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.

Joseph Unitt | Climber/owner

The idea for the business came from my desire to train for climbing. I have been climbing for over 30 plus years and in order to stay in shape an continue to grow I have to train specifically for the sport I love. Read more>>

Michal Ettinger | Business Owner

I have always had a dream of having my own jewelry business. It was something I could see for my future, but I never knew exactly when or how it would unfold. Jewelry was always an accessory; either a friendship bracelet, braided piece of seaweed (IFYKYK), puka shell necklace, silver rings (lots of them) from various trips to Baja, Bali silver and other trips abroad. Read more>>

Laura Valdes | Translator & Interpreter

Valdes Language Services helps community-focused organizations and companies bridge the language gap with multilingual communities with our high-quality interpretation and translation services. With over a decade of experience in translation and interpreting, along with my background as a language services coordinator at a local regional agency in San Diego and previously at a Washington D.C.-based non-profit organization, I founded Valdes Language Services, confident in my ability to deliver high-quality translation and interpretation solutions. Read more>>

Lilyan Hassaine | Doctor in clinical psychology. Undergrad degree in pharmacology.

Starting my own wellness center was a natural progression for me. I’ve always been passionate about helping people from the inside out, focusing on prevention rather than just treating symptoms. Opening my own center allows me to create a space where I can truly make a difference in people’s lives, implementing my own vision and values into every aspect of the business. It’s about combining my expertise with my desire to positively impact others, and I’m excited to see where this journey takes me. Read more>>

Larry Hastings | Scenic artist

Originally I wanted to be able to make cool props and costumes for friends and family. But after a few friends saw my work at a local convention they urged me to pursue it a bit more serious. 11 years later and here we are. Read more>>

JOSE ASPILLERA | Travel Photographer

After a pretty bad breakup, I randomly bought a plane ticket one morning to Thailand and boarded a plane that afternoon to get away from everything. As I was roaming Thailand, I took one island hopping tour where I ran into 2 women from Germany. We hit it off because I randomly saw this one shot where the sunlight was beaming in one location and I took their photo. From there, we roamed Thailand together for next few days! Read more>>

Sadie Bowler | Co-founder and CEO

Styling hair has been a passion of mine for a long time. Being immersed in the beauty industry at such a young age made it clear that messages telling me that I needed to look a certain way to be considered “good enough” was taking a toll on my mental health. I have struggled with anxiety like so many girls my age and recognizing the need to focus on my personal development has changed everything for me. Read more>>

Kristal Sotomayor | Filmmaker and Founder of Sotomayor Productions

Sotomayor Productions emerged from my deep-rooted passion for filmmaking, nurtured over seven years of dedicated work in the industry. My vision is to establish a platform that not only facilitates the creation of my own projects but also extends a helping hand to fellow filmmakers aspiring to bring their visions to life. I started Sotomayor Productions because it grants me the autonomy to pursue projects close to my heart. Read more>>

Makayla Wardrip | Co-Owner of Under The Sun

In this day and age, it’s a lot more motivating to start your own business when it’s hard to find a job, especially one that’s reliable and rewarding. The job search especially after 2020, has been rough applying to hundreds of jobs, just to receive no luck. That’s when you start the thought process of wanting to start your own thing and find your purpose. That’s when Under The Sun began its beginning stages, to where it is today. We knew going into it, we definitely have other competitors but we felt confident in our work, and took advantage of our connections within the local music scene in San Diego, which has helped us tremendously. Read more>>

Heath Wilson | Personal Trainer/Owner

Starting County Line Fitness was a culmination of several key factors and personal passions. First and foremost, my love for fitness and helping others achieve their health goals ignited the spark. Having been involved in athletics since a young age and witnessing firsthand the transformative power of exercise, I wanted to channel that passion into something meaningful and impactful. Read more>>

Siggy Freud | House Producer & DJ

As an independent music artist, we’re responsible for covering every single one of our bases when it comes to the business and marketing avenues aside from the art itself. In this new age of technology however, there are many resources and opportunities available to us to succeed without any help from major labels and A & R’s. I do everything I have in my power to be able to get my music the exposure I feel it deserves as well as finding gigs and shows without having to hire a management company. Read more>>

Azadeh Shirazi | Board-Certified Dermatologist

When I finished my Dermatology residency I joined a large multi-specialty clinic and over the years I became increasingly frustrated with corporate medicine and the assembly line of patients that weren’t treated with the type of care I envisioned providing as a physician. I wanted to create an atmosphere where the patient was at the center and heart of the medical care I delivered. I also craved the freedom to be innovative. There was so much bureaucracy and red tape that I felt trapped as an entrepreneur. Read more>>

Liz McCalley, DVM | Veterinarian & Founder of ZumiVet In-Home Veterinary Care

It was March of 2020 and I had just quit my full time job as a medical director for a boutique veterinary practice in Coronado–just in time for the COVID 19 pandemic! I knew that I wanted more flexibility in my work life and was feeling burnt out. My plan was to work as a relief veterinarian, helping to fill in at hospitals all over San Diego. I thought doing so would help me to find a new job that better met my needs. During this time, I completed my Fear Free certification, a training program that teaches veterinarians and pet care professionals low stress pet handling techniques. Read more>>

Cathryn Valles | Digital Marketer and UGC content creator

I wanted to start my own online business because I wanted to have time and financial freedom. I had worked for a company that I poured my heart and soul and time into for 18.5 years as a manager and they let me go during covid because they were being shady about how they were handling the work from home requirements and wanted me to be unethical with my employees. Read more>>

Kristina Ziebell | Hair Stylist & Business Owner

At this point I’ve been a hair stylist for over 7 years. I moved to San Diego from Chicago (where I was born & raised) in September of 2020. For some reason I was always too scared to go on my own and start my own business as an independent hair stylist in Chicago, even though I had a pretty solid clientele seeing as that’s where I’m from and knew tons of people. I was always afraid to leave the W2 salon environment and go on my own. Read more>>

Ryan Fitzpatrick | Business Owner

We grew up in an entrepreneurial family. Our mom was an early JDog franchise owner and we have worked for her in multiple capacities over the years before deciding to start our own in North County San Diego. Seamus and I have always been best friends and talked about the idea of working together on our own business. Read more>>

Kna-Lo Venge | Music Producer/Recording Artist

I didn’t want to work for anyone else. Read more>>

Stephanie Howard | Intuitive Guide, Lightworker, Self-Love Coach

As an old soul on planet earth, I had known from a young age I would be an entrepreneur. I never enjoyed the 9-5 work schedule, or the idea of working hard during your healthy, vibrant years until retirement and hopefully you get to enjoy the last few decades of your life. Read more>>

C. Ruzzi | Personal Technology Support & Smart Home Professional

For a decade I worked for the world’s number one consumer technology company. The question I would get most was, “Do you make house calls?” It was truly a matter of seeing a need in the community that I was perfectly positioned to fill. I was able to help so many more people achieve their goals who would have otherwise hit dead ends with technology in their home or workplace. Read more>>