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.

Michele Speelman | Professional Body Piercer

My decision to start my own business came from a desire to create a space that truly reflects my values and provides a meaningful experience for my clients. I found that my previous work environments no longer allowed me to express my skills fully or align with my principles. It became clear that working for myself was the best way to be true to my vision. Read more>>

Amanda Chine | Yoga Instructor & Owner of MandaBees Headbands

Initially I had no intentions of starting a business, it kind of just organically happened. I grew up around fitness; my mom was a group exercise instructor and my dad had a little basement home gym that I can remember learning to do pushups in when I must have been, like, a toddler. I was exposed to fitness and a healthy lifestyle when I was really little, but I was also a teen in the early 2000s when trends like eating cereal instead of real meals to “get skinny” was happening. My degree is in Religious Studies and I spent 2009 in Thailand where my love for yoga was sparked. I was taking yoga classes all over the place and eventually I found a studio I loved and just never wanted to leave. I basically begged the owner to hire me (she did, bless her) and with her support I got my group exercise certificate and began teaching classes there, which lead to me building a loyal following of students; I kept studying and got my personal trainer certification and started taking clients, which was so rewarding to be able to actually help people in a measurable way. Obsessed with all of it, I also started teaching Spinning, and eventually got my 500 hour RYT, because my love of yoga stayed consistent through all of it. I dropped out of grad school early on when I realized I would serve people better as their trainer than their counselor. I don’t think I gave much thought to “starting a business” with teaching exercises classes and taking personal training clients, as much as I just answered the opportunities that arose from following something I’m truly passionate about. When I asked Deb, the studio owner, to hire me, I wasn’t thinking of it as a way to make money, I just truly didn’t want to leave the atmosphere. Read more>>

Jonathan Dillon | Chief Creative Officer at One5 Creative

In Januaray of this year, the entire in-house ad agency was dissolved from Nestlé. We had SO many talented people and were creating such amazing work that I didn’t want that to go to waste. So, I decided to leverage the connections we had made over the years and the award-winning work and start a new agency, free of the corporate structure. The goal has been to attract new brands and companies while leveraging the enormous talent we had at Nestlé and build something new. It has been a lot of work to get up and going but I’m excited about the potential it brings and the opportunities to continue working with so many talented people. Read more>>

Darsheel Kaur | Community Facilitator & Wellness Practitioner

After years of community organizing work, I wanted to support my community in developing shared culture and practices for navigating conflict in our work together, as well as building capacity in our education systems to better understand and support youth holistically in growing together through challenges instead of criminalizing them for learned behavior. The ultimate goal was to build and maintain unity in families and communities, overcoming the division, “othering”, and in-fighting that often undermines collective efforts. I pursued higher education in the field of Peacebuilding studying models of addressing the roots of conflict to heal and transform individually and collectively. Read more>>

Vitalii Hutsuliak | Photo Editing and Retouching Expert

Before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I worked as a photographer, and this profession brought me true joy. However, with the onset of the war, I felt the need to shift my focus and concentrate on something that has always been close to my heart—retouching. This decision allowed me to fully work for myself, using my creative skills and experience in photography to create something new and inspiring. Despite all the challenges, I found strength in this process and an opportunity to continue growing. Read more>>

Travis Lykins | Owner, UVD Toys

UVD Toys is a business that has evolved in both purpose and concept over the years. It started in 2011 as a blog called Urban Vinyl Daily where we covered events, releases, and news in the designer toy, street art and contemporary art scene. Through that site we began working with artists to host art shows and in person events at conventions across the country. This evolved in to us creating our own original products with artists from around the globe. Read more>>

Autumn Rue | Spa Owner

Starting my own business was truly a personal journey for me. I envisioned creating a space where both my staff and clients could feel safe and welcomed—something that’s often missing in traditional salons. I wanted to break away from the typical atmosphere filled with drama and toxic dynamics, fostering an environment focused solely on self-care. Read more>>