Find Your Why. Start Your Business.

Have you ever wanted to start a business but told yourself, not now, it’s not the right time? This mini-episode of Aspire with Emma Grede, brought to you by Shopify, might help you realize, there’s no perfect time to start a business. On today’s pod, Emma shares why she decided to become an entrepreneur and offers key insights from her journey over the years. From tips on how to discover your “why” to the importance of a platform that can support you, Emma reminds us that every business starts with a founder taking that first step. In this episode, you’ll learn How to: -Identify your personal why and use it as your anchor -Move forward even when self-doubt shows up -Understand what entrepreneurship can truly offer to your life -Start small and build momentum one step at a time -How to create a support system that allows you to stay focused If you’ve been thinking about starting something of your own, Shopify can help you take that first step. It’s built to make turning an idea into a business simple—from setting up your store to handling payments, inventory, and shipping. That way, you can stay focused on what really matters: bringing your vision to life. Explore what’s possible at shopify.com/aspire https://shopify.com/aspire

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:09Emma Grede?

  Hi everyone and welcome to a special mini episode of Aspire brought to you by Shopify. So I'm asked all the time, how do you know when it's time to start your own business? Now, a lot of people hesitate to start because of the same few stumbling blocks. Fear of failure is a big one. It's that voice in your head that says, what if this doesn't work? What if I fail? Others worry about money, believing they need a huge investment before they can even begin. And then there's perfectionism, waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect product or the perfect plan before taking action. The truth is, there is no perfect timing and those doubts never fully go away.

• 0:50Emma Grede?

  The difference is deciding to move forward anyway, even in the face of uncertainty. I started my first business for one simple reason. I just wasn't being paid what I thought I was worth. I felt stuck, frustrated and ready for so much more. That moment became my why. And in this episode, I'll help you discover yours so that you know when it's time to stop waiting and finally take that first step. I want to be honest here that I did have a lot of hesitation before striking out on my own. First, I didn't grow up around people that had their own business. So I had no exposure and you can't be what you don't see. Everyone I knew went to work at a traditional job to pay the bills.

• 1:33Emma Grede?

  I really doubted my ability to run something. I'm super dyslexic and the fear of that holding me back was really real in my mind. What I did have however, was confidence in my abilities and my gifts. I had an unmatched work ethic and I felt strongly that everything I'd been working on up to that point meant that I had a foundation to launch. I tell you all this because when you're trying to find your why, it's likely that you'll first come up with a bunch of why I cannots, which is actually quite helpful because when it comes to understanding your weaknesses, it's invaluable to be objective. If you keep going through the hard part, you're going to come to your why. And so that's a worthwhile exercise.

• 2:16Emma Grede?

  Now, maybe you thought to yourself, I don't have the qualities that I need to be a founder. I'm not demanding, I'm not forceful, that's not my personality or whatever it is that you think a founder should be. And I'm here to tell you this, not all founders are cut from the same cloth. In the culture that we're in at the moment, it's not about being the same. We don't want people from the same educational background or the same place. We actually need difference. It's okay if you don't stack up like a traditional founder, because the truth is the world actually needs your voice and your distinct point of view. So before you start any business, the first question you've got to ask yourself is simple. What's your why?

• 2:58Emma Grede?

  Why do you want to create this product, start this service or bring this idea to life? For me, the truth is, I started my first business because I just wasn't being paid what I was worth in the job I had at the time. I felt stuck, I felt undervalued, I knew I was capable of so much more. And I didn't think it served me to sit around waiting for someone else to decide my value. That frustration I felt actually became my why. I wanted to take control of my future and my financial independence. I wanted to bounce out of bed and do something that I loved. I've always, always been someone who gives a hundred and ten percent to whatever I'm doing. And so I wanted to ensure that whatever effort I was putting in would actually benefit me.

• 3:41Emma Grede?

  When it comes to starting a business, honestly, it's a little like having a baby. There just is no good time. I've heard people describe the need to start a business as something that they couldn't not do. I wish I could say that, but my why wasn't nearly as romantic. Whether it's frustration, opportunism, because you've discovered a white space or a deep need to create something rooted in purpose. Your why doesn't have to be perfect or polished, but it does have to be real and have meaning to you. Because when things get tough, and trust me, they will, they always do. It's your why that will keep you moving. So today, we're talking about recognizing the moment when it's time to start and how to take that first step, no matter how small. So first, finding your why.

• 4:27Emma Grede?

  When I look back, I didn't start out with some perfectly crafted business plan. What I did have was a why. For me, it was about more than the money. It was about creating something that I understood intrinsically, something that I knew I was really good at. And my belief that women should have a seat at every table. Your why is your anchor, is what keeps you steady when things get hard. And if you're a perfectionist, or if you're doing well in your current job, the idea of starting can feel even scarier because you don't want to give up what's comfortable, and that's understandable. Self doubt is always going to show up when you're standing on the edge of something new. You'll wonder if you're qualified enough, if anyone's going to care about your idea, if you can really pull it off. I've been there.

• 5:11Emma Grede?

  The nerves before my first pitch, the second guessing before every big decision, it was constant. But here's the thing, self doubt doesn't mean you're not ready, it just means you're human. The goal isn't to silence it, but it's to keep going anyway, fuelled by your why. But I'll be real with you, it's always hard. Starting a business is hard A F. The trick is not avoiding the hard, but having a why that's bigger than your fear. And the question that you have to ask yourself is, are you willing to put your dreams and ambition ahead of your fears? Like anyone, I for sure suffered with overwhelm. I'll never forget the first time I pitched an idea to a room full of investors.

• 5:54Emma Grede?

  And even those first couple of board meetings, oh my God, I was always so nervous. The meetings would always get off to a rocky start and for a second I thought, I should just give up. But my why, that belief in what I was building and that I was uniquely positioned to do what I'd set out to do, pushed me through. That's the thing, purpose will carry you even when confidence fails. Purpose is bigger than a mood or a moment because confidence comes and goes. But purpose is what roots you when the ground feels shaky. It's the reason you get back up after rejection, the reason you stay late when no one's watching. And the reason you keep learning when honesty, it would be easier to quit. Purpose gives meaning to the grind and it transforms challenges into fuel.

• 6:39Emma Grede?

  When you're clear on why you're doing this, even the hardest days start to feel like part of a bigger story that you're writing for yourself. So up next, what entrepreneurship brings. So what does entrepreneurship actually give you? Well, the first thing is freedom. The freedom to design a life and a business on your terms. For some people, that freedom looks like being able to pick up your kids from school every afternoon without asking for permission. For others, it's choosing to work like early in the morning or late at night because that's when your creativity flows best. It might mean taking a midday break to go for a run or travelling without being tied to an office calendar.

• 7:18Emma Grede?

  Freedom is about creating a rhythm that works for you and building a business that supports the life you want, not the other way around. Second, opportunity. The opportunity to do something you love, the chance to build wealth, create jobs, open doors for others and leave a legacy. And the third thing is responsibility. Yes, yes, yes, yes, that can feel so heavy. You're not just making decisions for yourself anymore and there is no fool guy. You have to accept the responsibility, but that responsibility is also what makes the journey so worthwhile. And finally, the best thing, you got the growth. You're going to learn more about yourself and you'll dig deeper than you ever thought possible. The good, bad and the ugly.

• 8:03Emma Grede?

  And honestly, that's just the best part. It's not just the wins, it's who you become and what you discover about yourself along the way. But let me be clear, it's not all rosy. But every high, there are plenty of lows. C plus nights, worrying about cash flow, the product launches that don't go as planned, the moments when you question if you've made a huge mistake. Entrepreneurship will test your patience, your resilience and sometimes even your relationships. For those tough moments, they're just part of the deal. They shape you, they sharpen you and they make the wins feel that much sweeter. Next, I want to talk to you about starting small. Now, here's some good news. Starting doesn't mean throwing everything away overnight.

• 8:47Emma Grede?

  You don't need investors tomorrow. You don't need a big flashy launch. You can start small and honestly, I advise that you do just that. We have romanticized the idea of raising capital and having investors. And as my good friend Mark Cuban says, raising money isn't an accomplishment, it's an obligation. Maybe it's a side hustle, maybe it's testing an idea on weekends, maybe it's selling a handful of products online, but that's how momentum builds, one step at a time. When I started Good American, I didn't have the perfect fabric right away. I launched with what I could get, knowing it wasn't exactly what I wanted, but it was enough to start. And that start took me more than months of overthinking ever could.

• 9:30Emma Grede?

  And let me say this, you don't have to quit your day job to prove you're serious. In fact, keeping that steady paycheck while you test and grow your idea can't take the pressure off you and give room to experiment. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs I know started by building their businesses in the evenings, on the weekends, or in those little pockets of time they carved out around work and family. There's no shame in starting small and safe. What matters is that you start. And if you know someone who has a side hustle or is always talking about the idea but hasn't started yet, share this episode with them. It might be the nudge they need to finally take that first step. Now, let's talk about the role of support. And this is where having the right support system matters.

• 10:15Emma Grede?

  Your time as a founder needs to be spent obsessing over your customer. You don't want to spend all your energy on logistics and setting up payments, figuring out shipping, managing a website. That is not the work that fuels your why. That's why having tools like Shopify is such a game changer. I've spoken about it so many times on this podcast. It handles the behind the scenes so that you can focus on your vision, your customers, and your product. What's even more exciting is how Shopify's AI tools completely change the game for entrepreneurs today. Twenty years ago, you'd have needed Hundred person team to handle marketing, customer service, copywriting, design at scale.

• 10:55Emma Grede?

  Today, for just thirty nine dollars a month, Shopify puts the same level of output and professionalism at your fingertips. From generating product descriptions to optimizing your storefront, to giving you data-driven insights in real time, by the way, AI now makes it possible to compete with the big players while staying lean and focused on what matters the most, your vision. To recap, everything we've talked about today, these are the major things to think about before you start your own business. Number one, find your why. Your why is your anchor. It's what keeps you steady when things get hard. Number two, think about what entrepreneurship

• 11:34Emma Grede?

  brings you: freedom, opportunity, responsibility, and growth. Number three, start small. You don't need a big flashy launch. Maybe it's a side hustle, maybe it's testing an idea on weekends, maybe it's selling a handful of products online, but that is how momentum builds, one small step at a time. Number four, find your support system. Having tools like Shopify is a game changer. They handle the behind the scenes, so you can focus on your vision, your customers, and your product. So how do you know when it's time to start? Honestly, if the idea has been sitting in your mind and your why feels clear, then you are ready to go. And I want you to take this episode as a sign, because the truth is, there's

• 12:18Emma Grede?

  never a perfect time to start. There's no perfect moment, no right set of circumstances. The time is now. Go out and do it. Here's my challenge to you. Write your why down, say it out loud, and then take one step, however small it is, that you have to start. And if you're ready to take that step, Shopify makes it easy. You can start your free trial today and see what's possible. From launching your first online store to managing payments and shipping, Shopify takes care of all the details, so you can stay focused on what really matters. Ready to build your own empire? Head to Shopify.com/aspire and get started today. And if today's message resonated with you, then please don't keep it to yourself. Share

• 13:01Emma Grede?

  this episode with a friend or a loved one who needs a little push to start, because you never know whose future you might help to completely unlock. Thank you so much for joining me for this special mini-episode of Aspire. Until next time, and don't forget to always bet on yourself.

• 13:22Emma Grede?

  If you're loving this podcast, be sure to click Follow on your favourite listening platform. While you're there, give us a review and a five-star rating and share an episode you loved with a friend. We'll be so grateful. Aspire with Emma Grede is presented by Odyssey. I'm your host, Emma Grede. Our executive producers are Corinne, Gilliard Fisher, Derek Brown and me. Our executive producers from Odyssey are Maddie Sprung Kaiser, Leah Reese Dennis, Asha Saluja and Jenna Weiss-Berman. Stephen Key is our senior producer. Sound design and engineering by Bill Schultz. Angela Peluso is our booker. Original music by Charles Black. Video production by Evan Cox, Kirk Courtney, Andrew Steele, Carlos Delgado and Arnie Agassi. Social media by Olivia Homan.

• 14:07Emma Grede?

  Special thanks to Brittany Smith, Sidney Ford, my teams at The Lead Company and WME. Maura Curran, Josefina Francis, Hilary Schuff, Eric Donnelly, Kate Hutchinson Rose, Tim Mikul, Shaun Cherry and Lauren Vieira. If you have questions for me, you can DM me at aspirewithemmagreed. Grede is spelt G-R-E-D-E. That's aspire, A-S-P-I-R-E, with Emma Grede. Or you can submit a question to me on my website, emmagreed.me.