We reached out to some of our favorite entrepreneurs and asked them to think back and tell us about how they decided to start a business. Check out their responses below.

Leidy Diaz | Certified Party Decorator (Balloons Artist)

I have always been very crafty and loved making things with my hands, I used to make hair bows, gift bags and cute sandals for girls until I discovered the Balloon World. One day I was watching TV and saw an interview with a Balloon Artist in Miami, I immediately followed her on Instagram and signed up for her classes. I went all the way to Miami to learn the basics and get my certification. It was a very magical experience; I took my husband and 2 kids and after the 3 days training, I decided that I was going to do that to get that extra income. Little did I know that the balloon world will open several doors for me and started my own business after a year of my certification. Read more>>

Adonis / Omar Armstrong / Cook | Media Moguls

Starting my own business was a way for me to control my own narrative in life, and provide opportunities for others to advance in their careers as well. I wanted to create something that not only I could enjoy, but the world could be proud of. I wanted to do something that would excite me every single day of my life to where I would look forward to getting up every morning with no regrets about what I’m doing. My though process was to create something that was positive and high vibrational and provided a necessary service to the world. My desire is to create something generational that will outlive me and create generational wealth for my family. Read more>>

Nyannah Jeffries | Photographer, Creative Director, & MUA

My thought process behind starting my own business was to start a business in which the world will see through my eyes. They would see not only the things that I capture, but also the things that I created and was apart of. Read more>>

Barkeen Caldwell | Chef and Owner

As I was growing up watching my mother and grandmother cook and prepare meals for us I always knew I wanted to become a cook/chef! I started working in the food industry at the age of 14 as a server working at Fields catering company. After going to culinary school and and I began to work inside the kitchen soon after becoming the lead cook. I decided after 5 years that I wanted to try working for myself and becoming a business owner! I wanted to put my own stamp and creativity on this large but small community. Read more>>

DJ LeakDaFreak | CO-CEO of Savage Entertainment LLC & DJ

When me and my business partner first start we were doing it as a hobby but we gained a lot of attention so it slowly turned into a business so my thought process was how do we monetize what we love doing? Then our business started soon after Read more>>

Candice Sinisgalli | Boutique Owner

When you own your own business, it’s definitely a challenge to find that work life balance. I won’t lie and say I’ve figured it all out yet — there are some times I stretch myself thin, but I’ve learned that the more I’m able to find that balance and recharge my own battery, I show up better in every way. It’s really important to find time for things that refill my cup and bring me joy beyond working — whether that’s spending time with friends, exercising, traveling — there’s huge value in being able to step away from my business so that I can be my best self when I’m here. Read more>>

Alliyah Francis, M.S.Ed. | Educator| Project Strategist

In conceptualizing Pretty and Political, my goal was to dismantle the notion that women are confined to linear roles, highlighting our ability to be dichotomous and multifaceted. I recognized that women can be extraordinary practitioners, scholars, activists, and academics, while also embracing beauty, uniqueness, and creativity. I wanted to showcase that this complexity enhances our capabilities as leaders and change agents. I was driven by a desire to foster leadership through training, cultivating, and providing supportive communities for women, ensuring that we embrace our diverse interests and skills to excel in creative spaces. Ultimately, the vision behind Pretty and Political was to empower women to acknowledge their multifaceted nature, utilize it in leadership, and thereby emerge as influential change-makers. Read more>>

Gabrielle Klein | Metalsmith and Entrepreneur

My biggest influence for starting my own business was to become my own boss. Growing up I never saw myself working a desk job. I’ve had an entrepreneurial heart since a kid. I also thought starting my own business would help make an impact in people’s lives. I want others to feel inspired when they see my art. Read more>>

Morgan Reid | CEO and Founder of A Little Mental

The inspiration for A Little Mental came from the lack of access to credible mental health resources, the stigma around asking for help, and the prevalence of mental health issues in America. As we all know, 2020 was a year where we had to navigate unprecedented levels of trauma, isolation, stress, and overall emotional turmoil. Because of my background in mental health, I was often fielding mental health related questions from people in my community during this time who needed a safe and credible way to get answers to their questions on this sensitive topic. I figured that I could use my own personal and professional experiences to create a space online where these questions and experiences could be validated. Read more>>

Lisa Flaherty | Co-Founder History Afoot Atlanta Walking Tours

Simply put, we saw a gap. There are great tours in Atlanta, but there were none being delivered by historians telling the stories outside of the conventional history of our city. Amy and I realized that much of the history of Atlanta told is about moments. What we try to do is weave together these larger moments with the smaller events that led up to it. By doing this we offer a deeper understanding of history and a richer understanding of the impact on our lives today. History Afoot was born from the idea to showcase what exists now, what came before and how the two come together. Read more>>

VONTE’LAY HARRIS | Marketplace Pastor /Business and Ministry Strategy Consultant and Developer

I have been traveling for years teaching training on Marketplace Evangelism and teaching how to incorporate it on your job as well in your business. For years I have helped startup ministries and businesses with their structuring and team development out of passion. 2021 God instructed me to incorporate my business and stop working for free because my services are because of value and it is my gifts and talents. I honestly struggled with it for a very long time because when you do what you’re passionate about you don’t have to deal with money being an issue. Since then I have been able to consult and coach a lot of Pastors, Leaders, and Kingdom entrepreneurs in their business startup success and ministry development. Read more>>

Margo Scarlett | Videographer

Before I started GoalMine I was in a very dark place. I lost sight of what made me happy or what I enjoyed doing. Then I remembered when I was younger my grandmother bought me this little camera and I remembered the feeling I had when I got it, the content I created when I got it made me realize that my mind is special, the things that I come up with is very much different and it made people wonder like how I created it. I love using visuals to tell a story. I love helping others, that’s where goal comes in and mine represents you and me. I put those two together and created something magical Read more>>

Jayla Martin | Real Estate Agent & Investor

The genesis of my entrepreneurial venture was rooted in a desire to make a meaningful impact on the lives of others. Growing up in an environment where my parents established a highly successful multi-million dollar real estate firm, I witnessed firsthand the transformative power of their work on their clients. This upbringing instilled in me a deep sense of purpose and a drive to follow in their footsteps. In the year 2020, while I was a freshman in college, a pivotal moment occurred that served as a catalyst for my journey. Eager to embark on my own investment path, I set my sights on accumulating enough capital for a down payment on an investment property, with the intention of securing an investment loan from a bank. Read more>>

Patrice Chappelle | Co-Owner and Co-CEO of MelanBrand Skin, LLC

When my son was younger, I struggled to find natural skincare products for his skin, especially as a child with melanated skin. We tried pretty much everything from my skincare products that I was using on my skin, to soap, water, and lotion. None of those options worked for him as they were never made for children. When Bron turned 12, this past January, I gifted him with $1200 towards starting his business, MelanBrand Skin, in lieu of a birthday party. I began doing my research on starting a skincare company last year and had been sitting on the idea to launch a natural skincare company for Black and brown kids. Read more>>

Diana Acosta | Owner and Operator of The Popsicle Cart

Born and raise part of my life in Mexico I had countless interactions with a carrito paletero (popsicle cart) at any kind of event. I have two summer kids and I always celebrate their birthdays ,but is too hot. I try to find someone with a Popsicle cart to cater at my events, but not only that. I wanted the traditional Mexican flavors. I could not find anyone in the state of Georgia. So it gave me the idea for me to have it for my own parties and share a bit of my culture to other events. Read more>>

Nicole Chantal de Weever | Artist, Activist, Philanthropist, Creative Entrepreneur & Founder & President

The thought process behind starting Art Saves Lives Foundation which is a non for profit organization based in St. Maarten, Dutch Caribbean- the thought process came from my deep desire to make a difference in my community by creating programming that encourages cross-cultural exchange between youth in need and experienced practicing artists who seek to use their art/talent for positive change. Each summer the foundation coordinates Summer Intensives which caters to about 200 students. This collaborate project selects renowned artists from around the world who use the arts to introduce participants to global and local traditions and empower them with the life skills necessary to effectively deal with the challenges of everyday life. Read more>>

Tiffany Coleman | Credit Counselor

When I decided to start my business, all I knew was, I wanted to educate people and help make a difference in their lives. So, I decided that I would start a financial literacy based business. I wanted to educate others about the ends and outs of what financial literacy is and how, it can be used as a means of building one’s personal and business credit. I want our generation to start taking advantage of building generational wealth. Read more>>

Vishwa Patel Taksali | Owners, Shrunk 3D

After working in the corporate and start-up space I wanted to invest and apply my skills in a business that welcomes my entrepreneurial aspirations. With the support of my husband, Krishna, we started exploring franchising opportunities that would enable us to grow an established brand within the dynamic city of Atlanta. Read more>>

Katheryne Castro | Family Chiropractor

I was inspired to go to chiropractic school and then start Vitality Family Chiropractic after seeing firsthand the failure of our healthcare system on myself, my family and the rest of the world. I suffered a motor vehicle accident July 2, 2009 that changed my life. At the time I was a pre-nursing student at Kennesaw State University. EMTs at the scene could not explain how I was walking from that accident and even told me “God has a greater purpose with you.” Although, the external injuries were minor the internal injuries were tearing me apart. Read more>>

Lauryn (Laurie) Bass (Bee) | Multifaceted Media Guru

Nowadays, you need to have multiple sources of income. Since relocating back home to Atlanta, it has become even more clear to me that there are so many avenues to capitalize on your strengths and talents. In the few months that I’ve been settling in, I’ve networked with so many powerful gamechangers and business owners of all ages and backgrounds–which is so inspiring. With that influence, I did some market research on the things that I enjoy doing based off of what I was currently building, and from there, I rebranded my podcast platform into a hub for all kinds of health and wellness resources and boom! Booming and Buzzing Co. was born! Read more>>

Seth Wright | Entrepreneur and Brand Influencer/ Founder

I didn’t really see my Business starting to thrive until 2023. That’s when I realized that I really need to form an LLC. I have two Businesses, one for Music and my Clothing Brand. My business for Music is called Independent Gospel Rap.
It is a Platform and Genre here to support All Independent Gospel Rap Artists.
The Genre includes Gospel, Rap, Hip Hop, Drill, R&B and Pop. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Independent Gospel Rap was Founded in January 2018. It’s a Platform that wants to be here for All Independent Artists/ Indie Artists, bringing them together. Read more>>

Irwine Duncan | Service Designer ,Business Developer, Computer Programmer, Artist and Father

One of the 7 habits that I find very useful is the process of seeking first to understand, then to be understood. This is based on a Constructivist approach that values the diversity and complexity of human interactions. I try to be realistic about what I can change and what I cannot, and to appreciate the subtleties and nuances of each relationship. I aim to create win-win situations where I can contribute positively to the well-being of others. I use my skills and talents to make a difference in the world, not only for myself and the present generation, but also for the future ones. Read more>>

Brian King Sr. | Photographer/Videographer

My thought process behind KRoyalty Images was to be able to express my creativity behind the lens rather than in-front. It all started when I did my first photoshoot with my friend and brother Troy Webster, who is the owner of TKs Depiction, LLC. He was doing a video for the Alabama State University Honeybees and asked me to tag along. So I did that day and as he was doing the video I was taking pictures. After the team saw the pictures I’ll never forget the coordinator of the team, Ms. Williams, told me that I should get into photography and the crazy part about it was she wasn’t the first person to tell me that. Read more>>

Yoaspire

My thought process for starting my own business is simply just going for it. Sometimes people are nervous or hesitant when it comes to starting out because they’re worried about failing, or what people will think of them. but I say always just go for it and learn from your mistakes as you go. I’m constantly learning new things about what works and what doesn’t in my own career, It’s all just a part of the process. Nobody else will ever see your vision as clearly as you do so you can’t let those people cloud your mind with doubt and negative thoughts. Read more>>

Tracy Davis | Founder and CEO, TRAX Analytics

The thought process about behind starting my own business was two fold. In the beginning, I was provided a problem statement by the world’s busiest airports that I truly wanted to solve. I was losing sleep over finding ways to make their operations more efficient while also reinventing an antiquated industry by creating a ground breaking product. Finding a solution to a very real problem was something that left me inspired and when I experienced first hand how big of a difference our solution could make to facility managers and owners across the nation, I knew we were on the right path. Read more>>

Irvin Barnett | Construction, Consulting, And Management business owner.

My Dad started his construction company 46 years ago. He never pressured me into going in that field; however, I had the privilege of working with him in the summers as a child. After working in Corporate America as a Corporate Investigator, I got tired of the politics in the corporate structure. I went to work for my Father’s company and ran the day to day operations of his company until he retired. When he retired it made since for him to keep his company because of his rental property so I thought it would be advantageous for me to start my own. Now he works for me as a consultant and the rest is history. Read more>>

Montravon Latise | Visionary | Creator | Strategist | Coach

My process in starting my own business was “It is needed!” It was needed for not only myself but for so many other women like myself. I knew that if God implanted the vision in me, He would see me through with bringing it to life. The Accountability Table currently focuses on woman in business, new to business or even in the idea stage coming together and holding each other accountable. Family and friends are great to have as a support system and we truly appreciate them but most women in business will find it to be a breath of fresh air when chatting with others who genuinely get it or have went before you and been successful. Read more>>

Rochelle Boyce | Ceo of 94.7 The Link, Dj, and A&R at PTE The Label

When it came time for me doing business, I would start something and I would stop it. It was a time in my life where I couldn’t figure out which way I wanted to go. I went from owning a smoothie business- my mom buying me blenders- to me owning a hat business, to she buying me a lot of hats. And she was like, ‘Rochelle, like, what are you doing?’”. In the midst of me starting my radio station, I was also a full time dj. I was on and off tour with artist like Future, Cash Out, Shawty Lo and more. I used to dj at Hot 98.1 Fm in Greenville, Sc as well. While doing there, I got tired of being a playlist dj, meaning the fm stations controlling what I could and couldn’t play. Read more>>

Jamera Forbes | Marketing Hub & Community Service Director

I started my business in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, I was a Sophomore college student attending Morgan State University. My weekly norm was volunteering at Community Services and creating flyers for the organizations I was involved in on top of classes. During the Pandemic, many Community Services came to a halt, and schools closed down. Thus leaving a gap in support for students who relied on volunteering and the need to create flyers for on-campus organizations. In May 2022, I graduated from college but felt that there was more for me to accomplish. Read more>>

Georgina Whalen | Influencer Marketing Consultant

I got my start in the influencer marketing industry in 2009 when it was all about writing/blogging, in-person events, and trips. I was often the only Black creator on the trip and was very aware that I was paid less than my white counterparts. I’d always toyed with the idea of building my own talent management agency to represent Black creators paired with campaign strategy for Black small businesses. When my good friend, successful influencer, and celebrity interior designer Alvin Wayne brought up the idea of me managing him to help negotiate better deals and take care of payment processes, that was all it took. Read more>>

Royal Tee Patterson | Owner of I Am Fly, LLC & Certified Life Coach

Growing up, my goal was always to become a business owner. As an Aries, I am a natural born leader and risk taker. I tend to view things in ways others don’t. In life, I only experience blessings and lessons, I never lose. As long as I wake up each morning, I have another chance to get things right. In July of 2012, myself and a life-long friend were shot at 32 times during an attempted robbery in the parking lot of my apartment in Atlanta, GA. That was a rude awakening, because we both walked away without a scratch. I knew then that I was here for a reason much greater than myself. Read more>>

Theonlyejose | Community Developer & Creative

I’ve always been an advocate for community. As black people, we steer culture and economics, however, the systems we’ve operated under for so long tends to rupture any consistent efforts toward creating self sufficiency. We make the mistake by playing victim and allowing frivolous “peace offerings” to temporarily cover the damage instead of demanding what’s ours . Our “leaders” always profess equity amongst “their” table, but I oppose that idea—we should have our own. We should feel protected, confident and joyous around one another. Lending a hand or having a conversation or providing service in exchange for a service shouldn’t be such an asinine concept as it is seen from us today. Read more>>

Ashley Chandler | Handmade pet accessories

I didn’t plan out my business for long in advance, it all just happened within a short period of time. I fell in love with dressing up my Shih Tzu, Baylor, so I was always on the hunt for cute and affordable accessories that were also good quality. I had a hard time finding exactly what I was looking for so I decided to make accessories for him myself. I began by making bow ties in various sizes and styles until I found exactly what I was looking for. I was so excited with my new found hobby Baylor quickly had an abundance of bow ties for every occasion. About a week or so later I had an idea to take a chance and list them on Etsy and the rest is history. Read more>>

Debbie Deer | Creative Technologist, Educator, Performer, Writer, Black, Woman, Jamaican, Immigrant

I started my businesses out of passion and necessity. I migrated to Canada from Jamaica to pursue my goals in the film and digital media production fields over 10 years ago. When I completed University 11 years ago, I didn’t see many women, let alone black women working in the Film, TV and Digital Media Arts. It was a largely, white male dominated industry. I knew that if I wanted to have a position of meaning in either of my fields, I would need to create it or meet a fairy God-parent! Since the fairy God-parent never came along, I decided to start my own business! Read more>>

Misty Banknell | Dermatology and Aesthetic Physician Assistant

I wanted an office that was peaceful and inviting that offered a VIP experience for each patient. I do not want to be rushed or my patients to feel rushed. I want them to know that someone knows them and their skin and is on this journey with them. I wanted to offer state-of-the-art technology for natural rejuvenation. I do not like for people to look fake and overfilled. This is where lasers, biostimulators, and other devices come in to play. If people do more rejuvenation with multiple modalities like that, they will maintain a more youthful, natural appearance. Read more>>

Natasha Miller | Licensed Massage Therapist

I originally thought the idea was silly. The more I reflected on it I became excited about the possibilities. To my knowledge no one in New York had a mobile spa. Mobile dog grooming companies were just popping it, and they were successful. I knew that I was a gifted massage therapist. Being able to travel to people to share my gift with others was a win for everyone. Read more>>

Kimberly Seheult | Psychotherapist/Entrepreneur

I come from an entrepreneurial background, with both of my parents owning and managing multiple companies throughout my upbringing in Trinidad and Tobago. So, working for myself was always something I envisioned. The only question was which career choice would bring me the most joy. I knew early on in life, like age 14, that I wanted to be a therapist. I had a lot of emotions as a typical teen. I loathed school and probably presented with Attention Deficit (ADD) symptoms. This looked for me, a lot like frustration and anger. I learned for a fabulous therapist that I could still be this badass, cool chic “and” harness those intense emotions in ways that served me well. Read more>>