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.

Sabrina Rodriguez Bouzekri | Home Baker

I honestly did not plan on starting a business, at least not this soon. But when I saw the demand, how fast the success spread and how eager people were to try my cookies, I knew I had to get Twinkle Treats off the ground as soon as I could legally do so! I was eagerly waiting on my work permit which came barely 2 weeks before I officially registered my business. Read more>>

Kara McManigal | CEO & Jewelry Designer

I have always wanted to have my own business, and I have tried a few times in the past in different industries, but they weren’t quite right. I was due with our fourth child in January and had quit working. I needed something to focus on at home that could generate income and also stimulate my creativity. It was always my dream to do something crafty and making jewelry felt like it would be right up my alley, and it was. Read more>>

Lynn Doan | Co-Founder & Dentist and Kha Nguyen, Co-Founder & Dentist

We started our own business because we saw a need for change in how dental care was being done. We noticed that people often dreaded going to the dentist, and this stuck with us after working in other practices. This inspired us to create a dental office that would change people’s perception of dental care, where patients could feel comfortable and well-cared for. Read more>>

Diane Goosen | Author

When my son was 3, he was diagnosed with mild autism. This was in 1985 when very few people had anny knowledge of autism and I scrounged around for every bit of information I could find. All of it was depressing. But in spite of Mikey’s disability, he could be hilarious. I loved reading humorous parenting stories but the authors always had “normal” kids. So I started writing funny stories about Mikey antics and ultimately turned them into a book. Read more>>

Matthew Cooper | Cooper’s Furs and 6th Day Creations – Owner

From a young age (8), I knew I was being called to a job in the outdoor industry. At that time in 1990 all I could imagine was a Fisheries and Wildlife Biologist for the State of Oklahoma. In my late teen years I was able to volunteer and eventually work as a paid intern, all the while working on my Fisheries and Wildlife B.S. degree from Northeaster State University. Read more>>

Shannon Piker | E-RYT 500 Yoga Teacher + Certified Women’s Guidance Facilitator

Absolutely, I’d be delighted to share the journey that led me to start my own business, The Connection Co+Op. The spark ignited from a deeply personal place – a fusion of my own healing journey, a passion for yoga, and a yearning to foster genuine connections within a supportive community. Read more>>

Rosa Miranda | wife|mom|dog mom|

Dogs are family. I’ve always been passionate about them and after adopting my dog Lola, my life changed for the better. I wanted to give Lola a long and happy life – but after some time I noticed she began having health issues. Naturally, I started doing research on what factors contributed to a dog’s health, and of course, food played a critical role. Read more>>

Walter Seegrist | Ceo of Wallyzweldingworld

I was at a point in my life I either was going to continue to search for a company with employment or become the company that people came to for employment. Read more>>

Angie Viehman | CEO & Founder

I fell into the business world unintentionally. I was an artist who majored in sociology and philosophy. After college, I wanted to create programs that empowered women and underserved groups. My bleeding heart entered the field when non-profit budgets were being cut. I put my dreams on hold to take a position in the buying offices at one of the largest for-profit companies in my home state. Read more>>

Will Weeks | Photographer

I wanted to build something that was my own. I wanted to work everyday towards achieving the goals that I set for myself rather than those set for me by an employer. I wanted to learn new thigs and spend my time doing things I enjoyed. Running my own business has always been a dream of mine. Growing up, my father was (and still is) a children’s musician. Seeing him pursue his dream every day inspired me to do the same with my life and showed me that it was actually possible. Read more>>

Christopher Whyrick | Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture Physician, Polarity Therapist, Registered Herbalist

In the practice of medicine, unlike other business, it is typical to establish yourself as a sole practitioner or a practitioner within a group practice. The fact that we each have a national practitioner identification, or NPI number, allows us to act in a soul fashion in my opinion. Having worked for having work for more senior practitioners in a group practice, I came to the conclusion that my style was individually motivated as we find in the practice of Chinese medicine. Read more>>