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.

Erica Aros

When I was little and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I had so many answers: a teacher, a singer, a restaurant owner, a tour guide at Old Town (inspired by a 4th grade field trip), a food critic, etc. I still carry that spirit to this day. I am a full-time director and college instructor at a 4-year university and own two small businesses (private leadership consulting and private wine education).  Read More>>

Erin Thompson

Great question! Honestly, my thought process was just that I loved to bake, thought I did decent work and would be happy baking a couple “sweet memories” for families a month. Read More>>

Rosemary De Tamo

Starting my own business had always been a dream of mine. It was something that stayed in the back of my mind for years, but it wasn’t until I found my passion for teaching that everything started to align. There’s something so special about connecting with people and being part of a community! that feeling really inspired me. Read More>>

Dasha Hervey

My thought process in starting my own business came from a place of reflection and reinvention. After years as a Vice President of Sales and Marketing—working 70 hours a week while raising two small children—I faced a severe back injury that left me unable to work or even sit for two years. Read More>>

Kathleen Turner

As a wife and mother of young children, working traditional jewelry retail hours wasn’t practical. I needed a career that fit within my kids’ school schedule and offered flexibility. With over 20 years of experience in the jewelry industry and a gemology degree from the Gemological Institute of America, I recognized a gap in the market—there were very few gemologist jewelry appraisers who could travel to high-end clients who preferred not to transport their jewelry for appraisal. Read More>>