Are you thinking about starting a business? If so, we think you’ll enjoy reading about how these seasoned entrepreneurs thought about the question when they were in your shoes.

Christina Davis | Founder/CEO C.U.T.E. Ink LLC

Becoming an entrepreneur was not on my “life” radar. I am a flight attendant and I absolutely love what I do. However February 16, 2018, I was awakened at 3 am with the acronym C U T E and what each letter meant. It wasn’t until September 14, 2020, during the Coronavirus pandemic, that C.U.T.E. Ink was formed and in March 2021, we opened for business. I started this business not knowing exactly who my target audience was because the acronym stands for Committed Until The End. At the time, I thought it was for married couples, however, God began to run down a list of people and things one can be committed to. Read more>>

Live Hart | Artist / Musician

A career in the music industry was always something I pursued on the side. However, the idea to turn my part-time passion into a full-time career came after I was laid off in 2014. At the time, I was working for CBS Radio in the Sales & Marketing Department for their Urban Hip-Hop Station in Orlando Florida. The station was downsizing and my position was being phased out. So now what…? For a split second I thought about sending my resume over to one of the other competing stations but, that idea never felt good to me. Read more>>

Sherry Jones | Certified Christian Life Coach, Author, Speaker & Podcast Host

Starting my business was an unexpected journey. I started out sharing inspirational videos on Facebook in 2016. I went to my son’s track meet and I saw a young girl finishing the race alone. I was inspired by her tenacity and wanted to share her story with my Facebook friends. It was too much to type in a post so I recorded a video. The video was well received and I started sharing videos every week. After receiving a few odd Facebook friend requests, I realized I needed to create a separate space for my content. I friend suggested I call my new page, Sherry Speaks. But I asked myself, what am I speaking about? I was speaking life. From there, Sherry Speaks Life was born! Read more>>

Nick Fernandez | Founder

A digital-first world can be daunting for start-ups and small business owners. Too often, smaller companies don’t have the knowledge to generate and maintain an online presence or lack the resources to afford in-house marketing or a full-service marketing agency. I saw these struggles first-hand during the first COVID summer of 2020. So, I brainstormed and constructed a remote-business model specializing in graphics, website development, and social media management. After interviewing business owners and doing market research, I built pricing plans per each service. Read more>>

Katie Hevesi | Licensed Therapist

Since my younger years, I have known I wanted to be in the helping profession. Being an empathetic helper has always been a defining characteristic of mine. When I chose the route of mental health therapist, I quickly set my sites on having my own practice. I dreamed of a place where people would feel comfortable and safe, and refuge through the highs and lows of life. From my time in graduate school and through my first jobs in the field, I always had my eye on my end goal. Read more>>

Caroline Arnal | Founder of The Promethean Classroom / Creative Teacher / Author / Photographer

As a teacher, I noticed that in the classroom there was a vast focus on curriculum content delivery which favoured academic achievement. The problem with this system is that it can view students as a collective body that all learn in the same way and therefore can discriminate against children that think and process information differently. This is further complicated, when long-established attitudes in traditional teaching promote structured lessons that prefer focused and analytical thought to arrive at one correct answer as opposed to a divergent thinking approach where we encourage all children’s growth of ideas without judgment. Read more>>

CliffBeatz | Music Producer/Beatmaker

My thought process behind starting my own business was, I’m tired of working for people and punching a time clock. Working for companies that don’t appreciate your hard work and time invested is stressful. I’m like, if I can keep building other brands by working for them, I definitely can put the work in for my own brand and work for myself. Read more>>

LuAnn Marlow | Pediatric Nurse Practitioner & Lactation Consultant

It was really a leap of faith. My dad said to me recently that what I do is not a job, it is a calling. I completely agree with him. So, I have just followed that calling where it has taken me. I have been privileged as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner to be able to serve families in so many areas over my career. But, in the last several years, I have developed a heart for supporting and encouraging young families. Families often don’t have the support network around them that they used to have years ago and new moms often feel lonely and unsure of their motherhood skills, especially when it comes to breastfeeding. Read more>>

Tisha Moses | Product Photographer

Honestly, it just kinda fell into my lap. I have always loved photography and art. I started staging pictures, blog style, six years ago not knowing that I could turn this into a business. I started doing research and looking into this industry and got an EIN number. Finally this year I got my LLC. The goal is to have enough clients so that I can get an office space/warehouse and work with amazing brands. Read more>>

Dr. Racine Johnson, DPT, OTR/L | Occupational and Physical Therapist

It was an idea for a long time, but I found myself feeling worn out mentally, physically and emotionally, but making more money than I had ever made in my career. Although the money was there, I lost some of the balance in my life and felt a little professionally bored and overworked. I was also driving an hour in each direction to and from my place of employment. Read more>>

Meriah Cummings Steele | Travels Advisor/ Mompreneur

It seemed from my children I’m very heavy on them breaking generational curses and building there own legacies so when the pandemic hit my oldest daughter ideas were what I made into reality beginning with there lashes, to sea moss, to clothing merch, and now branching to hair products Read more>>

Gabriel Acoff | Owner & CEO

Acoff Building Services was born during the rise of the pandemic. I found myself working for other commercial cleaning companies that did not seem to care for their employees. Many people experienced loss during this time, whether physical or mental, and these companies failed to accommodate their needs. I desired to create a company that cared as much for their employees as they did their customers. The pandemic also created an increased need for cleaning services. I wanted to ensure both small business and large companies could afford the necessary cleaning services to aid in keeping their doors open. Read more>>

William Wynne | CEO and Classic Style Curator

I knew I didn’t want to work for someone else for the rest of my life. I actually got my last job to be able to study the fashion retail industry up close and personal. After being fired from that job (for something I didn’t do) it was the perfect opportunity to really start my own company. I looked at the entire thing as a blessing and in 30 days I’ll be opening Raleigh NC’s ONLY Private Designer Apparel Showroom. Read more>>

Sahara Bryant | Professional Resume Writer

I started my own business because I wanted to explore a new challenge. I have expertise that has supported professionals for years and I needed to leverage that knowledge to create a living. I also wanted to create a schedule that would allow me to be present for my family. Prior to starting my business, I was a classroom teacher for 10 years. As I completed the 21-22 school year, I realized that education was headed in a direction that I no longer wanted to go in. I’ve always enjoyed a challenge and starting a new business felt right. Read more>>

Mariah Krupp | Lead Photographer/ Owner- August Willow Photography, LLC

I have always been driven to start my own business due to my independence and strong desire to be successful for my family. I spent my early adult life working for others and committing my early career to the education system. I found myself worn out so quickly and not able to find fulfillment in that career field and I knew something had to change. I started to look for my passion in life and try to discover what brought me joy. I was tired of chasing a career that didn’t feed my soul and allow me to fulfill my passions in life. Read more>>

Sean Maingot | Gym owner

In the beginning stages it was important to us to do something our family and friends could be apart of. This is one of the reasons community always plays a huge role in everything we plan for. Read more>>

DeShae Weatherlly | Nail Technician & Nail supplier

The thought process behind starting my own business was the idea of leaving my kids with something to take over and not having to work for anyone and being unhappy, they will be able to see that you can do what you want/love and be successful, rather they take over my business or start their own, they will know it is possible because mommy did it. Read more>>

Bernadette Brown | Journalist, Teacher, Chandler

I always thought I would be a worker, not a business owner. I enjoyed my work and the company I worked for. Heck, I still do. It was my love of candles and my desire to not get sick when burning store-bought candles that really got the business started. It wasn’t until I thought of creating a product that I could enjoy without getting sick that the business was born. That was my only goal in the beginning, then after trial and lots of error, I realized, hey, this is a whole business. Let me figure out a way to let people purchase these candles from me. Read more>>

Karen Walker | CEO and Florist

When I initially started my business my thought process was to just do what I love to do because I was good at it and people would asked me to make what they saw in my home. Eventually that changed. I realized I could do what I love to do and get paid as well. Read more>>

C. Montez Jones | Senior Pastor & Influencer

I was always told, “The church is like a hospital.” A hospital is where you are taken when trauma has taken place and there is hope for recovery. What I observed however, was people coming into churches week after week leaving in the same shape or worse than how they came. I did some massive self reflection and spent time with my observations. If the church was this metaphoric hospital and the people I saw coming consistently weren’t getting any better, then the church was more appropriately a hospice. Read more>>

Ashley E. Cullen | Model Life Empowerment Coach for Womxn Who Want It All

Well I’ve always known in my chest that I’m meant for something big. Growing up in a small town I couldn’t escape the feeling of wanting to be somewhere bigger. As I went through life, I always assumed the “big plan” I’d been feeling was great success in a well-established company. I’d never stopped searching for my purpose though, for some reason there felt like a palpable void there, even though I really enjoyed the work I did as a product marketer for a multi-billion dollar global industry leader. I’d been listing things I’m passionate about (environments, causes, functions, roles, etc) and one day it just clicked in my head and I knew what my heart beats for. Once the realization hit me, nothing else seemed fulfilling. I just knew. Read more>>

C.L. Miller | President of CLM MEDIA GROUP

Becoming my own boss and not depending on another person to fund my dreams & empathize with my future goals was a decision I made years ago as a teenager but didn’t put it into affect until maybe about 5-6 years ago when I officially stopped working for different companies and started my own Read more>>

Matiyah Brown | independent rap artist & clothing line owner

My thought process behind starting my own business. Was first the thought of is this something I really want to put my time on effort into as well as money. Once I looked at all the pros and cons, my next thought was how do I attract people to my business, how do I promote where do I promote etc. I started looking up information to educate myself on business as a whole. After thinking researching and writing things out, it’s like all the things I was nervous or anxious about started falling into place. My thought today and everyday now is how do. I keep it going how do I make my business a unique thing. How do I make a difference. Read more>>

Doctor Jacquelyn Wilson | Doctor, CEO, Founder and Excutive Director, Award Winning Executive Film Producer, Chaplain, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist

My initial thought process behind starting my own business was creating a legacy for my children. I wanted my children to not only see what hard work and dedication created but to also leave a legacy for them. I also wanted to make my mother and father proud of me. And lastly, I no longer wanted to work for someone else; having them call the shots concerning my life and valuable time. Time is a gift and I could not waste it any longer on unhappiness and having others dictate what I did with my gifts. Read more>>

David Hailey | CEO, Founder Countifi

Why I started Countifi is a question I get all the time! It amazes me because isn’t everyone interested in inventory and asset management, lol? I digress, I spent a number of years working in Big 4 accounting and consulting prior to changing industries and joining a major airline. Once there, I was surprised at the amount of time we spent discussing customer satisfaction and savings but we didn’t have a complete handle on some of the smallest items that were costing us a fortune in the long run. So often it’s the small things that companies don’t count that end up costing the most. I recognized that managing onboard inventory was a tremendous challenge for the entire airline industry. Read more>>

Dr. Melanie Battles | CEO & Lead Consultant

I wanted to create a space for educators where they could receive a different approach to professional development. So many of the trainings are focused on teaching and learning as a technical entity that ignores the monumental impact of our soul’s condition and conditioning on the space of education. A vision was birthed to bridge my knowledge and experience of integrating cognitive neuroscience with an understanding of our brain’s emotions on the cyclical nature of learning. Read more>>

Connee Williams | Graphic Designer & Brand Identity Specialist

To be honest, when I started this business, I had already been doing graphics for people for a while. I restarted doing graphics back in 2019 but I orginally started when I was 12 in ’05! I started off doing myspace layouts for everybody, you know coding, the whole 9 yards. Then in 2015, I was doing banners and Twitter backgrounds. 2019- I was doing flyers & busineas cards mainly. But I felt like none of what I did meant anything. Read more>>

Anika Leung | Founder & Artist of Casa Muze

I’ve always loved painting. In fact, I was doing personal commissions for about 6 years during my studies prior to launching Casa Muze. Once I graduated, it presented as the perfect time to take a risk outside of my field (Biomed.) and start my own business. I figured with my passion and experience in the art world, it only made sense to start and art brand. Read more>>

JAMIKO STRICKLAND | Chief Executive Officer

My business started years prior before I formulated it as a business. Being raised by my grandparents after the untimely death of my mother, I struggled with acne from an early age. My grandmother used home remedies for my hair as well as my skin. Oils such as tea tree oil, castor oil, and olive oil have been natural substances used while growing up. On mother’s day in 2020 to honor my mother (Mary) and grandmother (Ida) I created the brand MaryIda Skincare. Read more>>

Aaisha (Coach O) VanBuren-Owens | Personal Trainer & Life Coach

When it came to starting in my business I thought about what I will leave behind for my kids and the legacy that will continue on through them.. Also I thought about what does Aaisha enjoy and love doing and being that I love working out always been at sports and love people why not go into the fitness business, why not go into the lifecoaching business. Read more>>

Brooke Williams | Brand, Marketing, & Website Designer

Like every story, there are burdens that have to be lifted in order to move on to the next page. When starting my business, I was very overwhelmed with trying to figure out what was next after losing my job back in 2020. A past teammate once said, “depression can make you or break you. It can push you to do the unexpected, even push you to make a difference in your life”. This statement has stuck with me. I along with many others, deal with depression and must find a way through hard times to reach your goals. Read more>>

Love Small | Boutique owner , Spiritual Healer and Advisor

My thought process behind starting my own businesses was to create generational wealth not just for myself and husband but for our children. Teaching them that strength comes from being independent. Why build other companies up in growth when we can build growth within our own businesses. I worked for institution for 5 years and when I left I only had a few thousand dollar saved for family. Generational wealth isnt just about money it’s about knowledge. A business more commitment and dedication, consistency, and sacrifice. It’s Knowledge of knowing how to build careers for ourselves and help our communities build more jobs for others. Read more>>

Gail Tyson | Interior Designer

Well, like most of us tenacious entrepreneurs, I wanted to create something of my own. My passion for interiors and decorating stems from childhood. At an early age, I began to express my creativity through my gift for drawing and sketching. Over time, my passion for design + art led me to the studies Fashion Design and Merchandising at Georgia Southern University. During my studies there, I learned the importance of quality textiles and fabrics; and how much of an influence it plays in our every day lives. Unbeknownst to me, this would be the propeller of my exploration into the world of Interior Design. Read more>>

David Southers | Stretch Studio Owner

In my life, aging has presented many bodily challenges in conjunction with the daily stress that compromised my body making it difficult to maintain a happy and healthy life. Over the decades, surgeries and arthritis have robbed me of the full range and motion my joints once enjoyed. Five years ago, during a bout with sciatica and using a cane, my wife, who believes if you try new things you can get new results, suggested trying a session at Kika Stretch Studios in Montclair, New Jersey. I smirked as I began my session thinking I already know how to stretch, but when I finished the session I realized boy was I wrong. Read more>>

ione lowe | Home Health Care

When I started in the home healthcare field it was just a job for me but as the years went by I began to love it and because I did it so well I know it’s my purpose I know this is what God made me for. I love helping my elderly so I started an agency so I can help everyone. Read more>>

Marketta Goodson | Licensed Massage Therapist, Licensed Cosmetologist, & Certified Phlebotomist

I’ve honestly wanted to own a business since I was 9 years old. My uncle was dating a nail tech from New York new to town, that was my first memory of a black woman owning a business. I had never seen anything like it before. She had so many women in and out of her small apartment in the middle of Trenton, coming to get hand drawn nail art. The money I just remember a lot of cash lol. Fast forward after spending every summer working for her until I was 14 I enrolled in vocational school, while attending high school. Read more>>