The Early Days: why did you start a business

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.

Caitlin Turner | Luxury Mobile Bar & Bartending Service

My decision to embark on the journey of starting your own business in the luxury mobile bartending space embodies a thoughtful and comprehensive approach, driven by a multitude of motivations. Rooted in my passion for bartending, particularly within the realm of luxury services, The Pour Tour Mobile Wine and Cocktail Bar, signifies a deep connection to the craft and a desire to bring it to new heights of sophistication and exclusivity. Alongside this passion, my pursuit of work/life balance underscores a commitment to prioritizing personal well-being and family time, even as I engage in meaningful work. Furthermore, my aspiration for creative freedom within the luxury mobile bartending space speaks to my innate drive for innovation and the desire to craft unique experiences that leave a lasting impression. Engaging in entrepreneurship not only offers opportunities for my personal growth and professional development but also holds the promise of building a legacy for my family. Overall, my thought process reflects a holistic and purposeful approach to entrepreneurship, characterized by passion, ambition, and a commitment to both personal and professional fulfillment. Read more>>

Dave Scallan | Principal

After working as a television news reporter for 15 years I went to work for a Media Training company in Houston. The founder of the company passed away and the new president and I didn’t share the same vision for where the company should go moving forward. At the urging of several clients at the time I decided that was the right time for me to go out on my own and start Spoken Word Communications. Luckily, many of the clients followed me and our new agency was born. Read more>>

Danielle Jones | Hair Artist and Caterer

Starting a business requires a blend of prayer, passion, vision, and courage. The decision to venture into entrepreneurship often stems from a desire for autonomy and a drive to innovate beyond the confines of conventional employment. It involves recognizing opportunities, embracing risks, and committing to making a positive impact on the world. Despite the challenges that come with building something from the ground up, the excitement of creating something extraordinary usually outweighs any uncertainties. It’s about seizing opportunities, pushing boundaries, and carving out a unique path in the competitive landscape of business. Combining different passions into a single business concept can lead to groundbreaking ideas and experiences for customers. In my case, merging hair services and catering reflects a desire to offer a holistic and novel experience to clients. By integrating these seemingly unrelated industries, you aim to provide a distinctive space where individuals can enjoy self-care and culinary delights simultaneously. This innovative approach not only challenges traditional norms , but also aims to enhance customer satisfaction by offering a memorable and personalized experience. It’s about redefining expectations, fostering creativity, and creating a lasting impression on your clientele through a fusion of quality services and unique offerings. Read more>>

Mariah Hill | Mixologist

During the pandemic, I lost my mom. I told myself I needed to invest my emotions, time and grief into something that would blossom. I know my mom would’ve supported my business to the fullest and would’ve been my biggest brand ambassador. Read more>>

Elizabeth Kessler Medrano | Hydroponic Microgreens Farmer

Root 1867 LLC has been in the making since 2018, when I found my passion for plants. I stumbled upon Boston Ferns for two dollars a piece that year and couldn’t resist. I didn’t realize I was embarking on a healing journey through plants, nor did I immediately see the seed that was planted for a business venture in the future. Read more>>

Jamika Phillips | Founder & Owner of Shades The Nail Bar

After years deeply immersed in the world of Computer Science, climbing the corporate ladder at IBM, I felt a need for change. Despite the demands of a full-time job, I decided to take a leap of faith. I enrolled in and completed a 600-hour course to obtain my manicurist license, fueled by a desire to create a space where beauty and confidence intersected with personal connection. The dream of owning a spa or nail salon had always been quietly nestled in my heart. Read more>>

DJ Jenkins | Inflatable business owner

I wanted to start a small company that would bring jubilation, happiness and fun memories to families and communities. I’ve never seen any African Americans that own an inflatable business when i was younger. I had the dream and ideas, but didn’t execute the plan. Once covid started I took a chance, bet on myself and purchased an inflatable bounce house. The pandemic helped me realize sometimes you/we have to make those impulsive decisions. I’m happy that I did because it gave me the push I needed. I also have a passion for wanting to enlighten the youth. I pride myself on having grit, so I make time to teach the next generation about having a dog mentality. I’m conscious of the youth and what it’s like to struggle or feel trapped in your community. If younger family members have seen where I came from to where I’m at now the chances of them creating something of their own is likely high. Always strive for greatness and never give up! Read more>>

Lorinda John | Cultural Bearing Artist & Chef

There has always been a drive since having children to start my own business so that I could be with them due to the “freedom’ of owning your own business, I learned fast that your freedom is not so much freedom. Fast I learned that all of your time goes back into running a business especially when starting out. There is a lot of networking, and personal drive required. The first year it was like a crawl and I was searching for ways to introduce my business to the world. Not only was I sharing a business I was sharing my Indigenous culture. Sharing my culture and talking about it to people that have no idea is my purpose and everything else is extra. I never expected to have my art and culture create income for me then call it a business. Needless to say the freedom I thought that came with running a business was a bit skewed but has been beyond rewarding. The actual process of having my own business has came along way in the past four years and I can not wait to see where it is in four years from now. As stated when starting my business the main goal was to be there for my daughters, and I am. The best end process is to be there for the laughs, be there for the downs, and all of the in-betweens. Read more>>

William Hoston | Educational Consultant

Starting Hoston Enterprises, LLC was the first step in creating an independent consultant business. The first thing I had to do was identify my niche audience to target. It was important to use my educational background to frame the business and cater to those who had similar interest and life goals. Read more>>

Jesse Schliebe | Artist

To create a brand that not only represented me and what I’ve gone through but to also bring awareness about mental health. Then my clothing company #MHM was born. Read more>>

Schelo Doirin Collier | CEO of Black Women Invest

I like to tell people I was an accidental Entrepreneur. I actually started my business as a Facebook Group, as I was in search of making like-minded friends. This group developed into a business simply because I wanted to answer the needs of my community. I continue to listen to my community’s needs and grow the community as a result. Read more>>

Mariah Wren | Furniture Maker

I started Wren & Cooper when I was 25. After working at a production cabinet shop for a year post-art school, I realized I did not want to spend my career building someone else’s designs, and I probably was not going to find the perfect job designing and building furniture and objects unless I created the position for myself. I knew it was going to take decades to build the business and career I wanted, but for me this is a long term pursuit, a lifetime goal. What I do every day for work now is what I would do even if I never made another nickel doing it. This work, making furniture, lighting, and art objects is the love of my life. I’m never so happy as when I am building something new in my woodshop. Read more>>

Jordan Abraham | Makeup Artist

When I arrived on campus at the University of Texas at Austin as a freshman I noticed that there were a lot of individuals who did hair, lashes, and nails but, the market for makeup had not been fully tapped into yet. With this in mind, I began practicing on myself, friends, and family and I officially started my business in the fall of 2021. It was not an easy task but, I have seen my father successfully run multiple businesses himself throughout my life and I like to think his entrepreneurial spirit was passed on to me as well. Read more>>

Maeghan Freijo | Wedding Planner & Decorator

After working in corporate events for several years, I found a passion for planning and coordinating weddings, bridal showers and birthdays. I dabbled for a bit, but found a specific interest in weddings and all things wedding related. Something about bringing two people together on the best day of their lives gives me so much joy. I found a fun way to bring my own organizational skills and creativity to a business. Read more>>

Shandriqua Wilder | Creator Tshirts Tumblers & More

My thought process behind starting my own business was i want to be able to be my own boss and be able to support my own family financially and physically with not having to answer to nobody and doing things at my own pace. I started my business in 2021 after my daughter was born with the intention of always keeping my brother name a live after he passed away in 2020. In the beginning everything i was creating had something to do with him(Long Live Del)! i knew it would be hard in the beginning but i never gave up. lets just say if humble was a person it would definitely be me! Read more>>

Angelique Rodriguez | Esthetician

I love being an esthetician, but I never wanted to be a business owner. If you would’ve asked me 5 years ago what my dream job was I would’ve said working in a med spa. Once I finished school and actually started working in the industry I quickly realized that my expectations were not being met. I am so passionate about what I do and I always want to give 110% to my clients, but I wasn’t able to do so working for other people. I was so unhappy at my previous job to the point that my mental health was taking a huge toll. I would literally cry at least once a week because I hated not being able to give my clients the treatment they deserved. Then one day I saw an instagram ad for a studio opening up and immediately I knew what I had to do. I would almost say that I was forced to open up Aestheticang because I knew I’d never be happy as an esthetician unless I was able to do things my way. I didn’t do any business planning beforehand, I just scheduled a meeting to visit about the studio rental and agreed on the spot. I loved the location and I had a few months until it would be ready, so I just put on my business owner hat and got to work! Read more>>

Deanna Bynog, Jessica Matthews, Patnisha Williams | Co-Owners of Get Signatured

Get Signatured was born out of a dinner conversation among the three of us, where we discussed the difficulties, women face when trying to find custom-made items that feature their unique names, such as keychain souvenirs. We were motivated by the desire to provide customers with one-of-a-kind pieces that truly reflect their individuality and tell their unique stories. hence, we decided to create a brand that would allow girls with unique names to personalize and customize quality items that would showcase their personal style. We felt that we should create a brand where people could customize and personalize their names on quality pieces that tell their story of how unique and amazing they are. Read more>>

Johndrea L. Slay | Executive Director

I am a native of Greenville, MS. I moved to Kingwood, Texas, in 2010 due to going through a terrible situation. I found myself as single mother of two Kids and a dog. I knew that there was more for me, and I needed to find myself a fresh start. I love making cakes, and I use my passion for making cakes as my therapy. Read more>>

Teofilo Lingi | Private Equity & Oil and Gas Investor

I wanted to create something that allowed me to use my skills to the fullest while also improving the industries that I was in, and generating a great profit. Read more>>