10 Places In The USA That Inspire Entrepreneurial Spirit

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One of the reasons we love the USA is that it first inspired us to create our own freedom business.

There’s a strong entrepreneurial spirit in the US, and it feels freer and like more people are rooting for and supporting my growth and success.

So what part of the USA inspired my entrepreneurial spirit? It wasn’t just the people, it was the places too.

In this guide, I’ve shared the places in the USA that inspired my entrepreneurial spirit, and gave me inspiration for discovery, celebration and a desire to start my own business and be free of the 9-5 way to live.

1. North Carolina

We began our travel blog whilst living in Raleigh, North Carolina back in 2010, so we have to begin with North Carolina as our number one place that inspired our entrepreneurial spirit – as it’s literally where it all began.

According to a study by Commodity, the city of Asheville is also ranked third in the country for having the highest number of business owners, with 13.4% of their workers having their own company in 2023.

And it’s not just Asheville that has start-ups and independent businesses popping up all over. We decided to settle in Raleigh, which is famous for the Research Triangle Park, the largest and most successful research park in North America – a place that inspires tech savvy people to create their own tech startups.

As well as the thriving tech scenes, Raleigh has low cost of living, and high quality of life, which helps when starting your own business.

My own journey began hopeful and excited; I sat at my dimly lit desk in our small apartment scribbling chapters of my travel eBook in a journal. I didn’t know how to make this work, but I knew it felt possible.

I also remember the fear. It was right in the middle of our financial disaster, and we’d wanted an entrepreneurial life, but unfortunately, chased all the wrong things and failed miserably.

This time around, I was chasing something that lit my soul on fire – travel, and helping more people do it.

North Carolina is where we first had an insight into what life could become for us. Freedom, choice, a house larger than what a shed in Australia of similar value would get you, and access to unlimited travel and diversity. I was hungry to test the boundaries…