Many books on startups and business talk about how there are right and wrong reasons for starting a business. So, we asked a handful of successful founders about their reasons and the thought-process behind starting their business.

Christy Toney | Chicago Calligrapher & Instructor

I was actually unsuccessful at being taken seriously as a graphic designer. I worked as a Print Production Manager at a marketing agency that was male dominated and I happened to be finishing up my Bachelors at Columbia (Chicago) focusing on the same kind of work. I was disappointed and frustrated at not being able to launch into a creative career, but I didn’t give up. Read more>>

Shannon Villanueva, RDMS | Diagnostic medical sonographer

I will never forget walking out the doors of the OB/Gyn office one day in 2021. I occasionally work for Obstetricians and perinatologists in the area if needed. After a long day of scanning around 14 pregnant patients, I caught myself smiling as I got into my car to drive to the hospital where I work full time. On this particular day, I was able to show husbands and wives their baby’s heart beat for the very first time, or show cute profile pictures of their baby or tell them their baby has lots of hair or long eyelashes! I could go on and on! Seeing the joy on the parents to be faces brings me so much unexplainable joy! My heart feels like it could explode! I had a couple patients that day that came in to have their very first early ultrasound. Unfortunately, for those patients, the news was grim. I had to explain that there was no heart motion seen. As difficult as this is to explain to excited parents to be, I was able to comfort them, answer questions to the best of my ability, offer them pictures and give advice; as I, myself have experienced the loss of babies. As I left that day smiling, I thought to myself, I could do this all day for free! Then the lightbulb went on! Should I just start my own little side business? The thought of owning my own business scared the shit outta me. I’m not gonna lie. Haha! Well, my researching began! I started out looking up other private ultrasound places in and around the Orange County area. Much to my surprise, most of the people running these businesses and the techs performing the ultrasounds were not registered, licensed sonographers! They did not go to qualified schools, they did not have any experience working with Drs, clinics or at hospitals. To me, this is a disservice in the community. Our pregnant moms-to-be deserve better! And so it began……… Read more>>

Deanna Ratnikova | Creator, The GO Deck

Upon moving to San Diego in 2012, I had a service-based business idea, but when my east coast job offered me the opportunity to work remotely, I abandoned the entrepreneurial itch and continued to focus on my 9-5 work. I’ve also had a few product ideas over the years, but upon further research, I either felt I didn’t have the skills or know-how to make those ideas successful or the idea itself wasn’t strong enough to become a successful product. Read more>>

Melissa Green | Attorney and Philanthropist

For the non-profit (The MGAM Scholarship Foundation), my thought process came a few days after the world erupted in protests over the death of George Floyd, I was sitting outside of my apartment building in downtown Chicago trying to wrap my head around what was going on across the country. As I sat in “my spot” and listened to the sounds of the city, I heard lots of shuffling footsteps. I stood up and walked towards the street, and that was when I saw lines of Chicago Police Officers dressed in riot gear heading towards the Magnificent Mile/Michigan Ave. Witnessing that scene, I felt my entire spirit break, and I broke down in tears. The next day I met a friend at a park to talk through my thoughts. The following day, May 31, 2020, still numb and exhausted, I made the decision that I needed to do something – that I needed to be a change agent. I decided to contribute something that touched on at least two of my passions – education and mentoring young people. That is when the idea for creating a scholarship foundation was born. Read more>>

Dr. Katrina Burrus, MXX | Executive coach and speaker

I worked for a prestigious Swiss bank. After I was promoted, I realized it would be harder to succeed as a woman in a traditional Swiss bank, even though I worked harder and more successfully than my colleagues at the time. They were going to promote a fellow man colleague over me. As I was a very hard worker and was ready to take the risk, I started my own business. Read more>>

Amy Milroy | Psychiatric and Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Provider, Co-Founder of Transcendelic

Starting Transcendelic was born out of a deep yearning to provide a form of healthcare that truly honors the holistic nature of healing. As a healthcare worker, I am intimately familiar with the limitations and often dehumanizing aspects of the mainstream healthcare system. It prioritizes speed over quality, reducing patients to mere numbers on a chart. This compromises patient care and wellness, and led me to a profound sense of burnout and moral injury. Read more>>

Julie Seal-Gaustad | Founder & Business Coach

I’ve actually started two businesses! The first time was in 2009 when an opportunity presented itself and realizing I wanted to have more control of my career. I founded Mirus Promotions, a marketing agency focused on helping companies promote their products and services and build their brands through face-to-face experiences. A dozen years later, the opportunity to sell the company presented itself and I took it—entering into an exploratory period of soul-searching to decide what was next for me. Read more>>

Cristina Juarez | Floral Cultivator & Designer

Before we decided to start Inecui as a business, we were already cultivating flowers and, as we started offering bouquets to our community, we noticed the enthusiasm in people to be able to take flowers of outstanding quality that were actually sustainable and good for the environment, the people and the pollinators of our region. Flowers that were not what one would normally see at the common flower shops or the market; flowers that would be fresh up to two weeks at home and that had not hard chemicals or pesticides. People love learning about new plants and flowers and about the farmers who grew them! Read more>>

Ben Blasi | CEO at 15

I’ve been playing both club and school volleyball for about 5 years now. The idea of Servin’ Swag came from my struggle to find suitable athletic pants that complemented my body type. Recognizing a shared challenge among male volleyball players, particularly those with a taller, slender frame, I observed a gap in the market. Most apparel manufacturers assume that a longer inseam equals a larger waist size, neglecting those with a lean build and long legs. Teh standard inseam on men’s athletic pants is 29 inches. I worked on creating custom-designed pants tailored to fit this demographic, and that had the details that I thought were important. Our size range is currently S to 2XL with 32 and 34 inch inseams. Including pockets that zip and are large enough to hold your phone. With boys’ volleyball rapidly gaining popularity in the United States, it’s actually the fastest growing boys sport, I identified a promising market niche with significant potential. Southern California is not only a great place to live, but also the home of some of the greatest boys’ volleyball clubs, teams and players. Read more>>

Jessica Gandarilla | Owner of Lovely Little Crafter

The thought process of starting my own business was that I wanted a creative outlet, I wanted to do something that I was passionate about and where I could potentially quit my job at the time and stay home to raise my little boy. I started my business in 2015 on Etsy and over the years it has evolved from making wreaths, to party decorations and then sublimation tumblers and custom badge reels. I really love being creative and learning different crafts. I then started doing craft fairs around my city and also doing the bigger events such as fairs and festivals. You can now find my items in a retail store on Lancaster Blvd called Glitz Sparkle. I’m so proud to be given the opportunity to sell my handmade items in retail. Read more>>

Shalonda Harris | Motivational Speaker & Entrepreneur

My thought process behind me starting my own business is simple. I wanted more for our black community. As an educator which was once in a classroom and now educating in my own way felt, seen, and heard the need for our youth and young adults in educating to become successful in more than one way. We all have been taught and embedded that the only way to success is by going to college. If you can’t afford to send your child to college the pressure of scholarships, student loans, and unnecessary debt just to realize college is not made for everyone. We are not taught to go into business for ourselves but to work for other businesses, build other businesses, and retire from other businesses. There is nothing wrong with going to college, I’ve done it a couple of times but if it is not made for you that doesn’t mean you can’t live a comfortable lifestyle. Read more>>