We reached out to some of our favorite entrepreneurs and asked them to think back and tell us about how they decided to start a business. Check out their responses below.

Sheri Johnson | Founder and CEO, Strong Voices Television (SVTV Network)

The idea for SVTV Network began with the overwhelmingly positive response to “StudvilleTV,” the YouTube series I created about my love life and those of my friends. As black lesbians, we did not see ourselves on television. We decided that it was time that we did—and it turned out many others thought so too. Read more>>

Heather Krey | Life Doula & Energetic Embodiment Coach

Have you ever had one of those days where you come home completely dragging from the work day that you just completed? This was me, on the regular. I am a Registered Nurse of almost 19years and found that my emotional burnout and compassion fatigue was at an all time high. Read more>>

Brianni Walker | Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant and Agency Owner

I like to say my thought process was two-fold when starting my business. Part of me had a desire to provide genuine assistance to entrepreneurs. I’ve seen firsthand how business owners struggle in their business because they don’t have the support they need. Read more>>

Justin Scott-Wesley | Accountant & Financial Advisor

Before starting a business I would encourage everyone to figure out WHY they are starting said business. We all know the fundamental of goal business is to turn a profit, but most successful business generate revenue by solving a problem or providing a services that makes the world a better place. Read more>>

Santania Andrews | Master cosmetologist

The thought process behind me starting my business…. The challenges of becoming a single parent eventually fed my ambition of wanting more!! I remember having to drop my baby off at daycare, rush home to do a head, and then clock back into my regular job. I was making the next man rich as I barely made ends meet. Read more>>

Janece Streeter | Metro Atanta REALTOR®

I was honestly tired of living the status quo. We are taught to go to school, graduate, get a “good job”, and then work for the next 40-50 years of our lives just to make someone else rich. I figured, why not put myself in the position to do something that I enjoy and reap the benefits myself and my family. Read more>>

Kaori Noguchi | NASM-Certified Personal Trainer

The birth of my business – Daily Flex – from the initial idea to making it into a reality was a slow-brew process. I worked in events and catering industry as a planner for well over 15 years and, while there were aspects of that career that I truly enjoyed and loved, I was burned out of working long hours, late nights, and frequently working on holidays and weekends. Read more>>

Wendy Rodriguez, MSL | Photographer

I had been doing photography as a hobby as early as elementary school. In high school, I would take portraits that I would take and paint them into abstract art. It was my creative outlet and brought me a lot of joy. However, I took it very seriously when I was planning my sister’s quinceañera in 2019 and decided to do her very own photo session. Read more>>

Kwona Walker | Professional Makeup Artist and skin care consultant/ Beauty instructor

My thought process behind starting my own business was simple. I had a vision and set a goal for myself. I was never thinking of working for anyone other than me and for my family. Seeing other young entrepreneurs encourage me to never give up. So with all of my creativity I began to work for myself Read more>>

Darrius They/Them | CEO/ Founder of Oshun Brew Coffee LLC

I wish I had this magical story about how I started my business, but I don’t. During the Covid-19 2020 shutdown, I started mixing sea moss into my coffee. This was before I knew much about the science of coffee, all I knew was I needed it every day so why not mix in sea moss to sustain my health while the outside was dirty? Read more>>

Mondrekio Drake” Robertson | Personal Chef / Contract Chef “

The thought process behind starting my business was really just having the freedom to do what I wanted. In my mind it was going to be super easy and I just do what I want all day and that would be it. Little did I know all the work that comes with owning your own business and being your own boss. Read more>>

Richard James | Founder and CEO of GOxT Clothing Co.

I’ve worked in the corporate IT leadership for many years. I’ve always been interested in black-owned clothing lines, some on a global level and others on a local level in GA. I even have a group of close friends that have their own clothing lines here in Atlanta. Personally, I wanted to give more options and opportunities for people to wear a brand that was also black-owned. Read more>>

Leon Donadelle | Digital Content Creator

when i started my company i was still in college finishing up my BA; i had no Job at the time and just needed to make some extra money recording artists demos/mixtapes. Fast forward two years i graduated and still had not landed a steady job i just bought my first camera and my love for photography grew from there. i also saw my first STABLE stream of independent Income doing that. From there i started taking it Serious and formed my Llc. Read more>>

Elna Kolarich | Owner and Creator of Sarap Atlanta and Baolicious ATL

In 2011 a new below-the-radar event came to Atlanta called Atlanta Underground Market. It was an underground “market,” where home cooks and some who worked in professional kitchens, set up stands and sell small plates of their specialties for a minimum price. After attending a couple of these markets I noticed there was a lack of representation of Southeast Asian cuisine. Read more>>

Fernando Wicker | Owner of WickClothing

I was terrified when I first started . Starting a clothing brand was something I always wanted to do . I always wanted to wear my brand out in public and people ask , “ where you get that merchandise from”? That’s the best feeling in the word . I brought courses on how to start a clothing brand and in all honestly the courses didn’t really break it down well enough . Read more>>

Erin Watkins | Real Estate Professional

I’ve always been the type of person who goes by the “beat of their own drum.” I’m also an only child so I believe that’s had a play in me needing to depend on myself and being able to do things on my own. I played competitive tennis from the time I was little all the way through college and my dad was the main one who could take me to the tennis practice. Read more>>

Keiara Taylor | Owner, Leader, & Go Getter

My thought process behind starting my own business was to create a brand with a trustworthy reputation with the intent to sell high quality products and provide excellent customer service. It was extremely important for me to help eliminate the several bad shopping experiences I’ve had with numerous hair companies within the United States and overseas from continuing to happen. Read more>>

Desiree Cocroft | Life and Leadership Coach, Strategist, & Speaker

I have always had a desire to see the lives of others grow and reach their fullest potential. My very first job was being a teen mentor where I was given the interesting task of teaching elementary and middle school students about crucial life topics like healthy relationships, decision making, and self-esteem. Read more>>

Jalonna Kearney-Rodgers | Wedding Crafter & DIY Bride On A Budget

A few weeks before Covid began, my (now) husband proposed during the Super Bowl. At the onset of my planning process: everyone was in quarantine, and my job laid me off. I needed to find an outlet to relieve my increasing anxiety about the future. Like most brides, I thought the only way to plan my wedding was to outsource and purchase everything. Read more>>

Armonti Mitchell | CEO of Highly Favored Extensions & Luxurious Wigs

My thought process behind starting my own business was I knew I always wanted to own my business I knew a 9-5 wasn’t meant for me. So I thought why not start a business in something you love most. Which is hair! Every where I go I get so many compliments on my quality and my hair styles that I do myself. So I thought why not invest into myself and also help provide great quality hair and other business tips into others in the world. Read more>>

Karen Patton | Yoga Studio Owner & ERYT-200 Yoga Instructor

Starting Peach Out Power Yoga was a decision I made for several reasons. After moving to Georgia and unexpectedly finding myself getting divorced, I was in a position to need to go back to work. This hadn’t really been part of my plan at the time as I had hoped to be a stay at home mom, focusing my time and energy on raising my girls. Read more>>

Tanishia Warren-Ashade | Tax Strategist

My drive to start my own business was twofold. 1) I have an opportunity to serve others by delivering value to my customers, with the freedom to pivot where necessary while keeping our customers at the forefront of those decisions. 2) Creating a sustainable business that provides for my family and helps my team achieve similar objectives for their families over time. Read more>>

Bobbie Fitzek | Custom woodworker & designer

I have been my own boss for over 15 years & my love of woodworking started when I was 14. It wasnt til I was in my 30’s that I realized I could turn my love of building & art into a business. So I started my custom building business in 2015 with existing clientele from my other career in beauty world & it grew over the following years into a full time job. Read more>>

Dominique Kidd | CEO & Head A&R of Crane cartel Management

My thought process on starting my own label / Management company was to help the youth give back a little to the Community & be legit. Read more>>

Gerald Howard | Private Chef

My thought process was wanting people to enjoy and experience the different quality & flavors of food, I presented through social media. Most of my followers seen the food I was posting, but could never get there hands on it due to where I was working at. So my partner and I decided to make it official and start up Howard Cuisine, so everyone could come out and enjoy the experience. Read more>>