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.

Makaela Powell | Personal Trainer

I have always wanted to help people live a healthier, more fulfilling life by leading them to achieve their health and fitness goals in a safe and effective way. That is why I became a personal trainer. I have been training in person clients for over a year and I want to reach a bigger population by taking some of my business online. By taking my business online I am able to help more people embrace a healthier lifestyle which is why I love doing this job. Read more>>

Remo Hill | Musician and Project Producer

My business started from a deep passion for anything to do with music. When I began making my own music I couldnt help but create additional pieces of art to accompany/display it. Initially I looked for outside sources to bring my vision to life: like videos, clothing, studios, shows, and merch, but I wasn’t able to find products that met the style or quality I desired. Creating REMO and O Productions allowed me to hand pick likeminded creators who can meet all the needs local upcoming artist need to succeed or be inspired. Read more>>

Kat Buxton | Interior Designer

When I decided to switch careers in my mid 20s and immerse myself in the Interior Design industry, my motivation was always to be in charge of my own day to day and have freedom of time, freedom for creativity and freedom to grow in the ways I felt best for myself. I sought out a Master’s degree and my NCIDQ license so that I could set a super solid foundation and fill up my tool belt with as much knowledge as possible. I sought out really talented firms and Designers that I wanted to learn from, and that were willing to teach me and allow me maximum growth, people that supported my dream of owning my own business. Read more>>

Stephanie Webb | Owner of Tongue in Cheek Bookshop

I have owned a few other businesses in the past, and I really wanted to bring a romance bookshop to Denver. Bookstores are places for community and connection – they are third spaces – which are disappearing (https://theweek.com/culture-life/third-places-disappearing). We need more third spaces because they build relationships and provide a sense of belonging. Read more>>

Dionisia Hatzis | Somatic Facilitator and Divine Feminine Ceremonial Priestess

After decades of working in corporate America, I honestly had no choice but to leave and start working for myself. I felt my spirit dying under the fluorescent lights of cubicle life. I’ve always had a deep desire to align my professional life with my personal life, which is devoted to creativity, movement, spirituality and community-building — and I realized that I could channel those into something meaningful. There’s always been a lingering question I’ve asked myself, “How am I helping the world outside of myself with this work?” and none of my office jobs satiated that need. Read more>>

Jon Packwood | Artist Manager & Entrepreneur

My thought process behind starting my own business, Arctic, stemmed from a combination of passion and practicality. From a young age, I’ve been driven to figure out how to monetize the things I love doing. Music has always been central to my life, and over the years, I saw firsthand the challenges that artists face in the industry. I realized there was a gap in how artists were being supported on the business side of things. They’re often overwhelmed by the management aspect and can lose focus on their craft. Read more>>

Dr. Sharada Tripathi | Doctor of Nurse Practitioner, Regenerative & Aesthetic Medicine

I would like to share my background before I jump into my thought process about starting this health and wellness Clinic. I have worked in health care for about 17 years. As a health care provider What I saw in this whole journey was people suffering from chronic disease and many health problems where we could prevent in earlier phase. I was not satisfied with this system of healthcare and was learning more about wellness and regenerative medicine. Once, I learned that routine wellness and preventive medical care can delay aging and prevent suffering from illness. This was the biggest courage behind me to start my own Medical Wellness clinic. Read more>>

Brenton Saylor | CEO of Mile High Minute

I grew up on government housing with little resources & I was tired of being broke. I started hustling at a young age to obtain money. I seen the poor environment I was surrounded by and wanted to figure a way out. Read more>>

Jordan Gutierrez | Native Raw Eats Co-Owner

Our journey with Native Raw Eats began with a very personal experience. Our co-owner, Vicente, has been an entrepreneur for over 25 years, running a USDA-regulated meat processing plant for human consumption. The idea for Native Raw Eats was sparked when our family’s dogs—Opie and Daphiney, owned by Jordan and his wife Itzel—started facing health challenges, including weight issues, allergies, and digestive problems on a kibble diet. Vicente knew there had to be a better solution, and with his background in agriculture, he started researching the benefits of a raw diet for dogs. Read more>>

Katherine Davis | Owner and Founder, Welcome Goddess

The idea for Welcome Goddess had been a faint but tantalizing whisper in my ear for many years. I always loved spaces that were oriented around women and the sacred connections we share. My own powerful embodiment journey also sparked a deep desire in me to make these practices more accessible for other women. Read more>>

Adrea Zaleski | MS, LPC, ACS, MFTC, NCC, Clinical Director and Owner of Zia Healing and Wellness

The process behind starting Zia Healing and Wellness, a Group Counseling Practice, is definitely a long and complicated one. I have wanted to be a Mental Health Counselor since I was 10 years old. When my parents were divorcing, I remember meeting with a therapist to talk about my thoughts and feelings. I remember feeling better after a particularly difficult session and thinking “maybe I should do this when I grow up”. A tiny seed was planted at that point, but I really struggled in middle school and high school with academics. Read more>> 

Bryn Massey | Portrait and Wedding Photographer

Wilder Photography Co was born out of a yearning to find joy in my own life. 12 years ago, I found myself in college feeling completely lost, sad, and honestly, terrified of the future. I was filled with anxiety and a fear of not knowing who I was or what I wanted to do with my life. I failed out of my freshman year of college and felt like I had completely messed up what I thought I was supposed to be doing. God has a funny way of working things out. Read more>>

Dennis Bradley | Lead Guitarist & Manager

Everyone in the band is a lifelong musician, with decades of experience playing live in various other bands before Mimic. Darrin (Lead Vocals) and Dennis (Lead Guitar) met while playing in another band that they were both “hired guns” in – not core members of the group. They decided to leave and start Mimic. Darrin recruited Rob (Bass), who he had played with in another band for years. Dennis found Jim (Drums) on a musician website, BandMix, and Rob had also played in a band with Jim years ago. Dennis also played in a tribute band with our sound engineers, Aaron and Tyler, so they were recruited to run sound and be the “road crew” for the band. Read more>>

Carolyn King | Social entrepreneur

I think I’ve always wanted to start my own business. I just didn’t know how or what. This idea was heavily tied to the fact that I had been working for someone or some organization all of my life. That meant that I would always have someone else controlling my money, my success and my destiny. As a social worker, all of my energy was invested into making someone else’s life outcomes better. Meanwhile my come true or while my dreams were dying on the vine. Read more>>

Kat Maurina | Massage Therapist & Yoga Teacher

I had been working in studios for larger massage organizations for several years and had been maintaining a small private practice on the side that was exclusively in home services. The last studio I worked at I had built up a really solid clientele along with the private clients I had already. At the end of 2021 I knew that I wanted to pursue yoga teacher training and I was going to need more flexibility in my schedule, so moving into 2022 I decided to take the leap fully into private practice and getting a studio space of my own. I was very lucky to be working at a studio where the owners were gracious enough to allow you to take a small number of clients with you if you left as long as they had been coming exclusively to you.  Read more>>

Kaaryn Dahlquist | Owner, Creator and Maker of Blessing of Blankets (B*B)

I have been making blankets/items for friends and family for years. One of my friends learned to crochet and decided to start her own business on Etsy. She suggested that I start my own since I make them all the time anyway. At first I said no, I wasn’t talented enough to have a small business. But then I took it to prayer, and I was hit with an entire vision of my business. I was a brand new mom of a son only a couple months old and I was encompassed by severe abuse. I was desperately seeking a why to earn extra money on my own to be able to eat.  Read more>>