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.

Garrett Lansdown

I wanted the freedom to live the life I wanted to live, while also doing something I am passionate about. I was tired of working a 9-5, or in my case, a 7-5, and wanted to be free and live by the beach while making enough money to do the things i love! Read More>>

Pankaj Raval

I graduated law school at the bottom of the Legal market and perhaps one of the worst times to graduate as a lawyer in history. I didn’t have a lot of job prospects but I did start at a firm in Tucson Arizona practicing employment litigation and security litigation amongst a variety of other matters. However I quickly realize that this really wasn’t the type of law I wanted to practice and not the place I wanted to be so I decided to take the California bar and was fortunate to pass it on my first try. Read More>>

Carey Palmquist

I was a non-profit operations executive for the lions’ share of my career. From time to time I would feel a twinge/a hankering that there was something more, something more intimate that I wanted to dedicate my time and energy to. As a young adult, I aspired to be a counselor of some kind, and while my career afforded me many informal counseling opportunities as a leader of people, it was not enough. So when I retired in October of 2024, I had plotted my next move when (thanks to serendipity) I heard a podcast by an incredible human named Alua Arthur, a Death Doula and author. Hearing her story changed my trajectory and affirmed for me that I wanted to be a Death Doula. Read More>>

CC

The thought process behind starting my business really began in 2018, when I attended a leadership conference. In one of the sessions, the speaker asked us to reflect on: “Where do you see yourself in five years? Is what you’re doing now fueling your passion? Is it making a difference?” At that time, I was working as an art director with a team that I loved and pride in the work we were creating, but in that moment of reflection, I realized I was missing something—I longed for more hands-on creativity. Read More>>

Casandra Bega

I didn’t necessarily have a thought because I kind of stumbled into my business. It started off as a hobby and before I knew it, it grew into something bigger. I started just taking photos of friends and family, but then I had people start asking my rates and if I did events and before I knew it, I had a whole business behind my name, it feels surreal some days. Once I started to realize I had a business I was grateful I went headfirst into it because I think if I would have really known everything a business entails, I wouldn’t have a business. Read More>>

Tanisha Jengehino

I guess the thought process was like any other starving artist, to eat!  I wanted to be able to sustainably make art and live off of it. I wanted to get out from behind a corporate desk and phone. I wanted to have freedom with my time. Who doesn’t?

I needed my art to save me the way it had a million times before. I paint, bead, crochet, sculpt and do a thousand other artistic things. The way I walk is art. The way I think is art. My small and limited life explodes when I’m inspired. Nothing else matters until ‘the thing’ (whatever piece has a hold on me) is done. Read More>>

Harleigh Manske

Honestly, it started with me realizing that I didn’t just want to create—I wanted to build something that could grow and last. I’ve always been passionate about storytelling and illustration, and when I wrote my first children’s book, I knew I didn’t want to wait around for permission from a publisher to share it. I wanted full creative control and the ability to get my work directly into kids’ hands. Read More>>

 Andy & Sammi Pantoja

My husband and I grew up in hospitality, and we actually met working at our family restaurant. We spent over 10 years working together behind the bar, so we already knew we worked really well as a team. When that restaurant burned down, it was a big loss, but it also gave us the push to think about what was next. Read More>>

Stephany Rose

Well, the original dream was my late husband’s. About 15 years ago we needed a building for the church he was a pastor to. He did not want to build a building just for the church. He wanted a business that would not only support the church but, serve the community and build revenue for all involved so we could give back. Read More>>

Maxima Vega Vega

My thought process from starting my own business is the ultimate emotional fulfillment and freedom of self and individuality. Full expression of self and what you’d like to showcase to the outside of the world. It’s about leaving your mark for others to find. It’s about showcasing your skills and how you serve the collective world as a functioning whole.  Read More>>

Jenna Powell

I had been a stay at home mother for 8 years while doing part-time remote work. When the part-time work ended, I found myself wondering what the next chapter was. I am in a fortunate position that I get to stay at home with my children, but I am a creative person and I like to keep my mind busy and take on projects. I have always loved cooking and baking. Growing up in a family of 7, we had home cooked meals every night and always homemade desserts. Read More>>

Rylee Fournier

I never really set out thinking, ‘I’m going to start a business this young.’ It just kind of grew out of my love for photography and connecting with people. My mom first let me use her camera when I was around 12, and from that moment I was hooked. By high school, friends and families started asking me to take their photos, and it naturally turned into something more. I’m really grateful it’s become a business, but at the heart of it, it’s always just been about capturing people’s stories in a genuine way Read More>>

Margaret Meyncke

Our organization started in response to learning that the Monarch Butterfly was going extinct. This fact created a sense of urgency. What can we do to make a difference immediately?

I researched some relevant organizations such as the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) and the Xerces Society. These formal organizations had meetings and activities that were too far away. We wanted something local to Temecula. We began to form a radius of 20 minutes from Temecula City Hall. Read More>>