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.

David Noh | Small Business Owner & REALTOR

At an early age my parents instilled in me a sense of service,  so I’ve always felt my purpose was to help others. I’ve always wanted to make a difference no matter how big or small, but for the longest time I didn’t know how to. As I learned more about CBD and tried it personally for my own issues, I was able to see how it could benefit others. After doing more research about the industry and finding a highly reputable company with quality products, I could not wait to share it with others! In addition, my parents were small business owners for 30+ years. Growing up, I always wanted to own a business as well so opportunity collided as I was going through a career change. Read more>>

Elina Filice | Singer/Songwriter & Creative Coach

I just really wanted to help people. I was surrounded by artists and the music wasn’t the problem, the music was great, but the problem was getting it out there, marketing it in a way that drove results and told their story. I wanted to design a process that helped artists release music in an action-based way that kept them sane but also had a big impact, reached as many people as possible, and brought them closer to their dreams and goals. Read more>>

DeJon Johnson | Radio Personality

Even in High School I had a hustler’s ambition. I would sell cds & mixtapes to my classmates to be able to afford things I wanted at that time. I always wanted to be a Entrepreneur. The digital age and new technologies made becoming a entrepreneur easier than ever before. Due to my networking abilities I knew that creating a company dealing with marketing & promotions would be ideal for me. To gain experience I began promoting and hosting clubs and parties in my area. From there I created a Twitter account directed at promoting events and musical talents. That eventually led to me becoming a DJ and creating a mixtape series to further support the artist I would promote. While creating that network I came across the opportunity to do radio. I knew that all things prior would make this opportunity a success. With hard work and dedication I was able to create a successful radio brand by promoting events, interviewing guests, and building a strong social media presence. Read more>>

Jennifer Harry | Pudding Connoisseur

I’ve always loved puddings from the time I tasted them. To me, they’re more than just dessert, they are an experience of flavors and textures in your mouth. I got inspired to learn how to make puddings and with several tweaks, I found the best process to make them. I’m always happy for friends and family to taste this amazing dessert, especially when it’s their first time. Making puddings for almost all our family gatherings for several years fueled my passion. This passion inspired me to start House of Pudding during a transition in my life. The goal was to specialize in offering a variety of pudding flavors but, my passion expanded to other desserts like Milk Cakes, Banana Bread, and more. In summary, we’re becoming more than just a house of puddings. Read more>>

Kimberly Loving | Entrepreneur

I have always had a passion for entrepreneurship and began acting on this passion when I was 11 years old selling craft string to my classmates at school. This lead to other ventures and once I decided to attend college, I studied business with a focus in entrepreneurship & merchandising. In 2012 ,during my sophomore year in college , the initial idea for my cosmetics company was to have a nail polish line. The idea grew to be much more and in 2019, Loving Lacquer Cosmetics, LLC was officially formed. Loving Lacquer Cosmetics is a cosmetics company that merges art and beauty by connecting the creative community. I believe that makeup is a tool that can be used to create art just like paint, clay, pencils, and other materials that may be used to create the art that you would see in a museum. As an art and beauty enthusiast, this company is my way of expressing my appreciation for all forms of art. Read more>>

Brandi Garrett | Owner &Founder of Sweet Indulgences Beauty

When I started my business I was travelling the United States as a businesswoman in corporate America. I went from one climate to another on a weekly basis and my skin started to react negatively. I had always been into skincare prior to that, and purchased many products to remedy my skincare issues. I was unable to find satisfactory solutions, and started to research natural ingredients for skin care solutions and over time  developed a line that addresses most skincare concerns. Read more>>

Macey Charboneau | Creator of ELEVATE By Macey

I’ve always described myself as having many interests, so when I graduated college I knew I wanted to do something that could somehow combine all of them. I also love to help others and see their ideas come to life, so creating ELEVATE by macey was the perfect catch all. Read more>>

Kenny Bundy | Photographer & Creative

When I wanted to start my business, I wanted to have the passion of the creative in the forefront, always. Passion was what birthed taking photos as a hobby and from there the elevation is what became the business I have today. Read more>>

Nahema Washington | Image Consultant & Speaker

For as far as I can remember, I was the friend that everyone would come to for advice about their wardrobe for interviews. I had no idea that I was providing a service. I always thought I was being a friend. As I got older and entered the workforce, I noticed a disconnect in how employees were presenting themselves compared to the vision of the company. I have always been intrigued by how people presented themselves professionally and the link between the power of appearance and customer satisfaction. So, I created Black Gold Imaging to collaborate with companies and provide executive image coaching, ensuring employees were a reflection of the companies mission. Not only does Black Gold Imaging cater to companies, but it also helps one-on-one clients to reinvent themselves in every aspect of their lives. My dedication is to bring the beauty of every person to the forefront of their exterior through the style choices they make. Read more>>

Christina Mose | Makeup Artist

Although I went to college to become an educator I’ve always dabbled in the cosmetic industry. I would do my sisters hair growing up and at one point I wanted to go to cosmetology school however, my parents felt it was best to have a degree to fall back on and after receiving a scholarship I perused a career in education. After about year 3 I just felt that something was missing. I decided it was time for me to pursue a passion I had always had so I venture into the makeup industry. I knew I would need to be able to manage my time between my educational role as well as being an artist so working for someone was not really an option. Going into business for myself was the first step in fulfilling this passion of mine. Read more>>

Angela Trujillo | Publish Author and Christian Blogger

I always enjoyed writing, but I never imagined I’d become a published author or start a Christian blog. It was something that God had put on my heart to do, so I blindly went for it—not knowing if it was going to be a huge success or fail. I honestly didn’t think too hard about it. I knew that if I did, I would have let fears stop me from pursuing a vast dream. Read more>>

Michael Nov | Market Manager

The thought process behind starting the business was to bring a quality farmers market to the community I live in. If no else is doing it, why not me?. Read more>>

Willie Elaine Hubbard Brooks | M.ED, BBA (Accounting) Founder/CEO of BenCheri Educational Center

My thought process behind starting my own business was the opportunity to give back to the Acres Home Community, and underserved, underrepresented, underprivileged, disadvantaged neighborhood where I was born and raised, by bridging the Illiteracy gap among the Youth, Families and the Community as a whole. Read more>>

Jim Kovacik | Podcast Consultant & Songwriter & Screenwriter & Broadcast Professional

I wanted to do something with audio. I’ve released 2 music singles this year and have two successful podcasts running, The Jimbo Podcast, my personal interview show and Crispy Coated Robots, a sci-fi-themed top 5 comedy show. And, I have close to 30 years of hosting/audio production in my radio career. So, after brainstorming with a friend/bandmate/copywriter Jason Meeker, a guy who has been self-employed for a lot of years, we came to the decision that podcasts were the answer. And, the podcast boom really exploded during Covid. So, I did my research. There wasn’t many podcast consultants out there. In fact, there weren’t many businesses that help people either start or cultivate their podcast. I thought this was a great idea – be a Podcast Consultant and see where that leads. So, I called a lot of my close broadcasting friends to see if I was crazy or not. The good news – I wasn’t crazy. The better news was the my former boss, Robert Scorpio, said he wanted to do into the venture with me. Read more>>