Starting and growing a business is hard, but often deciding to start the business in the first place is even harder. We asked some successful entrepreneurs from around the community to open up to us about how they thought about starting a business.

Jason Merkin | Aesthetic Sales Consultant

To create a one stop shop for the latest technologies and trends in aesthetics. Not being tied to one manufacturer allows me to be more of a consultant for my customers to find the best solutions to help increase profitability and growth through the latest medical aesthetic technologies. Read more>>

Katerina Christian | Kay Christian : Full time mom and business owner part time model and volunteer.

I worked for an electrician for 10 years. I had run the business. My husband came to work with me after about 3/4 years. He caught on very quick and got his license himself. We still worked for the other company. Things didn’t go as planned. All the employees were unhappy with that owner. My husband and I decided to start are own business. The customers, employees, contractors and vendors all had a great relationship with us. So we talked. No one was happy, Things started getting bad, we weren’t being treated right after all we had done. So I sat down with my husband and said it is now or never. Let’s go. Read more>>

Katelin Richardson | Editorial Portrait and Fashion Photographer

I have tried to run my business while working in retail since 2018 and I came to the realization last year that if I wanted to have a successful business and grow myself as a photographer I would need to focus full time on photography. Luckily I was in a place where this is possible so I have spent the last 8 months diving fully into photography and my craft. I love portraiture and editorial fashion and I try to combine both in every shoot I do to create a unique experience for my clients. When restarting my business I have myself strict deadlines to get my business up and running and rebuild my portfolio. I spend time growing myself on social media everyday and trying to spread the word about my work with anyone and everyone I can. Read more>>

Kailey McCann | Owner and Lead Planner

In my high school years, I was an active Student Council member – planning homecoming events, prom, and more. That love and passion for events manifested itself into an RA position in my second and third years of college, where I planned social/academic/professional floor events for my residents. Not too long after I graduated, I landed a position at a luxury resort in Scottsdale as their Events Coordinator where I was involved in the early stages of the booking process up until the signing of the contract. I wanted to take every opportunity to grow that I could, so I shadowed as many weddings as I could, and even detailed two weddings (gathering all information and formatting it into a cohesive document – checklist as you will) and was present on wedding day to see it through. I also managed room blocks and small corporate meeting groups of 10-15 people. Read more>>

Coco Dixon | Coco Dixon | Broker, Owner

I wanted to provide for sellers and buyers what they need but are not receiving, and I wanted to give real estate agents what no one would give to me when I became a REALTOR Read more>>

Angelina Claybrook and Jessica Blaschke | Creator and artisan at Desert Embers

The thought process behind our brand, Desert Embers, is deeply rooted in our personal story and commitment to wellness and the joys of shared experiences. It started with a simple shared interest in candle-making between two sisters, Angelina and Jessica, which grew from a hobby into a passionate endeavor. During a significant transitional period for Angelina, adjusting from military life to motherhood, we found solace and creativity in crafting candles. Read more>>

Alexander Julian | American fashion designer

An irresistible urge and economic needs…the economy was in a terrible place (gas shortage, etc) in the early/mid 70s. I had “test marketed” successfully with a dozen great men’s specialty stores, and my designs were selling without my name…what I consider the true test. Read more>>

 Lisa Lake | Photographer/Designer/Drone Pilot

From an early age, my mentor, my father, introduced me to my first camera, an introduction that would shape my entire future. I consider myself fortunate to have discovered my passion for photography so young. Capturing images of my pets, family, and the beauty of nature filled me with joy. I was hooked and eager to advance my creative skills. Read more>>

Joanne Jarman | Florist and Event Planner

My floral business began when my husband and I owned and operated a wedding and reception facility in early 2000. I began offering florals as a service there and when we sold the facility, I continued to do wedding and event flowers. Owning my own business and working from home afforded me the opportunity to be with my kids most of the time and schedule work around school, activities and vacations. As our children grew, they were able to earn money working for the family business, helping in the shop, designing, and delivering flowers. Read more>>

Steve Alvarado | Chef

My thought process involved bringing together two of my favorite subjects, food, and history. As a chef you get to work with various ingredients and a lot of the time you don’t consider the history of them. However, there are some, like tortillas, that are a staple in their respective cuisine and deserve a look into its history. So that’s what I did. I researched the entire process from the origins of corn, to the making of the actual tortilla. I wanted to focus on the time before European Colonization, so my focus was kept on corn considering the Spanish brought wheat and eventually flour tortillas. I would have stayed away from the word tortilla as well. but getting people to call them “tlaxcalli” is a bit of a stretch. Once I had my niche I went to work on recreating old techniques and scaling it up. For each step in the process I either had to make custom equipment or buy machinery to speed the process up. Eventually I was able to get to a point where I could bring a product to market. Read more>>

Nicole Tarasiuk | Entrepreneur

The Crystal Nation came though as in a channeling I was doing with my energy team late in 2022… I have always loved crystals & was delighted when the invitation to work with them in a deeper capacity was extended. And who could say no to such amazing, and sparkly “bosses”…. I decided to leap into the crystal business and continue to be amazed and grateful to work with these amazing beings. It was terrifically exciting, traveling to Arizona in 2023 and seeing some of the biggest crystals I had ever laid eyes on, and I deeply look forward to returning to the show in 2025! Read more>>