Readers often email us asking us for advice about new businesses they are thinking about starting and we often find that many of them don’t have a framework for thinking about a more fundamental question: why should or shouldn’t you start a business?

Below, you’ll find how successful entrepreneurs from across the city thought about this very question when they were considering whether to start their businesses.

Cameron Lundstrom

My journey into entrepreneurship was deeply personal, born from my own experiences with addiction and incarceration. After years of struggling, I was determined to share the lessons that guided me to recovery and, ultimately, a life of service.

Even while still battling addiction, I recognized a recurring pattern: there comes a point where the consequences of drug addiction compound and crash down all at once. I saw it in my own life and in the lives of those around me. We call it “dirt broke and effed up”—when everything collapses, from housing and jobs to relationships and self-worth. Read More>>

Ashley Young

My mom’s friend, Nancy Begg-Shoupp, went missing when I was about 5 years old and she has never been found. I have hoped to see justice for Nancy my whole life. With the realization that justice might not be possible, I started focusing on other local missing persons cases. In 2019, I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement Administration and a certification in Criminal Forensics. While obtaining my degree, I worked for various companies as a skip tracer (locating people).  Read More>>

Ben Roy

It’s so bizarre, I don’t think of myself as being a business. I guess I am, though, huh? For some reason that just feels so dirty to admit. Which it shouldn’t, we all have to eat.

Truthfully, the business was just a necessary step in the process of me doing what I truly love for a living. I always knew I wanted to be on stage; I’ve been performing in one way or another since I can remember. It’s the only place I’ve ever truly felt like myself. Read More>>

Kayla Zahler

My journey into entrepreneurship began with a passion for water safety. I chose to become a private swim instructor after noticing how little progress was made in swim schools, and I quickly realized how crucial early water safety education is for children. Becoming certified as an infant survival swim instructor through ISR (infant swimming resources) was a natural step for me. It’s about more than just teaching swimming; it’s about empowering parents and ensuring that even the youngest swimmers have the skills to survive unexpected situations.” Read More>>

Nicole Bakker

I’ve always thought about the idea of having my own business, but it was always just a thought. In 2016 I became a board certified music therapist, and since then have worked in a variety of settings with many different populations. I also became a licensed music educator in Colorado and taught in Denver Public Schools for 3 years. After exploring a variety of jobs, and experiencing burnout, I decided I wanted to combine my passion for music therapy and music education, in my own way. In starting my own business, I knew I could have more control. Read More>>

Rebecca Lauris

I don’t know if I had a conscious thought process on starting a small business. Instead, making something with my hands was a dream hobby that morphed into a small business. I’ve always longed for a creative life and would dabble in small artistic expressions amidst my other responsibilities. I never allowed myself to go “all in” though, due to time constraints, financial limitations and honestly fear. To quell the pressures of adulthood, I often lean into nostalgia and things I loved doing as a kid. Those interests are so integral to all of us, before we are forced into careers, productivity, and the other oft routine adult duties. One year I received a melt-and-pour soap kit for Christmas and spent the entire holiday break totally immersed in this craft. I remember asking my mom to take me to buy more supplies several times during that holiday. Read More>>

Sam Marks And Kelly Schmidt

Starting our own business came from a mix of personal experience, passion and a gap we saw in the market. We’ve always believed that travel and wellness don’t have to be at odds- you shouldn’t have to choose between exploring new places and maintaining your health. We wanted to create a company that helps people travel in a way that aligns with their daily lifestyle, whether through itineraries that prioritize low-tox, health-conscious experiences or products that make it easier to feel great while on the go. Read More>>

Meghan Landry

Our organization believes art can save an eye or even a life. We have dedicated our mission to finding passionate artists who are good people and paint with a purpose to create a better world and future. As the Creative Director for Art For Eyes, and a single mother to a child with retinoblastoma and autism, this is a personal pursuit to educate our community. Inclusive art is a need, not a want. My background was originally in event planning for 15 years but I forfeited that career when my daughter was diagnosed with cancer at 18 months old in 2020, just 6 months after the unexpected loss of her dad in the height of Covid. Read More>>

Gigi Leberger

After working in a manager setting at Dutch Bros Coffee for several years, I soon realized I wanted more independence and time in my schedule. To be in control of my own decisions, schedule, and vision. I believed that starting my own business would give me the freedom to work on what mattered most to me while also allowing me to create something unique and valuable. Read More>>

Gina M Barrett

I had started a nonprofit, Casa de Paz SLV, to respond to the need for holistic trauma support for asylum seekers, refugees and new immigrants. The original vision for the nonprofit was to provide holistic trauma support retreats on my ranch in south central Colorado. As I began to help my two rescue haflinger painted ponies to recover from their own trauma history, I also experienced my own healing. Specifically around having patience in life and not being so impulsive. Once the horses were settled enough and relaxed, I began letting other people work with them. These people were ranch hands who I trained to work with them. All were very interested in equine therapy and the mental health benefits of working with horses. The horses were very cooperative with them, so I felt it was safe to begin letting the ponies help others with equine therapy for mental health. Read More>>