Deciding to start a business is an unusual decision. It’s often considered irrational and yet for many it’s the best decision they’ve ever made. So we asked folks to think back to when they were starting their businesses and to tell us about their decision making process.

Journey Smith | Business Owner, CPO, LGIT

In 2018, my hubsand, Logan, and I talked about wanting to start our own business, which we named Sunny Days Pool Management, Inc. At the time, I had nearly a decade of experience in pool management working for other aquatic management companies and waterparks in the Houston area. I have always had a passion for water safety and teaching lifeguards to be diligent. My husband and I knew that the commercial pool management industry was a highly saturated market, so our mentality from the beginning was, “If we are going to do this, we want to do it right.” Before we even signed our first client, we decided that we wanted to partner with a local non-profit organization that focused on water safety education for families. We were introduced to the Judah Brown Project through the Drowning Warriors podcast and really hit it off. With Judah Brown Project’s experience in educating families and my own experience in training employees, we formed a mutually beneficial relationship that helped Sunny Days Pool Management stand out as experts in water safety and education. Since starting our business, we have received positive feedback from our clients regarding our high quality employee training, our customer communications, and our attention to detail. Our mission statement is “To lead the industry in safety, quality, and customer care.” It has been an honor to meet this mission and continue to serve our communities to this standard. Read more>>

Niki Spears | Chief Culture Creator

My journey to founding Culture Cre8ion stems from a lifelong passion for creating positive communities, which I never imagined could evolve into a lucrative business. From a young age, I observed my family dynamics and dreamed of ways to foster a close-knit environment. When I made the bold decision to leave my job in 2016, there was no guarantee of financial security, but I embarked on this path driven by faith and my unwavering belief in the power of positive culture and communities. Having witnessed firsthand the profound impact of culture on team success as an educator and later a school leader, I felt compelled to share this insight with others—to illustrate why culture matters and how it can be transformed. Thus, Culture Cre8ion was born—a platform dedicated to teaching individuals and organizations the importance of cultivating thriving cultures and providing them with the tools to enact meaningful change within their communities. Read more>>

Jodi Sanchez | Interior Designer & Personal Stylist

I was working for a design firm in Houston and never planned to start my own business – I loved working with my team! As time went on I realized in order to be able to work in the design industry the way I wanted to, I would have to forge my own path. Design and styling is a luxury service, but when it occurred to me that very few people in my “real life” would ever be able to comfortably afford the rates design firms charge, I started looking for ways I could create a brand that made design and styling more accessible. That idea blossomed into Styled. by jodi and I’m so proud to be creating a new niche within the industry. Read more>>

Cassie Huber | Licensed cosmetologist

When I first started my business I was straight out of highschool, working at my dads restaurant, and I had planned on it just being a side hustle during college before I started a career in the law enforcement field. In the beginning I only offered spray tanning as a service, I was a competitive cheerleader for 9 years so I was super familiar with the whole spray tanning process since I was getting them done almost every other week for competitions. My background with cheer and spray tanning coupled with an empty air conditioned treehouse in my backyard was what gave me the idea to start my business while I was still living at home as a way to make extra money, I had the space and the means so I took the risk and spent all of my savings on a spray tanning machine and supplies! Over time however, my thought process on the business has changed tremendously, it’s now my only source of income and I plan for it to continue growing and be the career I have for the rest of my life, major detour from the original law enforcement plan but ultimately I know that this is what I’m meant to be doing. Read more>>

Lisa Stein | Mentor with The Mentor Membership

My decision to start my own business was deeply rooted in my personal experiences and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. As a single mother at 19, I navigated through various roles and challenges, each contributing to my growth and resilience. Through it all, my drive to support and uplift others remained unwavering. Read more>>

Dr. Krisshundria James | Certified Life Coach, Certified Christian Counselor, Certified Speaker, Professor, Teacher & Mentor

Listen starting your own business is not easy, but it is exciting! There are times when you question yourself. My first thought was “God why did you choose me for this?” Starting a business was terrifying, but yet rewarding. It was like God pushed me to step out of my comfort zone. I was constantly weighing the pros and cons, the risks, and other considerations that was overwhelming and fear and doubt started to kick in. My thought process behind starting my own business was I thought I was going to be a failure and because I was scared, I thought my business was not going to be a great business.. I heard from people I wasn’t ever going to be good enough, I was a worthless piece of trash and with the attitude I had I was not going to get anywhere. I did not know how my business was going to turn out, where my clients were going to come from and where God was taking me. The devil started to put thoughts in my mind like, “Am I good enough for this?”, “I can’t do this”, “What if I fail at this?”. On top that I had thoughts like, “God wouldn’t give me a business to start and then leave me”. “God has a purpose and plan for my life.” When I started my business I was torn, shattered, broken and seeking God of where to go next, When God gave me a vision for my business, I knew I had to seek God deeper. One thing I did know is I stood daily on Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you”, Philippians 4:13 “I can do ALL THINGS though CHRIST who strengthens me!” and Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” These are my three verses I live by daily, but did I think about these when starting my business, yes and no. I knew all I had to do was pray, trust God and follow His lead, but I was battling with starting my business because the enemy did not want me to fulfill God’s purpose for my life. My business is apart of God’s purpose and plan for my life. When fear and doubt creeped up in my mind, I always thought to myself, “There is purpose in this! Keep praying and seeking God and He will do the rest.” Sometimes when accepting God’s assignment for your life, that includes your business, you just have to step back and allow God to do the work and be patient while you do the inner self work. I knew there was a lot of self work I had to do on the inside while God was leading me. Scared and afraid, I allowed God to lead me and followed the vision God gave me for my business. Do it scared and afraid and DO NOT take GOD out of the frontline of the vision God gave you for your business. ALWAYS KEEP GOD FIRST AND ALLOW GOD TO LEAD YOU! Read more>>

Kamisha Moses | Training Specialists | Business Owner of Kissy K Cosmetics

My motivation for launching my own business stemmed from a desire to empower women to feel confident and beautiful while applying and wearing makeup. I aimed to develop a line that simplified the application process and offered a diverse range of products to help women achieve the looks they desired. Growing up, I often felt limited by my complexion when it came to experimenting with colorful eyeshadows or bold lip colors. Therefore, I created a makeup line specifically tailored to address these concerns and cater to a wider range of skin tones. Read more>>

Gary Smith | Hip-hop artist

Being able to express myself freely through my music without having the pressure of meeting major label expectations. Also being able to own all the rights to my creations. Read more>>

Marcela Gaviria | Business Owner

After years of working in the corporate world, I decided to take leap and start my own business, it was a dream of mine from a long time to put into work the passion I have for parties and celebrations, I wanted to embrace my creativity and let my imagination run wild while creating sleepovers for kids. So here I am 6 years after with Hopitepees Read more>>

Kellette | Artist & Media Guru

Starting FRQNCY Media was something that I felt I was called to do from the very beginning. So many artists dont have proper branding, social media, website, or media assistance. Being able to provide those services to fellow artists , and now small businesses, has be so fulfilling. I get to assist in the rise of other stars and help my community reach their desired audiences, with the perfect vibe. Read more>>

Dabs Ogboru | Certified Trichologist

I founded NHCG Trichology in 2020 after being a voice in the hair care/ loss management industry since 2011, my passion for promoting healthy hair care practices allowed me build a community of over 20,000 women across social media platforms from all over the world to which I had the privilege and pleasure of connecting with in person and virtually via a hair care blog. Read more>>

Jessica Seidu | Business Strategist

While on bedrest, pregnant, with my twins, I knew that I needed to find a way to keep myself busy and prevent overwhelm. My doctors and therapist at the time suggested I focus on personal development. I decided to start there and found out a whole lot more than I had expected, which was a heart for helping people find their dream home. I took the current skills I had, and decided to dive into digital marketing for real estate professionals. I knew that I understood the clients and could help connect them. This is how my online entrepreneurship journey began. Read more>>

Mark Thomas | Left My Mark

My thought process behind starting my own business was a was a graphic designer in college and i had a clothing line and all my friends always seen how good my designs and drawings was. They then suggested i started doing tattoos because i could draw so well and I agreed. Read more>>

ShaQuaz Wilder | Owner/ceo

When starting my online shoe business and electric scooter business, my thought process was driven by several factors. Firstly, I observed a growing trend in e-commerce and saw an opportunity to tap into the online retail market. I believed that an online platform could reach a wider audience and provide convenience for customers looking to buy shoes or electric scooters. Read more>>

Effua McGowan | Human Capital and Corporate Operations Strategist

When I decided to launch my business, I was in search of independence and a space to personalize what I had learned from several years of traditional and corporate learning experiences. I also knew that I wanted the opportunity to contribute to my communities in a way that was culturally relevant and achievable, while being both self-paced and competitive. In a way, I wanted to show that we can chase our dreams at any age. There was never a sense of needing to valid, rather, it was more about becoming the person I knew I was meant to be. Share , learn and serve with generosity. I authored a book, “The ABC’s of Leadership” in 2020. I have a kids’ edition in English, Spanish and Swahili. Read more>>