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. 

Nicole Joseph

My decision to start my DUI school came from both my professional experience and my desire to serve my community in a more impactful way. As a mental health professional, I’ve worked with individuals who were navigating difficult life circumstances, including legal issues related to driving offenses. I began to notice a gap—not just in access to required programs, but in the quality and approach of those services. Read more>>

T Dyer

My decision to start Mentally Flourishing came from both personal and professional experiences. As a neurodivergent therapist, I recognized that traditional work environments were not always designed to support how I think, create, and sustainably show up for clients. Read more>>

Canessa Parker

Prior to giving birth to my business, I became aware of the problem Bridge To Ascend solves. There have been several teachers, parents, and administrators who have asked me for consults as I served my personal caseload of learners. It dawned on me one day while serving a behavior therapy client, that I am the answer. Read more>>

Jazmine Washington

To be honest, I wasn’t looking to start my own business lol. Prior to starting my business, my career path was in the accounting field and I was focused on moving up within that field to become a Forensic Accountant. However, God had other plans ! Read more>>

Cynthia Jones

Starting my business came from realizing that fitness was changing more than just my body—it was changing my mindset, confidence, and overall quality of life. Over time, I noticed that a lot of women, especially women balancing motherhood, careers, and everyday responsibilities, needed more than workouts. They needed support, community, and a space to reconnect with themselves. That’s how RARE was created. Read more>>

Christa Perry

I had been thinking about starting my own business for about two years, but last summer really became the turning point for me. I lost my biological brother to a mental health struggle, and just four days later, my husband suffered a trimalleolar fracture on the way to one of our son’s baseball tournaments. Read more>>

Nicolas Rincon

It was time. After years of being in love with the art. It was time to turn hobby into career. I love this way too much to not be doing this full time. The combination of traveling documenting life and sharing experiences leads me to want to do the same for others. Read more>>

Linia White

Honestly it was never really one moment where I said I am going to start a business. It was more like everything I had been doing my whole career was pointing me in this direction and eventually I just followed it. I have spent over 20 years in the creative industry as an Art Director, Graphic Designer, and Print Production Manager. Read more>>

Tina Duffey

I had this pasture just getting cut back each week and it just looked empty, except for the group of 5-6 deer that would lay out in the back field. I saw a picture in a magazine of the field full of purple blooms and dreamed how beautiful it would look in my field. Read more>>

Shannon Renn

After years of working in the insurance industry, I want to build something around animals instead of sitting behind a desk. Much of my life I have had my own pets (mostly dogs) and further volunteered with rescues. I was the customer back then, having to choose a way to care for my own when we left town. Read more>>

Salvonjia Smith

My thought process behind starting my own business was that I wanted to be the beginning foundation for my daughter’s education. I wanted to be apart of her early learning. Also I wanted more control over my income, schedule and decisions. I wanted to pursue a long term commitment of wealth for my family. Read more>>

Lyn Moss

I watched the women in my family take pride in their appearance. This was something my great grandmother instilled in each of her daughters. Those women passed it down to the women in my family. So for me, the notion to make women feel and look beautiful was a seed planted by the legacy I honor. Read more>>

Brownin Pettiford

My thought process didn’t start in a boardroom; it started in a state of quiet exhaustion. For over two decades, I lived two lives. By day, I was an IT Specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau—dealing with structures, spreadsheets, and federal systems. It was stable on paper, but in reality, I was managing complex technological networks while my own nervous system was quietly falling apart. Read more>>

Ariona Turner

Starting my own business came from a passion for storytelling, creativity, and wanting to create something meaningful for children and families. I’ve always loved books, imagination, and building experiences that inspire learning and connection. Creating The Spaceship Match series allowed me to combine creativity, education, and fun into something I truly believe in. Read more>>

John Hiers

We have always had a servant spirit and wanted to find a business that we felt could benefit the community. But, it also needed to have substantially. With Pine Mountain being a tourism community we looked at have a Froyo Shop or a cycling shop. Then in the middle of making our final decision Covid hit. Read more>>

Felipe Machado

To create a process of giving a voice to up and coming people who have come into various fields as well as giving flowers to the veterans of those fields who paved a way for those that came behind them . Read more>>

Patricia Rosario

I originally got into business through club promotions and hosting. At the time, I was always going out, networking, and being in social environments, and I started noticing that some people were actually making money just from creating experiences, bringing people together, and having influence. That made me curious about the business side of entertainment and visibility. Read more>>

Paige Cassara

First and foremost: I love animals. That was the driving thought behind it. When I started pet sitting professionally I had worked at a veterinary clinic previously and missed working with animals. It was the perfect way to earn extra money while I finished college. I pet sat for about 4 years before I started working at another clinic. When I re-entered the field of veterinary medicine it became about much more than just loving animals and making extra money.  Read more>>