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.

Tatiana and Thomas Diaz

Our journey to creating ATX Beauty and Body Art started with our individual passions and expertise in the beauty and body art industry. As a husband and wife team, we’ve always dreamed of combining our skills—Thomas as a professional piercer and Tatiana as a cosmetic injector—to offer something truly unique. During our time in the industry, we noticed a significant gap in the market for a space that felt inviting and friendly, rather than the typical sterile environment of a medical office or the sometimes intimidating atmosphere of a traditional tattoo shop. We wanted to create an experience where clients could feel comfortable and valued, no matter what service they were seeking. Read more>>

Renea Boles

People always ask me, “What problem does your bookmark solve?” For the longest time, I couldn’t answer that. Honestly, I didn’t start Rosemary Renea to solve a problem; I just wanted a cute bookmark for myself. When I first began selling these, I wasn’t aiming to add something unique to my community of book readers—I just wanted some extra shopping money. But then, I thought about how frustrated I got when shopping for character figurine decor. Being conscious about what I produced was always at the forefront, even if I was initially blinded by the thought of extra income. I’ve always wanted to see myself in every part of my life, and reading was no different… down to the bookmark. So, that’s what I created, and that’s the space I’m in as I begin to expand my product line. Read more>>

Shauntaye Fontroy

Like most girls growing up, we idolize our moms’. We watch our moms’ mannerisms, style of dress, etc. One thing I loved to do was play in her jewelry box. To me, she wore the most elegant jewelry. In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, my mother took ill. My mind filled with all of our precious memories, especially those of playing in her jewelry box. As homage to my moms’ memory, Something Cute Earrings, was born. My goal: Every “cutie” that wears Something Cute Earrings, should feel like the most stunning person in the room…because they are! Read more>>

Jordan Reeder

Before I even started my photography business Certified25Visuals, I would take photos behind my grandmother’s house. Later on, a mentor/big brother introduced the idea of being a photographer which had an impression on me, and from there I then went to work. While in school I would ask to shoot small events and from there I would network and make connections that would sprout into doing bigger events. Such as concerts, weddings, birthday shoots, Parties, and a variety of other events. What makes my work stand out from others as a creative photographer is that my work tells a story. Whether that’s doing a shoot for an artist or doing work for a wedding, my goal while shooting is to make sure it tells a story. In which I implicate my signature black and white photos which is known to tell a story of its own. Read more>>

Kortney Peagram

The idea for my current business stemmed from my biggest failure: closing the doors to my first company, Bulldog Solution Inc. It is the classic story of one door closing and the other one opening. It was 7 months into the pandemic, I could not sustain my business. I had laid off my staff and was coming to terms with losing the company. I had devoted so much time and money to the last decade, but I could not see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was not only due to the pandemic but also a series of unfortunate events that transpired outside of my control. Reflecting on my journey, I also needed to admit to my poor business management and lack of supervision skills. Read more>>

Brandon Battlehart

I came up with the idea of Vengeance Overland, as I had personally experienced the methods used by the Veteran Affairs for mental health, and they were not effective, at least for me. Alongside all of that, as I was battling some very dark depression myself from the Afghanistan withdraw. I was in a very dark place and it almost took my life. Suicide and depression are unfortunately very bad symptoms of PTSD, and as such I found overlanding and off-roading in the outdoors therapeutic for those symptoms. As I was given a second opportunity at life, and very fortunate to be able to overcome those symptoms, I looked for a sense of purpose that I could pay forward to other veterans as an outlet other then the bar, drinking and feeling alone. The campfire atmosphere or just being in nature, is a very good antidote to the poisons that flood the mind in the darkness of one’s battles with PTSD. As such Vengeance Overland was born. Read more>>

James Trawick

The idea for The Hondo Rodeo fest began with a phone call from Blake Cody who had just experienced one of the most iconic concerts of all time, George Strait at rodeo Houston. He was reeling with excitement and curiosity as he hammered me with questions about why there isn’t another combination of high level rodeo and country music offered out there in the world. Which of course I explained of a couple of other events that package concerts with their rodeos and explained how each of them approach it differently and then we spent weeks and months going back and forth talking through how we could put our own spin on this concept and create something unique. Nearly two years later The Hondo Rodeo Fest took place under the stadium lights of Chase Field in Phoenix Arizona! Read more>>

Tim Palin

I don’t think my ideas come to me in a typical way. Often, though, there are times that an event can spark the NEED to make something. For instance, one of my favorite drawings is a David Bowie portrait. The moment I saw the news of his passing, I paused everything I was working on and started drawing that minute. I wanted to pay tribute. Similarly, I found myself doing the exact same thing on the day of Sinead O’Connor’s death. This was a tough one for me. She was such a misunderstood genius and protector of children. I immediately got to work on a very layered digital collage wherein I added a crown to her head while she sheltered and screamed for the protection of a boy. Around the same time, without the intention of creating a series, I’d just finished a piece celebrating Frida Kahlo…adding a crown to her head as well. This was the beginning of a project I’m embarking on this year. I have a list (a mile long) of incredible women from from Marsha P. Johnson to Tina Turner to AOC to the Sufferagettes to the Sexual Assault Whisteblowers. I want to honor these women in a way that is meaningful, beautiful, and important. Central to the project, “Queens and Goddesses”, will be the crowning notable and inspiring women in a context that shines a light on to their work, art, achievements and lifelong impact on the world. Read more>>