Are you thinking about starting a business? If so, we think you’ll enjoy reading about how these seasoned entrepreneurs thought about the question when they were in your shoes.

Brittany Rose | Photographer and Dental Hygienist

I have always loved taking photographs and documenting milestones in our lives but when our oldest son was born I knew time was fleeting. I wanted to learn to be able to document those precious early days myself so as each milestone passed I had a way to look back and all his firsts. Once I realized how much I loved being being the camera I branched out to photographing family and friends and found something so meaningful behind freezing those moments in time! It was then I slowly migrated to the idea of turning this passion into a business. Read more>>

Valeriia Saprina | Owner pastry and coffee shop

This was my common idea with my husband. We love good desserts and real coffee. We visited 15 countries and 42 US states. And we realized how difficult it is to find a truly high-quality product. We had the idea to make a really cool product so that our customers could enjoy a high-quality and tasty product. We have foreign experience in creating and successfully managing businesses. Read more>>

Kelly Peters | Fine Artist

I wish I could provide a more informed response to this question! The desire to be my own boss and establish my own business burned within me. However, after art school, I felt ill-prepared, lacking the necessary knowledge on the operational aspects of running a business. I worked part-time gigs while diligently honing my art practice and making sales. Eventually, I reached a point where I could quit my other jobs and focus solely on my art, but that took a few years of juggling multiple commitments. With this newfound focus, I delved into my business, learning to navigate its ebbs and flows more effectively. Nevertheless, it remains a significant challenge, as it does for any business owner. Read more>>

Kari Chatterji | Intuitive Executive Coach, Counselor and Yoga Educator

I have been thinking about doing something like this for years, but have been so involved in supporting my family and community as a wife and mother of three that I just needed to be patient and wait for the right time. While I have been serving in my own community, as a Yoga and meditation teacher and as a women’s circle facilitator, I knew that eventually I would expand my offerings but didn’t know exactly what that would look like. Would it be counselor or would it be coach? I have a Master’s Degree in Counseling but because I moved to California when I had small children, I never pursued licensure. Last year, I decided to pivot and get certified as an executive coach through the Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute. Read more>>

Michelle Rose | Holistic Mental Health Therapist

When I first sought therapy a decade ago, I remember being met with so much red tape to just speak to any therapist. Sometimes it was dozens of pages of paperwork, requesting a diagnosis before being seen or hearing back a week after reaching out. It overwhelmed me at a time when I needed support and relief not increasing stress. The thought process really started with wanting clients to not have the same experience I did. I want clients to have good accessibility and high-quality services and the best way to provide that is by creating it. Having a small practice allows every interaction to be personable and direct; there’s no chasing around a bunch of different information while still not being sure of what to expect from who you’re seeing and what the process will look like. Read more>>

Kelley Robinson | Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner & Founder of Elephant In The Room Deck

I felt a burning desire to do things differently and have more locus of control. I am a dreamer and a creative. I am a nurse practitioner. I have always analyzed the current situation or system, coming up with ideas for improvement and growth. Systems are often inefficient, rigid and unadaptable. This became frustrating as I spent years as a nurse practitioner trying to find my place within one of the biggest system in the US, the healthcare system It’s a huge bureaucratic machine. Change is slow and clunky. And as a clinician you also have to deliver care within another system, the insurance companies. Read more>>

Trevor Barnum | Chief Executive Officer and Nurse

The philosopher Plato once said some version of “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Azotherm Safety Apparel was was born from this mantra and we are working hard to bring high quality, flame resistant garments to the folks who need them most. I am a nurse practitioner by training and for some reason have a need for a little bit of danger on the side. I served in the Navy Reserve for 8 years and when I got out I started working as fire/EMS staff for a large national racetrack. It was at the track that I found a passion for the science and technology of fire and motorsport safety. We go out on track to wrecks, rollovers, fires, medical emergencies, etc. Read more>>

Julie Turner | Yoga Instructor

Starting my own business was more of a necessary step forward rather than a “dream.” After moving from the Washington, DC area to rural Maryland in 2003, it was necessary to become an independent consultant to remain in my previous occupation (communications and marketing). Being independent made commuting, as well as setting my own hours much easier. However, as a consultant I was the first to be let go when the recession began in late 2008.After the recession set back, I was inspired to change careers and became a certified yoga teacher leaving the communications and marketing industry behind. Yoga was something that I had been practicing for almost 20 years, and had brought me calmness and focus when I had needed it the most in the challenging year of 2008. Read more>>

Katharine Hauge | Physical Therapist and small business owner

After 16 years of working in outpatient orthopedics where we primarily billed insurance, I needed to remove myself from the constraints pushed on me by Medicare and commercial insurance companies. I never felt I had sufficient time with patients, and I couldn’t assess and treat the “whole” person. Now, I take as much time as I need and when someone comes in with an ankle injury I can fully explore factors up the chain as possible contributors to their injury. Read more>>

Christian Jorgensen | Owner – Mountain Rentals

Since 2005 I worked for my family’s business, and an opportunity came along that I just couldn’t ignore or resist. I could take what I learned from being at my family’s business and apply it to my very own business. Plus as a bonus this business involved every recreational activity I already did and then some! Read more>>

Mckenna Zalucha | Button Up North

After graduating high school, I moved from Colorado to northern Michigan to be closer to family. I have always been someone with an entrepreneurial spirit & passion to create. During my first long (and very cold) winter in Michigan, I knew I needed something to keep me busy (and warm), so I started Button Up North! I knit handmade hats, scarves, mittens and more. Read more>>

Trisha Andrews, MA, LMFT, CST Heather DeKeyser, MS, LMFT, CST | Co-Founders and Clinical Directors of Dalliance Sexual Wellness

Dalliance is a community of clinicians that challenge society’s current values and ideas of what sex is and help individuals and relationships explore what works for them and create their own sexual confidence and lifestyle. We value sexual health esteem, which includes exploring what contributes to sexual confidence, promoting fun and connecting conversation, and encouraging a focus on pleasure. Heather and I are both relationship and sex therapists. We saw a need for accessible, quality sex therapy in our community. Our group practice offers sex and relationship therapy services at various price points starting at $80 per session. We also accept Medicaid. Read more>>

Tamara Hill | Financial Coach & Inspirational Speaker

I’ve dreamed of creating my own business for many years, mainly to inspire and encourage others through faith and practical tips. I launched my business by focusing on financial education first because this is a timeless topic that impacts most everyone. Read more>>

Blythe Bouchard | Multi-Certified Professional Dog Trainer & Behavior Consultant

I started my own business after a lifetime of chasing after entrepreneurial dreams. I was the kid who was always thinking – “oh my gosh I love this! I bet I could make a business from it.” Sometimes that’s unhealthy and can prevent me from enjoying things just for fun, but in this case, it did really help. I had just gotten very sick and medically withdrawn from college. I decided a service dog would really improve my quality of life and wanted to go through the process myself with a trainer. As I worked and trained, I realized how much I loved it. I started taking certification classes, volunteering at rescues, and observing trainers that had amazing methods and experiences. Read more>>

Zakiya & Russell Moss | Owners/Founders

Drip Queen Coffee was envisioned and established with a profound thought process deeply embedded in sustainability, quality, and unmatched service. The foundation of Drip Queen Coffee was not just to be a retailer of coffee and tea but to emerge as a conscious brand, making a tangible difference in the industry and the world, especially in mental health awareness. The brand is more than a coffee and tea retailer; it’s a conscious entity committed to making a difference. From the start, Drip Queen Coffee pledged to provide their customers with the ultimate coffee and tea experience, boasting high-quality, fair-trade products ethically sourced from across the globe. This emphasis on fair trade ensures that the beverages are of the highest caliber and that the brand contributes to creating a more reasonable and equitable world for coffee and tea growers. Read more>>