Starting a business is a commitment and requires dedication, resources and sacrifice. We asked some of the rising stars in our community how they thought through the idea of starting their own businesses.

Radostina Stoycheva | Director of Performance Marketing

When we started Compass Digital, our thought process was rooted in a shared vision among employees. We wanted to move away from the traditional full-service agency model and focus exclusively on digital marketing, an area we were truly passionate about. It was important to create a company that reflected our collective values, where we could freely collaborate, share ideas, and approach marketing in a way that aligned with our vision. Compass Digital was built by employees, for employees, to foster creativity and innovation within a more focused and supportive environment. Read more>>

Tara Brewer | Mobile Paint Your Own Pottery Studio Owner

In my 20s, I worked at a Paint Your Own Pottery (PYOP) studio and fell in love with every aspect of the experience, both as a customer and as an employee. My journey began as a customer, but I cherished my time working in the studio just as much. It sparked a dream in me to one day open my own studio. Read more>>

Shelby Bourne | Interior & Architectural Photographer

After graduating college, I worked in very corporate environments – law firms, sales, accounting and marketing. I decided to get a Master’s Degree and I thought I’d stay with my company forever. But, about halfway through the MBA program, I began to daydream about starting my own business, but I wasn’t sure what I would start. Then, the pandemic hit, and as I’m sure many people can relate, I felt this desire for a huge life shift and a need for some creativity and flexibility in my career.  Read more>>

Emily White | Owner or “Star-X Body waxing and Skin retreat”

My thought process behind starting my own business was shaped by a lifelong passion for the beauty industry and a desire to create a unique experience for my clients. After graduating high school in Ukraine in 2002, I explored various career paths, including customer service and administrative roles, but I always felt drawn back to beauty. Read more>>

Chris Martin | Founder of House of Nehesi

My thought process was simple… I wanted to use my talent to bring the styles that I like to the fashion industry while bringing popular and up and coming brands to the market. I feel disappointed at what I see fashion wise when I walk out the door so I wanted to make the change. I’ve always wanted to be a business owner since being a little boy watching my uncle run his barbershop. Naturally I’ve always had an attraction to fashion. I’ve modeled before and worked with hundreds of brands and I wasn’t satisfied with how they were ran. Read more>>

Nanelle Newbom | Coffee Roaster

Because I have never truly separated the idea of earning a living from creative expression, or making a point you might consider me borderline unemployable. A traditional work environment is one where my constant “well how about if..” can grate on most employers because most just want to get through the day. My thought process with regard to business more akin to someone taking on an involved work of art or a huge garden. Read more>>

Filip Kojic | CEO & Founder, InHavenPro Defense

Having went to both undergraduate, and graduate business school, I always knew I would attempt to establish a business. Naturally, most business endeavors end up unfavorably, and my initial forays into agency advertising (while it was still a viable option), and residential real estate proved to be extremely challenging for a myriad of reasons, so I ended up barely breaking even. Despite these setbacks which were primarily caused by the Great Recession, I still had to find a line of work where I knew I could provide expertise and genuine value, and equally crucially something based on goodwill ethics that I would feel proud of doing any given day. Read more>>

Hayley Shires | Co-Owner; Pizza Maker; Customer Service, Social Media, & Events Manager; Wife & Mom

Cody had been working in construction ever since graduating college, and we both knew this wasn’t what he had wanted to do for the rest of his life. Our neighbors had presented us with the business opportunity to be co-owners of a food truck and it was kind of a no-brainer. We had just had our first daughter a few months prior starting the business, and this would mean we would be able to create our own schedule and spend more time together as a family. That’s exactly what has happened too! We’re now a family of four working in the trolley at least four times a week at events here in Ramona, CA. Read more>>