Starting a business can be terrifying. Weighing the pros and cons, the risks, and other considerations can be so overwhelming that often promising entrepreneurs stop before they even start. We asked some phenomenal entrepreneurs about their thought process behind starting their own businesses. Our hope is that by making the thought-process less intimidating we can help more folks think through whether they should take an entrepreneurial leap.

Hannah Diamond | Owner of Millie’s Cookies & Nurse Midwife

I’ve always been obsessed with baking cookies—it’s been my secret dream to open a cookie bakery! I remember being in my early 20s, hanging out with friends after dinner, and all I wanted was a warm chocolate chip cookie. I mean, who doesn’t want a warm cookie after a night out, right?! So I always told myself, one day I’m going to fix that in Ft. Worth! Read more>>

Stacie Martin | Founder/Director of Single Parent Advocate and CEO at Free Martin Marketing and Media

I founded Single Parent Advocate on the same day as I founded my advertising agency, Free Martin Marketing. It was in 2009 after being laid off from a corporate media position I had held for many years. I was a single mother and the economic contraction at the time yielded few opportunities for me to secure re-employment. Read more>>

Amy Stumpf | Coffee trailer owner

I started my Veteran owned business after being diagnosed with breast cancer to help pay for treatments. It turned into a small business that is so much. The flexibility to not only go to treatments but also allowed me to homeschool my daughter. Operating our coffee trailer together has allowed her to learn invaluable life-skills that I know will help in her adult life. Read more>>

Lyn Berman | Founder & Executive Director of a local nonprofit, Attitudes & Attire

When I was 9 years old, my father took my brother and myself to a prison to show us what would happen if we did something bad! That is when I knew, I wanted to change the world for women as everyone deserves a 2nd chance. Read more>> 

Stephanie Rivera José Larin | Stephanie Rivera & Jose Larin | Owners of Artística Painting

The thought process was a dream at the beginning something me and my partner could visualize. My partner has 5+ years experience in house painting & iv had small businesses through out my teenage years. We discussed how it would be amazing to own a company & build something that would be ours. With time the idea came to mind to start our own painting company we decided we where going to do it & I started designing our logo within a few weeks of thinking and designing Artística Painting was created. Read more>>

Ian Messerli | Tattoo artist/owner/operator

I started my career in the shop that I now own. When the previous owner was ready to retire I felt like I needed to keep things going for myself, the staff and the community. I took over the business from that point on. Read more>>

Pat Smith | Founder and Chief Executive Officer

My thought was how to make social services more accessible to find for people in need while improving the quality of the places where nonprofits work. Nonprofits often use poor spaces in poor locations because that’s what they can afford. I thought, “What if we flipped the script?” Give nonprofits quality spaces and the support to do what they do best, and have someone else do the rest–take care of the building, the copier/printer, and provide a common receptionist. Read more>>

Elizabeth Faubion | Animal Trainer & Behavior Consultant

My journey to starting Stay Positive Animal Training began with a personal challenge. My dog, Jake, a brilliant border collie, struggled with severe dog aggression. I tried various traditional training methods suggested to me by local trainers, but they didn’t align with my vision of how I wanted to help him. That experience sparked a desire to dive into positive reinforcement techniques. As a seeker of knowledge, I consumed information from a wide variety of sources and learned as much as I possibly could. Read more>>

Sam Toerper | Web Designer + Developer / Animator

As cliché as it may sound, turning 40 flipped a switch in my mind about where I was in life and where (who) I wanted to be. I don’t care much about things like legacy or “leaving my mark”. I just realized I wasn’t happy. Read more>>

Seunghee Park | Pastry Chef

I’ve been in the baking industry for a long time, and I wanted to have my own shop, just like all chefs do. Meanwhile, I wanted to do a new dessert within the scope of my ability. There were already so many chocolate, candy, cookie and macaroon shops, and I thought there weren’t a variety of options for customers. So I wanted to create a more diverse option in Dallas, and came to opening my own store. Read more>>