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.

Michele Meinville | Master Fitness Trainer, Nutrition coach, and hormone and menopause specialist

I had a firm belief that the direction of the training industry needed to change. I saw the need for people to move better and more functionally during the aging process. The gyms I was working in, were still supporting the use of universal equipment and the typical cardio machines, while I wanted my clients to be on their feet, training their whole bodies, learning to use there body as a whole. Read more>>

J Lau Farrow-Halston | Drag Entertainer & Show Producer

Before I moved to Escondido CA, I had been living in Los Angeles and prior to that in a Northern California town of Chico. There was a small drag scene in Chico until the Covid-19 pandemic and the bar hosting the shows had to close down. Read more>>

Greg Lynn | Graphic Designer/Video Producer

Between 2012 and 2014, a majority of comedian friends on Facebook were posting THE absolute WORST flyers I’ve ever seen to promote a show. They were low-res, you couldn’t read the address, and I used to publicly complain about it. Finally, it dawned on me that NO ONE is fixing the problem. Read more>>

Gil Acevedo | Nutrition Coach & Nexus Fitness Co-Founder

Starting Nexus Fitness was both a natural progression of my upbringing, personal experience, and passion. When I was growing up I always dreamed of creating something that would serve other people – getting a win for humanity, so to speak. And when I finally did grow up, life’s challenges had led me to fall in love with fitness. Read more>>

Laura Yelin | Visual artist

As I paint, I find myself tapping into a profound sense of inner peace and connection with myself. Seeking a sense of serenity, contentment, and happiness in my personal life, I strive to imbue these qualities into my art. Read more>> 

Misti Pendergrass | RN and Head Chef

Thought process? Ha! We moved to Twentynine Palms in the fall of 2021, and started hanging out at Out There Bar in October right after it opened. It was a super friendly place, the owners, the bartenders, the new regulars we met. Read more>>