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.

Delilah Aratani | Manager and Bookseller

The Narrow Gauge Book Cooperative is a multi-owner cooperative. In 2018, the Narrow Gauge Newsstand, which hand been in Alamosa for over 40 years, announced that it was going out of business. A passionate and engaged community immediately came together to problem solve and the solution was to form a cooperative. The community fund raised, gathered book donations, and by August of 2018, the Narrow Gauge Book Cooperative opened its doors. As of January 2025, we have 111 owners who all share the common goal of promoting community and literacy in the San Luis Valley. The thought process involved was simply this: the community needs a bookstore, so we found a way to open a bookstore that has serving the community as its core goal. Read more>>

Tiffany Lin | Outdoor Enthusiast, Content Creator and Blogger

When I first started Follow Tiff’s Journey, there wasn’t a detailed plan or strategic business model—it all unfolded organically from my unexpected passion for hiking and the outdoors. What began as a personal journal and simple social media sharing quickly transformed into something much more significant. I found myself not only documenting my own experiences for myself but also creating a space to share transformative adventures and inspire others to explore beyond their comfort zones. The blog became a space to share the adventures and help others get out and explore on their own. Read more>>

Kelsey Burrows | Certified Mental Performance Coach (CMPC)

There are many reasons that go into my “why” for starting Unchained Mental Performance Coaching. One of the main reasons I wanted to get into the field of Sport Psychology was primarily to help athletes become grounded in their identity, whether that was from their faith background or something other than sport. I, myself, was a Junior Olympic gymnast for a quarter of my life and had a career ending injury that shook the very foundation of my identity. Additionally, I’ve had my own experience with a Sport Psychologist (shout out to Gail, you’re the best!). My personal faith journey aided in finding my identity in Jesus too. I decided to build my own practice from there. Read more>>

Christian Thew | Business Owner & Artist

I initially started my business when I was 13. I had broken my hip and wasn’t able to do much since I couldn’t walk. I started making hand-painted minifigures. I had accumulated so many that I had the idea to start selling them. I asked my mom, who owns her own business, how I could start selling them. She loaned me $300 and I used that to get supplies, and a table at a local craft show. I ended up making that money back and more! I paid back my mom and put the rest into my business. Over these last 6 years I’ve grown from minifigures into custom POP figures, action figures, completely original figures, my own art production company for all non “figure” related creations I make, and more! Read more>>

Lyssa Zawalski | Postpartum Doula

To be ever so frank, Postpartum care and support in the United States is abhorrent. Birthing people are mistreated, under-diagnosed, under-resourced, and gaslit. As a country, we are sorely undereducated about how a birthing person’s body works, about what extraordinary things happen to bring a child earth-side. For example: Did you know that human milk is a uniquely concocted every single time based on the properties of the babies saliva as it reaches the nipples? Mammary glands are able to identify what vitamins or antibodies a baby needs based on their spit alone. Read more>>

Drew Schettler | Filmmaker

I wanted to pursue more creative freedom. As an artist freedom to express my vision was crucial. While owning my own business has it’s challenges, the flexibility to create my own schedule and call my own shots makes every ounce of opposition worth it. My main purpose to venture out on my own started with independence but it also underscored my passion to create emotional stories for clients all around the country. Read more>>

Melanie Newkirk | Horse Trainer and Horseback Riding Instructor

Starting my own business happened pretty organically. I was working for another horse trainer/riding instructor in the area and when COVID occurred we had to adapt. Clients and their horses moved to different locations. I wanted to be able to continue to help some of my clients that relocated, acquire my own insurance, which led to my own business. Read more>>

Michelle Peoples | Chef and Owner

Opening my own business has been a long time coming for me and 2023 was the year I finally decided to make it a reality. When I started my career out of culinary school it seemed like a no brainer to have my own restaurant some day, as most people early on did. However, the constant grind, lack of work life balance and the looming fact that 1 in 3 restaurants shuttered by year one was enough for me to doubt myself. I continued to grow in my career, working with some amazing chefs and had some awesome job opportunities and loved the ability to take breaks at times and travel. Fast forward to 2022 when I met my significant other and now business partner and everything seemed to fall into place. He was in the process of selling his 6 Jimmy Johns franchises that his brother and him had owned and operated for 13 years and I was closing down a restaurant that just couldn’t make it. Read more>>

Sam Graffeo Gardner | Pediatric Dentist

When I was finishing up residency, my family and I desperately wanted to move back to Boulder where we had lived for several years before leaving for residency. I found a great practice to join and had planned to buy in and become the owner. When the time came, the practice was bid on by another practice & since I didn’t have the financial backing of a practice I couldn’t out-bid the offer. But I live in Boulder, my kids go to school here, we had planned all along on staying and I wanted to practice dentistry where I live. The reason I wanted to become a pediatric dentist in the first place was to be an involved member of my community; the help the children in my community and watch them grow up; I like seeing my patients at the grocery store or while out hiking. Read more>>

Amber & Jenna Grob & Derosa | Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner & Licensed Professional Counselor

Like many others, we were frustrated with obtaining services and navigating the complexities of the American health care system. Specifically mental health care, we wanted an environment where people felt clear and comfortable asking for help, scheduling appointments and getting the care they needed in an efficient way. We wanted to change the way mental health was delivered. We wanted to provide a clinic where providers felt like they were making a difference, had autonomy and financial security. Read more>>

Evan Hunter Blumenthal | Occupational therapist & practice owner

A few different factors influenced my thought process behind starting an occupational and speech therapy practice: my passion for using a neurodiversity-affirming approach, my desire to implement positive change in the profession (e.g., salarying full-time clinicians instead of paying per hour or session, paying clinicians for cancelations, offering more PTO than average, creating a culture that naturally lends to work-life balance, etc), and the observed need in the greater Boulder community for these services. Read more>>

Deandre Smith | Chef & Content Creator

The thought process for me starting the Chef Cool Dre brand, was to Give people the opportunity to experience an in-home chef at a reasonable price. I understood that I would always be in business because people needed to eat. And I felt that I could solve peoples problems Taking away one of the most tedious jobs when preparing for the holidays, birthdays, and vacations. Read more>>

Claudia Godinez | Owner and artist at Paper Heart Tattoo

I have been in the tattoo industry for about nine years now, and a majority of that time has been spent working in somebody else’s shop. I opened Paper Heart Tattoo in December of 2022 as a private studio so I could create my own environment for my clients. I wanted to create a shop that is calm, safe and no one will judge you. Some of the things I have experience walking into tattoo shops as a client, have not been very welcoming but I want you to feel right at home in my space. I feel that tattoos should be a very personal and professional experience between you and your artist. I have taken a lot of feedback from my clients and used that to help shape my business and I want all of our clients to feel equally as respected as they treat us. I’m grateful for the lessons I have learned over the past few years because that really helped me to see the areas where a shop could be better. Read more>>

Nick Mcgough | Outdoor Enthusiast

Moving to Denver, I hoped to find an existing LGBTQIA+ outdoor community, but quickly realized there was a real void. During a solo hike, I began to consider why this was the case and recognized a lack of exposure to outdoor activities within the queer community. This inspired me to take action and create The Out Scout—a community dedicated to providing education and building a safe, judgment-free space where all LGBTQIA+ individuals can connect with nature and experience its many benefits. While we’re currently focused on building a strong local community through simple meetups, our ultimate goal is to expand our impact by becoming a non-profit that provides vital outdoor education and resources to youth and underserved groups. Read more>>

Dedo Kwamina | Brand Owner & IT Project Manager

The concept behind Urban Poison was rooted in a vision to create a lifestyle and clothing brand that seamlessly blends style, functionality, and purpose. By focusing on athleisure and athletic wear, the brand aimed to cater to urban communities with designs that promote not only physical activity but also a proactive approach to health and wellness. The emphasis on preventative healthcare underscored a commitment to empowering individuals to take charge of their well-being while looking and feeling their best. Urban Poison sought to redefine urban fashion by making health-conscious living both accessible and stylish. Read more>>

Christine Van Anderson | Pre/Postnatal Personal Trainer & Group Instructor

As a personal trainer with years of experience in both training other women and taking care of myself, having a baby absolutely rocked my world. I had a very fit and healthy pregnancy which ended in an emergency C-section. I found the recovery from an emergency C-section incredibly difficult. Even as a trainer with 7+ years of experience, I had absolutely no idea where to start on how to heal my core, workout safely post-surgery recovery period, and felt completely disconnected from my body. I found some online resources which were amazing, but I felt completely isolated and alone. I wanted to be around other women going through the same thing as me, but couldn’t find a class or gym in my area I felt fit what I was looking for. I wanted to lift weights, rebuild my core, not have to worry about childcare, and meet other women like me. Read more>>

Liz Sanders | Blurred Words Owner

After spending years working for other people, it was time for a change. I always dreamed of opening my own bookstore one day. The time was right to start the process. I wanted to create something unique. I wanted to create a haven for booknerds and introverts who want to go out but not be overwhelmed by noise and large crowds. This vision culminated in Blurred Words – a used bookstore with a speakeasy style bar. Read more>>