Many books on startups and business talk about how there are right and wrong reasons for starting a business. So, we asked a handful of successful founders about their reasons and the thought-process behind starting their business.

Rhythm-N-Poetry | Hiphop artist

I recognized a gap in the market for high-quality music production and distribution services. With my passion for music and extensive industry knowledge, I believed I could provide artists a platform to showcase their talent. Starting Tangible Recordingz allowed me to merge my entrepreneurial spirit with my love for music, creating a space for artists to thrive and audiences to discover exceptional music. Read more>>

Diana Chastain | Blogger & Pre-K Teacher

I wanted to be able to stay with my children as much as possible. We were young when we got married and I was 24 when I had my daughter. Day care wasn’t an option we could afford so staying at home was what we decided was best. I would have stayed being a nanny longer, but I was put on bed rest the last month of my pregnancy. Read more>>

Cierra Abrams | Make Up Artist

I was extremely tired of working for someone else and not being appreciated. I wanted to create something for myself that will better my future in the long run. Read more>>

Dimitri Parker | Restaurant Bar and Lounge Owner

I always knew I wanted to be in busienss for myself even in my younger years. I just didn’t know how or what. I also knew I wanted to be able to provide jobs for people in my community. Especially the people that don’t always get the same fair shake as others in the job market. Read more>>

Rev. Jodi Suson- Calhoun | Nutritionist, Human Behaviorist, Brain Health Professional, Quantum Energy Healer

After learning the truth about our food and water supply and how it impacted our emotional health, owning my own business was the only option for me. It is my responsibility to let people know about the easier path to health after I figured it out for myself. Owning my own business allows me to pave the way for others that want better health and the freedom to speak about it. Read more>>

Brenda Banks | Founder of S.M.A.R.T

Growing up I faced a lot of adversities, stemming from physical as well as sexual abuse. I remained silence for a long time before finding my voice. When I found my voice, I found strength and courage. This new found strength and courage evolved into something bigger than me, and needed to be shared with young women who was or had experienced similar life experiences as myself. Read more>>

Industry Standard aka Indy | Songwriter, recording artist, and performer

I started Industry Standard Music (my music label) to create a way I could pursue my own music career and not be taken advantage of. Signing myself to my own label allowed me to work directly with major music distribution companies. I highly recommend this to all up and coming independent artist Read more>>

Takesha Kellie | Salon Owner, professional stylist

To be honestly, I was scared! Scared to fail of course! I realized we all have to start somewhere, so I pulled my big girl pants on and jumped head first. I just keep telling myself I have to keep going! Read more>>

Rachel Smolka | Owner of EPOCH Resumes

When I started EPOCH, my thought process was deeply rooted in addressing a gap that I observed within the professional landscape. I recognized that college students, despite their extensive academic pursuits, were often not equipped with the essential skills of crafting effective resumes and performing well in interviews. This realization was a pivotal moment for me, igniting my passion to make a meaningful impact and help bridge this crucial knowledge gap. Read more>>

Buster Pickett | Business Owner & Tutor

As a former teacher, private tutoring was a comfortable step to take within the education world. I have a genuine passion for learning, and I strive for the “Aha!” moments that my students often achieve. However, my instruction quickly became highly sought after, and I decided to take a rather uncomfortable leap into the business world of starting my own business. Read more>>

Tanya Byrd | Visionary Author & Content Creator

Great question. The thought process behind starting my own business BEAUTIFUL SURVIVOR is to be a positive, encouraging and inspirational impact for other woman going through a breast cancer journey. It’s important to me that woman know they can get through the journey and be whole again from a mental and physical perspective- no matter how tough the journey is. Read more>>

Dan Castle | Inventor

Very simply I had no choice. I was struggling with major lower back pain issues and plantar fasciitis and my spending with PT and Chiros was a disaster. Painkillers made me feel good for an hour and then I was back to my usual horrible pain. So i needed to create a solution that would fix me. Read more>>

Freda Givens | Dr. Freda Givens CEO G Clef Solutions, LLC

G Clef Solutions, LLC was created as a multifaceted company developed because of three of my greatest passions: education, leadership, and music. For several years I served in the role of principal leading dynamic groups of professional educators in the school setting. Simultaneously, I continued to be active as a musician, vocalist, and composer. Read more>>

Elisse Mackay | Owner Dentist

Deciding to open our own business was intimidating, but it really came down to wanting to create something new in the world of dentistry. We both had worked at multiple practices once we graduated dental school, and that came with positives and negatives. We learned a lot about what is important to us as dentists and leaders. Read more>>

Azaria G. | Interdisciplinary Performance and Visual Artist

When I started azariag.com in 2020, I really wanted to take a risk and bet on myself. I had created really great artwork in high school, and considered giving up visual art in the professional sense when I began college. I felt like I had to chose, and because I was pursuing dance I wasn’t sure there was space for both. Then I had created one of my favorite art pieces to date, and showed my dance professor, Duane Cyrus, who encouraged me to utilize both! Read more>>

Nikki Lanier | CEO of Harper Slade Racial Equity Advisory | Race, Work and Economics Thought Leader and Expert

In 2020 I was a senior vice president with the Federal Reserve running the Louisville branch office on behalf of the St. Louis Fed. That was a year that quieted the world, on one dimension, and compelled us to scream out loud on others. As a black community leader in Louisville Kentucky where Breonna Taylor was killed, 2020 was an untenable year. Read more>>

Maya Patel | Founder of The Last Word. Book Club

Two years ago, I moved to Atlanta and had a remote job and knew next to no one. I was constantly looking for ways to meet new people and to find communities that would help make the city feel a bit smaller. During the pandemic, I got back into reading — a favorite pastime when I was young — and found that I still loved it and felt less alone. Read more>>

Javin Adderley | Engineer and Chef

When I saw that my desire in corporate America was coming to an end, I wanted to do something that I enjoyed doing. My desire for cooking, grilling and smoking meats, lead me to the creation of Tropikal Bird Turkey Legs Read more>>

Devrin Batiste Sr. | I am a 43 year old Fitness Trainer and Day Trader

I was working at a chemical plant where we worked rotating 12 hour shifts. Some days 5 pm to 5 am and some days 5 am to 5 pm. I remember when my son was about 3 years old and I’d leave out in the evening for work and he just cried and cried. Read more>>

Julius Sanchez | Artist/ Creative

Well, I don’t think there was so much of a plan of starting a business , you know, the whole figuring out a name, the logo , what this means to me, how is this product going to so and so forth. . The ‘plan’ was always doing something that felt natural to me and figure out as I go to provide value the way I know how. Read more>>

Dr. Taryn Fletcher | Life and Leadership Coach

Since I was little, I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I remember being seven or eight and negotiating deals with my parents to get a pet guinea pig or start dance lessons across town. Even if the plan didn’t make sense to my parents at the time, I found ways to impact their decision in order to make it happen. Read more>>

Jeanine Hays & Bryan Mason | Founders of AphroChic

We started AphroChic in 2007. The brand began as an interior design blog. A space to showcase the diversity that exists in design. We saw a lot of other interior design blogs out there, but very few showed Black homes, the work of Black designers, and mainly showcased white interiors. Read more>>

Sheneya Wilson MS, MBA, CPA | FinTech Social Entrepreneur & Wealth Educator

Growing up in the Bronx, I witnessed the profound impact of limited financial literacy and its detrimental effects on our community where economic struggles were a daily reality. My neighbors yearned for opportunities, for pathways to financial success that would restore harmony to our streets. Read more>>

Gabrielle Williams | Primary Care Doctor, prefer to be called Dr. Williams

Like many who veer from the conventional path, I became disillusioned with traditional medicine. I envisioned I would be a primary care physician (PCP) who had time do a full health physical: listen to the patient’s concerns, discuss treatment options including lifestyle, then we both decide what’s best. This takes time which isn’t a priority in insurance-based healthcare. Read more>>

Jessica Anderson | Founder/Expert Designer & Production Management

I had been a corporate fashion designer in NY for over a decade and for years had several people coming to me asking for help getting their fashion lines produced. They struggled with how to get their fabrics sourced, prototypes created and didn’t know the first thing about how to find a good quality manufacturers. Read more>>

Alexis Cali | Makeup Artist, Salon Owner & Beauty Educator

My thought process behind starting my business was making sure that I followed through with my entire business plan. Making sure that I gave it 100 percent and if I don’t live the day to see my brand flourish then at-least I’ll be creating a head start for my family. Read more>>

Larry Citgo | Entertainment Label Owner/Artist

My thought process on creating “Chase It To Get Out Entertainment LLC.” was to make opportunities for others like myself to express their artistic talent and navigate their way out of their struggle. I come from the small town of Far Rockaway, Queens, NY. where there isn’t much stars to wish upon. It started as just a rap music dream until my lack of resources developed my ability to do tasks other than rap. Read more>>

Denise Gunter | Mixed Media Collage Artist

The collage process has always been a love of mine. I was introduced to Romare Bearden by one of my college professors. It was instant attraction. At the time I was majoring in Art Education and mainly explored painting, sculpture and etching. These are all process-oriented mediums. (Needs more explanation) As an educator I taught art, promoted artists residencies in the schools and engaged students in all forms of the arts. Read more>>

Toraé Eastman | Owner and Principal Designer

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York where I developed my sense of design through my cultural experiences. My passion has always been to create a “WOW” factor for people, homes, and events. As a little girl, I would play fashion designer with my Nana, and draw different sketches of fashion and she would hang them on the back of her front door in her studio apartment. Read more>>

Dr. Elyssa Green | Founder of Bald Boss Beauty

Recently, Dr. Green has pivoted into a personal campaign of triumph, shaving her head to combat alopecia. Proving that she is a fighter for not only youth and creatives, she chose to take this fight to the public forum and proudly display her bald beauty and embrace the mental freedom that came with it. Read more>>

Bridgette Stephens Miller | CEO of IdeaCentre HIM Solutions

Towards the end of 2016 it was placed on my heart as well as prophetically spoken to me regarding entrepreneurship, followed by confirmations. I am very grateful God has entrusted me with so many assignments, and shows me all the time HE is limitless. Read more>>

Joe Cianciolo | Human Capital Strategist

We had individuals and business in our community that were consistently asking us for advice, so we created Front Porch Advisers to monetize the meetings that were being generated from our reputation in the community. We also saw a large disconnect between the established business community and the younger population already moving into our area and saw a need to lead by example. Read more>>

Daniel Hershey | Strength & Conditioning Coach

The initial idea and thought to starting my own business was solely out of the passion and general interest in the strength and conditioning field. Timing wise, my wife and I had just moved back to the US from Japan after having our first child. We decided it was time to give it a go and thought we could do something a little better than it was currently being done. Read more>>

Liliya Cooper | Concert and Portrait Photographer

When I first decided to start my publication, one of the main factors that motivated me was professionalism. One of the most important things in starting a publication is to have drive, a desire to pleasing people and perfectionism. After separating from them I took all of the necessary steps to grow my own brand that had that wow factor. Read more>>

Angela Maria | CEO/Producer & Host

Great question Kevin. My thought process behind starting a Smooth Jazz Internet Radio station was a few reasons. If I had to pinpoint one – it would be my love for the genre – Smooth Jazz. Although I’m a music lover by nature “Smooth Jazz” has the ability to take the listener to another place. Meaning it creates an ambiance – a vibe that relaxes & entices while stimulating the passionate side of the listener. Read more>>

Andrew Scott | Creative Director, Photographer, Videographer & Content Creator

I grew up watching my parents consistently hustle my whole life, and it inspired me to get up and find a way to get money on my own. My dad would always teach me to work hard enough so one day I could be my own boss instead of constantly taking orders from others at my 9 to 5. At a young age i knew I was going to someday be a business owner, i just did not know what. Read more>>

Ebony White | Fashion Designer and Owner of OK Provisions swim

I had worked as a fashion designer for almost 20 years in New York and L.A. I have worked for several well known brands, and some of your readers may unknowingly have items I designed in their closests. The way that it works is that designers like me are behind the big names, while the brands and faces are the marketing tools. Read more>>

Shametra Rozier | Certified DOT Collector, Instructor, & CMAA

My thought process behind starting my own business was basically, being able to have more time with my children. Being able to leave something behind that would be beneficial to them and create generational wealth. I figured if you invest time into working for other companies and bringing their vision to life, why not invest those same years, hard work and dedication into your own. Read more>>

Shawn Weir | CEO/Founder of Good Vibez Only, LLC. & House of Vibez

I am a mental health advocate. My passion for making a positive impact on society led me to create the clothing brand Good Vibez. Born and raised in South Jamaica, Queens, as a first-generation American, I faced a share of challenges dealing with depression and anxiety. Read more>>

Paul Baby Paul” Hendricks | Grammy Nominated music producer

I started my own business in 1995 inspired by my late grandmother, Inez Lewin who was the most spiritually grounded person in my family. After working as a music producer delivering records for both major and independent music labels like: Read more>>

Sunny Newsom | Mobile Bartender / Owner of SunnySips

Well it was during COVID, I was laying around and I saw everyone starting their own business, so I’m like let me join them but what should I do? Boom, I got it bartending, making drinks! Then SunnySips was born. Read more>>

Faith, Malia, and Mariah Jeffcoat | Owners and Founders of The Lemonade Twins

As young entrepreneurs we were inspired by other young entrepreneurs and with our parents helped. Our business came forth. Read more>>