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.

Jessica Williams | Cosmetic Tattoo Artist

I had always dreamed of owning my own business. But it was always an abstract idea, not a concrete goal. A few years ago I was reading a book called ‘Stay Sexy, and Don’t Get Murdered’ and there was a passage where the author used the phrase “Bigger Dummies Than You” and for some reason it really resonated with me! Bigger dummies than me succeed every day, why couldn’t I? There are less qualified people out there doing exactly what I want to do just because they had the audacity to start! Read more>>

Hilary Cocalis | Founder & Chief Go Getter of Sipwell Wine Co.

I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset. Even as a kid, all of my games with friends involved me running some type of business–a store, a restaurant, even a McDonald’s drive-through. As an adult I’ve always jotted down random ideas for businesses in notebooks or on my phone. Plus, I recently realized I am a fourth-generation entrepreneur (!), so maybe it’s something even deeper – something in my DNA? Read more>>

Tom Green | Personal Trainer & Owner of the GreenSpeed Training Facility

My thought process behind starting the GreenSpeed Training Facility was to create a home for the community. A home that not only catered to their physical goals, but also a place for the community to grow their individual families into one large family! A home that encompasses the values that I was so fortunate to be surrounded by when I was growing up. Read more>>

Yasmine Grignard | Conscious Marketing for Mission-Driven Brands

I didn’t grow up dreaming of owning my own business and I certainly never thoughts of everything I would be learning while doing so. Yet here I am. To be honest, it’s the most challenging thing I’ve done and still doing and at the same time the thing that made me grow as a person the most. One of the biggest lessons I learned is that my business is a reflection of who I am as a person. That means that I constantly have to face my personal fears and limiting believes and rely on my strengths. In order to have a successful business, I need to take care of myself, learn to set boundaries, check in with how I feel about money, learn to trust my intuition, and grow my self-confidence. Read more>>

Amanda Baris | Artist & Woodworker

The most important lesson that I have learned in my business is to go after my dream and not to be controlled by fear. I’ve been creating art since I’ve been able to hold a pencil and up until 2 years ago, I was afraid to show my art to the public for fear of rejection, criticism or not being liked. Majority of my art would sit in my closet to not be appreciated. Taking the first step into starting my business has taught me that its okay to be afraid but not to let it control my decisions. Read more>>

Patty Gutierrez | Entrepreneur, CEO, & Dental Instructor

The most important lesson so far is that it’s not about the destination nor the journey. Truth of the matter is it’s about the quality of people that are along the journey with you! Association is everything! My mentor taught me that you have to distinguish who you should spend 5 minutes with and who you should spend 5 hours with. Surround yourself with the doers and thinkers. The ones who support you and your visions. With that said I’d like to take a moment to thank the people who create a positive energy in all of our lives and support unconditionally. Read more>>