Starting a business is a commitment and requires dedication, resources and sacrifice. We asked some of the rising stars in our community how they thought through the idea of starting their own businesses.

Mark Lowe | Resident Outdoorsman

I had experienced the loss of my beautiful English Field Lab, Booker. He was born almost entirely blind, and was taken from us very young, and very quickly, by oral melanoma. Being an avid outdoorsman myself, He was my right-hand-man, never allowing his disability to get in the way of joining on our next adventure – and we definitely got into some risky situations. Read more>>

Rebecca and Hannah Leone | Sisters and co-owners of Leones’ Creamery

We both moved back to the Black Hills after spending several years away, and neither of us really had a definitive career-direction we were headed towards. We slowly saw other craft food businesses opening with success in our community (breweries, restaurants, coffee shops) and wanted to be a part of that movement. Read more>> 

Britni & Kendall Abell | Business owners, Kendall is also a Nurse Practitioner

It all unfolded during a particularly challenging period in both our lives. I was amidst a divorce, relocating from Georgia back to Minnesota with my four children. Meanwhile, Britni was navigating her own tumultuous divorce. So there we were, reunited, but this time as single mothers with a total of eight children between us. The future seemed uncertain, but we were determined. Read more>>

Courtney Harper | BOM Photography

My thought process behind starting my business, Birth of Mars, was deeply influenced by my upbringing. Growing up, my father worked as a photographer for the Republican Party, exposing me to all the places a camera could take you at a young age. Despite this early exposure, it took me 26 years to purchase my first camera. Read more>> 

TK Yturraspe | Artist and Owner of Rogue Duck Studios

Honestly, I feel like I kind of needed something else besides my boring regular job to look forward to. I’ve got such an immense amount of corporate burnout. For my whole life, I’ve worked 9-5s for various corporations. I’m still working a 9-5 for a corporation. It drains me. But, working for myself, within a community I love, and creating content I genuinely enjoy, it means so much to me. Read more>>

Jolene Goring | Quantum Neuroscientist & Mrs Arizona Globe

My journey towards starting my own business was born out of a deep desire to empower successful, ambitious women who were feeling overwhelmed by the myriad choices in the health and wellness industry. As someone who has navigated the challenges of balancing a demanding career with maintaining a healthy lifestyle, I understand firsthand the struggles and frustrations that come with trying to prioritize self-care amidst a busy schedule. Read more>>

Bo Bramwell | Visionary Artist/Illustrator

Honestly I kind of stumbled upon it! I had lost my job during covid. I had been drawing/painting pretty consistently for over a decade. I decided that since I didn’t have job, and I was living rent free with my father, now was my time to shine. I spent 350 hours on a single piece of art, posted it on Reddit, and went viral with over 6,000,000 views in a week. Read more>>

Connor Iwema | Entrepreneur & Fintness enthusiast

It all started with Amazon FBA. During the pandemic I started an e-commerce business doing FBA through Amazon. Through that I was introduced to a Private Label opportunity through the same platform. When the world shut down I went through the process of converting my 2 car garage into a home gym like a lot of other people did. Read more>> 

Sebastian Milo | Founder of The Boxing Mob, Content Creator & Social Media Strategist

For me, it was simply to create a space for my voice & the voice of other content creators in the boxing landscape. For many years I have always worked for others & have been studying the business from a social media & content perspective and I felt it was time to launch my own in the boxing media space. Read more>>