Many books on startups and business talk about how there are right and wrong reasons for starting a business. So, we asked a handful of successful founders about their reasons and the thought-process behind starting their business.

Tony Wiedenski | B2B Sales Consultant & Gap Selling Certified Trainer

Over the last 5 years, business-to-business (B2B) sales has changed dramatically. In some cases the increase in technology and software, the focus on digital transformation, and the rise of e-commence has made it easier for buyers to buy without intervention from a sales person. On the other hand, technology has also created a flood of automated sales outreach to reach the masses. It has overwhelmed buyers with people trying to sell buyers anything and everything, even if the product or service being pushed has no relevance to the buyer. It has created more noise and aggravation for B2B buyers. Read more>>

Ezra Gutierrez | Chef/Owner

I started in fast food working at burger king as well as the local country club. I always wanted to be a chef and I fell in love with the industry ending up in culinary school in Phoenix. After working in restaurants and hotels my entire life I felt I was ready to open my own place. I always wanted to open a place in my hometown, so I started the process. I worked in so many different places and had learned so many things in the 20 years leading up to that moment. I had worked for great leaders as well as horrible ones, I worked one job to pay my bills and I worked another for free to build my skills. After seeing the industry, I had formed my opinions on how I thought it could be done. Read more>>

Rachel Shannon | small business owner

From a young age, I was immersed in the world of entrepreneurship through my upbringing in a Ma and Pa grocery store in Butte, Montana. Growing up in that environment, I developed a deep-seated appreciation for the sense of community that a local shop fosters. The interactions with customers, the personalized service, and the unique charm of a neighborhood business left a lasting impact on me. While I didn’t initially possess formal business expertise, the experience of being raised in a family-owned business instilled in me the values of hard work, dedication, and a genuine passion for connecting with people. I’ve always felt that I was meant to carry on the tradition of owning a local establishment. Read more>>

Pamela Brewington | Serial Entrepreneur

I always feel that I have the capacity to break walls and find a better way of doing things that are more favorable for everyone. I discover from day one, that the real magic behind this is change other people lives for good. Improve the quality of life of my team members and my clients is the process behind every business that I start. I wake up every morning thinking how I can make their lives better today, and act accordingly. For example, with the cleaning business started with my first employee, who never had work before because culturally, her role was to stay at home and take care of the kids and husband. Read more>>

Lily Virden | Lifestyle Brand

It started by coordinates of Lake City, 38.0300° N, 107.3153° W, to create the brand name, 38° North. With that, the goal was to bring contemporary merchandise to the community. Having grown up in Lake City, I wanted to bring a product that would represent the beautiful landscape of our county while contributing to our local economy. 38° North is a lifestyle brand proudly representing our small mountain town. Celebrating movement in our mountains and the love for our community. Read more>>

Amber Cook | Owner and creator of Cooks Rocking Boutique

Being a rodeo queen it was hard to find affordable nice jewelry that not only looked good but was able to withstand all the work we had to do in and out of the arena. I decided to take it into my own hands after my first year of queening and create Cook Rocking Boutique. I wanted girls to have the option of looking great without having to break the bank as most of us had to fundraise our money for the year and I’d rather that money go towards traveling and experiencing their title to the fullest! which then led me to sponsoring rodeo queens and rodeo athletes! Read more>>

Alex Meisner | Metal Artist & Agricultural Salesman

I grew up on a farm in Northeastern Colorado and got good at working with my hands. I learned to weld on the farm and one of my first jobs was welding trailers. I always took a lot of pride in my work and developed a strong skill working with metal. Later on in life, I came across a few metal pieces online that I liked, but knew I could make them myself. I started making gifts for family and friends and it grew through word of mouth. Read more>>

Kathleen and David Aragon | Coffee House Owners

My husband and I saw the coffee house building in San Luis closed for a few years and it kept coming to my thoughts that it could be so good for the community to buy the building and open a new coffee house. Read more>>

Armando Molina | Artistic Director of Company of Angels Theater in Los Angeles

The determining motivation to start my own business was informed by the challenges that are faced by artists of color in America.  The business in this case is theater, and as such folks of color often are confronted with obstacles both artistic and financial.  As a young latine actor in NYC I found that the roles in TV and film were limited to the stereotypical roles of gang member, drug addict and the like. In NYC I co-founded a comedy group called Legal Action in residence at the Westbank Downstairs Comedy Club, headlined by Luis Black. It was a multi-cultural ensemble of actors and actresses who challenged notions of what it means to be American. Read more>>