We reached out to some of our favorite entrepreneurs and asked them to think back and tell us about how they decided to start a business. Check out their responses below.

Temitope Ogunseitan | Fashion stylist/visual Artist

I am a multi disciplinary Artist,expressing my Art through fashion. I started my fashion early fashion career in 2010,started as a personal thrift vintage collector from benddown select markets in nigeria. Read more>>

Lillian Malcolm | Business Owner & Professional Trainer

I always believed I could find a better way to share my love of horses with young riders who were in a similar financial position as me. This sport favors the wealthy, but the horses don’t follow suit. They favor those who treat them well and understand them. That is an art I don’t want to be lost over time. Read more>>

Marty Watts | May wife, Terrie Watts and I own the company, and currently do all of the manufacturing and marketing.

Terrie, my wife had been searching for a hot chocolate mix that reminder her of her time in living in the French Alps. Almost all of the mixes that she found were loaded with sugar and other sweeteners., Finally she decided to come up with her own mix. She used spices traditionally used in Europe and South America. Read more>>

Hilarie Portell | Principal of Portell Works, a consulting firm championing the advancement of urban districts and downtowns.

After working on the leadership team for a major redevelopment project (Lowry Air Force Base), I joined a large private development firm that laid off their entire team during a recession. I walked out of that building thinking that I would never put all my professional eggs in one basket again. Read more>>

Monica | Vocalist

Dancing With Dante was created by Timothy Sadler (guitar/vocals) and Monica Rivas (vocals) after their previous band Fortune in Fallacy broke up over quarantine. We have always found our place in the world through writing and performing music. Read more>> 

Edgar Wonder | Producer & Event Organizer

started monsoon as a way to encourage music artists to empower each other on social media. Through content curation and “Content Days” where we get together and make content while hanging out. This became a successful approach to our social media. Read more>>

Daniel Nkpaji | Content creator

I have always loved making videos, streaming and being creative. I started with dancing but I wasn’t too comfortable with dancing in front of a camera but now I find passion making relatable, comedy and a lil dance video by the side. Read more>>

Heather Hancock | Aritst | Heather Hancock Studio

I began my journey in healthcare, thriving in hospitals as a speech-language pathologist and later as a rehabilitation administrator. The fast pace and collaborative spirit fueled my passion for helping people recover and embrace life, with creative, individualized care. Read more>>

Dani Orange | Content creator & Empowerment coach.

I had always love to have the freedom of share my passions and knowledge and I knew it could be helpful for others too. I decided to brainstorm and organize my time as a mom and creator. Read more>>

Ashley Power | Founder & CEO

I was driven by a passion for childcare and a strong belief in the transformative impact of quality early childhood education in a private setting by utilizing play. After years of working in various educational and care roles, I saw a unique opportunity to shape a service that aligned closely with modern parenting needs and values. Read more>>

Ashley Linville | Photographer

I have always loved taking photos. It was a fun hobby since I was editor of my high school yearbook. After I had my daughter, it became more than a hobby. I would analyze images to determine what made that one better than the other. I would change angles and lighting. Read more>>

DALINA HO | Event Planner

I graduated from the University of Central Florida right before the world shut down. I was working in litigation law shortly after graduation. I quit my job about a year later because I couldn’t deal with the micromanaging and toxic work environment any longer. Read more>> 

Chaney Seaton | Agency Owner & Founder

I had always felt like I was never truly happy in any single position I had. I also felt like something was missing, even after propelling and scaling myself to the top of my career in different industries. Everything would feel “good” until it didn’t. Read more>>

James Wertz | Carpenter

From a young age I was infatuated with the idea of creating and building, both my grandpa and my dad are handymen so a lot of my weekend activities involved helping them restore, build, and create new things. As I got older I started creating things by myself, and taking on projects. Read more>>

Alma & Tony Martinez | Colorado Foodie Content Creators

The truth is it wasn’t my own idea to create an Instagram page. I used to post many restaurants on my personal Instagram stories and friends would always ask me for recommendations. One of my dear cousins was the one to suggest I create a food page, so I contemplated it for weeks. Read more>>

Rosé Curley | Texture/Curl Specialist & Owner

Growing up I absolutely hated my hair and I was always trying to understand who I was and how I wanted to show up. I was bullied for my hair by family and my peers. Read more>>

Aron Jones | Founder

When I decided to start MAMCO Rescue I was motivated by the incredible need that existed within the rescue world. I had fostered for many years prior and learned that most of the time pregnant dogs or dogs with young nursing puppies were often euthanized first in high kill shelters in Texas due to the high costs associated with their care. Read more>>

Mary Power | Founder

I was bored during Covid and had plenty of free time. I had already built a following through Broads of Bourbon and there was a huge group of local enthusiasts in Las Vegas where we started that had money they wanted to spend. Whiskey was a hobby and I wanted to turn it into something fun for the community. Read more>>

Alexandra Tamburro | Creator of Main Street Mercantile, Little Falls

My grandma is one of the greatest inspirations for Main Street Mercantile. The flower in the logo is Lily of the Valley, which is one of her favorite flowers and scents. When I was a young girl, I would often crawl in bed with my grandparents at night and wake to the smell of her Lily of the Valley perfume. Read more>>

Camille Whitworth | Owner |Baroness on Baronne & New Orléans Drink Lab

I love being a business owner. Perhaps I was inspired by the rich cultural heritage of New Orleans and saw an opportunity to create a unique experience that blends traditional Creole cuisine with modern flair. Read more>>

Camille Whitworth | Owner |Baroness on Baronne & New Orléans Drink Lab

I love being a business owner. Perhaps I was inspired by the rich cultural heritage of New Orleans and saw an opportunity to create a unique experience that blends traditional Creole cuisine with modern flair. Read more>>

Jake Schillings | Entrepreneur & Dog Lover

It started with my dog, Camper. I spent years traveling and exploring the outdoors with Camper, but I couldn’t find gear that could hold up on our adventures. Obsessed with perfecting my personal outdoor gear, and a compulsion to create in my garage, I asked myself, “why doesn’t my dog’s gear get the same attention?”. Read more>>

Ellie Yatsko & Cody May | Commercial Filmmakers at Freytag Films

A couple of years ago, we had a chance to work together as producer and director on a large public health campaign. That project totally opened our eyes to the larger production community here in Denver, as well as our potential as producers.  Read more>>

Phillip Heep | Real estate agent and also certified home inspector and mortgage proficient

Immediately after graduating college from the University of Colorado in Boulder, I went into a couple corporate jobs. The experiences we’re beneficial and taught me marketing skills in the industrial and retail arena. These were good companies, however, I always felt the need for independence and control of my own destiny.  Read more>>

Erin Gianella | Dog Trainer

I worked at a job for a long time that was not the right fit for me! I was working long days, 7 days a week, was unhappy with what I was doing, felt like I couldn’t do anything right and was working with people who weren’t working as a team. Read more>>

Mikayla Cisneros | Dog Trainer

When it comes to business, and general ethics, I have very high standards. Starting my own business has allowed me to serve my community, and bring my clients to the next level. If my clients truly invest in themselves and their dogs, I am in it with them 150% and am dedicated to their success.  Read more>>

Darcy Daly | Sole Proprietor/Tumbler Creator & Underwriter

After COVID hit, my mom and I had a lot more time on our hands being stuck at home… We decided it was time to find something fun and crafty we could do together along with my daughter and make some money while we were at it.  Read more>>

Kate Johnson | Licensed General Contractor and Age in Place Specialist

About 10 years ago, my brother was in a near-fatal car accident, leaving him wheelchair bound. Following this life-changing event, I sort of stumbled into an industry I never knew existed- the medical home remodeling space- and fell in love. Read more>>

Elizabeth Graves | 2x Cancer Survivor & Founder, Graanted

I am a 2x cancer survivor, and I really wanted to see this diagnosis as a gift. The first time I was really overwhelmed by fear and grief. But the second time, I decided to take notes and create a record of all the things I would love to share with someone else. Read more>>

Nikki Brooker | Founder/CEO

When two local moms took their lives and the lives of their kiddos, I created a nonprofit to support moms. Two tragedies led me to see the need for postpartum support for ALL moms. Read more>>

Kelleigh White | Interior Designer

My thought process behind starting my business was to ultimately make a daily impact on my client’s lives by creating an atmosphere in their homes or businesses that will bring peace and clarity. I know that I am an atmosphere changer, meaning that I carry an anointing that can shift the mood of the room. Read more>>

Anastasia Stanhope | Founder / Creative Director of Be the Light Lettering

In 2018, I received my first iPad and Apple Pencil. I had the intention to use it to practice my hand lettering. As I taught myself to draw through tutorials and practice, I realized that I could use my art to encourage others. I wanted to turn my art into a business so that I could share it with the world. Read more>>

Dave Johnson | C-level advisor and expereinced CEO

Our team have been very successful in their careers and are focused on doing something that matters every day. The best way to do that was to form our own company where we help clients build stellar companies. Having our own company allows us to hav ethe healthy culture that we desire. Read more>>

Angela King | Food Truck Owner, Accounting, & Proud Mommy

Money was behind everything on me wanting to start my own business. I felt hopeless and drove myself into depression. Was I ever going to be successful? How I was going to afford to live the life I want with my big family of 6? How do I make more money? Feeling unhappy and working for someone else was just not for me! Read more>>

Kendal Wright | Small Business Owner

It all started with a pair of shoes. During one of my first visits to Mexico I bought a pair of huaraches hidden away in a dusty little shop. I had never seen that style of shoe before and did not think much of them other than that they were cute. Read more>>