Are you thinking about starting a business? If so, we think you’ll enjoy reading about how these seasoned entrepreneurs thought about the question when they were in your shoes.

Pete Suter | Co-Founder & CEO of Shirley’s Gourmet Popcorn Company

We started Shirley’s Gourmet Popcorn Company simply to fill demand in the local market for quality popcorn. We own a single screen movie theatre and regularly had customers purchasing extra popcorn to take home with them after the movie – or even stopping in during a walk to purchase popcorn without even going to the movie! We realized that people LOVE popcorn on a daily basis – no movie needed! Read more>>

Jacob Brown | Producer & Certified Audio Engineer

In 2021 I graduated from a technical school for audio engineering and received my audio engineering certification. After about 10+ years of producing, I finally felt like I had been gifted all the necessary tools I had been dreaming of having for a long time. I knew that being a producer and audio engineer combo would set me apart from some of my peers and I could bring value to artists while also being a creative force for good. My sound and style was attracting people to work with me and I decided to jump in the ocean with the sharks to prove I could swim. 2 years of just keeping my head down, putting in work, and good business practices has gotten me to where I’m at today. Read more>>

Dr. Jen Pfleghaar | Integrative Medicine Physician

Opening an integrative medicine practice and natural aesthetics clinic in my community was a decision driven by a genuine desire to fill a significant healthcare gap. In our area, there were limited options for individuals seeking holistic and natural approaches to their well-being. Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, children with autism, women facing fertility challenges, and anyone in need of a more comprehensive approach to healthcare found themselves underserved. Recognizing this unmet need, I embarked on the journey to establish a practice that offers not only integrative medicine solutions but also natural-minded aesthetics and procedures. My goal is to provide a nurturing and inclusive space where individuals of all backgrounds can access the holistic care they deserve, promoting health and well-being at every stage of life. Read more>>

 Justin Buren | passionate about making insurance a better experience

I had worked for my family’s insurance agency for years and we had been struggling to figure out the financing mechanism to transition ownership between the generations. So the opportunity came up for me to take a small segment of clients and some team members and create my own agency. I was either too naive or too much of a risk taker to say no. I wanted to create a more modern insurance experience leveraging technology and outsourced resources to make the buying process more digital, smoother and most importantly more transparent for our insureds. Insurance can be a black hole for people whereby they have no idea what’s going on and when they’ll get what they requested or for how much, and our goal is to have less surprises for the clients. We’re still an independent insurance agency that accesses multiple companies whereby a client can outsource the shopping to us, but we try to make the process more efficient and clearer by focusing on the conversations and let technology focus on the data collection and quoting. Read more>>

Sophia Piercy | Fashion designer

My thought process behind starting a business was that I wanted to create a brand that shows my passion for design as well as the person who inspired me which was my uncle. Basing my brands name and style around him makes it even more motivating and comforting. Growing up I always knew I wanted to do something with fashion and thankfully when quarantine happened it gave me the perfect excuse to start sewing again. Taking a risk like this was the best decision I’ve made and I’m so thankful that I’m able to do what I love for a living. Read more>>

Brooke Townsend | Cincinnati Portrait Photographer

Honestly, starting my photography business was almost entirely on a whim in 2009! I was 19, living in my parents basement, and bought my first camera on a Best Buy credit card. And never in my wildest dreams did I think it would become what it did! Read more>>

Rev Ray Greene Jr | Community Organizer/Strategist/Preacher

I got tired of politicians talking “at” Black people as opposed to talking/working to/with us and creating policies that deal with immediate discomfort in this world but also creating policies that atone for the past. At the time a lot of non profits was hiring Black people but wasn’t following the strategy that Black staff knew was needed to change Black communities therefore I figured that we needed an unapologetically Black organization that was not afraid to work exclusively for Black people and build Black power, thus Freedom BLOC was born. Read more>>

Vinnie Cimino | Chef / Partner

My thought was coming out of the pandemic I was looking for something very specific, something that aligned with my core values. I knew that restaurants were more than just food and drink, but more about the hospitality and the people that make them up more than anything. I wanted change, and I couldn’t find it. So my partner Andrew and I decided to create it, our restaurant Cordelia, centers around Midwest Hospitality, and we choose to focus our hospitality inward just as much as we do outward. To our staff, we provide health, dental, vision insurances as well as a matching 401k. We want to treat our people right, like family, because they are. Read more>>

Joshua Brewer | Owner/Operator of The Auricle Venue & Bar / The Allie Cafe / Hall of Fame City Ice Rink

Determination.

For most people, starting a business isn’t easy and takes time. It can be very discouraging during the process when things don’t go your way or you don’t have the resources in that moment. Even if it takes two or three times longer than expected, thinking long game and not letting things get you down is the biggest key to opening a business. It took me six years to open my first business. It was worth every second. Read more>>

Brooke Padgett | Intervention Specialist & Artist

I am a former intervention specialist, and when COVID hit, I was at home with my 1 year old on an extended maternity leave. Soon after my kindergartener and third grader began remote learning when their school closed down. Like so many others, life was uncertain, scary, and so very chaotic. To gain a little bit of sanity during this time, I would wake up in the early morning before everyone, and dabble with watercolors and acrylics. My husband is an artist, and so I had so much art “stuff” laying around, and I just began creating. I would post some of my pictures online, and I have INCREDIBLY supportive people in my life. So with each painting I posted, the positive feedback just kept me going. One day I read a really funny quote and decided to write it on one of my paintings, and then posted that online. The feedback was instant, with so many people saying how much it had brightened their day during such a chaotic time. That was all that I needed to continue painting, pairing my paintings with funny quotes, and posting. I wanted to lighten people’s hearts during a time that was just so heavy. This organically turned into me researching how to create greeting cards from my artwork by scanning and printing cards from my home. Many months of research, trial and error, photographing my cards, and then ultimately opening my etsy shop in August of 2020. All the while, I kept thinking if other people can do new and hard things, why can’t I? Read more>>

Ron Compton | Owner and Pit Master of Ron’s BBQ & Catering

I’ve been in the restaurant industry since I was 15 years old. It’s where I have always been the happiest as it pertains to work. Working in the financial industry opened my eyes and desire to be independent, and to be my own boss to build my own wealth rather than a subservient to others. Reflecting on my past experiences helped me identify talents that I could translate in to a business model. 20 years of world class customer service, relationship building, amazing skills in the kitchen and smoker. My past experiences have shaped my thought process behind starting my own business. Read more>>

Jazz Lewis | Muscular System Specialist and Owner Of Intentional Fitness

There were a few major factors that contributed to starting my business. To give a brief back story, I have been in the field of exercise science and human optimization for about 12 years now. I had been working with my clientele (about 25 clients a week) at a steady pace. When I was exposed to Greg Mac and the muscular system specialist program in 2019, I learned how to intake and retain clients at a greater capacity. After working in his system for about a year my client load increased to about 40 – 50 clients a week and at the end of 2021 I had about 40 to 50 clients on a waitlist. This was my first indicator that I need to multiply myself so that I could better serve my community. I on boarded a team member under me and began unloading my waitlist to my colleague. My thought process behind starting the business was fact that I needed to capitalize on the demand that is in our community for our services. In addition I was inspired by the vision to provide incredible career opportunities for colleagues that can be apart of our team. I also wanted to start a business for the sheer excitement and enjoyment of building something from the ground up. Read more>>