We love small businesses. More importantly, we love the entrepreneurs who are running them. This month, we’re highlighting 24 amazing entrepreneurs who are following their passions and doing what they love. Here is a slideshow of the entrepreneurs who are doing what they love. Below the slideshow, we have included a quote from them and links to their sites.
(Can’t see the slides? View them on Slideshare.)
Accidental Entrepreneurs
Melinda Emerson, Quintessence Multimedia
“I am an accidental business coach. After nearly half a dozen years of working too many overnights and weekends, I decided that I wanted to do more with my life and that starting my own business was the way to go.”
Forrest Walden & Jim Cavale, Iron Tribe Fitness
“Opening Iron Tribe has been one of the most fun projects that I have ever been a part of. From selling out the Homewood gym in record time to working with so many great franchisees, this has been an incredible journey.”
Luc Stokes & Holly Stokes, Degree33 Surfboards
“If you stepped into our place you would have found surfboards everywhere. One day, when having a serious discussion on whether or not to sell the kitchen table to make more room for surfboards, we decided it was time to move this hobby-turned-business out of our house.”
Yvonne Halling, Les Molyneux
“I buy local produce wherever possible, which supports local business, and anyone who I trust and who has something valuable to offer, I offer their products for sale at the B&B.”
Entrepreneurs at Heart
Amy Porterfield, Social Media Strategist
“It was scary and exhilarating and stressful and wonderful all at one; everything starting a business should be.”
Jermaine Griggs, Hear and Play Music
“I won’t sit here and tell you for one second it was just magic. I put in the work.”
Lisa-Marie Cabrelli, Laptop Life Lisa
“I wanted to own my own business so that I could have the freedom of working when I wanted, where I wanted and how I wanted. I wanted my business to fit in to the dreams and goals I had for my life as a whole.”
Joseph Miranda, NoteFull
“I’ve wanted my own business since I was young. I started two businesses that unfortunately didn’t make it, but I didn’t let that stop me. The entrepreneurial spirit inside of me burned on.”
Bleeding Hearts (Purpose-Based Business)
Casey Graham, The Rocket Company
“I started the company out of a passion to reach church leaders worldwide – to train, speak, coach, consult – all to help the Church.”
Sean Kelly & Andy Mackensen, H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending
“This idea will change the world,” I vividly remember thinking. I made the tough decision to not attend medical school, and instead, decided to dedicate my life to public health, by way of operating a network of healthy vending machines.”
Jini Patel Thompson & Ian Thompson, Listen to Your Gut
“We started the business as a service to humanity. We wanted to spread Jini’s knowledge of how you can take control of your body and make a change to better your life.”
Jacki Semerau Tait, Strong Single Mom Network
“Online scams are everywhere and some specifically target single mothers. It made me very angry but it also inspired me to do something.”
Love of Craft
Gonz Medina & Jason Heslop, Blue Chip Athletic
“I love branding teams and making them look good.”
Raj Shah, Math Plus Academy
Website: mathplusacademy.com
“Our job is to get kids excited about math.”
Tyler Smith & Don Smith, Select Photo-Graphics
“We love what we do. Our portraits of young athletes are on refrigerators, mantels and desks throughout the Midwest.”
Passion for the Customer
Kerri Konik, Brandscape Atelier
“I started my agency to bring high-end agency services and process to entrepreneurs, where I could make a significant impact, and catapult passionate owners, just like me, to multiply their results.”
Jim Turner, Optibike
“I love that electric bikes are good for your health and the environment, and [with Optibike] I get the chance to directly impact the lives of others.”
Amy Wenslow, Products to Profits
“Seeing the train wreck that inventors create for themselves was heartbreaking to me. My company changes people’s experience of themselves by maximizing their creativity.”
Read more about this post, 24 Entrepreneurs Who Are Doing What They Love on The Infusionsoft Blog.