Thinking through whether to start a business – whether to take the risk, whether to go out on your own – isn’t easy. So we asked some entrepreneurs we admire to tell us about how they thought through the process of starting a business.

Anna Compton | Florist

My thought process behind starting my own business was deeply rooted in my observations of the environmental challenges I witnessed living on my sailboat in the marina. The constant influx of pollution in my surroundings made me acutely aware of the impact on the quality of life in Los Angeles. During my work in designing for an ecommerce farm-to-table floral company, I gained a profound understanding of the hardships faced by farmers due to failed harvests and the labor-intensive process of bringing flowers to customers. Additionally, I couldn’t ignore the significant amount of flower waste generated in the industry, which made each stem’s value clear. My visits to the flower market were disheartening as I witnessed the overwhelming flower waste. Read more>>

Sydney Herbst | Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

While earning my Doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at Pacific College of Health and Sciences and working for a few acupuncturists I formed strong opinions regarding how I’d want to be treated if I were the patients seeking care. I was concerned if I were to practice under another acupuncturist I may not be allotted the time and ability to create the healing environment I wanted for each patient I treated. I decided I needed my own autonomy, with no time constraints, to create a positive wellness experience and effective treatment plan for each person who chooses to walk into my practice. Read more>>

Michael Robinson | Licensed Architect

We felt that there is always a need for thoughtful design and planning, especially in the underserved African American community here in San Diego and in the state of California. Read more>>

John Lindsey | Artist, gallerist and chef

I had moved into a space and it was my design and print studio. I was only using half the space (even thought it is very small) and thinking about how I could utilize it rather than renting it out. A gallery seemed to be a good fit. I had worked at and attended the San Francisco Art Institute and new many artists. I always found that art informed my design. I had many friends form those days. And I found an add on Craigs List for very reasonably priced track lighting with the only requirement being I had to de install it, When we go there it was Frans Lanting’s studio a very prominent National Geographic photographer. This was a good sign. I always new that eventually I did not want to have design be my primary business. Read more>>

Brenda Townsend | Owner and Arts Educator, Brilliant Spectrum Art

The pandemic changed a lot of things for everyone, some for the better. I missed my job at the California Center for the Arts Escondido in their Education Department during COVID, and I couldn’t wait to get back in the studio to teach. However, their Education Department was slow to recover, and meanwhile, the world was re-opening and I was restless to get back to teaching when I finally realized that I didn’t need any other organization behind me to make that happen! Read more>>

Johnny Ray Jones | Producer/Singer/Songwriter

The Reliability Of Having Access To Your Own Label & Have The Connections To All Facets Of The Recording Process, From Song Choices To Release, Promo & Distribution. Read more>>

Zain Hussain | Pharmacist and Einstein Tutoring Founder/CEO

Inspiration and Motivation: “My journey as an entrepreneur began during my undergrad years while studying biochemistry. I was juggling my studies with tutoring to make ends meet, and soon I found myself overwhelmed with more students than I could handle. That’s when it hit me: why not turn this into a business? I had no prior knowledge about starting a business, but I was determined to learn. I taught myself everything from building a website to marketing, all through resources like YouTube. This was the birth of Einstein Tutoring.” Read more>>

Jordan Ball | Surf Instructor

Hi, my name is Jordan. I am the founder of the Independent Surfer, we are a surf education company at the forefront of surf coaching for beginner and intermediate surfers! The creation of the Independent Surfer is a very interesting story, so I hope you’ll stick along for the ride. The idea of the business started way before we had any sort of offering, or even existed. It all started when I got fired from my first job as a surf instructor 8 years ago. Long story short, I needed to do my surf instructors course in South Africa, where I am originally from, at a very specific time of the year because they only offered the course once a year. Unfortunately, this coincided with the busiest time of the year for the company that I was working at, so my boss, who – to be honest, I didn’t like anyways, gave me an ultimatum: “either you stay here and work, or go and do the surf instructors course and get fired.” Obviously, I chose the latter. Read more>>

Dr. Allison Brownlee | Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist,

I started Stronger Together Community Services to build a trauma informed training and education organization for therapists in their masters and doctoral programs. I founded the agency with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) first to ensure that these principles and practices are never an afterthought at STCS. We value individual’s identities and their unique perspectives and honor collaborative workspaces and a culture of support. This is unique to community mental health agencies, as many therapist in graduate school have experienced toxic training environments where they are disempowered, devalued, and feel taken advantage of. Read more>>

Karleen Driggs | CEO/Founder

I grew up playing soccer and throughout my life it made a positive impact. I wanted to provide opportunities for other kids to learn and develop their skills in a fun and positive environment. Read more>>

Naomi Davis | Photographer & Content Creator

Time is something I value as a creative, and none of us know how much time will be given to us. So I honestly didn’t have a thought process or plan behind starting my business, I just took the steps as soon as the opportunity presented itself and went for it! Photography is something I’ve always had a keen eye for, it’s my creative outlet and I wanted to jump in as soon as I had the opportunity. Read more>>

Debra Zachau | Speaker, Author, Teacher and International Psychic Advisor

I’ve always been in business. Even as a kid I would color in my coloring book and all the best pages of art were carefully cut out. I signed them and went door to door in the neighborhood selling them for a nickel a piece. But I had business smarts you see. I only went to houses that had no kids. I knew there was plenty of room on their refrigerator for their investment. But I’m a creative so the idea of being disciplined enough to form proper habits for a proper business is just pie in the sky thinking. Some entrepreneurs actually enjoy feeling under the gun. They study time management, get up early, or work late. The slight panic they feel when they see a competitor with a successful campaign motivates them into obsessive action. Read more>>

Kutmaster Spaz | DJ/Entertainer, Marketing Guru, Teacher, and Sushi Lover

I have always been an out-of-the-box thinker. I branded myself a DJ/Entertainer, like organizing events and promoting people, so starting a multi-media company was a no-brainer. Read more>>

Ruibo Zhang | Independent Curator

Before I decided to be an independent curator, I worked in an art museum for two years, in which I was responsible for interfacing with artists, curators, logistics and transport companies, legal teams, galleries, construction teams, and many other different people from different parts of the world. This process allows me to have a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the details behind an art exhibition, from the planning to the landing of each step. However, the exhibition schedule in the art museum is fixed, as an employee I don’t have any decision-making power, the fixed collection system of the museum determines that I can’t go out of the original framework to do exhibitions that are more inclined to my generation of artists, and I can’t curate exhibitions about my favorite art, what I can do is more inclined to the execution level. Read more>>

Katie McCarthy | Registered Nurse, Cannabis Health Coach, Reiki Master, & Artist

Balance. I believe life is all about balance and I live by an “everything in moderation” mentality. I am a multi-passionate entrepreneur with so much to offer the world. I think we all are. First, I built a stable career, one that I knew would allow for the flexibility to provide for my family through all the different phases of growth and transition. Then I leaned into my passions and followed my intuition. Starting my own business just seemed like the next step. A risk that my gut was sure I should take. So I listened to my intuition and I went for it. It allowed me both the secureness I needed, alongside the freedom to control my schedule and be there for my family. Read more>>

Rachel Hutcheson | Writer/Performer

Either bravely or stupidly, I never really thought about it. I have always worked for myself. My husband and I have had all kinds of businesses, from manufacturing 6-foot-tall balloons that bounce and spin to sewing handbags with vintage fabric and selling them, painting houses, making and selling jewelry, and selling his original art. The list goes on. I like creating my own schedule. I like being in charge of my days. When you work for yourself, you are forced to go out and make something happen or go broke. It makes you figure things out. Working for yourself isn’t for everyone, but once you work for yourself, it is hard to imagine working for someone else. Read more>>

GARY DICKENS JR. | Electronics direct buyer

I always wanted to be a business owner to gain financial freedom, I’ve worked dead in jobs that never allowed me to reach my goals. Read more>>

Vanessa Tyus | Owner

Wanted to give hope, encouragement, courage NSpiteOf life situation/circumstances When individuals wear NSpireOf clothing I want them to feel empowered, confident, it’s like like Lynda Carter, turning into wonder woman Read more>>