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.

Quadria Freeman | CEO of FramedByQ’: The Collection

In 2019, I had just lost my cousin, who was dear to me. Along with me losing him, I lost my job, and I wanted a different way to make another source of income. My mother always presented to me in college to sell eyewear on the side but that was not my main focus at the time. The idea was presented to me again by my sister, who I was staying with at the time. I buckled down and took this more seriously. I wanted everyone to feel confident and BOLD when they stepped out into the world. What better way to do that than to sell some banging eyewear and swimsuits. FramedByQ’: Read more>>

Lawrence Mendive | Owner / Broker Real Estate

For more than 20 years, I worked in corporate America. I desired more than the weekly pressure surrounding the routines of answering questions about who I contacted, constant questioning about how high my sales intake would be, and what I was I doing to ensure future business with clients, etc. I wanted to work for myself. I wanted to pursue self-created goals and a higher level of personal service. I no longer wanted to operate on the sales-driven expectations set forth by a group of other people. Read more>>

April Lilly | Owner/Director LELA Academy

LELA Academy was born after many parents of students with learning differences approached Mrs. Lilly when another local private school where she was resource director/coordinator closed its doors suddenly, mid-year, filing bankruptcy and leaving these parents with no alternatives for their children. These parents were looking for an alternative to the educational system that was failing their children. The parents seeking Mrs. Lilly’s help had children with a range of differences such as anxiety, dyslexia, depression, dysgraphia, ADD / ADHD, etc., Read more>>

Chelsea Mason | Airbrush Tan Artist

When I started my business, I knew I wanted to get to know my clients and provide them a safe alternative than tanning in a bed or laying out in the sun. I have dreamed of owning a wedding venue since I was a little girl and I saw my airbrush tanning business as a chance to figure out if I like working for myself while challenging myself to balance a business and finishing my bachelors degree. I knew I wanted to be part of the wedding industry so the initial investment for a service based business like Globox is minimal compared to what I would have to invest in a venue. Read more>>

Paul Lake | Man on a mission

I grew up with an older brother who went into law enforcement, so I developed an early love for all things related to the first responder world. However, I was blessed with art and design skills, so I chose the design world as my career path. However, I always held on to the love for emergency services. At age 21 I became a reserve deputy in my hometown, then became and EMT and began working in those fields as a volunteer to scratch that first responder itch. Later I became interested in Search and Rescue (SAR) and when I moved to Dallas in 1980, I began looking for a SAR team to join. Read more>>

Dre Williams | Confidence Coach

As a facilitator in the corporate world, I was stunned to find early on leaders lacking confidence and the soft skills needed to lead successful teams and organizations. From high level, mid level and entry level, it was a problem that I noticed and help many of them fix. I wanted to start my own business that helps people become better leaders who understand what confidence is and what it is not. Read more>>

RyNisha Holloway | Entrepreneur & Model

My thought process behind starting my own business was being able to create generational wealth for my kids. Building something that can call their own. So once their older they can work for themselves! Read more>>