Many books on startups and business talk about how there are right and wrong reasons for starting a business. So, we asked a handful of successful founders about their reasons and the thought-process behind starting their business.

Owen Conway | Actor, Writer, and Director

I’ve been writing my own material for a while, really since high school. There’s something so vulnerable about sharing one’s writing with the world. So it’s something I tucked away. It became a simple creative outlet for the long stretches between acting gigs. Eventually, my one act play “Good Radio” was picked up by “A Light In Dark Places (A semi annual LA based festival).’ Read more>>

Kalysta Kuebler | Traveling Wedding Photographer

I have grown up in a family of entrepreneurs. My entire life has always been revolved around integrating your passions into your career. The college path was never on my mind as far as getting a degree in something that did not interest me nor would I need it in my future. I took the step to start my own business post graduating high school and the success being so substantial at such an early stage of my business has changed the chemistry of my brain. Hard work is not something that I am afraid of, but rather something I strive for every day to complete a task, if not multiple tasks, in feeling accomplished. Read more>>

One Fine Day LLC | Elizabeth Fine and Jamie Edwards – Event Planners

We are moms who love our children but wanted something just for ourselves. We knew we wanted to capitalize on our creative energy, combining our love for design, parties, and styling. We love making things pretty and our goal is to help others do the same – bringing their vision to life! Read more>>

Andrea Lindsey | Group Home Director

I started my own business because I figured I wasn’t the only one going through this. I know that there are other people who need a safe place as well since I am the younger and elder sister of two handsome men who are fighting substance misuse and who will need a secure place to call home after they win the war. Read more>>

Cathie Goodman | Cathie Goodman, Tim Kirk and Beth Weathers | Veteran Fighter Squadron 1838

Actually, ours has been an experiment that has been very reactive to the needs that presented themselves. Tim served 25 years in the Air Force, and ended up in Sierra Vista working in an Army civilian role on Post after retiring from the military. He spent 3 years in Afghanistan, and experienced incredible trauma – like the kind that has caused therapists to say to him, “Tim, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to help you. I need to schedule a session with my therapist to process what you just told me.” Read more>>

Cortney Stys | Certified Body sculptor & Physical Therapist Assistant

The thought process behind starting my own business was I wanted to do something fun and helpful for individuals to feel good about themselves with self care. With my business, I was always interested in the human body and knew I had a skill with it. Growing up I knew I wanted to help people but didn’t know what it would be. So when I knew I had a skill with talking to people and knowing about human anatomy, I got a degree in Physical Therapy and became a full-time Physical Therapist Assistant. Read more>>

Faye Urlacher | Owner and art consultant

When I started this business in 2000 I thought it would be great to provide a service that offered art from all artists and galleries and wasn’t limited to what was shown on a galleries walls. Read more>>

Raina Askarova | Licensed Esthetician, Owner

There were two main reasons I wanted to start my own business instead of working for someone else. I went into the aesthetics with a particular mindset that I didn’t want to compromise on. So many spas focus on the relaxation part of facial treatments. In contrast, I am passionate about treating skin issues and conditions from the inside out by identifying and addressing the root cause. Additionally, as a mom, I wanted to have the ability to control my schedule. As passionate as I am about my business (I call it my third baby), my family will always come first. Read more>>

KIM CARPENTER | Executive Coach | Author | Speaker | Creator of World Changing Women™ | Founder & CEO of People at the Center™

If you had told me in my late 20’s that I’d have my own business someday, I would have said you were nuts. I was quickly climbing the corporate ladder in New York City’s Silicon Alley. In my black suit and heels, I’d clip-clop up and down the subway steps multiple times a day until collapsing on the couch at my Park Slope brownstone with a glass of wine (or two). Everything was great. Until it wasn’t. Read more>>

Lana Bear | Owner of a Vintage Shop and Birth Doula

It was an entirely organic process. I have always loved thrifting and when I was clearing out my own closet and selling my old vintage + thrifted clothing, it was fun and I was making money so I just started doing it more and a business was born! It gave me something to do while I was newly post partum and navigating my maternity leave. I’m a driven + highly motivated person and staying home all day with my newborn was not enough for me. This was a great creative outlet that happened to bring enough income in that I was able to quit my career. Read more>>

Blake Adam | Podcast host & social media personality

When I created my podcast and brand, Blonde Hair Black Heart, I knew I wanted to not only create an outlet for my original content but also a community of like-minded pop culture fanatics! The Black Heart Club – as my podcast listeners lovingly call themselves – has become more than a fan base or a listenership… they have really become a part of the brand that I have created. With the input and suggestions of my listeners, my podcast has grown immensely over the past year. Read more>>

Sunny Anthony | Agritourism Entrepreneur & Sustainable Rancher

After COVID left alot of Americans jobless,penniless, and even homeless, coupled with the fact that homelessness has grown exponentially with the rising cost of housing and out of control inflation; I realized I had to share my knowlege of off grid, sustainable, smaller ( and even tiny) more practiable living, with others. Even in Arizona, housing and basic necesseties are becoming a struggle for many families; this, coupled with the problem of consuming fast, cheap, and disposable/single use items ( mostly from overseas/imports; Read more>>

Anthony Feghali | Entrepreneur

I’ve always felt as if this was my path from about the age 15. I would always buy stuff from garage sales and then sell them on ebay or craigslist, or at school. If you calculated the time it took versus how much I earned I was probably making below minimum wage, but it wasn’t about the money. I just really enjoyed the act of being a merchant. At age 17 I decided to start my own brand. My thought process was that entrepreneurship was genuinely what was interesting to me – I was willing to put in the hours learning and improving becasue I genuinely enjoyed it. Read more>>

ILL AL | Music Producer & Founder of The Beatcast

A bit of background. During the pandemic, so many creatives (working DJs, live musicians, etc) were completely out of work. I was lucky to have stayed employed, as I had stepped away from music full time back in 2011 to take a job as an instructional technologist, but a friend of mine had his career as a working DJ cut short. Read more>>

Alexandre Orr | Creative Director & Designer

I wanted to do things my way. Create my own lane. My family is full of engineers and medical professionals who are tasked with understanding the fundamental structure of something in their respective professions. I wanted my profession to be understanding the fundamental structure of clothing. Read more>>

Jordan Patton | Independent Artist

Mostly the thought process behind wanting to have my own business was so that I could build a larger art portfolio while trying to make a living doing so. With my Deadnecks project that I’ve been plugging away at for the past 10 years being the main focus. Deadnecks is a comic series in the works based around the wacked out antics of a family of mindless backwoods zombies. Read more>>

Spencer Rich | Founder and CEO of enrichfit GYM

I got fed up with corporate gyms. From the mistreatment of employees to the horrible customer service. I not only wanted to be my own boss, I wanted to bring back a fun, professional gym environment and culture that has been lost in today’s corporate fitness facilities. Read more>>

TJ Supa | Celebrity Radio Show Host & Industry Veteran

I started in radio broadcasting due to a need for an available platform for artists, producers and creative individuals to promote and deliver their message. Before I started in radio, I put out several projects. At that time, there was no system in place to spread the message. I saw that others would also be in the same position with their own creative projects, so the idea to begin broadcasting was born. Read more>>

Wes Neal | Lawn Painter and PGA Professional

My thought process behind starting my own business was after working in the golf industry for 17 years and seeing firsthand how much water is used and how much fertilizers and labor costs have gone up, especially as of recent, the cost to overseed a yard has gone up significantly to the average homeowner. At the same time I know people enjoy the site of lush green grass. With my new business, Read more>>

Michal Prevor | Owner

I wasn’t setting out to start a business. Babka Bailout was created at the beginning of the pandemic to help a friend pay rent. Our babkas became so popular with the community that we couldn’t stop baking and creating a business provided a full time job for Carmen. Read more>>

Kevin Cruze | Artist / DJ with a full-time job

I dressed up as a ’60s hippie for Halloween 2021, for a party and DJ night my friend Casey produced. wig and everything. I needed some love beads, so I decided to make them myself. Then I couldn’t stop doing it. I’m going to be 54 this year. I want to at least try to hear or listen to my artistic impulses instead of dismissing them as something I don’t have time for. I’m less interested in the relative success of it, than I am in learning about the culture and art. Read more>>

Steve Asmussen | Photographer

Friends and family were always encouraging me to start my own pet photography business. Most of what I’d seen from other photographers were shot in bad studio settings with fake flowers and poor lighting. I knew I didn’t want to be one of those. I had seen the work of a Dallas photographer, Teresa Berg, and it was so fantastic I signed up for the workshop on pet photography she was offering in conjunction with two other photographers. They were incredibly helpful and inspiring. Read more>>

Gabrielle Kaczan | MBA & Solo Adventure Entrepreneur

After fighting for my life for about two years, I knew I needed to find something more then just the average corporate job. Something that made me want to get up in the morning. Honestly, I had no idea what that possibly was, but I knew I just had to find something more. After graduating with my MBA I decided to sit down and really think about what I wanted to do. That was to be happy. So, I made it my life’s mission to not only be personally happy, but to share that with others. Again, what that would look like I had no idea. Read more>>

Ghiselle St. James | Talk Show/podcast host, Indie erotic romance author, counselor

I needed an outlet to use my talents rather than my degree. While I love my regular 9-5, it didn’t require me using my talents as much. I needed a creative outlet and this business provided me with that and then some! I also wanted to use what I’d been blessed to do to bless someone else, and what better way to use one’s talents? Read more>>

Carolyn Blair | Entrepreneur, Lavender Farmer, Artist, Events Planner, Shops Owner, Dreamer

I had always dreamt about having a flower farm where I could have farm animals, create art and host various events. I wanted to share with other people the love and passion I have for art and nature….a place that would be magical and give others a sense of peace and tranquility if even just for a day. I have suffered for years with various health issues, so I had been using lavender for medicinal purposes. Read more>>

Beverly Browning | Nonprofit Capacity Building Consultant and Coach/Mentor to Grant Writers and Nonprofit Boards of Directors

Our small family (hubby, daughter, and me) did not have enough income from a full-time job and a self-employed spouse. I started writing grant applications as a volunteer (three years of gratis services in my Michigan community). My work was steady but unpaid. When I started charging a fee, business increased. The thought process was to be paid my worth, to have my college degrees count for something, and to help support our family. Read more>>

Paul Nikolas | Business Development Director & Musician

After I graduated from GA Tech, I went on the road as a touring musician full time for about 5 years. I gave myself 5 years to make it in the music business and it didn’t happen so I took a high level job in sales for 8 years. I did very well but the company treated me (and all the others) terribly. At the same time, I was still playing shows and booking venues. I decided that if I could sell millions of dollars a year for the company I was working for, I could sell millions for myself. Read more>>