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.

Maegan Ritterbush | Newborn & Family Photographer

Looking back I’m how little thought went into starting my own business. I am so thankful I’ve been able to take a passion and turn it into a way to earn money. The reason I started my business was because I wanted a tangible way to bless moms. I now have three kiddos myself but after my second was born I had really bad postpartum anxiety. Read more>>

Jason and Taylor Juarez and Passios | Co- Founder Ze Fuss LCC (Both)

Jason: Me and my partner had the idea of bridging the gap between the queer community and the bass community here in Denver. Years ago, we were attracted to what the EDM scene had to offer- freedom of expression, safety in being authentically our truest selves, ridiculous dancing, and endless good times with our friends. Read more>>

Lynn Snyder Goetz | Builder Realty Council- 2024 President

Will speak on behalf of the Builder Realty Council. Our organization was started 41 years ago to bridge the gap between Real Estate Professionals and Builders. We seek to bring these two factions together to create a win/win in the Real Estate industry and the consuming public. Read more>>

Alexis Anderson | Founder & CEO

Becoming a mother truly changed my perspectives on both life and business. I found that in the early days of motherhood, I was full of creative energy and new business ideas – I was going through it for the first time and was constantly thinking of products or services that could make my experience a little bit better. Read more>>

SIR ISAAC SINCLAIR | CEO & MUSIC ARTIST

To help independent music artist to connect. To have somewhere to consistently perform and expand their network! Read more>>

Nate Shear | Road Trip Content Creator

Michael and I grew up on the same street from the time we were in elementary school. Ever since then, we have been creating outdoor games, business ideas, and all sorts of creative projects. We both enjoy building ideas from nothing into something tangible. Read more>>

Justin Wetzell | MMA&Self-Defense Instructor/Health Coach

I started training to become a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Fighter in 2010, I made my amateur debut in 2011 and my professional debut in 2016. After suffering my first loss as a professional in my 2nd fight I decided that I needed to surround myself with a professional team and made the move to Colorado. Read more>>

Cassandra Sutton | Owner of The Glamour Collective Lash + Skin Bar & Cassandra Sutton Images

When I decided to open The Glamour Collective I wanted to craft a spa embodying both tranquility and boldness, an oasis beaming with energy. I envisioned a sanctuary where clients find solace, a safe haven, where they feel entirely at ease. Read more>>

Nickie Frye | Owner & Chief Instigator

I actually started this business by accident. After my daughter was born, I left my career in corporate retail to be a stay-at-home mom & I decided to sell some vintage clothes online I had in my closet. They sold right away & I had $250, so I reinvested that money into more vintage. Read more>>

Jessica Sumsky | Esthetician/Owner

I’ve been in the esthetics industry for 2 years now but have been a client myself of all sorts of beauty services since I was in middle school. Throughout my time as a client and in the industry, I felt as though there had always been a misconception where this industry is stuffy, only for the luxurious, and/or people feeling as though they don’t deserve to pamper themselves. Read more>>

Viktorija Johnston | Hairstylist & Small Business Owner

After being in the beauty industry for the last 11 years, I’ve learned what kind of environment I thrive in and what kind of service I want to provide as a professional. The amount of knowledge I lacked and expectations I put on myself gave me a sense of anxiety yet it was comforting in exploring the
“Unknown”. Read more>>

Corey Taylor | Wedding Photographer

I’m a film and digital photographer. I use vintage 35mm and 120mm film cameras alongside polaroids and modern digital cameras. But, I wholeheartedly believe the reason I get many referrals and work is because of the service I give my couples. My philosophy is rooted in serving the couple and the couple’s family on their big day. Read more>>

Chrissy Lenihan | Wine Hostess

I wanted to have more freedom in my personal life. Read more>>

Diego D Ruiz IV | Music Producer & Tantric Breathwork/Embodiment Coach

Music is a spiritual game… I found that the spiritual practices I have been devoted to for over a decade go hand in hand with the music I want to create as well as supporting artists in their process. So I decided to create a business around it. Read more>>

Joseph Burtoni Kathryn Rowan | Co-Owner Katie and Joe On The Go LLC & Global Adventure Media LLC

After 20 years (combined) of working traditional corporate careers in advertising and media production, we were tired of working long hours and building businesses for someone else. If we were going to put in this much work, we wanted to create and grow something that we completely owned. Read more>>

Emma McDonald | Makeup Artist & Esthetician

I’ve always been obsessed with makeup, whether it was rummaging through my mom’s cosmetics as a teenager or doing my friend’s looks for events in high school and college. After college, I accepted a role in marketing but deep down, I knew makeup and skincare were my passions. Read more>>

JP Purkey | Personal Trainer & Owner

I was unhappy with the first corporate gym I worked at. It was so sales focused that it lost touch with the personal aspect of personal training. I found the environment stifling, where clients were reduced to mere statistics and the primary concern was the bottom line. I was driven by a desire for deeper, more meaningful interactions. Read more>>

Kyle Doman | Small Business Owner and Entrepreneur

I had graduated from college in 2009 with a degree in Architecture. That field was hit really hard after the 2008 decline so I deferred my acceptance to grad school and ended up going on a trip around the world with my now wife and we had decided that upon our return I would either go to grad school for Architecture to continue my degree, go to med school or start my own business. Read more>>

Amanda Wyman | Motherhood Portrait Photographer

I have a very entrepreneurial spirit. Before having kids, I worked in food service and wanted to open my own restaurant someday. Eventually, I learned that the culinary industry wasn’t for me so I tried out various other avenues where I could potentially be my own boss. Things like tattooing, personal training, and nutrition counseling. Read more>>

Jason Fitzgerald | USATF certified running coach, founder & head coach of Strength Running, and host of the Strength Running Podcast

I started Strength Running as a resource for runners to train smarter. In 2010, there were very few sources of information about running on the internet and I knew that as a former collegiate track and field and cross country runner, I could help recreational runners train in a more effective way to reduce their injury risk and run faster finishing times. Read more>>

Siera Stevens | Real Estate Agent

I was working as an interior designer when we decided to buy our first house. Navigating the process of buying a home was terrifying. We didn’t have anyone that was going to help with our down payment. It was just us, with our little savings, trying to enter the housing market in Denver. Read more>>

Patrick O’Keefe | Owner

I have always been drawn to the outdoors. In my 20’s I lived abroad in Chile where Patagonia sparked a love for wild outdoor places. After returning to the U.S., my parents wanted me to get a job, but I chose to hike the Appalachian Trail instead. Read more>>

Alexis Davison | Social Media Manager | CEO

My last year of college, I had a realization that the majority of soon-to-be graduates get — the profound “what am I going to do now?”. And to be honest, for a while, I didn’t have an answer. I knew I needed a creative challenge and that I loved helping people, but how was that going to translate into a job? Read more>>

Nicole Magelssen | CEO of Alpine Virtual Assistants

Sometimes the best businesses are ones you create by mistake. At least, that’s what I’ve heard. That’s what happened with Alpine Virtual. I never set out to run a virtual assistant agency. I started Alpine Virtual with the goal of having a few virtual assistant clients for myself while also working as a part-time in-person assistant. When COVID hit, I was laid off from my in-person job.  Read more>>

Veronica Olga Hernandez | Philanthropist, Author, Entrepreneur and Growth Facilitator

Starting my first business was a trauma response. Creating and building a way to provide for myself was based off of survival instincts. Investing in myself was what I believed to be my only option. I was 19 years old when I started my first company. Entrepreneurship started at 13 years of age. Read more>>

Dante White | CEO and Founder/Dad/Fun Enthusiast

Starting my own business was a journey fueled by passion, resilience, and a desire to make a difference. From a young age, I was inspired by my mom, who transformed her creativity into various side hustles—from decorating cakes to starting her own interior design business. Watching her create something remarkable out of nothing instilled in me a deep-seated admiration for entrepreneurship. Read more>>

Joy Wige | Chef

It was honestly out of desperation. I was working corporate restaurants and as a widow with three children I was struggling to keep up mentally, physically and financially.. Driving for Lyft in my off hours, trying to be at my children’s events and just burning the candle from both ends. Read more>> 

Jonathan Fuller | Software Developer, Licensed Therapist, Creator

For me, the process behind starting my own business was a simple one, I have always loved creating things. When you can’t stop creating things, eventually you end up with a lot of them, too many in fact. Eventually the financials just don’t make sense without taking the step to give them away or sell them more seriously. Read more>>