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.

Shantanu Agrawal | Hair and makeup artist

I have always dreamt to be entrepreneur…
Being new to the country and professional hair and makeup artist always dream to start my own business n help the ppl to work with me n help the community. Read more>>

Marilyn Simmons Bowe | Achievement Coach, Mental Health Researcher, Emotions Assessor, Chakra Coach, Runner

My thought process for starting my own business was simple: I wanted to help others to live their best lives. As such, after completing a self design quantitative PhD, where I looked at the effects of emotions on achievement, I parlayed my PhD into my business plan. Read more>>

Olivia Powell | CEO of Legacy Media & Media Communications Specialist

Throughout the years, I have spent a lot of time in the media industry. I have seen it evolve through different stages and it is continuing to evolve day by day. One thing that is extremely important is when you are growing in the industry is community. I am a firm believer that community is key. You cannot be in this field alone and that is something that I experienced initally starting out. That is what inspired me to create Legacy Media. Read more>>

Demario Scott | Entrepreneur

The process behind starting my business Royalty Kings and Queens Corp Brand was building an empire company to focus on fashion and entertainment industry. Read more>>

Farrah ; Shae Bowman; Mcleish | Descriptors for Farrah: Doula & Lymphatic specialist ; Descriptors for Shae: Stretch therapist

As chiropractic students from different backgrounds, we came together with a shared vision to serve others through their healing journeys, while continuing our own. The thought process behind starting our wellness business was rooted in the idea of showing up and being hands-on within the community—an extension of the practice we plan to open together. We knew that creating a business would allow us to help people in real time and establish a deeper connection with those seeking relief from discomfort. Read more>>

Herotwin | Producers , recording artists , photographers

For Our Team, creating a new business usually stems from meeting a specific need . For example, early stages of our career we were in need of many things like photographers on hand, which lead to creating Schpectre Media along side of our Production company The Bassmint Society that way we can have our own hands on projects or hire freelancers to help give us more freedom to focus on other tasks . Also, to cut down on cost of constantly needing to work with others for those needs. That also lead to us creating designs for our webite later as well as designs now for our merch store merch store. Read more>>

Raymond Oluigbo | Program Manager

When starting my company, I was in the midst of frustration and inspiration. I was experiencing a work culture that I was not necessarily meshing with, yet saw the opportunity and potential in the business itself. Instead of expecting things to adhere to my preferences, I decided to use my discomfort as motivation to start my own business. Read more>>

Tiffany, Stephanie Davis, Pendlington | Salon Owners and Executive Cosmetologists

We wanted to create a space that welcomes all walks of life with an elevated experience in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. There’s nothing worse than walking into a salon to feel better about how you look only to be judged by the staff who think you came underdressed, or don’t belong with them. Everyone deserves care and acceptance exactly where they are in life. Additionally, we wanted to create the same vibe for our staff. While we are a business, our staff’s well-being and work-life balance is a big deal to us. We deserve to be paid a fair wage and have a life outside of work. Read more>>

Brittani Williams | Photographer

Ways I can make people smile and creating memories. Read more>>

Turtle | Owner/ Tattoo artist at Turtles Tattoo and Company

What did I want to do different, business practice is simple its broken down and there for you to learn, My process was more what would make my fellow artists comfortable, and my clients want to stay at my shop. My employees come before me fuck that old school mentality of separating work and friends my shop is a family I’m lucky to be working with the people I work with, we spend more time with each other then away. Yes at the end of the day I run a business but what i love most is taking care of people providing a space for art and expression and spreading love kindness and a lot of laughter. Read more>>

Rick Mcguire | Founder of SubwayCreatures

Complete accident. Even though I always had aspirations to run my own business, I was running SubwayCreatures as a hobby while I worked as a TV producer. It eventually got to the point where I couldn’t dedicate enough time to both and when my freelance TV gig expired in 2018, I decided to dive head first into turning my hobby into a full time job. Read more>>

Vic Nkhoma, Cpa | Tax Strategist | Outsourced CFO | Business Strategist | Tech Leader

My biggest motivator was the necessity & need for freedom. I wanted to be free to pick my own schedule and use most of my 24hrs to be with family and friends. Long-term business ownership provides means to achieve this. Not only does it provide the financial means, but it provides you with the flexibility to do so if you put in the necessary sweat equity. Read more>> 

Bhavna Misra | Professional Artist

When I thought about my creative vision while starting my own business, it felt like the heart of my journey. It began with reflecting on my artistic identity—what truly made my work unique. I often asked myself what themes and techniques defined my style. Understanding this helped me carve out a space in the art world that felt authentic to me. Read more>>

Greg Hendry | Business Owner

I’ve always had the desire to build something of my own. After spending most of my adult life in sales and management roles for various corporations, I realized I wasn’t truly passionate about what I was doing. Even with strong sales performance and meaningful client relationships, I knew my financial security and future were ultimately out of my control. The first time I was laid off was on the first day of a beautiful beach vacation with my wife—laid off by a brand new manager who had just joined the company and chose to layoff many team members. Read more>>

Dalanee Wesley | Makeup Artist

Starting Da’ Artistry was driven by my desire to share the joy makeup brings to others. I’ve always loved how a well-executed makeup look can boost confidence and brighten someone’s day. The ability to create those moments and watch my clients leave with a smile is what pushed me to build my own business. Read more>>

Andrew Adams | Physical therpay & V Chiropractic service

Thought process was transitioning to something i was passionate about. Recoery and rehab are things that have been apart of my career. Football id 100% injury rate, so why not give the public the same elite recovery I am accustomed to. Read more>>

Johnny Persón | Owner/Founder | Aug11 Co

I have been a business owner for the last 8 years, so there was really no question of if I should start another business or not. I had taken a year off after my last business in the blockchain technology space and was somewhat lost in terms of what to do next. The markets took a heavy hit and a lot of what I was working on was deemed unnecesary by the market. During the down time I had met a lot of new friends in the area, and one gentleman I met owned an apparel company local to Atlanta. Read more>>  

Retro Hendrix | Barber , content creator

My thought process was just betting the house on myself. I don’t like living with regrets so I decided to take a leap of faith and start my own business. Read more>>

Christine Mccormick-harris | Creator, Christine’s Blessing, LLC

It was November 2019, and I’d just found out that my sister was pregnant with the first baby of the family. I knew then that my life and my schedule needed to change. My sister was currently living in Northern California and my current work situation was Monday through Saturday. On the drive back from my aunt’s house that Thanksgiving, I turned ot my wife and said, “I think I’m going to resign.” Read more>>

Mikquez Berry | Agency Owner | Insurance Agent | Business Law major proud Grad of University of Cincinnati

My thought process behind starting my own business was rooted in both inspiration and realization. After spending several years in the insurance industry and holding various positions, including claims adjusting at State Farm and sales at Allstate, I found myself constantly observing how the business side operated. Seeing professionals in leadership roles—particularly African Americans—walking through corporate environments in places like Dunwoody fueled my ambition. Read more>>

Grace Keller | Georgia Family Portrait Photographer

To be honest I NEVER thought that I would start my own business! I always had the desire to take beautiful portraits for families and learn how to take professional photos, but I always assumed it would be a hobby I did on the side. It wasn’t until I voiced the desire to “put out into the world” that I was available to take photos for families that he recommended I go all in! My mindset is very much “all or nothing” so with his constant encouragement and my “give it all I’ve got” personality I decided to create an LLC., invest in professional equipment and hit the ground running! Read more>>

Bryant Defon | Recording Artist, Choreographer, Dance Fitness & Cycle Instructor

Music and Art has always been a part of who I am and being that my parents were Artist, I grew up around music, other artist, recording studios and seeing them perform. I have always been a dancer and been in choir growing up. After my parents passed away, I decided to start making my own music by writing my own songs, going to Recording Studios and doing live performances. In addition to being an Artist and Performer, I still choreograph for other local artist as I love doing behind the scenes work and helping other artist bring their visions to life. Read more>>

Fashon Ramsey | Coach Ramsey

It wasn’t a thought I started off mentoring a child . I met at a summer camp in my hometown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania after the summer camp ended I seen the mother in Walmart she told her son was still doing the meditation i taught him. She said he was having problems in school and ask me to visit his school to mentor him. Read more>>

Ladieslovewave | Artist, Clothing Brand Owner, Photographer, and Content Creator

My thought process behind starting my clothing brand began with a simple idea: instead of always spending money on clothes, why not invest in making my own and earning a profit? As I moved forward with this idea, I started thinking about the message I wanted my brand to convey, which had to be a reflection of both my personal style and values. I realized I wanted my brand to embody confidence and the pursuit of greatness, which led me to the perfect name: Phenomenon. Read more>>

Ayanna Williams | Entrepreneur, Actor, Screenwriter

I started SoBoujiee Boutique during the pandemic due to not being able to work and watching a lot of YouTube videos. I started when I was 17 years old selling hair and lashes. I’ve been interested in beauty since I was a little girl so I felt like it was only right for me to sell products that made women feel beautiful but I quickly realized that the hair business wasn’t necessarily for me. I switched gears a little bit and started selling sunglasses, waist beads, belly rings, purses, really anything that you could use as an accessory I was selling. Read more>>

Mia Sims | Managing Partner of Sims Family Flower Farm LLC

Sims Family Flower Farm was born out of passion and purpose. After feeling like I had been trudging through a ten-year career in Hospitality Sales and Marketing, I realized I didn’t belong in Corporate America. I initially wanted to attribute this to various general statistics related to my demographics, but I knew deep down that the issue was more intrinsic. I wrestled with the elements of my career that I enjoyed and weighed them against my hobbies that had grown into passions, as I embraced my inner self as a creative, new mother. With a desire for work and a love of cultivation, I was able to create both a new niche and a family business. Read more>>

Katie Mcintosh | Solo Female Travel Blogger

To be honest, I don’t know if I really knew what I was doing when I first started my blog but I knew that I wanted to help people. At first I wanted to help make local adventures easy for people where I lived and spotlight local businesses. So I created a blog and I went on the adventures myself, took a bunch of photos, made a list of tips and turned all of that into detailed guides so that it would be easy for others. They wouldn’t have the anxiety of not knowing what to expect, they wouldn’t have to research – they could simply read my blog and go on the adventures with their families or loved ones. Over time the content changed from local outings to larger scale adventures but the core mission has always been to help make adventuring easy for others. Read more>>

Charles Taylor | DJ, Music Producer, Music Publisher, Podcaster, Author

I created a music publishing company, DJ Chase Publishing LLC. I have two DBAs – Worldwide Soundz Records and DJ Chase Radio. When I started building my music publishing company, I first wrote out my basic business plan, and wanted to understand my expenses and profit. Once I saw my overhead wasn’t that expensive becuase I already had my own recording studio, it made it easier. I also taught myself what are every function of a music publishing company and how it runs. I learned the passive income business verses being in the service business as a mobile DJ. Read more>>