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.

Eva Mackey, MD | Family Physician

When I started Gem MD, I had been a family physician working for Baylor for almost 15 years. I was very aware that the medical system was broken, Patients can’t get appointments, they spend forever in the waiting room, they only get 5 minutes with their doctor and can’t get all of their needs addressed. Read more>>

Draper Joyner | Innovator | Creative

Inside my head, I can think of over 101 ways to market, execute, and exploit a project creatively. Growing up, I’ve come to realize that creatives need more like-minded individuals who understand their crafts and can easily cope with them, while being one of those creatives. Growing my platform and “creating a buzz” while I’m in my prime, I plan to be one of the greats that will pave the way for the next generation. Read more>>

Tracy Bush | Probate and Guardianship Attorney

Starting a law firm after passing the bar may not have been the most logical decision, but it ended up working out. I knew I wanted to focus on giving assistance and advice to clients without the pressure of chasing the billable hour. I also wanted to be able to choose who I worked with as clients. Read more>>

Madison Harris | Tale as Old as Time Media Videographer

As a husband and wife team, this business has allowed us to be creative together! Preston and I have been together for over 14 years now. We became a couple at just 13 years old (in middle school) when we were cast as “Belle” and “The Beast” in our school’s production of Beauty & the Beast (hence, Tale as Old as Time Media!) Read more>>

Lidya Winnie | Natural skincare company

My entrepreneurial journey began with a realization of an unmet need within the beauty and skincare industry, particularly for black women and recognizing the lack of accessible natural skincare. Read more>>

Ayako DeRuby | Yoga & Meditation Instructor and business owner

We aim to create a space where people can learn to greet all parts of themselves with compassion and curiosity. As the famous quote from poet Robert Frost says, “The only way out is through. “We teach students the tools to greet life in this way through the systematic practice of yoga and meditation. We teach how to hold space for all facets of the Self so there are no more fragmented parts, and we can be whole again. Read more>>

Cherie Herne | Home & Wedding Decor Driftwood Artist

My journey began against the backdrop of Maine’s southern coast, where beachcombing has been my lifelong source of rejuvenation and inspiration. A past life as a graphic and web designer gave way to a transformative chapter when a Lyme disease diagnosis shone a light on the ocean’s remarkable healing properties. Battling the foggy haze in my mind and the aches in my body, I found solace on the shore, and thus, the seeds of Maine Salty Girl were sown. Read more>>

Beth Edwards | Attorney and Escrow Officer

I made the decision to start my own business when I was laid off from my job on November 1, 2008. A lot of people weathered the Great Recession and had to make changes in their careers, I decided to go back to school for the purpose of starting my own law practice in part so that I could control my career and destiny. Read more>>

Nicole Heere | Matriarch of Housewife Rebellion Wine Co.

I have been working as a professional artist since 2010. The Great Recession taught me that traditional jobs are not as stable as I had been taught. So I left the corporate world to pursue art full time. I had my art degree and trained in oil painting since the age of 7, so it seemed like a logical move to spend my time doing something I was highly specialized in, especially since no one was hiring and no one was paying well during the recession. Read more>>

Liz Nickson | Brand Copywriter

I was brought into the “work from home” scene long before it was even considered a possibility for most. I was blessed with the opportunity to be home and present with my children back in 2015, which expanded into the opportunity of starting a business to both support growing creatives and service providers, while still maintaining a comfortable lifestyle for my family! Read more>>

Karla Vidales | Makeup Artist & Esthetician

I started my business when I was really young. I was about 15-16 years old whenever I started doing makeup. Back then I never thought it would be how it is now, I started just doing makeup for my friends & family then it quickly turned into a business where I started taking clients. Read more>>

Eyonna Pierce | Braider and salon owner

I realized I had a passion for braiding hair at 15 years old I started reinstalling my braids on my edges when they got old I was also working at my father’s carlot and we wasn’t getting along that well and I didn’t make a lot of money working a job part time at fiesta so I thought one day maybe I should start doing hair i practice on my head twice still couldn’t part so my mom parted my head and my cousin’s head and I started after that I decided to start taking clients for $40 which was extremely low and ridiculous but I had start somewhere I thought my mom was going part every head for me but was I wrongly mistaken. Read more>>

Tucker Brown | Rancher

I am the 6th generation to return back to the family ranch in Throckmorton Texas. Growing up on the R.A. Brown Ranch taught me how to think outside the box, work, earn, save, and invest. Have that mindset always had me thinking of how to improve things. My parents also told me at a young age that after I graduated high school, I would have to leave the ranch for two years. Read more>>