Starting a business can be terrifying. Weighing the pros and cons, the risks, and other considerations can be so overwhelming that often promising entrepreneurs stop before they even start. We asked some phenomenal entrepreneurs about their thought process behind starting their own businesses. Our hope is that by making the thought-process less intimidating we can help more folks think through whether they should take an entrepreneurial leap.

Antoinette Mendez | Education Consultant & Certified School Counselor

My decision to launch Mission 2 Transition™ was deeply rooted in my personal background as a 3rd generation Arizona native and product of underrepresented communities and Title I school districts. Having spent a decade as a certified Arizona School counselor, I intimately understood the challenges faced by students in accessing higher education opportunities, particularly those from underserved backgrounds. This firsthand experience, combined with my passion for youth development and education, drove me to create a solution that would provide tailored college and career planning support to students and families. Mission 2 Transition™ reflects my commitment to collaboration, empowerment, and equity, ensuring that every student has the resources and guidance needed to achieve their post-secondary goals. Read more>>

Brigitte De Marco | Artist, Muralist, creator of Prickle & Pine Designs LLC

I was a high school art teacher for nearly a decade before coming to the conclusion that I wanted to start my own business. While there are many issues in the world of public education that helped me decide that I needed change in my life, it was also ironically my love for the job that lead me to it: As an art teacher, I was often privileged with the opportunity to contribute to public art projects. I lead my class in community service opportunities, chalk art competitions, public murals, etc and realized that these experiences brought me the largest sense of fulfillment. Guiding young people in an art practice that would affect the community was the peak of art education for me. Read more>>

Alexis Nettles | Content Creator & Online Coach

After having odd jobs as a teenager and young adult, it became very apparent that I was meant to work on my own. I realized I longed for the freedom of being my own boss; that alone was enough for me to start my own business! Read more>>

Marisol Isaula | Life Coach

Before starting my own business, from the outside looking in, it looked like I “had it all”. I had the great job in marketing, had a beautiful home, a supportive partner, financial stability, amazing friends and family but I still felt like something was missing, like I hadn’t really found my calling. It was so confusing to me that I could be happy with my life and at the same time feel disconnected with it. I decided to seek support and with the help of my therapist and my life coach I decided it was time to create a new relationship with myself. One that was based on my own values, my own purpose, my own vision and my own story because I realized I was so focused on making everyone happy and proud before ever considering what I really wanted. After a year of reflection, connection and seeking alignment I found my true calling. I loved my career and I was good at what I did. I wanted to use my expertise and my personal experience to help other women connect with their own power, gain clarity, direction and self-trust to live life on their own terms. I am now the proud owner of Marisol Isaula Coaching and creator of The Wealthy Mujer framework that teaches women that wealth is much more than financial gain, it’s the well-being of their entire human existence. The Wealthy Mujer focuses on 6 pillars of wealth: Purpose, Relationships, Health, Spirit/Confidence & Money. My clients have started their own businesses, have published their own books, have left toxic relationships, have asked for raises, have applied for new roles, have purchased homes, have become empowered to create healthy boundaries and most importantly, they have taken action on their goals because they see their fullest and infinite potential. Read more>>

Dr. Sheetal Karnik | Founder, Program Director

As a scientist and educator, with experience as a university professor in India, I’ve witnessed firsthand the importance of nurturing young minds in the STEM fields. Observing my daughter’s growth and her own aspirations to pursue a career in STEM, I became acutely aware of the gaps in concept understanding that often hinder students’ progression from middle school to high school in the US. Read more>>

Bruce Pierce | Engineer and Producer

Being a musician myself I was always dissatisfied with the majority of the studio sessions I had been involved in, and there were many. I never felt like the environment was right to get to the heart of what we were trying to do in the time that we were able to afford. I decided to acquire the equipment I needed to do most of what I was always looking to do, which meant The gear I had was what we required to get the proper recordings but I did not spend any extra money on purchasing equipment to fill the studio with which meant it became a “BYOG” bring your own gear situation, now we can spend the time and money on the process of recording without the usual hefty hourly rate that most studios require to compensate for the overhead involved in owning grand pianos, boutique amps and endless selections of snare drums. So overall a lower hourly cost to the customer and a much more relaxed and artistic environment. Read more>>

Petra Santana | Business Owner

Starting my own business was a decision I never saw coming. It happened almost in a whirlwind, catching me off guard. I was overcome with fear – fear of failure, fear of the unknowns that come with entrepreneurship, and fear of what my friends and family might think. Shifting from a career I’d been invested in for over 20 years to venturing into the world of small business felt like stepping into uncharted territory. Despite the uncertainty, the desire to pursue something meaningful and to challenge myself ultimately outweighed the doubts and fears. It’s been a journey of growth, learning, and resilience, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to carve my own path. Read more>>

JAIME SPENCER | Director of Operations and Lead Instructor

This is something I started serendipitously; it was a series of fortunate events that led me down this path. My final duty station of my Army career was an ROTC program at a local university. While stationed there the athletic director reached out and asked if I knew anything about competitive shooting. I told her I did! Her goal was to begin a competitive shooting team within the university. So, during this time I obtained instructor certifications on the civilian side to be able to lead and coach this team. Well eventually that fell through. Fast forward a few months, I was working on a cap stone project for my degree plan before I retired from the Army. I asked several entities if they needed someone to complete a project for them. One of the places I reached out to, was a local nonprofit training facility. They do a wide range of events; I figured I could manage ne of their events and meet the requirements of the capstone project. Well, they reached out and asked if I could run a carbine class for a local Sheriffs Dept. I though sure why not I can run a range in my sleep. Read more>>

Gabriela Reyna | Illustrator, Convention Artist, Comic Creator

I came to a time when the pieces all kind of fell together. I reached my 30’s and felt like I needed to make a change, something that would challenge me. I was at a fork, I could return to university to pursue a different degree and go down that path, or stay and pursue my business dreams. Read more>>

Veronique James | Founder & CEO of The James Agency

I went to the University of Arizona for a BFA in visual communications, where I studied business and graphic design. From there, I worked at a small agency in Scottsdale where I had the privilege of working on small consumer brands in Phoenix, including local restaurants and high-end boutiques. It was a great experience because the agency was only five people, so the ability to wear several hats and learn the business like that was rare. From there, I was headhunted to a larger 50-year firm of 40 members that focused on four- and five-star destination travel and hospitality. The environment was very corporate, and since it was a larger environment, I had a front-seat spectator row of what it was like to work in a more traditional hierarchy agency setting. The clients and budgets were amazing, but the culture was disruptive and toxic. Read more>>

Rebecca Ciurdar | Founder & Owner

I’ve always loved candles; smelling different scents and burning them at home, until I learned about all the chemicals in the wax and fragrances. After doing extensive research, I realized how bad burning regular candles was for you so I decided to stop buying them and at that time, I couldn’t find a local candle/home fragrance shop that was non-toxic so I decided to make my own candles at home in 2018. I had no intention of selling or starting a business, I just wanted clean candles for my home and then started gifting to family and friends. Two years later, after a lot of sourcing for soy wax and clean fragrances, I started Miros, started selling on Etsy, and doing markets. I’m now also selling room sprays and car fresheners that are non toxic and have ideas for more things to come! Read more>>