Starting a business is a commitment and requires dedication, resources and sacrifice. We asked some of the rising stars in our community how they thought through the idea of starting their own businesses.

Missy Burns | Marketing Creative

I’ve always been an entrepreneur. After having kids, finding a flexible job was difficult. I tried many different “work from home” options out there, but never found anything that fit me. I decided to go back to college and earn my BA degree in Business – Entrepreneurship. Half way through college, I started my own gourmet dessert catering business in Ohio that was successful for 3 years. Then, 2020 happened and I had to shut it down. Realizing that my favorite parts of owning that business was the creative and marketing aspects, I decided to pursue marketing. I worked for a couple organizations to gain experience. Read more>>

Matthew Hartzell | Taxidermist

Well, my journey into starting my own taxidermy business really began as a personal passion. I’ve always been an avid hunter, and my love for the outdoors and wildlife runs deep. Taxidermy was something I initially pursued as a hobby, a way to preserve the memories of the animals I harvested and create lasting art pieces that celebrated their beauty. As an artist at heart, I found a deep connection with taxidermy. The process of bringing an animal back to life, so to speak, was fascinating to me. I would spend countless hours honing my skills, perfecting my techniques, and immersing myself in the art of taxidermy. Read more>>

Derek Taniguchi |

Oh man, you’re gonna love this part. So, I’m running around Westminster, Colorado, tackling obstacle courses and geeking out on the latest tech, right? But let me take you back to where it really started: my mom, Doris. She’s this brilliant and fiercely independent woman who taught me everything I know about grit and ambition. She’s the OG role model, you know? Now, as I was building one of my other businesses, I saw my mom struggle with technology. Mind you, this is the same woman who raised me to be who I am, but a darn smartphone update had her stuck. Read more>>

Hannah Thiemann | Dog Trainer & Behavior Consultant

Before starting my own business, I was working for a large dog training facility in Denver. The owners shared my commitment to dog-friendly training, but the enormous overhead of maintaining the facility meant that their prices were seldom people-friendly! I went into dog training to help people and dogs, and I could see how much inflexible policies and high costs were harming them instead. I started my own business so that I could offer greater flexibility and sliding scale services to accomplish my primary goal: keeping pets in loving homes! Read more>>

Mickayla Pence | Movie Makeup Artist & Jeweler

For over a decade I have made a living working as a professional makeup artist on film and television sets. The reality of making movie magic is hardly glamorous, and in all honesty, downright grueling. Often times, a typical work day on set is 12+ hours, at the mercy of the elements, while living far from home for the duration of filming. When the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the film industry, I sought new creative avenues to both pass the time, as well as make a living. Instead of helplessly twiddling my thumbs while the world paused with uncertainty, I started to bend wire with them. It didn’t take long before admirers of my mixed media jewelry began purchasing works of mine online. Read more>>

Mo Barrett | Catalytic Comedian

I used to ask my Dad and Mom how they met. Dad would launch into a story about shopping for tools at Sears and how mesmerized he was by the angelic cashier, to the point of speechlessness. How he had to go back everyday for a week buying some tool he didn’t need just to interact (wordlessly) with her. And then on the 6th day, he mustered up the nerve to ask her out to lunch. I swear his version had a John Williams faintly playing in the background and stage lighting and everything. Mom could barely stay awake during her version of the guy who came back every. single. day. for. a. week. to buy one tool at a time. Read more>>

Sayge Jenkins | Wedding + Portrait Photographer

I kind of fell into this business. I always loved photography but I actually got my first DSLR camera as a push present when I had my son 7 years ago. The journey really started when I was just trying to get out of the house to combat postpartum and take some pictures of cows that lived near our house. Everyone loved my cow photos so much and kept insisting that I started doing family pictures. There was so much fear beginning because people and cows are a far cry from each other! I grew and grew until here I am 6 years later with multiple pictures published and awards from worldwide contests. Read more>>

Ali Duncan | Founder & Lead Visionary of Urban Sanctuary

I created Urban Sanctuary because I consistently noticed there was a lack of brave, safe and welcoming spaces for bodies of color. Wellness should be easily accessible for all and with a practice like yoga, you’re supporting individuals both mentally and physically within a community. As I began and grew in my practice, I always felt like I was “different” than the others and in places where I didn’t belong even though I was consistently practicing to support my strength and mental wellbeing. The vision of Urban Sanctuary came to me when my daughter and I wanted to be that core place for individuals in Colorado to heal. Read more>>

Arianna Jones | Co-Owner at HabilisCrafts

We started our business after Gareth had been in many consignment stores in England with his glasswork however they were always ran without the artists best interest at heart. So when he moved here to be with me (Arianna) we wanted to open our own store to put the artist first and give a platform to local artists/artisans! With that being said we have had amazing support from the local community. Read more>>

Cari Cusinato | Equine & Sport Photographer, Owner Cusinato Equine Photography

Years ago, when my daughter started riding, I realized I needed something to keep busy during horse shows so as to remove myself from my competitively focused daughter. So, I picked up a camera and started shooting. For seven years, I shot my daughter and the girls she competed with, perfecting the art. I found that shooting at horse shows led to me carrying a camera nearly everywhere I went. I would take every available opportunity to pull out my camera and take pictures. That led to the decision to make photography a business. I wanted something I enjoyed to fund the horses. Read more>>

Mallory Munson | Wedding + Family Photographer & Business Owner

Honestly I didn’t intend to own a wedding photography business, it just kind of happened. I got a “nice” camera in my yearly twenties and my friends would ask me to take pictures of their families. This snowballed into me taking photos nearly every weekend while still working my 9-5 job as a website designer. After two years of overworking myself with essentially two jobs, my partner at the time told me he believed in my craft and the joy I bring people when capturing photos. He pushed me to quit my job and do photography full time. So I did. I then moved to Colorado shortly after quitting my job and went full time with not only family photos but full on weddings (I had only captured one wedding at that point but booked 30 weddings my first year…the hustle was real!). Read more>>

Ami Robinson | Small Business Owner & Interior Designer

I have created beautiful spaces and have worked in Interior Design in one way or another for over 25 years. Settling down in Colorado and knowing we were staying here for the long haul allowed me to start my own business and was the next logical step for me to continue to do what I love. I was looking to be inspired and to challenge myself. I wanted to work with clients that want to have homes and businesses they love and are comfortable in but are not sure how to make it happen. I also wanted to be able to help others (like myself) that want their homes to be welcoming but visually interesting and feel cohesive. Read more>>

Amanda Steinmetz | Radar System Engineer & Photographer

When I started Friendly Cactus Photos, I had two goals. One, I wanted to be an affordable way for people to document their life moments, be it big or small; and two, I wanted a place to show the creative photos I take in the world. I started initially as a favor to a friend to capture their son’s first birthday. Then I thought that I could do this for other people who want the same thing – I could capture proposals or Christmas cards or graduating seniors or even just finally getting those family or pet pictures that people always talk about. And I want to do that as afforable as I can because I strongly believe that everyone should have the moments that they want to remember as photographs – because photos last a lifetime and hold so many memories. Read more>>

Bridget Stephenson | Adventure Wedding and Elopement Photographer

I took an intro to photography class in high school and I quickly fell in love with it. I am a very competitive person, and 15-year-old me had to be the best photographer in the class, so I put all my time and energy into learning how to shoot in manual, composition techniques, and just taking photos of everything and anything. After a while, I started taking photos of my friends which turned into me taking photos of other students in school, and eventually turned into a small business of taking senior photos for the high schools around where I lived. At first, I don’t think I made the conscious decision to make a business, it just felt like the next step I was supposed to take. Read more>>