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.

Taylor Mims | Esthetician

Whoo! Where do I begin? I never saw myself owning my own business, but it has definitely been one of my biggest blessings. In 2019 I was hired as a Wax Specialist at European Wax Center. Ive always loved waxing and my passion grew stronger in 2020. During the Covid-19 shut down, I decided to jump and have faith to prepare myself to start my own business. I was desperate to learn more, so it was imperative to educate myself about being a full time business owner. I read many articles and watched vlogs of other entrepreneurs in my industry. It helped, but I must say that Im very thankful to come from a family full of entrepreneurs! My parents were there for me every step of the way. They constantly were there to give me guidance and reassurance when I needed it most. Throughout the process I learned that starting a business involved careful planning and execution. You must outline your business plan like your vision, purpose, mission, and finances. At times I felt defeated and overwhelmed with thoughts of failure and the unknown. But the lesson in it all is to have faith and to trust the process. You must believe that everything will work out perfectly! Read more>>

Lynn Tickner | Founder, Ink and Key

Back in 2015, I was doing freelance writing for a marketing firm and a financial services firm to make ends meet. I was also involved in helping businesses name their companies or products. I discovered I LOVED naming and was pretty good at it! Read more>>

Charlene Duncan | Massage Therapist

Starting out I wanted to create the experience I would want with getting a massage. Providing a safe space where everyone felt comfortable, were heard, and not rushed during the appointment was very important to me. I wanted to build a relationship with each client where they felt cared for during their sessions. With having children I needed more flexibility with my schedule but still pursuing my dream of being a therapist, it has taken some time finding the balance of both. Read more>>

Janette Holland | Fiber Artist, Entrepreneur, Community Leader

A lifelong desire to learn to quilt was awakened when I had a thought to make a quilt for my elderly mother. Following that, the pandemic occurred and I started leveraging my newfound sewing skills to make high quality masks from African print fabric that I had laying around. The demand for the custom masks exploded and I found myself starting Blessed Hands, LLC. As my sewing and quilting skills matured, I applied my creativity and began creating pieces of fiber art. Read more>>

Jessica Jones | Wedding and Lifestyle Branding Photographer

In the aftermath of a life-changing relationship ending, I discovered a profound joy in photography. This emotional journey led me to turn my newfound passion into a wedding and lifestyle branding photography business. The decision was rooted in the desire to find purpose and healing through creativity. Capturing meaningful moments became a therapeutic outlet, and I carefully aligned this passion with market demand. My portfolio, a reflection of both technical skills and emotional depth, tells a story of personal growth. The brand narrative incorporates authenticity, making my business a source of joy and continuous evolution. Connecting with clients goes beyond transactions, creating an empathetic environment for significant life moments. In essence, my photography business is a dynamic expression of personal and professional joy, both for myself and those I serve. Read more>>

Chris Butler | Cinematographer & Editor

Before starting CBCinematics, It felt completely foolish! Mainly because at the time, I was laid off from my IT day job. It felt very daunting and risky to start a business without any certainty of income for my family. I also did not know or understand the elements of what makeup a successful business in 2020. I knew I would not only have to be an expert in the services that I would offer, but I would also need to become proficient in business management too. I knew that becoming a business owner would require multiple hats until the company reached a certain profit margin for me to step back. I had no real experience with marketing, prospecting, billing, or sales! I also had no connections in the industry that helped me get started or equipment! So my thought process was only to succeed. I viewed all of those as just obstacles, and hurdles can always be jumped over! And so i started with my weakest point which was learning business and how to secure revenue and executing all the methods I had learned immediately. Read more>>

Sierra Williams | Owner and Author at Siohan Press LLC.

I started my own business as a way to fill the gap in early reader books after homeschooling my nephew during the pandemic. While it began as publishing early reader books where a black boy could see himself as the main character, it has grown to include many characters and both fiction and non-fiction reading books that blend literacy and STEM. Read more>>

Vera Djackova | Photographer. ArtyBytes LLC

I started my photography business to have creative freedom and control over my artistic vision. I wanted to move beyond working for others, explore my unique style, and pursue personal and professional growth. Starting a business allowed me to take on diverse projects, interact directly with clients, and build a brand aligned with my values. It’s been a challenging but rewarding journey in pursuing my passion for photography. Read more>>

Lynn Hobart | Chef and Owner of Seol Ah’s Food Truck and Catering Services

My thought process behind my business was to bring some of my korean culture and food to the Charleston food scene. Specifically, a korean street food that is also nostalgic to my NY roots and home. I saw this opportunity and calling to diversify Charleston and create a business that I can also support myself and my daughter with. My thoughts around korean corn dogs sparked during covid. I had a lot of days stuck inside being a brand new mom filled with fears, but also grateful just to be healthy and have the down time to think a lot. Many events happened and Seol Ah’s was not officially tested until the fall of 2021. However, I truly believe that without the hardship of covid and giving birth to my daughter during that time the idea of my business may not have unfolded the way that it did. Read more>>

Catie Hurt | Brand & Commercial Photographer

I started my business in 2017. Photography was not something I planned for, it just happened. I worked as a graphic designer for a real estate company in Charleston. But what they really needed was help with their in-house photography and video, so I pivoted and took over that department. And that’s where I found my love for taking photos of people. Although I had always loved photography, I mostly took pictures of animals and landscapes before. This was my first experience taking photos of events, people, and businesses. When one of my coworkers asked me to photograph her wedding, I jumped at the opportunity! And it all continued from there. Read more>>

Doris Drake | Executive Director

My name is Doris Drake. I am a South Carolina native. I received my Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Carolina and my Master of Arts in Counseling from Columbia International University. After graduating from the University of South Carolina I worked for the City of Columbia as a 911 Dispatcher for over 15 years. While working in that position I noticed the call volume for youth between the ages of eight through eighteen escalated for behavioral issues, criminal activities, and suicide. I understand the youth are being prematurely exposed to things before they are mentally and emotionally prepared to respond in healthy and productive ways. Therefore, after receiving my Masters in Clinical Counseling I resigned from my position as a 911 Dispatcher to work towards creating solutions to the issues the youth are facing. I established the Rebirth Enterprise Youth Development Program. Read more>>

Chris Moncrease | Bespoke Tailor & Investor

I’ve always wore suits growing up and one day while I was folding clothes I thought that it would be a good idea to have my own brand, however everybody has a shirt brand, but a suit brand would be unique and not only just any suit, but a suit that’s perfect for you. Now I had my struggles to find the perfect suits growing up. I seen how it was difficult to find something to fit you properly (having an athletic body), and also liking the design, so being into the arts growing up, I explored how to make suits. Now, exploring how to make suits, took me into a culture that I never thought existed and that was the bespoke culture. It’s a small group of individuals that really take their time and effort into putting handmade details into luxury goods including suits. These details overall create bespoke garment. The bespoke industry can definitely be lucrative. In my research, I found that some viewed it as just business, yet others viewed it as creating art… building masterpieces! I fell in love with it then. This culture is mainly found in Italy, London, parts of France, and each area has their own style. It’s rare to find bespoke tailors in America, if you do, most of the time they don’t create on their own originality. Therefore I wanted to bring this art to California and I wanted to give it its own California style so that’s when Moncrease Bespoke begin. Read more>>

Karissa Burkee | Onsite Bridal Hairstylist

I went to hair school and got my cosmetology license right out of high school. I worked behind the chair in a full service salon for the first year of my career. I learned a tremendous amount and fell in love with hairstyling for weddings and being a part of so many special events. After a while though, the salon environment that I was working in really burned me out. I was losing passion for my craft, and I knew I needed to make a change. I left my salon job as I was shifting into a new season of life during that time with becoming a mom. I still loved doing hair and especially had a passion for pursuing my own onsite wedding hairstyling business, but I wanted to be able to design my life as a mom first, that has always been the most important job to me. I’m from Michigan and co-owned Blushed Beauty with my best friend who is a makeup artist and also a mom. We loved being able to be at home with our kids during the week and do what we love on the weekends. At the end of 2020, we parted ways as I made South Carolina my new home. I launched k.b. glam in March 2021 servicing brides In Columbia and surrounding areas and it has been an amazing journey. I feel so blessed to be able to have a job and business that provides me a living, but also one where I am meeting so many people and networking with other extremely talented vendors in the area. One of my favorite instructors in cosmetology school use to say, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Read more>>

AG Marie | Screenwriter & Retro Popular Culture Enthusiast

My business has morphed so much over the years. Keepers of Nostalgia has had different names, functions, and platforms since I was in college—just over a decade ago, now. I’ve always had a platform where I’ve haphazardly shared my love of “vintage things” with others (movies, music, clothes, etc.). There was never any point to it, just me saying, “hey, I love Sarah Vaughan–who else likes Sarah Vaughan? Come like this page.” Read more>>

Dr. Ronda Stinson Boyd | Wealth Strategist, Author and Speaker

My first venture outside of joining several multi-level marketing companies was the Passion 2 Pay Project, www.passion2payproject.org. I initiated this project as I was disheartened by seeing college students spending five to six years in college, accumulating debt, and graduating without a clear vision of their future. Often, their degree did not align with their passions or interests. A defining moment occurred when my daughter, at nine years old, was asked by her doctor about her future career aspirations. When she responded that she wanted to become a photographer, he dismissively asked, “No, what do you really want to be?” I don’t want any child to doubt their abilities and dreams because of others’ opinions. Read more>>

Chaz Williams Sr | CEO of AgriShield

I decided that I wanted more for myself. I had been selling Solar for one of the top companies in the country, and just wanted to explore other options. I’ve always been a person that marches to the best of my own drum. Now I can do that all the time.Read more>>