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.

Coralynn Mooney

I’ve always believed that the way we present our work shapes the way it’s valued. Early in my career, I saw too many incredible women building businesses that didn’t visually reflect the quality, expertise, or vision behind them. They were doing the hard work but settling for generic branding and forgettable online spaces. Read More>>

Laura Delo

It all started with making earrings for my sister. From there I kept creating more and more, and at some point I thought to myself, “This could actually be a fun little side business.” At the time, I was stuck in a horrible 9–5 job and needed something that brought me joy — and making EarBobs DC gave me that outlet. The fact that it also helped supplement my income was the bonus that made me take it seriously. What began as a creative escape has grown into a true passion and a brand I’m proud to keep building every day. Read More>> 

Sharon Ballinger

Since I travel alot anyway, I might as well earn some discounts, points, etc. and then I learned that there are a lot of Travel Advisors that don’t care about the responsibility we have to our clients. I believe that when people trust me with their money, to exchange it into memories that this is a tremendous responsisibility. Those memories will be made only once, can never be repeated and people deserve someone to assist them that takes that very seriously. Read More>> 

Jarod Reyes

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had the goal of working for myself and being my own boss. I’m not exactly sure where that drive came from, but the idea of running my own business always felt right. When I was running restaurants, I gained a lot of confidence in my leadership and determination, which reinforced that vision. Later, I moved into a branding role, where I spent several years building connections and reigniting my passion for art and design. After consulting with a few friends and industry partners, I decided to just go for it. With a business model that required minimal overhead, I saw it as a low-risk opportunity—and even if it didn’t succeed, I knew I’d walk away with valuable experience. Read More>> 

Drew Bartels

My wife and I started this business because we wanted to create something that would have a positive impact in our community. We both know from firsthand experience the power that music can have on your and we wanted to give that opportunity to those around us. We wanted to create a community of musicians who were experiencing the joy of music in a well supported and encouraging environment. A place where music is the conduit for healing and growth, expression and confidence building, and character and leadership development. Read More>> 

Valerie Carpenter

Starting Pride in Pixels was deeply personal and intentional. I’ve always been drawn to the power of photography to tell stories—especially the ones that often go unseen or underrepresented. I wanted to create a space where everyone could feel seen, celebrated, and safe in front of the camera. My business specializes in lifestyle photography that captures the unique, beautiful, adventurous, and timeless love of all people. Read More>> 

Kelly Crossley

I’ve worked in corporate America for my entire adult career. In 2022, I decided to leave corporate and take some time for me. This time allowed me to witness where my passions and interests were naturally. I found myself aligning with vintage items. I started reselling online and quickly realized having an actual storefront would be the next best step. Read More>> 

Sheenam Bhatia

My consulting background equipped me with skills in market analysis, strategic planning, financial management, and operations—key for running a successful retail franchise.
My experience in the housing remodel and restoration industry gives me practical knowledge of home improvement products, customer needs, and trends in the DIY and home repair market, making ACE Hardware a natural extension of my expertise. Read More>> 

Nicole / Elisa Penner-Landgraf / Johnson

A little backstory: We first met in our graduate program and became close throughout our years there. After a couple years in the field working in private practice we realized we shared a mutual dream of owning our own business where we could have more control and autonomy over our professional development. We were excited to explore the idea and pursue this journey that would allow for us to make decisions based on our passions and how we wanted to provide mental health support to members of our community. Read More>> 

Krysta Pozsgai

Long before Limonaire Events officially launched in the September of 2024, I had been planning and coordinating events simply through word of mouth. Friends, family members, and even acquaintances would reach out for help with their special occasions, and I was always excited to be involved. After each event, I was met with an outpouring of gratitude and compliments—people kept telling me, “You really should do this for a living.” Read More>> 

Ali Schroer

When I look at the mental health landscape, I found that so many supports are on the reactive side of well-being. The response and reactive side to mental health is incredibly necessary as people face challenges, and is why I still have my private practice to support children and families at Schroer Counseling and Consulting. The proactive side of mental health, however, is a bit novel. I looked at my own private practice and thought, “there has to be a better way to get ahead of some of this. Can we arm people sooner with ways to support their own mental health and well-being using evidence-based practices and research?” That question led me to start Mental Scope Consulting. Read More>>

Rachel McDonald, Sydney Bennett

Our journey started with the many questions we received from our own friends, family, and the parents and caregivers we worked with. We saw how overwhelmed they felt and how much they wanted trustworthy, practical guidance for their baby’s development. Recognizing the need for clear, accessible, and research-based information, we set out to create resources that could address parents’ biggest concerns and help them feel confident every step of the way, while empowering them to play and have fun at the same time! Read More>> 

Liddy Romero

Previous to Romero Cookies, I founded and was CEO of a national social enterprise HQed out of Denver, called WorkLife Partnership. I’ve been an entrepreneur for 16 years prior.

I am a 4th generation entrepreneur (and now baker!), and even though I was born and raised in one of the poorest counties in America, I saw the promise and freedom through owning your own business. My family opened up their bakery in 1981, the year I was born, so it’s been a part of me since birth! Read More>> 

Monika Celly

For me, starting my business wasn’t just about food-it was about connection. Growing up in India, food was always more than nourishment; it carried culture, traditions, and love. When I moved to Colorado Springs, I realized there was so much curiosity about Indian cuisine, but also a gap in authentic, approachable ways to experience it. That’s what sparked Polka Dots & Curry.
My thought process was simple: I wanted to create something that blended two of my passions- teaching and cooking.I asked myself—how can I help people feel comfortable cooking Indian meals at home, while also sharing the deeper cultural stories behind the spices and traditions?  Read More>> 

Blenda Cooper

I’ve always been a leader and do my most quality work when my tasks are self-directed. My father was an entrepreneur who ran an appliance business and I was inspired by him. When I was in high school, I first learned about a career as a fitness trainer and I dreamt of helping others exercise in my own space with no boss. Read More>> 

Laia Jorba Galdos

When I first considered my professional path, opening a private practice was not the first idea that came to mind. Over the years, I participated in a variety of other business ventures and even owned with my business partner a training center dedicated to community mental health, where I was deeply engaged in collective, mission-driven work and guiding/mentoring other clinicians. These experiences shaped my understanding of what it means to create impact through collaboration and service.  Read More>> 

Chris Johnson

I had spent several years working in fine dining, including independent restaurants and hotels, and had unintentionally put myself on a track to work on my own. As I knew that I wanted to work for myself, I decided to gain even more experience in Michelin starred kitchens in New York and Chicago to fine tune my skills and to learn more about hospitality. I realized that working in restaurant kitchens as an employee was not a long term career goal of mine – the income potential being limited was one reason, but also the fact that I would be cooking someone else’s menu, and being stuck in the monotony of the schedule.  Read More>> 

Gina Schreck

After working alone from home for 15 years, I had built a team of 12 marketing professionals and we were looking for an office to come together at least a few days a week. Everywhere we looked was either bland, or cold and too corporate feeling. We were joking one day saying we should open our own shared workspace and only have fun entrepreneurs allowed to work with us. We wanted a workspace that felt like a home, was inviting for people who had to bring their kids to work at times, and was centered around hospitality and encouragement for other entrepreneurs. Read More>> 

Howard “Cork” Hayden

Well, as a money-making business, it is no success. I write a monthly newsletter about energy, and it’s a bit too technical for the general public. I just started my 30th year (the 26th since retirement). The whole idea was to consider all sources of energy with enough detail so that specialists in one field could get a good grounding in another, yet without getting too much into the weeds. For example, all energy sources that are ultimately due to the sun should be evaluated on the basis of how much energy they produce in a year on how much land area. Read More>>