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.

Kayla Wells | Podcast Ease Creator

If you’d asked me when I was younger if I’d ever thought to have a business of my own, I would have told you no. In fact, I went to school for massage therapy, but was so scared of having my own business that I completed everything except getting my license. That all changed when I had my twin girls. Read more>>

Fred Seibert | I’m a serial entrepenuer who produces cartoons and creates media companies.

Hah! None. At least, not consciously. I wanted to make records and didn’t know how (or was scared) to contact “real” record companies. So my buddies and I started Oblivion Records ( http://bit.ly/3FlrFFm ) Read more>>

Scott Herrick | Photographer and Graphic Designer

My photography business actually started organically. I have always been into photogrpahy. I was attending a Jeep event in 2012, and just shooting for my own personal use. It was after that, a lot of people including the event organizers noticed my work online. They invited me to shoot the event the next year. So 4low Photo was born from that. Read more>>

Ann C Smith | Artists

It was unfortunate that Covid/Pandemic resulted in such a huge wave of layoffs and financial woes for so many Americans. On a positive note, this opened up so many opportunities for creators, artists, innovators, performers and musicians who were negatively impacted by pandemic. It was amazing to see all the talent emerge from so many people who had the talent but didn’t have the opportunity to show case it. Read more>>

Fabiola Bedoya | Founder Tucson Creative Comadres & Digital Marketer

Since I was young I always knew I wanted to start my own ‘thing’. I would fill notebooks with designs of clothing and accessories and even create logos for them. So, I’ve always known I was a creative at heart, I have tried to test out different businesses throughout the years from decorating phone cases to trying out YouTube to most recently selling my photography on prints and cards. Read more>>

RYAN LACY | OWNER/EDUCATOR/EXECUTIVE CHEF

I’ve always wanted to own a business. When I was 5 years old my grandpa started his food cart, in 2 years it became a quick lunch stand “FAT LARRYS KANSAS CITY BURGERS & DOGS on Crenshaw Blvd… At 27, found myself 4 years in at a craft services company for TV & film productions. Read more>>

Dana Wentzel | Managing Partner of Kilimanjaro Sunrise

My thought process was to build a legacy that I can leave to my son. First off, I am an avid outdoorsman. I live and breathe the outdoors. So starting a business that revolves around the outdoors was a natural progression. Over the years I have engaged in numerous outdoor pastimes: hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, snowboarding, mountain biking, ice climbing, kayaking, caving, etc. But none have kept me as engaged as my favorite hobby: canyoneering. Read more>>

Ross Cobb | Winemaker, owner and CEO

My mother and father planted a coastal pinot vineyard in the western Sonoma Coast of northern California in 1989 and named this vineyard Coastlands Vineyard. As a retirement project, my parents were relying on this pinot vineyard to produce enough crop to sustain their retirement needs. Read more>>

Stacie Seidl | Writer, Meditation Guide & Breath Work Facilitator

The initial thought process behind starting my own business was as a side hustle. I worked for over a decade in corporate environments and the main thing it taught me was that the typical 9-5 arrangement was not for me. I had a vision for the kind of life I wanted to live and it didn’t include working for someone else. I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur, but many of the early years were filled with trial and error trying to figure out how to be successful. Read more>>

Laly Pena | 💪🏽ѕтяσиg вσ∂ιєѕ 💡σρєи мιи∂ѕ 💜кιи∂ нєαятѕ. For a world with better priorities

My mission is to help those who are ready for a real and permanent transformation! A complete change to a better life; physically, mentally and emotionally. Read more>>

Tracy Karas | Physical Therapist, Doctor of Physical Therapy

To be honest, at the time I had just spent 2 years investing in a company heart and soul, only to realize that my goals and theirs did not align. I was just another employee. So, I figured, why not direct that energy towards how I wanted to see patients treated and stop trying to force my dreams onto someone else. It was time to channel that energy in a more positive way. Read more>>

Ana Cerensek | Mental coach, performance psychologist

As a psychologist, I saw people from my field being good at helping others, but not being quite good at entrepreneurship. That was my main drive, becoming good at entrepreneurship because you have to be good at balancing private/work life, planning, organizing, and leading others. That was a big thing for me, it meant lots of “coming out of a comfort zone” style of thinking. Read more>>

23 TC | hip hop artist and influencer

I’ve always wanted to own a business and be an entrepreneur since I was a child. Owning a business to me meant that I had success, happiness, and freedom. It’s also means a lot to be one of the few black business owners. Read more>>

Kristin La Roque | Serial Entrepreneur & Business Coach

The thought process behind my business is two reasons. The first, it was to start a mobile concierge business for women that wanted to feel comfortable and CONFIDENT in their own skin while getting pampered at home. The second reason was to teach women they can start their own business at anytime in their life. Read more>>

Aaron Poulsn | Creator T-shirt designer.

I was thinking how can I make something cool and fun for my kids to wear, were they can be excited to run to the closet and pick out something that they care about and also feel like its something special designed just for them. and hopefully I can share that experience with other families. Read more>>

Laura LaMoure | Owner & Creator

I wanted to build something that was my own, something that depended on how hard I worked that would determine either success or failure. Most of all I wanted to bring my idea to life, but in all honesty as well I wanted to build something that my daughter could call her own some day if she chose to. That’s why I chose the name Talia Tray Company after my daughter Natalia. Read more>>

Elisa Wiggins | Intuitive art classes, sound healing, hypnotherapy, crystals, Reiki, inspirational Oracle meditations, heavily meditated gentle yoga, and so much more.

I wanted to create a safe space to inspire people to find community while offering healing tools that have helped my growth, to aid in one’s life journey and come into their truth, imagination, and spirituality. Read more>>

Galen Wood | Start-up Entrepreneur

Honestly there wasn’t as much thought or careful consideration as there should’ve been. I just one day realized I had two options: work towards my dreams, or work towards someone else’s. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the latter – it is a much easier and laid back path in life. Failure is a lot less likely as well. However, I decided that personally I would rather try and fail than never had tried at all. Even in failure, I can always go back to working for someone else. Read more>>

Scott Mackenzie | Designer and fine artist

For me starting my own business just sorta happened. I have owned a couple of small businesses in my career. I grew up with my parents owning their own business for over 30 years. So I learned about hard work and the challenges that go along with small business ownership. Read more>>

Rober Anderson | Professional Guide & Small Business Owner

As a long time hiker, I explored what was in my immediate surroundings including lakes, mountains, and desert. Over time, and many adventures later, I decided to venture out to other areas like the Sierra Nevada Mountains or the Grand Canyon. Most of the time I would go alone due to friends and family members not being interested or it conflicted with their schedule. Read more>>

Maggie Shenker | Epoxy Tumbler Artist

If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t put too much thought behind starting my small business, Cranky Mom Designs. At first, creating epoxy stainless steel tumblers started as a hobby, something to keep me busy and happy during a hard time of my life. Read more>>

MONICA BAQUEIRO | MOON AND CRYSTAL LOVER BUSINESS OWNER

i always wanted to be a business owner i alway had ideas but finnaly i combined my ideas with what i like to do and for me is something that fascinates me to do . help people to have a higher vibrations trough the crystals and water Read more>>

Jemimah Ashleigh | Founder

In early 2018, I read the alarming statistic that 97% of female-led start-ups failed in the first five years. This was twice the rate of the male start-ups. We tend to find that women worked more consistently but failed to do a few key things really well. Read more>>

Daniel Clarke | Co-Founder of Ambr Grading

As a team, we were looking for a way to improve an industry that had not been measurably improved in thirty years – The TCG Card Grading and Authentication industry. There was a lot of room for disruption and we possess a complement of skills that make us ideal for creating an improved product in the space. Read more>>

Renee Ellsworth | Lavender Farm Co-Owner

Our Legacy Fields has been in the inception stage since 2018. Initially it started as a goal to discover financial independence and retire from the big city jobs and focus daily efforts and energy on things that brought enjoyment – like spending time together, growing their own food, nurturing stress-reducing plants like lavender, enjoying their pets and being outdoors. Read more>>

Michelle Dockall | Owner; PLANTENDER OF ARIZONA

I really didn’t start the business, more took it over. Summer of 2020 was rough. Two of my uncles died within months of each other. It put a huge strain on the family as we are extremely close. At the same time, my Uncle Mike was struggling with medical issues; in and out of the hospital with surgeries and whatnot. Read more>>