Thinking through whether to start a business – whether to take the risk, whether to go out on your own – isn’t easy. So we asked some entrepreneurs we admire to tell us about how they thought through the process of starting a business.

Maurizio Schaltegger

After careers in law enforcement and winemaking, I realized I had a talent for building relationships and connecting with people.
I wanted to create a space where artists could thrive without being limited by geography, gatekeeping or outdated systems. I am not an artist myself, but I saw how many artists struggled to navigate the business side and I knew I could bridge that gap. I realized there was a real need for honest representation and international visibility, especially for emerging artists. That is what led me to create MTX Art Agency. Read More>>

Katie Huff

I had the incredible privilege of being a stay-at-home mom for 14 years—a role that taught me so much about care, patience, and dedication. When I made the decision to return to school for massage therapy and start my own business, I knew that flexibility would be essential. I wanted to continue being present for my children while also building a practice that allowed me to serve my clients with the same level of care and attention. Read More>>

Maria Delafuente Galindo

I come from a proud lineage of business owners. My grandparents owned furniture stores back in the ’70s and ’80s, and some of my fondest childhood memories are of spending summers in those stores, soaking in the energy and excitement of their world. Read More>>

Lindsay Gonzales

I am a bird nerd and loved the egg development portion of my laboratory training and research for genetic development during undergrad. I further learned about the ins and outs of orinthinology – the study of birds – during my masters program at East Texas A&M. I decided to sell a few chicks I incubated in a hatching egg raffle online. For $5 I turned a small profit and paid a house bill. I was hooked. I did it again. And again. And I learned tricks of hatching and increasing my hatch rate for every breed I incubated. I shared my journey and accrued an online following FAST.  Read More>>

Jazzarie Fejeran`

By day, I’m a Director of Human Resources with a very serious and structured role in the corporate world. Starting Princess Parties of Houston was my way of creating something completely different—something fun, whimsical, and rooted in joy. It’s the perfect balance to my day job, and I love getting to work with incredibly talented performers from Houston’s vibrant arts scene—many of whom are professional actors, singers, and dancers. It’s a refreshing contrast to the world of business, and it brings me so much fulfillment. Read More>>

Anastasiia Koziuberda

I would say that the idea that I want to be independent led me to this. I was inspired to create a business in this area by a friend of mine who has been living in America for a long time. I watched her and saw everything I want – independence, variety of work and the absence of routine. I’ve always wanted to use my skills in an unusual way and bring emotions into people’s lives. Read More>>

Hadeer Shehab Eldin

Since I was little, I have had a passion for drawing and I always draw for myself and my friends until my friends and family suggested that I start a page to share what I draw. Read More>>

Zeleste

Being a stay at home mom and wanting to help my family with whatever sort of income I could I knew that I loved photography from the jump. Being behind or even in front of the camera I really feel I’ve always had an eye for capturing moments. Ever since I can remember having a smart phone my storage had always been filled to the maximum capacity because I’ve always been a person who loves to capture moments in photos. I’ve seen this spark within myself flourish even more this first year of my daughter being in my life constantly taking her monthly pictures and any photo of a cute outfit or a cute little face she makes I absolutely love that a picture really last forever.  Read More>>

Cephany Coppedge Kelly Kira Coppedge

SSC originally was started by Cephany and her mom during Covid as entertainment and supplemental income, and then it took off from there. In 2021, I began dating Cephany’s brother (my now husband) and started helping out with the business. Flash forward 4 years and Cephany and I now operate the business on our own! It’s a creative outlet for us, and to be honest we didn’t really think it would take off into a full blown business. Originally the only show we participated in was Pasadena Rodeo, and beyond that we would fill a few custom orders throughout the year.  Read More>>

Michael Bridgett

This might sound funny, but I was never good at “work” as a concept. Waking up every day, going to the same place, and sticking to a certain professional way of acting was all difficult for me. It might have been undiagnosed ADHD, but I had to switch how I worked to find a better way to be. Read More>>