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.

Chloe Christian | Entrepreneur and Makeup Artist

I knew I wanted to start an e-commerce business but, it took me a minute to find my niche. Most people expected me to open a cosmetics line but, although I do makeup, it wasn’t something I was interested in at the time. I quickly realized that I wanted to open up a romance boutique. Black people are very under represented in sex work. Every shop you go into, any website you go on, black faces are nowhere to be found. I wanted to open up a store positively represented the black body. Black people deserve positive body exploration. Read more>>

Shana Merlin | Trainer, Teacher, and Improviser

When I was a kid, I swore I did not want to run my own business. I think I wrote an essay about it in elementary school. My parents were entrepreneurs and I could see how much time and effort it took. And then when I was in college at the University of Texas at Austin. I fell in love with improv comedy. There just aren’t a lot of places that you could apply for jobs performing, teaching, or doing corporate training using improv comedy. And when the job you want doesn’t exist, you have to create it yourself. So like my mom, who opened her own business to help create the professional childcare agency industry (long before Care.com appeared) I decided to start my own business in the burgeoning field of Applied Improv: using improv not just for performance but to improv work and life offstage. And now I’ve been doing that with Merlin Works since 2003. Read more>>

Lane Rizzardini | Marketing Expert & Agency Owner

Our goal was to deliver what local businesses need to successfully grow their business, rather than what was easiest for us to scale or make the most money. In short: do what is best for the client, and build our business model and processes around that. It sounds simple and it is, but most marketing agencies (and businesses) are built around their own goals or the path of least resistance to the most money. It’s easy to hire a sales team and sell Google Ads. It’s hard to be there when your client is overwhelmed during a winter storm and you need to answer Facebook Messeges from their customers because they’re staff can’t (true story). In a world where it’s never been easier and more complicated to market your business, we want to be the trusted experts for anything marketing and growth for your businesses. We want to deliver the tailored experience and resources of big agencies to local businesses who frequently get automation and a constantly churning voice of account management. Read more>>

Krystal Wagner | Cosmetologist

When the thought of first starting a business ran across my mind, i really didn’t know where I was going with that thought process. With starting a business, not only do you have to know what type of business you want, but also you need to know who it could benefit and I why. So many good and bad thoughts ran through my mind but I could not let it discourage me from doing exactly what I wanted. I knew for sure I wanted to be my own Boss, I knew I wanted to be able to control My own narrative. I wanted to be able to do what I love and still be there for my son 100% meaning, I could make my own schedule. Starting a business is not easy but so far it has been worth it. I knew exactly what type of business I wanted to start but I just didn’t know how. I also know that one business venture could lead to another so I said to myself, “why not?” For starters, I had to change my mindset. I needed to show consistency. Read more>>

Serena Houlihan | Co-Founder & CEO, Le Wren

Like so many ventures, Le Wren started because I needed something I couldn’t find anywhere else. I wanted to send a beautiful and thoughtfully curated care package to a relative facing brain cancer and couldn’t find the right items bundled together anywhere, so just created my own care package for her. I was in the unique position to know what someone facing cancer might need and want because my mother faced the same diagnosis now twelve years ago. That experience sparked an idea and the concept for Le Wren was born from that. I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur and start my own business, but the idea was never fully clear until that moment. And from that moment on, it was off to the races. Read more>>

Morgan Littauer | The Coach for Single Ladies

My thought process behind starting my own business was rooted in the vision I see for my life and the purpose for which I know I am alive. I believe that life is a gift from God and we only have so much time until our time is up. I want to make a global impact with each endeavor I jump into; one that would create lasting change and establish a great legacy. In starting Morgan’s Single Ladies, I knew that not only would I have the opportunity to encourage and cultivate the greatness in other women, but I could create lasting impact that could generate positive change for generations to come. Read more>>

Amanda Kay Myers | Wedding Photographer

When I first started my business, I was a traveling instagram model. 30 was starring me in the face and I had to make a change. I couldn’t model forever. I had been in-front of the camera hundreds of times. Now, it was time for me to be behind it. I knew how to pose, direct, and the basics of how to work a camera. It’s funny how much you pick up working with so many photographers. So I turned that knowledge into a career. I became a wedding photographer. Read more>>

Donnetria Reed | All Natural Nail Technician

I always think of providing what people want, need and something in my lane that will make it easier for me to navigate and market. Read more>>

Benjamin Redic II | Producer, Fight Choreographer, Film Market Director

When I was young I always had an interest in media. Games, anime, film, drawing all of it. I never truly pursued any of those interests once I turned 18 however. I went to work in corporate America. I had taken some business and sales courses while I attended Central Texas College and my brother Jerry was going to ACC for commercial music management. He needed help writing a business plan and asked me to help him with it. I basically told him to burn it and start over. I remembered however at that moment, all of the times we discussed film and media and gaming. So I told him I’d write it for him, but it would be on a multimedia company, not just a commercial music company. He accepted and his teacher gave him an A for the paper. That’s when I knew I had a workable idea. We went out and get a DBA right after that. Read more>>

Keesha Allen | Nurse & Natural Hair Guru

Spreading knowledge on natural hair care. It wasn’t until I had my daughter that my own natural hair journey truly began. I was so eager for her to embrace and love her hair that it caused me to reflect the love, or lack there of, that I had for my own hair. I realized there was so much I didn’t know. Once I educated myself on my hair type, experimented with tons products, even did a big chop, was I truly able to see how beautiful my natural hair really was. It was a process but I got there. I started helping my friends with their natural hair journey, even my mother lol. It was something I became passionate about, that’s what inspired the thought behind creating CocoKeesh. So I’ve made a hair care line and YouTube page devoted to natural hair care. Read more>>

Jabarre Davis | Filmmaker | Photographer | Creative Artist

I think it was purely out of necessity in order to procure my sanity, lol For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a creative individual. I’ve always been drawn to the art storytelling. So, I knew that somehow someway, I had to follow my heart and transform my dream into a reality. That was not an easy decision, nor has it been an easy journey, but I wouldn’t dare complain! The film/television industry is not for the weak. You literally have get out there and make it happen, everyday! I’ve managed to align myself with a very talented and unique cast of creators and we push each other towards greatness! I’m very thankful for that. Read more>>

Derelle King | Director DFw Hawks Basketball Club

I wanted to create opportunities for athletes who couldn’t afford to play select basketball. Read more>>

Swaun Johnson | Promoter & CEO Transporter

I have always been a free spirit with creative ideas. I was inspired by a group of friends that were business owners or worked in upper management in their careers. Read more>>

Victoria Segovia | Wedding Photographer | Victoria E Photography

Starting my own business was honestly something I imagined that I would do at least ten years down the road. I knew that I wanted to do it one day, but I had no clue that it would some so quickly. I decided to start my own business for a few reasons. The first is a bit obvious– I wanted to follow my dreams and passions. I remember flipping through magazines as a child and scrolling through sites online, hoping that one day I could be creating what other artists or photographers were. Starting my business and making it official was the first big step that I made towards achieving that goal. When I started the business, I wasn’t quite sure what direction it would even take. I just knew that I was somewhat starting to have a consistent stream of clientele coming my way and that in itself was pretty big to me. A few months after I started, I began to dig into books, self-educate like never before, and really build my business from ground up. Read more>>

Janae Samuel | Aesthetician | Laser Tech | Entrepreneur

I always knew I wanted to start my own business and be my own boss. For me the main driving reason was because I wanted to create a brand that was fully me and aligned with what I believe in and I couldn’t quite find anything that did what I was doing. I wanted to be able to create a solid foundation that I had control over building and the direction of how I wanted to grow The Golden Hour Spa. Also, who doesn’t want to create their own schedule. Read more>>

Sabrina Warren | Wellness Coach for Body & Soul Fitness

I wanted to take my experiences and difficult life lessons and turn them into preventative care lessyI could share with others. I’ve gained so much strength from teaching others the importance of self care. Designing nutrition plans and workout programs to help them prioritize self has been a source of great joy. Read more>>

Sarina Daniels | Owner and Founder of The Holistic Market

I lost my mother to illness and natural alternatives were not convenient or affordable. So my mission was to create what I felt the community needed. Read more>>

Kimesha Coleman | Self Esteem Coach and Author

Starting my own business as a life coach was inspired by a combination of life experiences. I wanted more control of my life. At that time I realized my means of survival were in the hands of someone else. I had just been laid off from my job, had no savings, and had a deep passion for helping other women. It was at that moment I declared never to be broke again. Read more>>

Jay and Riki Rivera | Graffiti Artists

We never thought of Laced and Found as a business. We did know that there was a market for it and that we loved graffiti. We knew we were onto something when people began contacting us asking for work and we obliged. There was still so much we didn’t know in regards to charging for murals. As we began taking ourselves more serious we began doing the research and the rest is history so to speak. Read more>>