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.

Sarah McCann

In all honesty, I was born an entrepreneur. Funny story but I actually printed my first business cards when I was 12 years old and started a mobile DJing” company with my friend for my younger sister’s friend’s birthday parties. We would show up with a boombox and lead dances. S&S Mobile DJ Company…from then on, it led to many businesses.  Read More>>

Amber Gallegos

In 2017, I was a single, first-time mom working as a licensed optician. The whole “9-5” thing wasn’t working for me and I would come home from work to my baby fast asleep for the night. I Googled “Ways To Work For Myself” and the first thing that caught my attention was starting a cleaning business. I personally didn’t want to scrub and deep clean ovens, but I knew I could transform any space. Read More>>

Shawn Seaman

We have be doing this for many years for other people so why not do it for ourselves and take the chance. Read More>>

Vince

We wanted to share our vision and recipes with the world. Read More>>

 Luiz Lopes Da Fonseca Neto

When i first thought about starting my wedding video business, I took a look on other people videos and I kind felt the videos look pretty much the same and without emotions or anything to capture our attention, so then I came with the name idea Out of The Box, where I do my wedding films in a different way of the other traditional films, focused on the hype moments of the day Read More>>

 Joe Luby

Over the course of my career, I’ve had the privilege of working in some of the most well-regarded fine dining establishments in the industry—John Dominis, Chanticleer, Lawry’s The Prime Rib, Five Crowns, Il Cielo, Cicada, and McCormick & Schmick’s, to name a few. Each night in these restaurants felt like conducting an orchestra. As a manager, I was responsible for setting the tone, aligning the team, and ensuring that every guest experienced something unique and memorable. No two services were ever alike, but the goal was always the same: deliver excellence through teamwork, precision, and hospitality. Read More>>

Ricardo Gomez

My wife Priscilla and I have always shared a deep passion for coffee. While living in Virginia, we spent time exploring coffee shops up and down the East Coast, paying close attention to what made each one unique from their ambiance and service to the quality of the coffee itself. That experience really inspired us. Read More>>

RaeAnn Stout

At the time, I was juggling a lot—work, family, trying to find some sort of balance—and I knew the traditional corporate path wasn’t going to give me the flexibility I needed. I wanted more freedom, but I also wanted to do meaningful work with people who valued it. Read More>>

Dani Thompson

As an actress, I’ve always been deeply connected to emotion, energy, and the human experience which naturally led me to explore holistic therapy. The demands of the industry can be intense, and over time, I realized how important it was to have tools for grounding, healing, and staying balanced. That’s what inspired me to start my own business as a holistic therapist. Read More>>

Shannon Thun

I didn’t start Aisling Designs just to make spaces beautiful—I started it to bring visions to life. Aisling means ‘dream,’ and that’s the heart of what I do: translate the wild, the nostalgic, the soulful into interiors that feel lived-in, loved, and one-of-a-kind. I mix vintage finds with bold modern pieces to create layered, eclectic spaces that feel like you’ve arrived home—in a dream you didn’t know you had. Read More>>

Colette Callister

We are three sisters who wanted to do something together that would make meaningful difference in the world. We saw a niche that wasn’t being filled–a place for comfortable swimwear that offers more coverage, built-in support, swim suits that women could wear with confidence. We are all mothers (and now 2 of us are grandmothers) and we all have daughters, so this felt very personal. We also love that our swimwear is fun, not-too-serious, and is full of fun and unique prints that can be mixed and matched to express personal style. Read More>>