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.

Andrea Faber

Initially, the plan wasn’t to start my own business. A good friend of mine was growing gorgeous dahlias in Chicago, I saw the photos she posted on Instagram and decided I needed dahlias in my life! I was adjusting to life as a new mom, and trying to find myself again. My pre-kid hobbies weren’t something I could do with my kiddos in tow. So I grabbed a bag of tubers the next time I went to Costco. Only one tuber sprouted, but I was hooked! Read More>>

Elisa & Daniel Sargent & Crosie

Starting Four Color Cake came after Elisa Sargent wrote her comic book ‘When Baked Things Attack’. She had developed it with a rich backdrop of characters and windows into other possibilities. That is how Daniel Crosier was able to jump in with the ‘Stanley Kaiju and the Subterranean Bunny Defenders’ by illustrating that book. After strips like ‘For Eugenia, even, as delightfully weird as that was, Elisa and Daniel jumped into their first children’s book together, ‘The Earl of Elm & the Countess of Conifer’. Read More>>

Sam Cox

I wasn’t actually planning on creating a business. It sort of just happened. I mean, it started because I created this game, and it was fun and and then we just kept playing. Eventually, my friends started asking me to make a game for them, and yeah, one thing led to another. I ended up building a Kickstarter campaign. We raised a bunch of money and got it going. A lot of learning to get from Kickstarter to like a functional business, but now Glue Bunny Games is a business. Read More>>

Jennifer Smith

I want to use my skill set to help people. Read More>>

Megan DeLaRosa

I came from the real estate and title insurance world, working as a Title Rep. In that role, I taught Realtors how to brand themselves, market effectively, and connect with their local communities through direct mail. But I realized I couldn’t just tell people how to build their presence—I needed to show them. So, I jumped in—and quickly became consumed with my community, HOA Board, Social Committee, Coach mom. Read More>>

Becca Droz

While I didn’t initially plan on starting my own guiding company, Sunrise Mindset came as a natural progression in my career path as a rock climbing guide. I’ve always struggled with the traditional career path concept. It just didn’t work for me. After a few years of working for a guiding company, I was starting to feel like I was on auto-pilot. I wanted to feel inspired to infuse more creativity into my work and I wanted more control over how much money I could make. Read More>>

Malia Scott

I come from a family of small family businesses. I think it’s in my nature and DNA.
Prior to becoming a Relationship/S*x Therapist, I was a self-employed as a graphic designer, yoga teacher and trainer, along with owning my own yoga studio. I love all the various aspects of small business – service, marketing, creativity and even the finance/accounting side of things. Read More>>

Jen Samson

First, I want to thank Stacey Constante for nominating me for this piece! She is a brilliant and powerful teacher, guide, medicine woman, space holder, mother, and friend.

The pursuit to build my own business and practice began prior to my career as a movement coach and bodyworker. For many years after my undergraduate, I was an independent event producer, working mostly within the live music sphere, as well as endurance sports. I was nearing the point of starting my own LLC when the pandemic hit the US, and the event industry came to a halt.  Read More>>

 Dr. Faith Truthan

Starting TruSpine & Wellness wasn’t just a career move—it was a calling rooted in my passion to serve and uplift the people in my community. Over the years, I’ve seen how often patients feel like just another number, rushed in and out of offices without truly being seen, heard, or cared for in a meaningful way. That didn’t sit right with me. Read More>>

Steve Johng

This actually happened in stages. The first stage was when I first became a personal trainer. All the excitement of teaching people the benefits of moving and helping them to just get strong and feel better. However, I realized 3-things shortly into my new career. Read More>>

Shari Barta

I opened my studio because I saw a real gap in the way pelvic floor health was being addressed. So many women were either uncomfortable with traditional therapy or didn’t even know there were alternatives. I realized we needed something new—something empowering, approachable, and even enjoyable. Why can’t rehab be fun? I wanted to create a space where women could work on their health in a positive, movement-based, mind-body environment that made them feel strong, supported, and seen. Read More>>

Regina Kurtz

My thought process behind creating my studio was deeply rooted in my passion for helping women feel confident and comfortable in their own skin. I’ve always believed that beauty is about more than appearance—it’s about empowerment, self-expression, and feeling good from the inside out. I wanted to create a space where women could come to relax, rejuvenate, and leave feeling like the best version of themselves. Read More>>

Marisa Factor

I knew I was good enough to go out on my own and I was tired of contributing to other people’s success versus my own. Read More>>

 Ben Merrell

I spent the first 23 years of my tattoo career working at street shops. I love the vibe and dynamic that comes with working with others, but as years have passed and my tattooing and clients evolved, I started considering a change. I wanted to focus my efforts on creating a more personalized environment, for both me and my clients, giving them the best possible experience.  Read More>>

Jordan Jensen

From an early age, I found myself naturally stepping into leadership roles—especially in group settings where I often carried the bulk of the responsibility. It wasn’t just about getting the work done; it was about ensuring it was done well. I realized early on that I had high standards and a strong work ethic, which sometimes clashed with others’ approaches. As I grew older, I came to understand that I thrive in environments where I can take initiative and maintain creative and professional control. Read More>>

 Jessica King

Yoga completely changed my life and quite simply I wanted the world to know about it! Once I got deeper into my yoga journey I knew I wanted to teach it and share it with everyone who wanted to know! Growing up in Boulder County it was clear that yoga was not accessible to so many people that needed it. For many people that needed yoga, it was too expensive, too challenging, and too mysterious to reach them. I was on a mission to change this reality and touch the lives of everyone I could with this life changing practice! Read More>>

 John & Joey Dame

We’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Over the years, we’ve owned dry cleaners (yes, the glamorous world of lint and starch!) and even franchised them. These days, we run a preschool in Parker and keep an Etsy shop humming on the side — because clearly, we don’t know how to sit still. Read More>>

Vialet B Rayne

I launched my business in 2017 after marrying my husband. I had been working really hard focused on my career in Human Resources. My career path led me to Human Resources because I loved working with people and making a difference in their life. The one aspect that I did not like was being responsible for phases of downsizing and restructuring organizations because it always impacted the people. Read More>>

Emma Clark

I started my business because I wanted more ownership over the kind of work I was doing and how I showed up for people. I had been in the events world for a while and loved the pace and creativity, but I kept feeling like there was a disconnect between what couples needed and how things were being run. Read More>>

Farrah Haase

Yoga has been a constant in my life for over 20 years—it’s not just a passion, it’s my rock. It’s something I return to again and again, especially in times of stress, uncertainty, or transition. Over the years, I’ve pursued extensive training—earning certifications in seven different styles of yoga and diving deep into yoga philosophy and the study of the nervous system. This journey wasn’t just academic—it was personal. Having navigated my own experiences with trauma and anxiety, I’ve witnessed firsthand how profoundly yoga can support healing, regulation, and reconnection with the self. Read More>>

Casey Dockstader

If I don’t do it now then I will never. My process is the same for pretty much anything I do in life. Read More>>

Christopher Rice

I spent years working in hospitality. Restaurants, bars and event companies. I worked my way up from barback and busser to bar manager, beverage director and general manager. I was looking to continue my growth when I found out we were going to have our first child. For me, family is everything. It is the reason I want to work so hard, to provide for them. Read More>>

Rachel Calomino

The thought process was fairly simple and not complicated. We knew it was a matter of when, not if. Sometimes the hardest part of making a change in your life, especially something this big, is just deciding to go for it. Once we made that decision, the rest was figuring it out as we went. Read More>> 

Matthew Sapp

I have always loved the outdoors, with hunting and fishing being my true passions. Like many, for years I’ve watched outdoor cable tv shows and now internet shows. While I enjoy them greatly, I felt that a lot of these shows lack a blueprint for the common outdoorsman. Most people that have passion for these outdoor activities do not have the time or resources to have the same experiences you would normally see on any of these programs. Read More>>

Eric Goodman

I owned a business before I started Your FUNdraising Team, so I was very aware of the positives and negatives of being an entrepreneur. I understood the amount of time and effort it would take it get it up and running, but I also felt confident in my core knowledge of how I wanted to build it, I was also fortunate to have many smart people around me in which I was able to bounce ideas, in order to help me make the best decisions in order to build and grow the company Read More>>

Joel Lindeman D.C.

I had worked for another Chiropractor for 5 years and it was a great experience. I just knew that in order to serve and help people the exact way I wanted to, and as many people as I wanted to, I would need to open my own practice.
Additionally, I recently opened The Birdie Bay-a state of the art indoor golf simulator business. I wanted to open that business because I love indoor golf and I wanted to create a one-of-a kind private “lounge-like” atmosphere where people of all skill levels could play, practice and improve their golf game. Read More>>

Madison Sapp

I had some health issues come up in November of 2024 and had to leave my nanny job. I was beyond bummed and confused at what was happening but I knew there was something good to come out of it. With that I wanted to start something I can do from home, make my own hours, that I’m passionate about and that will impact others! I’ve been a baker my whole life and I’ve always dreamed of owning my own bakery! Read More>>