Thinking through whether to start a business – whether to take the risk, whether to go out on your own – isn’t easy. So we asked some entrepreneurs we admire to tell us about how they thought through the process of starting a business.

Jennifer Padgett

Honestly? My business started almost by accident. I was painting and making dream catchers—just creating for the love of it, with no real plan to turn it into something bigger. But the more I made, the more I realized how much I loved the process of transforming raw materials into something meaningful.

Then I started working with wire and stones, and everything just clicked. It felt like the perfect balance of strength and delicacy, structure and flow—kind of like the way I see the world. At that point, it wasn’t just about making art; it was about crafting something that carried a story, a bit of wild energy that people could take with them. Read More>>

Sarah Carlson

The idea of starting my own business really grew from childhood memories—baking cookies with my mom and sisters in the kitchen. It was always more than just making a treat; it was about connection, creativity, and joy. Over the years, that love for baking never went away. I kept dreaming about taking the next step, turning something so personal into something bigger—something I could share with others. Starting Quinnie’s Cookies felt like the natural evolution of that dream: a way to spread happiness, one gooey, delicious cookie at a time! Read More>>

Adam

The first question I had to answer was can I make enough money to support the family. We have a large family of 9. Then I asked my self can I perform in such a way that people will be pleased with the work I do. As it turned out I could do both and the demand is there but making a name for yourself is not easy and it takes a lot of perseverance. Read More>>

Destiny Kitchen

I’ve never been someone who saw myself having a conventional job; as a child I dreamed of having a job I could do anywhere. I also wanted to do something that I had full creative control over. I learned my photography skills as a teenager, and with my husband’s work, (he’s in the military), it occured to me that I could make my childhood dreams a reality. Read More>>

Tommy Harris

I grew up playing various sports, but baseball was my passion, and I have always loved the game. Following the conclusion of my playing career I had a great desire to teach youth athletes and push them to achieve their goals. I began coaching competitive softball right after my college baseball career ended and fell in love. Read More>>

Daniel F. Smith

Starting NoCoYO in 2020 was a response to both a moment of crisis and a long-term vision. At the time, the pandemic had disrupted nearly every part of my students’ lives, especially in the arts. I saw how much young musicians were craving connection, purpose, and creativity and I didn’t want them to lose momentum or inspiration. So we began fully-masked, safely spaced, making music in a way that adapted to the moment, but didn’t lower our expectations. Read More>>

Dr. Devyn Lee

I wanted to build a healing space where people feel safe, supported, and truly seen. So many of us are navigating stress, chronic symptoms, or emotional weight, and I wanted Root and Branch Acupuncture to be a place where people could finally exhale and begin to heal on a deeper level.

I also felt a strong calling to share the wisdom and power of Chinese medicine. Acupuncture has so much potential to transform health and well-being, and I wanted to create a space where patients feel empowered and educated about their own healing process. Root and Branch is a reflection of everything I believe in: personalized care, deep listening, and a commitment to walking alongside people on their journey—wherever they’re starting from. Read More>>

Kaili Gallegos

I started my own business because I wanted to help people and felt there was a gap in the fitness industry. I had worked with a mentor who taught me a lot about personal training and building a business. She also introduced me to adaptive fitness training for people with disabilities. My mentor had a paralyzed client that she taught me how to train and when she felt I was ready, she allowed me to take over his training full time.  Read More>>

Stephanie Dunn

I own the only physician-led Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine practice in Colorado. I am a general pediatrician and had been in practice for over 10 years. I knew the ins and outs of the biz pretty well, and a lot of it didn’t make sense to me. Like, 20 minute visits to spend with a newborn and their new parents? More focus on checklists and documentation and less focus on relationships? I loved being a pediatrician, but, in order to do justice to my career, I had to reinvent myself as a caretaker. Breastfeeding has always been a passion. It’s the first relationship for a baby, and it takes time to learn – Read More>>

Tyler Shafer

When I decided to start my own business, it came from two things: a drive to help my clients more effectively, and the realization that I couldn’t do that while working under someone else’s system. I had developed a specific modality through years of hands-on work and observation, and I wanted to build a space where that method could be practiced without compromise. Read More>>

Renae McBride

In 2008 my mother developed psoriasis, she tried many doctors, creams, and medications. She came across natural soap as an option to help ease the effects of her condition. I never heard of, “natural soap” I started to do research and then took a natural soap-making class at the community college. From there I went to herbalism school to learn the properties of plants, essential oils, and how they can help our bodies in the natural healing process. I then developed my own soap recipe through trial and error that took 2 years to develop. Read More>>

Tara Atwood

I think it’s a common thought that business owners feel like they’re unemployable in a sense, not because we’re bad workers, but because we have creative minds. We’re always thinking of new ideas to implement, we’re always finding new ways to do things and finding different ways to better workflow, we’re constantly trying to make improvements. Being in a position where I get to implement my ideas without restriction (outside of the law) is really what motivated me to start my own business. I wanted to impact my community and help people with this big life change and ease their stress to the best of my abilities. Read More>>

 Elizabeth Kurpanek

I have always been an entrepreneur – I started filming weddings in 2015, but when I borrowed my friend and her Yorkie to practice with a new gimbal, an idea was born. Nobody was making pet films, but when Huey passed away, that silly practice video became so precious to my friend. It didn’t matter how many photos and videos she took on her phone of her little dog. None of them captured her and Huey together like our session did. From there, I knew that I needed to pursue this idea for other pet parents. Read More>>

Salina Edwards

I didn’t always want to start my own business. As someone who loves sneakers. I wanted to work for Nike, New Balance or Adidas. However, while in college during my undergraduate and graduate years, I started a few initiatives on campus and started to think about how we can create our own opportunities rather than waiting on someone else to hire us. I found it daunting to apply to jobs and not hear back or get rejected, so I thought in the meantime I could create something. Read More>>

Wayne Mitchell

I retired from the army after 21.5 years, then I went to school for pharmacy technician. Became a certified pharmacy tech and began working at a hospital here in Co springs. I really liked the job but the work ethic of coworkers honestly made my mind up for me and I started a lawn care business that was pretty successful but then I was introduced into the realm of travel and I hadn’t looked back Read More>>

 Megan Bortner

Labyrinth Digital was born from a mix of experience, purpose, and a desire to do things differently. I had spent 10 years in corporate America, where I learned a ton of best practices and best-in-class methodologies. That experience gave me a solid foundation, but over time, I started to feel disconnected from the work. I wanted to actually feel the impact of what I was doing and have a more direct relationship with the people behind the brands. Read More>>