How did you decide to start a business?

We reached out to some of our favorite entrepreneurs and asked them to think back and tell us about how they decided to start a business. Check out their responses below.

Katherine Thompson | Katherine E. Thompson, LPC– Spero Consulting Firm, LLC Executive Director

My drive is what has propelled the Spero (hope in Latin) movement. In 2019, I started with what I am truly passionate about which is lessening the resource gap seen in communities of color. I had the ambition and founded Spero Psychological Services which complements over a decade of mental health advocacy and my 6 years as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) dually licensed in the state of Texas and in Georgia. Read more>>

Nelson Padron | Chef – Owner

The main driver was life style. I was traveling too much and it was hard on the family. Read more>>

Christy Gaia | Floral, Interior & Seasonal designer

I am in love with the idea of “staying creative” “stay interesting” and “stay interested! Creativity keeps my mind active and allows me to view and solve problems more openly. Creativity opens the mind and having fresh around the home or office is linked to an increase in positive energy. Additionally, flowers and plants are proven to increase creativity (they’re linked to an increase in positive energy). So I thought I would put my passion of fresh floral and seasonal design/decor more into play by starting a business many years ago. I felt our immediate area needed a “creative” unique floral designer and seasonal decorator. Read more>>

Damita and Jay Cadoree | Event Staffing

To bring the party to you reasonable priced. Bring Mobile hospitality to each and every event. Read more>>

Clay Albers | Commercial Real Estate Broker & Beach Volleyball hack

The thought process behind starting Clay Albers Properties actually started about five years after the company was founded. For most of my career in commercial real estate, I focused on being a better professional but did not devote much time to working “on my business.” As a result, my income had large swings from year to year. Read more>>

Taneisha Polite | Bomb Mom & Master CupCaker

My thought process behind my business was to just do it. At the start up of Sweet Petals CupCakery, I was a single mom of an 11 year old who was involved with everything from sports to hanging out with friends. I was working a dead end job that I wasn’t the happiest with and decided to take a leap of faith. I have long been a baker and would bake from time to time for family and friends, but after a conversation with my Grandma Betty, I decided to take the leap of faith. Of course there is the fear of failure, but with faith I was willing to take the risk of my potential to fly! Read more>>

Tony Jones aka DJ Hawaii 5ive-0

I had an idea and aspirations to do it. I knew if I really wanted to do it I was going to have to take the risk and invest in the necessary things I needed to gain my start. Majority of people work for financial reasons, doing and starting this – I knew I would be doing it for passion and also to alleviate the every day stresses from my job. Read more>>

Ken Kahler | Hitlist Ink Tattoo Studio Owner & Artist

Well, from an early age i was always doing art. I feel like it was something i was born to do. when i moved to texas in 2005 i had already been tattooing for a couple years and i always dreamed of owning my own business. I knew i had to buckle down and get my name out into the area before getting a store front. after a few years i was ready and finally took the leap. I made sure it was something new and different from the other local shops. I knew i had to stand out, so i made sure i did. Growing up with nothing made me refuse to fail and my business has done nothing but succeed more and more each year. Read more>>

Maria Hernandez | Ceramic Artist & Owner

When I was studying ceramics at the university level, I never intended to start my own business. However, as I progressed with my career I saw that ceramics was not accessible to everyone. As a disabled Latina who went to a university in a small west Texas city, I saw firsthand the different types of obstacles that would prevent someone from working with clay. I am grateful that I had a latino ceramics professor to mentor me during this period. Read more>>

Shanae Carter | Mama, YouTuber, Selfcare Advocate

I am a mom of 3 boys and I found myself short on time for myself, a lot. I started making bath soaks, sugar scrubs, and body butters to help myself relax after my bath and ultimately to connect with myself more. My family would inquire about products I had made and the rest was history! I started Her Selfcare Essentials with the idea of making all your selfcare related essentials you need to help you improve your selfcare and to remind you to make time for yourself. Read more>>

Shaquanna Johnson | Licensed Esthetician

Nuimage started in 2018 I originally started by doing make up, but what I noticed was women including myself were mainly doing it to cover skin issues don’t get me wrong makeup is a wonderful enhancer but not a solution. I knew then I wanted to be the one to correct the things they were trying to cover. Read more>>

Inna Ogbeide | Realtor®

Adam Hundley | Founder & Marketing Expert

I had never thought about owning my own business until recently (well, except for that desire to have my own restaurant as a kid, but who doesn’t think about that when you’re young?). I was working for a law firm in Houston and was tasked with establishing the marketing department that had not been running smoothly prior to my being hired. This is something I have never done before, didn’t go to school for, and all I could think was “what is marketing..?” Read more>>

Ana Acosta | PMU artist & owner of studio Eyebrows4UTX , LLC

1) What was your thought process behind starting your own business? I always wanted financial independence and freedom. I also quickly realized that I am an entrepreneur by nature and I never felt that a 9 to 5 job was for me. Being my own Boss and owning a business means that I can express myself through my work, I have no limit on my earnings, I have the desire to be the best, and I have the flexibility to work on my own terms. Read more>>

Codac | Artist, CEO, Designer, Writer

I’ve done a great job helping other people make millions, might as well do it for myself Read more>>

Sara Ascencio | Photographer & Business Owner

For a really long time growing up I knew that I wanted to be a business owner. I never fully knew in what field or how to go about it, but that was definitely what was always in my heart. At 18 years old, I landed my first full time job as an administrative assistant. I was able to work closely with the owners of that business and learned the ins and outs of many business aspects. That is when I truly knew I wanted a business of my own. Read more>>

Martina Hubbard | Boutique Owner

I have honestly always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but never knew exactly where to start. I have always enjoyed piecing items together and the latest fashion and wanted to start a business where every woman was able to express herself in her clothing. After I had my son in May of 2020, it motivated me even more to take the leap and start my own business paving for a financial freedom. Read more>>

Jocelyn Sailor | LCSW, School Social Work Coach and Business Owner

My business is School Social Work Solutions LLC. My thought process behind beginning my business was to uplift, empower, educate and inspire other school social workers to position themselves to be the mental health expert in their school. School social workers are the unsung heroes in education, yet are at the forefront of the school mental health crisis even more now as we live through the pandemic. Read more>>

Taqwanna Clark | Owner/Board Certified Credit Consultant

The thought process behind starting Credit Lift Inc was to use my skills to be of service to the community and be in control of my own destiny as a business owner. If I can work day and night to help keep other businesses productive, I can and did do the same by starting mine. Read more>>

Nathan & Katie Cribley | Cofounder & Designer

SITTING POOLSIDE WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS, LOOKING AROUND AND SEEING ALL THE BRIGHT COLORS, STARING AT THE GUY WALKING AROUND WITH A BANANA PRINT SWIM SET – AN IDEA STARTED TO BREW. KNOWING WE WERE HITTING THE LINKS THE NEXT MORNING, WE THOUGHT, ‘WELL IF OUR GOLF GAME ISN’T GREAT THEN OUR GOLF ATTIRE BETTER BE’. Read more>>

Giovaani Guzman | Shoe Store Owner Resell

Wanting to do something I actually love doing while spending time with my brother/business partner. Both of us always been into shoes since we were kids. Read more>>

Destiney Clark | Tarot Reader/Healer

I needed something new. I knew I wanted to help people and also be able to live my life with out having to solely work for someone else. Read more>>

D’Vodney Reed | CEO

My thought process behind starting my own business was pretty simple, I wanted to be my own boss and I wanted a better way of providing for my children. Read more>>