The first step to starting a business is deciding to start a business. They say the first step is the hardest and in our experience this is especially true when it comes to starting a business. Getting over the mental roadblocks can be tough, often harder to overcome than the challenges you’ll face once you actually start the business. Fellow entrepreneurs share their thoughts below.

Phaedra D’Ambrosio | Chief Creator – Simple Celebration

Simple Celebration is a concept that grew organically but with 2 major intentions behind it. The relocation to sunny NC caused me to pause and really consider what I would bring with me, I knew that the new look and feel of my home would be something I loved and didn’t want to clutter it up with lots of old decorations. Second, newly divorced and downsizing I knew I would no longer have help carrying heavy totes from the attic, hosting large holiday gatherings and that I may spend my holidays traveling. The goal: reduce, simplify, but still honor the traditions in my home. When friends would stop by my home, they would see my decorated tiered trays and ask about them. My answer was always the same: This is how I celebrate the season, holiday and the fact that I live in a coastal community. I had 1 tray for the season with bumble bees, one for the upcoming holiday and the final with things I loved from the coast. Friends and Neighbors noticed what I was doing and would buy items off of my trays in my home and several friends suggested that I bring my tray concept to the semiannual Compass Pointe craft fair… I did and it was a huge success. People would buy the entire tray set, and not 1 tray but 2 or 3. Folks began to decorate their guest bedrooms, bathrooms with my designs. I had requests for lady bugs, birthdays, lavender, nautical the list went on and on… as my house became the storage for all these items, I realized my goal of simplification wasn’t being achieved. I had too many orders and items, so I reached out to Joan Pacifico as Sandalwood shoppes in Leland and with some persuasion she gave me a shot. Much to both of our surprise the concept caught on and now I can’t keep up with orders! It’s a wonderful problem to have. Read more>>

Natalie Newman | Entrepreneur, Politician, Real Estate Broker, Property Manager, and Mother of 2

At the time I was working in the casino industry, specifically in marketing and sales and wanted to further my education. I landed at Western Carolina University in the mountains of Cullowhee North Carolina, where I studied for my Master’s in Entrepreneurship, it was fully online and a sort of cohort-based learning style. During the course of this program, I interacted with some very creative and driven people who were committed to building businesses of their own, Some of my colleagues in the program were already working on their established businesses, employed in the industry they were passionate about, or they had a hobby or skill that they wanted to turn into a business. I found this very encouraging as my friend and I had started slinging clothes to friends and community members about a year earlier. I started the two-year graduate program at Western Carolina in Fall of 2017, and by mid 2018 I had left my marketing and sales position, and we started a women’s retail boutique with a focus of providing size inclusive clothing. My friend turned business partner had already left the casino industry and was working on her Master’s in Accountancy and practicing at a firm a few towns over. Eventually she also quit her job and we worked on the business together. I was motivated by those in my program and our instructors to make my business work and gain the reward of creating something and keeping it alive and watching it thrive., by overcoming the obstacles and challenges that were to come. What started as two friends determined to continue to work together, despite pursuing different paths in the long-run, turned into my journey and an opportunity to be heavily involved in the community that I absolutely could not help falling more and more in love with in time. Read more>>

Christine Burkhart | Neurodivergent Consultant/Coach and Executive Director at Building Connections, LLC

I always like to think of this question as my “why”! The recipe was simple. I believe that God has placed a gift in me and I have always dreamed of having a place like Building Connections, but didn’t know how that would manifest! I am an adult with ADHD. I am also a parent of a child with ADHD and anxiety. AND…I am a professional in the field of teaching, coaching, and nurturing neurodiverse learners and their caregivers. Wa-la! Building Connections! As I was working supporting identified preschoolers with special needs in my community, I began to pay close attention to the need. I have taught for many years but there was a shift happening. More and more children were having deficits with social communication and language, emotional skill development and regulation, and social engagement/play. It’s not that they haven’t before, but children were really struggling in the home, school and community with relationships and navigating their everyday environments. I felt as if I was giving children “floaties”(supports in the classroom, modeling for teachers strategies for them to use after I left) and then throwing them in the deep end of the pool and saying, “You’re doing great! Heres another float! “, which worked temporarily; however, I noticed that I needed to teach children explicitly the skills they needed first, then provide numerous opportunities to practice and implement. Give these children immediate and positive feedback in order for them to develop the skill set! I was burdened by children exhibiting significant behaviors-getting kicked out of places, being shamed, seeing overwhelmed families and providers in tears not knowing what the next steps should be as they have exausted every resource. As a mom, I also had experienced the same emotions and frustration. So I said, “Enough.I got you. I hear you ” My personal, professional, and mama heart went to work, developing a structure, environments, and spaces where kids can feel safe and confidently develop skills with peers that allow them to thrive in any environment! Helping others develop, deepen, and maintain healthy relationships is at the heart of it all-with children, families, and communities! Building Connections has grown tremendously, and my dream has come true-we now have a 12 acre farm-integrating nature, animals, and people-all working together to provide safety, confidence, and most of all hope! I would never thought this would be possible, but God always has a plan! My faith, experience, knowledge, and relationships got me here! Read more>>

Chris Musto | Raleigh artist. Somewhat strange

I think so differently than so many other people that I think it would be better for everyone involved if I just worked for myself doing art. Read more>>

Kara Kirby | Facilitator & Founder

This isn’t an exciting story! I worked in leadership and talent development for a long time in a corporate setting and was always curious if I could make it in the wild. I knew I had to find out eventually. Read more>>

Jasmine Johnson | Founder & Owner

The concept of a rage room is often associated with providing a physical outlet for stress and frustration, allowing people to release pent-up emotions in a controlled environment. It can serve as a unique and unconventional way for individuals to manage stress. Mental health is real and I wanted to find another way to express that. I am born and raised in the Knightdale area and I want something different to bring to the area for a variety of ages. I wanted something that I could call mine own and bring light to my community. Read more>>

Tiffany Campbell | Entrepreneur

My thought process is – just do it your way! Have an end goal in mind and stick to your vision no matter what. Research thoroughly and plan well, but expect the unexpected too. Don’t take setbacks personally. Nurture your business!!! You have to care for it to grow into what you envisioned. Move boldly towards your target but be flexible on how you get there. Use wisdom to navigate challenges. Stay determined and let passion drive consistent action. Read more>>

Pratibha Hublikar | Realtor

I come from a business-oriented family, where discussions about ventures, strategies, and new opportunities were part of my everyday life. Growing up in this environment, I developed a strong passion for business and always knew that a conventional 9-5 job wouldn’t be the right fit for me. I envisioned a career where every day brought new challenges, interactions with diverse people, and the chance to build meaningful connections.Given my family’s background in real estate, I was exposed to the intricacies of the industry from an early age. I saw the dynamic nature of real estate, the constant evolution, and the potential for innovation. The idea of creating value through property transactions, meeting new people, and contributing to the development of communities resonated deeply with me. Real estate offered the perfect blend of my passion for business and the opportunity to make a tangible impact. Read more>>

L.I.F.E. LONG | Emcee/Hip-hop Artist

As an artist thins sometimes can get overwhelming. Especially when trying to be seen and heard. I felt like there was always some type of process of going through some type of gate keeper or force controlling. Once I started putting out my art independently, I was able to connect with my fans direct. I also was able to keep most of the prophets instead of having to give a company a percentage etc. Read more>>

Gemini Johnson | Psychotherapist & Yoga Therapist

It came more from my heart than my head. It has been a true desire of mine to create a space for people to feel better through the awareness of the impact of mental health on one’s whole body health and well-being. I have been a psychotherapist for over 15 years and, within that time I have been witness to the importance of acknowledging the whole being when working with someone. I once heard that you can’t have health without mental health and I truly felt that. I desire to create a space that integrates physical, emotional., and mental well-being to provide a holistic approach to health. This space serves as a platform for education, support, and empowerment for individuals seeking to improve their overall health. Read more>>

Audretta Hall | Healthy Lifestyle Advocate

Start a business that solves a problem and or serves where you were Read more>>

Eric Thompson | Poet

Honestly it directed towards seeing a need and trying to fill it. Trying to create place for black and brown writers to connect Demystify the industry. Read more>>

Trey Sol | Spiritual Healer & Artist

I felt that being self sufficient was necessary for survival due to the times we are living in. Read more>>

Ivania Gutierrez | Founder & Executive Director of Connecting Community (CC)

Thank you for having me and for this question to talk about the non-profit organization that I founded and started leading this year. First of all, I’d like to say that see it as an organization instead of a business.Clearly, there’s a business aspect to it because we need resources to operate but the money the organization collects does not go into a personal account but it’s reinvested in the community in the frame of its mission and vision.The organization belongs to the community and I respond to board members who have the community’s best interest at heart. To answer your question, I I’ll say that the thought process behind Connecting Community (CC) is to increase people’s access – especially those who have less access- to information about services they could use in different social areas such as housing, education, mental health, etc Read more>>

Lydia Doyen | Small Business Owner

Me and my husband had decided we wanted a way to earn extra money and be creative. My husband has experience with machining and using programs to design things. So it just made sense to get a laser engraver and program to create products. Read more>>

April Blackwell | Mortgage Broker & Mom

In 2019 I attended an Industry Conference. Deb Duncan gave a keynote keynote speech. She shared a heartfelt story and issued us a challenge. Her challenge was to dare to dream bigger dreams. The idea consumed me. I asked myself, if I had a dream, what would it be? A light bulb came on in my mind. Create a family legacy. Start your own Mortgage Company, Blackwell Mortgage. The Conference was in October. I let the idea roll around in my mind for a while. It was big. And, it was scary. I started giving myself all kinds of excuses as to why I couldn’t do that. But, I spoke to my husband about it, and he believed in me and said to take the next year to learn all I needed to learn and put a plan together. January of 2020 rolled in. Another speaker inspired me at a women’s resource group with the Bank I was working for at that time. This speaker was a local sweetheart, Jamie Valvano. Jamie shared her personal story and lessons she learned from her father, the late Jimmy V. At the end, she issued a challenge. This time the challenge was to WRITE down the vision for my extraordinary life. I was ready. I had already been stewing on this idea of starting my own business. So, I took it a step further. I wrote it down. That index card is clipped to my vision board by my bathroom counter. I see it and read it every day. Three days after I wrote it down, my Coach, Jonathan Roche asked me, “What is the vision for your life?” I about fell out of my chair! Seriously?! If this isn’t God working in mysterious ways, I do not know what is. Read more>>

Jess James | Charlotte Strength Coach & Gym Owner

In 2014, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science. Shortly after that, I pursued a Master of Science degree in HR Management and Leadership Development, because I wasn’t sure that Exercise Science would provide me with the type of income I desired. One of my top 5 motivators in life is to be as financially comfortable as possible. In 2017, while working in corporate HR (which I still do today), I had somewhat of a revelation along the lines of “I have this entire degree that I paid for but I’m not using…I don’t like that.” So I started The FitFat Coach, LLC which was geared towards helping women gain strength through Powerlifting. I had and have a strong body positivity philosophy: you don’t have to be size 0 to love yourself or to be healthy. Read more>>

Randy Chapman | Scrap metal artist

Randy got layed off from his work of 40 years in 2009. A year earlier we started a small business welding metal art made from steel scrap metal making all sorts of flowers, animals, careers, sports, abstract art and anything we could think of that people would buy. We thought after he retired we would do a few art and craft shows for something to do and add to retirement income. Well little did we know that a year later he would be layed off at age 60 and so we just jumped in to start Happy Scraps as a small business where we did art and craft shows along the east coast and some in Colorado and Illinois. It paid our bills and I want to add that all this time we prayed and trusted God for our income, paying our bills and where to go for doing the shows. God provided and if we had a big bill coming up we would always have a great show that paid for it. We truly give God the glory for our success and Randy’s ability to create these 3D art figures. The company he had worked for made metal components for various companies like Caterpillar, John Deere, etc. When his company went out of business he gathered all the metal scrap he could and brought truckloads of it home to use for Happy Scraps. Our mechanic would save old car parts we used and still use and we purchase scrap from various companies that will let us do so, even old farm equipment that people want to get rid of. So we have been in business now for 16 years. Covid shut down our shows and we were in a number of galleries in tourist areas and we just increased our inventory in those shops and doing well so that we are not doing shows anymore. Read more>>