Thinking through whether to start a business – whether to take the risk, whether to go out on your own – isn’t easy. So we asked some entrepreneurs we admire to tell us about how they thought through the process of starting a business.

Nikki Winchester | Founder & CEO, Cincinnati Center for DBT

I had always intended to start a private psychotherapy practice, but I had not expected it to be so soon! I knew I had to do something different when it became clear that a work/life balance would never be attainable at the previous organization I worked at. I had to bust a lot of myths about starting a private practice, do a lot of research, and receive a lot of business consultation, but once I busted the myths, the path was really clear. I was also very aware that there were very few practices providing truly adherent dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in our local community and I felt called to start a practice that people could go to as a reliable hub for adherent DBT treatment, training, and education. Read more>>

Grace Carr | Co-Owner and Manager

Michael was in college when he was offered an internship with a wedding photographer who noticed his talent and taught him the ropes. I think it was just assumed that we would have our own business. We had no idea what we were doing, but we stuck with it, we grew, we adapted, and never gave up. Read more>>

Bria Scott | Business Owner

My first thought was “I can be my own boss and not have to answer to nobody.” Then when I made the decision to start selling bonnets I had so many different colors and combinations in my head… my thoughts were running a mile a minute. I was overwhelmed with how many thoughts and ideas I was thinking about at one time, it was such a great feeling. I really can not do anything but thank God for everything. Read more>>

James Warnken | Digital Accessibility Expert

My thought process behind starting my own business was a bit unique as I was entering a field that had very little awareness in the general conversations. As a professional with a disability, I realized that I had a unique position in the accessibility space, and with such a lack of awareness, I decided I might as well get things moving. I took my background in tech, my lived experience with a visual disability, and all of the knowledge I had learned over the last year about accessibility and designed a new way to approach accessibility. Instead of following the industry, I decided to anchor in education, training, events, and workshops to raise awareness around digital accessibility. Most organizations in this space lean on managed services, legal risks, or the lack of awareness to close business. Read more>>

Maya Pinz | Freelance Artist

It’s still feels a bit weird for me to label myself as a business, but as time has passed I have found more interest in concretely establishing myself as a small business. The challenge in a creative field is trying to figure out how to bring in income in a sustainable way, and one the best ways to do that in my experience is by selling my work in a variety of forms. I think that the desire to create sell-able work is what really got me into printmaking in the past few years. I love the idea of making something that can be reproduced, but still feels unique and special for the buyer. When I did my first market I was putting a ton of pressure on myself to make as many products as possible despite having little knowledge/skill at the time. Read more>>

Brandi Romines | Owner and 3 Ring Circus Master at Happy As A Lark Cakes, LLC

My thought process behind starting my own business was to be able to be with my kids during the day, and have a business model that allowed me to work when I was able and wanted to. In the first few years, there were A LOT of growing pains. It took a really long time to be able to find the balance. Read more>>

Antoinette Barkley | Home care Agency owner

I have been State tested nurse assistant For over 20 years . I’ve always talked about having a home health agency. Since I was younger through the pandemic I was able to sit down And really think about my next step in life and that was to help senior So in 2021 I opened my business Antoinette’s Senior Care LLC Read more>>

Rachel Holmes | Cosmetologist

My thought process behind starting my own business was honestly who wouldn’t want to be their own boss ? That was easy ! But realizing there is so much more to just “being your own boss” was even more exciting. I can offer whatever I want, there is no limit. Being able to offer my clients many services, learning new techniques, always changing up things makes my job fun. It also gets my clients excited to be apart of my journey in my career. Read more>>

Barbie Hahn | Chief Sunshine Officer for That Dam Jam, Wife & Mother, Works in Mortgage Banking Industry

During the pandemic, I started making a whole lot of pineapple habañero jam to loved ones for no reason other than to fill the time and spread joy! I started receiving venmo payments, and text messages from the people I’d send jam to asking “Barbie, I need some more of that damn jam you make!” Before I knew it, I was receiving regular payments and Vemno asked me if I had a business… This was the first time I had really thought of it that way, and was the beginning of That Dam Jam! Read more>>

Joe Perry | Tattoo Artist

Well, I had been working for other people my whole adult life. And I just knew that wasn’t my “forever” goal. So after learning and managing others’ business, I came to the conclusion that I could be doing this for myself, and feel more fulfilled. Read more>>

Karen Farren | Fitness Instructor

I have wanted to start my business for several years but I was too afraid. Then I had a cancer scare that made me question how much longer I would be living so I got over my fear and went for it! Read more>>

Mark Buchwald | Artist, Producer, Engineer, DJ, Multi-Instrumentalist, Consultant & CEO

My thought process started with accountability. I want to be accountable for my own career and when things go right, I can enjoy it and when things go wrong, I can be accountable for it, learn from it and move forward. Another element was my thirst for knowledge on what it takes to run an independent music label and what goes on in the background. Lastly, it was taken on the challenge and then being able to help others who may be thinking of running their own business. Read more>>

Rico Blackman | BPI director

The thought process was filled with emotions, as every process is usually filled with them. Mine ranged from excitement to anxiousness to grief to gratitude to anger. 2020 is a year we (i) will never forget, and Black Power Initiative was the result of what i experienced in that year. I felt compelled to fight, benefit, and work with my community. I love my Black community and love starts with being intentional about your presence and effect. I needed to be there. I had to be there. We were all grieving and I needed to find like-minded people with the same passion as I— that team led me through the process, i’m nothing without my team and BPI is nothing without its people. Read more>>

Gabriel Ford | Fire Entertainer

It began when I was first introduced to the fire performance community many years ago. I had noticed that many of my fellow artists were providing fire entertainment for either free entry to events or quite a low payment. That is if there was any payment given at all. I was quite confused as I had always felt that there should be an ample compensation for fire spinning given how dangerous and life threatening it can be. I soon began to research the industry standards for fire entertainment all over the world and discovered quite a few implementations I then wanted to include into my business. As I added up my costs and gains for beginning I felt that my overall package for booking was off to a good start. Read more>>

Ashleigh Clark | Interior Designer

As an interior designer contemplating starting my own design firm, there are several key factors that influence my decision-making process. Passion for design: One of the driving forces behind starting my own design firm is my deep passion for interior design. I want our team to create spaces that are aesthetically pleasing, functional, and tailored to the specific needs and desires of our clients. Having my own firm and having control of the process allows my team to become fully immersed in the creative process and bring our design visions to life. Autonomy and creative control: By establishing my own design firm, I can have greater control over my projects and the overall design direction. Read more>>

Emma Masur | Brand Designer and Business Owner

Both of my parents are entrepreneurs and I have always been inspired by their success and drive to be their own boss and create the life they’ve always wanted for themselves. I’ve always wanted to create something that I am proud of that will leave a legacy behind me, and I think starting a business has accomplished just that. Becoming a business owner at 24 years old has been quite humbling, inspiring, and one of the greatest challenges I’ve faced thus far in my career. That said, I would not change it for the world. I am working on creating the exact life I’ve always wanted for myself and my future family, and for that I am quite proud. Read more>>

Franchell Smalls-Lewis | Wife, Mom and Business Owner

This is a great question. I honestly never thought or desired to have a business due to the fact I didn’t see many successful African American Females having one around me. My husband was the person that initially gave me the idea to start my social media business. I was always on it and learning the exploring the newest trends. From there I realized that entrepreneurs needs were far greater then just social media and I identified skills I already had started to over more services to support their needs. Read more>>

Sam Heaton | Record Shop Owner, Mom and Partner

ready to change my professional life. Being a record collector, avid record store shopper and the enjoyment having a turntable in my home has been a true sense of joy for myself and my family for a really long time. After the covid shut down I was unhappy in my career as a hair stylist and created a plan to enrich my life and find a new way to live. I didn’t know anything about running a small retail store but I’ve been working since I was 15. Restaurants, retail stores, reception, doing hair, I was always willing to clock in and have a good time while I made my money. I was lucky enough to learn so much along the way with some extremely memorable bosses, supervisors, co-workers, floor leaders and mentors. Read more>>

Claire Butcher | Photographer

Growing up I always knew that I loved photography, I just never thought to do it as more than a hobby. But, overtime I got more into and people would sometimes ask me to take their picture and I started to want to make it a career. Even then I never thought I could make it a full time career because I wasn’t convinced I was good enough in this competitive field to make enough income to be comfortable. But now, after almost 2 years of having my LLC I am finally getting to the point where it can be a full time career, which is both exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. Essentially, if you feel like doing something of your own and you are willing to work towards your goal, you can do it. It may take time, but it will happen. Read more>>

Roderick Jackson | Photographer / Studio Owner / Textile Designer

My initial thought process started at the end of 2020 when I wanted a custom rug of my Photo Studio’s logo. While shopping around I thought, for about how much it would cost me to make it, I could buy the tool used to make it and do it myself, which is what I did. Taking the time to learn and research what it takes to develop this business really helped me seamlessly roll out this new business. Already being a business owner and a freelance photographer made it easy to do all the things and fill all the hats needed to fulfill the small goals which lead to developing the bugger picture. Read more>>

Shelby Cook | Corporate Wellness Expert & Clinical Therapist

I started my own business because I needed flexibility in my work hours. I was a full-time graduate student at The Ohio State University and spent most of my time going to classes and completing internship hours for my degree. I needed additional income to make ends meet, and the only way I could feasibly do that was to start my own business. This planted the seed for entrepreneurship, and I have created two other companies since then. I have grown to absolutely love being a business owner, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. Bee Kind Boutique has become a hobby of mine and helps fill my need to create. I spend most of my time training new psychotherapists how to be therapists at Cook Counseling and Consulting Inc. Read more>>

Robert Kundel Jr | Inventor & CEO

My goal was to raise funds to start a non-profit to help people using the proceeds generated by our product sales. Read more>>

Lucas Gould | Founder & CEO of Spendr

I started Spendr with the simple belief that people should have an easier time finding and buying legal (& medical) cannabis. For me, it was not just about starting a business, but more about how we could improve an experience that impacted so many, including myself. I personally faced the problem & pain of buying legal (& medical) cannabis, both in OH and in other legal states. It was through that personal experience that spurred the idea that it could be better. I believed that if I made a product that I would want to use, then others would want to use it as well. Read more>>

Derek DC” and Jose Talib and Byers | Director| Screenwriter| Actor (Derek) Actor| Producer| Director (Jose)”

First of all thank you for taking the time to interview us. We have always been a team and started this journey of creating our own film company together. I was more of the screenwriter where Jose was more of an actor. Derek approached me about a story he wrote in college called Kane and Lawless. The story sounded so good I thought he should revisit it and we should try and make it ourselves. Neither Jose or I knew anything about how to make a movie, but had the drive to learn everything we would need too. It was about that time that I (Jose) got a call from my agent at the time about an audition for Captain America the Winter Soldier. Read more>>

Dan Gates | Lawn Care and landscaping business owner | Musician

I had been working for someone for around 7 years. I was at a point in my life where I was looking for an opportunity to make more money. The person I was working for offered me the opportunity to buy him out of the lawn care/landscaping part of his business. I had been doing that type of work and running that part of the business for him. It seemed like a good direction to go. The work was there and he helped me to make it happen. 25 years later I still have the business. Read more>>

Dom Campbell | CEO/President

My thought process behind starting Emperium Studios driven by a deep love for storytelling and a desire to bring unique narratives to life. I noticed a gap in the market for urban narrative stories developed out of Ohio that I felt passionate about. This, coupled with the growing demand for content in today’s digital age, inspired me to create my own production company. I wanted to have creative control and the ability to work on projects that truly resonated with me, and I saw the potential to make a meaningful impact locally by providing jobs and in the entertainment world through thoughtful, compelling, relevant content. Read more>>

Kristin Maile | small business owner

I was first a teacher living and working abroad. I spent a lot of time in Asia. When I was in China I fell in love with my husband and bubble tea! After several years living in Shanghai, we decided to move to the U.S. When we settled in Columbus, Ohio we went on a mission to find the best bubble tea we could. The results were disappointing to say the least. We decided we could do it ourselves and do it better. And we did! Most of our customers are Asian and we get told all the time it is because we are the most authentic bubble tea you can find. Our tea is our pride and joy. You can’t find anything like it anywhere else. Read more>>

Gus “Squashcarver” Smithhisler | Professional pumpkin sculptor

Wow, people get paid to do this? Seriously, I never knew a profession like this existed, definitely not on this level. Once I had several paying customers, it really just started to fall into place. Read more>>