We reached out to some of our favorite entrepreneurs and asked them to think back and tell us about how they decided to start a business. Check out their responses below.

Stephen Bucher | Owner of Diamondship Mechanical

I wanted to start my own business for several reasons. My wife and I have been mentored for several years by a highly successful couple on the board of a multi-billion dollar company. They have always taught me that control of time and money begins with ownership. If individuals do not take advantage of free enterprise, they miss out on one of this country’s greatest gifts. By owning my own business, I can take control of my future and drive it to whatever level I desire. With ownership, you lose the theoretical protective “safety net floor” of employment but also remove the cap. I can get paid for what I produce, not the hours I sell to another. Read more>>

Diane and Rachel Cohen | Jewelry designers

Our thought process behind starting our own business was that we loved making jewelry (specifically bracelets) and wanted to share our love for wearing bracelets with others. We are a mother/daughter small business and Diane (mom) purchased a leather bracelet she loved. She wanted to learn how to make more bracelets like her favorite one and researched and found a wholesale suppliers of the findings and leather that was needed. Read more>>

Bradley Weaver | husband, father, musician, and teacher

I once read that the day a hobby becomes a business is the day you decide to involve other people. For most musicians, like it or not, that is the day they decide their music is worth sharing. For a long time, I struggled with charging for my art and felt guilty for doing so, but the day I recognized that I was providing a service and deserved to be paid for that service, was a very important day. Read more>>

Xavier Bravo | Chicano Climber & Escaladores Unidos Founder

My relationship with “the outdoors” was always centered around sharing an experience with people. Growing up, I had a fairly large family and we often found ourselves without a home that could fit us all for gatherings so we used public parks as a place of celebration. Although my childhood in the suburbs of Chicago was not filled with memories of frolicking through a forest, wading in a river, or climbing up a mountain, I spent my time outside as a way to deepen relationships and create memories with other individuals. Read more>>

Parker Hurley | Designer and Movement Professional

I began Keeprwear for a few reasons… -It was my job to model clothing for nearly a decade. I’d often throw on an incredible jacket or neat pair of boots that I loved but I never felt that way about basic staples like t-shirts and tank-tops. All the tees and tanks I tried on were either covered in branding, irresponsibly made, or they fell apart. I wanted to create something that looked good on everyone, fit well, could be worn for just about anything, and something that would last. Read more>>

Cynthia Nardulli | Custom Cake & Dessert Artist, Wife and Mother

Starting my own business was not really a long term goal for me initially. It was a process that evolved over many years and through a few different career paths. I have always been creative and used that aspect of my personality as an outlet to calm my mind and express myself. In high school I would create elaborate full page doodles and from there it evolved into a variety of other creative outlets (sewing, baking, dancing). I never put a major focus on that part of myself though and always regarded those aspects of my personality has hobbies. Read more>>

Mark Parobeck | Hotel and Restaurant Owner & writer and film maker (when there is time)

Our family was looking for a cabin in the woods near a ski resort in the Adirondack Mountains in New York State. We ended up buying a run down hotel. The price was right and we knew there would be work. But we had experience in renovating Victorian houses in Saratoga Springs, NY, which is a summer horse racing town. So we took the leap, in part because of our growing family. With younger children, who at the time were 5 and 6, we felt that no matter what, they would experience growing of a business. Read more>>

Bruce Poinsette | Writer

I had been working as a reporter before I made the plunge to write for myself full time in 2014. Journalism was already a topsy turvy industry and frankly, I wasn’t making enough to move out of my parents’ house. In my short time as a reporter, I identified a lot of demand for writing from institutions and businesses that aligned with either my values and/or creative interests. When I decided to take a chance on myself, I saw a higher ceiling for both income and leveraging my writing to feed my sense of purpose. Read more>>

Hannah Larson | Counselor & Coach

I worked for a healthcare organization during covid. Due to the nature of covid, we were asked to see more clients in less time and were not offered support. As a result, I found myself becoming depressed. I also could not provide the level of service I wanted to give clients due to the constraints of my job. I knew I needed to leave. I started to think about all the times when I took a leap of faith, and things worked out. I had always dreamed of opening a coaching business to empower people to harness the power of their intuition to lead their best life. Read more>>

Daphne Downen | Coffee House Proprietor

This is such an easy question for me because I LOVE coffee – It’s my passion. I have been in most aspects of the restaurant business for most of my life and although I had never really thought of owning a coffee shop (that I remembered), this opportunity was presented to me at the right time in my life. I was living in California with a great job but had been looking for a way to move back to my home town in Colorado. I had been away for about 23 years, my parents were getting older and I wanted to be nearer to them as they aged. Read more>>

Johnny Malfara | Entrepreneur

Ever since entering the workforce I knew I wanted to go into business for myself. There’s nothing wrong with working for other people, I just knew it wasn’t for me. I heard a quote when I was younger that has always stuck with me. “Build your dream otherwise someone will hire you to help build theirs” I knew I would put in more hours and work harder if it were for myself. Having a problem with authority didn’t help haha. Read more>>

Althea Hrdlichka | Midwife, CPM, LM, RM

Being a business owner/entrepreneur was just in my blood. From my Greek grandfather coming over from Greece, to my mom starting and owning multiple businesses. I learned from a young age how to create a masterpiece and love what you while doing so, you have to create it yourself, the way you see fit. Starting my particular business really called me to it, not me to it. So I just followed my calling! Read more>>