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.

Kasey Bryant | Owner – KB’S Kitchen LLC

I’ve always had a huge passion for cooking and at an early age I started cooking, as my mother wasn’t able to at the time due to some medical issues, so at 10 years old I was cooking for our family of 5 and every since then I enjoyed cooking. Once I got older I was taught by one of the best around Mikey Smith who was a huge mentor to me and really taught me a lot about cooking. Then at 20 I started cooking competition BBQ for 26 years, and from that point on my family and friends always told me that I needed to open my own restaurant because I had something special with my cooking that they thought I could really be successful. Read more>>

LaDavid Taylor | Freelance Photographer & Filmaker

I felt like it was something impossible. I never thought that something I did for fun, would turn into a career. I just knew I was tired of giving my best to companies and organizations that didn’t fully appreciate my dedication and work ethic. So I knew it was time to take a chance on myself. Read more>>

Sofie Momin | Baker | Cake Decorator | Public Health Professional

I have always loved baking and making art, and cake decorating felt like the perfect merger of two of my passions. I was keen to bring unique vintage-inspired cakes to the Sugar Land area while maintaining an artistic touch. Coming from an Indian household, I was brought up eating all kinds of South Asian desserts but as I grew older, I wanted to combine traditional Indian flavors with other cakes to create completely unique desserts. Moonlight Baked Goods has allowed me to do both – combine my passions and creative pursuits while also bringing in flavors from my heritage. Read more>>

Shaneeka R Abram | Consultant and Marketing Strategist

I established my business with the goal of helping small minority businesses compete on the same level as larger corporations. Drawing on my experience in Corporate America, I aim to provide the knowledge and expertise necessary for success. Many people are unaware of essential components for positioning themselves for success, including proper business formation, well-structured marketing campaigns, establishing an online presence, and managing contracts and copyrights. Read more>>

Zee TheZhooter | Celebrity Photographer

Honestly, my thought process behind starting my business was a bit unorthodox. When I first picked up my camera I knew I wanted to pursue a career as a celebrity photographer and eventually establish myself as feature filmmaker, I just wasn’t sure how to go about it. One day while I was strolling on Instagram, I saw a famous rapper post that he was in need of a cameraman. That’s when I decided to use social media to my advantage. I began sending direct messages and emails to celebrities, artist, and labels everyday. Read more>>

Donte & Cherece Goodson | Owner & Operator

We’ve always been driven by a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for food. The idea of creating something from scratch, shaping our own destiny, and making a meaningful impact has always resonated with us. Moreover, we’ve always been someone who thrives in environments where we can innovate, take risks, and push boundaries. Starting our own business not only allowed us to pursue our collective vision but also provided the autonomy and flexibility we craved to bring our ideas to life. Read more>>

Derrick Jacobs | Personal trainer, life coach, & photographer

I am a personal trainer as well as a professional photographer with 10 years in fitness and a little over five years in photography. I’m always excited about getting better each day and the unknown of what’s next if I keep moving forward. What sets me apart from others is my optimism and faith that God will do all that I ask if I trust him and live according to his word. I have failed so many times, and there were times I wanted to give up, but I always kept in mind my why. What am I to show my children and the ones I love if I quit? Read more>>

Zelma Hughes | Family inspired Catering Company

I found something that I really loved doing, and realized I could make money doing it. My parents were restaurant owners in the late seventies. So it almost feels like I’m paying homage to them as well. Read more>>

Chris Velasquez | Interior designs & woodworker

My wife and I come from Maryland. We have two years here in Houston, and we have been very blessed, we always had the vision of doing this kind of custom woodwork, we started by making upgrades in our house since Maryland, and came to find out people actually love it and want it in their houses. we are a Christian base company, and we are really thankful for the opportunity that people have given us to create special designs and memories. Read more>>

Devan Ford | DEI Consultant & Life Coach

Back in 2015, I worked at the University of Houston in a DEI related role. My first year in the job, I had several people reach out asking if I was available for speaking engagements and to do consulting work for organizations. I started my business to fill a need I recognized where non-profits and higher education institutions needed consultants to help them assess their needs and create plans to advance equity and inclusion within their orgs. Read more>>

Dana Thompson | Beauty Supply Owner

What type of business should I start?Where should I put it, and will it succeed? Read more>>

Jennifer Juarez | Pastry Chef

My thought process behind starting Hecho Con Amor HTX stemmed from my deep passion for baking and my desire to share the rich flavors of Salvadorian desserts with a broader audience. I wanted to create a unique fusion of traditional Salvadorian sweets with contemporary twists, bringing a taste of my heritage to Houston. Recognizing a gap in the market for authentic Salvadorian pastries, I aimed to fill that niche while also experimenting with innovative recipes. Read more>>

Matt Woodfill | Lead Pastor

The thought behind starting the The Way Church comes from the scripture in Isaiah 43:18-19, “Remember you not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make the way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” It says, the Lord Jesus will make, “THE WAY IN YOUR WILDERNESS”; therefore, this is the vision of The Way Church. The Way Church vision states: LEAD all people to Jesus Christ, and EMPOWER them by the Holy Spirit to GROW, and to SERVE in the local church and in the Kingdom of God. Read more>>

Cody Bowman | General Contractor

I started my own business after I got out of the Marine Corps. It started as a way to make money and most of my instruction came from YouTube, but it has evolved into a true passion that motivates me and keeps me grounded every day. After meeting my wife, the company became a family-owned business, which I cherish most. It has been amazing to pass on my knowledge to my wife who is so eager to learn it all. When our 12 year old son is not in school he works with me to learn everything and I am looking forward to teaching our 3 year old daughter the same things so that our construction business will always and faithfully (Semper Fi) live on through our family. Read more>>

Jennifer Cumbie | Certified Health Coach

Starting my own business was always something I thought would be fun following retirement as a teacher. I like to stay a rice and keep my mind engaged so finding something that i could do to serve others was my goal. Read more>>

Angelica Keelen | Hair Colorist & Textured Hair Stylist

When I initially pivoted from education to cosmetology, I had no intention of building my own brand or starting a business. My goal was to be a great hairstylist. For three months, while in cosmetology school, I shadowed a master loctician on the other side of my dreams. She really pushed me to think about how far I could go and ultimately helped me to dream bigger and do more for myself. Read more>>

Tina Farrier | Business Credit Strategist

“First and foremost, my children’s well-being was at the forefront of my mind when I embarked on the journey of starting my own business. As a parent, ensuring their livelihood and being actively present in their lives were non-negotiable priorities for me. I saw entrepreneurship as the avenue to not only create a sustainable income for myself but also to carve out the freedom and flexibility needed to be there for my children when they needed me most. Read more>> 

Steve Rozenberg | Commercial Airline Pilot, Published Author & Founder/CEO of Unlimited Mindset, Entrepreneur

You could say there were two: #1: I realized that my “Safe and Secure” job as an airline pilot was not at all “safe and secure” after the tragedies of 9/11. I had to make a decision to figure out how to give my family the life they deserve and make sure my money was working for me. #2: After the passing of our amazing 19 YO son in March of last year, I now am trying to help the everyday entreprenuer get out of the day to day to be able to spend more time making memories with their loved ones and focus on their “WHY”. Read more>>

Josh Hartwell | Flow Percussion & Entertainment

The idea for Flow was born from past experiences in both of our performing careers, primarily on the west coast in Las Vegas and Phoenix. In Las Vegas, I was a part of contracted drumline and percussion groups that performed for the likes of award shows, TV shows, private and corporate events, and even Dana White’s 50th birthday party. These gigs showed me what was possible when you added drums to any kind of event. Read more>>

Landan Juarez | Young Houston Real Estate Agent

My thought process behind starting my own business is quite simple, I like my time, I also like money, and I am not very well receptive to authority. Since I was twelve years old, I have had a business mindset, my answer to the question of what I want to be when I grow up was always an entrepreneur. I remember many times throughout my teenage life, I had experimented with ways to make money on my laptop. I was hired onto my first real job at fifteen, I made barely anything yet I worked late into the night in an often demanding and negative environment. Read more>>

Mostafa Gad | Tow Truck Owner

To start your own business definitely is scary specially if it’s your first time doing it on your own. I overcame the fear and took the chance, I also know that I will be helping people along the way. Read more>>

QUTUNUIA BENOIT-CARTER | Herbalist / Retailer

My thought process for my hair and body products was, I wanted to create real all natural products at an affordable price. If you look at the market for a lot of these products are over priced, and a lot of them contain preservatives that extend shelf life, but it takes them out of the all natural category. So I wanted to create an honest to goodness ” All Natural” product, that everyone can afford. Read more>>

Maddie Muhs | Agency Owner & Content Creator

I had been in the corporate world for the last decade, working for the same company. And while it was a great job, I never loved it. I wanted to finally take the plunge into something that I was passionate about. Not to mention, I wanted to be my own boss. I want flexibility to do whatever, whenever I want with my young children. They’re only young once! Read more>>

Jordan Maedgen | Dance 2 End Alz HTX founder and committee member

My (Jordan) mother passed away from what was thought at the time to be early onset Alzheimer’s. With more information available now, we believe it was Frontotemporal Dementia. She was only 49 when her symptoms began. As I entered my 40s I began sharing my concerns for my own health and was connected to multiple other women that shared a similar familial experience. We have each taken personal steps to safeguard our own brains, but we wanted to do more. Read more>>

Juan Carlos Torres | Visual artist & Designer

I have always believed that while it is true that making a living from art is quite a challenge, and I would say only for the brave, I can also say that there is no greater pleasure than being able to make a living doing what you love, and even more so being paid for it, and that was the starting point when I started and decided to dedicate myself to art, there was no chance for doubt, I just jumped into the pool, whether it had water or not, I would see it later lol Read more>>

Ying Yi | Professor in Physics & Entrepreneur in Sustainable Fashion

Identifying a Gap or Opportunity: Initially, I observed a gap in the market for custom-fit garments that not only provide superior comfort but also reduce waste in the fashion industry. This realization stems from my expertise in STEM, where I understand the potential of infusion smartphone body scan and 3D knitting technology to revolutionize garment production. Read more>>