The first step to starting a business is deciding to start a business. They say the first step is the hardest and in our experience this is especially true when it comes to starting a business. Getting over the mental roadblocks can be tough, often harder to overcome than the challenges you’ll face once you actually start the business. Fellow entrepreneurs share their thoughts below.

Mr. Bridges | Success Strategist

To use my voice and my story to empower people to succeed & bring a positive impact to the community. I believe that we all have a unique story and passion within. But it is the story that we tell ourselves that dictates the outcomes in our lives. If there is a negative story of victim hood and defeat on repeat in our heads, it is near impossible to step into victory. Read more>>

Cheyenne Bradford | Cheyenne Bradford | Denver Couples Photographer

I have always been a creative person. It wasn’t until I bought a camera to capture memories of my kids that I realized I had a passion for photography. I knew I wanted to make extra income for my family but I wanted it to be something that would allow me to be flexible. My kids will always come first. Since starting my business I have really niched down to couples. In the beginning I dipped my toes in, taking a session here or there but I quickly learned that I was actually very good. I began investing everything I made, back into my business and that is really where I started growing. Read more>>

Vaughn Miller | Chief Procurement Officer

I was already self-employed as a contractor during the recession and this opportunity presented itself. I’ve always been a scrounger by nature and this business started with the carpet tiles when I acquired them for the remodel for my house. I’ve never been “sustainable”, this just seemed like common sense, and pragmatic. 35 years ago I was building adobe and rammed earth homes in Scottsdale and Tucson, so I was ‘green” before green was cool. The addition of other materials to the inventory simply arose out of my eye. At the time, there was a hole in the demolition and construction market for industrial materials and their reclamation. I always could interpret the reuse of materials, Even as a general contractor I thrived by taking off-the-shelf materials and using them in unique ways or sourcing them cross the industry. Read more>>

Dr. Hannah Strom | Physical Therapist & Yoga Instructor

Awake Pelvic Health & Wellness is Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Clinic in Woodbury, MN. We help people of all genders struggling with pelvic floor issues, including bladder, bowel, and sexual health concerns, as well as providing care during someones pregnancy and postpartum journey. I am passionate about providing care for intimate challenges and helping break the stigma of pelvic floor concerns. Read more>>

Lauren Schoenborn | Owner-Operator & Lead Producer for Beautifully Born Events

Similarly to Dr. Jones with “Junior” in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, my father encouraged my four brothers and me to be self-reliant. He suggested becoming our own bosses, and I took that advice seriously! My goals were and still are to create my own schedule, work on the jobs and with the clients that I feel called to and travel the world all the while. Whatever I set my mind to, I make happen. Read more>>

Gladys Santiago | Founder of Worth The Fight Boxing

I used to weigh 270 pounds and I was overweight for my whole life. Ten years ago I lost 150 pounds and boxing played a key role in losing the weight and keeping it off, and it helped me become more confident and empowered. I started my business, Worth The Fight Boxing, to bring that same physical and spiritual transformation to other people. Read more>>

Joe Lopez | Maker of The World’s Best Flan

Well, I honestly never thought of owning my own flan or dessert business, It truly never crossed my mind. I came from the high performance automotive world but I can remember three specific moments that really made this happen. Read more>>

Kereta Merchant | ICF- certified Success & Leadership Coach

I never set out to start a business; it all began with a personal struggle. I found myself in a state of depression, yearning for happiness without relying on external factors. In a moment of desperation, I made a promise to find inner joy with the help of a higher power. As I discovered my own path to happiness, I felt compelled to share this journey with others. And thus, Happitunity was born—a company founded on the belief that happiness is always within reach, and there’s an opportunity for it in every moment. Read more>>

Cari Minor | Singer/Songwriter/Performer @Strangebyrds (With Raymond Leroy Smith)

We (Strangebyrds Music Duo) met in 1999 at the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Song School. We immediately connected with our music and soon after started booking shows. We have created six albums together of original music, music we called “Blue Collar Folk-Americana” that we now call “Folk-Rock Americana”. We run Byrd Nest Recording Studio out of our home base in Rollinsville, CO. and have recorded several local and touring musicians. Ray has written several pieces for film (Muscle Shoals Documentary Film, Numerous pieces for Sender Films including The Alpinist (Universal Pictures, 2022) and the upcoming Patagonia Film (Sender Films “Reel Rocks” release date: February 16th, 2024). Together Ray Smith and Cari Minor wrote “The World Needs Mercy” for the short documentary film- “Common Thread” (Frank Fazzio) a film about the effects of Global Warming on children around the world. Thus far the song has garnered Strangebryds top awards at Film Festivals around the globe (California, London, Paris, England and Italy). Our thought process has always been to write and sing our truth and to always keep our passion for performing our focus. We have morphed over the years and through the pandemic and just released a Rock-N-Roll album, “Shrieking Violets” that was 200% funded by our fans and debuted to a sold out audience at E-Town Hall (October, 2023). This album was inspired by Ray’s diagnosis last year with stage 3 cancer. As a way to give back to our Cancer Care Team we gave a portion of our ticket sales to Cancer Care Patients at UCHealth LongsPeak Hospital in Longmont, CO. For the first time our music feels “bigger then us” in that we are going to seek out more ways to “give back” to our community with future music and film projects. Read more>>

Justin Hartman | CEO/Founder

I wanted to have full control over quality, layout, equipment etc. I also wanted to create a retail business that would support our Roasting business. This allows us to create and foster relationships with our farmers all the way to our baristas. Connecting the two with common cause of coffee. Read more>>

Kelsey Guthrie | Event Stylist

I learned from a fellow mom how she created her balloon business and I knew it was exactly the creative outlet I needed. I love creating things and doing anything artistic. Then I started adding in the rentals and backdrops since they go together at events. Read more>>

Jessica Crow | Jessica Crow | Apogy Founder & Principal Consultant

Back in 2019, I found myself at a crossroads in my career. I was working for a large healthcare company and realized that I was no longer experiencing the personal and professional growth I desired. At the same time, my husband, who had embarked on his entrepreneurial journey a few years prior, was thriving. Watching his success ignited a spark within me. I began to question whether I, too, could venture into the world of entrepreneurship. Read more>>

Marsha Lane Foster | Visual Artist

I was teenage Mom and homemaker when my children were small. When they went to school I ventured into the work force. Although I am an intelligent person, the opportunities for me were limited with no education past high school and childcare needs. I was fortunate to be hired at a bank where I moved up quickly and that served as my education in a “test by fire” sort of situation. Even though I liked my bank positions, I have always dreamed of doing something that I was passionate about. I know now it’s the only way I can propsper. I dreamed and prayed and dreamed some more until I purchased a camera as a gift for myself in 2002. Since I was a child I have always loved images and especially ones with lots of words or narrative attached. Starting my own business was a way for me to do something that set my soul on fire. I didn’t know yet at the time my vision was larger than I realized. I also wanted to live life on my own terms and be my own motivator. Read more>>

Bailey Stewart | Illustrator, Graphic Designer, Multifaceted Creative

My thought process was just to stay persistent and see what happened! Always Angsty is a creative studio utilizing Angst as a catalyst for passionate design. It was born out of the realization that I wanted to bring community together through my art. I started by slowly working with small businesses, friends and non profits to bring them top notch illustration and graphic design and it has steadily grown. Read more>>

Benjamin Young | Maker/ Owner

Originally for me, it was the option between finishing school, getting a degree & sitting at a desk for 40 hours a week. As my brother and i started talking about business ideas, the idea of making something with our hands really stood out. Since we were both passionate about American made products and that art that has seemed to become lost in our generation, making something with our hands seemed like the most natural fit. Sturdy Brothers was born from this idea and this desire. At its beginning, our passion was to bring a great product to market that was made by us here in America. Read more>>