What Inspires People to Startup?

Author: Tamara Monosoff

These 6 entrepreneurs dropped it all for the prospect of making a difference and fulfilling a personal dream.

By Tamara Monosoff 
It's fascinating to hear other people's success stories. One of the most interesting parts is learning how successful entrepreneurs got their start and how they overcame challenges and adversity. Did an idea flash in their minds like a lightning bolt? Or was it something that percolated over the years? How did timing play into their launch? Did experience or desperation drive their plan forward?

When I researched my new book, Secrets of Millionaire Moms, I asked 17 highly successful business owners for the personal inspiration and catalyst that moved them to take action.  For each woman, it was different. Some were motivated by years of experience and the seed money that enabled it to happen; others launched out of a financial or emotional need.

The common ground all these entrepreneurs shared was financial success and the gratification of creating something larger than themselves. Here are a few excerpts of their experiences:

Rachel Ashwell, founder of Shabby Chic
Ashwell left school at age 16. In her twenties, she married and had two children. But after she had seperated from her husband on the cusp of turning 30, she decided to follow her parents' passion for selling vintage fabrics and clothes at flea markets and launched her own retail business--Shabby Chic. With her babies by her side, she scouted flea markets for items she could refinish. Her pieces became an instant hit in her California store. The rest is history. Her company has since expanded to include a national line of slipcover furniture, bedding, home accessories, a TV series, design books and a line of home furnishings called Simply Shabby Chic sold exclusively through Target stores.

Julie Clark, founder of The Baby Einstein Company and The Safe Side
Money was never the motivating factor for Clark. A teacher, she founded her first company, Baby Einstein, to provide educational videos for her own babies--something that was lacking in the marketplace when her children were young. Clark grew Baby Einstein into a cultural phenomenon and sold it to The Walt Disney Company for $50 million, using some of the proceeds to launch her newest venture, The Safe Side--a company that produces products to help keep kids safe from strangers and child predators. "I didn't start Baby Einstein or The Safe Side because I felt like I was going to make a million dollars," said Clark. "I really started them because they were something that I loved and wanted to do."