Starting a business is a commitment and requires dedication, resources and sacrifice. We asked some of the rising stars in our community how they thought through the idea of starting their own businesses.

Phoenix England | Owner of Butterfly Mountain Co

Back in 2019 I started working at Starbucks, during the time the pandemic hit. I was in college a year at the time to become a UltraSound Tech. After a year of doing college I decided this wasn’t the road that I wanted to take. So, one day I came across a news article about a coffee truck going around to neighborhoods serving coffee to customers like an ice cream truck & I thought it was the coolest thing I’ve ever heard! Read more>>

Chase Kiernan | Founder & Manager of Macon K-Pop

I was thinking about what I wanted to do after high school and came up with the idea of having a K-Pop store. My friends and I have made many trips to visit the store in Doraville, GA and Orlando, FL to purchase albums and merchandise, but always wished there was a local K-Pop community where fans could get together for photocard trading events, dance practice, and to hang out sharing their love of all things K-Pop. Read more>>

Soleidy Mendez | Filmmaker, Actress

The thought process is a constant one. It started with a desire to create films for people like me, to tell the stories I felt needed to be told but that I was not seeing out there. But there are so many aspects to this industry that are not just art related. The economic factor plays a major part in choosing whether or not you want to produce a film so I created the production company but take things on a project-to-project level. Read more>>

Delilahh Love | Hair Supplier/beauty Server

The thought process behind starting my Own brand was An absolute rollerCoaster as I 2nd Guessed and Questioned my Own abilities More than Once and Prolonged myself. I thought about What if People don’t Support Me? , what If I don’t Sell Out? , what If I’m not starting right? Just so many what Ifs. But their was never a right Answer or nothing no One could tell Me , I just knew I had to START and start now Read more>>

Nikki Langford | Tax Preparer & Mother Baby Nurse

I wanted to do something that I had more control of. When you’re working for other companies you’re confined within their policies and rules and on their time. I wanted to create something that I could run my way. My ultimate end goal in anything I do financially or investment wise is financial freedom. That was a major reason for me wanting to begin my own tax company. Read more>>

Danesha Anderson | Licensed Esthetician & Self Love Influencer

The thought process behind my business was to help. Growing up I always had insecurities and was bullied, like many others and I didn’t have anyone I can run to that can help build me up and to show me how to love myself correctly. I started Upower Studio with the love for the beauty industry and the love of falling in love with myself. Read more>>

Sensorya Green | Yoga Instructor &’ Owner of Synciere Healing

My thought process behind starting my own business was that I wanted to be as self sustainable as possible. Often so many of us spend years working for other people, just to have our positions ripped from under our feet, due to a variety of reasons. Read more>>

JaVanta Haskins | JaVanta Haskins also known as Vanna/SINGLE MOTHER of a Daughter & Son/BACHELORS IN HEALTH SCIENCES/ASSOCIATES IN APPLIED SCIENCE/OWNER, CEO & FOUNDER of I AM H3R SOLUTION 4 U LLC

My thought process behind starting my own business was “CREATIVITY” while also being “ORIGINAL & UNIQUELY” MYSELF. I learned early on from those close to me & others that I’ve encountered that I was a great asset to other major companies brands from the daily questions such as, “Where’d you get your lashes, outfit, hair, nails, lashes, etc.?” After some pushing & consideration, I knew it was time for me to start my own brand while making it affordable for all women, especially “SINGLE MOTHERS” because I am one! Read more>>

Heather Wright, M.Ed. | Special Education Consultant

Before being a small business owner, I taught in a local public school district. I had never planned to own my own business. As I got older and gained experience and knowledge, I knew that I needed a change. It took a few years for me to decide what that actually looked like. I knew I still wanted to help students and families, but not in the traditional school setting. Read more>>

Edwin Rivera | Music Producer/Label Owner

My thought process on starting this business was not only to have validation and control on what I or my artists put out but to also create job opportunities for special talents such as marketing and promo, publishing and advertising, film makers and more. Read more>>

Alexis Dailey | Public Health Sociologist, Doula, & Herbalist

As a small child, I spent summers at my grandmother’s house in Chattanooga, TN. I would listen to her stories about traveling as an assistant with her grandmother across East Tennessee who was a well-known certified midwife. As a sickly child myself, I found my grandmother using the same knowledge of natural healing technologies to help me through some of my hardest bouts of illnesses. Read more>>

Emily Brown | Owner

In 2018 we purchased our first TC Teardrop after the birth of our daughter with great hopes of family adventures, weekend getaways, and cross-country road trips. In 2020, as the world shut down due to the global pandemic, we saw an opportunity to help people get out of their homes and back into nature. Read more>>