Are you thinking about starting a business? If so, we think you’ll enjoy reading about how these seasoned entrepreneurs thought about the question when they were in your shoes.

Carlie Rouse | Wedding Planner & Hype Girl

Riding Tandem was born in a season of life where I had the energy to pursue a creative venture in the margin of my 9-5 day job. I guess you could say it started as a “side hustle.” People were getting married all around me and I naturally stepped into roles to help people stay organized and relieve stress on the wedding day. Over time, people started hiring me to help coordinate their weddings. One day as I was reflecting, I had the realization, “I’m being paid to plan weddings. I’m a wedding planner.” This was very different than my career that I spent years going to school for, it felt more organic. Read more>>

David Kaheh | Entrepreneur Business developments

I never worked for other people much of my life and always thought I can do better than just being someone’s employee and taking order from them to just accomplish and finish what was in one point it their thoughts when they open their business , So I have traveled the world and live in Asia, Europe and last 20 years in United state which 19 1/2 of the 20 years I have worked for my self, Read more>>

Rachel May | Book Coach

I’m a huge reader and writer. Since about middle school, I’ve wanted to write books that make people feel the same way I feel when I read an amazing story. A few years ago, one of my good friends and I were learning everything we could about storycraft in order to be better write our own stories. As we were learning, we were also recognizing a deep passion for helping other writers and learning together in community. It started to blossom into an idea for a business. Read more>>

Samantha Encarnacion | Massage Therapist

We wanted to provide a service that is not catered to by the current industry standard for bodywork. Instead of staying in the lane of one modality and overall style, we choose to blend all the modalities in our wheelhouse to create a personalized experience. The only way to truly achieve this, was to begin our own practice and create our own rules. Read more>>

Michael Tate | Owner, Vail Coffee Stop

I didn’t really have a thought process or a goal to start my own business. My wife and I have always enjoyed going out for coffee and had mentioned that Vail has always needed a coffee shop. At the same time, I was considering what the next step in my career could be and saw a mobile coffee shop for sale. It sparked an idea that we further explored and it all worked out for us to buy in to a mobile truck, obtain the equipment from a coffee business that was closing their shop at the time we were launching, and a location in the Vail community where we could start our business. Read more>>

Allan Phillips | Physical therapist in license, Concierge for transformative physical change in action

I started with my utopian vision of the ideal treatment environment to help athletes and active adults overcome injury and restore the full active lifestyle they want and deserve. As I surveyed the scene locally, I saw nothing that even remotely resembled this vision. In many respects, most clinics out there were built in a manner completely antithetical to what I envisioned, since they are beholden to insurance companies for their survival. Read more>>

Savannah Beck | Madera Canine Care, co-owner and operator

Honestly, it was a meeting of the multiple avenues we had been traveling down throughout the last 5 years. We had moved to Green Valley, Arizona in 2017 on a secluded 5 acres and suddenly found ourselves in love with this low-key lifestyle. I, Savannah, had been living my dream as an elephant keeper in Tucson since 2013, but was traveling 36 miles away, one way since the move. Everett was thriving as a veterinary technician at our local veterinary clinic, but would often need to stay late. Over the years, it always felt like the hits kept coming. Between juggling massive health issues, we also discovered the chances of us having children naturally were incredibly slim. Read more>>

Sarah Fucinari | Integrative Health Practitioner

Starting my own business happened organically after I finally found success on my health journey. Though I had tried every diet out there and even went to the extreme measure of having weight loss surgery I did not find sustainable success until I hired a health coach. Instead of restriction and beating up my body he taught me how to fuel my goals and optimize my internal health which I now know was the missing piece all along. Read more>>

Emily Janssen | Artist and Stationery Designer

When I was little, I loved to draw, paint, and really make any kind of art! I always said that I wanted to be an “Artist” when I grew up, but I didn’t ever know exactly what that meant for me. When I graduated high school and was choosing what I wanted to study in college, I briefly thought about studying art, but I also had the negative picture in my head of the typical “starving artist” that scared me away. I could not picture my art going into a gallery, and I did not have the desire to become an art teacher. At the time, I thought those were the only two options for a career in art! Read more>>

Erica Bisenius | Digital Artist and Workplace Wellness Professional

My passion for creative arts started at a very young age. As a child, when I wasn’t playing sports, I was drawing, writing, crafting, performing – no wacky project was off limits! My drive to create is a part of who I am, and with a child’s imagination, the possibilities were endless. Fast forward to my young adult years and I found my creativity slowly dissipate amid more important ‘adult responsibilities’ and other career choices. Starting a business was not something that I intended to do at this point in my career. Read more>>

Travis & Emily Heider | The Sunnyside of Life Retreat, Owners

I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and derived great satisfaction out of making things come to life. I remember when I was nine years old I was inspired by a trip to Disney and motivated by the song “We Are The World,” so my friend and I created a carnival in our backyard with various games to raise money for the famine in Africa. I’ve been fortunate to be entrepreneurial in long stints at a non-profit and at a successful corporation. The philosophy of thinking big and failing forward has served me well. However, having true skin in the game by owning a business is the ultimate leap of faith. Read more>>

Meghan Sokolowski | Personal Stylist & Fashion Blogger

I wanted to create an easy way for women to solve the issues they have with their closet. More than half of women have wardrobes that stress them out (as much as women act like fashion is fun!). More often than not, what’s causing the stress in their closet is easily fixable. Not feeling great in what you’re wearing completely affects your day negatively. So, by solving this issue, women can get through their day more happily and peacefully! Read more>>

Olin Littleman | Entrepreneur

I wanted to create a product that represented who I am as a five-fingered spiritual being (Dine’ Bila Ashdla’ii) when I traveled to golf tournaments, events, and outings. As Native American people, we are talented and have beautiful ideas and designs with spiritual meaning, and I also wanted to share those designs and ideas with people throughout the world. My uncle (Dad) James Little, a world-renowned goldsmith, has this mindset and shares his ideas, prayers, and designs through jewelry. Read more>>

Chasity Meyers | Crafter & Entrepreneur

I have always loved crafting and creating something out of nothing. When our Pitbull, Angel, passed away of cancer in 2016 this was when I decided to make Angel’s Custom Gifts an official business. She was our world and losing her was so hard. I wanted to make sure that others had items to memorialize their pets after they were gone and also be able to honor them while they are still with us. This business has grown to mean so much to so many and we are constantly growing and creating new items to help our customers with the joy and sorrow of being a pet parent. Read more>>

Allison Seckman | Insurance Risk Advisor and Agent

I worked in underwriting, claims, and management for a major insurance company for 15 years. Over this course of time, I discovered that too many people did not understand how they’re being protected. This resulted in difficult conversations and peoples’ lives were negatively impacted because they did not have the appropriate coverage for their situation. I always knew I wanted to own a business. Insurance was what I knew and I had an inspiring reason to start an insurance agency. Therefore, I opened shop in November, 2020 and we make it our mission to listen and educate people about personal and commercial lines insurance. We’re an agency with an open ear and heart. Read more>>

Missy Johnson | Homeschool Teacher, Tutor and Special Needs Mom

Surprisingly, the thought process behind starting my own business was easy. It was something I just knew I had to do. I have worked in the mental health and education fields for over a decade and there was no job or agency that allowed me to help children and families the ways they truly needed. My passion is, and has always been, to be a helper. Read more>>

Douglas Proce | Filmmaker / Photographer

I wanted to combine my love of film with an outlet that could give voice to those who feel unheard. I found I could also take that approach with businesses for their video needs. We’re living in a time where businesses want to make a mark, and a carefully thought out, well crafted video will give them a broad reach. Since expanding into photography, I’ve found opportunities to stretch my creativity and provide another way for others to be seen. Read more>>

Casey Scalf | Artist, Designer, & Engineer

The thought process behind starting Sensebellum was from a collection of observations about education, technology, art, and entertainment. I saw how technology was opening up new intermediations between our sensory faculties. How the internet allowed for near instant communication between people, and via archived material, whilst engaging our eyes, ears, and hands. It was this intersection of the humanities and technologies that spurred me to think about what kinds of spaces and experiences we could realize in person and in silicon. Read more>>

Meagan Getz | Brand & Website Designer for Photographers

I started Luxelle Studio after a years-long interest in web design that first started with a semester of high school website design class. My 14-year-old self dreamed of being a wedding photographer, and I knew that I’d need to create a website someday for my photography business, so I enrolled in that class and LOVED it. I learned some basics of website design and coding, but once I started my photography business, it became clear to me that I really needed to know more in order to create a beautiful and effective website. Read more>>

Erica Seagrave | Strategic Business Consultant & Executive Coach

I have owned two prior medical services companies prior to my consulting business. Having a business coach and consultant is critical for small business owners. I am very passionate about business and would like to be involved and assist others to achieving their business goals. Read more>>

Kaitlin Porter Cortes | boulangère

Short answer: I love bread; everything about it, from baking to reading bread recipes to eating to watching videos about it, but most of all, I love sharing the joy of biting into the tastiest slice of bread with others. My “business” didn’t start with a desire to “start a business.” It started because my bread baking production exceeded what my little family, and even what my extended group of friends, could eat. Yet, I wanted to keep sharing the nutritious, quality, sourdough I was making with my community, thus raison pan was born. Read more>>

Andrea Cabrales | Junk Removal Specialist

The thought process behind starting my own business, was scary, but full-filling. I come from a family of business owners. So I knew that one day I was going to have my own business, and why not choose the industry in which I grew up with. I come from a poor family that immigrated from Mexico. My dad started with this junk removal industry in Los Angeles. I remember he would go to Home Depot with a big sign in his hands ” I help pick up your junk”. Read more>>