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.

Charles Jeans | The Tattooed Inspector

When my wife and I bought our first house, we had a home inspection and the whole thing just felt rushed. The inspector threw a bunch of information at us and didn’t really explain any of it, didn’t take the time to make sure we understood what we where buying, or if he cared. That was why I started Safe House Home Inspectors, our motto or ethos is “make sure your largest investment is a safe investment. Buying a home is the largest investment a lot of us will make. We understand that, and show it in the quality of our work and customer service. Read more>>

Keshava McLaughlin | Mediation, Sound, Yoga & Energy Work

While MyTree Wellness offers a variety of healing services, it’s the addition of Certified Cannabis Yoga that I’ve been recently most excited about. Cannabis has been a big part of my healing journey and seeing the dialogue shift over the past years has been an amazing part of history to witness. Knowing that so many others are integrating plant medicine into their wellness journey, I knew the coming together of Cannabis and Yoga was a path I was looking to pursue. Up until recently I had only been working privately with MMJ patients but now with our state legalization and new consumption lounge permits we’ll be bringing group Ganja Yoga to a wider audience. Read more>>

Jeaiza Quiñones Ivory | Owner, The Masha Company

Before it became an earring shop, I started Masha as an online thrift store. My goal was to reduce clothing waste by selling my unworn clothes and helping others do the same. Unfortunately the business and revenue side of owning an online thrift store is a lot harder than people think. Eventually I started making earrings as a craft just to have some down time and decompress. I fell in love with it and realized how lightweight the earrings were (heavy earrings can be a dealbreaker for so many women) and decided that I’d keep my store going with earrings at the center. Read more>>

Diane Balthrop | Lip Artist & Teeth Whitening Expert

The idea to own my first business started when I was still in High School! This has made starting Lip Lab Az that much more exciting for me. Being a professional in both the medical and the makeup industry, naturally, I always wanted to start something that involved both. Therefore, I came up with the Lip Lab! Starting Lip Lab Az, my first ever business was far from easy though. There is a lot of fear and uncertainty that goes into starting an entire company. I was very determined to succeed and passionate about making this dream of mine come true. Hard work and dedication to overcome those hurdles made it possible for me to live my dream of helping others feel great about themselves! With Lip Lab Az I am committed to providing everyone with amazing, impressive smiles all around! Read more>>