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.

Hailey Villegas | Realtor

Embarking on the entrepreneurial journey at the age of 18 was far from the conventional path that most people my age were taking. The whispers of doubt from peers only fueled my determination to shape my own destiny. My name is Hailey Villegas, and I am an entrepreneur driven by a distinctive thought process that propels me forward against the odds. Read more>>

Brittney Batson | My Heels On Dance Instructor and Owner

Right out of college, I moved to Texas and jumped into my first Zumba class. I quickly discovered my love for moving to music and working out at the same time. Little did I know this would be the beginning of my pursuit of an unforgettable dance journey as an adult. I found myself attending as many classes as I could each week for hours out of the day. After teaching students at work, I would eagerly head to Zumba, heels, hip-hop, and chair class to grow as a dancer because of the confidence and energetic feeling I would have after class. Read more>>

Sehrish Ali | Dr. Sehrish Ali, therapist and certified eating disorder specialist

Being a therapist, my goal is to work in a setting that fits our specialties and our work styles. For me, the goal was to gain experience working in different settings and then work towards opening my own private practice.When gaining experience and training to specialize in eating disorders, I began recognizing the gap in the multicultural and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) community. In addition, I took notice of the lack of resources in certain communities. Read more>>

Alishah Shahzad | Professional henna artist

I started my henna tattoo business because I love the art and wanted to share it. I thought it would be wonderful to create beautiful designs that make people happy and provide a unique experience they’ll always remember. Read more>>

Christina Hicks | Artisan Soap Maker

As my children grew older and I found myself with more free time, I decided to explore new hobbies to keep myself busy. During my search, I came across soap-making videos on YouTube and was immediately drawn to the process. There was something about watching the transformation of raw ingredients into a beautiful and useful product that I found mesmerizing. Read more>>