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.

Jace Howell

I was living in Washington state at the time, dealing with a failing lawn care business, and battling a deep depression caused by the medication I was on for a misdiagnosed case of epilepsy. I was so incredibly depressed I couldn’t really leave the house, but I had the support of all my family and friends back in Omaha, NE keeping me going. I was talking to my roommate about needing to move back to Omaha and said to him “I wish I could just smoke meat all day for work, I love doing it so much it’d be so much fun for me” to which he replied, “so why don’t you when you move back?” Read more>>

Vickie Craighead-Davis

The idea for Building Hope Building Commitment (BHBC) wasn’t born in a boardroom—it was born out of exhaustion, desperation, and a deep-rooted sense of injustice that kept me awake at night.

I’ve spent years working in housing—navigating systems that were overburdened, underfunded, and painfully transactional. I watched people get housed only to be evicted six months later because they didn’t have what they really needed: commitment. Not from themselves—many of them had all the motivation in the world—but from the systems around them. From landlords. From service providers. From faith communities. From society. Read more>>

Lisa Anderson

My husband retired young, after a 30 year career in the fire department. We sold our home, gave most of our belongings away, and bought a sailboat with the intention of sailing around the world. Our first year sailing down the Mexican Pacific Coast, one afternoon I dinghied to shore alone in the tiny town of Barra de Navidad with the intention to pick up some fresh veggies at the farmers market before we pulled up anchor that evening and continued on our way. As I pulled up to shore behind a run-down hotel I could hear what I thought, was a child crying. It alarmed me enough that I searched around to find the source, and lo and behold I came across a lone spider monkey in a crumbling outdoor enclosure who was very surprised to see me and immediately reached his arm out to me through the layers of rusty old chain link. Read more>>

Aleksei Kvasov

The idea of creating the pop-up project “Take Me Back” was born not from a spark of inspiration, but after twenty years of working in the kitchen. Working in a restaurant is a kind of paradox: happiness through suffering. Endless routine, long hours, constant pressure – and all this for the sake of that short moment when a guest smiles, trying your food. Read more>>

Cassandra Peterson

I started my business out of pure passion. Growing up, my dad was the kind of person who always had a camera in his hand—photo, video, you name it. He wanted to capture everything, and I think that rubbed off on me. So when I had the chance to take a film photography class my senior year of high school, I jumped at it. I borrowed my dad’s old film camera (which I still have to this day), and I completely fell in love with the process—shooting, developing, and seeing those images come to life in the darkroom. Read more>>

Bryan Colvin II

One day, I was aimlessly scrolling through social media when an ad caught my eye. Someone was showcasing a sleek, modern photo booth at an event. It looked fun, interactive, and like a guaranteed way to turn a regular party into an unforgettable experience. I kept scrolling, but that idea stuck with me. Read more>>

Christie Page

Before opening White Stork & Co. in 2019, I had been a newborn and family photographer for seven years. I spent my days capturing the most tender moments for growing families—but over time, I began to feel a pull to do something more. I wanted to create a space where the connection between parent and baby could begin even earlier. A place that felt warm, luxurious, and deeply meaningful. Read more>>

Aaron, Caleb Evans, Hunt

3arthbound! as a business, a brand, as well as a lifestyle all began in the summer of 2023. We had just graduated from North Atlanta high school, while Aaron Evans pursued higher education at Morehouse, I (Caleb Hunt) decided on something a little different, I felt as if the world needed something authentic, something true. I wanted to create a brand that was more than material objects, and alongside with Aaron Evans we did exactly that, creating a design that seemed practical and had potential, but if viewed upon by the right eyes, uncovered a much deeper meaning. Read more>>

Alexandra DeMattia

I’ve been creating since I was 12. Music was my first love—I was uploading to YouTube before most people even had accounts, and I was the first in my friend group to get on Instagram when it launched. I’ve always had a natural understanding of social media and how powerful it can be. Read more>>

Ashley Bauer

We’re a hispanic/white family of 6 and we love dulces enchilados. When I was younger, I used to have fun mixing gummy bears, limes, chamoy, chili powders and kool-aid for my family especially since we’re from South Texas in the Rio Grande Valley, it’s literally a staple in every household. We started venturing out and purchasing products from well known establishments and small businesses all over the states and got inspired to be different such as instead of only having one signature spice but instead we created our own signature spices that ranged from mild, medium to spicy. The very first step was creating our logo and our company name. We wanted it to be catchy but funny. Read more>>

Eduardo Morales

I met my wife while I was in law enforcement in the state of KS. She was working in a food truck. I had a business in trucking in the food industry. We got married and purchased a bread truck in the sate of Oregon. I picked up the truck in Oregon and took it to our home town of Heber City, UT in 2014. In 2015 we transported the bread truck to MN. I was a business man in the food trucking industry who had a passion in cooking authentic Mexican food. My wife Maria had a passion in authentic Mexican food. We decided to purchase the truck to eventually make an authentic Mexican food truck. Read more>>

Amy Lovell

I’ve started two businesses, both pretty different! The first business was a coaching company, though I suppose you could say that at the beginning it was less of a company and more something I did on the side of my other jobs. That started completely coincidentally–I had just left my role at Glossier, and a friend of a friend was launching a new coaching platform. Because of my experience with startups, she asked if I’d be a coach on her platform. I said yes, and within a few days I had my first couple of clients. I absolutely loved the work–I loved meeting with young, visionary entrepreneurs, with ambitious managers and directors at high-growth companies, and with people who were in between roles and looking to land their dream job. Read more>>

Jaclyn Novak

I actually came up with the idea to start an Instagram page for my dog Riley just to share fun pictures of her with friends and family. I thought it would be a cute way to keep everyone updated on her adventures without flooding my personal page—and it kind of just grew from there! Read more>>

Lemar Robertson IV

The idea for Alpha Adonis came to me after I got out of the Army and started growing my locs. Early in my hair journey, I struggled to find products that actually worked for me, especially as someone with eczema and naturally coarse, 4c-textured hair. Most products I found would either irritate my skin or just weren’t made for men, let alone Black men. I remember standing in store aisles, frustrated that nearly everything was geared towards women, and feeling like I was compromising every time I bought something just to “make it work.” Read more>>

Andrea Tagliaferro

In 2017 Andrea Tagliaferro founded what would become a leading platform dedicated to supporting and connecting women in the yachting industry. The idea had been forming for some time, but everything clicked after she attended her first Monaco Yacht Show. Surrounded by successful women from across the sector, she saw firsthand what was possible when women were visible, valued, and connected. Read more>>

Shauna Henson

The truth is, I didn’t start a business. I answered a call. I had no intention of becoming a corporate culture consultant. I didn’t sit down and think, What’s trending in HR right now? I lived it. I survived it. But mostly, I watched brilliant, talented, purpose-driven people burn out in workplaces that never made space for who they really were. And I realized—this wasn’t just happening to individuals. It was systemic. And it was costing all of us. Read more>>

Trey McCampbell

I decided to become a life coach when I realized that I have spent the majority of my 30 year corporate career, life coaching people. I realized that I’d been life coaching people in my church, through my social media pages… I realized that it was something that I was good at, but had never really tried it as a career in itself! Read more>>

Julie Wildermuth

Before opening my own small business, The Accessory Frog, I had worked for 5 years as the sole manager, designer and operator of a small spirit wear shop located on the campus of a school. I wore many hats and did it all, but that was helpful in learning all aspects of the business. I was able to grow the business quite exponentially by offering new and improved product offerings and logo designs as well as offering attentive and caring customer service. During my first year, I spearheaded the launch of an online store which was instrumental in growing the sales to new heights. Read more>>

Gaby Aziz

The idea for what is now Heart Core Hotels came amidst the George Floyd protests. My co-founder and I started brainstorming how we can promote the message of kindness and tolerance, and naturally settled on what we knew best: travel, hotels and nonprofits (we had previously launched a non-profit hotel booking site Rooms for Change). Read more>>

Demi Mejia

I’ve always had a natural eye for styling—my friends would constantly ask me to put together outfits for them, and I genuinely enjoyed helping them look and feel their best. I would find the best deals and pieces that matched their personalities, all just for fun. One day, a friend suggested I take it seriously and turn it into a business. That encouragement led me to open an online boutique, where I sold clothing and started learning about vendors, visiting manufacturer showrooms, and gaining hands-on experience in the fashion space. Read more>>

Shavonne Johnson

It started with a girl I couldn’t forget. Years ago, in my work in the child welfare system, I met a young girl who had been shuffled through more placements than she could count. She was bright, but she barely made eye contact. When I asked her what she wanted for her future, she shrugged—she couldn’t imagine a future. That haunted me. Read more>>

Shelley Quadros

I love candy! AND knew I wasn’t going to stop eating it! However, I recognized they all had weird ingredients in them & wondered why they had such a long shelf life? As I’ve gotten older, I needed more protein in my daily intake. So… why not marry the two?

I’ve made white chocolate chunky bark for years. Stuff in the stores never compared because I use plain mixed nuts, roast em w/olive oil & sea salt. Then mix into white chocolate. Soooo good!! Read more>>

Stacey Wilk

I always wanted to be a writer. From the age of six, I wrote stories. When I was twelve, I wrote my first novel on a typewriter! I still have the book. I even wrote rock star romances in high school biology instead of paying attention. But, it wasn’t until many years later that I took my writing seriously. My two children were pre-school age, and I had read an article about Mary Higgins Clark. She is one of my favorite authors. Before MHC was published, she would wake at 5 a.m. to write before her children went to school and she went to her full-time job. She had five children and her husband had passed. I thought, if she could do that, so could I. I only had two kids, I was a stay-at-home mom and I had a husband to support me. I also wanted my children to see me go after my dreams so they would have the courage to chase theirs. I began writing at 5 am before my children woke up. It took me three years to write that first book. Read more>>

Azia Henry Alisha Edwards

Hood Healers PHL was born from a moment of stillness in the middle of the storm.

We were in survival mode, navigating a pandemic, dealing with loss, stress, and the constant pressure to stay strong. For many of us, there was no pause, no breath, no space to just be. Yet in those quiet moments on the mat, in meditation, or simply sitting with ourselves, we realized something powerful: we were healing, and we weren’t the only ones who needed it. Read more>>

Khaleel James James

The idea for my creative services business was born out of an unexpected realization: I don’t like attending parties or social events—but I love *capturing* them. For most of my early adulthood, I avoided the nightlife scene. Crowded rooms and loud music just weren’t my thing. But my friends, persistent and loyal as they were, would often convince me to come out anyway. And it was during one of those nights, camera in hand, that something clicked. Read more>>

Dustin Kron

I came up with the idea for Skull House Rock after I had thrown a charity concert at my college, that didn’t go so well. We didn’t raise any money and we didn’t have that big of a crowd. So, naturally I decided to try again without the rules and regulations of the college hindering me. Read more>>

Sarah Sides

I actually discovered permanent jewelry by accident. At the time, I was leading design and development at a jewelry brand when I came across a group of women in LA having bangles blow torched onto their wrists. I wasn’t looking to start something new, but the concept completely captivated me. There was something so emotional, so lasting about the idea of jewelry you never take off — it felt more like a bond than an accessory. Read more>>

Sally Mouw

I came up with the idea because I have worked in the adoption field for over 25 years. A huge part of that was working international cases. Over the last 10 years or so, international adoptions have plummeted, due to both foreign governments and U.S. government. Most families that have adopted internationally have a deep desire to stay connected to the country they adopted from and one way to do that is to take your adopted child there, when it is age appropriate. I started my business for the purpose of coordinating that travel experience. Read more>>

Cara Chace

A few years ago, I walked away from the business I’d been building since 2015 and burned it all down. Not because I had a shiny new idea, but because I hit a wall that so few women entrepreneurs don’t talk about publicly. Burnout wasn’t a buzzword for me – it was my reality. Chronic health issues, mental fatigue, and the growing realization that the systems I was using to “be productive” were actually making everything worse and I needed a complete shift. Read more>>

Faith Ellis

For years I have felt as though I was meant to do something, something meaningful that allowed me to help other people. I didn’t know what that was. I wasn’t interested in being a doctor, or a therapist – those things required skills and subjects I wasn’t the most successful in. I actually went into marketing. But, I was determined to experience different things, take classes, try to find new things I enjoyed because it would have to be something I could be passionate about, right? Read more>>

Connie Boggess

Good Horse Scents, LLC started because my family and myself needed better options for soap. In 2008, I was diagnosed with food intolerances, but also intolerances to many ingredients in commercially made products, but I also needed a creative outlet, so my journey in soap making began. After making and creating for over 8 years for my family and friends- my Dad said “you make soap to deal with what you deal with every day!” “It makes good horse sense to make good horse scents.” So here we are… in 2022, after being a part of a local seasonal farmers, market, we were in several indoor markets, but we also were traveling about 600 miles per week, stocking, restocking and also working a full time job. Read more>>

Blythe Christopher

I have been upcycling materials my whole life. I realized all the upcycle artists I admire struggle to find capital and to scale their business. I want to help others source their materials and re-invest in their communities. As an upcycle designer, I am always looking for “trash” that I can redesign, reimagine for a purpose. It keeps materials out of our local landfills and keeps my cost of goods low. I strive for 90% upcycled items. I knew it was a worthwhile endeavor when I see someone’s eyes light up when they purchase an upcycled item. It is a revelation that something beautiful and useful was sourced from “trash”. Read more>>

Valentina Montevecchi

Starting my own skincare studio was a dream that quietly grew over many years—shaped by passion, experience, and the deep belief that beauty is a reflection of overall wellbeing.

My journey began in Italy, where I first trained as an esthetician. From the very beginning, I was drawn to the healing power of touch and the way facial massage could transform not just the skin, but the spirit. When I moved to Washington, DC in 2013, I continued my career in spas around Georgetown, learning, evolving, and connecting with clients who trusted me with their skin. Read more>>

Mike Hardy

It was 2018, and I was introduced to pickleball by a friend. It seemed like a fun sport, and so I decided why not try to sell paddles online? We did what everyone else did – import the paddles from China, but we quickly learned that was a terrible business strategy. We focused on making the paddles ourselves with custom, one-off orders done quickly. By Christmas 2019, we knew there was demand for the product, so we focused all of our efforts solely on custom paddles and the rest is history. Read more>>