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.

Beth & Wayne

Have you even made a decision, knowing it would have a dramatic change on your life, but not realizing until later just how profound that decision really was? That is how we started Canine Companion Consulting; from a wild decision made a few years prior. We were camping in the mountains when we stopped for provisions at a supermarket. As we were entering, we found an adoption event being held at the entryway. We pondered the idea of adopting our first dog together. Read more>>

Stephanie Hernandez

Growing up, my mom and I would make charcuterie boards together-only more like “lunch-able” type boards since the term wasn’t really popular yet. We would go shopping together, pick out a million things, then use maybe 20% of it and snack on the rest over time after finishing our variety of foods displayed on the board. As I got older, the idea stuck in the back of my head that it would be fun to make charcuterie boards as a business. It was more of a dream, rather than a reality to me at the time. Read more>>

Miguel Gonzalez

There is so much to share, and so much that I absolutely love, about my work as the Director of Embark Education. One of the most profound learnings that I have experienced, a learning that has led to the ideation of current and future programming at Embark, stems deeply from the work of creating learner-centered experiences for adolescents at our micro-middle school. At Embark, the school, we support our learners to courageously inquire, engage, and discover a sense of self by creating the space and building the relationships that empower each learner to be confidently at the helm of their educational journey. Read more>>

Christine McMillan

I’ve been a hairstylist for quite a while now. I started in a traditional salon and branched out to work for myself 10 years ago. It was so great to be able to make changes where I saw room for improvement. If you’ve ever seen the back end of a salon business, you would know there is a TON of waste. I’ve always tried to minimize how much waste I generated as a service provider. I brought empty drink cans home from work and put them in my recycle bin. I made sure to measure out my hair color to reduce what had to be thrown away. I grimaced as I hauled SO MUCH GARBAGE out every night… but at the time I didn’t realize it didn’t have to be that way. Read more>>

Tiffany Chen

During the COVID19 pandemic, my husband and I got our first puppy and we named him Sihtric. I was a first time pet owner and I never raised or even lived with a dog before! So, I spent all of my time searching for the right advice on how I can train my puppy and raise him to be happy and healthy. I wanted so badly to have the type of relationship where my dog is my best friend. Read more>>

Brooke Hembry

Thanks so much for having me! I’d be happy to. I have always loved to shop, maybe even a little too much, but what I love even more than that is helping others feel great about themselves. I was able to express my personality and found my confidence through fashion which is how I got the idea to launch Bmaes Boutique. Since opening my virtual doors in 2019, it’s been my mission ever since to help other women find their confidence through style and fashion. Read more>>

Irene Manieri

For me, vegan charcuterie boards, combine some of my favorite things-Art and Plant Based Foods. My charcuterie board business started because of my love for creativity and wanting to offer something a little different. I’ve always enjoyed cooking, food styling, and most anything where I can be creative. When I became vegan 5 years ago, it opened a new door for me. I learned to replace animal based ingredients with plant based options. Naturally, the charcuterie boards that I prepared for family and friends, transformed to vegan versions. Read more>>

Tea (Sacred Tea) Hayes

I have always had the natural gift of being able to help others “feel good”. Whether is was through conversation, work, a hug, a smile, or physically touching/ interacting with someone(s). I clearly innerstand that we are all connected to each other and the earth that our feet stand on. No matter what position I held as far as work, I love to help people and make their jobs and lives easier. Years ago I was in the entertainment field from both sides of of music, video, film, and production. Read more>>

Cassie Davis, Brittany Barbosa & Stephanie Oliver

Brittany, oldest of the three sisters, was inspired to create Fawn & Sable in 2013 while planning her own wedding when she noticed the limited representation and inclusion of Black brides across the wedding industry. She was looking for herself in every bridal magazine and Pinterest pin as she scoured all of the popular bridal inspiration sites, but never found it. In 2014, she elicited the help of her sisters, vowing to address this concern by creating a media platform that could inspire all brides by featuring Black women. Read more>>

Miranda Dohrman Morley

I have always loved to bake. It has been a release for me. During the pandemic, when all my music work suddenly stopped, I found myself without that creative outlet. People kept describing the world as ‘upside-down’, so I got the idea to bake an upside-down cake. Then, I started thinking that I could turn lots of cakes into upside-down versions, so I started experimenting with other flavors. When testing recipes, I usually bake small sizes and small batches so I can adjust as I go, but I really fell in love with the personal size of these cakes. My favorite part of the process was watching them tumble out of the pans, so I started calling them Tumble Cakes! Read more>>

Natisha Mosier

After taking just one ceramics class with my son at a non profit community art organization, I was hooked on clay. The scent of a freshly opened bag of clay connects me to my grandpa, who was a gardener, it connected me to nature, it connected me with my son. I would sit on Saturday mornings creating tiny things and I enjoyed how the time just flew by. Working with clay puts me in my zen mode! I was not very good at throwing things on the wheel, but I enjoyed rolling out beads, and creating cute shapes and imprinting with nature, so the idea to create tiny wearable works of art just organically formed. Read more>>

Samuel & Coralee Jenkins

When Sam was a kid growing up in New Orleans, his father Harry Lucas had a candy truck selling various types of candy and snacks. As a result he learned how to sell treats, and more importantly, he was taught how to make pralines also known as pecan candy. Two years ago Sam started thinking about those times regularly. It was as if an awakening of those memories of sharing time with his father and making the candy began to flood in. It was these memories that stirred up the desire to make the pralines again. We want to leave a legacy of candy making to our children because we knew that the candy was special. Read more>>

Aaron Scott Lacy

Exploring natural hair texture started with a simple spark of creativity. I was curious to create and understand a variety of hair textures. However, I noticed a reoccurring trend, the majority of individuals that sat in my chair had never enjoyed a salon experience. Their opinion on salon professionals was typically shaped by a traumatic experience. They were told their hair was “difficult” which lead to feelings of disappointment, and broke any real trust with a professional. Read more>>

Jim Cathcart

At age 26 I was newly married, broke, earning $525 a month as a government clerk. No college degree, no connections or mentors, overweight, out of shape and expecting a very ordinary life. Then one day I heard Earl Nightingale on the radio (“The Dean of Personal Motivation”). He was on 900 radio stations worldwide at that time. He said that day, “If you will spend one extra hour each day studying your chosen field, you can become a national expert in that field in five years or less.” Read more>>

Stephanie Sterling

I came up with The Authentic Stephanie Sterling when I wrote and published my first book, Fatherless Success. The idea was me being vulnerable to the world which was new for me since I’m a private person. Millions of people grow up in a single parent home. I knew that I had to share my story so that others like me can become inspired. So they know they are not alone and they can overcome that trauma in a healthy and productive way. Everything about me is authentic. I rarely wear makeup, only 3 times in my life. I prefer to wear my real hair. My body is natural inside and outside. Most importantly I’m always honest and true to myself. Read more>>

Bre Terrell

I first came up with the idea of “The Kickback” because I’m a laid back person and when my clients come, I want them to kick back with me. I wanted to provide a space or an environment where my clients feel comfortable enough to take a load off and relax. Read more>>