Coming up with an idea for a business or creative project can feel exhilarating. Inspiration for a new idea can come from so many places and we’ve asked some great folks from the community to share their stories of how they came up with their ideas.
Pastor Willie J Watt Jr
pursue normal goals, especially when they couldn’t even count on a good night’s sleep. One instance that really hit me hard was when a mother of one of the kids came in. She was homeless and had a newborn baby in need of warmth. I asked my board if I could use some funds to get her into a motel, but they said no. Sadly, three weeks later, her newborn passed away. Read more>>
Carly Asare
Many customers who are just meeting and hear the business name, may see my banner of my t-shirt first think that I am Lillian! Lillie Bell Thomas my late Nana passed in December of 2020, she is one of the people who taught me to pride myself on hair care. The way she viewed it was that our hair is our crown, this is one of the first things that people see when they see you along with your face. Lillian’s Lush Organics was a business before idea before I even knew it! In 2020, I had did a big chop due to my hair falling out during the height of the pandemic. Read more>>
Oscar Padilla
The idea was born from my love for wood fire cooking, the embers are my heart, the ashes my essence and the smoke my soul. This was born from the great heritage that my grandparents and family gave me, they have been mountaineers and climbers all their lives, so the routine of cooking with firewood immersed in the forest created in me this passion to discover and share the wonderfulness of these flavors. Read more>>
Yezzamin Jasso
My name is Kenya Jasso business owner of Dipped By Yezzamin I’ve been having my business for 3 years, it all started back in 2020 during COVID nothing to do just stay at home and I was seeing many people were to and I decided to maybe try to bring out something that people will like and I went on instagram and made a post for funnel cakes everyone started messaging wanting to buy more everyday I would have to make deliveries which brought me more ambition to wanting to do more desserts and I decided to continue with my business till this day because it’s what I enjoy doing specially when it comes to customizing strawberries or bouquets. Read more>>
Elijah Kirkland-Cuffee
In 2018, I resided with my mother when she commented on my creativity and suggested starting a business. At the time, I lacked knowledge on how to initiate a business venture or what I should specialize in. I also felt purposeless which prompted my mother’s encouragement. A few days later, we discussed potential business names, but none resonated with us. Read more>>
Sam Emami
The idea for Salezie was born during a transformative period in my career, when I was working in software sales in Manhattan, New York. For almost three years, I was deeply immersed in the world of business development, specifically within the healthcare vertical. My journey within the corporate world was a rollercoaster of learning experiences, successes, and challenges, and it ultimately led to the birth of my own venture. Read more>>
Jeremy Camilloni
For the last 5 years, my company, airSales.io, has been offering outsourced SDR solutions for B2B companies. Our service mainly involves hiring remote contractors to handle inbox management and schedule discovery calls, demos, or appointments for our clients. However, we are now developing the “SmartSDR” with the recent advancements in AI technology. Read more>>
Sue Stemp
I’ve always worked as a designer and have a passion for collecting antique textiles for inspiration, especially hand embroideries, Victorian and Edwardian Broderie Anglaise, delicate laces and beadwork. I moved to LA from New York, and my daughter who was little then, had a few beautiful Stella McCartney organic cotton Broderie Anglaise dresses, with very vintage influenced embroidery. I loved them and wanted something similar in my size but they didn’t exist, apart from at a luxury price point. Read more>>
Dr. Joy Allen
In terms of exercising my Second Amendment rights, I was a “late bloomer.” I didn’t have a fear of guns but strongly believed, at that time, that a responsible parent would not keep them in the home with young children present. My husband, who is a veteran of the US Marine Corps, often joked with me about my opinions of firearms. Read more>>
Langston Faulk
Life really do be Lifing!! That’s how this thing truly started. We all have those moments in life where we know that our life has more purpose, but you cant figure out what that purpose is. For me, it was in December 2017 that i had my moment of clarity. It was a cold day in Atlanta, Ga (where i resided at the time). Read more>>
Helena Gibson
Working in my store Strut Hair Solutions in Solana Beach, clients would come in and were tired of Minoxidil and synthetic ingredients in the hair growth products we were selling and they were seeing on the market. Clients came in wanting and asking for clean ingredients and really examining what was in a product. That was the moment the lightbulb went off in my head and I decided to take all my experience and create my own restorative hair growth products! Read more>>
Julia Loglisci
Photography has always been my passion and I am very grateful to be successful in an ever changing industry that I love! I’ve been running my own photography business for just over 10 years now. It has been great, but like many, the pandemic was a major pivoting point for my business. Read more>>
Megan Boesen
Back in 2016, there was a shop in Northeast Minneapolis called Crafty Planet and the owners of that business were looking to do something else. I thought it would be a shame if this home of fiber crafts were to disappear. I also wanted to try my hand at doing all the things I had wanted to do in previous jobs. I wanted the work that I poured my being into to be mine. So with guidance from the owners of Crafty Planet I opened my store, Knit & Bolt, in the same location. Read more>>
Victor Macias
Santana Snacks was born out of the need for healthier alternatives when it comes to Latino Snacks. Growing up in Santa Ana, one of my fondest memories was eating snacks (antojitos) from local street vendors like El Paletero and The Corn Man. The snacks evoked a feeling of community and nostalgia. They’re present at family gatherings and when hanging out with friends. Snacks and food are a central way that we show love for one another. Read more>>
Leandro S. Ricciardelli
The pandemic drastically altered how we worked, prompting me to build an ADU in my backyard. The shift to remote work highlighted the need for a dedicated home office, which my existing home lacked for two people. Inspired by Scandinavian architecture, I envisioned a separate, light-filled, and minimalist workspace. Read more>>
Alane Gianetti
My calligraphy journey started as a hobby in December 2013. I was working full-time in the city and was looking for something to do in my spare time. I majored in Studio Art in college and specialized in large-scale pastel drawings, so after I graduated and moved into my own apartment, I didn’t have room to create the way I used to. I missed making things and was on the hunt for a new creative outlet when I first discovered calligraphy. Read more>>
Abbie Richie
In 2017 I was unemployed, and nothing was panning out, no one was calling me back, and I was desolate. However I can only do something I’m passionate about, especially considering I’ve been a mompreneur and with two school-aged children, I needed to be home and available for them. So, I decided to take the extra time I had and just serve. Read more>>
Matt Pittman
Video has firmly established itself as the most memorable and engaging medium in the realm of digital marketing. So, when I was presented with an opportunity to produce a testimonial video for a friend’s startup company, it piqued my curiosity. The world of video testimonials sounded ripe with potential. Read more>>
Sophie Horsman
I’d been working as a Social Documentary photographer in England & America since leaving university. When the Pandemic hit I was very limited work-wise as there were no music gigs and my plans to work in America had been postponed indefinitely. I couldn’t sit still so I decided to lean into my other hobbies – Macrame and Dress making. Read more>>
Bulat Nasibullin
Being an independent musician myself for the last 15 years, I have tried all kinds of ways to promote my music. I have tried pitching to playlists on Spotify, Sync/Publishing companies, hiring a PR company, Radio promotion… all of it being pretty much a total waste of time. Pretty sure some of them were blatant scams too! Until one day I discovered Facebook Ads for musicians and I haven’t looked back since. Read more>>
Laila-Elizabeth Risdon
The idea for Indigo Brave was easy! We were actors and – whilst it had been enormous fun – the search for quality jobs was getting tiring and I wanted a family and to be more settle. A small group of us were lucky enough to get a great job doing ‘drama workshops’ for kids on subjects like bullying. This fitted completely with a growing desire in us to have more of an impact in people’s lives and support people in their creative expression. Read more>>
Ryan Conklin
We are excited to launch a new concept in hearing aid industry, The Hearing Lounge, your hearing aid repair shop regardless of where your purchased. In audiology there is rarely a need for prescribed medication, surgery, or being uncomfortable in a waiting room. Often times the technology changes so fast that was you learned in school even 5 to 10 years ago is obsolete and most patients just want to simply hear their spouse. Read more>>
Steve Kosztala
I always enjoyed both the act of designing and working with my hands. After retiring from my job after 25 years in 2018, I put my love of designing and manual work together and took a class on creating kaleidoscopes. I was hooked. I had a background in architecture and woodworking, so I knew about drafting designs. Read more>>
Mark Carrillo
I had been selling antique automotive parts for over a decade, and been a collector of old American items for years, so decided to tie them together. And since early American music is tied into the hot rod world, I decided to offer a music shop designed for my customer base. Once Covid hit in 2020, and I realized almost all of the products offered to us were imported I decided to then pivot to offering all things 1928-60 America via my website. Read more>>
Khristin Isley
As a first-generation college student, college seemed to be more of a dream than a reality. I often faced obstacles that traditional students may not face, such as economic hardships, a sense of not belonging, and even support and resources. I was devastated and discouraged after being told I would never be accepted into a University, such as NC State or UNC-Chapel Hill, by my high school guidance counselor. Read more>>
Logan Shephard
Today I will be discussing my writing and what I’ve learned. Coming to the conclusion of writing a book! Along the lines of being an actor, a writer goes hand and hand with film and script work. Taking a liking to writing when I was in college lead to creating my own short stories and screenplays though out the years. Read more>>
Parth Desai
After watching “True Cost to Own,” I was inspired to create a fashion label with organic cotton for safer, sustainable clothing. Over brunch discussions, my group realized there was a gap in the market for stylish yet eco-friendly fashion, especially for men. We couldn’t find what we wanted, so we became the founders of Vustra, filling the need for conscious consumers seeking versatile, sustainable attire for both work and nights out. Read more>>
Alison Clougherty
When my son was born completely blind 6 years ago in Nashville, TN, I went through an immense amount of grief before not only accepting, but embracing my son for exactly who he is. The next thing I did was to take on my new role of his advocate. I immediately sought out services to help support my baby in his early development. Read more>>
Mz. JewCee
My business story isn’t colorful – flashy – or even new. I got into business out of necessity. Single mother looking to make ends meet after divorcing her husband. At the time I needed to generate additional revenue. I attended a lingerie party and was recruited by the presenter. …the rest is history…lol. Read more>>
Marybeth Hernandez
I’ve had this idea in my head since I was a little girl. Ive wanted to be an artist since I was six years old and as I grew older, I knew I wanted to pursue interior design. So it wasn’t until I became an adult, I decided let’s do both. A couple years later I finally have the opportunity to start making handmade, sustainable, one-of-a-kind functioning art pieces. Read more>>
Stephanie Litman
The story I never planned on writing, but here we are.… Read more>>
Joe Simmons
Backstory: I used to work at a gas station, and I believed at that time that my store manager possessed let competency and potential than I would develop in a short period of time. He was promoted at the right time. My trainer has trained me on the normal and advanced operations of running a store. Read more>>
Ashley Jones
I came up with my business when I hit a very rough patch in my life and did some much needed soul searching. I had returned back to the US, having endured a turbulent as well as stressful departure from Australia after Covid, when I realized I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. I was aware that I didn’t want to work the traditional 9 to 5 and wanted the next thing I did to be something that I truly loved. Read more>>
Jillian Romero Chaves
Three years ago, my life seemed perfect – an executive leader for a large auto group, actively engaged in building my career and happily anticipating a marriage proposal. Then, my whole world changed when I discovered that my partner of three years had been cheating on me throughout our relationship a revelation that shattered my confidence and left me terrified of making another unhealthy relationship choice Read more>>
Michele Boyette
Gameday Graduate began as a need for a couple of empty nest moms to have all of the gameday gear. Between the two of us, we have five children in college – none of which are our alma maters. We had talked for years about potentially creating a business together and when we saw this need we knew we had an idea we could work with. We wanted cute apparel and accessories for gameday that was versatile and attractive but we really couldn’t find those options. We began designing our own apparel and curating tailgate accessories and within a few months we had a website ready to launch. Read more>>