6. Evie Smith

Founder and CEO, Rebellious PR

My company: Rebellious is a full service PR agency working with underrepresented founders to push important social conversations forward.

Why I started it: Honestly, I did it out of necessity. I never fit in anywhere I worked, but at the same time was really successful with clients and managing people. I had a job lined up at Nike and decided to pass on it to see if I could hack it as a freelancer. What I fell in love with was having the ability to pick and choose the kinds of clients I wanted to work with, as well as the kinds of services I offered.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Get a lawyer, an accountant, and a mentor you like but who can be honest with you. It's important to build your support team so you can do what you do best.