There are so many varied experiences when it comes to starting a business. From what we’ve seen, there is no one, right answer. Some people found success by writing a business plan, spending months or years perfecting the idea and only then approaching their first client while others found their first client before they had even settled on a name for their business. Below, you’ll find the stories of how entrepreneurs from across industries and markets found their first clients.

Dr. April Willis

I wasn’t nervous when I started April Willis Consulting, I was excited. I knew I was ready, and I knew I had something valuable to offer. Before launching my business, I served as the Director of Business Operations for a school district. I had already been doing this work at a high level: strategy, operations, systems, problem-solving, just for one organization. Read more>>

Troy Henry

I had minored in graphic and web design in college to support my major, but it turned out that I loved the creative craft and started using it during college and after college both in my day job and for friends. Once I realized I loved the craft I started my first business under a different brand. Read more>>

gizelle perez

I got my very first clients right after taking my first braiding class in October. I offered free braid styles until January 1st so I could practice, learn, and get comfortable with my craft. In the beginning, it was mostly friends and family supporting me and cheering me on. Read more>>

James Kaatz

Every business has an origin story. Ours began with a skeleton—in a dress—with flowers in her hair. One afternoon, my wife and co-founder and I were driving through town when she noticed something impossible to ignore: a huge, vibrant Mexican Catrina standing proudly outside a new restaurant. The colors, the artistry, the personality—it all jumped out like it was calling our names. Read more>>

Elizabeth Hamilton

I began telling my social circle I was an Interior Designer. After a long career in the Advertising Business it was a bit scary to change industries and start calling myself a designer even though I had gotten a degree in Interior Design in college many years ago. Read more>>