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.

Jana Sheppard

My God brother is the one who came up with the idea that I should start selling this sauce that I would always put on my lamb chops. He is extremely goofy so I ignored the idea for a while and didn’t think much of it. I think maybe in quarantine I decided that this was something that I really wanted try to do. From there I I came up with the ideas for the sauce then I went into recipe testing. I definitely have had some struggles along the way. This has been over two years in the making and I’m really excited for it to launch next year. Read more>>

Breianna Bass.

For as long as I can remember, creating things has always ben a passion of mine. I enjoyed doing art, class projects, or anything that involved my hands. So once I became a preteen I started making food for myself and obsessing over every show on food network. I always felt that one day I would be one of the rotating Chef on food network, but I know I had to do the work. Read more>>

Catryn Becker

Ideas come to me during the quiet times, when I am not deaf to inspiration due to the chaos of life. For me, this is the moments before falling asleep, during meditation, when out in nature, or even in the shower. I had been receiving coaching myself for about 3 months before I woke up with the deep desire to become a coach myself. It was undeniable. I called my coach and asked about the process she went through to become certified. She walked me through it and as fate would have it, the coaching certification package was on sale. Read more>>

Tonia Brown.

I’m a meteorologist by day and an entrepreneur by night. When I’m not forecasting the weather, I’m creating…something. ToniaTalks is my brand but Pairable Fitness is OUR business…because it includes everyone! I started Pairable Fitness to encourage people to get active and REMIND people we don’t have to do it alone. Pairable Fitness is an e-commerce fitness apPAIRel company to inspire people to grab a friend/partner and mix and match with the fitness attire we sell. Read more>>

Karen Weeks

in 2019, I started doing some freelance coaching here and there (really just a friend who needed some help or a fellow HR leader who was looking for some advice). When the pandemic hit, I assumed that would go away because everyone was either distracted by what was going on in the world or they were being laid off and wouldn’t be able to afford a coach. Read more>>

Sarah Jones

Starting my business began with a simple idea: Could I combine my creative abilities with my favorite game (Dungeons & Dragons) to start a business? It began with creating digital content that other players could download. Soon I moved onto physical products. Now, five years later, I have my own workshop where I produce original products and curate products from vendors to sell online and in person. It took years to do – finding suppliers I could count on, figuring out what to do when things went wrong – but once I got started I never looked back. Read more>>

Leanne Dougherty

My business has really just grown organically over many years, taking lots of twists, turns, and detours…its most recent manifestation, Moth and Rust Handmade, started about 6 years ago. I’ve always focused on crafting with textiles–from designing and sewing costumes to knitting–but I wanted to start doing so in a way that was more sustainable. Since it’s really a micro business, it didn’t take much to launch–I started by setting up just a few items in an Etsy shop. Read more>>

Ann Madden

I always knew I ultimately wanted to a) be the number one care provider for my littles b) do something I’m passionate about c) work for myself d) financially support my family. How I made my dream a reality goes a little something like this… I earned my degree in Marketing from The University of Kansas. During my time at KU, the side hustles journey began. I worked as a teaching assistant for a variety of marketing professors. Looking back, developing this work ethic and gaining unique experiences outside of the classroom laid the groundwork for my love of the marketing world and continuing side hustles after graduation. Read more>>

Raymonn Moore

I have been planning events since my college days working for the Black Student Association so the knowledge has always been there. The biggest challenge for me in terms of getting started was having the courage to actually start. There was SO much competition in Memphis back in the late 2000s and early 2010s and I wasn’t completely ready for what it would take to stand apart from the pack. Read more>>

Nayana Ferguson.

My husband and I were becoming tired with working in corporate America and were looking for a change in life. We wanted one where we could dictate our own future and do something that we had a passion for. I was losing my job as the entire finance department was moving back to New Jersey and my husband, an executive at a major mortgage company, kept getting moved around from area to area. We decided to finally do something about it. Read more>>

Laura Snyder

When I had recently turned 18, I went to have my hair styled for my high school’s winter semi-formal. I walked out looking (to me, at least) like Shirley Temple. It was nothing like the long, flowy, soft curls I envisioned or requested, and I was so frustrated and disappointed that I declared, as I frantically fixed my hair at home before my date arrived, that, “No one is ever going to style my hair again but me.” It’s been 14 years since then, and I’ve not only stuck to that, but I built a livelihood as a result of that experience. Read more>>

Maurice Hayes

Where do I start? what would be a surprise to most people is that, I did not start my business out selling chicken wings. I use to cook at home a lot and have my family and friends come over and taste test for me. Of course there were some meals that were amazing and some I needed to chuck away and try again. As time progressed and my cooking experience expanded I catered most of my family/friends events for free just to get the food out there. Read more>>

Matthew Schmitt

I started making movies when I was in elementary school. Still creating short films, I worked multiple jobs in high school to afford to go to college. After saving a substantial amount of money, I ended being accepted and attending Columbia College Chicago. After a semester, I ran out of money and was not able to continue, so I came home to finish the rest of my education at the community college. Read more>>

Myan Pham.

The one thing I’ve struggled to admit was how I discovered this industry. I secretly thank my ex-partner’s ex-girlfriend’s sister for this. Sounds confusing, I know. However, my story shows that so much positivity can come from pain. I was in an abusive relationship for over 5.5 years. I knew nothing about this man because he kept so much from me. As a result, I spent my waking days stalking his ex-partners in hopes I could learn more about him. I was reliving his history without him. I knew all about his exes, their families, etc. Read more>>

Jaylaon Stanfield

When I first got the idea that i wanted to start my own detailing business, I was working at a warehouse job. i Hated it so much i decided to quite before i even made my first dollar detailing. A buddy of mine has his own detailing business and took me under his wing to show me the ropes of the business. About a month after working with him I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands. I knew how to detail prior to, plus the long hard working month with my buddy. Read more>>

Lamar Parks Jr .

Every job I’ve ever had, I worked with diligence and honor. I was so grateful to be able to provide for my daughter, that I would literally work these jobs as if I owned the business. Then one day I realized that the difference between my employer and myself was that they had an idea that they executed. They we’re no longer waiting until Friday for a pay check. Their ideas had become their paycheck. I’m working 72 hours a week, paying a baby sitter, just to get by. Read more>>

Alexandra Nicole Nolan

Naturally I am a creative person. I love dreaming up cool new business ideas and inventions. By the time I was out of college I had at least 10 different business plans put together. Several of which I tried my hand at and failed, and a few that sparked the beginning of the entrepreneurial journey I am on now. Read more>>

Justus Hayes.

I went to a charter school for middle school and I have always wanted to be my own boss and I knew I could do it. At my middle school we had to wear uniform and we didn’t get to wear day to day clothes so fashion stood out to me. So I put it right in action to make my company!! Read more>>

Cimone Green

Green Heart Studios came about in 2016 or 2017, after I had a major heart attack due to a blood clot in 2015. Most people think the “Green” comes from my last name, but ironically when formulating the name, I never even factored in my last name. I associate “green” with life, with living. My heart stopped beating, I was rendered breathless. The doctors had to revive me and happily were able to bring me back to life. The following year I had another blood clot, was under a lot of stress which ultimately led to me having to quit my job in the hospitality industry. Read more>>

Stephanie Nerissa White

I began a business of teaching children how to read because I had lost my job and refused to just do nothing. So there I was with a son who had just turned two years old and had been relieved of my job. I had some ideas of wanting to do so many things, but I knew I had to take it one step at a time. I decided I would get started with tutoring children ages 2 to 8 (about 3rd grade) to become better readers and writers. Read more>>

Ciara O’Briant

During the holidays, I would always create handmade gifts for family and friends. I am a visionary so I usually create detailed gifts for each persons interest. One holiday season , a friend encourged me to start selling gifts I created, and encouraged me to plan & decorate for her holiday party for her business. I accepted the offer and did her event. I decorated and created personlized gifts for her party guest. I got so many complients and got so many order request that evening. Things took off very fast since It was during the holiday season. Read more>>

Brittany Womick

I’ve always new that eventually I would become a business owner because that’s what I have always wanted. I have a 4 year degree in Business and Entrepreneurship with a minor of Accounting which I knew would be perfect preparation for myself for my business in the future. I also worked as an Accountant for over 20 years. I am also professionally trained in lashes, ear piercings, waxing, eyebrows, teeth whitening and teeth gems because I knew the beauty industry is where I wanted to be. Read more>>

Kenneth Rouche.

One of the biggest things I learned at the beginning is that your effort and expectations must be aligned! You can want and expect things all day but you effort has to match has to match the thing you want! Personally I was one of those people that expected and wanted so much out of life but my efforts and decisions weren’t aligned at all! I probably had this idea to create a restaurant for years and years but never had the guts to do what it took to step out on faith! It had been right after Covid started where I started to do a deep dive into me personally and I wanted to elevate my life to a higher standard! Read more>>

Tara Simpson

I had always loved the idea of entertaining from a young age. Often times I would put together variety shows with my siblings and neighborhood kids to entertain our parents. We came up with skits, songs, dance routines, and even parades around the block for birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, you name it. As I got older, I got involved in theatre, choir, and became a celebrity impersonator and would perform at all kinds of events around the city. After doing a talent showcase out in Los Angeles, I managed to gain a manager and talent agent. Read more>>

Sylvia Walker

As a survivor of Domestic Violence I wanted to provide fashion that would make women feel good about themselves. I took a 1200 income tax check and used it to secure a location and start up cost in 2012. Read more>>

Lilly St. Laurent

I feel like the beginning of this career for me is a very similar story for other creatives. I was working a corporate job at the same time as photographing and corporate life was burning me out fast. I was afraid to leave my steady income, but I was so unhappy every day. I felt like I was compromising my health and values for a company who didn’t care about any of their employees. I had been doing okay with my photography, gaining more clients but unable to shoot because of schedule limitations. Read more>>

Jared Thompson.

I grew up in a relatively low-class family, but my father and mother always took good care of us and brought us up right. When I was five, I got bit by the Aviation Bug, I knew from that point on I wanted to always be a Pilot. Throughout my years of growing up my father and mother would take me to all the airshows and aviation events. When I turned eleven, I joined Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and soon after the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). Read more>>

Jen McKee

I always knew I wanted to own my own business. Being in charge of my own destiny and success was my goal.
I worked in restaurants for 17 years, starting when I was 16. At first, the thrill of waiting tables excited me. Everyday, it was up to me to take care of my tables well enough that I would make the most tips. And this is true, though most days there’s a limit. Read more>>

Dan Stanford.

Tnahpele has been in existence in theory since high school. I decided on that artist name knowing that I wouldn’t do anything with it right away necessarily. I knew that name was unique and it had a special meaning as well. Tnahpele is elephant spelled backwards and that had always been my favorite animal, my spirit animal. I locked down the name as far as internet accounts but I didn’t release any music under it till 2017. Read more>>

Tay Ogundele-Ajibulu

At my last job, I started planning the annual holiday party and received a lot of recognition for turning around the reputation of the event. Later I was at a church event and got the motivation to “go for it!” I literally came up with the name and made an Instagram page right there… in church! It was actually very funny because I had a lot of people thinking the page was pretending to be me! I had to tell them, “No, it’s really me. Read more>>

Phillip Robinson

Ever since I’ve graduated college I’ve made it my duty to ensure that I’m learning something new on a daily basis. This habit has helped the trajectory of every project I’ve worked on since. I’m in various career fields because of the wealth of knowledge I continue to acquire. Read more>>

CRAIG DECICCO

My business journey was more of an evolution than an idea I had and a decision to pursue that idea. There was always this idea of wanting to work for myself, to start my own business but I really didn’t know what that could be for a long time. Separately, I have always enjoyed manual labor, working with my hands, building things. Once we bought a house I started tackling some small furniture pieces for our home. Slowly, friends and family took notice and asked if I could build something for them. Read more>>

Angelica Williams

I started my first business at 19 years old. No knowledge, no “know-how”, just passion, determination, and fear. I started my business while in college studying Premed. I was also a mother of 2 at the time. In my mind, I knew I didn’t want to spend all my years in college and being a mother… especially one of an autistic child. So I switched majors to Marketing. I didn’t know anything about marketing but it sounded like it went with what I was already doing in business which was management and consulting individuals. I also figured that marketing was going to be something the need since they were branding themselves. Read more>>

Cameron Gray

In 2016, I was at a crossroads and I always have seen my life 5 years in advance. I was 15 in high school and all of my friends were beginning to get jobs, but I somehow knew the workforce wasn’t for me. So, I jumped into entrepreneurship by selling miscellaneous items on EBAY. I made a couple-hundred bucks per week, which was good money for me at the time. After absurd seller fees on EBAY, I stopped using the platform all together. The #1 rule to making money is: one you start, you cannot stop. Read more>>

Tonisha Walden

How did I start? Boy it was a journey. I started selling clothes in 2018 while working as a Licensed Medicare Sales Agent. I would walked around and show the girls what I was selling while also taking orders for drinks that I sold as well. I would buy a bulk load from a China vendor online and sell out quickly but at the same time it was a gamble doing that because the quality was a hit or miss. So, I started doing my research on vendors in the States that I can shop with and found a few, but, they have strict rules on shopping with them. Read more>>

Kayla Autry

I have always been a person that love to create. I love to see things being molded into true beauty. I feel that creating shows the inner beauty in people. It took me loosing something so beautiful to me to awaking the drive and push me to find a positive way to put negative energy out. My turn started in May of 2014 I was just 18 years old and gave birth to such a beautiful baby boy that completely turned my life upside down but in all the best of ways. there was nothing more beautiful then his little face to me. Read more>>

Mea Boykins.

When I completed my 2nd Masters Degree, which is focused in Global Business, I was looking for work opportunities and struggling to land any employment. I was deemed either “over qualified” or not having enough work experience as a result of being in school straight through my Bachelors and 2 Masters degrees. I had to pivot because I was tired of the broke student life. I started my business out of a necessity to gain capital and work in a time where there were no opportunities. Read more>>

Ryan Craig.

Being a singer-songwriter and a live musician wasn’t ever anything I’d imagine making money on. At first I just enjoyed playing the guitar and hoped someone would enjoy the few songs I played. One day I was playing a open mic, where musicians like myself would take turns on playing three songs to hope for some stage time. A booking agent approached me to take the leap of doing my very own gig at a bar for a couple bucks, I accept! Read more>>

Chantele Jones

I come from a family of amazing cooks and bakers. My grandma Estella’s is who taught me how to cook at just 6 years old. My earliest memory was her teaching me how to make strawberry shortcake and cherry pie. My passion for cooking continued well into my teenage years when my mom showed me how to make her famous lemon pound cake and I would sell it by the slice in high school. Read more>>

Katie Bunnell

My husband and I were neighbors growing up. After we married in 2002, we had a lot of fun traveling, working on projects, going to school, playing co-ed softball, etc. My husband and I had our first child in 2005! We were elated to start growing our family. I remember talking with my husband, and we both agreed that before we had children, we thought life was good, but after our daughter was born, life was even better! When my daughter was three months old, he unexpectedly passed away in his sleep. Read more>>

Natasha Ickes-Saman

I call my ideas- and I get a lot of them- divine downloads. Whether you call it a spark of your imagination, a big dream or a crazy idea- we all have them and I believe we should honor them. As a young woman who had worked a series of retail jobs I intensely disliked, by age 20 I knew I was ready for a career I loved. I wanted freedom, fun and a great income. That led to me becoming a hairstylist and eventually a salon owner. When I decided to actually open my own salon there were so many components to consider. Read more>>

Vilma Gonzalez

My passion for books came way before the idea for a blog/business. I grew up reading, finding inspiration for my own writing, for who I was and wanted to become in the books I so voraciously read. As I became an adult, and had kids, books were my escape for real life, for times I was stressed out and worried. I was working for a tech company when I inspired my friend and co-worker to start reading. She would ask me for recommendations, and I wrote them for her in an Excel sheet, a sheet which kept growing. It was a sheet that included not only book name, author, rating, but also a quick summary of the plot and main characters. That spreadsheet started getting passed around the office and one day, my friend said, “you should start a blog.” Read more>>

Mrs. Tionna Barksdale

It started as a DREAM and it has now become my REALITY. I always wanted to be a designer! As a young girl I was introduced to the game The Sims and I realized from that very day I was on to something. I would emerge myself into this game because I wanted to shift things visually and make everything beautiful. I started to take it serious when I received a word from a few pastors telling me that my gift would make room for me. Bishop & First Lady Bozeman of Assembly Of Faith Church. Read more>>

Kunaga Nakhash

Starting this business was a risk that involved having faith, resilience, and discipline. It all started with a phone call from a friend. I was living in Texas at the time and received a call from a friend basically asking me to create retreat spaces or events. At that time I was working a temp job at Lowes making a little bit over minimum wage and hating the fact that I had to stand up majority of the day selling products that I didn’t own. After sleeping on the proposal I decided to collaborate with him to create a networking party on my birthday and we’d celebrate it together with the individuals that bought tickets for it. Read more>>

Alisa Walton

Well first then idea came about after I began doing research to find out which herbs can help with anxiety. I suffer from anxiety and did not want to take medication and chose to do research for a more natural approach. After doing research I discovered different herbs that were perfect for helping with a bunch of different health ailments. This started my passion for mixing herbs, experimenting and my passion eventually turned into my business. The whole process took about 5 months because I wanted to make sure I created the perfect mixtures, branding, etc. Read more>>

DorMiya Vance

I got my start with a great friend and mentor of mine, Shakira. She was doing media and interviews with some great people around our city and i saw her progression. I worked as her intern for a while and then helped produce some of her content. This inspired me. She inspired me along with other great friends of mine that did some amazing things. It all started to rub off on me. I was in college learning to a journalist and I wanted to take this to the next level. I wanted and still want to become a well-know journalist and media personality. Read more>>

Dondre Anderson

The story of our business starts over breakfast! My dad made me eggs one morning and they were the best eggs I’d ever had. So being the cook I am, I asked him how he made them and that’s when he showed me the spices he used. I asked him what was in the spices and that’s when he told me the story of how he had been building his recipe for over 40 years while he was working on the strip. That’s when I knew this spice was something special not only to him but to our family as this was his legacy which made it our family’s legacy. Read more>>

Heather Hyslop

I always wanted my own coffee shop. It was more of a retirement dream. I always thought I’d open it close to a university in the far future but God had other plans for me and my family. In January 2020, I was approached by another business owner about a vacant building they had to put my event coordinating company in. Read more>>