Are you thinking about starting a business?  If so, we think you’ll enjoy reading about how these seasoned entrepreneurs thought about the question when they were in your shoes.

Jessica Teich | Owner, Founder & Creator of Bobbi Denim & Co.

I was a new stay at home mom, prior I was an educator. I was yearning for some self worth aside from being a mom and a wife. Those two roles I love dearly but I was struggling with having something of my own, a hobby per say. I started making jeans and shorts for Em to save money on shopping, when people started asking where they were from I kind of just took a leap and started up Bobbi. I have always been active in the small shop community and loved supporting other moms in the business…joining them was effortless, I loved the marketing, the networking, the creative outlet. This all really started because I wanted an outlet and some extra spending money, I could have never dreamed Bobbi would grow and evolve how it has. I am so thankful! Read more>>

Dr. Chi Mba | Dentist

After working at different dental offices during the course of my career, I had the need to do things differently. I felt the need for improvement of patients quality care and access to dental emergency. None of these goals could be achieved unless I opened and managed my own practice. Therefore, I set out to open my own practice. Read more>>

Jessica Ryan-Garcia | Event and Wedding Planner, Officiant & Venue Consultant

My goal was to create a company to promote inclusivity. During the first couple of years of launching 3 Of Cups, the Marriage Equality Act passed, which (finally) legitimized same-sex marriages in part of the United States Constitution. At 3 Of Cups, we were one of the first companies in the event & wedding industry of Texas to come out in support of the LGBTQAI+ community. We were already well practiced, working with clients in this respect and our team reflects varying identities. At the beginning of the movement, I had some disheartening conversations with other vendors and wedding publications that were not onboard, because they were concerned that they would lose their current clientele that would be in opposition. That is when I knew for sure that we had created 3 Of Cups with the right intention. Read more>>

Tomas Fertig

I actually am a technician (programmer, consultant, project manager) and helped since the beginning of the company (i was employee number 5) to grow the company, selling and delivering successful projects. I always liked to understand the challenges around processes of our prospects and customers, and design solutions to help them solve it. In our company i was always considered a solution architect. Becoming an entrepreneur came by coincidence. 18 years ago, I was sent to open a new subsidiary in Mexico, and it took some time, but I was sure I would accomplish it. But the then owners of the company decided at some moment that investment was enough and wanted to close the subsidiary. Read more>>

Jacqueline Sanchez | Jewelry Designer

I didn’t start with the mindset of it being an actual business. I was just out of high school and thought it would be fun to sell some pieces here and there. I thought of it as more of a hobby and a good way for me to make a little extra cash while in college. As the years went on, my sales steadily began increasing. I decided to start treating it like a job and began putting a lot more of my time and energy into my brand. I’m so proud of the small business I have been able to cultivate and so grateful for all I have been able to learn throughout the process. Read more>>

Layn Chess | Strength, Triathlon & Movement Coach

In the beginning I just really wanted to help people, in an ethical way… I started my career at a gym where the main focus was closing sales and holding people to contracts rather than focusing on their health. I knew that if we put the service and the people first, word of mouth would do the rest, not a contract. Sure enough, I built my reputation and had a solid book of business. Then, a few years into my career, my grandfather who was my rock, passed away from health issues related to a lifetime of diabetes. That’s when I realized my personal mission in life was to share what I knew about health and wellness with as with as many people as I could, so I could prevent the type of pain and troubles my grandfather experienced in other peoples lives. Read more>>

Jason Barron-Ethridge | Assembler

I’m a firefighter and like most firefighters I needed a second source of income to be able to enjoy life and live comfortable. Alot of firefighters either work at a second fire department or have created their own companies which is what I did. One day as I was working at the fire station a resident came up to the station and asked us if we could assemble their elliptical or knew anyone who would for some extra cash. That’s when I had the idea, what if I created a company made up of firefighters that assembled items for customers that they bought in store or online. I started thinking the average customer typically doesn’t want to waste their precious free time spending hours on trying to figure out confusing assembly directions, sort through piles of unfamiliar hardware and enduring long, stretched out assembly procedures that wears on his or her patience and nerves. Read more>>

Gary Parker | Video Producer & Director

I have been in the video and film production business for over 40 years, but this year brought the biggest challenge I have ever met. Going into 2020 I was looking at a prosperous year of video production projects. By the second week of March all the upcoming projects were cancelled due to the virus shutdown. Here we are six months later, and finally I have a couple of projects that are hopefully a go over the next couple of months. Bruce May and I had founded the Indie Films Foundation a nonprofit 501c in 2019. We wanted to produce a feature film about Shattered Lives and create a film school for high school students. By April we realized the shutdown was here to stay for at least the near future, so we began to rethink IFF since the video production business was on hold. We developed the Indie Films Foundation school into an on-line, zoom or in person classes with in-studio workshop. Read more>>

Amy Strickland | Calligrapher, Baker & Creative Creator

I have always been wildly inspired by Julia Child and her approach to work. She took on a hobby, and turned it into a life-affirming business. She found beauty in what she created and wanted to share that with others. I feel inspired by that all the time. Something that started for me as a hobby, turned into a bespoke style business, catering to clients wanting something special for the memorable times in their lives. Whether its a set of signage for a wedding, a cake for a baby birthday, or something silly for a party, I try to approach it all with the same vigor — that these products will mean something to the ones I create them for. I also try to teach as much as I can, so that others can walk away with a similar feeling of accomplishment. Read more>>

Kim Padgett | Public Relations & Marketing Professional

After spending several years in corporate America, I made the decision to start my own public relations and marketing firm almost 20 years ago in order to spend more time with my young children at the time, have the flexibility to travel more often, and to be able to work with clients and peers that were like minded. It was the best decision I’ve ever made. Read more>>

Mary Rudolph | Owner

Creating Cool Faith Apparel that creates an easy why to share Faith and Start conversations about Jesus. Read more>>

Kelly Stewart | Mobile Gymnastics Owner & Coach

The thought process behind starting my own business was simply that it was time for the next challenge in my life. I wanted to take full ownership of the skills and talents I have to offer to children who are my number one, most important customers. I am not a big risk taker, so I never thought owning my own business would be for me. I slowly grew into being ready for a very calculated risk. Read more>>

Michele Razzano | Food Carving

Our business started for our son. Our son has so many food allergies that cakes and cupcakes just did not work like the normal treat, so we started Kustom Karvings. We started by making pirate ships, Disney inspired characters, business logos and more out of watermelons and making fruit platters with them. We also love fall time as we carve pumpkins for businesses mostly and some fun ones as well. We took such a difficult situation for our son and made a business out of it for so many in the community and the food allergy community as well. Read more>>

Lisa N. Alexander | CEO & Creative Director

Combine one part family history of hypertension and diabetes with one part, way too many cucumbers, and one part of having my home violated and I had the makings for a new self-care, lifestyle brand. In 2016, my Momma (aka Bishop Gwendolyn Mack) passed away after having 12 strokes. That’s not a typo. She had 12 strokes over the course of three years AND a love of fried food. My grandmother, the infamous Nana Brown also had hypertension and my paternal grandmother died of complications from diabetes. Let’s just say my genetic makeup isn’t the best. So I knew I was going to have to take charge of my life and health. That meant eating more fruits and vegetables, making the decision to have weight loss surgery, and planting a backyard garden. Read more>>

Janice Steffen | Owner

My husband lost his job in September of 2013 due to cut backs at NASA and he is legally blind and I needed to find a way to replace his salary. So after noticing he had lost 10k from his 401k I mentioned to him about an idea I had. We paid cash for a 2013 brand new Nissan high top van and converted it into a Gourmet coffee truck . Read more>>

Lorraine Richardson | Creative Soul & Jewelry Designer

Well, that’s a long and maybe a little convoluted answer. I’ve always been an artist and my goal through high school and my few years in college was to be in some sort of art/creative field. That got sidetracked by marriage and children. However, I was always creating… something. In the late 90’s, I took a stained glass class and loved it. However, it takes up a lot of space and each piece takes quite a bit of time (especially, when you have young children). I started making smaller decorative pieces that included collage work. My curiosity and eagerness to learn something new pushed me to look for other items I could solder onto my creations… I started working with antique/vintage hardware, chandelier crystals, old broken jewelry, etc. and I started turning them into jewelry pieces. Read more>>

Kendra Jones | Artist-Illustrator-Designer

I know how it feels to be put in a box. I am from a very traditional family with amazing, strong and independent women who embrace their femininity through jewelry, fashion and art. My designs are a gift and a tribute to the women in my life. My family believed in going to college and work a 9 to 5. That’s it, that’s life. I really didn’t have the opportunity to explore my creativity because creating “is just a hobby” For 7 years I tried to fit into the box of corporate America and I was miserable. During those 7 stressful years I found different creative avenues to keep me sane. I became a spoken word artist, I started a side business in photography and I even started painting. In the end I discover I found that my passion lies in helping women define their own beauty. K. Jones is unique life style brand inspired by nature, love, and art. Read more>>