Going from idea to execution isn’t easy. Part of the difficulty is that often there is no playbook to follow and while we can’t offer a playbook either, we wanted to create a space where aspiring entrepreneurs could read the stories of how some very smart, very thoughtful entrepreneurs form the community got started.

Chantz Jones

Well for me an idea means nothing without execution. I’m an artist so I was in a transition period of do I still wanna make music vs I really like doing this clothing stuff. The fun I have coming with ideas for designs, content, picking the models, and actually making it happens is what gives me a rush. Read More>>

Desireé Mosely

Starting my own business wasn’t originally part of my plan post-graduation. My cousin, who is the Owner of Four Seven Gallery Event Planning and Designs, LLC, encouraged me to dive into the wedding industry as a content creator. That conversation sparked something in me. From there, I began brainstorming business names and researching other wedding content creators to better understand the industry. Read More>>

Elise Manion

The madness of writing fiction novels began on a whim in my mid 40s. My husband, who is also my favorite person in the world, gifted me with a brand new MacBook in 2012. It came with an application called iBook Author which touted a feature to ‘self-publish’ your work. I was intrigued since I’d been gobbling up romance novels for years. Read More>>

Lai

Starting a business is interesting because almost always, it starts out as a desire for yourself that becomes larger than yourself! In 2020, the pandemic turned us every which way but loose, and being 20 years old at the time, I knew I wanted something for myself. I had a friend who made waistbeads, and then she suddenly stopped. Read More>>

Joshua Gaffney

It really started with a conversation at home. My wife had the desire to start a business, and we began brainstorming ideas together. We wanted something with a low startup cost but high potential. Photography made sense. It didn’t require a storefront, a huge team, or massive capital to begin. It required skill, consistency, and vision. Read More>>

Robin Beattie

Starting my business was not one single moment. It was really a series of realizations that built over time. After spending years in corporate America doing marketing for global brands, I reached a point in my life where I wanted more flexibility and independence in the work I was doing. Read More>>

Kathy Gills

When people ask me how I launched GirlFriendz Boutique, I always say it started with preparation, observation, and faith. Before I ever sold one item, I did my homework. I spoke with other boutique owners. I learned about vendors — how to find them, how to select quality pieces, how to build relationships. I read books about retail. Read More>>

Michael Woodland

When I retired after 22 years in the Army as an Infantryman, I did not immediately set out to become a headshot photographer. At the time, I launched a firearms training company called M-W Tactical. I was teaching firearm safety, helping citizens in South Carolina obtain their concealed weapons permits, and competing in shooting events. That was the lane I thought I would stay in. Read More>>

Carissa N

2017 was the moment I knew I would become a Pilates instructor, however it was a matter of when I would be ready to devote the time to train and make the financial investment. Fast forward to 2020- the year that I was saving on housing costs and navigating pandemic adjustments at work. Read More>>

Andrea Coombs

I was a new empty nester and had time on my hands I have never had before. I was feeling a bit lost, so I decided I needed to flip my script and do something that would fill my cup utilizing all the things I love. Read More>>

Deneen L Garrett

For nearly six years, I’ve hosted Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation, a Top 20 Women’s Empowerment podcast amplifying the journeys of women of color—Black women especially. We’ve built a global community of listeners, leaders, and change-makers across industries who tune in for honest, unfiltered conversations about identity, reinvention, and what it means to lead on your own terms. And then I started noticing something. Read More>>

SiRr Xecellence

It didn’t start as a business. It started as a feeling.
I had the idea long before I had the structure. The idea was simple: create music that reflects purpose, discipline, and growth — without profanity, without compromise. But an idea is just energy until you give it form. Read More>>