Starting a business can be terrifying. Weighing the pros and cons, the risks, and other considerations can be so overwhelming that often promising entrepreneurs stop before they even start. We asked some phenomenal entrepreneurs about their thought process behind starting their own businesses. Our hope is that by making the thought-process less intimidating we can help more folks think through whether they should take an entrepreneurial leap.

Aleisha Kelly | CEO

As a mother, my business was born from a heartfelt mission – to create products celebrating diversity, specifically designed for children who share physical features similar to my children. I wanted to fill a void in the market by providing representation and inclusivity, fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment for black boys everywhere. My journey as a mom and entrepreneur revolves around making a meaningful impact on the lives of young kings, sending a powerful message that everyone deserves recognition, regardless of their physical appearance. Read more>>

Brandon Clemons | Entrepreneur – Clothing line(7Godz)

Pretty much my thought process behind starting my own business is that I never seen myself working a 9-5 being I was a student athlete all my life, so I felt the way my journey was going basketball was going to be my career but it didn’t plan out that way so I basically want to change my circumstances. To be the one who breaks a generational curse and establish generational wealth for my family to be taken care of. Read more>>

Bambi Lynn | Musician, Graphic Designer, Website Designer, Event Planner, Organizer

To be honest, I just sort of stumbled into it. I started out creating artwork and websites for bands I was in, but then started having other people reach out to me asking for help with their projects. One thing led to another and I just found myself needing to start charging people for my time. Read more>>

Connor Hiebel | Microgreens Expert

The seeds of entrepreneurship were planted early in my life, a story that began with childhood dreams and evolved into the thriving venture that is Amelia Island Microgreens today. As a wide-eyed 5-year-old, I embarked on my first business venture, attempting to sell daddy long legs to my neighbors. A valuable lesson in supply and demand unfolded quickly – spiders weren’t the hot commodity I had envisioned. Undeterred, a few years later, I successfully sold candles to fund the purchase of a pet lizard named Curly, as in Larry, Curly and Moe. The desire to own my own business lingered through the years, a flame that never flickered. Little did I know that the next chapter in my entrepreneurial journey would be written during the unprecedented times of Covid-19. Read more>>

Devin Barbee | Serial Entrepreneur, philanthropist and media mogul

Starting my own business was my way of giving back and controlling the narrative. It actually was not about the monetary gain rather the impact I could have on expanding my brand. I wanted to reach more people and beaching my own boss was my ticket in doing so. Read more>>

Malik Gould | Serial Entrepreneur, Author, & Philanthropist

I always wanted to be in business for myself. I have a degree in International Business with a dual concentration in Entrepreneurship & Marketing. I even started a side business in college that targeted students. I had a plan that I was going to learn on someone else’s dollar first going corporate, then become a full time entrepreneur.. However things didn’t go as planned. I was devastated when Toyota didn’t hire me after I made it through all the interviewing rounds fresh out of college, and had to settle for a job that fired me for something I was 0% responsible for. I was caught up in my bosses bs and his team was fired, which let me know that God wanted me to start sooner than I had expected. Read more>>

Shannon Turner | Storyteller & Story Coach

I founded my practice in the wake of the 2016 election because people kept saying it was so surprising because we don’t hear each other across lines of difference. I thought, “Well, that’s one thing I can do. Help us to hear each other.” Read more>>

Shae Pearson | Pearson Care & Wellness, Owner/Licensed Massage Therapist

Early in life, I didn’t set out with the intentions of being a massage therapist and opening a spa. I’ve had many jobs in my lifetime to include being a Paralegal in the Army. However, my mind always wandered back to being a little girl and watching my Father excel at his craft of being an entrepreneur. It was no denying that he passed along to me, the same entrepreneurial spirit. I’ve always had dreams of being the captain of my own ship and once massage therapy was introduced into the equation, it was easy to cultivate my passion of helping others into a business. Read more>>

Dana Thomas | Research and Development specialists and Scientists

I have been a part of the industrial manufacturing sector of the United States for over 40 years now.

About 10 years ago I decided to pursue the advanced manufacturing sector and develop new innovative products that could be produced in our local community. Read more>>

Zoe Marsh-Leigh | Entrepreneur

Bring raised by my mother, she always worked for herself, and when she had to get a job, I would always see the defeat her in face. So I promised myself that I would always work for myself. Read more>>

Alena Smith | Founder, CEO & Author

I establishing Trust Your Strength to help create awareness of the mental support needed in and after the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) stay. Through our own personal experience of delivering two children prematurely, we are passionate about providing support to families of premature, sick infants, medically fragile babies and to those who have been affected by pregnancy and infant loss. Studies have suggested an estimate of 70 percent of parents whose babies spend time in the NICU may grapple with symptoms of depression, yet there are not good screening measures in place to help them. Through our services, we coordinated therapy and crisis resources to parents to help them during some of their most difficult times of their journey. Read more>>

Ardelia Mays | Registered Nurse and Entrepreneur

My journey into entrepreneurship began unexpectedly when my daughter went missing for a few hours. Fueled by the anxiety of that experience, I conceived the idea of a discreet GPS tracking bracelet for children. Financial constraints and nursing school diverted my path momentarily, but as a registered nurse, I later witnessed the challenges faced by families dealing with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Inspired by a desire to ease their burden, I redirected my focus, creating a GPS bracelet for those at risk of wandering. That’s how my business journey unfolded – born from personal experiences and a commitment to providing safety and peace of mind for families facing similar struggles. Read more>>

Dr. Osiris Carter | Just an overall cool guy!

From a child, my parents always displayed an entrepreneurial spirit, and naturally it tended to rub off on us as kids. From a little one, I was always interested in buying tennis shoes, so all my efforts back then were geared towards that ultimate goal! There was always some ultimate goal to earning money; be it washing cars, helping old ladies with groceries to their cars, and/or cutting grass. That sparked a desire as I got older to make helping people the ultimate goal. Now….helping people can be achieved in many ways. I’ve owned restaurants, investment clubs, and companies geared towards education about personal safety. But the root, the ultimate goal has always lead my thought paradigm. Read more>>

Ramoris Parham | DJ & Graphic Designer

When I was in college, I had an affinity for throwing parties. I figured I might as well make money since I enjoy partying. So that is kind of where RaDaP Multimedia was born. I taught myself to DJ using DJ software and by watching the DJs that were in Statesboro so that I could DJ my own parties. I downloaded Adobe Photoshop and taught myself to make flyers for the parties I was throwing. Sixteen years later, the business is thriving! Read more>>

Jay Johnson | Entrepreneur

I come from a family of Entrepreneurs! My Grandfather owned & operated his Fleet of Dump Trucks. My Mom has successful Tax preparation business. Read more>>

Christina Marie | The Financial Doctor

My decision to start my own business was deeply rooted in faith. I prayed for guidance, expressing my willingness to take a leap of faith if I could replace my salary using my accounting skills. Trusting in God, I ventured into entrepreneurship, relying on my gifts and talents to shape my professional journey outside corporate America. Read more>>

Arlynd “Big Homie Doe” Edwards | Ceo of Kouple Grand Ent

As an artist I think deciding to become an independent label gave me the first thought of looking at myself as a business. Meaning I had to look at what I was spending most of my budget on things such as (Studio time, production, music videos, and Show bookings) and I went out and supplied it all to my self purchasing a studio purchasing a camera purchasing a beat machine and taking the time to learn how the promotion game works. I started to see that immediately I would get revenue as opposed to being just a artist I wasn’t seeing the revenue as quickly Read more>>

Aiesha McKenzie | Fragrance Designer & Perfume Studio Owner

I wanted to be an entrepreneur since I was a teenager. I love the idea of dreaming up something, and then making it a reality. I quit my job in 2007 to move to Los Angeles and attend fashion school. I thought I’d be working in the fashion industry, but the recession of 2008 had other plans. The only thing I loved as much as fashion was fragrance. I never thought I could make perfume because you had to be handpicked and go to Paris to learn how to do it. However, in 2012, I went to a studio and created my own perfume. I knew I could do it, and I just had to figure out how. It took some work, but I figured out how I could blend perfume without having to go to school for it. Read more>>

Jamie Lee Zeno | Sergeant | Licensed Esthetician | Certified Life & Health Coach | Business Owner

The thought process behind me starting my own business was, “I have to help people. I have to make people feel good and better about themselves, so how can I go about it?”. I never knew or even imagined that I would be here helping others regain confidence, control, love, and more, for themselves. It’s truly rewarding and fulfilling when I see people looking and feeling better about themselves. When I see them making necessary changes and developing healthier habits…. It’s heartwarming. So that was the whole thought process, wanting to help others and be an outlet. Wanting to be able to provide them with the necessary resources they need to make changes on all levels. This is why I became an esthetician, a life coach, an entrepreneur, a leader. Read more>>

Terin Deanna | Makeup Artist

When I was younger I was raised by parents who didn’t work for a corporate job, my parents were entrepreneurs. My mom ran her own cleaning business for years, and still runs one to this day, and my father ran his own mechanic shop. While in high school I was told I needed to go to college, get a degree, and figure out a career path that would make me money in the future. All the things that went through my head were things like “dental assistant, a teacher, a nurse etc” but those weren’t anything that I was into or passionate about. Read more>>