How did you decide to start a business?

Aubrey Ridd

My partner and I, along with my child, took a vacation to Ireland this year. I remember the feeling that rose in me when on our first night we saw a mobile sauna on the beach where we’d camped. Read More>>

Chase McNaughton

Before starting Elevation Web Design & SEO in 2025, I spent over a year working at another SEO agency that focused on medical and professional service clients in highly competitive markets like NYC and LA. Those types of environments demand precision, strong communication, and strategical clarity. These were situations where rankings were directly tied to revenue and the success of the business. Read More>>

Shelly Horman

I started my career working for others as most massage therapists do. I have always been the kind of person to give my all at work and I quickly burned myself out. I was getting paid less than $20/hr while my clients were paying more than 4 times that for a session with me. Read More>>

Nicole Pansire

I’ve always been motivated by challenge and have naturally gravitated toward environments where I can balance more than one responsibility at a time. From a young age, I found that I thrive when I’m learning, building, and adapting across different roles rather than staying within a single, rigid path. Read More>>

Sarah Hormachea

At the core, my decision to start my own business came from a very real gap I kept seeing in healthcare, especially in diabetes care. Across the country, and very much here in Colorado, there is a serious shortage of healthcare providers. Many people wait weeks or even months to get the care they need. Read More>>

Stephanie Perkins

The Little Horse Vintage was founded in 2002 by Mike Price in Boulder, Little Horse Vintage has grown into a beloved Colorado institution, now with locations in Louisville, Boulder and Fort Collins. The Fort Collins location opened in 2018. Each store continues to evolve, with exciting new offerings and a shared mission: to connect communities through a love of vintage and thoughtfully curated design. Read More>>

Emma Glass

My journey really starts in Paris (France), where I grew up surrounded by fashion, beauty, and craftsmanship. As a child, I was already fascinated by perfume. I created my own little “collection,” loved to smell everything, and was endlessly curious about what people were wearing. I was that kid who would stop adults in the street to ask them what perfume they had on. Read More>>

Alex Turney

The business actually started with my in-laws, Tom and Marie, back in 1990. They had this vision of creating a place where people could come together to celebrate life’s biggest moments, and they built it from the ground up with a lot of heart and hard work. Read More>>

Amber Goodall

I pursued an artistic career because I’ve always been drawn to creation that’s rooted in care. For me, artistry isn’t about self-expression alone — it’s about connection, intuition, and transformation. I’ve been fascinated by the way small, intentional choices can completely change how something feels, functions, and is received. Skin became my medium because it lives at the intersection of science and art. Read More>>

Nicole Packin

Starting my own business wasn’t a sudden leap—it was the natural next step after more than 20 years in the pet care industry. Before launching Healthy Hounds Fitness Club, I owned and operated Miami Pet Concierge in Miami, Florida, and later The Packin Method Mobile Dog Gym in Dallas, Texas. Read More>>

Eric LaRowe

About 18 years ago while I was working as a Motorhome Sales Agent for Camping World in Golden, Colorado, I notice a niche opportunity in the Sales Market to help Private Sellers with Marketing their RVs at a much lower commission rate then what any other dealer in the State could possibly do. Read More>>

Sarah Dressel

My thought process started after becoming a mom. I realized how many women, especially moms, lose themselves in that season and feel like taking care of their health has to come last. Read More>>

Catherine Taylor

My journey to starting my own business was shaped by both challenge and determination. I graduated from TSPA in 2019, passed my board exam, and landed my first esthetician job. Within three months, I had grown from zero clients to 59, but then Covid hit, and like many in the industry, I was out of work for two years. Read More>>

Stephanie Nestorak

Starting Lasting Littles came from a very personal place. I saw how quickly life—especially childhood—moves, and I felt a strong pull to create something meaningful that could preserve moments that are otherwise fleeting. I wanted work that aligned with my values, allowed me to be creative, and gave me the flexibility to be present with my family. Read More>>

Britt Ritchie

I started my business because I reached a breaking point with the traditional healthcare system. I was exhausted by the constraints imposed by insurance companies and frustrated that so much of my time and energy went into checking boxes, completing forms, and asking questions that weren’t always relevant to why someone was actually sitting in front of me. Read More>>

Thomas Haderlie

Well as for the gym, I wasn’t quite starting my own business but taking one over. That said, it is an entirely new business with all the work that my wife, the members, and I have put into it. Many of the members, or past visitors, tell me how much of a night-and-day change it is. Read More>>

Marquiel L. Cade, Esq.

Starting the firm was really driven by two deeply personal motivations: First, I wanted to demystify the law. For so many artists, creators, and small business owners, legal processes feel intimidating, inaccessible, and financially out of reach. The law often sits behind a monetary gate that often prevents everyday people from getting the guidance they need until they’re already in trouble. Read More>>

Camille Ford