We reached out to some of our favorite entrepreneurs and asked them to think back and tell us about how they decided to start a business. Check out their responses below.

Shelby Schulte | Esthetician & Co Owner of S&S Spa

To be honest, there never really was a thought process… it all just fell into place. Looking back, I was never certain what I wanted to do. What I did know was that I wanted to be passionate about whatever my career may be. This mindset led me to holding off from rushing into college unlike all my peers. After solely just working one full year post high school graduation, I accidentally stumbled into the world of Esthetics and never looked back. Read more>>

Nick Alexander | Owner/Maker

Our business was mostly started on a whim, more of something to generate extra spending money. We started out by making little $20 dollar keychains and after we started those, the request for more items began to pour in. We never really intended for me to be pursuing this as a full time gig but here we are 3 years in full time. Altogether, it has been 7 years in the leathercraft journey. My wife is a helping hand in the creation of all of our products as well. Read more>>

Reina Cuzdey | Educator

When it comes down to it, I really just wanted to teach. When I started my business, Reina’s Research Retreat, I was still working on my Associate’s degree. I wanted to teach, but I had my own personal education restriction. Read more>>

Kelsey Dussault | Cookie Artist & Small Business Owner

If you had told me 10, or even 5 years ago that I would own and run a small business as a cookie artist, I would have told you “there is no way!” I started my career in fashion and retail, and loved every minute of it. This business started out of a need for a creative outlet. Read more>>

Jesse & Christopher Smith | Landscape and Christmas lighting specialist

There were many thoughts when it came to starting our business but first and foremost we wanted to be able to provide a comfortable life for our families. Hard work, reliability and quality of work has never been an issue for us and our desire to learn and increase in our skills and services things just made sense. Then we learned about Christmas light certifications we love the lord we love Christmas and it was a way to provide a service that would stand as a reminder to those receiving it of why we celebrate the light and life of the world. Read more>>

Viktor, Lauren, Jacory Villarreal, Sanders | Live event coordinators/Promoters/Merchandise Vendors

Lauren, Jacory and I have been into the music scene for 10 plus years now. As musicians and creators with a dream of capitalizing off of our skills and abilities, it only made sense for us to put our minds together and turn iSkream Collective into iSkream Collective LLC. Lauren is a Dj/Producer by the name Karmuh with a vast skill set in Photoshop and a solid history in artist relations. Read more>>

Brandon Banks | Choreographer, Travel Agent, Jewelry Consultant, Educator, Academic Language Practitioner, and more loading

Starting my own business was a SELF decision. I have worked hard for others over the years and decided if I can work hard for them, then I could surely work hard for myself. A few years ago, I remember hearing Bishop T. D. Jakes talk about the importance of having multiple streams of income. He inspired me to open myself up to making and keeping multiple streams of income. I started looking for things that I could do to initially supplement my income. However, somewhere my mind shifted and now I am making my multiple streams of income become my main income source. Read more>>

Dr. Jaya McSharma, MD | Medical Director of Shed It! Wellness Center; Medical Director and owner of CannaCareofLA

I was tired of not being the last word on creative and marketing decisions. I’ve always worked for other people and even though leaving corporate medicine was a huge step in the right direction, I was primed and ready to be my whole self in my personal life and business. No more compartmentalization! I wanted to be 100% me, 100% of the time. Read more>>

Melissa Bar Method | Owner and Master Instructor

Starting your own business can be full of challenges, but the desire to bring something to Preston Hollow that was positive, healthy, and added jobs to the community continues to make my dream worth all the work. Read more>>

Lauren Cross | Entrepreneur & Nurse

I have been a nurse for 10 years. Most of that was at the bedside, some was as a travel and agency nurse, and some as a US Army nurse. I have worked in different specialties but at the end of the day I would return home slowly getting burned out and exhausted, taking days to recover only to do it again. My family was getting a shell of who I was and that’s not right. My faith is number one, my family is right behind that. Read more>>

Fredonja Anderson | Photographer and Graphic Designer

Fredonja’s Touch didn’t start initially as a business idea. It began with doing an alternative option to drawing. As I got older into my adult living; drawing became more of a struggle to do than the escape from world it use to bring. When I would try to pick up the pencil to draw; my hand was too shaky, I couldn’t concentrate, or I just didn’t have the free time like I used to. So I gave it up. After I graduated college; I started to have that “Artist Itch”; that craving feeling you get when you wanted to create something. Read more>>

Nicole Minzie | CEO & Entrepreneur

I wanted to be able to be financially stable, be able to pay off student loans, and create a life worth living for me and my family and I want to give my resources to those who need it and to be able to give grants to other small businesses and to help other communities. Read more>>

Jillian Townsend | The Wine Junkie & Naked Cellar Wine Brand Owner

My thought process behind starting my own business started with a personal journey that I was forced to go on at the age of 40. Because I was forced on this journey, I decided to make bigger strides while on this journey when I realized my passion for marathon running had to take a small scale of my life. While being under doctors orders for two years. Read more>>

Deena-Leigh Stapleton | Destination & Intimate Wedding Photographer

Creative freedom. I had worked in the photography department at my alma mater in Pensacola FL, for two years prior to moving to Texas and was a part of many creative projects, but could not have singular creative freedom for what I envisioned (which I didn’t expect, working for a college with their own brand) but the desire was there. Read more>>

Anthony Carpenter | CEO B4M Records

My end goal was to create a business that I would be able to grow and leave to my kids. Read more>>

Daniel Hernandez | Allegiance Creator, Game Designer, Co-Owner, Artist

Firstly, our team is made up of entrepreneurs. We have all owned or managed businesses in the past. The ultimate goal of any business is to be profitable, but we have a chip on our shoulders and intend to use it to change the “Indy TCG” space. Read more>>

Quanisha McGruder | Secretary of Texas Doula Association

Thought process with starting our own nonprofit when a group of us realized we needed to get together to protect our profession as doulas and wanted peer support. There were a lot of bills being looked at and we knew by coming together we would have a greater voice and power to make sure we were represented fairly and effectively. Read more>>

Cody Guy | Brain Cancer Survivor & Nonprofit Founder

I’m a 17-year glioblastoma brain cancer survivor. I suffered greatly during cancer treatment and If I knew then what I know now, I would have used hemp-based products to find relief from the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Cancer patients are increasingly purchasing hemp products but the costs are high. I created the nonprofit so we can overcome that barrier and learn more in the process through case studies. Read more>>

Gary Gordon | small business owner/ Meadery

As any good parent would do, I bought a home brewing kit for my oldest son when he turned 21. This became a father/son hobby for us. My middle son attend the Scarborough Faire when he turned 21 and tried mead. He suggested we try to make one, and that’s where the idea came from. We were originally thinking about starting a brewery, but there was a lot of competition and the start up costs were very high. Read more>>

Amanda Pratt | CEO of Scout’s Legacy Service Dogs

I worked as a dog trainer for many years before joining a Service Dog program as one of their trainers. As a disabled handler myself, who succeeded with the help of my dog Scout, I truly wanted to help people find their way with a service dog. I quickly came to realize the service dog organization I worked for wasn’t the most reputable program out there, and left. Read more>>

Marty Markenson | Branded Real Estate GIFs, Reels and AR Filters

When I embarked on starting my own business, I was driven by the realization that we are on the cusp of a significant shift in the type of marketing content brands are creating. I wanted to empower real estate brands to embrace the current trends while positioning them for the future of content. Read more>>

Dylan Yarter and Kate Yarter n/a | Artists and Founders of The Bazaar Studio

Our small business and art studio, The Bazaar Studio, located in Fort Worth, is the embodiment of our shared artistic journey. It’s a manifestation of our passion for art and our dedication to self-expression. We saw an opportunity to not only express ourselves more fully through our art but also to share our original and unique pieces with a wider audience. Read more>> 

Dace Kidd | artist

My parents enrolled me into art school when I was six years old. Creating art and being surrounded by it is a second nature to me. It’s like breathing. I am an art addict. When I made a decision that art will be a choice of my career and I was very much aware that it won’t be easy to make living doing art. I moved to the United States from Europe 12 years ago and I restarted my career. Read more>>

Farrah T Britanie G. | Please list both owners. Britanie: Reiki Master & Meditation Instructor. Farrah: Psychic Tarot Reader & Spiritual Mentor

Our thought process for starting The Locus Serene was driven by our passion for spirituality and a desire to bring the benefits of metaphysical practices to others. We both have always been interested in meditation, energy healing, divination, and other spiritual practices, and have seen firsthand how they can enhance one’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Read more>>

Temi Adeyeri | Balloon Artist & Software Engineer

My senior year of undergrad, I knew I wanted to do something outside of engineering. I could not do hair, or nails but I did have a gift for paying very close attention to detail and being very articulate. With those skills, I thought it would be great to go into the event industry since I have always been interested in design. I started doing full event design but decided I want to focus primarily on balloon design. I believe balloon design was my niche and I wanted to go deeper into the skill and perfect my craft. Read more>>

Amanda Campbell | Evangelist & Certified Life Purpose Coach

My thought process was to simply help people find and pursue their purpose. To find out what they are called do in the earth Read more>>

Brian Skeens | Writer, Musician and Educator

I knew my work defied genre so I figured I’d invent my own! Read more>>

Aziza Hassan | Content Creator & Athlete
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I wanted to start to create content for my own brand as oppose to creating content for someone else to use. Read more>>

Hawa Diallo | Teeth Whitening & Body Sculpting Specialist

My thought process behind starting HD Aesthetiks was to create a business that helped people in building confidence and feeling comfortable in their own skin. I wanted to create a space that provided my clients with a relaxing and calming environment as well as providing different services that helped aide in promoting self betterment in whatever way our clients see fit for them. That’s basically what HD Aesthetiks started as and will continue to promote. Read more>>

Shalltisha “AKA GLOW” Williams | Entrepreneur, Event Coordinator, Artist, Crystal/Gemstone Jewelry Creator, Visual Coordinator, And In Training Herbalist and Currently College Enrollment at UMA Degree Human & Community Services

I hold the ownership of WE ARE ART that consists of Events/Festivals, Art, Creative Performance Arts, Creative/Event Sponsors, & More. We Define Divine Feminine Power & Energy, A Spiritual Connecting and Free Spirited Nationwide Community to Inspire Uplift & Empower All Black Women. Thru my Journey of Life I love being a helping hand to people from advice about life, natural holistic health, relationships, creatives, love, natural hair, family & etc. Read more>>