Starting and growing a business is hard, but often deciding to start the business in the first place is even harder. We asked some successful entrepreneurs from around the community to open up to us about how they thought about starting a business.

Gabrielle King | Boutique Owner

There were several factors that influenced my decision to start my own business. On a personal level, it was about seizing control over my time, crafting a schedule that allowed me to prioritize moments with my children, and fostering a healthier work-life balance. Beyond these personal motivations, my deeper drive stemmed from a desire to channel my passion into something tangible, to make a meaningful impact in my community, and to create a space where individuals could rejuvenate their spirits and unlock their full potential. Read more>>

Christina Violante | Chiropractor

I didn’t want to work for anyone anymore. I wanted to craft my own space and be able to have complete control over what I wanted my life to look like. I’ve always been a bit of an oddball and I was done being a star peg trying to fit myself into the round hole of professional (meaning white and colonial) society. I remember I had one job where I would go to work and rehearse being Vanilla Tina. Vanilla Tina makes polite conversations about weekend plans. Vanilla Tina eats sanitized meals that would not trail any odor. Vanilla Tina doesn’t talk about systemic racism in healthcare. I try to be a direct yet thoughtful communicator and that was off-putting in those spaces. There is a certain script for communication in “polite” and/or “cooperate” society that I just don’t understand and find frustrating. Genuineness and accountability are incompatible with this way of being Read more>>

Dele Nguyen | Lifestyle Photographer & Digital Marketing Strategist

Having dabbled in entrepreneurship long before venturing into photography, I was well-acquainted with a prevalent issue for startups: finding quality branding services that is affordable. Dele Nguyen Photography specializes in addressing this challenge with the motto “let’s make creating quality digital content fun AND affordable.” Read more>>

DeVa Green | Creative & Entrepreneur

I have always wanted to be and Entrepreneur since High School. I wanted to create something I didn’t see to many other women doing in the perfumery industry. Read more>>