Starting a business is a commitment and requires dedication, resources and sacrifice. We asked some of the rising stars in our community how they thought through the idea of starting their own businesses.

Shea Ramon | Cake Decorator & Massage Therapist

My thought process behind starting my own business was, I knew I’d be able to give my children what I didn’t have growing up. Read more>>

Brittany Sheree | Freelance Makeup Artists

Leaders who want to be successful need to be passionate about what they do, what they want to do, and why they want to do it. Here are my thoughts of process and what I feel is so important in starting my own business. Passion is what drives you. Passion keeps you going despite the difficulties that your business will inevitably come across. I had many situations where I had to stop but I didn’t throw up my arms and simply give up, I’ve always made my way back but my passion caused me to keep going. I couldn’t think about anything but making my makeup business succeed. It’s been said a lot, but that’s because it truly matters; you need passion in order to succeed. Read more>>

Ciarra Alisha | Licensed Massage Therapist

I’ve always preferred to be the captain of my own ship or to find roles where I had lots of freedom and being immersed in my family’s business throughout my life I knew at some point I wanted to cultivate an identity apart from them. After years spent in the hectic pace of the restaurant industry and riding the waves of turbulence and tranquillity I became inspired to craft more personal experiences with people. Massage therapy allows me to embrace my entrepreneurial spirit in an environment centered around calm and offers me the autonomy and freedom to be innovative and creative. Read more>>

Anu Shrestha | Certified Family Nurse Practitioner

When I decided to open my practice, I wanted to focus on promoting the health and wellness. Educating people to help maintain and promote their health has been my passion. I want to provide the tools and share my knowledge with the community to lead a healthy lifestyle. Read more>>

Kelly & Joy McCarthy | Owners of Sakta Provisions

For a long time, we didn’t anticipate ever having our own business! After we worked a combined 10 years in the coffee industry, we knew we were passionate and had a love for coffee and the community that it brings, but we didn’t think we would ever own a coffee business ourselves. We had hopes to someday work in coffee again but had put those desires on the shelf. Our thought process, as believers, is simple obedience. Our goal, personally and in our business, is to honor God in everything we do, so we left the timing and the plans up to Him. Around August of 2022, we felt like God started to bring those dreams up again and gave us vision for a business that would cultivate community and create an atmosphere for people to slow down and enjoy quality experiences, goods, and people. Read more>>

Hailee Dyer | Producer, Director | Founder of Applewood Productions

Starting my own business definitely came with its on mental hurdles. I did have the thoughts of can I do it? How? I realized that it was the first leap of faith that was going to come with many more risks. I had to think about a few things as I began. The first question I asked myself was why. Our why is the main thing I can come back to when things get hard. The reason I started and my goals in mind successfully re-sparks my energy when I need a pick me up. For us, the why is to inspire a world to redefine artistic identities. We found many different avenues to do that. Inside of each one we realize that creativity is not just about art but it is allowing yourself to live on the edge of who you know yourself to be. Read more>>

Angille Beausetti | Entrepreneur

Stability and creating a solid foundation for your family was my #1 reason to embark on such a journey. Personally, when I decided to start my own business, I was driven by a desire to take control of my own destiny and to pursue my passion. I wanted to create something meaningful, something that would make a positive impact on the lives of others. It was an opportunity for me to bring my creative ideas to life and to challenge myself in new ways. Starting a business allowed me to shape my own future and be in charge of my own success! Read more>>

Cailey Suarez | Photographer

I’ve always loved taking photos and making moments last forever. I’m that person that has over 20,000 photos in their camera roll on their phone. My business started out as a hobby. I would take my mom’s camera, walk around the farm, and take pictures of any and everything. I wanted to try my thumb at taking my brothers senior pictures this year and that’s when I decided to buy my own camera and start my own business. Read more>>

Nichole Holze | Freelance Writer & Content Creator

My business grew organically out of what I was doing on social media. I began a “public” social media account back in 2016. It wasn’t long before the adventures I was embarking on with my children started to gain traction and my account began to grow. Writing had always been a passion of mine and with the account growth I found more and more freelance writing opportunities opening up to me. It was at that point that I decided to treat whatever “it” was that I was doing as a businesses. Once I made the pivot and treated my social media and travel writing pursuits as a business, doors continued to open. I believe it was the intentional step into treating it as a business that helped to catapult me into the next measurable level of success. Read more>>

Amanda Shaw | Pet Party Planner & Stylist

Starting The Barkday Planner was a heartfelt decision that was honestly born out of a deep desire to fill a void in my life. At the time I was absorbed in scientific research getting my PhD in Neuroscience, the path I thought I was “supposed” to do. This was intellectually stimulating but lacked the emotional fulfillment I craved! It was during the moments of celebrating our own dogs’ birthdays, who are our kids to us, that something just clicked within me! Seeing the joy and the happiness these celebrations brought not only to them but to myself as well, lit a spark in me like nothing before. It was a feeling of fulfillment, joy, purpose that I had never experience! Read more>>

Reston Esquell | Co-Owner and Operator

As a spin-off of my initial company, Honey Do and Co (a remodeling company that offers handyman services) Honey Do Homes was created because we are passionate about bettering the community and we saw that there is a huge opportunity to create win-win situations for all parties involved in real estate transactions. Read more>>

Rawleigh Williams III & Lexi Cosgrove | Co-Founders of sip Torne. espresso martini

When creating sip Torne., we wanted to solve the need for the perfect at home or on-the-go espresso martini. We strived to create the perfect blend of espresso, vodka, and smoothness to appease the tastebuds of every espresso martini lover. Our goal was to create an RTD (ready to drink) that was perfect for ALL occasions, whether it be an pregame boost or a lavish celebration. We believe sip Torne. fits into each persons lifestyle seamlessly. Read more>>

Jose Angel Pereira Ruimwyk | Adversity & Resilience Coach,Motivational Speaker and Author

Jose Angel Pereira, a former oil company executive with thirty-five years of experience and the former CEO of Citgo Petroleum, was unjustly detained and held captive in Venezuela as a member of the CITGO6, a group of six Americans employed by Citgo. His wrongful captivity, based solely on his American nationality, lasted for 1,775 days, from November 21, 2017, to October 1, 2022. Since returning from his five-year detention, Pereira has reconnected with his family and written his memoir. He stands up for Americans unlawfully detained overseas and strives to modify US laws concerning these crimes. In collaboration with Bring Our Families Home (BOFH) Read more>>

Edward Maricus Baptiste Daniels | Owner

The thought process was starting back up family wealth. My brother had the trailer with similar ideals, so we merged them together and started a snow cone business. Read more>>