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.

Meghan Clarisse Cave | Musician

I’ve always played music and written songs and it was a goal of mine to someday record so of them. I finally did that and put a phenomenal band together. It wasn’t ever a question of if I would do it but just a question if when. Read more>>

Yumilka Soto | Architectural Interior Designer

The thought of starting my own business was a combination of feelings, to be honest, It was my passion, ambition, and desire for independence, the drivers that encouraged me to do it! Starting a business also allowed me to pursue my personal and professional goals on my own terms, and the potential for financial success was an added motivation. Ultimately, I wanted to build a legacy and contribute to the growth and development of my chosen industry. The beginning was the scariest process I ever have gone through, the fear of the unknown and at the same time the hunger to succeed in my field and show my family that I did it. Read more>>

Lili & Alex Pham & Lunt | Nettle Studios

Alex and I started Nettle Studios back in 2016 while we were working in the fashion industry and found that we missed the truly creative process we had in art school. We missed the physical sourcing of fabric, the draping of garments on form, and we just missed the freedom of creating what we wanted, when we wanted. At the time we were both gravitating towards linen clothing and the feel of linen against our skin, but we couldn’t find many options locally that gave us the right “fit experience”. The easiest way we saw to get what we wanted, was to make it ourselves. We’ve grown a lot over the last few years, and we like to think that we’re adding a bit of joy into the world. We focus primarily on fun, bright, comfortable fabric in fun, comfortable, and cool shapes that work on every single body type. Read more>>

Madhoo Seth | Owner and Culinary Artist

I was motivated by the desire to exercise my creativity and independence, seeking the freedom to work for myself and the flexibility to spend time with my family when I launched my business back in 2002, and at the time I had two very young children. The idea of being my own boss was a significant driving force. Read more>>

Aryonna Richard | Brand Consultant & PR Specialist

I started Silver Light Media in 2012 during the rise of Facebook Business Pages and website importance. I was in college at Boise State University, studying to be an English writing major. I quickly fell in love with the freedom, creativity, and endless opportunities online mediums could provide businesses and consumers. Before starting my own company, I worked at a traditional marketing firm. I noticed there needed to be more focus on content creation and interest in generating a return on investment with this newer marketing style if I was going to prove the worth of focusing on online medias instead of print, radio, or
other traditional techniques. Read more>>

Donna Silber | Owner and General Manager, School of Rock, Fort Collins and Loveland

We were finally in a position to make this choice as we only had one child left in college. Chuck had always wanted to do something with music as he has been a musician since he was a toddler and with Donna’s business skills, Chuck’s business skills and Chuck’s music background they felt that School of Rock was the best fit. The program truly changes lives and we wanted to provide that for the Fort Collins and surrounding communities. Read more>>

Fabricio Zanatello | Founder & Owner/Creative Director of Lazarus Productions

The thought process behind starting my business LAZARUS PRODUCTIONS is first, be a Christ centered business to build his kingdom, and second was/is to walk along small businesses and solve their biggest problem… basic marketing exposure. Our mission statement at LAZARUS PRODUCTIONS is “We’re here to bring your business image BACK TO LIFE!” One of the things that has always been in my heart is to uplift businesses and provide them a smooth and enjoyable experience and bring their business products to life. There is some business owners who don’t have those tools or the time to accomplish their multimedia needs, and that’s where we come in to remove that stress from their shoulders and provide them with results that are above their expectations! Read more>>

Mariel Hansen | Mother & Photographer

I have always loved taking photos (my phone camera has over 70,000 snaps if that tells you anything), but after I had kids, I really recognized the importance of capturing the little moments on camera. It’s so special to me to be able to look back through the photos I’ve taken of my own kids and relive the sweet, real, moments. Being a stay-at-home mom is the biggest honor and blessing-I love being able to spend extra time with my kids and soak in the moments that seem to pass too quickly. I wanted to start a photography business so I could help other people to capture those same memorable moments in their lives! I love having the honor of creating “forever snapshots” for my clients. Read more>>