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.

Jan Norris | Vintage shoppe owner

I have always been a stay-home Mom. When I was younger, my dream was to be a teacher but a mother most of all. I never imagined that I would become a homeschool Mom. My kids were my life and we stayed very active and were involved in events that the whole family could participate in. Read more>>

Caroline Murray | CEO & Founder, Virtually Possible

Starting my own business honestly really happened on a whim! I had the idea of becoming a virtual assistant, but I was teaching full time. I loved the idea of being able to work from anywhere, and I knew one day I wouldn’t want to be teaching when I had kids. So, I started picking up some virtual assistant jobs as my “side hustle.” Well, long story short, the “side hustle” blossomed very quickly, and within six months, put me in a position where I felt comfortable quitting my job. Six months after that, I expanded into an agency model, where I hired virtual assistants to work for me to expand the business even more. Fast forward to two years later, and I am able to raise my daughter at home while also managing the agency. I am so blessed to be able to do both! Read more>>

Ashley Brown | Sweets Specialist

I’ve always loved baking and the challenge of making sweet treats look as good as they taste. I grew up baking with my mom, one of my first “real” jobs was working in our small town bakery, and in my adult years baking became an opportunity to encourage others or bring something fun to a party. I realized I really enjoyed bringing a smile to people’s face when I put thought into how to best personalize the goodies whether it was through their favorite flavors, colors, or decorated just right to match the celebration or just in general if someone needed some encouragement.  Read more>>

Elijah Stone | Music Artist, Visual Artist, Content Creator, & Designer

I was painting one of one clothing items for my own music performances and wardrobe, and as I would wear them out to festivals, shows, and events, people would start to flock towards me and ask about the clothing. After constant questions and love and support from the community, I was strongly encouraged to create it into a clothing brand. So I found the right team and created my dream fashion brand. Read more>>

Jessi White | Painter and ceramicist

Becoming a creator of art felt like a natural path for me. I’ve always been drawn to the ways art can express emotions and tell stories that resonate with others. I wanted to explore my own thoughts and experiences through creative outlets, finding joy in the process of making each creations. It became clear to me that art was a powerful way to connect with people, challenge ideas, and share my perspective, which fueled my commitment to this journey. Recently, I have found huge satisfaction in creating personalized artworks that capture things with individual meetings to it owner in fun colors and very small proportions. Read more>>

Dr. Laura Parks | Acupuncturist & Certified Health Coach

When I graduated with my master’s degree from acupuncture school in 2010, I dedicated my life to establishing an acupuncture and integrative medicine practice that would truly serve patients with chronic, complex diseases in a way that would bring solutions to their health concerns, like chronic pain or infertility. Since then, I’ve specialized in infertility, autoimmune and neurological conditions, like lupus, lyme’s disease, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), neuropathy, pain management of MS, migraines, and POTS. Read more>>

Mike Moloney | Founder of FilterGrade – Professional Photographer & Filmmaker

FilterGrade came about as a way to help photographers, and then all creators, earn money online for their digital products. The idea is to build the simplest platform to sell online through a marketplace. We’re trying to reduce friction for influencers and creators looking to launch digital products quickly and just get a link that they can promote. Read more>>

Michael Blizzard | Owner and Lead Barman

I have spent most of my adult life in bars and restaurants. It started just as a job and just stuck. I have managed night clubs, worked in dive bars where a PBR and a shot was the daily special, and high-end restaurants where we fresh squeezed citrus and made syrups from scratch multiple times a week. I was always a big cook. I love to cook. Being behind a bar is a lot like cooking. Crafting cocktails is a very similar idea to cooking. I have all these cool ingredients and ideas but how do I craft a cocktail around them? Ideas are just ideas until you put them into action. Read more>>