Deciding to start a business is an unusual decision. It’s often considered irrational and yet for many it’s the best decision they’ve ever made. So we asked folks to think back to when they were starting their businesses and to tell us about their decision making process.

Isaac Carpenter | Artist & Musician

I sort of have to divide this into two parts….the art and my music. As far as music goes, I started DJing in summer of 2000. It was just motivated by an interest in music and wanting to be involved as more than just a listener. So I took any gig I could get. I did that very actively until 2008. During the pandemic, I started making my own music. It’s going pretty well. I play music for yoga classes, Kava Bars and have done a couple festivals. Read more>>

Micah Groenevelt | Owner of RedMane Video Production

After finishing school, starting my own production company seemed like a natural step as a filmmaker. However, I quickly learned that running a business and being a filmmaker require two very different skill sets. Over four years of struggle and discovery, I found a deep love and passion for business. This journey has fueled my excitement not only for managing the logistics, margins, and client acquisition but also for the creative side—capturing the perfect shots, leading a team, and embracing every edit with enthusiasm. Read more>>

Emily Henrie | Managing Broker, REALTOR®, ABR®, SRES®, NMLS #2305860

I grew up with both of my parents owning small professional services businesses, so this became a model that was comfortable and familiar to me. I chose to begin my career working for larger firms and corporations, which helped me see the value of having a strong brand with mission, vision and values to direct the goals and efforts of the entire organization. During this time, I completed an undergraduate degree at Colorado Christian University; a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems Management, while working in the Marketing division of J.D. Edwards, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software company. Read more>>

Chukwufumnanya Camara | Real Estate Agent

My name is Fumnanya Camara, and I am the Owner and Managing Broker of Camara Real Estate. When my family and I arrived in the United States, we all had big dreams of thriving and building wealth in our new country. Our vision was to not just survive but to thrive but we oftentimes found ourselves caught in a cycle of paying bills and having just enough. Things finally shifted when my mother bought her first home. She was wise enough to buy a house that was below her means. A few years later, she bought another. For me, watching my mother become a landlord was transformative. I was able to see firsthand how this impacted her cash flow, taxes, and her ability to have financial independence. I wanted this for myself. Read more>>

Peter Kim | Owner

Um… It was my mom who, actually, started the shop. She saw a niche and jumped on it, a few years back. But around 2002, she developed cancer and wanted to enjoy her life. I got an SBA loan and bought her out. From then on, I spent a considerable amount of time remodeling and rebranding to something more modern. Read more>>

Jon Hutson | Founder at TheOpenMarket.CO

I’d always wanted to start some sort of business, but never felt fully capable. Most of my life’s been spent in survival mode, job hopping, and looking for solid grounding. I’ve lived several different lives already, and I’ve learned a ton. I’m grateful for the path. And, I’m grateful for the opportunity to leverage so many of my passions in to building the Open Market. Read more>>

Joshua Thurmond | Chief eruption officer, LavaBox Portable Campfire

I have always been a problem, solver and a tinker who loves to build things with my hands and create all kinds of cool stuff. At least I think it’s cool. LavaBox happened by accident in a lot of ways. I used to sit on the board of the Colorado Whitewater Association and we were having our last trip of the year. It was cold and there was a fire ban in place. We were out near Kremmling. Anyway, after a day on the river, you just want to warm up and all we had was those standard round fire pits. They passed the fire restriction, but they don’t put out much heat. I knew I could make something better.  Read more>>