Many books on startups and business talk about how there are right and wrong reasons for starting a business. So, we asked a handful of successful founders about their reasons and the thought-process behind starting their business.

Ryan Swan | Auto Detailing Specialist

For the past 15yrs before starting my business I was primarily in the finance industry. I did well and was promoted regularly throughout my financial career. I choose that path because of the massive potential financially and also to make my family happy. The last 5 years (2013-2018) in finance were the most difficult. I really disliked my career path and would wake up everyday wanting to call in sick. In 2012 I started detailing friend and families cars. Read more>>

Jasmynn (Jazz) Nichole | Surfboard Shaper & Surf School Owner

I created Jazz Shapes-Custom Surfboards shortly after wanting to make a new surfboard for a contest I was surfing in. I had always wanted to shape my own board and a few people in the industry had already offered to teach me about surf craft. I had the most amazing mentor who ghost shapes for a lot of big names in the industry. Read more>>

Alison Gracom | Physician Assistant & Owner

WHAT WAS YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS? I wish I could say I started my business with a lot of foresight and planning but it really came from a place of necessity. My home life was in shambles with an abusive and unstable spouse and the office I was working at had a unethical owner, pushing expired products with little care for client safety or benefit. I was trying to care for people in a soulless environment. Read more>>

Dr. Karen Whala | Veterinarian

I have always thought of myself as a great ’employee’ and starting my own business was a foreign concept until, borne out of necessity and desperation, I decided, ‘what else did I have to lose’? I was burned out after practicing veterinary medicine for 12 years and decided to try switching to government work instead. This option was even worse on my physical health than general practice and after a few years, decided to try starting my own business. Read more>>

Dom Jones | Health & Life Coach, Gym Owner, Fitness Instructor, Community Leader, Motivational Speaker, Politician, Media Personality, Actor & TV Host

My journey to starting Propel cycle was born out of a genuine passion for the fitness and wellness industry and a deep desire to make a positive impact on people’s lives. Over my decade-long experience in the field, I noticed a recurring pattern where fitness was often viewed as a means to achieve a specific appearance or body standard. This approach, while prevalent, seemed to lack the essential focus on overall health and self-acceptance. Read more>>

Audrey Spina | Business Owner

It started with being a terrible employee, which I was. I had been fired from countless jobs for being a bit too outspoken, Type A, opinionated, and otherwise. It was a bit crushing to my self esteem but eventually I realized that some people are better cut out to work for themselves, and I was one of them. So as I was on the precipice of being fired from my job as an esthetician, I thought to myself, why not just take clients at home? So that is what I ended up doing. Read more>>

MICHIHO ONOZUKA | FINANCIAL CONSULTANT

My thought process behind starting my own business stemmed from a strong recommendation from a friend, leading me to become a financial consultant. Before this, I had spent 12 years working in marketing and sales for technology companies in Japan. After moving to San Diego in 2001, I focused on raising my son as a stay-at-home mom while also running a child development class and teaching at a Japanese Saturday school. Read more>>

Marquez Price | Creative writer & entrepreneur

The thought process behind starting my own business was solely focused on independence. I have a capacious storage of creativity and wanted to dispense it at my own volition whenever I wanted. The name of my game is quantity with a high volume of production so independence suited me. Read more>>

Ryan Faught | IT Services, Microsoft Consulting and Tech Support

TECHIT SERVICES was born out of a deep-seated passion for empowering businesses with the transformative potential of technology. The founders, driven by their collective expertise in the field of Information Technology and their unwavering commitment to excellence, recognized a significant gap in the San Diego market. Inspired to elevate local businesses, they set out to establish a company that would provide unparalleled I.T. support and Microsoft consulting services. Read more>>

Manisha Dhawan | Author | Executive | Executive Coach | Consultant | Facilitator | Speaker

I grew up in San Diego and watched my father build his company, Applied Membranes Inc, from the ground up in our garage. As an immigrant from India and a pioneer in the water treatment industry, my father worked tirelessly and believed strongly in his mission and the technology to solve complex water issues around the world. I was fortunate to work with him and continue to be involved in the company. From humble beginnings to taking risks, his drive sparked my entrepreneurial spirit. Read more>>

Dr Nelson Saavedra General Surgery and Laparoscopy | Surgeon specialist in minimal invasive procedures

To keep in communication with my patients and teach more about healthy lifestyle to the people Read more>>

Rieko Collins | Owner of Kimono rental and dressing services

It was 2020, my kids supposed to do Shichigosan celebration ; Shichi-go-san is Japanese tradition to celebrate the growth of children and it’s a big milestone for boys aged three and five, and girls aged three and seven. That’s why it is called shichi-go-san (seven-five-three) in Japan. However Covid pandemic started and we couldn’t go back to Japan. Read more>>