Starting a business or creative project is scary for many reasons, but one that is often overlooked is the anxiety related to whether this is really “the one.” To some, this isn’t a valid consideration while to others this is the only consideration. Some argue that what you work on, along with who you work with are the two most pivotal decisions you’ll make and so we’ve asked folks to tell us about how they came up with their ideas and how they knew this idea was the one.

Nandani – Nani

At the age of nine I became a professional opera singer. I toured the world singing in over 10 languages, on almost every continent, for millions of people and won multiple awards. For the past fifteen years I have been working in the field of music for wellness and health, pioneering programs for multiple organizations nationally. Read more>>

Hillary Sciscoe

After years in the high-tech grind, I yearned for a deeper connection, ready to channel my experiences into a force that empowers small business owners and visionaries. With a heart full of love for helping people and a toolkit of skills ranging from understanding human nature to software expertise, I am committed to guiding others on a transformative journey toward success. Read more>>

Maliyah Mayfield

Indie Collectiv is a collective of one of a kind goods by independent makers and creators! The concept came about from the personal need of community and brand exposure! I am very passionate about my Small Businesses and helping others excel in their careers as well. This idea is also an extension from our networking group “Gurl 2 Girl” where we host weekly Women’s Makers Markets. Read more>>

Dan Kurzock

In college, I learned how to make beer underage. Loved this hobby, but detested the waste it created. Every 6-pack we brewed left us with 1 pound of grain! We were hauling this grain (which after brewing was like a giant batch of porridge), out to the dumpster until inspiration struck. Read more>>

Ashley Johnson

My mother was a single parent and was unable to afford my high school expenses. I had to work part time during my senior year of high school to pay for my Prom Dress. There are so many women that have a dress that was worn once or not at all and just in their closet. By collecting these dresses, we help to alleviate the burden of formal attire for the teens and their families. Read more>>

Derek Rugsaken

When I moved back to New Mexico with my family in 2015 I started to notice the connections between Southeast Asian food and the food of Mexico and Latin America. From the raw ingredients to the spices to the techniques, I found it uncanny how these cultures worlds apart share so many of the same approaches to building flavor. Read more>>

Holly Melissa

As photographers ourselves, clients were constantly asking us: “what should we wear?”. It was a stress for clients to find and coordinate outfits for their session, yet we also struggled finding the time to style our clients ourselves. We knew the importance that outfits had on the overall success of a session, but the time it took to scour internet retailers, send links and photos of outfit combinations to our clients, and go back and forth with e-mail correspondence drastically cut into our productivity. Read more>>

Promise Okoye

Upon moving from West Africa to Scotland, I noticed a gap in the Scottish hairstyling market. A lack of hair braiding services tailored to customers of European, Middle-Eastern, Asian and Mixed hair types. Drawing on my African heritage and expertise in braiding, I envisioned a business that embraced diversity and inclusivity while meeting the growing demand for braided hairstyles. Read more>>

Jasper Mutsaerts

My intention was to start a new project that blends my experience in the world of business and startups with the world of personal growth and spirituality. One day I was discussing this idea with my brother Michiel. Michiel is a musician, designer, developer and creative entrepreneur. He often draws inspiration from music and arts for developing new brand identities. Read more>>

Terra Channell

When I first became sick with auto immune issues, it was recommended by a functional medicine Dr for me to do an elimination diet ( auto immune protocol). It was very overwhelming & challenging, having to cut out gluten, corn, soy, nuts, seeds, eggs, nightshades, nitrates, dairy. Read more>>

Kelly Lin

Lagom Music Society is a Vancouver based non-profit organization founded by me devoted to revitalizing orchestral music for a contemporary generation of listeners. Translating to “not too much or too little,” the Swedish word, Lagom, defines the span in which the amount of something is acceptable/adequate. Read more>>

Angelique Warner

breastfeeding my youngest baby and helping the twins get to the potty, I had an open vision of a buckled baby carrier which enabled a fully reclined ‘in-arms’ cradle position and it had built-in privacy. When I realized that what I’d seen in the vision was not yet on the market I was really disappointed because I really needed a product like this. Read more>>

Gabby Goodwin

My mom used to spend 15-20 minutes every morning styling my hair in pigtails, braids and twists with barrettes before pre-school. When she picked me up from school, I was missing half of my barrettes and my hair was all out of place. My mom was so frustrated and always asking me what happened to my barrettes. I didn’t know. I was just playing and being a kid. Read more>>

Laura Owen

According to the CDC, about 90% of our healthcare expenditure goes to pay for chronic illnesses that are preventable (diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, autoimmune diseases, many cancers, etc.. This means we have many premature deaths, unnecessary suffering, and massive expense. Like anyone, I have lost family members and friends to these horrible diseases and have watched many people suffer. Read more>>

K’Rishina Stoudemire

My journey began in 2019. I was abnormally breaking out and decided to look more into the products I was consuming on a daily basis. During my research I came to the conclusion, a lot of products we use contain harmful ingredients, which can cause long term, negative effects on our health and human psyche. Read more>>

Patricia Zutman

I’ve really been drawn to event planning since college; although, it was a hidden dream. My studies revolved around Business Administration and Human Resource (HR) Management. I worked for a few years in the HR field, but found myself unmotivated in this field as I was drastically underpaid by market average. Read more>>

Meleah Gabhart

The smiling puzzled faces were the hardest. I understand now what caused those baffled looks. Because being a full time artist is a type of oxymoron; how in the world can you rely on art, a luxury at best, and self-indulgence at worst, to support you fully? Such a conundrum. I grew up with two Capricorn’s for parents. They were hippies in the most practical sense. Read more>>

Shan Berries

I started Shades By Shan five years ago, right out of my mom’s basement in San Francisco. My sister, Erika, and I knew we wanted to make a positive impact on the world, though at that time, we weren’t exactly sure how. Our inspiration came from our mother, a single Latina immigrant from Ecuador who had faced numerous challenges. Read more>>

Selena Sikalis

It started out with me making meal prep for myself and my mom asking me to make meals for her to take into work with her. Her coworkers saw the food she had every day and asked where she got it from. They then proceeded to tell my mom that they would pay me to make meals for them and the idea continued from there. Read more>>

Tierra M. Josey

It was 2018 and my wife was crying over her career in healthcare. Seeing her cry triggered something in me regarding our lives especially being millennials. I immediately threw my support behind her leaving her career as nothing was worth her happiness. At the same time, I was embarking upon 30 and knew I needed to make a major change. Read more>>

Zhamilya Koshmambetova

At AZAYA Fruits Design Studio, we believe that every occasion deserves a touch of beauty and a burst of flavor. Our story began with a simple tradition: when visiting friends, we would bring a nice cake to enjoy during tea time. However, we soon realized that many of our friends couldn’t eat cakes or other desserts due to their health conditions. Read more>>

Miriam Okot

In the bustling world of culinary arts, where flavors dance and creativity is a daily necessity, I, Miriam Okot, spent 15 years perfecting my craft as a chef in various kitchens. The thrill of the fast-paced environment, the pressure to perform, and the intricate skills required fueled my passion. However, as time passed, administrative tasks overshadowed the joy of cooking, leaving me yearning for a creative outlet. Read more>>

TJ Harris

Jouéur was born from a realization that a particular group has endured centuries of intentional oppression, leaving an indelible mark on their psyche. Amidst this struggle, the psychological toll has always been overlooked. Read more>>

Damon McLeese

Actually, as a nonprofit I do not own the business, but I have been at Access Gallery for 27 years, so I am inexorably tied to this organization in this particular city, Denver. Read more>>

Tamika Sherman

My business, Hello Financial Acuity was born from my own triumph over a six-figure debt, coupled with a realization of the widespread lack of financial literacy, particularly during adolescence and in urban cultures. Read more>>

Lydia Boudouin

The inception of my creative services business can be traced back to a pivotal moment in my adolescence. As a foster child, I found that the lack of significant memories captured through photographs was a void in my life. Read more>>

Elle Gargano

I started my business in 2020, during the pandemic. For the last three years leading up to that point I had been at home recovering from a traumatic brain injury. I was injured in the Las Vegas mass shooting in 2017 and had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Read more>>

Anna Pickering

AP was started in December 2020 and honestly, I had no clue what I was doing. I thought this business would be a pretty rad way to make an impact and jumped right in. My decision to begin stamping jewelry was driven by the struggle I felt while heading to college at the tail-end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more>>

Kylan Meyer

“I find nothing more motivating than being told “you can’t,” especially for me. At the age of 25, I embarked on my first entrepreneurial venture from the ground up. It all began with my passion for hosting intimate events, which led me to the realization that this is my true calling. Read more>>

Nancy Quero Ramirez

My name is Nancy Quero and I founded Guelaguetza Designs in 2005. I wanted to feel a connection to my home culture of Mexico, so I started by featuring the artwork of my mother, who has been an artisan for over 40 years. Read more>>

Angie Crompton

Since I was a child I was really drawn to drawing and painting. I was in boarding school in the Far East growing up as there were no Igh schools on the island so I had to travel by plane as a 10 year old to Singapore.. It was lonely and traumatic to be away from my family for months at a time.. Read more>>

Surayyah Odwin-Charles

The idea for Joy & Sorrel is a layered story. My husband and I got engaged at Carnival in Trinidad. We wanted to have a destination wedding but we decided to have it locally due to some ill family members. We decided to carry the theme over to our wedding. Read more>>

Jessica Chitwood

I’ve always felt really connected to my intuition and psychic abilities. After going through a huge transformation at the time in my life I knew I was meant to connect to myself deeper, so I could help others do the same! I taught myself tarot, and became certified in Reiki, eventually I became a Reiki Master. Read more>>

Liz Karney

My business did not have a traditional start. When I went to look at the storefront I eventually opened my store in, I wasn’t going for me. I was with my partner who was looking for himself. He thought it would be a great location for coffee shop. Read more>>

Sam Leicht

Pridefit started out of necessity during Covid. I had been working as an actor on Broadway and training clients in person leading up to March of 2020, and then all of my clients shifted online when gyms closed. My husband and I moved to Wisconsin for 6 months to be with family, and during that time I started writing fitness programming that could be done at home efficiently and effectively with only one set of dumbbells. Read more>>

Tamika Harris

My fitness journey started after I gave birth to my last child as I wasn’t happy with my weight or how I looked in the mirror. I wasn’t always consistent, but it was always top of mind for me. That was in 2006. Between 2006 and 2013, I wasn’t truly dedicated but knew it was my passion. Read more>>

Anita Akinyemi

I’ve always loved fashion and design. I toggled with the idea of becoming a fashion designer for years. I attempted to start a clothing line but found it was expensive and not as environmentally friendly as I would like. My sister in law was doing well selling vintage clothing on Etsy and told me I should try it. Read more>>

Kevin Brown

How I came up with the vision for Vital Grace? The vision derived from a conversation that I had with my Grandmother, who had been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in 2015. She had been prescribed chemotherapy, so I inquired about her perspective regarding the the treatment. Read more>>

Jeremy Johnson

I chose to pen “Declaring War on Fear” following my enduring struggle with fear over the course of my life. As a creative individual, I’ve consistently embraced unconventional thinking and never quite felt like I belonged. This book is crafted with the intention of providing those grappling with fear the means to attain freedom and equip themselves with the necessary tools to lead a fearless existence. Read more>>

Christopher Morphis

I’ve always been an artist and love to do our work, but one day, my partner woke up from a dream and told me she saw me on stage dancing in and out of screens with my artwork on them, I didn’t know what this means, but then I saw one of my favorite artist Painting at his art show with a DJ present. Read more>>

Daria Walsh

Like many inventors, I came up with the idea for Infinity Clips while trying to solve a problem I personally had. I had been wearing this one necklace every day that I really loved, but the length didn’t always work with all my outfits. I wanted to find a way to temporarily shorten it, but none of the necklace shorteners on the market were made to work with thin chains. Read more>>

Tanya Walker

The idea of Black Women Who came about in 2018 on a hot sunny day in June after renting a kayak at The Texas Rowing Center. If you’ve ever been to Austin, you would know that on any sunny, beautiful day. The lakes tend to look like our highways, congested. Read more>>

Thomas Jones

I found myself at a crossroads in my career, having been a serial entrepreneur since grade school. My penchant for conducting business experiments on pen and paper, where I meticulously planned and executed ventures, had been ingrained in me for as long as I could remember. Read more>>