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.
Courtney Myles
My name is Courtney Myles, and I’m the proud owner of Credit Solutions 01 and a licensed Realtor. My journey into this business started back in 2017, during a time when I kept getting denied for things I wanted and worked hard for. Those moments of rejection were frustrating and discouraging, but instead of giving up, I decided to take control of my situation. Read More>>
Chad Farokhnia
For my Birthday 5 years ago, my wife bought me a dehydrated so I could start making my own beef jerky at home. Since I love eating beef jerky she thought this would be the perfect gift. Read More>>
Tyann Daoutis
I’ve always been a naturally curious person. Having traveled to 28 countries and lived abroad for a couple of years, I’ve learned that the true essence of any place lies in how the locals experience it — their favorite coffee shops, hidden gems, family-run restaurants, and the stories behind the people who make it all come alive. Read More>>
Raymone Smith
The idea for my business really came from a mix of faith, timing, and motherhood. I first started baking back in 2018, almost by accident. What began as a simple hobby turned into something that felt like a gift something God revealed to me before I even knew how much I’d need it later. Read More>>
Katrina Thacker
At the beginning of the pandemic, I was overwhelmed with stress and uncertainty. I turned to candle-making as a personal coping mechanism because the act of blending scents and pouring wax was incredibly therapeutic and calming. I found myself buying more and more candles, but even though they smelled amazing, something felt missing. I craved candles that carried deeper meaning, cultural connection, and emotional resonance. Read More>>
Skylar Currie
Hey! I’m Skylar Currie, the creator behind @ServingLooksATL. My journey began with a simple passion — showcasing food, travel, and lifestyle experiences that feel real, relatable, and worth sharing. I was always that friend people came to for restaurant recommendations or new places to explore, and I noticed how often incredible experiences — in Atlanta and beyond — went unseen online. Read More>>
Rasheed Hamid
The idea for Extra Hands really came from my own experience. Back when I was managing in hospitality, I was used to juggling a lot — operations, staffing, service, you name it. And when I started running my own projects, I realized I was doing the exact same thing: wearing every hat, trying to hold everything together, and burning out in the process. Read More>>
Thomasina young
Well, it started at home with my sons and Goddaughter; they all had eczema. We had tried everything the doctor told us to use, and nothing worked, so I decided to sit down and come up with a product that was not only organic and all-natural but that would work. Read More>>
Sakura Yokoi
My idea was sparked back in 2021 as a dog mom to my French Bulldog, Waffles. He is the first dog that is 100% mine and naturally SO spoiled! My partner and I would take him out with us on trips and typically always be missing something whether it was treats, wipes, or a bowl. Read More>>
Shakea Miller
When I think back to how this all began, it started with a crisis that turned into my calling. I was running a staffing agency at the time when MasterBrand, a major company in Auburn, Alabama, suddenly closed its doors without warning. Many of the hardworking people showed up to work that morning only to find themselves locked out and unemployed. Read More>>
Jacob McMahan
Back in high school, I was deeply involved in online community management — everything from large focus-based groups to professional E-Sports teams. I discovered early on that I had a knack for communication, writing, and design, as well as the confidence to lead and speak in front of others. What started as a hobby gradually became a professional passion. Read More>>
S O L A R I VQ
The idea for my business wasn’t born from strategy — it was born from a breakdown. I had spent years as a high performer, excelling in conventional roles while secretly unraveling on the inside. When my body began to shut down from the pressure, I surrendered to a deeper calling that had always been whispering beneath the surface. Read More>>
Karima Evans
The vision for toGATHER was born out of what I began to notice in the lives of senior widowed women of color (60+)—women who had given so much of themselves to their families, churches, and communities, yet often found themselves quietly isolated after loss. I saw how their voices, dreams, and even their laughter began to fade into the background. Read More>>
Maurice Costello
The idea for my business really came from living and breathing music every single day. I started out just producing beats in my room — experimenting, learning, and finding my sound. But over time, I realized I wasn’t just creating music, I was building a culture. Read More>>
Maritza De La Guardia
I wanted to photograph boudoir sessions even before I owned a camera. When I got married in 2007, I discovered boudoir photography but didn’t really connect with the visual styles that were popular at the time. I wanted to create more modest, timeless, and elevated images. I knew that I had a unique point of view and could offer a romantic, feminine perspective. Read More>>
Jessica Schuffenhauer
I always enjoy this question because it gives me the chance to share how intentional my journey has been. While Set The Stage itself is a franchise I purchased rather than an original concept I created, the decision to invest in a franchise model was entirely my own. Read More>>
Jayden Gillespie
In 2017 I started buying and flipping homes. At the time, I worked 2 other jobs so I hired contractors to take over the day to day tasks of the projects. I learned very quickly that many contractors are not what you want them to be. Read More>>
Di Tran
I came to the United States as a teenager with no English and no connections. I worked day and night, learned engineering, started small businesses, and found joy in serving others. Over the years, I met many immigrants, working mothers, and underrepresented individuals who had incredible talent in beauty but lacked access to education — often because of language barriers, life responsibilities, or fear. Read More>>
JIAJUN SHI
I first came to the U.S. for university to study interior design, and later pursued a master’s degree in architecture. After spending many years immersed in the world of spatial design, I began to ask myself a deeper question: What kind of design truly connects with people on an intimate, everyday level? That’s when I found myself drawn to furniture. Read More>>
David Brodie
The idea for Voyascape came from noticing a clear gap: while podcast networks were popping up in every category—business, sports, comedy—no one was building one focused exclusively on travel and tourism. Read More>>
Colin Campbell
We started on the island of St. Maarten in 2006. After working together for a few years, it felt like time to do our own thing, so we began looking for a beach bar. But the deal had to be right — island life can be unpredictable, with long off-seasons and the constant risk of hurricanes. Read More>>
H. Melvin James
My ‘idea’ was to reinvent myself from an engineer and business manager of highl-tech industry to a literary fiction author. Throughout my career in the complex and demanding aerospace/defense industry, I wanted to find time and peace of mind to write literary fiction stories and novels. Read More>>
Aarav Sharma
I created my business, Smart Bin AI, after learning about the extremely inefficient and inaccurate ways that current cafeterias and kitchens use to understand their food waste. Initially, I conducted some market research, especially with schools around my area, to understand the current solutions they are using, if any, to identify and possibly reduce the waste. Read More>>
Rachel Latham
The idea for The V Seal came from a really personal place. I’ve always loved being in the water, but over time I started noticing a pattern — after swimming, I’d often deal with uncomfortable intimate imbalances. Eventually, I found myself saying no to pools, hot tubs, lakes, even in my own bath with the products I love to use, just to avoid the aftermath. Read More>>
Alexandria Frederick
When I started drafting my first novel, my thoughts turned to how to go about publishing it. Every time I considered traditional publishing or the typical indie author route, neither felt right to me, but I couldn’t puzzle out a different way of releasing my work that felt worthwhile. Read More>>
Stephanie Conley
In the fall of 2022, my now-husband and I got engaged and began planning our summer 2023 wedding. Living in a small town, and being a naturally creative person, I knew I’d be handling most of the planning and design myself, which I was completely okay with. We wanted an intimate ceremony followed by a fun celebration with our closest friends and family. Read More>>
Denise McElhaney
The Story of Denise’s Happy Hounds Dog Grooming Denise’s Happy Hounds Dog Grooming began with one woman’s dream and a garage filled with love. In March 2020, armed with a single grooming table, one set of clippers, and a couple pairs of scissors, Denise opened her doors—well, her garage door—to a handful of loyal clients and their beloved pups. Word spread quickly. Read More>>
Rongrong Zhou
The Spark That Changed Everything Picture this: I’m walking through the narrow, bustling alleyways of Shanghai – these traditional longtang neighborhoods where old Shanghai still lives and breathes. The stone pathways are barely wide enough for two people to pass, lined with centuries-old buildings that have witnessed the city’s incredible transformation. Read More>>
Britney Smith
I have been cooking for time now. I started off in the kitchen watching and helping my grandmother at the age of twelve . That’s how I came up with my business name (Nana E’s Kitchen ) and it’s also a way of me paying homage to her . Read More>>
Kasey Benham
Since as long as I can remember I always had a drive to be creative. It didn’t matter the medium, only that I could express myself artistically. When I was introduced to beads and jewelry making as a medium to explore, I never knew it’d evolve to what it has become. Read More>>
Hana Epstein
Bakehouse on Village was born out of both passion and purpose. I’ve always loved to bake—some of my earliest memories are of being my dad’s “little chef” in the kitchen, proudly presenting our creation to the family while both being covered in an array of ingredients. As I grew older, baking became my creative outlet. Read More>>
Travis Finlay
VYBWAV Records was born from a realization that artists like me needed more than a label. We needed ownership, structure, and a creative culture built by artists for artists. After spending years inside the industry, I saw how raw talent was often disconnected from real strategy and business understanding, and I wanted to bridge that gap. Read More>>
Danina DiBattista
Vespertine was born in 2020 when I retired from doing freelance makeup artistry after 8 years. That creative energy needed to flow somewhere! Seeing someone light up when truly being heard and understood, and being able to to bring out a confidence in others is so rewarding. I started with making crystal sun catchers, and I went down the rabbit hole pretty quickly! Read More>>
Chelsea Hayes
The idea for Ebenezer Hats came straight out of my real-life, everyday experiences—especially at church, where my faith and community are at the heart of everything I do. I’ve always loved wearing fedoras, but every Sunday, without fail, I’d go in for a hug with my Pastor or friends and—boom—my hat would pop right off my head. Read More>>
Laura Jasorka
I moved to Reno six years ago with my online vintage shop as my only income. I heard about the antique faires in both Sacramento and Alameda and decided to give them a try. After vending every month at both shows, I started to wonder why Reno didn’t have anything like this. Read More>>
Kim Ratkin
When I was planning my son Ben’s Bar Mitzvah, I knew I didn’t want to go the traditional route with flowers or décor for the table centerpieces. I wanted them to be more meaningful—something that could have an impact beyond the event itself and something that reflected his Mitzvah project. Read More>>
Alexa Zamora
The Endless Project started out as something simple, but heavy on my heart, a raw digital journal online. It wasn’t about polished posts or perfect images. It was a space where “successful people” shared their own mental health struggles, a reminder that even those who looked like they had it all together were still human. Read More>>
Madison Valdez
It was a late September morning. I made my way to the couch with my notebook and pencil. This act wasn’t out of the ordinary; writing was my lifeline. At the time, I wasn’t thinking about having a breakthrough moment or “starting” anything in particular. I was doing what I always did; the rest really just happened on its own. Read More>>
Macy Schuchart
I actually had just spent about 8 months living in the Hawaiian jungle, i had wen’t over for an ‘internship’ with the expectation that I would come back and then try to get a job as a nutritionist, or something as I had always been fascinated by the human bodies and health. Read More>>
Gerald ‘GEO’ Gibson
**How I Came Up with the Idea for My Nonprofit** It was December 31, 1999—New Year’s Eve, the night before the world stepped into a new millennium. I was sitting in prison, serving a three-year sentence for the sales of drugs. Read More>>
Paula McCloskey
We came up with the idea of an Honorary Stand called the The Little Corner Stand in 2019 when a high speed chase ended with a truck and horse trailer in our home at 3am. We wanted to build a garden or heavy duty fence to break cars from missing the turn. Read More>>
Gene Miller
As a child, I grew up in a sleepy river community of Delanco on the South Jersey side of the Delaware River just 15 miles north of Philadelphia, I loved playing on and around the river with my friends The river and its surroundings was a neighborhood playground. It was our wayward “Water of Life.” Read More>>
Santrica Walker
I have always had a love for plants indoor more than outdoor. As I delved deeper into the world of plants, I realized the profound impact they had on my well-being. The ritual of watering, pruning, and repotting became meditative practices that soothed my mind and lifted my spirits. The plants’ resilience and ability to flourish in challenging environments inspired me to cultivate those same qualities within myself, both personally and professionally. Read More>>
Sheenae Bunzel
A few years ago, unexpected circumstances led to moving countries to Canada and I lost my job during company layoffs as they couldn’t support me working in a different country. This time was the start of mass tech layoffs that we were seeing in the industry and I had this foresight that this would only continue especially with all the ways AI could replace what humans could once do. Read More>>
Mary-Jean McMillan
My story is a little different in that I did not set out to start a business. Although, I always wanted to find a way to work from home, this business came about very organically. I have always loved to bake (I love desserts and nothing beats homemade). When I was about 12 years old a family friend saw something in me and offered to take me to cake decorating classes. Read More>>