Starting and growing a business is hard, but often deciding to start the business in the first place is even harder. We asked some successful entrepreneurs from around the community to open up to us about how they thought about starting a business.

Charise Olson | Founder & Executive Director

I had worked in social services, education, and community services for the majority of my career. I have always thought the theme of my professional life was to make a difference in the lives of young people and their families. In 2017, I had the opportunity to launch ReInspire– Read more>>

Asher Jay | CEO and Founder

When there is a real problem in need of a hybrid solution that dawns upon you, it becomes an inescapable duty to see it the insight through from inchoate inception to tangible execution. I began my business because it is in my wheelhouse which made its necessity self evident. Read more>>

Celissa Wilson | Permanent Jewelry Artist

I have always had an entreprenuer spirit and have tried many different things but when I came across permanent jewelry, I knew this was “IT”. There were tons of training programs out there with a high price tag but with time and research, I learned that I could teach myself with all the free tools that were already out there. I wanted this to be MINE and not under someone elses umbrella. Read more>>

Angela Stephens | Co-Founder and Executive Director of It’s a Sensory World!

After years of working with families and children in their homes, I realized a need within the special needs community was not being met. Families felt isolated and disconnected from the community and struggled to find meaningful activities for their children. Read more>>

Von Daniel | CEO | Chief Entertainment Officer

What’s next? This is the question I ask myself every phase of my life and this business started from that question. I started Performing comedy over 20 years ago. In a nut shell it went like this. I just did my first open mic… “What’s next?” I just booked my first major show… “What’s next?” Read more>>

Selina Mahon | Owner/Operator of The Virtuous Collection Inc. LLC

My thought process behind starting my business was as a mobile stylist and at the height of COVID my clientele picked up because I was making house calls. I made sure I was taking the necessary and recommended precautions because I was not in a salon space and had to enter residences. Read more>>

Emily Hamann | Co-Founder of Out of the Closet

The idea for Out Of The Closet came about when a friend who was recently transitioning at a later age was lamenting that even though she was now buying women’s clothing, it all skewed masculine even though she wanted to feel feminine. At the time, I was selling clothing regularly and had a trunk of feminine clothing in her size, so we played dress-up, and she walked away with a new wardrobe. Read more>>

Alexis Thompson | Broker/Owner, Bar T Realty, LLC. / Owner, Bar T Excavation, LLC / Broker Associate, Texas Ranch Sales, LLC

I had a deep passion of finding a way to help others. When I got into real estate, it was the best way I could help others and make a career out of it. Real estate is one of the best careers in my opinion where you are your own boss and how you choose to work will contribute to your success. Read more>>

Alba Azuara | Balloon Stylist & Product Marketing Coordinator

Being a single mother, I had to seek out an alternative source of income that would enable me to work flexible hours and express my creativity. I have always had a knack for organizing and embellishing parties, often taking the initiative to arrange and decorate events for my loved ones. Read more>>

Jessica Henson | Senior Pastor, Founder & Creator of I Luv H.E.R. (H.urt E.motional R.ecovery), Creator of JdeshaCosmetics Makeup Line

When I was in high school there were several things that I set as goals to reach. Not really within a time frame, but something to shoot for. In addition to the goals that I had in mind there were some things that were birthed out of life experiences. Currently, my life is made up of ministry and business.  Read more>>

Megan Rutel | Behavior Analyst & practice owner

I used to work for a really big company and being a mom of two (at the time) and having just gone through the burnout associated with being in healthcare during Covid, I knew something had to change. I took 18 months off of work so that I could focus on recovering from extreme burnout and be emotionally present for my young children. Read more>>

Deepa Bowinpally | Bump to Baby Photographer, Newborn Photographer

“When passion meets art, there’s no better synergy” This statement suits my love for photography. I’ve spent years focusing my work in the maternity, newborn, and baby genre and have built my business on a client experience that my families will love and provide them with high quality products that will turn their images from just an image to a masterpiece. Read more>>

Jennifer Greer | Art Teacher & Permanent Jeweler

I started hearing whispers of permanent jewelry in early 2022 and got my first bracelet in June of the same year. I LOVED the idea and knew I had to figure out a way to bring this to my community but in an affordable way. Read more>>

Nikki Camille | Graphic Designer and Makeup Artist

I wanted to create graphics and images that could be timeless for brands. Offering clean and detailed images that can grow with the expansion of their business. Making high end designs and logos affordable to micro businesses in my local area. I wanted my creativity to be executed in a professional way that helped others reach their entrepreneurial goals. Read more>>

Jacey Bullock | Speech-Language Pathologist

After spending 5 years working for a school district, and having 3 kids of my own, I knew that I wanted a change. I wanted to create a schedule that allowed me to prioritized my family more, choose what communication disorders I could pour into, focus on giving the best one-on-one therapy possible, and really form great relationships with each family I work with. Read more>>

Kim D. Canales | Artist and Owner of Multifarious Makings

As someone who is neurodivergent, I am my best self when I am doing something I am passionate about AND when I am in charge of the time table for it. When I would work at typical jobs, I would do one or two outdoor art events a year and I was incredibly happy and focused. I knew that I needed to make producing art a larger part of my life that it ever had been before. Read more>>

Brandie Madore | Hairstylist

Opening up my business , I always dreamed bigger than where I was starting . The start is just renting a. Suite but I thought I want to own a chain of Brand New Man gentlemen’s spas allover one day . I want to be the start of something Great for my family ! Read more>>

Monika Robinson | Educator & Racial Equity Practitioner

I’m a former teacher, and in 2019, I left public school after teaching for 10 years. One of the first things I was required to do at my new job was to participate in antiracism training. That training put into words what I had experienced navigating the world as a Black woman. Read more>>

Kevin Lewis Jr | Musician, Sports and Entertainment Reporter, Business Owner

I’ve always been a person that loves to control his own narrative. I don’t like being told what to do, when to do it and how to do it. I feel like God didn’t bless me with my creative skills and talent to be told what to do for 8-10 hours a day. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind working to pay the bills.  Read more>>

Cheryl Gant | Owner and Chief Pouring Officer of With Love Candle Studio

My journey to becoming an entrepreneur was limited to attempting to start a small business in my 20’s that never launched; a few multi level marketing opportunities and many times just daydreaming about the type of business I could start, but never really venturing beyond my comfort zone to actually go through with it. Read more>>