Thinking through whether to start a business – whether to take the risk, whether to go out on your own – isn’t easy. So we asked some entrepreneurs we admire to tell us about how they thought through the process of starting a business.

Nathaniel Branscomb | Entrepeneur & Nonprofit Leader

I have volunteered in nonprofits for 30 years, starting in highschool. I volunteer in nonprofits that serve you, as President of the 100 Black of Triangle East, Inc., and Board member of Communities in Schools of Wake County, and the Emily K Center. It’s in this role where I saw the need to help nonprofits, that are helping our youth. Nonprofits that are strapped for time, cash, volunteers and other resources Read more>>

Holly Essler | Licensed Clinical Therapist

The philosophy of starting my own practice was really to help empower individuals going through struggles in their lives. Mental health services have always had a stigma attached to them. I wanted to help bridge that gap and let others know that reaching out for support is a strength rather than a weakness. I fully stand behind the statement of “It’s okay to not be okay”. Read more>>

Teresa Coleman | Mom/Wife/Entrepreneur/FitPro

I come from a family of hard working parents who taught me that life was about getting an education and finding a good job. I did not have many influences growing up that showed me what it looked like to be an entrepreneur. It was my husband who turned on this light for me. He started a small business 10 years ago and I served as the Chief Administrative Officer filing paperwork, organizing events and such, but I never had an interest in the creative or sales side. I was so focused on my job in corporate America and what I did well. I didn’t stop to think of how the skills that I was already using could transfer into being an entrepreneur. It wasn’t until 4 years later when I fell in love with fitness that I was able to transition and step into the lane that had always been available to me and become a creator of my own fitness brand and business as an umbrella under SouthWestCoast Product, LLC. Since then I have learned to design and print our apparel as well as serve as the lead apparel printer for our customers. I’ve also been able to positively impact women across the world through my empowerment workshops and my podcast. Many opportunities have opened up for me since I took that leap and added entrepreneur to my resume. I still have a day job that I love, but creating a legacy through our business for our children gives me great joy. Read more>>

Elyse Flynn Meyer | Marketing Agency Owner | Fractional Marketing Leader | HubSpot Platinum Partner | Author

Before starting my business, Prism Global Marketing Solutions, I was an in-house marketing and sales director. In that role, I implemented an integrated digital and traditional marketing strategy to drive inbound leads, reduce spend, and increase revenues. In the process of this, I also implemented HubSpot for this organization. HubSpot is an all-in-one marketing and sales platform. It helped us transform how we marketed and sold our products and services by having an integrated technology that could help us gather the data and insights we needed to make more informed marketing decisions. It was doing this that I saw the need for small to mid-size businesses to have the same integrated technology and strategy to optimize their marketing and sales efforts. So many companies often spend money on ineffective ads, events, and sales programs without having the tools to track the effectiveness of these campaigns. By implementing integrated technology, companies can save time and money while improving processes by having the data they need in real-time. That’s when I decided to start my company to help small to mid-size companies improve their marketing efforts and revenue through a robust marketing strategy that drives real results. Read more>>

Frankie Carman | Personal Training and Nutrition Company

I started my coaching career by helping my coach at the time turn his business into a thriving group fitness company. I was absolutely in love with helping his clients reach their fitness goals and surpass them for almost 6 years! But when I sat down one day and sketched out what I thought of as a logo for my own company someday, my soul was fulfilled. I knew I had to try it, whether I was to succeed or fail, I had to walk this path in life. That’s where I’ve truly been my happiest . . Owning my own fitness company and helping others succeed when they didn’t think they could. Now I have the blessing of raising my kiddos around such beautiful and amazing people doing life changing things for themselves. It’s the ultimate blessing! Read more>>

Timothy Zubkoff | Founder, Chef

The grand thought behind PHOENIX CULINARY COLLECTIVE was to create not only a company, but a COLLECTIVE that focuses on the symbiotic relationship between Food, Music, Arts, and Entertainment. We started as a very small team back in September of 2017 with one venue we were operating out of regularly. Fast forward through a pandemic and 6 years later, we are now preferred vendors at 5 separate venues in the music industry and beyond. The thought behind the “big leap” into self-employment was not only noticing a gap in the market when it came to music venues selling sub-par food, but also the lack of TEAM based employment options across the board. As a collective, we stress that everyone has a voice, anybody’s dish can get featured at any event, and operational roundtables regularly occur to ensure the clients and fans are getting the best possible service both inside and outside of the kitchen. Read more>>

Christa Esquibel | Event coordinator/Small business owner

When I became a 1st time mom, in 2004, I knew I wanted to stay home with my daughter. I was searching for something that would allow me to make an income without needing any daycare. I explored many stay at home options, but none really stuck as a passion for me. Myself, my sister in law, my sister & my mom all got together and we wanted to showcase our own things and bring local goods to our community, while supporting other moms doing the same. So it organically came about and as soon as we had our first front yard Farmers market, I knew I loved it. Being able to create a space that supported small, local businesses & work aside by side with other creative entrepreneur Mommas had my heart! Read more>>

Jana Tingom | Local Influencer

Phoenix With Kids was started as a natural outcome of what we already enjoyed doing – exploring and sharing! My husband, Chris, and I had traveled a fair amount before meeting and getting married, and we both had various blogs and other ways to share our thoughts over the years. Chris was the one who actually started the Phoenix With Kids blog in 2013, as a simple way to list things to do with kids in Phoenix. We had one very active child at the time, so getting out and about was a necessity! As the list grew, and we added reviews of those places, families would always share how helpful the first hand perspective was and asked for more. The blog expanded in to social media and YouTube and a weekly newsletter, reaching thousands of families around Phoenix, Arizona and beyond! 10 years later (and now with 3 kids), we still enjoy exploring and sharing adventures! Read more>>

Christopher Owens | Founder/CEO, Culture PHX + CultureHUB

My thought process with launching a business begins with one simple question: what issue or problem can my business address while not only providing a service, but actually serving? As spoken word artist Truth B. Told, I use poetry to help people of all ages find their own voices while engaging, challenging and inspiring them in a variety of ways. With Culture PHX, I curate events to create fun and unique experiences while connecting community. With my latest endeavor, CultureHUB, I’m able to empower Black creatives and entrepreneurs by providing resources to launch their own businesses within a supportive community. Although the methods have evolved over time, that thought process remains consistent. Read more>>

Thomas Brenneman | Owner/Builder of Sonder Guitars

Ultimately, I lost my career of 10+ years when covid hit. I had to get creative to make money and just utilized skills I had to do so. I had been building guitars for a number of years prior just as a hobby. I decided to use those skills and use connections I had made in the industry over the years through playing music and being sponsored by another guitar company to get the business rolling. Read more>>

Laurelann Porter | Shamanic Artist

When I made the decision to leave my position as a university professor, I had no idea how opening a new business would work. There were several support mechanisms in place for businesses who had to shift (or “pivot”) as a result of the pandemic. But I still needed to find out how to be a small business owner from scratch. Fortunately for me, I had a few systems in place that were a support for me. If I had known how hard it was going to be I might not have done it. But I’m sort of glad I didn’t know because I do not regret it for one minute. I’m in my third year of opening this business and the money is finally starting to flow. Read more>>

Sasha Czyzewski | Fiduciary Advisor

I wanted to have more freedom. Freedom of my time, energy, location, direction in life and financially. Having an employer required me to work on their schedule and at their location. It also restricted the income I was able to make. I wanted more room for growth financially and personally. Read more>>

Tommy Kelley | Retired Veteran and owner of The K Palace Theater

I was always interested in movies and TV growing up. I got started in theater in 1981 when I was a new lieutenant in the Army stationed at Fort Huachuca, AZ. After doing 6 or 7 shows on the post, I left for a new assignment and focused on my career as a soldier in the U.S. Army. I didn’t get back into theater until 2011. I formed my own theater company (Theater on the Move, LLC) in 2014 with two very special and talented ladies. In 2021 after doing 7 years of live shows in various venues in Sierra Vista, Tombstone and Bisbee, we decided it was time to get our own theater. Working very closely with our team (Dale & Beverly O’Shaughnessy and Barry & Tess Nelson), we bought a building, had it completely remodeled, and we had our grand opening 23 March 2023. I’ve never regretted the decision. The theater is named “The K Palace Theater” and it has enjoyed great success during our initial 9 months. We have performed three separate shows, and the audience attendance has been overwhelming. Our upcoming show, “Christmas in Arizona” is schedule to open 7 Dec. I have been blessed with the quality of folks who have helped me along the way and blessed with such great talent for our shows. The folks we have involved with us are all top-notch! Read more>>