Our community is comprised of some absolutely brilliant entrepreneurs and so we asked a few of them to tell us the story of how they came up with the ideas for their business.

Courtney Graham | Independent licenced cosmetologist. Owner of Teased Taurus LLC

With a license in cosmetology there are so many different paths to take and expand on. I’ve always wanted to be my own boss, and create my own schedule. While spending 15 months in school I had plenty of time to consider what I wanted to do. Creating my own business allows me to expand my cosmetology path any direction I choose. It took me a while to decide on my business name. Teased Taurus LLC was chosen because my zodiac sign is a Taurus and I added “Teased” because it’s an other term for “back combing” which is a way to finish some style outs. Read more>>

Paula & Lawrence Jaconetta | Entrepreneurs

There was a small little taco shack sitting on the end Main Street in Oak Creek, CO. It was not in use the first 4 years we moved to Oak Creek. We made contact with the property manager at the time and got under a rental agreement to use the space for summer tacos and burritos. We absolutely love tacos and wanted to do them our way. My husband Lawrence came up with all the recipes for our tacos and burritos and not a thing has changed with that since the day we started. The business itself has changed and grown dramatically over the last 14 years. Read more>>

Alyssa Troncoso | Hair Extension Specialist & Hair Stylist

Being in the cosmetology industry, you see the same concepts over and over. Hair is 90% of the industry, but I wanted more. Owning this salon and making it more than just hair styling came to be by adding quality hair and body products, accessories, and gifts. For myself and my guests, my biggest concern was making my business feel welcome and comfortable. I stepped out of my comfort zone so others didn’t have to and could have the best experience possible. I wanted my guest artists to also feel right at home. Having space for guest artists encouraged the growth I desired for this salon. Read more>>

Jo Khatavkar | Rocker Baker Mom

I’m married to a fella from Mumbai, India, and we have a four year-old son. I’ve been cooking Indian food since we were married in 2015. I loved coming up with new recipes using what I had learned from my husband and I cooking our palak daal over and over again. My teaching career ended during the pandemic. I was exhausted of working for others and putting myself and my family on the backburner. This was THE time to give this small business idea a shot, but I needed to start it without costing an arm and a leg. BAM! Becoming a Cottage Food Baker was my way in. But due to the many restrictions on what I could create and sell, I needed to stick with sweet baked goods, so I had to think. Read more>>