27 founders share how they knew what type of company to start

Founder, Ninth Street Collective

My company: Ninth Street Collective provides professional development services for artists.

Why I started it: Having worked with over 500 artists over the last 10 years, I heard over and over again that artists wanted more help with professional development and the business of being an artist. I was excited to bring together experienced art administrators, gallerists, curators, writers, and critics to provide that help in the form of a women-forward initiative.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Build a great team. I'm grateful to work with four women who are not only experts in their specialty areas, but also strong advocates for artists. By joining forces, we leverage our experience to offer artists a full suite of services.

Founder and CEO, The Upside

My company: The Upside launches and grows independent consultancies for professionals redefining success beyond the 9-5.

Why I started it: After the 2016 election, I felt that women's issues were not going to be a priority for the incoming administration. I was surrounded by ambitious women with impressive backgrounds who were giving up their full-time careers not because they wanted to, but because juggling the demands of career and family was proving unsustainable. I decided to leverage my industry expertise to help more women gain flexibility, freedom, and autonomy.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Understand your underlying mission, and design a business model that funnels into that mission while leveraging your most easily accessible skills and networks.

Founder and owner, Investing with Rose

My company: Investing With Rose is an online financial education company for women.

Why I started it: I decided to start an online business because there were two things that were important to me: impact and location-independence. I fully believe that as entrepreneurs, we need to first start with a vision for the life we want to live, and then build a business that fits into that vision.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Find a mentor who has been there, done that, and follow her roadmap. There are so many tactics, strategies, and countless ways to go about building an online business. So if you don't have someone to guide you and tell you what to focus on at each stage, you'll get totally lost and overwhelmed!

Founder, Brilliantly

My company: Brilliantly's mission is to awaken women's resilience as they navigate life while impacted by breast cancer.

Why I started it: I couldn't find the right kind of long-term support for handling life after a mastectomy or breast cancer. I was looking for a community that focused on resilience, acceptance, and belonging. A place where other women navigating what it means to be whole could connect and inspire each other.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Communicate with the market you're trying to reach at every step of the process to make sure that whatever you're creating is what your ideal customer/member wants and needs.

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.

Founder, Final Conversations

My company: A service that helps support families and loved ones to have conversations about dying so that their wishes are known when the time comes.

Why I decided to do it: My mother was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer. Her life expectancy was unknown and ranged anywhere from six months to two years. I tried to find resources and people who could help me have these end of life discussions and found limited options. As a result, I created a service to help families and loved ones facilitate these conversations.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Not all people will need your services, and that's okay. There are others out there that do and when you can help that person, you feel so good about it. Don't be deterred by all the noes, because then those yeses will mean so much more.

Founder, Petminded

My company: Petminded curates memorable travel experiences for pets and their parents.

Why I started it: In 2018, my husband and I realized that our newly adopted dog suffered from separation anxiety. As avid travelers, we experimented by bringing her on our trips and created some amazing memories. I started helping friends and family plan their trips as well and eventually, Petminded was born!

My advice for starting a company like mine: It's possible that you (or close friends and family members) are your own customer, but don't neglect to do very thorough user research to support any assumptions you make about your business.

Cofounder and CEO, Prosper Gowork

My Company: Prosper Gowork is a network of micro-workspaces designed for mobile professionals.

Why I started it: As a real estate professional who also owns a property management company, I had a personal need for a professional, affordable workspace wherever I was. I also saw an incredible amount of vacant retail spaces that needed to be reinvented. I assumed that I wasn't the only person with this problem, and I was excited to help others like me be able to work in a network of hyper-local neighborhood spaces.

My advice for starting a company like mine: As the workspace industry grows and consolidates, independent operators are getting squeezed out. If you're interested in opening space, consider designing the business for scale, and make sure you have a sincere interest in operations management and customer service.

Founder and CEO, Wellory

My company: Wellory is the world's first text-only health coach — your own personal nutrition expert in your pocket.

Why I started it: After being diagnosed with several potentially chronic illnesses, I became a certified health coach. I was able to cure myself with understanding what was the right food for me, and I became passionate about building a company that allowed all my friends to learn how to eat healthy and gave certified health coaches a place to work.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Keep breathing life into it and good things will happen. The worst thing you can do is quit, so just keep going!

Founder and CEO, Gulmi Consulting

My company: Gulmi Consulting is a full service "corp-tique" PR and marketing agency offering the resources and relationships of corporate firms with the attention and creativity of a boutique firm.

Why I started it: I saw a need for big agency results while still giving the "white glove experience" that clients often want but can't find with larger agencies. The more companies I worked with, the more I saw many of them pull from a variety of agencies in order to fulfill that one need, while spending more than they needed to.

My advice for starting a company like mine: In my family we say, "be kind and work hard." Sounds simple, but speaks volumes. I truly believe it's what you do on the days you want to take off that counts the most.

Cofounder, RiseWell

My company: RiseWell is the first non-toxic oral care brand in the US that is backed by science and makes products that are as effective as its commercial counterparts.

Why I started it: After making the commitment to the IVF process, I vowed to use products that wouldn't be harmful to me or my growing family. This was when we realized there was a problem with toothpaste: the current natural toothpastes just don't work. You might as well be "cleaning" your teeth with water.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Be prepared to embrace failure. You won't be successful unless you're doing something completely different than any other company has done before. The key is not only celebrating failure, but learning from it. This mindset can actually give you an edge over your competition and set you up for greater success in the future.

Founder and CEO, Brief Transitions

My company: A product-based business selling mesh underwear for women after childbirth and surgeries.

Why I started it: I founded the company after recovering from an emergency c-section. Unable to find the supplies that I needed for my own recovery, I became passionate about bringing products to market that support women after childbirth. Women deserve to have the supplies they need during their postpartum recovery and I love knowing that Brief Transitions provides comfort to women during a pivotal time in their lives.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Find a community that supports you. Building a business on your own can be isolating. There are so many reasons to stop or to give up. Being able to connect with other entrepreneurs to ask questions and share struggles is game changing.

Founder, Director of Partnerships, minisocial.io

My company: minisocial.io is a UGC agency disrupting the way brands view and get value from micro-influencer campaigns.

Why I started it: minisocial.io came from the idea that brands can (and should) get more out of their influencer marketing strategy. Working as a content marketer, I saw the need for brands to be able to leverage the content generated by influencers on all of their marketing channels.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Work behind the scenes on your product, test out the process with a few trusted clients/friends. This way when you launch you've worked out the kinks and have your workflow down! The last thing you want is to run into a major roadblock when working with a first-time client.

Founder, Mirror and Lens

My company: Mirror & Lens transforms clients' relationships with the materials of everyday living.

Why I started it: After undergoing a series of personal losses and career transitions, I intuitively used the materials of everyday living as a form of material mantra. I was able to put the pieces of my life back together by supporting my intentions and visualizations for the future with material choices such as wardrobe and styling. I was in a unique position to guide people in turning abstract impulses into tangible outcomes.

My advice for starting a company like mine: My business would never flourish without working on the indirect forces behind it. I had to take my self-healing and self-care seriously as integral to the success of a business that exists to help others to shift their perspective, become inspired, and heal in ways that support their definition of success.

CEO, JMG Public Relations

My company: JMG Public Relations is an award-winning public relations firm for venture-backed startup companies and innovators.

Why I started it: I started JMGPR when I was at a transition point in my career. I knew that I wanted my next career move to be where I stayed for the long term, and I wanted whatever company I worked for to reflect my morals and my work ethic. So instead of searching endlessly for a company that reflected that, I decided to create my own.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Talk to everyone you meet and ask as many inquisitive questions as possible, because you never know what you can take away from the conversation. One small bit of insight can lead you towards discovering something that can completely change how you run your business.

Core energy coach, The Entrepreneurial Soul

My company: The Entrepreneurial Soul helps people to trust their intuition and take action to pursue their dreams and goals.

Why I started it: I was feeling stuck and no longer living in alignment with my own true values. I felt burned out and needed time out to get back to finding myself and my purpose, and to educating my mind. Throughout my 20 year career in media sales, I always loved helping others build and develop their business and after signing up for a course with iPEC (Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching), I felt instantly aligned to my passions and my purpose.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Walk the talk — work with a coach and be open to learning every day.

Founder and CEO, A.Lynn Designs

My company: A.Lynn is a sustainable fashion startup reinventing the traditional size scale to give women a more personalized fit on-demand.

Why I started it: I started A.Lynn because I saw that so many women found it hard, or even impossible, to find clothes that fit their body type without needing to be altered. I knew that if I could create a system that fit real women's unique shapes, I could make people feel comfortable and confident all day long, and reduce the amount of clothing waste by reducing the return rate of unwanted (ill-fitting) clothes.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Do your research and implement your own focus groups. The more data you can gather about your potential customers and their needs, the better your product will turn out.

CEO, Squared Away

My Company: We are a team of remote chief executive assistants. We work with anyone who needs more time, and can handle any task you throw our way!

Why I started it: This entire journey started because no one wanted to hire me due to being a military spouse. Everywhere I went, I met other highly educated spouses with the same story. I was so thrilled to start Squared Away because it meant that I could help give spouses a purpose other than mom/dad/spouse.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Stay focused on why you started your business in the first place. Always come back to that with every decision you make.

Founder and CEO, Emilia George

My company: Emilia George offers polished, sustainable workwear for future and new mamas on a mission.

Why I started it: Bad quality and unprofessional looking maternity wear is no longer what modern day mamas on a mission should tolerate. That's why I started the company, to make pregnant women to feel glorious about the journey of pregnancy and being a mom.

My advice for starting a company like mine: You have to be mentally prepared that it's much harder than it looks to start a fashion brand, especially as an outsider. There are so many aspects of this business that need your full attention and so many insiders who may want to take you for a ride because you don't know how the business works. But with stamina and determination, you can do it!

Co-Founder, Kunik

My company: Kunik enables employers to provide ongoing support for their working parent employees in the form of community and expert guidance.

Why I started it: As I began to think about starting a family, I became increasingly aware of how few women and moms there were at senior level positions. At the same time, I saw that my friends and family were really struggling to juggle family and career. It became clear that the existing structures and status quo were outdated and failing.

My advice for starting a company like mine: My advice is: Talk to as many people as you can — that advice might apply to a lot of industries, but the difference is here you'll discover so many people willing to help.

Cofounder and CEO, Kara

My company: Kara is a marketing software that automates the production of marketing material, while maintaining brand integrity.

Why I started it: Having worked as a marketing exec for brands such as Ford, Chanel, and Adidas in North America, Europe, and Asia, I experienced firsthand how manual and inefficient the marketing production process is. I started Kara because I want to fix this problem and help marketers to deliver brand-perfect marketing material at scale.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Grit or quit — building a company is like a boxing match. Your only chance at winning is to step into the ring with the mindset that you are prepared to deal with whatever comes your way.

Founder and CEO, Digital Orchards LLC

My company: Digital Orchards LLC was founded to help guide professionals in navigating the digital workplace.

Why I started it: I see so many people being left out as the divide grows between those who understand how to leverage technology, and those who do not. I founded Digital Orchards to bridge that divide by educating individuals on how to use digital tools and systems thinking to advance their companies and their careers.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Be specific about the impact you want to have and the people you want to serve. This approach was much more actionable for me than drafting a lengthy business plan.

Founder and CEO, Musicasa

My company: Musicasa helps aspiring, up-and-coming Latinx musicians gain exposure, visibility, and monetization opportunities by creating intimate, invite-only, and highly curated live performances at preselected hosts' homes.

Why I started it: Musicasa integrates the three areas of my life that uplift me and make me feel the most alive: human connection, my love for music, and my Latin/Puerto Rican roots and culture.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Stay grounded and present and let go of any attachments to the outcome that you have in your head. You will only recognize opportunities, creative flow, connections, and the ideal people when you stay present, listen carefully and respond accordingly. Trust that your strongest card is your gut feeling.

Founder, Lily's Ladle

My company: Lily's Ladle crafts frozen bone broths with ingredients sourced from Southern New England.

Why I started it: My son was an infant and got sick with a respiratory virus. He had difficulty breathing, and we were instructed to wait it out for 12 days. After three days of struggling to keep him comfortable, a friend emailed me an article about bone broth. Among the many wonderful healing properties bone broth offers our bodies, the standout here was that it promotes healthy mucus production, which my son was severely lacking. So I made it and put it in his baby bottle. He got better in a day and a half.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Having appropriate certification for food safety will go a very long way towards success in the food industry.

Founder and CEO, Journify, Inc.

My company: Journify helps people and people-first companies address burnout and develop positive lifestyle habits through coaching and other evidence-based methods.

Why I started it: Last year, suddenly everyone was talking about life coaching, career coaching, and health coaching. As a marketer, I always ask myself: social trend or real-life impact? Once I proved that personal coaches do have the ability to help us change lifestyle habits and realized that technology could make the entire journey easier (and more fun and addicting!), I saw the business opportunity.

My advice for starting a company like mine: When starting a business in the wellness space, the feedback is always positive. At the beginning it helps with motivation but then you realize everyone does love wellness as long as they don't have to pay for it. In wellness, the search for product-market fit is wallet-market fit.

Sales consultant and business coach

My company: I've founded a handful of companies throughout my career. One of my favorite was Buyer's Best Friend, an online marketplace for wholesale buyers.

Why I started it: I used to sell artisan food products to major retailers. As my food broker business took off, I realized how inefficient the market was, and I wished that there was a way to replace all the in-person meetings, emails, phone calls, and faxes with the buyers at the stores ordering online through an organized catalog. Hence, Buyer's Best Friend was born.

My advice for starting a company like mine: Focus on your customers — truly understand their workflow and their pain points, and then design for that. If you can identify major pains, and come up with a solution that addresses those pains, signing up customers is the easy part.

Dreamers // Doers' mission is to increase the number of successful ventures launched by women. It consists of Collective, a high-impact community reaching over 25,000 women globally, and Onyx, a highly curated private members' collective for value-driven female founders, trailblazers, and change-makers.