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.

Jacqueline Longoria | Crafter

Last year was a year to think! My husband and I were sitting in our living room when we came up with the idea. Originally we thought about focusing my work on catering to trucking companies since that is the field my husband is in, logistics. I still do some of that but my main work has really been catering to birthday parties. I’ve always loved being creative and being a stay at home mom I had time to really channel in my creativity and so far it’s been very good!! Read more>>

Pamela Evans | The Stack Goddess

My thought process for starting my online business called “The -Stack-Goddess.com”, was to create a website with beautiful accessories simply because I have been known all my life as the accessory queen.
My favorite color is Turquoise. I think I fell in love with the color turquoise because I would see my grandmother, a tall beautiful black woman, wear her turquoise rings all the time. Wearing the color always reminds me of her! Read more>>

Sarah Elizabeth Hall | Spiritual Healer & Sexpert

SJ Secret Seductions came to fruition due to me being aware and seeing the shaming around sex and sexuality amongst all people in general, in religion and even in marriages. There is either something someone makes the other feel insecure about or people just have these really weird stigmas on what should and should not be done when it comes to sex and sexuality, In my research and personal experience i noticed that people are simply projecting their own sexual insecurities and traumas on another person to make themselves feel better about hiding their true sexual selves. Read more>>

Ainsley Lopez | Charcuterie Boards

I wanted to have something that was mine. I always knew the conventional life was never what I wanted for myself and knew I wanted to be my own boss. What’s hilarious is I now work 24/7 but honestly love it so much. I chose charcuterie because it is so simple yet so beautiful, kind of my life motto. I’ve always loved serving others both in life and when it comes to food. Food presentation and styling via charcuterie allows me to do both. I genuinely love letting others know someone is thinking of them and believe all moments in life are worth being celebrated. People love food and people love thought and people love gifts, it’s an all in one and never disappoints. Read more>>

Shaylee Southerland | Textile Artist & Designer

I’ve always had creative outlets outside of my 9-5, first as a freelance designer, then as a wedding photographer. When I first started weaving and exploring other forms of fiber art, I never even thought about it turning into a business. I was taking a break from the side hustle life and wanted to learn this new art form purely as a personal practice. Making things with my hands has always been a form of meditation and relaxation, and the repetitive nature that weaving can bring was a new extension of that for me to explore. Read more>>

Marquis Parks | Graphic Designer, Artist & Creative Director.

It started more as a hobby and experiment, than me waning to start a business. Read more>>

Angela Whiteman | Baker

I’ve always had a passion for baking, since I was growing up. I loved to make brownies with my dad in the kitchen and he’d always let me lick the hand mixer beaters after we were done. In college, I loved baking for my friends, then my coworkers after I graduated. That’s when I decided to open a bakery in central Texas with a couple friends and ran that for 6 years. I moved back to the DFW area 3 years ago and still baked in my free time. I started attending local farmers markets in the area on the weekends. I still have a love and passion for baking and hope to open a small store somewhere locally. Read more>>

Jeffrey Smith, EdD | President and Owner, Downtown Cowtown at the Isis

My wife and I were educators who had found ourselves at a crossroads. We had a long discussion one Christmas discussing what we really wanted to do–stay in education or pursue a different course. Without hesitation, I told my wife what I wanted to do–renovate and operate the Isis Theatre in the Fort Worth Stockyards. To my surprise, my wife did not miss a beat and said okay. The next day we incorporated and the pursuit that turned into the beautiful building we have today began. Read more>>

Christopher Parham | VIP & Personal Bodyguard

Worked a corporate job for almost 10 years. My last straw was when I got passed over on a promotion. I was doing security part time mostly on the weekends but at that moment I wanted to take it on an even bigger scale. My biggest thing was I didn’t want to give anyone that power over me again. Read more>>

Garrett Youngblood | Craft Beer Blogger/Influencer/Enthusiast

When I started The Beer Enthusiast, Instagram was in infancy stage. We’re talking 2012. I was a year and change removed from college, just getting my career started and very wide eyed in terms of what the future held for me professionally. Back to Instagram, at that time in 2012 I didn’t have any sort of handle created, but I felt the time had come to dive into the Instagram waters. To be frank, I thought doing a personal page at the time was pretty idiotic since I was already on Facebook, so I wanted to make it about something I loved and was passionate about. Read more>>

Emily | Creator of The Cutting Board DFW

Since I was a kid, I have love “charcuterie,” although growing up my parents referred to it as “cold cuts.” It was a very simple platter of just cheese, meat and a baguette or crackers. It was my favorite meal and we would only have it on very specific special occasions, like New Years Eve. Earlier this year I was co-hosting a baby shower and was responsible for the charcuterie. I had fun making the boards and they were very well received. I thought, “hey, what if I did this all the time and started to sell them?” So, I created an Instagram and a email address on a whim. All of a sudden I was getting orders before I had even ironed out a pricelist or supplies. It was overwhelming in the best way. I really like to think of this project more as a fun hobby that brings in extra cash than a “business.” For me, calling it a business makes it feel like “work” and I already have a full-time job in addition to this. Read more>>

Jennifer Terrell | Business Owner, Nonprofit Organization Founder, Retired Teacher

“Who is your boss?” This is one question that I have strived for years to have one word as the answer: me. So many people are too scared to take a leap of faith in order to step beyond the status quo when it comes to opening a business. From having a secure form of income to just being afraid to take a risk, there are so many reasons why a person will not step into the business world. Even so, I would not let this stop me. As a black woman in the business world, I had to make up my mind to allow the sacrifices that the women before me have made to serve as a regular form of inspiration. A high number of individuals have done many things to hold me back in the business world due to my race and gender, but I have not let this step me. It is my goal to keep going until my business becomes highly successful throughout the country. Read more>>

Lee Ferdinand | Photographer

Turn my passion into another stream of income. Why not do what I love daily. Read more>>

Tete Zarzar | Painting Artist

I discovered painting after graduating from civil engineering. I was living in Saltillo, when I decided to join a 2-week workshop while I was looking for a job. At that moment I just knew I was passionate about painting and since then I could not stop. With that necessity of learn, I went from one workshop to another and each time they were longer and farther away from home. Read more>>

Daniel Clearfield, DO, MS, FAOASM | Sports Medicine Physician; Owner, CEO, & Medical Director of Motion is Medicine

I have been working in healthcare for 15 years and I have been around it my entire life. The focus of healthcare should be on quality patient care, but I strongly feel the system of healthcare has become business-centric, and is no longer patient-centric. Many physicians are burning out of healthcare as we committed ourselves and devoted years of training to care for the patient, but are resigned to not being allowed enough time, resources, and support to properly care for our patients. I started Motion is Medicine to “break the shackles of the system” and to take back healthcare from the insurance companies, hospitals, and corporations, that disable our ability to care for the patient. My clinic’s model of care is to make it about the doctor and the patient sitting directly across from them; cutting out all of the people that have nothing to do with the patient’s care but are influential in dictating how their care is received. Read more>>

Austin Pruett | Owner of Fort Worth Auto Detail

Like many people, I was laid off in 2020 from the marketing company I had been working at for the past four years. It was a great company, but it was always supposed to be a temporary stepping stone since I was working my way through seminary. I had recently graduated with three masters degrees and wanted to teach. So the timing of the lay off actually seemed like a blessing since our first daughter was about to be born and I planned to pursue a teaching position in a few months. Read more>>

Randy Franklin | Owner/Creator of RevRan Hats

Actually it just kind of happened. I have always loved hats and I began noticing some of the cool new styles that were out there. When I started searching the internet the one thing that caught my eye was how expensive many of them were. I had this crazy idea that I would make my own. I did and amazingly people started to ask me where I got my hat from. I made a few more and put them online and to my amazement…people bought them! My goal has always been to make cool hats at a reasonable price so regular Joes like me can afford them. So I guess my story is I love hats, other people want hats and I need money. 🙂 Read more>>

Cydni Lashon | Lash Artist

I wanted to create employment for myself. It’s a blessing to be able to create your own employment, and it’s a plus when you LOVE what you do. Read more>>