling it was the next right step and ever since I have only been taking the next right step in front of me based on what I feel. Historically speaking, the greatest inventions, businesses and ideas were never born from a thought, they were born when someone had a gut instinct about something and it lit a fire in them. That’s how Believe It Life Coaching was born: I felt it and it lit a fire in me that has been burning ever since. Read more>>