Starting a business is a commitment and requires dedication, resources and sacrifice. We asked some of the rising stars in our community how they thought through the idea of starting their own businesses.

Desaepa Vansauwa

I was in the middle of learning self-sufficiency, and I said to myself, “If you do this right, you can control your outcome.” Read More>>

Teron Smith

High End Habits started as a vision between me and my best friend Cam, who I met in college. We were both passionate about growth, mindset, and the idea of building something meaningful — something that reflected who we are and where we’re headed. Our late-night conversations often revolved around entrepreneurship, personal development, and how our daily habits shaped our future. Eventually, we realized we didn’t just want to talk about it — we wanted to create something that embodied it. Read More>>

Parker Hawkins

Though I have been able to sing and play a number of different instruments for many years, I had been almost exclusively a professional bass player–playing in sessions and with various bands based out of Nashville– until March 2020. When Covid stopped the world in its tracks, I realized I didn’t have anyone to play music with anymore. I started playing guitar and singing songs to pass the time at home. Soon, I began to write my own. I also started taking online classes to learn how to record and engineer my own work, and began recording my own demos at home. It opened up a whole new world for me. I realized I didn’t need to rely on anyone else to make my own music. Though I still love being able to share in musical experiences with others, learning to write and record my own music was a silver lining on an otherwise very difficult time. Read More>>