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.

Emma Walker | Founder and Editor in Chief of Never Mind Magazine

It was 2020 during the height of covid and I was 17, stuck at home like everybody else and seeing everything happening in the world, BLM movement, injustices etc. and I wanted a way to help contribute to everything happening. I immediately turned to my passion of art as an outlet and I found a community of artists online doing similar things, creating art about current events which inspired me to create a platform for young artists to share their work while also donating to causes. Read more>>

Christian Leal Jay Vallejo (Krispy) | Co-Owners of DFW Swap-A-Palooza, Digital Marketers, Podcast Hosts of The Vendor Spotlight w/ The Palooza Boys, CEO & Owner of Spinners Toys & Collectibles and Spinny Brand Co, CEO & Owner of Crazy Loco World LLC

DFW Swap-A-Palooza was started back in 2022, by Christian Leal and Jay Krispy, AKA Spinners Toys & Collectibles/Spinny Brand Co. & Crazy Loco World. Together, we are known as The Palooza Boys. Well when we started DFW Swap-A-Palooza, we started it with the intent to grow the collector community. The Palooza Boys are both business owners, who sell collectibles, retro games, vintage clothes, Funko Pops, and more. We are separate vendors, but have been good friends for a long time and done plenty of business together. Read more>>

Moon Taylor | State & Federal License Wildlife Rehabber

My thoughts for starting a Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Sanctuary came from volunteering as an orphan bottle feeder for puppies and kittens and in my journey I found that there was such a shortage of wildlife Rehabbers, and the need was extremely overwhelming with so many wildlife needing help. Read more>>

Carlos J. Malave | Educational Consultant

There’s this idea that men must behave a certain way: show no emotion, work through the pain, provide by any means necessary. These are the kind of ideals that have been causing harm for generations. In order to break this pattern, young men must learn how to communicate their feelings, express their emotions, seek guidance, and find different paths towards their happiness to change the narrative of masculinity. Read more>>

Zeniea (Z) Laws | Pilates Instructor Founder of Ze Health and Wellness.

As I began to take Pilates more often, I was searching for an instructor that was a woman of color. I was driving far, trying different studios. The representation simply wasn’t there. I said to myself, “Well, you should become an instructor!” And that’s how it began. Read more>>

Dr. Jill Mitchell, PT, DPT, COMT | Physical Therapist, Business Owner, Hiker

I created Thrive Physio and Wellness in order to provide top-quality care that is individualized to the person and not limited by the confines of insurance. As a clinician with over a decade of experience in the traditional physical therapy model, I would often have patients come to see me, and they were either limited by their insurance as to the number of visits that they could receive, or they were not quite back to their full activity by the time traditional PT ended. Read more>>

Sharon Beam | Licensed Professional Counselor

Starting my own business. I thought about it many times before actually doing it. The actual business part of owning a business was not a set of skills I possessed, but after many years of working in multiple settings like hospitals, juvenile detention, residential treatment centers, and other large businesses curiosity outweighed the fear that I couldn’t learn those skills. I decided to jump in with both feet and sink or swim. Five years later, I’m still here. Read more>>

Katy Rohm | Boudoir and Portrait Photographer

My biggest motivation in starting my own business was to be able to contribute to the community in a positive way. It has always been a dream of mine to make a positive impact in the world. Never in a million years could I have imagined doing that in this way. With every new client I get though, the journey becomes more and more fulfilling and rewarding. By starting my own business, I am able to build lasting relationships with my clients and offer them an experience that is truly tailored to them. Read more>>

Kerstin Morlock | Natural light Portrait Photographer

When I first started photography in 2019, I never had the thought of wanting to turn my hobby into a business. I always had fun just taking pictures of my horses and some cattle that my friends close to me owned. I had a friend who was graduating and asked if I could take some quick pictures for her for graduation and that she would pay me- I loved it. That made me want to get out and start getting people to model for me. Read more>>

Lauren Montes | Esthetics and Lash Academy owner esthetician and instructor

When I opened my business i imagined helping all women of every background look beautiful and inform them on the latest beauty services and holistic treatments. Once I learned my craft at esthetician and lashes I fell in love with transforming people’s eyes and skin so I get to crown the windows of their souls and touch the biggest organ of their body the skin which is very special To me Read more>>

Chantel Marie Fox | Educator and Eulexiologist

I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was in high school at the age of seventeen. Because of that, I naturally became more focused on it and became passionate about learning more about dyslexia for personal reasons. After graduating from Texas Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with an emphasis on education, I attained my teaching certification, and that is where my passion for helping people who learn differently grew. Read more>>

Alicia Hemphill | Transformational Coach & Game Creator

Starting a business is never an easy decision, and it requires a lot of thought and planning. When I decided to launch my own businesses, Beyond-theLimitations and Ebonyopoly the Reconstruction Era game, there were several factors that influenced my decision. Read more>>