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.

Erica Hernandez Monica Delgago

Wanted to open up a shop that ran on respect and integrity. Read More>>

Chris Lussow

I spent over twenty years in the corporate agency world, with many of those years in leadership roles. When the time came for a change, I realized that I wanted to return to my craft and take control of my destiny. Getting hands-on and working directly with other business owners sounded like exactly what I needed. Read More>>

Will Mannsz

I started MagicMannsz Entertainment with one central belief: This moment is the only one we’re guaranteed. That insight became the soul of my business. Magic—at its best—isn’t just entertainment. It’s a mirror. A wake-up call. A nudge that says, “Hey, you’re alive. Right now. What are you going to do with that?” Read More>>

Dr. Christina Galatioto

The name of my business, Compassionate Chiropractic, strongly reflects my values as a Doctor of Chiropractic and as a provider in the healthcare system overall. I have had too many bad experiences in doctors’ offices. I have often felt rushed and not able to ask questions, belittled about my concerns, not warned about how recovery would be after my wrist surgery, and given a one-size-fits all treatment plan. As patients, we should feel like our providers are a part of our team- not that we are just a part of their high-volume business. Read More>>

Leah Sahhar

Our family wanted to start a children’s entrepreneurial event, where all kids in the community could create and sell their own special products. We wanted to give kids a platform to learn entrepreneurial skills, personal finance, marketing and business economics, and life skills that will carry them into their hobbies and career paths. Read More>>

Michelle Liou

Starting Nolo Events was a leap of faith fueled by passion and purpose. I (Michelle) had owned a brick-and-mortar bubble tea shop for over 15 years, and walking away from something I poured my heart into was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But deep down, I knew that chapter wasn’t truly over—I just didn’t know how it would come back around. Read More>>

Ken Ferrall

I worked for many years at a company where I often felt frustrated by how hard I had to work just to keep up. It seemed that the more effort I put in, the more my workload would grow. Over time, several colleagues privately told me they thought I’d be better off working for myself. It took a while for me to seriously consider it, but eventually, I made the decision to go out on my own—and it was one of the best choices I’ve ever made. Read More>>

Mariano Velasco

My journey into creating children’s books began during my college years. Between classes, I found myself jotting down ideas, one of which evolved into the ‘The Boy and the Thing’ series. This concept lingered in my mind for nearly a decade, the story came rather quickly but the illustrations went on for years, while I tried to get the illustrations perfect. Read More>>

Tavon Davis

As a socially conscious consumer, supporting brands with founders that looked like myself and offered more than just product outside of streetwear was nearly impossible. Many of the brands out didn’t offer a compelling story or value proposition, they simply sold product.
I saw an opportunity to merge my love for sports and fashion in an industry that had Nike/Adidas on one end of the spectrum and Y-3/Zegna Sport on the other end. Read More>>

Luke Rowe

I have always had a passion for making a real difference in my community, like a leader people could turn to. But for a long time I was unsure how I was even going to get to that level and to make this dream of mine real life. Read More>>

Jordan Fred

Starting my own business wasn’t just about entrepreneurship — it was about creating a model of care that aligned with my values. In traditional, insurance-based physical therapy, I often found myself having to tell patients “no” — not because they didn’t need care, but because their insurance said they had met some arbitrary definition of “functional.” It was frustrating to see people discharged when I knew they weren’t where they wanted or needed to be. Read More>>

Rachael Shayne

I kept seeing brilliant climate-tech founders drown in jargon while incumbents with shinier logos but thinner IP win the narrative. Diana and I realized the market didn’t need another agency chasing impressions—it needed translators that could turn “hard science” into magnetic business value.  Read More>>

Sabrina Harrison

I tried to be a good little employee, I really tried. I worked for government and many businesses and by all accounts I was consistently a good employee. But being a traditional employee felt constricting, and that was not what I wanted. Both of my parents ran their own businesses when I was growing up, and I saw how they worked rally hard, but they also decided how much money they would make and exactly when they would take vacations. I wanted that kind of freedom. Read More>>

Kim Harty

As an academic, I’ve always had the freedom to make the kind of artwork that’s important to me. But as an artist and a parent, I also wanted my studio practice to be financially sustainable. A few years ago, I made a shift—I realized I needed to get more of my work out into the world. Before that, a lot of what I made was more ephemeral or esoteric, and often just lived in my studio or in niche contexts. Read More>>

Cameron Loughlin

Starting Paint Craft Co. wasn’t just about launching a business—it was about knowing that there’s still a need for great service and continuing treating the business like service providers that happen to paint instead of painters that happen to do customer service. Having run a painting business before we were excited to do it again, but this time better! Read More>>

Shalisha Moreno

Starting Tehôm Productions (Tay-home) was rooted in a desire to make meaningful impact in my hometown of Colorado. I went to film school in Los Angeles— not because I wanted to leave, but because it offered the best education and industry exposure. However, I always envisioned bringing that caliber of opportunity back home. Read More>>

Alena

For a long time, I was drawn to creating things with my hands — especially working with natural stones and yarn. It began as a way to relax and express myself creatively, but over time I realized how much joy these handmade pieces brought not only to me, but also to others. Read More>>

Robert Lewis

I suppose in many ways, I stumbled backwards into it just like I have with many things in my life. But the more serious answer is that. also like many of my other ventures, it was just the right time and place. Read More>>

Rachel Schopp

I was an educator, teacher coach and school leader for a long time and took some time off to have children. During these years of motherhood, I have served in other roles personally and professionally, but would consistently be sought out by other parents to support them with questions around education. Read More>>

Ray Tuomey

I started businesses several times early on in my career and then got involved in the nonprofit world for quite some time. When I left the nonprofit sector, I was ready to start a business that was more nimble and didn’t require boards to make decisions before moving forward with a strategy.  Read More>>

Amy Whitesell

Both my husband and I got together later in life and we didn’t really have any savings.
At one point each of us had to declare bankruptcy.
We were working very hard with a non profit that we are founded. Read More>>

Jamie Stein

The idea to start my own business developed over several years of gaining experience and recognizing a gap in the market. After graduating from Cook Street Culinary School, I became a Chef Instructor there, where I taught cooking classes and continued to refine my skills while exploring a wide range of cuisines and ingredients. Read More>>

Olnita Martini And Danielle Duffle

It all started at a dermatology conference during medical school. For months, we had bonded virtually over the chaos of audition rotations, the stress of a competitive match, and how we kept each other sane through it all. The friendships we built during that time were too good to leave behind. Read More>>

Austin Hawksworth

It all started when I found out I was having a kid in 2022. I was working for a concrete company approaching 10 years. I knew once I found out about having a kid my career would change! I became employed at a local water department company and after some time, I realized had larger aspirations. I remembered how much I enjoyed mowing during the summer months in high school and I wanted to further explore the idea of my own business. Read More>>

Stephanie Christopherson

I’ve been in the group fitness industry for over 15 years, and it’s always been more than just a job—it’s a passion. When the pandemic hit, like many in the fitness world, I lost my regular classes, and it felt like a huge part of my identity and community was suddenly gone. Read More>>

Teri Fox

I practiced Dru Yoga for seven years before becoming a Certified instructor. I felt the shift in myself from using these techniques to better my life. I will never forget how free and peaceful I felt after my first class. Before Dru Yoga found me, I rushed through everything. Dru Yoga helped me to slow down, and appreciate the Subtle beauties of all life. Read More>>

Thorbin

After returning from my 3 month bike-packing trip in 2022 (Portugal to Denmark more or less), I realized I needed to figure out how I could do this kind of trip again and have the means to continue doing it. The freedom I felt during this adventure was idyllic and I became determined to not let this become a once in a lifetime experience! Read More>>

Luke Pearsall

Starting Trail Goods Co. was never about just launching a product, it was about solving a problem I knew personally and deeply.

After spending thousands of miles on trail, hiking the Colorado Trail, guiding wilderness trips in South America, and even walking across Spain on the Camino de Santiago—I realized how frustrating it was to settle for meals that were either nutritionally lacking or just didn’t taste good. I kept thinking: Why does the food we rely on in the outdoors feel like an afterthought? Read More>>

Jorge

Every business I start is driven by the desire to leave a positive mark on the community—whether that’s through the people I work with, the customers we serve, or the long-term impact of what we build. I believe even small businesses can create meaningful change when they’re rooted in purpose. Read More>>

Melissa Gorsuch

I went through many challenges and downfalls in my life and if there weren’t family, good people and friends in my corner, I don’t believe I would be here today. My passion has always been to give back to community and help with raising funds, items or awareness to any and all causes and that is the passion and goal behind World of Hearts LLC. Read More>>

Victoria Sosa

I wanted to provided clients, with a safe and positive experience while enjoying a service. That included a creative color, to a haircut and or a total transformation with adding hair extensions, Giving the clients the confidence to slay every day.
One way to achieve that is by listening to the clients concerns, desires, and the stylist professional advice. Read More>>

Jack Walters

I have always been fascinated by the idea of impact. During my first college internship, I was committed to becoming the CEO one day so I could have the responsibility I wanted and create the impact I was so intensely seeking. But I quickly realized that would take 20 years. Read More>>

David Bounichou

The idea for my project came from my passion for North American sports, mainly for three of the major leagues : the NHL, NBA and NFL. I wanted to find a way to share this passion with other fans in French-speaking countries and regions. Then, after seeing that my page was also being followed by many English speakers, I switched to a bilingual format to share this passion with more people around the world. Read More>>

Alec Schuler

I knew since my early 20’s that I wanted to start and be the proprietor of my own small business. Upon observing careers and working through my 20’s, I settled on creating restaurants and went to culinary school so I could create the WHOLE concept of a full-service restaurant. I worked and enjoyed nearly every job title within fine dining restaurants, and by age of 36 I was ready, and I opened my first restaurant, Arugula Ristorante in 2009. Then Tangerine came along next door in 2011. Read More>>

Sage Brunk

About 5 years ago I was previously engaged. I bought a stunning dress that I paid $1,500. So when it didn’t work out I was frustrated at the selling process. I posted it multiple times but it never caught any traction. Fast forward to last year I went to another prominent retailer in Colorado Springs and the stylist was beyond unprofessional on top of putting me in a dress that was more than twice what I repeatedly said my budget was. I really loved this dress, then the stylist asked my friends and family to help me buy the dress. I was appalled and at that point extremely embarrassed so I bought the dress myself. Read More>>