Are you thinking about starting a business? If so, we think you’ll enjoy reading about how these seasoned entrepreneurs thought about the question when they were in your shoes.

Erica Weiss | Wedding & Event Planner

I was ready for a change and to try something new. I had spent years working for other people, in jobs that didn’t fulfill me. Starting my own business gave me the opportunity to do what I love, how I want to do it. It’s been an incredible ride and learning experience and I wouldn’t want it any other way! Read more>>

Amanda Dahl | Herbalist, Holistic Health Consultant, and Energy Medicine Practitioner

We started our healing practice after learning different modalities to help with our own struggle with Lyme Disease. As we found things that were healing for us, we wanted to share with others. Read more>>

Elizabeth Vecchiarelli | Owner and Founder of Preserved

I was a passionate homemaker and DIYer and wanted to create a space that promoted education alongside ingredients and supplies for preserving and fermenting. Ultimately, I wanted to create the shop that I always wanted! So many of these cultural cooking and preserving techniques were traditionally passed down through families. However in modern times, they’re becoming lost arts. I opened Preserved as an effort to reconnect folks to these traditions; to remove the fear factor around canning and fermenting, and to create a community space to learn, shop and share! Read more>>

Jonathan Rosen | Founder & Chief Relationship Manager

I founded Collaberex after experiencing a CEO peer advisory organization and combining that experience with my membership in some pretty ineffective, popular networking groups over the years. This along with my business and law school education and my 30 years as a business owner – in law, importing & manufacturing – helped me realize that by far the number one “secret of my success” was the relationships I built over the years. I saw a void in the marketplace. There were no existing business organizations that focused on what may be the most vital ingredient to business success – authentic, impactful relationship building between business professionals. Read more>>

Spenser Koenig | Master Groomer Behavior Specialist

I’m unhappy with the traditions and norms of this industry. It is unknowingly riddled with animal abuse, physical and psychological. I started my own business to pursue a different business model and a change in the industry by example. Read more>>

Becca Vasquez | Photographer

I worked in retail for over 18 years. Retail is a very demanding job especially in Management. I knew I wanted to one day be able to run my own business and create my own hours that would allow me to spend more time with Family. I had always had a passion for Photography I just never thought I would be able to start my own business being so consumed by the world of Retail, however in 2018 an opportunity presented itself and as I would like to call it, it was a Blessing in Disguise. I found myself free from Retail and this left the door wide open for me to be able to start my Photography Business. Being able to capture so many Memories of Families year after year that have become Friends and watch their young ones grow right before my lens has been the most rewarding in wanting to start this business. Read more>>

Christopher Lengyel | President Of Commission Based Marketing

I have been in the consulting space for about 10 years. We had many trials and errors. Over time, we knew that we wanted to create something that had the ability to shift how an entire industry has been programed to work. There were a few goals in mind to achieve with building our current brand, CommissionBasedMarketing.com. Read more>>

Will Torrez | Business Owner and Mia’s Father.

The process we implemented was based on several requirements. First being in an industry that we personally had an interest in. When you start a business, one’s emotional runaway can run thin. Stress will always be lurking, best you find something that you have a sincere passion for. Secondly, was finding a niche market where we could apply innovation and disrupt. Find the problem, then create a solution. Lastly, reoccurring revenue was something that we really wanted to make sure our business model had. Acquisition cost will always be expensive, we so wanted to mitigate that cost as much as possible. Read more>>

Mary Gianatasio | Developmental Psychologist

I started Therapeutic Play LA because I was finding that children were needing more support and advocacy at their schools, and I was referring out to other agencies that were using behavioral models to support children. It seemed like behaviorists were working “against” children and who they were instead of aligning with them and supporting guiding schools toward accommodations and acceptance. It seemed silly that I was still supporting and somewhat training other therapists to work more full time with my clients, but they were working for someone else! I started my own company and began slowing finding professionals to work alongside me. Read more>>

Lydia Flowers | Self-love Motivator & Confidence Dealer

It started with my own journey! I have battled with my weight for what feels like my entire life. Trying all types of fad diets, supplements, routines, etc. I have always been the thicker girl and struggled a lot with my self image growing up. Being raised in southern California in the late 90’s/ early 2000’s was like living in a bubble where barbie, ken and Baywatch babes were the images held to the “being beautiful” standard. Then fast forward a few years to 2010 and all of a sudden, being thicker and having curves were seen as more desirable views of “beauty.” It clicked for me about 2 years ago that being beautiful started with me, and that the first step for me to feel beautiful was to feel healthy. I took nutrition and learning the logical way of losing weight very seriously for myself, that grew into a passion of wanting to help others. Within that journey I found a love for myself that grew into an idea of forming a community. A space that doesn’t focus on just physical health but mental and spiritual. Capturing the essence of a whole individual through body, mind and soul, thus “The Garden Space” was born. Read more>>

Rhianna Basore | Money mindset coach for creatives and female business leaders

As a drama school trained creative, I thought becoming an expert on my craft was all I needed to do. The success would be inevitable after a certain level was achieved. Yet when I found myself living my creative dreams, my bank account didn’t seem to match! I didn’t understand why career success didn’t translate into the security and financial safety I knew I needed to navigate the ups and downs of creative life. I just knew there had to be a better way. I took a step back from pursuing my acting career and learned what drama school never taught me, mainly how to run my creative career like the business it is! Once I paid off all my debt, began to build up a retirement portfolio for myself, and even bought a house in San Diego, I realized I had knowledge that I needed to share to help my fellow creatives thrive. I opened up Self Trust Fund, my money mindset coaching company to help my fellow creative entrepreneurs fund their dream life. I have loved seeing the major money moves my clients have made, including launching their intuitive healing company that runs exclusive self-love retreats all over the world, finally leaving their 9 to 5 job to write and travel full time, and landing that first big contract that pays them well so they can run their company with a CEO salary. I truly believe creatives are the future of business and taking great care of ourselves is the best investment we can make. Read more>>

Jennifer Bredthauer | Detailing and Paint Solutions professional

I wanted to make my own schedule, decisions, and ultimately have the freedom to do what I love. Read more>>

Kamilla Pinel | Certified Life and Leadership Coach

I was genuinely ready for the next phase of my life to begin. Having spent 12 years building my corporate career, working across numerous teams, in various banks and locations, this journey was initially a dream come true for me—until it wasn’t. Previously, the idea of becoming an entrepreneur had never crossed my mind. I adored the corporate environment and cherished working with global teams and a diverse range of personalities. It was comfortable and fulfilling. Read more>>

Mark Snyder | Performer

I have been performing on stage at Renaissance Faires since 2013. My crazy Dutch show has performed in Escondido, Big Bear, Idlewild, Corona, Vista, Oceanside, Fresno, and San Diego. It’s a crowd participation, family friendly show teaching the muchness of the Dutchness with humor. Read more>>

Betty Byrd | Wildlife Photographer

I was raised on a ranch where all types of animals were ever present. I lived a more solitary life, however, there was always a fawn that kept visiting our property. I would dash outdoors to see if it was there that day. always in hope that it would return and not be killed. So my first love of an animal was a wild one. I learned at an early age to love the unattainable. I would also read the monthly issue of National Geographic Magazine where once again animals came to life. Read more>>

Alejandro Aguilar | Therapist and Cosmetologist

At first I was afraid and had many doubts, more about whether to leave my stable job and secure but dissatisfied salary and start living my dreams, starting to get up every day to enjoy doing what I wanted to do. But I just needed a step of faith and that led me to open Casa Aguilar Spa, that step helped me live my dreams which I have been living for a year now. Read more>>