Starting a business can be terrifying. Weighing the pros and cons, the risks, and other considerations can be so overwhelming that often promising entrepreneurs stop before they even start. We asked some phenomenal entrepreneurs about their thought process behind starting their own businesses. Our hope is that by making the thought-process less intimidating we can help more folks think through whether they should take an entrepreneurial leap.

Tina Garcia

My original thought process behind starting my own business was to have the freedom and flexibility to create my own schedule and be able to work around my kids’ schedules. I am a mom and I wanted to be able to be there for my kids and all of the important things in our busy lives.  Read More>> 

Iris Olivas

Honestly, it started as a passion the joy of capturing special moments for my family. But as time went on, I realized how much I loved telling stories through my lens. Friends began asking if I could do sessions for their little ones, and of course, I said yes. My first event (a wedding) was actually a 25th anniversary for one of my parents’ friends they asked me if I wanted to take photos on their special day, and from there, everything else is history. Read More>>

Yvonne Jacobs

I have always loved being part of a team, so I knew when I started my firm I would want to grow it and see how far I could take it. I started my firm a bit later, I was about 51. I had worked at a firm for over 20 years , was president of the firm and at one point managed over 50 people.. When that ended I quickly started my own firm and had great clients that continued with me, I knew I wanted to continue doing high end homes and I knew I wanted a team to collaborate with. I love mentoring new designers and I love collaboration! I love my community and love that I can provide creative jobs for those who love design in our small mountain town Read More>> 

David Hayden

“Starting my own business has always been more of a mindset than a single thought process for me. It’s deeply ingrained, perhaps stemming from family history; my great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and even my older brother were all small business owners. I guess I caught the bug early—I was shoveling snow as a kid, then I got a paper route when I was 12. Read More>> 

Norah And Claudia Kerrigan

Winter the dolphin from the true story movie “Dolphin Tale” was our inspiration to start this business. Norah has been obsessed with Winter since 2011 when the first movie came out. In 2013, she was diagnosed with autism, but her parents chose not to tell her immediately. She really struggled in school, she hated loud sounds, and she did not understand why people did not like her. When she saw “Dolphin Tale” she felt like, “if Winter can do hard things, I can too”.  Read More>> 

Shawna Hurbace

I started my own business to build something real for my family — not just a living, but a legacy. I wanted my kids to see that with hard work, you can create your own path… and maybe teach them a thing or two about the trade along the way. Read More>> 

Dusty Jessen

There are several equally relevant answers to this question.

First, I love setting goals and learning new skills to accomplish those goals. As an employee, I felt slightly restricted in this process – my goals and skills had to be related to someone else’s business model. With my own business, I get to set goals and learn skills that are most important to me and that ultimately bring me joy. For example, I wanted to give back to my community, so as a private practice owner, I had the freedom to start a non-profit project with some of my amazing colleagues. I wouldn’t have been able to do this if I were working for someone else. Read More>> 

Maddie Harlan

Art has always been a huge part of my life. I grew up surrounded by creativity and my parents always encouraged it Because of this, I’ve been experimenting with different forms of art since I was little. I knew early on that I wanted art to be more than just a hobby; I wanted to turn it into a full-time career. Read More>>