Deciding to start a business is an unusual decision. It’s often considered irrational and yet for many it’s the best decision they’ve ever made. So we asked folks to think back to when they were starting their businesses and to tell us about their decision making process.

Raffael Arlief | Artist

Well! I’m a narcist! Hahaha, I’m very happy when I talk about myself. But caused by some things I had experienced, sometimes it makes me become a quiet type, but then it could make me become a narcist too. Read more>>

Kevin Marquez | Tax Professional & Insurance Agent

My thought process behind starting my own business was to be able to educate and empower my community in the areas of taxation, finance, general business knowledge, and the importance of life, health, and disability insurance. As a child, I watched many of the elders in my community being taken advantage of by insurance agents and financial professionals who did not prioritize the needs of my neighbors. I always believed that my personal relationships with my elders and neighbors would lead them to listen to me and allow me to properly educate them regarding their finances, as they all watched me grow up and played instrumental roles in my personal development. Knowledge is power and I always aimed to provide my people with the knowledge they needed to make informed financial decisions. Read more>>

Dominique Tate-Williams | Your Consulting Concierge

My professional career spans more than 20 years. In that time, I’ve worked in consulting, marketing, market research, education and non-profit sectors – both domestically and internationally. With that said, I’ve certainly expanded my skill set and I view other businesses through all of those lenses. Read more>>

Tamalyn Meller | Performer & Mental Health Therapy Graduate Student

My thought process is much like my life path. Circuitous. I have always been equal measure free spirit and planner. I thrived on the stage and in the rehearsal space but also loved the trappings of school, such as reading, history, papers, and problem-solving. So, when it came time for me to enter post-secondary school, A conservatory degree in performance made the most sense to me. After graduation, I needed to support myself in between performances, so I worked as a server while waiting tables. When my nephew was born, I committed to co-parenting with my brother, and I needed flexibility in scheduling and consistency of income, so I started a tutoring business and ventured into photography while returning to school for a psychology degree. After school, I continued performance and tutoring while working in a more standard 9 to 5 (or…let’s be honest, 7-9) job. It was during this time that I was preparing to make the adjustment back to entrepreneurship. Now that I had a business and arts foundation, I wanted to marry the two for the greatest impact on my community. What I found was the root of performance in any capacity, and good business communication and management was empathy for and psychology of people. I decided I would marry the two. I am currently actively involved in a number of performance opportunities, developing new characters by telling the stories lost to history while enrolled in a graduate program to become a therapist. Ultimately (in 3 years’ time), my plan is to create my own practice, combining performance art with psychotherapy to empower people to heal so they can share their stories. It’s not easy to find a the right fit for an oval peg in a world where square pegs fit in and prosper, so as an ambi-brainer, we have to create our own spaces where other shapes fit! Read more>>

Natasha Samuda | Creative Director

Starting my own business came from a tough spot; it was like starting from scratch after everything comfortable was taken away. I got over 160 rejection emails in just 6 months. I’ve never been the type to sit around and wait for things to happen, so I decided to make my own opportunity. The whole idea started almost as a dare to myself—to see if I could actually do it. And guess what? Within 2 months, I landed my first big client, a keynote speaker at the NBCC in Atlanta. Read more>>

Susan Dolan | CEO & Founder

Starting The Peoples Hub came from wanting to help people. I had been an advice worker helping people with housing, debts, criminality, and the like through a government contract. Attending job centres, prisons, probation, and drug alcohol referral organisations, I would meet people on a one to one basis and help them overcome particular barriers. Either by helping direct or being able to refer to the right place. As in the Bob Dylan song “I [would] know who to call.”. I wanted to create something similar online. I had lived in Seattle in 1999 and was amazed at the world wide web and it’s usage in the Emerald City. From then on, I studied the maths of search engines, especially Google. Meeting my business partner, Amy Varle back in 2015 I was able to combine my digital skills with my old job of giving advice. Amy wrote a strategy to end homelessness for the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and it was presented to Theresa May, the then Prime Minister of the UK in early 2018. The Peoples Hub evolved from homelessness into a wide range of issues to help local communities, using enterprising solutions. Read more>>

Evelyn Shaw Corley | Founder & CEO

The thought process behind starting Thrive International Academy, a 1:1 and small group homeschooling, tutoring, and mentoring program, was driven by the personal understanding of the challenges and gaps in traditional education systems. I recognize the need for personalized, individualized support and guidance for students who may not thrive in a traditional classroom setting. Our schools are overcrowded and under resourced with the ability to provide 1:1 attention when so many students need exactly this. I have experience teaching in an array of classroom settings, and I know the system is broken. I know children who are passed on to the next grade level without being ready. I know children who need enrichment and increasingly challenging activities, and they are not getting it in the traditional setting. Where else can you, as a student, be truly seen and supported? I wrote the plans for Thrive into the night for many evenings five years ago, and I have pivoted and readjusted those plans many, many times; however, the foundation is there. My thought process is helping learners- of all ages. My thought process is changing education altogether, and I believe Thrive can do that. Read more>>

Emzor Ezeabasilim | Entrepreneur

My thought process was deeply rooted in a passion for innovation and a desire to make a meaningful impact in the tech industry. As someone deeply involved in technology, I recognized the importance of creating a platform that not only provided high-quality training but also fostered a supportive community for aspiring tech professionals and employment. This vision led to the inception of Tethral Technologies. Read more>>

Melvina Washington | Author, Mentor, Consultant and Entrepreneur

My thought process is and always was changing the paradigm. With Infinity Health Information Management (HIM) by teaching medical coding and its tools needed BUT also by focusing on a specific type of coding to create subject matter experts for faster turnaround of employment for the students. My thoughts are to have contractors employed and assist them with gaining experience and advance knowledge of the coding world. This is why I offer training, education, resume assistance and interviewing techniques consulting and even employment to qualify persons to gain real-world experience remotely while earning an income! My other reason for starting the second business is to diversify and help people in other ways with Infinite Beauty Possibilities (IBP), which provides brand items in health, wellness, beauty, and feminine care products and most of all – COFFEE. Read more>>

Samya Houessou | Entrepreneur & Real Estate Agent

I have honestly been an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember. I started my first official business in seventh grade selling T-shirts and I’ve tried so many different ideas and industries since. When I decided to get into real estate, I felt as though the industry fit me perfectly. I’ve always been good at business no matter what I was selling and a couple years ago I took a strong interest into real estate and the process and benefits of investing into properties. After years of thinking and studying real estate, I have finally created a brand offers me the advantages of entrepreneurship, while pursing an industry I’m truly interested in. Read more>>

Jody-Ann Moulton-Scarlett | Owner and Pastry Chef

I was enrolled in Food Service Management programme at The University of Technology, Jamaica where my major was Culinary Arts. I really didn’t enjoy baking as it was very intimidating because of how precise you had to be in order to get a result – the baked product. At the end of my tenure, I was faced with the dilemma of not wanting to be a chef while not knowing what else I could do with my degree. The opportunity to travel to Scotland via a Work and Travel programme presented itself and I took the leap of faith. It was while being in charge of breads and desserts under the supervision of the then chef at the Castle I was working at that my passion for baking was birthed. Read more>>

Demoris Hickman | Author/Film Maker & Producer

The passion behind starting my business stems from a combination of personal life experiences and a deep-seated desire to make a positive impact in the lives of others. Through my own journey, I’ve faced numerous challenges and setbacks, each of which taught me valuable lessons about resilience, determination, and the power of hope. Having overcome these obstacles, I felt a strong calling to share my experiences with others who may be struggling and in need of a lifeline to hold onto. I believe that everyone deserves to feel hopeful and inspired, and I wanted to use my platform to provide that sense of hope and encouragement to those who may feel lost or discouraged. Additionally, I’ve always had a passion for production and theatre, seeing them as powerful mediums for storytelling and connecting with audiences on a deep, emotional level. I believe that film production and stage plays have the ability to convey important life lessons in a compelling and relatable way, making them incredibly effective tools for spreading messages of hope and resilience. By combining my passion for storytelling with my desire to inspire and uplift others, I knew that starting this business was the perfect way to make a meaningful difference in the world. Read more>>

Jovan PR Jackson | Personal Trainer and Group Cardio Instructor

I was honestly just tired of working for a company and feeling as if there was no room for growth or advancement Read more>>

Chaslyn BreAnna | Lash Instructor & Distributor

Six years ago, my former employer started to scale back on our commission checks and I couldn’t catch a break with my taxes. My income declined drastically. I was a few weeks pregnant so I knew I had to do something for myself and my future child. A couple of weeks later, my great grandmother was on her death bed and my job didn’t want to allow me bereavement time (a partial day to say my goodbyes while she slowly transitioned). All of these were driving forces to my own freedom aka entrepreneurship. I was talked out of entrepreneurship by my grandparents long enough. I was ready to take that leap of faith. Read more>>

Kayla Zhanellé | Digital Creator & Model

Literally just getting started. Believing in myself and forcing myself into a space I’ve never been in was scary. To go from modeling to YouTube was a whole 180. The people not only see you they hear you and build a connection with you based on how you let them in. That was the big eye opener for me. Read more>>

Jason Johnson | Clothing Brand Owner & Social Media Influencer

Ever since I was 12 I knew I was different, I just never say myself working for somebody else other then myself, Also my mom made it clear from a young age that me and my siblings will work for ourselves and never work for someone else. Read more>>

Andy Zirger | Bar Crawl USA Owner

I had the capability of starting Bar Crawl USA business as a side hustle while working my corporate full time 10 years ago. I started Bar Crawl USA because I had attended a few very unorganized events and just felt there was a better way to do this. I was in the hospitality industry, was fairly new to Atlanta. I knew there were people like me looking to meet new people, check out new bars, and have some organized fun along the way. People work way to hard Monday thur Friday to end up attending some money and time wasting event, so I was looking to fix that (and have a little fun along the way) Read more>>

Romaude Thomas | Freelance Photographer

I was afraid honestly. I never doubted myself but I was like “man am I really ready”. So I just jumped at it with no type of idea where it would take me. Read more>>

Litty Vuitton | Artist, Creator

My thought process behind starting my own business developed over time from the age of 10 years old! Sailing my first icy to the neighborhood of kids in my complex. Seeing people enjoy something I created brings joy to my soul. The first time I made money without clocking in sparked equations of digits adding up more and more that led me down the path of business ventures until I unlocked what works for me! STYLE, NOSTALGIA, and CREATIVITY LED ME TO CREATING MY CLOTHING BUSINESS! Read more>>

Anyea Anderson, LCSW | Social Worker/Therapist

I went into the field of Social Work because I enjoy helping others and supporting them in their effort to make positive changes in their life, specifically their mental and emotional wellbeing. I started Anderson Consulting and Counseling Services in 2016 as way to not have to work a part-time job, to be completely honest. I’m a single mother and when I initially came out of Grad school 10 years ago the starting salary for Social Workers was not great in the private and public sector. I wanted the flexibility of earning money while still being able to spend time with my daughter and be present. So I became certified in Anger management and offered anger management classes for people that had to complete the course as a stipulation of their probation or legal issues through Anderson Consulting and counseling services. After doing that for a couple of months to a year I felt that I wanted to work with a different client base. I wanted to service clients that actually wanted to do the work and make changes not clients who came because they were court ordered, so I acquired a contract with a local psychiatrist providing therapeutic services to his clients exclusively. And because I have a passion for helping individuals meet their personal goal of mental and emotional wellbeing I decided to expand and go beyond the office four walls, I wanted to offer my services to everyday people like myself, people who work but also go through ups and downs in life. So I set out to target women who attended the empowerment brunches/ social brunches and that is how the brand PopNTalk was born. Because back in 2017/2018 mental health was not as “trendy” or popular so I created PopNTalk, you pop up and we talk about it, similar to Pop-up-Shops. So in short my thought process behind PopNTalk was creating a safe space where people can discuss how their emotional and mental wellbeing was being affected by their career choices, their life situations, or building their brand/business. Read more>>

Kenya Nycole Jordan | Graphic/Web Designer, Professional Makeup Artist, & Brand Ambassador

I truly believe it is important for us to share our God given gifts with the world and bring value to each other. I have always been uniquely creative and have found myself delving into creative spaces and helping others bring their ideas into reality through art and design. Read more>>

Emma Loggins | FanBolt Founder & Editor-in-Chief

I started FanBolt in 2002. I was a senior in high school at the time, and I had always struggled with feeling like an outsider. In school, I was your quintessential nerd, and I was made fun of for things I loved – whether that was the movies and television shows I watched or how much of my time I spent programming or gaming. So when I created FanBolt, my initial goal was to create an online community for fans like me who wanted to geek out over the media they loved – and do so without fear of judgment or bullying. Read more>>

Lyndon Shelton | Music Artist, Producer, & Studio Engineer

Before opening NOTA Studios I was recording people in the basement of my Mom’s house, but only people I considered close friends. I had other people reach out to me about recording, but I didn’t want people I wasn’t close to coming in and out of my Mom’s place. I thought, if it was my own place I wouldn’t be as pressed about it, so I started looking for any space that I could rent or own that I could be loud in for a reasonable price. That’s when I found 412 Studios which offers band rehearsal rooms that could be used for band practice or recording. Read more>>

Emily Goldstein | Owner & Lead Planner

Like anyone if I have to spend time away from my family and friends, you want to make sure it’s something you are personally invested in. I was a venue coordinator for many years before opening my own company. It’s great, it keeps things on the business side. However, I like people and personal details and thought behind decisions are what drive me. Everyone loves to ask what’s the best thing I’ve seen at all my weddings, and I always remember the personal touches. Was it grandpa’s birthday and we stopped the reception to sing to him?! Did you break tradition and have grandma be your flower girl?! This is a service-based industry and I believe making it personal is what drives me. Read more>>

 Jessica Kane | Business Owner & Esthetician

We spend so much of our time working that it was imperative for me to be happy at work and with my career. I was always passionate and excited about the world of beauty, so this seemed like the natural direction to go in. Both of my parents are entrepreneurs so I also was fortunate to be able to watch and live the life growing up. Read more>>

Lewis Olaoluwa | Co-owner, Brand Development and Marketing Executive

We understood that there was a growing desire/trend amongst the African American population and overall African diaspora in consumption of West African culture. We saw the trend in music, movies, and even food, but not so much fashion. We took a trip to Nigeria in 2018 where we fell in love with many of the clothing we grew up wearing, but the recent trend of clothing seemed more sophisticated. The incorporation of different textiles, cuts, patterns, and designs inspired us to introduce these fashions to the African diaspora especially in the United States, where there was greater demand to express west African culture with a more upscale approach. The idea of starting our own business was to provide a different category of apparel and provide a nuanced concept of clothing inspired by West African Traditional attire, made and designed for various everyday lifestyles. Read more>>

Badd Newz | Southern Soul Arist

I wanted to build a legacy and honor my Gandma Fannie Mae Williams. Who helped my mom raise me. Read more>>

Nia K | Branding & Marketing Consultant

Well, it is simple really I just wanted to start a legacy and leave something behind for my daughter to take in as her own. Read more>>

DaVeon Parks | Model, Creative Director & Content Creator

My thought process behind building my business is on the foundation of God, Believing in the dream he gave me and executing it to my fullest potential. I have found that a lot of businesses and companies lack peace in there foundation and it’s because of the peace within the teams and for that to happen you all have to agree or share the same mindset of being a leader, motivator and prayer/meditating warrior. Read more>>

Terrilski Davis | Founder and Co-Owner of Poppin in the City

I am deeply passionate about launching a gourmet popcorn brand that aims to bring comfort and joy to our community,
especially in the aftermath of the pandemic. Our vision is to create a comfort stack with many different flavors that resonate with everyone, becoming a beloved treat that families can enjoy together. Through the simple pleasure of gourmet popcorn, we aspire to foster connections and reunite families, emphasizing the importance of shared experiences. The Poppin in the City brand venture and brand goes beyond just offering a delicious snack; it symbolizes a commitment to rebuilding social bonds and creating moments of togetherness that we all need. I believe that our gourmet popcorn brand can play a meaningful role in bringing people together and contributing to the overall well-being of our community. Read more>>

Riley Katz | Herbal Skincare Maker & Bartender

I fell into it unintentionally. I had some pretty severe scarring on my face from having shingles at 24. I wanted to make something all natural and medicinal that didn’t cost $50 plus dollars per bottle. A friend had recently taught me how to make my own herbal coconut oil and the jump from there to a face oil wasn’t super far. I did some research and some experimenting and came up with Goddess Oil, now my most popular product. I tried it out and I immediately got a pimple, I thought it was no good. So the 8 little bottles I made sat lonely on the shelf gathering dust. After a weekend camping trip I came home with terrible poison ivy, I was desperate for relief and searching my shelves for something/anything to help with the itching on my leg. I saw the dusty bottles of goddess oil and thought it was worth a shot. The next day I pulled up my skirt to show a friend how bad my poison ivy was, only to find that it had dried up and almost disappeared. I was shocked, it worked better than anything I had ever tried. I figured I might have been too hasty on an opinion and started using it on my face. I made another batch and gave it to my family for Christmas, it went unused by everyone for some time but then everyone started asking me why my skin looked so good. I told them it was that oil that I’d given them for Christmas. Everyone finally started to use it and my family went bananas for it. We all couldn’t live without it. I went to my twin sisters house one day and asked her if she was feeling ok, I thought she was looking pale, she laughed and said the difference was just that her skin wasn’t red anymore. I had never really seen her with such an even skin tone. I started making bigger batches and offering to sell them through instagram at an affordable price. I gained a few die hard goddess oil users right away. Then Covid hit and I wasn’t working for awhile. I was looking for some structure. I did a random google search for herbalism courses and found out my city had the only accredited herbalism course in the US and it was affordable. I took the leap and signed up for school at 30 years old. I learned so much about plants and herbal medicine, so my herbal skin care experiments grew, from face oil, to natural lube, to my most famous ‘Holy Rose Face Cream’ and so on. And so it seemed my little personal passion project became a business and Bitch Botanicals was born. Read more>>

Arielle Jackson-Dowdell | Lash artist/MUA

Good question. The thought process behind starting my own business was to create a lucrative stream of income and balance having the freedom to be available for my then 2 year old son. Read more>>

Kae’chauna Sinclair | Therapeutic life and relationship coach

I began my business, TLC 4 Me Services, to provide an additional therapeutic service for members of my greater community. For those who feel they are ready to begin healing but might not be ready for therapy or for those who have had it but feel they need a little maintenance. A service where any and everyone can begin their journey to prosperity Read more>>

Casey Oblitey | International Wedding, Couples & Family Photographer

I remember growing up and being in my teens even into my early 20’s, I worked for my parents business and having people tell me “you’ll never get a job in the real world, no one would want to hire you”… why? Would they tell me this because I didn’t have a passion for their business as they did…. I just didn’t like my job… Working for someone else passion is hard when you don’t care about that passion but yet you need a paycheck. I remember getting my first job in dental and never ever caring about someone elses teeth but yet I stayed in dental for years and years it paid pretty decent and it was something I was good at and familiar with. Read more>>

Shannaan Dawda | Certified Trainer & Nutrition Coach

So the reason why I started my gym was a vision was put into my heart that was the next step to cultivate the environment and facility to take both me and my clients to the next level, personally, professionally, and financially. Fitness has been part of my life since I was 13. And for the last 10 years, I have been big into entrepreneurship always having the ambition to own the business that I work in or for. No matter where I worked, even when I was in corporate. At some point, I faced a ceiling or felt like I was in a box and I don’t like boxes. I like to be let loose, shooting for the stars. It’s my nature. Read more>>

Marcia Armstrong | Founder of A Purpose Life

My journey into entrepreneurship was sparked by a realization during my time as a banker. Despite earning a good salary, I found myself living paycheck to paycheck and feeling disconnected from my finances. It was a turning point when I had a heartfelt conversation with God about the concept of giving. This conversation led me to make significant changes in my financial habits. Read more>>

Edie Young | Artist & Community Organizer & Activist

I don’t own a business, but I do run a community organization called We Are Artistic. I started this organization because I saw how difficult it is for artists to receive free or cheap support. In addition to providing a supportive environment for artists, I wanted to establish a place where we could use our artistic abilities to uplift others. Since every work of art has something special and good about it, all artists should be supported. Read more>>

DeAnna Butler- Toombs | The Produce Princess

My thought process in starting my own business was trying to consider something that people would benefit from as well as something they would need no matter what the economy threw at us. Right now prices are high and the cost of food is getting higher. We strive to offer the best and the freshest non-gmo and organic fruits and vegetables available. All at a reasonable price. Read more>>

Raj Mehta | Social Entrepreneur & AI Ethicist

As we bear witness, it seems that the machine age may indeed be soon upon us—artificial intelligence seems to be getting even more pervasive, impacting every aspect of our society and daily lives. Consequently, the industry’s insatiable demand for accurate, diverse, and secure data has significantly surged—it is evidently and rapidly becoming the new oil. I truly believe that data will be at the forefront of future innovation in this new digital era. Yet, I was quite surprised and shocked when I learned that conventional data-generation methods and solutions oftentimes raise ethical and practical concerns. For example, researchers from University of Southern California (USC) found biases rampant in approximately up to 38.6% of ‘facts’ used by AI, concluding that a lot of data and thereby AI/ML models cannot be considered to be fair. Read more>>