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.

ANA CHABELA’ MAHONE

I came up with the idea to start my business after becoming a breast cancer survivor the second time. This was my skincare business “Bela’s Body Care”. I knew this was a worthwhile endeavor. The way you look & the way you feel is a big deal these days. Read more>>

Ashley Boyd

I’ve always been a creative soul. Making things—crafting, painting, creating—has always been the way I feel most human. For the past 12 years I’ve been an art teacher, and for the last four I’ve had the joy of teaching photography. I took photography back in high school, but like many of us, life moved forward and the details faded. Read more>>

Marie Alcazar

I didn’t set out to “start a business.” I set out to survive a moment in my leadership journey that broke me open. For years, I thrived in high-pressure environments — the kind of roles where you carry stretch assignments, lead major initiatives, and hold everyone’s expectations together with grit and excellence. Read more>>

Chris evans

As a former college athlete I did not get to participate in the tailgate activities the go along with the college experience. So when I relocated back to Lubbock and was close to my alma mater I decided to start up a tailgate that would be open to all my friends and the families for the current student athletes Read more>>

Steve Morris

It all started about 7 years ago when I was visiting my mom in Michigan and she had just rescued a beautiful 1950’s German stereo console that was in the basement of a house my step brother had just bought. The house he had bought needed some love and he went right in to remodel mode and just wanted things out of the way. Read more>>

Kim Jaynes

When I started as a lash artist, the industry was still in its infancy, most people didn’t even know what lash extensions were. This was before social media, so it wasn’t something you could just look up or learn online. My clientele grew quickly because I was obsessed with perfecting the service and caring for my clients’ lashes like they were my own. Read more>>

CINTHIA RODRIGUEZ

I am a mother of a young daughter and have always wanted a better future for both of us. I knew that working a regular job in Las Vegas would not be enough. I started as an employee in a tax office, but I always knew I wanted to grow personally and have my own office where I could help people. Read more>>

Cameron Wooten

I’ve always been a pretty health-conscious person and found myself spending a decent amount of money at local juice bars within Charlotte. Then one random day, it hit me that I could buy my own juicer and start making healthy juices on my own to save money. Read more>>

Sangeetha Vasudevan

Well, I always introduce myself in two identities that feel equally defining: I’m a corporate finance leader with 17+ years of experience in Accounting, currently leading the accounting operations for a high-growth business in Big Tech—and I’m also an immigrant mom of two young kids who moved to the U.S. from South India in 2015. Read more>>

Madison Heydon

The story begins back in 2014 when I was an unpaid intern at a juvenile detention center in the mental health unit. Working with troubled youth and their families was profoundly rewarding. It solidified my career path, leading me to a Master’s degree from the University of Southern California with a concentration in mental health and a sub-concentration in neurobiology. Read more>>

Amanda Sulistio

I was going through a transitional phase in my professional and personal life, and it felt like the right time to finally pursue something for myself. I’m a lifelong crocheter, usually working on amigurumi pieces and always making something for someone else, but I’ve always been intrigued by ultra-slow fashion and the process of hand-making clothing, specifically crochet and knitwear pieces. Read more>>

Omar Rivera

I was dancing professionally with Ballet Hispanico, touring the world on our international tour. We were traveling to the London Airport, a 2.5 hr drive, and I had the grand idea of my business model. I had to instantly pull out my laptop and start writing down ideas I was having. Read more>>

Daniele Walsh

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, like many others, I faced uncertainty and challenges. However, I didn’t let that deter me. Instead, I took a leap of faith and decided to start my own brand, Doll Daily, a concierge home service company. As I navigated the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, I discovered that my true passion lay in bridal styling. Read more>>

Jesus Moran

Well back in 2021, I was curious to learn about photography while we were slowly getting back to being outside due to covid. I started using my iPhone, what I learn other photographers and apply it. When I’m outside I would capture a street performer, cityscape, street art or anything that captures my eye. Read more>>

Grace Pisciotta

My business, Gracespiration, wasn’t born in a boardroom or in a moment of strategy. It was born in a moment of stillness and a moment of truth. It came to life when I was having a very long season of carrying everyone else’s emotions, listening to their stories, offering comfort, clarity, and even guidance without realizing I was doing the work of a healer. Read more>>

Jon Lamek

I had the entrepreneurial spirit within me for quite a while, but it wasn’t until I was officially burned out in my previous career that I decided to bet on myself. I knew if my fiancée, Cheryl, and I ever wanted to create a family business, whatever we decided to do (blanket business was never on our radar), there would be a few non-negotiables. Read more>>

Samanta Samwick

Sammy Swipes started as a bit of an accident. I studied business in college and went into finance and investor relations upon graduation – dating coaching was never part of the plan. What began as helping my friends quickly turned into a genuine passion for me. Read more>>

Michael Jones

Please gleen the following information from what I’ve attached below. The history and heritage of Gasoline Alley Classics While working for Hershey Foods Corp. in the 1990s, Michael Jones often joined his uncle Larry Dunn in his garage to play around with their metalworking tools. Building playthings for their family led the duo to create household décor and other collectibles celebrating America’s automotive history. Read more>>

Ana Ita

The idea actually came from a really personal place. I had lightened my hair completely platinum blonde, and it became so damaged and so short that I kept having to cut it just to keep it somewhat healthy. I tried everything, every product, every treatment and nothing was working. My hair just wouldn’t bounce back. Read more>>

Elle Capan

jo&jean was born from a shared vision between my sister Erica and I, inspired not just by fashion but by the women who shaped us. The name jo&jean comes from our middle names, passed down from our grandmothers. Grandma Jo is still part of our journey, and Grandma Marjorie Jean’s influence continues to guide us. Read more>>

Breezee Morrison

I was working a demanding job that made it difficult for me to balance work and family life. While at work I prayed for an opportunity that would allow me to be with my family and still generate income. Entrepreneurship has a place in my heart, so I thought of business’s, fun business’s! While at work an idea…shave ice! Read more>>

Jillian Dexter

I actually came up with the idea for my first book, Behind the Bench, when news broke of Jessica Campbell being hired as the first female NHL coach in history. I’ve always loved writing and reading romance, and the day she was hired I realized that I’d never read a romance book with a female hockey coach before. Read more>>

Ashley Packard

Opening Dance Images began when I was 18 years old. After a fire damaged my family’s business, we were left with a large empty space. Having grown up dancing, I approached my mother and stepfather with the idea of turning that space into a dance studio. Read more>>

Courtney Boylan

I came up with the idea for Le Lolo after giving birth to my son. I was breastfeeding and needed a nipple shield to help improve his latch. The problem was… I kept losing it. Every nipple shield on the market was clear, and I felt like I spent half my day searching under couch cushions, crib sheets, and in every corner of the house. Read more>>

Chance Quinn

As an Artist, it has been very difficult to structure a Business around “my little pictures.” When you’re in a field that has odds stacked against you, creativity becomes everything. A good friend of mine told me that I have to “garner demand,” for my Art, so I usually start there and see what I enjoy from that point. Read more>>

Darnell Liburd

The idea for Darnell Cares came to me in one of the most ordinary moments—while I was in the shower. I had tons of clothes that no longer fit, and as I thought about getting rid of them, I kept circling back to a feeling I couldn’t shake. Read more>>

Julie Lowen

I did not start my business… It started me. In 1989 I was pregnant with my second son. At 8 months of pregnancy he died. I gave birth to him and just lost myself. It felt like i left my baby sitting on a curb somewhere. I heard him crying and the breast milk and postpartum recovery was excruciating. Read more>>

Mersiha Kuennen

The idea for the Giggles & Grace Foundation was born during one of the hardest seasons of my life, sitting beside my daughter Caliyah’s hospital bed. She was just a baby when she was diagnosed with NF1, and suddenly our world became a cycle of sedated scans, specialist appointments, and surgeries. Read more>>

Sherkeer Chance

The idea of Paper Jam grew from my childhood to adulthood. I always wanted to get into fashion and most importantly build a positive community through fashion as well, but was hesitant out of fear. As I got older, I’ve gotten more confident with my vision and with the help of my cousin Assata we came up with the name “Paper Jam”. Read more>>

Courtney Stratton

My journey into photography is deeply personal, shaped by both life’s challenges and unexpected blessings. I’m Courtney, and I’ve always been open about my neurodivergence: I have Autism, which helps me stay highly organized and detail-oriented, and ADHD, which fuels my creativity and brings energy to every session. Read more>>

Corey Reid

Starting this business was not a goal of mine. It was more of a need came up, so i helped with a solution. I am a Senior Software engineer at a large financial institution. I also coach track at the local high schools after work. A few years ago at track, we were doing our fundraiser. Read more>>

Nicole Niteka

Picture this: It’s the dead of winter in NYC – I’m about less than a year post-grad, and working a 12-hour training shift for a restaurant job that hired me on the spot (that should’ve been red flag #1). By the time I got back from that first shift at midnight, I was exhausted, emotional, and defeated. Read more>>

Rachel Beierle

I’m a military spouse, and its next to impossible to work a traditional 9-5 when you’re having to move every 2-3 years, dealing with deployments, and other crazy stuff so I started my own design business, Beier Le Design to continue my creative work (I’m an Interior Designer). Read more>>

Crystal Stevens

GenaShaes House was born from my own journey as a young mother raising four children while trying to build stability with almost no support. I lived the chaos, the fear, the stretching, the late-night tears — all while trying to hold my kids and myself together. Read more>>

Alec Septien

My story wasn’t some lightning bolt moment. It was more of a slow accumulation of “oh… this actually makes sense” stacked up on top of years of working in different corners of social media. I’ve spent the last five years helping creators, artists, and brands get billions of views and eventually, brand deals. And for a while, I thought that was the goal. Read more>>

Elandria Charles

I didn’t come up with the idea for my business; the idea came to me. Three things led me to facilitating the rest, clarity, and joy of Black women leaders through sabbatical care: my own rest journey, the political climate, and a spiritual nudge I couldn’t ignore. In the summer of 2024, I felt a divine pull toward choosing Sabbath as my intention for 2025. Read more>>

Leon Hines

I started the Impel Forward Podcast and the whole Impel Forward movement after naming my barbershop ,Impel Barber Studio. Impel simply means to take action; to drive,force, or urge someone to do something. Its about inspiring others to seize the opportunity to grasp their dreams, by taking chances and moving forward after any setbacks. Read more>>

Danielle Rubin

It began with a goal to improve my skills in the kitchen and strengthen my community, simple as that. I had been living in Charlotte, a new city where I knew no one, for about 6 months. Read more>>

Jito Chadha

I came up with this idea out of necessity. Inside our family office portfolio, we were running complex, multi-step processes that looked more like a massive pinball machine than anything a person could manage cleanly. We had large teams, freelancers, and data pipelines that all had to connect, scale, and heal themselves. Read more>>

Cansas Nichols

When I was fourteen, my family was planning a vacation to Mexico, and all I wanted was to capture our memories in a way that felt more meaningful than what my iPhone could offer. I wasn’t thinking about starting a business or building a career, I simply wanted to freeze those moments of my family being together. Read more>>

Andrew Fitzgerald

For me (Andrew), the seed for Tahoe Treats was planted decades ago in a suburban driveway. As an 11-year-old kid, I would mow lawns in my neighborhood, saving up every dollar not for video games or toys, but to order ‘astronaut ice cream’ from a catalog. That crunchy, chalky, yet magical block of freeze-dried Neapolitan was the coolest thing I had ever tasted. Read more>>

Tyjahné Taylor

The idea for Asante Cosmetics came from a desire to create beauty products that honored both wellness and authenticity. I noticed that many women, including myself, wanted products that not only enhanced their appearance but also made them feel confident and empowered. At the time, there weren’t many options that combined high-quality, plant-based ingredients with a focus on self-expression and personal affirmation. Read more>>