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.

Krystal Phan | Founder

My decision to start my own business was driven by my past experience in a poor leadership environment where growth was not encouraged. This experience led me to realize that if I couldn’t find the leadership I deserved within an organization, I had to become the leader I always aspired to be. Read more>>

Genesis Salkind | Photographer & Videographer

The reason I wanted to start my own photography business was not only because I wanted to be my own boss, but because I want to spend as much time as I can with my daughter. I don’t want to miss the important milestones because of having to work. Read more>>

Jacqui Ellzey | Medical Assistant/ League founder/ owner

I wanted to give the opportunity and support to any skater looking to skate and compete at a National level and World Skate level. Read more>>

Elexia Roberson | Founder of SMARTY OATS & Junior at Arizona State University

Starting my own business has always been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. Growing up, both of my parents were personal trainers and were very involved in the world of health and fitness, which greatly influenced me. In the summer of 2021, I became a personal trainer at the age of 20 while studying Nutrition at Arizona State University. Read more>>

John & Donna Scarborough | Coddiwomple Travelers

After working for over 30 years John as a firefighter and Donna in Quality Assurance we decided to go explore and see what our country has to offer. So many of us get stuck in the never ending cycle of life and we wanted something different. Read more>>

Lexi Pacheco | Pregnancy Coach and Doula

The thought process behind starting my own business started when I learned about how absolutely amazing the birthing process is. How we, as women, we’re designed to birth. I became certified as a Doula and attended my first home birth shortly after that. Read more>>

Karina Canales | Owner of Carousel Soft Play

I started my soft play business after not being able to book a set up for my daughter’s first birthday party in Casa Grande. I knew there were soft play businesses in Phoenix, but not one close enough to home. I quickly realized the need for a local soft play business that would help promote motor, sensory, and social-emotional developments all while having fun. Read more>>

Tom Gustason | Co-Owner

We moved out here to Arizona in 2013 after spending 3 years working side by side in Afghanistan. Tom and Edie are both retired Army, having served 21 years and 20 years respectively. In July of 2013, we were married in Tombstone and later that year a friend of ours took us wine tasting. Read more>>

Nadia & Ramon Karam | Owner & Chef Amazing Ks’ Burgers

Well having a background of hospitality for the BOH( back of house) was a passion I had wen I went to culinary academy in 97 after high school. Growing up with a family of 9. My mother would daily cook 3 meals daily with dessert. When it came to BBQ on the grill my father would over cook n burn the meat!!! Read more>>

Lori Hill | Artist

I never really thought about doing art as a business. I began painting later in life and thought of it as a hobby. I took a few lessons and enjoyed creating. I am an artist working in oil on canvas. When the finished canvas pieces started to pile up I began to wonder what I was going to do with all this art! Read more>>

Meg Mashables | Artist, Small Business Owner, Mashable Maker

This whole process was a wild sequence of events lining up just right (I’m sure some planets had to align and maybe a nice witch cast a spell for me too) in order to get me where I am now. Read more>>

Marcus Heckman | Chef/Owner

I wanted to start my own business because I want to bring different flavors and styles to the table. I also want to be my own boss so I can do thing’s how I want them done. Read more>>

Jacob Wandel | Aerial Photographer

I started photography at an amateur level in the beginning because of the simplicity of capturing a favorite moment in time and being able to look back at it. However, as I improved my technique I started to take it more seriously. I found a fascination with being able to show people different perspectives. Read more>>

Cori Teskey & Emily Ferguson | Owners & Photographers of Madison Grey Photography

We met in a local Phoenix moms group when our boys were 6 and 10 months old. For each holiday we liked to put together themed sets to take our kids monthly milestone pictures. We both then got pregnant with baby girls. What started as a hobby taking monthly themed photos of our children turned into a business when we decided to offer Holiday Christmas Minis back in 2016. Read more>>

Lisa Lamberson | Co-owner of Bright Side Bookshop

My business partner Annette Avery and I lovingly refer to it as a “moment of temporary insanity”. The honest truth is we went from considering bookshop ownership to owning a bookshop in less that 2 months, so nut a lot of process was involved. We jumped in and began learning and adjusting from there. Read more>>

Cassandra Barr | Coffee Roaster & Artist

I’ve been in the coffee industry for over 15 years, something that started out as a passion for creativity that naturally led to a passion for coffee and coffee culture. Art and coffee exist in this symbiotic space together, Read more>>

Derek Juno | Social Entrepreneur and Endurance Athlete

Over a decade ago I was talking to one of my mentors/dear friends and I asked him what he was doing for the weekend. He told me he was doing his annual retreat. I asked him what that was, and he said it was the most impactful weekend of his entire year. Read more>>

Mirna Tomsic | Mirna Tomsic | President of Mirna’s Place

I have always been passionate about providing a helping hand to those in need. This passion was planted at an early age by my mother. Even though we did not have much, she always managed to give to others. Read more>>

Jason Triglia | Owner of Yerba Crew

I have always wanted to run my own business and I’ve always enjoyed the more techy/digital side of business. In 2008, I worked for a larger business and started working with consultants from Argentina. That’s when I first learned about yerba mate. They pulled out a funky looking gourd, a funky looking straw with a filter on the end of it, and some funky looking tea leaves. Read more>>

Susan Straub-Martin | Artist

I started my business right after I left the University of Arizona. Originally in 1984 Strauberry Studios &Gallery was a greeting card business. I had been doing my own holiday cards for years and I thought it would be fun to have a greeting card business. Read more>>

Lexi Petersen | Owner

I had wanted tattoos since before I could remember. I booked my first appointment for the morning of my 18th birthday. Unfortunately, my skin wasn’t as big of a fan as I was. I was allergic to inks, I broke out in hives, scabbed, itched, and healed horribly. Read more>>

Jeannie Morem | Podcaster & Intimacy Coach

There were several motivating factors that led me to embark on my entrepreneurial journey. Among these, the desire for independence and autonomy ranked high. Though creating a successful business venture requires significant effort and dedication, I felt it was more personally fulfilling to generate an income for myself rather than for a large corporation — such as the Fortune 500 company I had worked for previously. Read more>>

Jennifer Ballesteros | Nurse Practitioner and Wellness Clinic owner

As a nurse practitioner, I have always loved helping others. I have always wanted to be able to help others in a way that could fit the needs of each individual through convenience to achieve optimal health. I wanted to start my own clinic where I could talk to my patients and connect, but not feel rushed. Read more>>

BranDee German | Entrepreneur

Sharing something I’m passionate about with the community. Health and wellness is a top priority for me and knowing this relaxing method of improving it, I just couldn’t keep it to myself. Read more>>

Bri “Snap1” Pritchard | Team USA Breaker & UH-60 Helicopter Mechanic

In 2017, When I started breaking, I had always liked the music associated with the dance and its culture (e.g. James brown, Earth Wind and Fire, Aretha Franklin, Prince, Michael Jackson, Wu Tang Clan, Gangstarr, Eric B and Rakim, to name a few) but I honestly had no natural grove. Read more>>