The first step to starting a business is deciding to start a business. They say the first step is the hardest and in our experience this is especially true when it comes to starting a business. Getting over the mental roadblocks can be tough, often harder to overcome than the challenges you’ll face once you actually start the business. Fellow entrepreneurs share their thoughts below.

Ryan O’Hara | Owner/Founder, Big Spoon Creamery

Throughout our careers working as chefs in high end restaurants, we knew we wanted to start our own venture one day. We wanted to combine two of our greatest passions, food and people. Ice cream specifically was something that we were extremely passionate about and felt like we had a gift to be able to do something really unique. Read more>>

Sheka Saunders | Entrepursuer, Gospel Recording Artist & Designer

Honestly, I’ve been business minded since I was about 13 years old. I would take my moms bills and create a spreadsheet with amounts and due dates. At the top of the spreadsheet I would give it the name “Jones Financial Solutions. I can remember my mother working and struggling to raise two little girls. I knew that I did not want that same struggle and was determined to be someone great. As a little girl, I always wanted to be a singer, model and talk-show host. Today, I am amazed how God has taken my desires and have transformed them into who I am what and what I do now. Read more>>

Miracle Aaliyah | Master Cosmetologist

I always wanted to be able to work for myself and be able to follow my passion at the same time, so it motivated me to start my own business Read more>>

Brandon Dawson-Jarvis | Wellness figure

I was in a yoga class one day and the teacher said if we are comfortable to stay there but if we’d like we could try a variation that was more complex and immediately I thought to myself “I can’t do that” but then right after I said to myself “Let me at least try” and after trying, not only was I able to do it but it was easier than I thought it would be. Read more>>

Aura Muir | Cake Artist

I became an entrepreneur since I was very young. I became a mother at 17 years of age. These were very difficult times and I had the need to provide a better future for my daughter. That is where I started my first business; making the impossible possible. I wanted to be the best example of improvement for my daughter and provide her with a better future. Read more>>

Madame Sirena | High Priestess & Founder of The Jambalaya Moon

I started my business as a response to my own sensitive skin care needs. I knew that I needed something different than what was available at the stores. I also knew that others were suffering like I was and I needed to help provide a solution for us all. I started with making my own soaps, infused with herb and fruit essences, and it was such a treat for my skin. Read more>>

Noa Bisette | Artist & Entrepreneur

Growing up I had a front row seat to entrepreneurship from summers spent with my grandparents at their dry-cleaning business. But even with that exposure, I had no real-life experience of running my own. In 2018, I was able to establish Beads by Bisette, a bracelet company based on two concepts. We have a planet and horoscope-themed collection. Read more>>

Dee Crenshaw | Herbal guide

Creating affordable herbal supplements that work. I had tried western medicine and became frustrated with the treatments they suggested. I studied nature and found herbs can help humanity. I was able to tap into Mother Nature and allow her to show me so much daily. I’m still learning as we evolve. Read more>>

Charlie Watts | Aura Photographer

We are artists and musicians who are fascinated by all things related to the magical and supernatural sphere. Charlie, a professional fine arts photographer and sound healer, currently is expanding her skills with doctoral studies in occupational therapy. Judah, certified as a meditation teacher by David Nichtern at Dharma Moon, is a magical circus performer, having traveled throughout the United States with the Splatter Time Players to bring twisted fairytales to Renaissance fairs. Read more>>

Tony Hightower | The Jazz Whisperer

Necessity. I don’t have a deal and I’m putting these records out and now I have multiple records out! Having to do it ourselves has been great, but of course we’d love to have a partnership with a major label. Read more>>

Delena Mobley | dom+bomb Co-founder/CEO

We were working for a public health consultation firm, both in the communications department, and we became good friends. Delena (dom) went back to school (in the pandemic!) to get her master’s degree, and when she was done, we came to the same conclusion – that we wanted to start a business together. We were certain about what we wanted to create even if we didn’t know what we were going to sell. Read more>>

Rita Brent | Comedienne, Writer, musician, creative

I wanted creative freedom and financial freedom. Though I’ve enjoyed the stability of working for someone else in the past, it did not provide me the liberty I desired to thrive completely as a creative. Read more>>

Hannah Burton | Florist, Flower Farmer & Artist

Like a lot of people I was feeling very burnt out during covid. I started working for a family friend who is a florist just to try it out and instantly fell in love. Later, when I was trying to quit my job (for a multitude of reasons) I got a part time gig as a farmhand and that opened up the world of growing flowers which is really the next step for me. Everything was kinda an accident or a result of me just needing a change of pace and I’m happy I let myself change. Read more>>

Tyrus Riley | Tyrus Riley | Published Photographer | Content Creator | Branding and Video Storyteller

Building business relationships, creating generational wealth, working for myself and leaving a lasting impact on those I work with. Read more>>

Priscilla Kavanaugh | Founder & Content Creator

I wanted to create a brand that empowers people and sparks conversations. And ever since having my daughter almost four years ago, the importance of messaging to girls and women has been top of mind. Then one day the idea to cross out the Y in the word “bossy” came to me, and the idea for feminist cringe was born! Read more>>

Jasmine Johnson | Owner & Chef of Jazzie in the Kitchen

My thought process behind starting my own business was that I wanted the freedom to be on my own terms as well as doing something that I love and profiting off of it. Read more>>

Janel Borzotra | Author | Financial Literacy Educator

The thought process behind starting my own business was to help people reach their goals. I come from a family of entrepreneurs and volunteers so it’s in my DNA. I created an opportunity to pursue my passion. Read more>>

Charece N. Sanders | Founder/ Executive Director, Metamorphosis Women’s Empowerment Initiative

The Metamorphosis Women’s Empowerment Initiative was founded at a time when I was going through my personal Metamorphosis. I had just turned fifty, in the midst of a divorce, dealing with unresolved issues of my past and spiraling down into a depression so deeply I wanted to detach from my existence. I started seeking help but found a lack of services that addressed my needs. I knew there had to be other women who were going through similar challenges who felt as I did. Since I was unable to find a safe space, I created one. Read more>>

Ryan McVey | Actor & Producer

After working fire and EMS for over 10 years, I was very motivated by o get away from trading my time for money. I found a had gift for acting and making movies, so I started finding ways to get on set and chasing my dream of being a full time film maker Read more>>

Tia Burgess | Co-Owner & Operator of Bloom Nails

When the last salon I worked for closed, I knew I had to do something different. I wanted to create a place where licensed nail technicians would feel comfortable and in control of their business. I wanted to work with professional products and have the creative space to work with all different mediums. That’s where Bloom Nails was born-out of the need for a licensed nail tech to have freedom and space to be herself. Read more>>

Amya McFadden | Fashion Stylist & Content Creator

My thought process behind becoming a young fashion stylist at 16 years old was “why not?”. Of course I was afraid at first because not many people think being a stylist is possible for younger people or just in general. Considering it’s not an office job. I just had to believe there will always be people who are interested in what I like so I finally just started it. I’ve been enjoying it so much! Read more>>

Aline Clarke | Life Insurance Agent

I wanted to be helpful to my community. I wanted to break the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck. I look around my people and I notice that majority of them didn’t know there is way we can all accumulate wealth even though we don’t have money. that we can use life insurance like the rich do. I also wanted to be my own boss. I wanted to make my dreams reality by working hard on it instead of working to make someone else dreams come true. Read more>>

Tiffany Hill | Certified Sign Language Interpreter. Founder of First Choice Interpreting Service, LLC

I have been a professional, credentialed American Sign Language Interpreter for over 18 years. I established my company back in 2008. I always handled small requests for services here and there and had a few local events I supported, but my main focus was just on providing my services as a free lance interpreter. Fast forward to 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, the lack of diverse access in my field became even more exposed. I continued to see lots of gaps and inequities in the field as an Interpreter of Color and I wanted to create a space where I could foster, encourage, support, and work alongside those who are like me – Read more>>

Clifford McGrue | Music Artist, Brand Owner

I wanted to start a business to help and inspire other people. The idea of the Leader Of Me brand was to show people that self control was the avenue to human freedom. To accomplish any goal in life you must have discipline and self control. I wanted to share that idea with others and it just morphed into a brand. Read more>>

Kelly Benning | Lead Creatrix at Heart Space Consulting

For so long, I de-prioritized my own passion projects by categorizing them as hobbies. My day job in public health took center stage, but I found myself with an insatiable desire to pursue my hopes and dreams. Starting my own business was really a reflection of my desire to create a container that legitimized this pursuit, that called it worthy of attention, that called it central to my life’s purpose. My business was a brazen declaration of my belief that big-hearted living is our birthright. Read more>>

Shayla Rodriguez | Candle Maker | Latina Entrepreneur

Deseos Candles Co was a simple dream, it was one of those things that you say “it would be so cool to “ but don’t actually go for it. I had been wanting to start a candle business since I was 15, it was a method I used growing up as an emotional stress reliever. Many people would see what I was creating and would always ask “how much” . I didn’t think people were actually serious, so I would always push it to the side. Read more>>

London Elixir | Music/Film Producer & Author

I’ve always been into music. So, I’ve known I wanted to do music production full time since I was in high school. However, I got a full ride to The Ohio State University and they did not offer music production as major. I didn’t want to pass up a free education so I ended up getting my degree in Computer Science & Engineering. I then began working in that field while funding my music passion to build up my business. Starting my own music production business was always the plan – I just had to take a different route which allowed me to be financial responsible and get a free education. Read more>>

Taia Roney | Owner of Albertha Trucking LLC

Well in the trucking business there’s not a lot of black young women that own their own trucking company, so I just thought it would be so cool to start my own trucking company at a very young age, I always been a hard worker and very dedicated to everything I do , so I was like instead of working for somebody else why not just put all this time and energy into my own company ,and I just always knew I wanted to be my own boss so it was just a perfect idea. Read more>>

The Oshi | Musician & Business Owner

I wanted to have something of my own. Ive always gravitated towards leadership naturally so I knew starting a business would bring me out my comfort zone and really push myself with discipline and my goals. Read more>>

Ephraim Benton | Award-winning Producer

My thought process was that I wanted to create an authentic brand that represents what I stood for and to help build a lasting legacy for my family. I knew that in order to watch stories that I wanted the world to see on the big screen, that I needed to create them. So I started my own business to produce different projects. Read more>>

Soryorelis Henry | APRN, CEO La Isla

There’ aren’t many authentic homemade restaurants around. I wanted to bring our culture to the town and also wanted to offer not only Puerto Rican food but authentic homemade Puerto Rican food. Read more>>

Miles Daniel | Compliance Risk Advisory

The thought process behind starting my own business was to make it evolutionary. In other words, I started by building upon the personal and professional experiences gained in an industry over time. With that experience I then developed my strategic, market, financial, and operational plans. The culmination of my understanding of that industry, along with as much practical experience with other professionals who were willing to support the vision, has provided the best foundation for taking the calculated risk of starting my own business. Read more>>

Mariah Smith | Body Contouring Specialist

I abosulety enjoy body contouring and the confidence it gave myself after having my first born. I wanted to help many women feel this same way by performing my non-invasive techniques. Read more>>

Michael Morgan | President and Founder of A Few Good MENtors, Inc.

My thought process for starting A Few Good MENtors, Inc. (AFGM) was to help wake people up to the power of mentoring. This is accomplished through our integrity, faith and dedication. After 36 years of working for the FBI I would not have made it without the assistance of my parents and several other male mentors, both professional and personal mentors. I also, volunteered with Big Brother Big Sister which allowed me to see a need for more male mentors in our communities. AFGM is designed to help our young men live productive lives through a consistent network of men to help them along the way. Read more>>

Brittney “Chiney K” Powell | Entrepreneur

I wanted to make money doing something that I love and have the freedom of doing it at my own pace. Read more>>