The first step to starting a business is deciding to start a business. They say the first step is the hardest and in our experience this is especially true when it comes to starting a business. Getting over the mental roadblocks can be tough, often harder to overcome than the challenges you’ll face once you actually start the business. Fellow entrepreneurs share their thoughts below.

Ahnjellyka Wardell | Photographer

I’ve always enjoyed taking pictures of life’s moments, whether small or gran. At times, I couldn’t afford to do so (being in college for example) or I wished I was behind a camera for others. When I started my business, I immediately knew I wanted bridge a gap when it came to providing quality photography services at prices that could be affordable to a wide range on clients. Read more>>

Katie Mustard | Wedding Planner

Starting my own business was always about being more available for my kids. I was working a 9-5 job as a social worker and I had 2 young children at home. My oldest at the time would comment on how I was always working and it just broke my heart. We could no longer afford daycare so we made the decision to have me quit my job and do something to make money while working from home. I had no intention of building a wedding planning business but God just plopped it in my lap so I ran with it. Read more>>

Wendee Saunders | Founder, eclisse, BETWEEN YOU AND THE SUN

n 2020 I had Open Heart Surgery and while I was grateful to have my heart issue fixed I was concerned about having a scar on my chest and wanted to heal it the best way I could. I got with on of my Estheticians to help me make a plan for my scar and she gave me all the things I needed to do and then said to me that none of these things will work if you don’t keep it out of the sun. She said you cannot get one drop of sunlight on it for a year. Not through your shirts, your car window, not one drop. Being a Skin care enthusiast, I understood this so I proceeded to look for sun protectiving clothing and scarves and could not find anything that I felt was cute and fashionable, everything was, in my opinion, boring or very thick and hot. It occurred to me that Fashion and Beauty are my sport so I decided that I was going to create the first ever chic, fashionable, beauty focused Sun Protective Clothing brand. That is how my brand, eclisse, BETWEEN YOU AND THE SUN, was born. Read more>>

Jill Kemp | Founder & Creator, The Wonder Crop

I originally started The Wonder Crop to advocate for the use of Hemp in all forms. Why? Because Hemp truly is The Wonder Crop! It has thousands of product uses AND is beneficial to the Earth. I love to make things with my hands though, so I decided to create a Hemp product myself to provide a direct benefit to consumers. Having a flourishing garden with tons of herbs, making herbal soap seemed like a good way to go. And so it was! Read more>>

Jeni Brunner | Equine Photographer

My photography business was started somewhat on accident! I grew up riding and showing horses; this sport consumed my life from the age of 5 to 16. I chose to take a break from horses as I took on a new sport and many classes as a running start student. After graduating high school and college, I didn’t get a camera with the expectation of turning it into this career; I originally asked for a camera for my 18th birthday with the hopes of just taking some nice photos while on my personal travels. Shortly after learning how to use the Nikon d5500, I dove straight into the fashion photography world where I photographed models in Seattle for clothing companies, thanks to some good prior connections I had in the industry. About a year into my business, I was able to bridge the gap between fashion photography and horse photography. Several fashion magazine covers and publications later, I focus my equine photography business on helping horse girls feel like supermodels while capturing the incomparable bond between a horse and rider. Read more>>

Tony Morales | Gyrotonic Master Teacher

As a Gyrotonic Master Teacher O was working for someone else who didn’t appreciate me. It was then when I decided I needed to start my own small Biz and teach the way I wanted. Read more>>

Byron Kouris | Founder of DAWN X USA

DAWN X represents so much to Alexsondra and I. Especially, our slogan, “BE THE VARIABLE” which is us in a nutshell.

The dawn is most commonly referred to as the first appearance of light before sunrise. Therefore the ‘DAWN’ in DAWN X symbolizes hope to us. That little bit of light at the end of the tunnel. The idea that each day brings us a fresh start and a new opportunity to be the best version of ourselves possible. Read more>>

Brittany Guerra | Small Business Owner

The inspiration to start my own business stemmed from my father, who transformed his life from a rough past that involved selling drugs in multiple states and serving time in prison to becoming a successful small business owner in the air-conditioning industry. His journey of personal growth and entrepreneurship motivated him to encourage me to embark on a similar path. Having three children and a demanding job as a billing manager at the state’s largest structural engineering firm, the idea of starting a business initially felt like an unattainable dream. I lacked the necessary knowledge and financial resources, and I knew that air-conditioning wasn’t the right fit for me, even though my husband worked in the same industry. Read more>>

Brandon Quintanilla | CEO of Culture Night Market and EMLN Exclusive

Amid the pandemic, Downtown San Jose was a ghost town. Small businesses started closing, and nobody was outside; only essential workers and people were struggling. However, we noticed Sonny, the owner of the parking lot in downtown San Jose, was struggling. Since corporations own 40% of the real estate in that area, we wanted to help him. We also saw many people starting small businesses to help make ends meet. I had years of experience as a vendor and realized this was a great opportunity to start a night market. I wanted to provide a platform for these communities that could be a win-win situation for all parties. Read more>>

Angel Perea | Licensed massage therapist, Certified personal trainer with a certification in corrective exercise specialist & Neurotraining practitioner

Starting my own business is not only a personal goal, but also a way for me to serve my community. I strongly believe that massage, corrective exercising, and Neurotraining are not just luxuries, but vital aspects of a healthier and happier life. By offering massage therapy, corrective exercising, and Neurotraining services, I can contribute to the well-being of my community in a comprehensive way. These services have numerous physical and mental health benefits, such as alleviating stress, reducing muscle tension, improving posture, enhancing mobility, and promoting neurological function. They are powerful tools that can enhance overall wellness and help individuals lead more fulfilling lives. Through my business, I aim to provide accessible and effective massage therapy, corrective exercising, and Neurotraining services, enabling people to prioritize their health and well-being. Read more>>

Dakota Leko | Her Little Cakery Owner & Cake Artist

I decided to start my own business in the height of COVID – I was 6 months postpartum from having my second child. During my pregnancy was the beginning of COVID and I had to leave my profession as an urgent care manager due to the risk of high exposure during pregnancy. Over the last half of my pregnancy, then having my daughter I was losing a sense of myself. I had never relied on an income from a partner before and frankly it was downright bothersome to not feel a sense of independence. I was also feeling as if I had nothing that was truly my own. While I knew I wanted to earn an income to help provide for my family, I also knew how unhappy I was working a typical corporate style job – in the medical field nonetheless. One of my hobbies for years here and there included baking desserts for my friends and family. I had one friend who often told me I could make money making my cakes, however I never thought someone would pay me to make them a cake and I also thought there was no way I could make enough profit. One day, feeling stuck, unable to contribute financially to my home and feeling I had nothing to focus on other than my motherly duties I thought… why not take my hobby and see if I could build a business? Why not see what happens… the worst thing that could possibly happen is no one orders and it’s a flop. I had many doubts, some in my life had doubts… although that just fueled my fire even more to show what I could be capable of building. So the first thought when starting my own business… doubt but I am so glad I persisted and found the excitement of starting my own business. Read more>>

Jacqulyn Currey | L.A.; CLT, LSO | Owner of Clarity Skin Lounge

I opened Clarity Skin Lounge in August of 2023 with one goal in mind; Helping people to feel confident, comfortable and beautiful in their own skin. I can’t tell you how many times a client has come to me with an overwhelmed idea about aesthetic treatments. Confusion about which products and treatments do what; If one thing will work better for their desired outcome than another. After 6 years in the Medical Aesthetic industry, I saw where communication between clients and providers lacked. This experience gave me a clear vision into the brand and business development I hoped to offer as a business owner. To be frank, I got tired of an overwhelming industry… Clarity came to fruition with those things in mind. It’s an opportunity to provide education and effective, best-in-class medical aesthetic treatments to every person who walks through the door. My hope is for my clients to understand their skin, to relax in their treatment environment and leave with the confidence that our services will be money well spent. This mindset has allowed me to gain the trust of those I work with everyday towards reaching their skin health goals. Read more>>