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.

Beverly Riley | Studio Owner

Bringing women together, and allowing them to express themselves creatively! Read more>>

Asia Gray | Blaq Lavish Extensions CEO

I wanted to make customers feel beautiful through their hair. It’s not just about the quality of my products-it’s also about the experience of using them. You’ll feel confident, beautiful, and ready to take on the world when you wear my hair extensions. Read more>>

Anthony Mcmillan Ii | Attorney and Entrepreneur

I always knew I wanted to be my own boss, and I knew anything less wouldn’t suffice. Therefore, the thought process of starting my own business was easy. I just had to think about what I wanted to do, then do it. Read more>>

Rocklyn Williams | Mobile Detailer

My main focus was to be unique. Since I was young I never did what everyone else was doing so the same applied to my sight with this. Read more>>

Renata Nall | Poof N Woof petsitting / house sitting business

Poof N Woof was an easy transition. As i am a strong advocate for animal rescues. as. I have spent years donating , rescue and fostering for different rescue groups .My devotion and passion for animals let me to launch my dream business. , Poof N Woof Read more>>

Tyrin Graham | Travel Stylist

I’ve always used fashion and beauty as a way to express and uplift myself. The older I got I started to use this tool to connect and interact with other people socially in new environments. I come from a big family and i’m my parents eldest child, I have 7 younger siblings so I’ve always tried to hold my own financially in some way. When I got to college it became difficult for me and that’s what peaked my interest in the beauty industry because so many of my peers would come to me for beauty supplies, outfits for the weekend and hair services. Read more>>

Aimee Trouvaille | Entrepreneur

I was in esthetician school and fell in love with ingredients when we went over ingredients and their benefits. I started looking up different ingredients online and before I knew it I was making body butter, body scrubs, and lip gloss. Read more>>

Andrew Chambers | Founder and Pitmaster

Starting my own business came naturally to me. I am a third-generation entrepreneur. My grandfather was a successful farmer and owned multiple markets. My parents were real estate investors and own a chemical consulting business. All of my siblings are or were business owners as well. However, as I considered building my own brand and launching it, there was one thing that was an absolute. My business must bring generational freedom. Although my parents and my grandparents before them were successful at their endeavors, neither were able to build something that was able to last after them. Read more>>

Selamawit Shiferaw | Salon Suite Owner

I wanted to be my own boss and enjoy the freedom to make my own decisions. I also aimed to create a welcoming, aesthetically pleasing space for other entrepreneurs to thrive. Although I knew starting a business would be challenging and involve risks, I was prepared to invest in myself and make sacrifices for long-term success. I believed in the potential of the beauty industry, which is constantly evolving, and saw a growing demand for independent workspaces where entrepreneurs could express their creativity freely. At Boss Beauty Salon Suites, we offer a unique opportunity for beauty professionals to work in a setting that allows them to explore their creativity and access their suites 24/7, unlike the limitations often found in traditional salons. Read more>>

Teara Ferrell | Nail tech & Artist

Hello my name is Teara Ferrell owner and CEO of Temedley Touch LLC . We specialize in custom handpainted press on nails . My business began from me being a stay at home mom to 2 children , One (daughter) who is on the autism spectrum and considered non-verbal . I have to stay close at all times so it was difficult for me to leave for work or try to maintain a lifestyle outside of being a mom . I have always been an artist (singer,painter,hairstylist, you name it ) and I decided to dive into a craft I could do at home which birthed my press on nail business. I began painting nails to occupy my time while she was up at night. Maison began to take an interest in painting which gave us something to do together in the middle of the night . Maison and I ended up with a lot of painted nails and a friend of mine actually bought all of our sets which made me think this could actually become a business. Read more>>

Ryan | Corp Executive & Entrepreneur

One, I think it’s important to have multiple income streams and never be reliant on just one. So, besides my corporate career, my wife and I own two small businesses, and we’ll likely own/start more in the future. Two, we want to leave our children businesses in industries that will be hard to be replaced by robotics, AI, etc. Read more>>

Olivia M Menard | Chief Executive Beekeeper at Brookfield Apiaries

When I first started beekeeping 8 years ago I don’t think starting a business would have ever crossed my mind. Running and gardening were my escapes from the stress of a day job. These activities took me outside and brought me closer to nature. They allowed me to step back from the day to day churn and settle my mind on the evenings and weekends. Read more>>

Elijah Muhammad Ii | Professional DJ in choreographer/Business manager advisor

Create a business plan stick to your goals make your business for all demographics create a good marketing layout.. Read more>>

Larry Grayson | Game Designer

I suppose that after 10 years in corporate America, I got tired of punching a clock and working for other people. Gray Orc Games is the 6th business I’ve started. This time, I wanted to tackle something for the fun of it rather than for the financial gain. I’ve been a “game player” for as long as I can remember and wanted to try my hand at game development. Read more>>

Laura Green | Growth Strategist

I didn’t set out to start my own business although in hindsight I maybe should have suspected it would happen. My parents are fairly business-minded and entrepreneurial but I always thought I wanted something very different (despite being a girl who collected business cards as a kid!). I started out pursuing a career in private education and then accidentally discovered how much I loved business development while working for that firm. It was energizing for me and I loved the strategic thinking I was able to bring to that work. I moved into similar roles across several different industries and sectors, paying close attention to which work I loved that other people didn’t. Read more>>

John Travis Lawson | Content Creator (Artist/Entertainer)

Hi Shelly! Before we get started, I’d like to express my gratitude for you all reaching out, and, for your all’s genuine interest… it really means alot! I’ll lead off with a bit of backstory just to, hopefully, provide a more concrete understanding of my transition into a new frontier. Up until about a year ago, I had “done life” everybody else’s way, or, typically, what societal “norms” would suggest. Upon graduating college, I moved back home to help my late father with our family’s sign business, which was, in all aspects, a thriving one! Read more>>

Edward Boey | Web Maintenance Specialist

I have two on this, one on the earlier one before, where I rush into starting my own business and it failed miserably and forced me to go back to work.
From there I try again after working awhile I start again to start something on my own again. What my company name is Newwave Synchronizer Sdn Bhd and we are specialized in Web Development, Maintenance, and Digital Marketing. The idea behind this is where Newwave brings in the technology to be synchronized with the current trend and helping business to adapt in challenging times.
The idea behind is no matter how small the service is like registering a domain name, as long as somehow it helps in the long term recurring income of the company we are happy to do that as doing a business in long term is key and vital for success. Read more>>

Ana Jaffar | Artist & Published Author

As I started thinking about starting this business officially in 2020, I started to wonder what benefits it would have for me & my community. I started to evaluate how it could brighten someone’s day & why would someone want to buy my art! I thought about where I could see myself with this business in the long run & what legacy I could leave for my family! As a small business owner, I started to find out that it’s not easy being an entrepreneur. Your faith will truly be tested! I wanted to be able to work my business full time & make enough to sustain a living! It was quickly learned that right now that wasn’t realistic, but the passion only grew stronger! Read more>>