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.

Cristy T. Jones | Grant Writer, Career Coach, & Diversity and Inclusion Champion

On October 10, 2020, my life changed drastically. I was forced to resign from my job due to a denied Family Medical Leave of Absence (FMLA) request. Heartbroken and frustrated, I applied for unemployment to cover my medical expenses; but my unemployment checks never arrived. I used my retirement savings to make ends meet and started to provide grant writing for minority-owned non-profits and career coaching and resume writing services for college students and recent college graduates to earn some additional income. After achieving success stories for my clients by helping them get their dream jobs, I founded CTJ Equity Solutions in January 2021 to support young adults in finding their passion and making their soul work and careers align. CTJ Equity Solutions is a boutique career coaching, organizational development, nonprofit management, and business development firm to support students, aspiring entrepreneurs, and non-profit organizations and enthusiasts. In my first year of launching CTJ Equity Solutions, I wrote and won $446,300 in grants for Black-owned non-profits in the Atlanta area. I went on to serve as Miss Fulton County 2022 and competed for Miss Georgia 2022 in the Miss America system where I gained the platform to provide purpose-driven career coaching and exploration through my platform, “Ready, Set, Go!: Career Awareness and Preparedness (C.A.P.)”. Read more>>

TInisha Gold | Creative Director in User Experience

Starting my own business required I first learn that it was possible. Growing up in 90’s I grew up learning to find a job work, get a pension and retire. With all the major changes in technology in the last 20 years I graduated high school with the mindset I would just find a job and become successful. It didn’t happen that way. Over the last two decades I’ve had over 20 jobs, over 15 contract positions, so starting my own business just made sense. Read more>>

Aaron Owens | Professional stylist and designer.

My creative thoughts process behind starting my business was to turn every negative situation into positivity. Creating a new level of life through fashion. Read more>>

Keith and Amanda Kraft | K&A Theatricals Performing Arts

After teaching musical theater for other companies for a decade after getting my degree in college I realized that I had all the knowledge training experience and know how to do it for myself. When I met my husband Keith, who has his masters of musical theater from the American music and dramatic academy in Los Angeles and New York, I knew I had found somebody who I could build a company together with. So I pulled from all my experience with other companies learning what works and what doesn’t work. Using our own experiences to guide us to a future together, we created K& A Theatricals Read more>>

Valencia Gibbs | Master Cosmetologist & Licensed Insurance agent

My thought process for starting my own business was inspired by being unemployed, homeless, and displaced after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Read more>>

Fard Mahdi | Multi-Million Dollar Brand Builder: Financial WarLord, Master at teaching the Science of Money, Banking, Business & Financial Warfare

Building a network/system that anyone can plug into and make money instantly. Read more>>

Ayse Sukola | Founder/Owner & Head Coach

The thought process behind starting my own business was driven by a combination of factors that stemmed from my passion for fitness and the desire to provide the best possible training environment for my athletes. As I began building a weightlifting program at a CrossFit gym, I foresaw the need for more space, time, and flexibility to support the growth of our weightlifters. While I had a great relationship with the gym, its owner, and coaches, I knew that stepping out on our own would be necessary for our continued development. Read more>>

Claude Langley Jr. | Visual Artist and Graphic Designer

My business was created out of a lack of opportunity being presented at the time and by finding my way in both the professional and creative worlds. I was in a position of making a life transition and leaning more toward my artistic talents instead of the things I was doing prior. I felt making a business out of my skillsets would make me more serious about everything and stick with it. Read more>>

Scott Mullenberg | Hand Bookbinder

Well, it happened unexpectedly. I was working behind the line in a restaurant here in Portland, Maine and on one particular evening after work I took a walk around the neighborhood…. frustrated and pondering what I was going to do in my life for $….as I wasn’t at all passionate about working as a cook/chef. I had dreams of writing…. I had taken some fiction workshops and even enrolled in University again in the English program. The apparent reality was I didn’t have the passion or discipline to write, like I imagined… I loved books, that was apparent from my growing collection/library. And in a hot moment I thought about books being bound…. something I had never ever thought about…… it was a click I suppose. I went home, and in the morning I called a commercial bindery to begin my inquiries. I remember not even knowing what to ask… I didn’t know anything about bookbinding but somehow I knew I didn’t want to spend my days behind a machine doing one operation. So I called a hand bookbinder and that call began my journey to an apprenticeship 8 month’s later with a bookbinder in Northampton, MA. I was on the road to working/building a job that I could go to, love, and leave without watching the clock. It offered me skill based creative expression. A perfect fit. And I’ve been doing it for 3 decades, and now under the moniker of Mullenberg Designs. Read more>>

Claudia Warias | Mindset + Emotional Health Coach

After being a high performer in corporate for 8 years & 4 years in leadership managing a gobal team, there came a point where I wondered.. Read more>>

Sheila | Notary Public/CSS

My business came to life during Covid-19, a friend of mine posted on her social media page that she was a notary and her business page. I was curious, so I texted her and asked her what were the requirements. She called and told me what to do and I started doing my research, watched a lot of videos, took a course and signed up for work after I got commissioned. Read more>>

Camille Johnson | Owner of Painted Faces, Painted Cosmetics & CamilleClaudelle

My thought process behind starting my own business was making sure I was able to provide “Better” service to people of colored and to provide a space where they are wanted, respected and appreciated. Read more>>

Tari Robinson | Writer, Director, Executive Producer

The thought process behind starting my own TV and film production company was driven by a combination of passion for storytelling, a vision for innovation, and a determination to make a lasting mark in the entertainment industry. Read more>>

Brandon Watts | combat Infantry Veteran, Founder and CEO of Operation RallyPoint

I was Led to it. Having Served in combat, we took care of each other. Our oath has no expiration date. I saw our comrades suffering after service. how can we demand help for our comrades without first helping in our own capacity? Who better? so “here am I, send me” comes to mind. Read more>>