Many books on startups and business talk about how there are right and wrong reasons for starting a business. So, we asked a handful of successful founders about their reasons and the thought-process behind starting their business.

Olivia Thompson

The struggle to find skincare with genuine, natural ingredients I could wholeheartedly trust sparked the creation of my business. I’m committed to being that trusted source for others seeking 100% natural and organic skincare, with a promise to never use toxins, chemicals, or fragrances. Read More>>

Yael VanGruber

Starting my own business wasn’t just a career decision—it was a calling that’s been with me since childhood. I’ve always had a deep, intuitive ability to feel what others are going through, and somehow, even as a young girl, I knew how to offer comfort, clarity, and hope. That natural gift grew into a true purpose to help people move from pain to healing, from brokenness to wholeness, and from lost love to rekindled connection. Read More>>

Danny Tarron

My wife Kristal and I opened TNT Tattoo Company in 2018. The best decision of our lives. While I do have degrees in Art, and blessed to have sold art most of my life, my lovely wife is a self-taught artist with a proper apprenticeship in tattooing. Even with my background, her talent puts me to shame lol. As of 2025, I have 22 years in the tattooing industry. We have seen it go through many changes. Some for the better, and some I won’t speak of lol. However, I am so very grateful for all of it. Read More>> 

Jasmine Williams

My initial thought process behind starting my makeup business was first, to explore and nurture my creativity. I loved the craft of makeup artistry, it came naturally to me. Doing my makeup and being asked to do makeup for other girls built my self-confidence, which was something that I struggled with growing up. I grew to be very passionate about honoring our beauty and the unstoppable power it unlocks, and once I realized I could pour this into others, I wanted other women to experience this too.  Read More>>

Garrett Mayeaux

I started my own chiropractic business, and more recently, I’ve begun pivoting toward growing my coaching business—which supports my dream of racing as a professional triathlete.

From the moment I decided to pursue a career in chiropractic, I knew I wanted to run my own practice. What drew me to the profession was the variety it offered in patient care—from how much time you spend with each individual to the treatment methods you can apply, such as adjustments, soft tissue therapy, dry needling, and rehab. I was especially passionate about taking a comprehensive, individualized approach to musculoskeletal care.  Read More>>

Lloyd Lumpkins

The company I had been working at for 13 years was changing, both in personnel and in direction. I decided it was time to follow my own path. I wanted to explore more modern themes based in classical architecture. Read More>>

Lindsay Blair

I launched my journey as a stay at home mom customizing denim bling jackets for cheer moms as a way to bring in extra income and help cover the bills. It was a simple idea rooted in creativity and necessity— turning a side hustle into something meaningful for my family. Read More>>

Jim Cromeans

There was a need within the area to provide a permanent hair removal solution for people of color, LGBTQIA, and PCOS communities. The closest provider of electrolysis was retiring and my wife was going to lose the only real solution to her PCOS and hormonal hair growth concerns. I saw how uplifting and confident electrolysis made her feel and present herself; I didn’t want her to lose that and I wanted to provide that to more people in my area as well. Read More>>

David

I’ve always wanted to be a content creator, but I didn’t come from a traditional creative background. I couldn’t draw or play an instrument, none of the usual routes felt like mine. When I discovered podcasting, it was the first time content creation felt truly accessible. It allowed me to tell stories in a way that felt real, both for myself and for the community around me. Read More>>

Neelofer Basaria

For me, this path wasn’t so much a decision as it was a calling. Health has always fascinated me. It’s been the thread running through my entire life. My professional journey began in the realm of public health, data science, and analytics, where I evaluated health outcomes on a population level. But over time, the work became numbers on a screen. People reduced to patterns and charts. I longed to return to the heart of why I entered this field: to connect, uplift, and transform lives. Read More>>

Allison Fifer

I have been an entrepreneur for the majority of my working years. My thought process on starting my own business was always focused on doing what I am passionate about. Without passion, one does not have a driving force for success. Entrepreneurship is not for the weak of heart; there are many challenges and endless hours you put in beyond the typical 9-5 job. It takes guts, commitment, some stubbornness, creativity, determination, a great support system and passion. Read More>>

Paul Michael O’Connor

I have always enjoyed photography and film making and wanted to pursue them further, so my thought was why not make that my career? I took the leap to being a full time professional photographer and film maker and have enjoyed the opportunities and getting to do what I love each day. Read More>>

Audrey Harrison

I was five years old when I told my Dad that I wanted my own business. I didn’t know what it would be, but I knew I wanted something that was mine. We thought about it for months and decided to make caramel popcorn. So, my Dad and I made caramel popcorn in our kitchen and sold it door-to-door. I didn’t have a business plan or anything fancy, just a desire to make people smile. Read More>>

Christy Gandy

In October of 2015 my dad passed away. Being the first really close person I had lost, it was a new experience to be on that side of grief. I realized in a new way what it feels like when people don’t reach out in the ways you expect. They didn’t know what to do or say, so sometimes they simply said nothing. It was hurtful, but I saw myself in them and understood how I had been the exact same way before experiencing a loss so personal. There was so little education surrounding not the issue of dealing with your own grief, but how to effectively support those around you who were grieving, and I wanted to be a part of changing that. Read More>>

Ladriana Williams

Honestly, I never set out to be an entrepreneur. At the end of 2022, I created a fitness page just to document my own journey — it was more of an experiment than a business idea. I believed that consistency brings results, so I wanted to see what would happen if I consistently worked out and consistently showed up on that page. And wow… it worked. About six months in, I started seeing real changes in my body, and my page started to grow too. Read More>>

Joe & Jennifer Worrel

After serving in the U.S. Air Force, Joe spent two decades building a career in consumer finance, insurance, and automotive sales — all while touring as a professional country musician. When we started a family, we made the decision that Joe would take on the role of primary parent so that our children could be raised at home rather than daycare, which also allowed him to continue performing music. Meanwhile, Jennifer pursued a corporate career in the oil and gas industry, which required multiple relocations over the years. Read More>>