Starting and growing a business is hard, but often deciding to start the business in the first place is even harder. We asked some successful entrepreneurs from around the community to open up to us about how they thought about starting a business.

Heather Goldman | Designer of Jewelry for you and your hat

Simply put, I was raised by “Follow your Dreams” parents who, in their differnt ways, taught me that I could do anything I put my mind too. Read more>>

Wyn Ferrell | Owner – Mile High Spirits

We started Mile High Spirits in 2011 to change the landscape of the Colorado beverage industry. When we started in 2010 Denver had an impressive brewery scene that was evolving fast and getting attention on a national stage. We wanted to bring Colorado spirits to this conversation as well, but we wanted to do it in a fun way. The brewing industry is full of collaboration and camaraderie while the spirits industry seems to be serious as producers stay guarded. We wanted to be different, we wanted to break the mold that was defining spirits as “stuffy” and “pretentious”. One of the main ways that we accomplish this is by having a tasting room that lives our company motto – We take our spirits seriously, but not ourselves. This has led our tasting room to be a whiskey-forward tasting lounge with tours and yard games during the day, and a fun warehouse dance party on weekend nights. We started Mile High Spirits to be different and to have fun while we build the best spirits production company in the country. Read more>>

Jim Ross | Chief Problem Solver for Perfect Fitting Shoes, LLC

I tore the ligaments in my left knee while studying Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University and I was encouraged to pursue designing shoes like my initial mock-up by a Doctor of Podiatry Medicine who was visiting one of my engineering professors. I decided to switch my major to Business Management and told my father about my desire to start a business based upon marketing shoes that I created using my bio-mechanical designs. Unfortunately for me, my father told me that I was “Stupid!” to think about starting a business making shoes and not completing my Chemical Engineering degree. He made sure to let me know that he would not help me in my endeavor. So I decided to prove my father wrong for not seeing my potential in being able to start a new company based upon my new shoe designs that help people with bad fitting shoes. I started asking others to help me make better shoe samples and I gradually gained enough experience to believe in my designs so that I could convince others of my company’s potential to sell shoes that look great and help people with their foot issues. Read more>>

Nate & Anna Castner | Photographers

We both had jobs we didn’t really LOVE; it felt like a grind going into work every day. We both really enjoyed photography, it was a hobby of ours that was very fulfilling, that helped capture all of the fun and the memories of trips we went on, special occasions with friends and family, and the little details of life. We had the opportunity to photograph a friend’s wedding as a gift to them, and totally fell in love with documenting a wedding day! It’s such a special occasion where all of your friends and family from everywhere come together to celebrate the joining of two peoples hearts, souls, and families. It’s a celebration of love. We decided that we enjoyed it so much that we should start our own photography studio to turn our hobby and passion into a business and job that we loved! Here we are 10 years later and still get excited for each and every wedding! We LOVE our jobs now! We knew that we would only feel fulfilled if we had a career where we were pursuing something we were passionate about, and the fact that we get to do this together is our dream come true! Read more>>

Bryan Sillery | Interior Designer, Owner of BS Creative

My business was a journey to get to where I am today! I didn’t really think about starting my own boutique firm for many reasons, but once I got laid off in June of 2020, I realized that my talents and skill set were far beyond what was available to me at that time. So… I jumped! There was a few seconds of doubt, but I knew that if I didn’t do it then and there, I never would! I immediately stopped looking for other jobs, and put 100% of my focus into creating my own place in the business world; one that was different and made a better impact than what I was doing before. One of my goals was to NOT be in business to just make a million dollars. Trust me, that certainly was a goal, but I wanted to do more with my design experiences. To me, good design isn’t a luxury. Well though-out spaces are not just for the 1%. A functional layout shouldn’t come at a premium. I wanted to cater my business to individuals that didn’t think they could afford design services, or didn’t believe that their project was big enough to hire a professional. What really blew my mind was how many people have that mind set! One should always find a professional to guide them in their quest for bettering themselves: mental health, car maintenance, home design, and ALL the ways we try to fix up our lives, why would our homes be any different? If HGTV and any design show really gave us the accurate information that we needed to do a remodel ourselves, I would be out of a job and the world would look so much prettier! Luckily, most folks realize that they can’t (or shouldn’t) do things without a professional, and my goal is to be an option for people that don’t believe they can afford it. A favorite quote of mine which rings true for so much in life, is “You’re going to pay for it no matter what. If you buy the best, you only cry once!” Read more>>

Cynthia Johnson, PhD, NCSP | Dual-licensed school and clinical psychologist

I opened StepStone Psychological Assessment and Therapeutic Services in 2019 after working in mental health clinics for years. In some clinics, I saw how financial pressure affected patient care. Clinics were struggling to provide the myriad services they offered while trying to meet budget and reduce costs as part of a large, complex healthcare system. I knew there had to be a better way. I felt that clients may be better served in a smaller environment offering targeted services. Read more>>

Solis Entertainment | Queer ran specialty entertainment company with a focus on fire and aerial performance art.

We have been a part of the movement and performance arts community for years and have connected with so many incredible flow artists. Feeling the immense passion and love for the art, we wanted to create our own little family. The flow and fire performing artists we have connected with that are local to Denver are very talented and dedicated to their craft. We saw the passion that is present especially amongst the queer artists that we know and really wanted to create something special that gave us queer artists a platform to share our art with as many people as possible. Collaboration is a big part of what we do; Individually we all have unique styles of flow, but when we come together, we inspire each other and create completely new and unique forms of art with fire. Queer fire manipulators bring a special flare to the community of movement and performance arts. Typically, fire performers are usually either focused on their technical skills with their props rather than stage presence or vice versa; mostly stage presence and less focus on technical skills. Members of our entertainment company focus on both, combining stage presence with practiced skills to create an elevated performance style. The harmony of having both of these aspects in a performance is something we specialize in. Read more>>

Amanda Green | Head Creative Director and Founder

I come from a long line of entrepreneurs, and growing up in my dad’s marketing office, the transition from employee to owner felt natural. After spending several years in ad agencies, I realized I wanted to take control of my own time. My father and godmother were my biggest inspirations, as I watched them both build multiple successful businesses from the ground up. From a young age, I knew I wanted to follow in their footsteps and take the chance to create my own business. The limitless freedom makes every challenge worth it. Read more>>

Empress

The initiative began with the belief that sharing our life journeys without fear is essential, as it allows us to learn from one another’s experiences. Read more>>

Jennifer Catpurr | Cat Behavior Consultant

My lifelong love of cats spurred me to start Jennifer Catpurr. As someone who is deeply intrinsically motivated, it’s important to me to spend time doing work that I’m passionate about. Once I discovered the cat behavior consulting field, it felt like a dream job, and I was up for the challenge. Educating people on the needs of cats and giving both cats and their humans better lives because of it is incredibly meaningful to me. It’s been almost 11 years since I began my business, and I have had my share of challenging cases, but reflecting on past clients and happy cats makes everything worthwhile. Read more>>

Alyssa Klein | Licensed Professional Counselor

I have always had a desire to have more control over my work life balance, and being my own boss gives me complete say of when I work, where I work and who I work with. Creating my own schedule is a sense of freedom that I have always dreamed of. Read more>>

Tyler Simon – Tokiyoh | Artist & Brand

All or nothing. When I decided I was going to become a full time artist, I knew I had to give it all gas with no brakes. I had to make it profitable, had to give up hobbies so I could dedicate more time to the project and brand, and had to put myself in situations that will bring my business to the next step. My goal for this year is to financially support myself just through my art. If I am not sleeping I am working on the business. I can only go up and won’t look down. Read more>>

Thomas Reed III | Professional Football Player, Mentor/Sports performance coach & Personal Trainer

The thought process was making sure I create long term longevity & help others that are following the same path of career that I chose.

I want to make sure a lot of the people in the community do not suffer or make the same mistakes I did or learn something too late that can impact them. Read more>>