The first step to starting a business is deciding to start a business. They say the first step is the hardest and in our experience this is especially true when it comes to starting a business. Getting over the mental roadblocks can be tough, often harder to overcome than the challenges you’ll face once you actually start the business. Fellow entrepreneurs share their thoughts below.

Alizay Hickson | Esthetician & Woman of God

Divine intervention led me down a path I hadn’t planned, but it turned out to be a perfect fit for my personality and passions. I was initially pursuing a career in anesthesiology, but esthetics unexpectedly captured my interest and I never looked back. I’m now passionate about skincare and networking. My mom’s entrepreneurial spirit and success have been a huge inspiration, driving me to build my own business and secure a stable future. I cherish the freedom and flexibility that comes with it, and I love connecting with new clients and experiencing new opportunities. Read more>>

Dave Staib | Pest control owner operator

My thought process was simple. I had been running a multi million dollar pest control operation for Orkin very successfully for 11 years. I knew the science, I knew the business model. I knew how to generate revenue and operate efficiently enough to generate substantial profit so why not do it on my own, by my rules with my own employees! Read more>>

Fatima Golden | Photographer

Starting it wasn’t hard at all, it was the staying motivated throughout the process. After I got all of my gear to start I immediately started working taking photos any chance I got. But through the process when likes were low or I wasn’t getting hired for many events it was hard staying motivated and to keep going. But after a while of consistency it paid off and I’m seeing my dream become what I envisioned. Read more>>

Jorell Jackson | Entrepreneur

Blueprint, Network, Consistency Read more>>

edie Allen | Nutrition and Fitness Coach

I had no intention of starting a new business in my 60’s, especially the month that my husband retired! After observing how this amazing lifestyle adjustment affected me, I couldn’t keep it a secret. I wanted everyone, especially menopausal women, to realize that small shifts in their habits can have big results. It was a life changer for me, and I needed to learn how I could help other women and men change their trajectory to better energy and wellness so that they could enjoy their kids, grandkids, friends, and activities! Aging is inevitable, but how you do it is a choice!!!! Read more>>

Cate Kassab | Owner of My Upstate Home LLC

I always knew I would own my own business. I just never knew when the right time would be. I didn’t know what I would want to name it or how large I wanted to grow it. After sixteen years as an independent contractor affiliated with various brokerages, I noticed that the mass majority of my business came from past client referrals, repeat business and from mentoring and educating others. Read more>>

Gregory Smith | Owner & detail technician

I had been working for several different major car dealerships as lead detailer. However, I grew Tired of working for people who were constantly overcharging and taking advantage of people, especially the elderly. I wanted to make a difference and still give people top quality details. I knew the level of my skills are beyond good and I take pride in my work, it’s a passion for me. So, after long talks with my wife and knowing she had my back I decided to go out on my own…be the boss I always wanted and treat people with kindness and honesty. Read more>>

Ashley Jones | No. 42 Cookie Company

Prior to having children I always thought I would want to go back to work (in a traditional sense). I felt I always had a strong work ethic and was surprised that I had no desire to return to work after having my daughter. I absolutely loved staying home with her and felt my priorities starting to shift- but I also didn’t feel truly fulfilled and knew I needed something that was just for me. I needed something that was challenging and fulfilling and allowed me to pour into myself so that ultimately I could be a better mom & partner. Having my own small business allows me the flexibility I need to be present with my family. Read more>>

John Sorochinsky | Fitness and mindset coach

I started my business as a calling to help people live a life worth telling a story about. Read more>>

Anne Liebergall | Stationery & Gift Store

Owning a retail shop was something that I had dreamed about since being a teenager. Of course, it is one thing to dream and another to truly understand what is involved in owning and running a business. After college, I moved to New York CIty to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology and spent a great deal of time combing the amazing stores in the city. While the department stores of the 1990’s were fabulous, I felt most comfortable in the small shops downtown that were independently owned and had the most unusual treasures! It was in these shops that you felt a part of your neighborhood – the owner would often know your name and what you liked. When I moved back down to the South, I wanted to create that same type of inviting, creative “destination” here Charleston! Read more>>

Ashleigh Ludlam | Author and Owner/Founder of Affordably Chic Boutique, So Rad Swag and AshleighsAffordables

When I started my first business in 2011, I originally considered it mostly a hobby and creative interest of mine. However, I quickly realized that the business could really be not only successful, but also an opportunity to turn this into a full-time career. The idea that I could be my own boss, create my own hours, do things and run things in ways that I saw fit, while also bringing little bits of joy to others..well, that was enough for me to dive head first. Since then, I have opened two more small businesses and I work each day to not only sustain them, but to also grow them. Having control of your time is one of the most valuable assets that we can possess. Read more>>

Tabitha Agnew Benedict | The Foreign Landers

Before we started the Foreign Landers, David and I were both playing in separate bands on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Even after getting married in 2019, we spent most of our time away from each other traveling full time to play gigs. But we’d always dreamed about starting a band together. When the pandemic hit in 2020, we found ourselves in Northern Ireland with a lot of free time to start making new music together–the silver lining of many unfortunate circumstances. Read more>>

Taylor Dawn | Graphic Designer

The thought process behind starting my own business stemmed from my time as an Author. Publishing is an expensive undertaking and I found that there was a lack of affordable design services for Authors. I wanted to give back to the book community by helping those who couldn’t afford expensive design services by offering high quality for next to nothing. Read more>>

Kaden Lebsack | Ninja Warrior & Bucket President.

My thought process was sort of two-fold, I wanted to start a business in the sport I love that could allow me to stay involved in the sport long after I am competing in it. Also, as the company grows, I want to be able to support the sport of ninja by sponsoring events around the world. We have been able to do this more this past year and hope to grow it in the future. Read more>>

Holly Hillman | Sailor & Yogi

My career is one that has had many pivots and readjustments along the way. After spending 6 years in the Navy, I went back to school to get an associates degree in Veterinary Technology and a Bachelors Degree in Animal Science minoring in Wildlife Management- animals and the environment were always my main focus. I went on to become a Wildlife Biologist working for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources specializing in a community outreach program that engaged volunteers with building oyster reefs and restoring salt marshes along the SC coast. I also worked as a naturalist on kayak and sailing tours throughout the lowcountry. As my career progressed I learned that to care about the environment you often have to start with people and showing/connecting them to the natural world in order to inspire them to join the cause! I ended up completing my MBA and working as a sustainability consultant for a little less than a year in 2022 which further solidified my passion to make a difference in the world however I could. When I lost my consultant job in 2023 I decided to return to the water and made sailing my full time job. This is where I became inspire to start my own business. Taking people out sailing on charters I noticed time and time again the shift in energy that every group seemed to exhibit once the sails went up and the motor shut off- even the ones with a 24 pack of truly or Bud Lights! I realized then that noone in Charleston was offering a meditative or wellness focused sailing experience. It baffled me since I know so well the importance that being on, in or near the water plays in people’s overall wellbeing and mental health. After spending the year sailing and seeing the need in our sailing community, I attended training to become a Registered Yoga Teacher and decided to marry two of my passions together. In 2024 Soothe Sailing was founded and is the first company of its kind offering guided breath work, meditation, and silent reflection all while sailing in the beautiful Charleston Harbor- no phones, no small talk, just listening to the wind in the sails and the water lapping against the hull. My business was born from a desire to connect people to the environment, the water, and thereby connecting more deeply to themselves. Read more>>

Garrison Emmanuel Moore | Entrepreneur

Months before I graduated from Spring Valley High School in Columbia, SC, in June 2020, I was super excited and nervous. Excited because I was finally almost finished with school. Nervous because I didn’t know what I wanted to do next. School had always been hard for me, not because I didn’t try, but because I learn differently and at a slower pace than most students. I knew that if I was going to be successful in life, I’d have to find a job that I could learn to do really well and an employer who valued my love for serving others and understood my differences. Several months before graduation, my parents and I were talking, again, about what I was going to do next. We decided that going to college right now was not my best option. So, with their help, I should start a business of my own so that I would be responsible for my success. It was then that I began to learn how to customize products that I thought people would appreciate and enjoy. That’s how Moore Puzzles and Gifts was “born.” Read more>>

Morgan Pannell | Wedding Planner & Business Owner

Honestly, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out exactly I wanted from my career. Since 8th grade I knew I wanted to be a graphic designer. I went to college, graduated, and started working. But what they don’t prepare you for is the realization that you don’t always feel fulfilled by the thing you love the most. I do love art, and graphic design without a doubt. But within the confines of a typical 9-5 I couldn’t find that same joy. On top of that, Covid didn’t help. It hurt the industry. I found myself without a job still unsure of what to do with my life. During the time my best friend was planning her own wedding. One night she told me instead of having a big wedding she wished she could just elope. It gave me an idea. I started looking into ways to create an alternative for couples who wanted to skip the traditional wedding and opt for a more intimate and unique experience… I was going to be a wedding planner. And, at the time, not having a job meant I could fully pursue this idea. I jumped right in and created Magnolia Elopements + Microweddings. Eventually I realized I had a true love for helping others during such a special time in their life. It was what I was searching for all along … a way to help others, make an impact while also nurturing my creativity. That paired with the event planning itself is so fun, putting the pieces together and seeing it all come to life is so rewarding. I also found a passion for business along the way as well! Read more>>

Dana Beigay | Dana Beigay Music

I had been working for several years for a company in Savannah Georgia that allowed me to bring my job with me when I moved to back home to Greenville SC in 2018. In October of 2019 I was let go from that job unexpectedly because new ownership of the company didn’t allow its employees to work from home. I was momentarily devastated. My work from home job had allowed me the freedom I needed to be with my young daughters and help care for my grandmother who had dementia . I was allowed the opportunity to go on unemployment and just before it ran out, a pandemic hit the world that became the end to some and a new beginning to others. For me the pandemic created a new beginning. It caused unemployment benefits to be extended and with the whole world being forced to take a time out I decided to teach myself how to play guitar. Read more>>