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.

Shonice Montgomery | Wedding Planner + Educator

Surprisingly, what inspired me was planning my very own wedding. My now-husband and I had a modest budget. But we refused to let money stop us from celebrating our love or sacrifice the overall style of our wedding day. I planned a surprised wedding in three months for under $3,000 without a wedding planner or day-of coordinator! Read more>>

Ami Norton | Mom, Partner, Attorney, Business Owner

When I quit my job in public accounting, I knew I wanted to start my own business in a completely different field for one purpose – to help vulnerable women that did not have access to education and opportunities that the women in public accounting had. My decision to quit my job was based on the bias I experienced and witnessed against women in the workplace. Read more>>

Aubreae Dyonne | Fashion Influencer | Lifestyle Architect | Business Optimizer

Starting my own fashion boutique, House of A’Dyonne came about when I was planning my 47th birthday in 2020. Since we were in a Pandemic, we couldn’t travel and we couldn’t have parties or gatherings. Therefore, I decided to do a 47-Day Social Media Fashion Photoshoot called, “47-Days of ‘Breae. I like thinking outside the box and sometimes over-the-top. Read more>>

Domonique Pugh | Author and Creative Director

For Brown Girls is a safe space for Brown girls to discuss everything ranging from mental health and wellness, to self-care and sufficiency. The brand was created because when I was struggling with depression, I did not really know who to talk to. I was surrounded by friends and family, but I didn’t feel like my friends and I really discussed mental health seriously. I didn’t feel like I knew I could relate to anyone close to me about this subject. Read more>>

Donna Baines | Intimacy Coach

I started my business to help women embrace their femininity. I noticed our society plays on hyper masculinity and often plays on women’s insecurities about what makes her a woman. Her beauty is called into question if she isn’t a certain size, doesn’t present herself in a certain manner, or have a certain lifestyle. My brand recognizes beauty in all women of all walks of life. Read more>>

Joseph Guevara | Lawyer/Counselor/Entrepreneur

It was either sink or swim. I figured if my law firm was going to be successful, I literally have to give it more than %1000 concerning, not only my profession as a lawyer, but wearing the multitude of hats in the form of management, marketing, public relations….you name it! Nervousness definitely was apparent but once I was in it, I just focused on the objectives at hand. Read more>>