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.

LaWanda Morris | Owner and Creator of BLK SKN Beauty

The thought process behind me starting my own business included many things, but one continuous thought was that I wanted freedom. I wanted to be my own boss and decide the direction of my life all while bringing my ideas to the masses in such a way that would help as many people as possible. This is part of the mission behind starting BLK SKN Beauty. I created BLK SKN Beauty in order to help women (and men) feel beautiful in their own skin…whether they wear makeup or not. While I created BLK SKN Beauty with Black women in mind, I am a Black woman, I want all women to have beautiful glowing skin. Read more>>

Barbara H. Hartsfield | Collector of miniature chairs for over thirty years. Member with the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, the Author’s Guild, Georgia Association of Museums, and the Small Museum Association

Collectible & Antique Chair Gallery opened in 2009 to display my Guinness World Record collection of miniature chairs, (not doll furniture). The record for 3,000 chairs was established in 2008. The chairs are functional for daily use: lamps, teapots, clocks, inkwells, salt/pepper shakers, etc., custom one-of-a-kind items, and unique designs for all major holidays, displayed with multiple themes. Read More>>

Lacie Edwards | Boutique Owner, Fashion Student & Patient Care Technician

To be honest I never really picture myself having a business at first. I knew that I loved fashion and clothes and enjoyed showing my creativity through what I put on. It was also a way of therapy for me because it’s this saying “when you look good you feel good”so that was my motto. God gave me this thought and dream to start my own clothing boutique. I honestly didn’t have any idea what I was doing lol. But, I knew that I had a creative eye and knew how to draw so started sketching my drawings that I desired to turn into clothing pieces. And a way for us as women to feel and know that we are beautiful. Read more>>

Kevin Bales | Professional Musician and Educator

I was very lucky to have several mentors who taught me to think about my work as a musician as a “building a business.” Bassist Ben Tucker in particular provided a lot of insights: having a plan, investing, saving, planning for retirement were all things that I had not thought about and proven to make a big differance. Read more>>

Rebecca Strobl, CPP, EMT-I | Founder and President at New Day Education and Motivation I Retired Volunteer Fire Chief I Security Executive I Robotic Assistance Devices (RAD) Independent Contractor

I saw a need for individuals to be equipped with life-changing knowledge given to them in a way they would remember and enjoy receiving. I had spent several years training my sales team employees to be successful in a way that resonated with their unique learning styles and the needs of our customers. I spent years in various roles within my Volunteer Fire Department as a Volunteer Firefighter and EMT training others to mitigate emergencies confidently. In both these worlds, there was a consistent trend to keep our knowledge contained within the industry. Read more>>

Erin McClellan | Interior Designer

The thought of starting my own business was something that never entered my mind. My business journey started when I was a full time teacher who bought a fixer upper. My husband and I started sharing what we were doing on social media, and people loved following along. This snowballed into people asking for my advice on designs and home decor here and there. Slowly over time, people wanted my design help for entire rooms. This was the point in which I started charging for services, but here again, I never dreamed this would continue to grow. Read more>>

Christopher Green | Creative Director

Honestly, my thought process was actually all over the place haha. From a child, I always enjoyed putting on clothes. Whether it was the norm, different, colorful, ripped, whatever. I always had an extreme interest in the history of clothes. Learning from hip hop, skate, Punk, and the sports culture. I never had an idea on how I would express my hobby as a real interest to the world, I just knew it was apart of me, My mother passed away some time ago and ironically the last conversation we had, I explained to her that I finally figured out what I wanted to do with my life. That was to create a brand of my own and express my creative talents thought it. She told me “If you like it baby, I love it. Let’s figure it out”. Read more>>

Rick Cawston | NHL to Atlanta Owner/Operator

I started NHL to Atlanta because I knew there were hockey fans in the Atlanta area that had been overshadowed by the loss of the Thrashers. Hearing how people talked about hockey in Atlanta, I decided to start the account to give the fans here some advocacy and help turn the narrative wherever I could. Read more>>

Kesha Henderson | Founder & Owner of Funky Flair Boutique

Starting anything new can be exciting, scary, or both whether its a new job or a business. So, when I decided to birth the idea of Funky Flair Boutique, my thought process was “Go Hard or Go Home”. And after 11.5 years of business, I’m still going hard like it’s the very first day I opened the doors. Read more>>

Somers W | Photographer, videographer

I have a brain injury and RA-ILD (rheumatoid arthritis with interstitial lung disease). So when the Dr. told me that I was ultimately disabled and that I would never be an able to work a regular 9-5 again due to my injuries, I didn’t know how to handle it at all. I was always a worker , always the strong one, always the one that people leaned on now I had to lean on others to get thru my tough times. My uncle gave me a camera to cope with all the emotions I was dealing with and that emotion turned into passion. A passion to capture everything on camera. I started going to concerts, and events taking pictures of independent artists. Read more>>

Amy Behimer | Coach & Doctor of Pharmacy

My career in hospital pharmacy has always been fulfilling—I love the science, the patients, and the challenges. But at 27, a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) rocked my world and shifted my focus. Suddenly, managing my own health became not just about what conventional medicine had to offer, but also about learning what else I could be doing to feel confident I was doing everything in my power to feel my best and prevent progression. I immersed myself in functional and lifestyle medicine, seeking ways to complement traditional treatments with holistic approaches. It was a personal quest for a vibrant, fulfilling life despite my diagnosis. Read more>>

Marla Harrington | Interior Designer & Remodel Specialist

Starting your own business is a life-altering decision, so it is not something that I took lightly when deciding to begin MHI. While working in my previous sales career, I made the decision to simultaneously dip my toes into an industry that I felt a deep passion for – renovation and design. In 2018, I began my journey of acquiring properties and project managing full-gut renovations. It was more work than I could have ever anticipated and came with a large learning curve; I discovered this quickly once acquiring our first investment property. Read more>>

Mac Mills | Founder Marketing Executive | Music

My passion has always been connecting friends together and creating something new. When I discovered music it was a world that just clicked for me. I fell in love with music marketing and production. Interning at music labels starting in 2006 to working with different musicians and creating marketing strategies for their roll outs has taught me so much. I started a my first business centered around music education to music marketing. Read more>>