Starting a business can be terrifying. Weighing the pros and cons, the risks, and other considerations can be so overwhelming that often promising entrepreneurs stop before they even start. We asked some phenomenal entrepreneurs about their thought process behind starting their own businesses. Our hope is that by making the thought-process less intimidating we can help more folks think through whether they should take an entrepreneurial leap.

Kathleen Loofbourrow

After more than 15 years of navigating various jobs across different industries, I’ve finally found myself stepping into something that ignites a deep passion within me. It’s been a journey of self-discovery, filled with twists and turns, each experience shaping who I am today.

But now, I’m embracing my true calling, merging my love for food with my desire to create memorable experiences through beautifully crafted charcuterie and grazing spreads. Read More>>

Verdelle Jones

While working in the corporate world, I realized that I was building someone else’s dream. I wanted to take my skills, experience, and knowledge and channel them into something that was truly mine. Read More>>

Jerick Sobie

I was tired of going from job to job every couple of years. When I was young, I was with one company for about 8 years. I was progressing up the ranks and I thought, “this is the company that I’m going to retire from.” Well, that didn’t happen because it ended up closing. I loved that place and the people. Everybody got along and genuinely cared about each other. I thought after that, that if I work hard, I’ll find that “magic” again with another company. The “magic” was never recreated. Read More>>

Yumaira Muro

I really wanted first and foremost to enjoy being a mom. I wanted to have the free time to enjoy every stage that my kids went through. Be able to take them to school and just be fully present to the best of my ability. That is when I decided to start something of my own, and photography was something I loved. I enjoyed the creativity and the way that we can express ourselves through photos. I worked full time at a hospital for 10 years and did photography on the side for sometime until it slowly gave me the ability to leave my hospital job of 10 years and fully focus on my business. Read More>>

Julia Fister

For much of my life, I searched for the perfect career—earning degrees in business, art, and later, a master’s in art history. I thought teaching would be my path, but the 2009 recession changed those plans. Instead, I found myself volunteering at the Oceanside Museum of Art, where I was asked to develop a children’s art program funded by a grant. At first, I saw it as just another job in my long list of careers.  Read More>>

Miss Destini Perkins

Recently, I was approached by a man during an Essence event, and he asked me, “What is your talent? Do you sing or act?” I responded, “I have the gift of speaking.” At that moment, I realized how much self-awareness I had gained by understanding that my talent may not be as physically obvious, but it energetically touches people’s souls. Read More>>

Sandra Brigman

My journey into entrepreneurship wasn’t something I planned—it evolved alongside my journey as a mother, especially as a single mother. Every stage of my daughter’s life has revealed a new need, a new gap, and has inspired me to create something meaningful to fill it, to grow and evolve, not just as a parent, but as a creator of spaces where children can thrive. Read More>>

Noelle + Todd Breton

Both my husband and myself have owned a handful of our own businesses so entrepreneurship is in our blood. The opportunity opened up during Covid (I was able to have more free time along with everyone in the world) and we were able to start to organize the Aloha Ice Co plan.

For about 12 years before covid, I (Noelle) was wanting to start a Hawaiian Shave Ice business in our beach town of Carlsbad CA. At the time, food trucks were not allowed in most CA cities. We have a home on the Big Island HI and shave ice is one of our favorite desserts. I was always looking for ways to bring delicious Hawaiian treats to the mainland so others can enjoy so this seemed like the perfect combination for me as an entrepreneur. Read More>>

Tommie Starchild

I had worked for 12 years as a spiritual counselor, and had my own shop “My Authentic Self.” In 2019 I saw an opportunity, a need for a metaphysical shop in East County San Diego. I worked with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) creating an extensive business plan. Then covid hit, and things looked uncertain. I wasn’t sure I could count on the in-person services, as covid changed everything. An opportunity presented itself, here in Julian CA, with a small space available. When I saw the empty space, I “saw” it full of crystals, rocks, and minerals.  Read More>>

Frank D’anna

Growing up in a first generation Sicilian family from Italy and having a father as a high end chef gave me interest to learn culinary art and inspired me to open my own business with unique recipes from our small hometown Aspra, near Palermo. Read More>>

Ty Mabrey

My first job in the corporate world was as a typesetter, but within two years, I was heading up an interactive division of the company, positioning myself up the creative chain with skills as a designer, illustrator and animator. Not once was I given an actual job promotion to match the work I was doing. In fact, I had to borrow money to buy groceries once, and lived off of credit for nearly a year just to make ends meet. Read More>>

Jenna Mccoy

It started out as a love that I’ve always had a love for fitness. I didn’t play many sports growing up mainly due to how shy and insecure I was with myself, but I did dance. From this, I learned how amazing it felt to move my body and how I craved it. I’ve never been one to sit still for too long. As I grew older and my interest in fitness grew stronger I unfortunately developed a not so positive relationship with both diet and exercise- I treated the two as a way to punish my body since I hated what I saw in the mirror. Read More>>

Dave Friedman

I had an inkling, I call it a niggling disquiet, that there was something more for me to do. It wasn’t fully formed, but I did listen. Then I simply followed the next indicated steps and was lead to coaching. I believe I was called. It’s not the first time I worked for myself, so that part wasn’t hard. Read More>>

Sarah Piel

I’ve been a hairstylist since 2009. When I first started in 2010, I worked at a really cool punk/alternative hair space in Hillcrest called Ralph’s Hair Place. I spent five years there before going independent.

Fast forward to 2022—after many years of working alone or with a partner in various small salon suite locations and surviving the pandemic (our industry was hit hard by the shutdowns), I felt isolated, uninspired, and out of place. Other than my time at Ralph’s, I always felt like the “token alternative person” wherever I worked. I thought about this and realized that all the alternative hair spaces in San Diego had closed—they no longer existed. Read More>>

Dr. Emily Guarnotta

When I first became a psychologist, I didn’t specialize in perinatal mental health. Like many people, I thought postpartum depression was something that happened to other people, but certainly not to me. But after the birth of my first child, I struggled in ways I never expected. It took me a long time to recognize that what I was experiencing was postpartum depression, and even longer to admit I needed help. Read More>>

Sonal Kanodia

I am the founder of Table Tales by Sonal, a specialized design service that transforms ordinary gatherings into extraordinary experiences through the art of tablescapes. I create immersive, visually stunning table settings and dining environments for intimate gatherings and special occasions, allowing hosts to offer their guests something truly memorable without the stress of planning and execution. I noticed a pattern in how we gather. Read More>>

James Snow

The thought process behind starting my own business didn’t really start as a thought of being an Entrepeneur. It really started as a passion to create – to be a woodworker as a passion project and a way to wind down from the stress and rigors of a career in law enforcement. Woodworking became my escaped from the job and a way to leave work at work. As I got better, I had a co-worker see some work and ask if I could build him some cabinets….I figured they were just boxes with doors, so I said sure – and it just took off from there.  Read More>>

John Roy

Honestly, 9/11/2001 took away my touring life with various bands as a saxophonist/singer.
By January 2002 I needed to pay my bills.
Sound engineers often make more money than musicians and I have some corespondent skills.
I put on a suit during the day to work hotels, casinos, weddings etc.
At night I’d mix clubs and festivals.
I bought gear one piece at a time as I worked on getting my own gigs. Read More>>

Kyle Campbell

The thought process behind starting my own business was the fact that I have a very well driven work ethic . I know how to work very hard , and never afraid of manual labor . It helps keep me in shape and I’m making money at the same time. So in reality it’s a win win situation for me , and my clients as well . I got tired of putting in long hours of work for other companies being paid the bare minimum after all the hard work I was putting in , and hardly ever being recognized for it. Read More>>

Angus Benfield

The thought process behind starting LAMA Entertainment goes back to the original early days of the silent era. I was fascinated with the way Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks went on to form their own studio – United Artists. In a time when there was no studio system, Chaplin was the actor and the performer, but then had to deliver on every other aspect of making a film as well. Nobody was coming to Chaplin and offering him a deal; he had to do it all himself. I’ve always admired that, and it largely shaped my industry ethos. Read More>>

Natalie Samson

I remember sitting in the hospital at my desk after meeting with a patient who I knew would pass away soon from early onset cancer, feeling both unfulfilled and frustrated. I was having conversations about cancer and Alzheimer’s risk, life-altering diagnoses, but I wasn’t addressing the bigger picture. No one was talking about modifiable risk factors in the healthcare system or how patients could take control beyond screenings, surgeries, and pharmaceuticals. It felt like such a massive gap in care. Read More>>

Keri Oki

Words I’ve always lived by was “Attitude will effect your altitude.”

Honestly; this quote really changed my life when I first heard it. I’ve competed in a lot of competitions may it be singing, pageantry or drag competitions in local bars and I’ve always taken it as a learning experience. You might not always win but the fact that you went out there and you did it! Experiencing the moments with some performers I’ve never worked with before or getting critiques to learn what you can improve on; for me that’s always win! Read More>>