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.

Just Jaxs | Serial Entrepreneur, Full-time Photographer, Graphic/fashion designer and life coach

Well at a super young age, the way my life was going I realized hey, they’re gonna count me out and exclude me from everything and I kinda had no choice but I still believed that was the route for me anyway because I can’t see myself taking orders and being bossed around from anyone like the owned me so now I own myself. Read more>>

Karen Johnson | Rental Guru and Treasure Hunter

Courtney had started an event company and felt very limited as to what she could rent for her clients here in Houston. Meanwhile, as an Occupational Therapist, I knew my time lifting children would come to an end as I aged and I needed a “retirement” plan. Read more>>

Casi Julian | Owner and Principal Designer

For over a decade, I worked alongside my mother as Senior Designer at our family firm in New Orleans. My husband’s job during the pandemic required us to move to Houston, which gave me the push I needed to go out on my own and start my own firm. It was terrifying at first because this world of business was all new to me. I had only been on the creative side so there was a huge learning curve that needed to be had. Read more>>

Nikolas Anders | Basketball Coach and Skill Enhancement Specialist

It was time for me to make a move. I left 2 good jobs because I wanted to do something I’m passionate about. It was time to mature from a hustler into a businessman, and even now, I’m still learning and growing. Read more>>

Candice Washington | Business & Project Manager Specializing in Process Improvement and Experience

I started my business to transform the transactional essence of the B2C business model into one that is guided by experience. A considerable number of businesses, especially those in the entrepreneur space, focus so heavily on the products and services they provide but fail to consider how consumers experience doing business with them. The result is a poor customer experience that impacts the revenue and sustainability businesses. Read more>>

Gwe Jackson | CEO of Graceful Touchez Bridal

Prior to starting my business as a entrepreneur in the hair industry, one of my main interest was making money. Though my passion for it sprint deeper than I knew even at that time, seeing that amount of money made in a week was so fulfilling. However, I wanted a name for myself and I wanted to feel like I was aligning with what God truly wanted me to with my business. In my mind I thought it looked like working with celebrities, doing shows across the world, and being seen as a artist known solely for her creativity. Read more>>

Vanissa Oeun | Soapmaker

Entrepreneurship has been of utmost value to me since I was a little kid. There is no better joy than encountering a problem and being able to fix it! I’ve never been able to find soaps that are zero waste, moisturizing, and made without artificial fragrances. Since starting Nissa Crafts, I can handmake all-natural soaps that are eco-friendly, made with high-quality oils and butter, and scented with skin-safe essential oils. Read more>>

Michelle Aldaco | Balloon Stylist

It’s sort of hard to answer this question as there was really no thought back when I started. I just knew that the moment I made my first balloon column in 2018, I couldn’t stop. I then taught myself how to do other structures balloon related. Read more>>

Stephanie McGowan | Owner and Founder

Growing up, my family had a weekly routine. Every Friday, we would have “Friday Free for All,” which turned into my weekly practice time. During this time, I would play with my food and practice any new recipe I found to be interesting. Oftentimes, these recipes ended in disaster, but I always learned one new thing that I could tweak to improve my dishes. Read more>>

Sherah Juarez | C.M.M.

I knew I had an unusual artistic talent, and felt called to share it with the world. However, I was not a business major, so starting my own company was definitely intimidating and yet exciting all in one. If I was going to be able to help others, I knew I had to take a leap of faith. I’m so thankful that I did. I thought I was starting a business to help change the lives of cancer patients, burn patients and anyone that needed medical tattooing… only to find, that they were the ones changing my life just as much if not more ,than I had changed.theirs. Read more>>

Dr. Tameka Maiden | Pharmacist & Owner of Cubby Love Bears

My thought process behind starting my own business was I wanted something that I could say its my very own and it was something I could actually see the fruits of my labor. Often times when starting a business no one ever knows where you started and what it took to even accomplish the running of the business but you. I wanted to create something that I could one day have my family helping run the functionality of the business and my daughter one day having something to call her own business as well Read more>>

Tawanna Houston | Business Owner, Model, & Actress

My thought process behind starting my own business stemmed from wanting to pursue a life that could be beneficial not only for myself, but for my family and the community around me. It began with me first learning that when you do something you love you never work a day in your life and I wanted a career that did just that. I also had my own goals I wanted to accomplish that required flexibility that other companies could not always promise me. Read more>>

Keith Courtney | DJ & Producer

Basically working on my own and the autonomy I get to receive. Being able to work around my own schedule and conversaré with many different diverse clients. Read more>>

Cassie Lemoine | Owner of Cheese by Cassie

During the pandemic I became very aware of supporting small businesses and began buying local as much as possible. As I got to know more small business owners the impact of support within a community became clearer. I began to realize that I could also pursue a similar dream on my terms. The idea of creating something that causes people to gather, talk, share and connect was exciting. I loved creating and enjoying cheese and charcuterie boards with friends, so I decided to give the idea a try. Read more>>

Kevin Dong | Entrepreneur, Insurance Agent, CPA, Construction Company Owner

I have always aspired to be an entrepreneur since I was young. I have started my entreprenal career by opening a business in the insurance and tax field, which is currently active to this date. Since then, I had expanded my field to opening a construction company. My friends and I are big “foodies” as we spend many days together exploring different diverse cultures and food. After eating at various establishments, I decided to diversify my portfolio and dab into the service industry. Read more>>