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.

Jennifer Cruz | Crochet Fashion Designer

Oh man it’s been a while since I really looked back. I started this about 8 years go. I was un-employed at the time living at my parents house with my husband and my daughter. Times were a tad rough for us but we have come a long way! I saw this girl with the cutest crochet top while I was out one day, I thought to myself how I used to watch my mom crochet when I was a kid and I figured maybe it is easy to make. My brother in law (shout out to Karl!) ended up giving me $20 (yes I started this whole thing with ONLY $20) to go and purchase a few supplies and it just grew from there. As scared as I was I did not let fear or anyone stop me. Read more>>

Prissy Williams | Personal Stylist

Starting my own business was a culmination of several factors and a deeply personal journey for me. Firstly, I’ve always had a passion for fashion and a keen eye for styling. I found immense joy in helping friends and family find outfits that made them feel confident and empowered. This sparked the idea of turning my passion into a profession. Read more>>

Alex White | Choreographer & Entrepreneur

My thought process behind starting my own business, was birthed in the form of literature. I read a lot of Aesop’s fables as a child and I enjoyed the process of story telling. I would write poems, short stories and comic book movies lol. As all young children my attention shifted through the years to sports, but I never lost my passion for storytelling. Starting Alex White Productions allowed me that opportunity to continue to childhood dream of being an author. Now I just tell stories through impactful movement. Read more>>

Ashley Victoria | Owner – Aesthetician

I’ve battled with acne-prone skin since an adolescent and have always been passionate about skin care since I can remember. In 2012, I attended Aveda Institute to pursue my esthetic career and immediately started working for a couple different plastic surgeons in their medical spa practice. I instantly knew I made the right decision as I was eager to learn more about the industry and attended several conferences to boost my knowledge. In 2017, my entrepreneur journey began and Beautopia Skin Studio was born. Read more>>

 Jorge Castro | Real Estate Photographer

Starting my own business was a natural progression fueled by a passion for real estate photography and a desire to provide top-notch services tailored to the industry’s needs. I saw an opportunity to fill a gap in the market and offer high-quality imagery that truly captures the essence of properties, helping clients stand out in a competitive market. Additionally, the freedom to innovate and create a personalized experience for clients was a driving factor in taking the entrepreneurial leap. Read more>>

Peter Rosch | Author and Co-Host of What We Know What We Don’t

Before What We Know, What We Don’t was a radio show on KWVH 94.3 in Wimberley, TX, it was an idea. My cohost, Benita Conde, came up with it—as a writer, I’ve come to accept that most of the best lines or titles I’ve ever been a part of usually come from non-writers! The concept is rooted in the belief that listening with an open mind is key to aggressive self-evolution. The mediascape is chockfull of rage-tainment options, and for a good reason: those shows get clicks quickly, develop followings quickly, and, to be frank, it’s easy and dopamine-inducing to be mad all the time. Nonetheless, we wanted to try something different, and thankfully, the station manager, Tim Kiesling, was very on board. Read more>>

Scott Tarbox | Mural Artist & Designer

I never planned for this if I’m being honest. I was doing art while working and one day I started getting paid for it. Once that income eclipsed my day job, it was clear that I wanted to trade having a boss and a lack of agency over my time for this thing I that I loved to do. Read more>>

Blakeney McGee | Original Art

I distinctly remember the first time I fell in love with abstract art when I was 18 years old and walked into the home of the young family I began babysitting for in my college years. Their walls were full of color, bold brushstrokes and a collection of stories told through their art. That led me over the next 25 years or so to collect art from others as I could afford it and when I could not, to pick up a brush on my own and create my own stories with paint. During those years I mostly painted for myself as I raised my three children. With a move to Houston at the beginning of Covid with my family, my walls soon became full of art that needed to find homes and I needed to find a community within my new city. With the encouragement of family, I took to Instagram with my art. The early days of my art business relied heavily on friends who were my first clients. I realized in order to grow I would need to expand my reach. I quickly learned how to use social media to promote my art and find art collectors. Through Instagram I found a group of local artists who have been a great resource and inspiration to me. As an artist, it’s important for my work to be seen, and I found that by joining the @loveprettythings popup in Blue Hills in Round Top, Texas. I now show at both the fall and spring shows which has helped me meet so many new clients and interior designers. I am still learning and growing my art business and the best part is creating a piece of art for each client that becomes part of their story. Read more>>

Alyxandra Pendley | Epoxy Resin Artist and Local Cleaning Lady

I actually have two businesses: RedFoxResin; A “Pendley” Brand (is my epoxy resin art business) and The Fox’s Den Cleaning Services.

Initially, my main thought process behind starting my own business was “I’ve got to make some money during this pandemic”. My job at the time had shut down for months and I was homeschooling my children so I needed a way to make money. Read more>>

Sarah Ono Jones | Cake Artist

I wasn’t looking to start my own business. In 2018 I was recruited by a big company in Houston to head their custom cake department. I sold my house and moved my family from Tennessee to Texas. I was excited to be part of a company where I could teach people my craft. I am passionate about cake decorating. To me, it is an art. Three days after Christmas in 2022, I got a call that would change my life. Without warning, the company I moved here for was pivoting in a new direction and I was let go. I was crushed. So, I took a few weeks off to process the abrupt news and then I hit the ground running. OnoJones Cakes was born! Read more>>

Lynette Perez | Owner of Rolling Sweets Houston

Growing up I always wanted to have my own business. I grew up in a family of Entrepreneurs. Back in my high school years I was in a Hospitality program. My passion for event planning started then. As I furthered my education I changed my career to education. My husband and I both have degrees in Education. We both work with kids and love our jobs! A few years later my daughter was born and I became a stay at home mom. As my daughter grew up and my time at home was coming to an end I started to think, am I going to go back to education or do I want to persue event planning. Because I still missed working with adults. Read more>>

Sydney Alexandria | Holistic Wellness Visionary

As the Owner/CEO of Breathe Lounge & Wellness Spa, my journey into the wellness industry is deeply rooted in personal experience and a profound transformation that turned pain into purpose. After surviving a near-death experience involving domestic violence and navigating the challenging process of divorce, I found myself on a journey of self-discovery and healing. Read more>>

Joshua Jacobs | Real Estate Investor and Brokerage

I knew long ago that I wanted to own my own business at some point. I’m too entrepreneurial to work in a big office environment. I also wanted to be able to create jobs and help my people make money and have a great work environment. To me, that’s the most exciting part of owning a business. Being an entrepreneur is very difficult and there are tremendous highs and lows, but also incredibly rewarding. Read more>>

Maya Widell Arguez | Owner of Makai Creative Studios & Makai Management

I love the creativity and discipline that owning your own business can bring. Although ambition can come from many walks of life, there’s something really special about seeing your work directly turn into your own success, and that is exactly what happens with owning a company. There’s always more to learn and experiment with, which just makes the day-to-day so much more exciting! Read more>>

Tierra Pitchford | Educator & Owner of Brilliant Moments Event Planning

Starting my own business has allowed me to do something that I have enjoyed doing as a hobby since in high school. Being the class president for my grade level and having the opportunity to plan various social and fundraising events I grew to enjoy and love. Then when I went to college and got involved with the Multicultural Affairs Department at UT-Arlington, my experience working with the department led me to plan and execute many more types of events like conferences, talent shows, keynote speaker diversity events, and award shows. I also would plan, decorate and execute events for family and friends and one day I thought I could make this as my own business. My dad also planned a role in the thought process of starting my own business because I saw him run a small business and work for the state as I was growing up. His small business was his hobby that he enjoyed. Read more>>

Quoc Ngo | Prop Maker and Craftsman

Well my business started off more as a hobby than anything else before it spiraled into essentially a part time job with full time hours. It was in high school when I wanted to surprise a friend with a birthday gift and I had asked her what sword she wanted and she said, “I want the sword from Skyrim that explodes.” It was one of my first and worst projects to date but that was what started my journey. From then on my focus went from wood working with nothing but weapons to eventually 3D printing and processing custom one of a kind pieces for my clients. Even though I’m a business in regards to most aspects, I wanted to provide a service that is reminiscent of a craftsman who takes pride in his work to provide his very best no matter the project. I strive to give my clients the very best piece that is worthy of their story that is being told. From then on it’s just one piece after another and even though I’ve only been in the scene for about 2 years after my break, I’ve been nothing but grateful for the success of my business through my patrons. Read more>>

Ashley King | Founder and Chief Instructor

In 2020 so many organizations dedicated initiatives to DEI in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. However, that created a mass need for DEI practitioners that the US didn’t truly have. So many individuals had great intentions; but very unfortunate impacts. So, DEI Labs is an organization that is setting the standard, holding the line, and raising the bar on DEI within corporate America. Read more>>

Ian Townsley | A.K.A. Ian Syder-Blake, director of the HTown Kings Show and owner of Houston Queer Events and Entertainment, LLC.

For over a decade I’ve had the privilege of working with and growing a community of performers that were unable to see themselves on a Drag stage. This allowed me to get to know many people on a personal level, many of whom I was able to help navigate their own lives by sharing my experience. Our community grew so quickly that I found myself teaching the same things over and over, which led to my Drag Boot Camp classes, which recently saw its 9th session completed with more than 15 students! Long story short, I have planned and officiated weddings, directed large group trips, and made a career as a host and show director. It was time to allow the hobby to evolve into something sustainable, that hopefully will keep growing for many years and give financial stability to myself and those that I employ. Read more>>