This article is part of Entrepreneurs: The Next Generation, a ShareAmerica series written in simplified English and designed to help you develop your business vocabulary. Click each underlined word to see its meaning.
Experienced entrepreneurs talk about what inspired them to start their own businesses.
Lisa Druxman: When my son was born, to get my body back into shape, I created a workout that I could do with him. I thought it could also help other moms who just had babies. And they, I hoped, could teach me a thing or two about mothering. Having a background in the fitness industry, I started a class and then another in my neighborhood. The classes exploded and we ended up franchising the concept.
Druxman is founder of Fit4Mom, the largest U.S. franchise fitness program for every stage of motherhood.
Tomer Dvir: I became an entrepreneur because I wanted to take action to fix the things that bothered me, not just complain about them. Becoming an entrepreneur has given me the power to create change — not only to improve my own first PC and now mobile-device experience, but to improve the experience of hundreds of millions of users the world over.
Dvir is a co-founder of Soluto, a mobile-device protection service.
Jon Grall: I felt that I wouldn’t have a chance at being truly happy in my career until I tried to start something on my own. I had worked for great companies, and yet I had felt like something was missing. Part of it was wanting to be my own boss and to have more creative control. And part was a desire for adventure and excitement! I also wanted to do something that matters. I’m still chasing that goal.
Grall is an entrepreneur who started Little Details and SimplyListed.
Genevieve Thiers: As a student at Boston College, I saw a pregnant woman posting flyers for a baby sitter. I was horrified to see her walking up the 193 steps on campus, so I offered to post the flyers for her. Then I thought: “Wouldn’t it be great to have one place where parents could go to find caregivers?”
Thiers is an opera singer and entrepreneur who founded Sittercity, Contact Karma and OperaModa.
Ewa Wojkowska: I don’t think one ever plans to become an entrepreneur — it is a result of continuous attempts to do things better. But looking back, I believe I always had had ideas to do things differently. Kopernik is the result of my belief that development assistance can be much more tangible and effective.
Wojkowska is a co-founder of Kopernik, a social enterprise that promotes simple technologies in the developing world. A social enterprise is an organization that seeks to improve human and environmental well-being through commercial strategies.
