In our view, far too many ideas die at the imagination stage. It’s not because people are lazy, we think the primary reason is because many people don’t know where or how to start. So, we connected with some sharp and generous entrepreneurs who’ve agreed to share their stories of how they went from idea to execution.

Betsy Taylor

The idea for Alice had been in my head for quite awhile, but it just seemed unattainable. I couldn’t imagine being able to find the money, time, space to start what I wanted. During Covid lockdown (which I loved), I had a lot of time on my hands and just one day, sat down at the computer and started. I created an LLC, got a business license etc… I am a super distracted person, so without those weeks of being unable to distract myself, I doubt I would be here. Read more>>

Jared Lees

I honestly started this business half by accident. I’ve had a pocket knife with me pretty much every day since I was around seven years old… In college I worked in kitchens doing line prep work, and none of the knives were ever sharp. So one day I thought it could be cool to try and make one… Maybe two just for fun. I had no idea what was involved, but I did a ton of research and made my first knife with a hacksaw, half round file, some sand paper, and a mapp gas torch… It was a pain, but I was hooked. Read more>>

Audrey Hasslocher

About 8 months after starting my MBA program, I had the spark to launch my own marketing agency. My bachelors was in communications, so I had the foundation and knowledge. Plus, adding a soon-to-be business degree, I felt confident I could handle the dynamics of being a business owner in the marketing world. Late one night, I filed an LLC and purchased a website domain. It was a hasty decision but something in me said, “if not now, when?” Today was as good of a time as any. I remember announcing this happily to my husband the next day, and his expression was of wide eyes, but not an unsupportive word was mentioned. Read more>>

Anthony Morrison Jr

7 years ago I set off to discover something I wasn’t even looking for.. It’d be real easy to say I started in a traditional way, you know, I had this idea and then “ this is how I laid it out ” but that just wasn’t my journey.. My background is in information technology this set a secure foundation for me in a lot of ways as regards to client management, customer service and communications, but IT left a creative void so just like most other people I thought maybe I could get this fulfilled on the weekend with some sort of extra curricular activity?.. When those avenues didn’t exactly either fit with my lifestyle or work, I dug deeper and it begin with a birthday gift from my wife. Read more>>

Colvin Prince

Like most creatives and entrepreneurs, what started as a simple interest of mine soon expanded and turned into what now is Kingdom Creations Studios. The idea of starting a business or being an entrepreneur wasn’t something I initially felt I was qualified to be or do. As much as I tried to rebel and reject what God was calling me to be, I could no longer ignore the call to build a business that would allow me to serve others through creative marketing and graphic design services. Read more>>

Beau Burdette

I have an extensive history in candle making, product development, and sales + marketing. Scent in general has been a passion of mine from cooking to candle making – from a young age I have been intrigued by farmers markets, recipes and ingredients, and the flavor and aroma experience that ignites emotions, memories and wellbeing. Read more>>

Emma Miller

In college I took a graphic design class and fell in love. I immediately changed my major from business to Advertising and Graphic Design. My Junior year I started gaining real like experience by getting graphic design internships in both non-profits and outdoor advertising companies. I decided this is what I wanted to do with my life so I started wanting to get even more experience. I started offering services to friends and family for very cheap and sometimes no cost at all to build my portfolio and learn along the way. Read more>>

Dorian Davis

As a child, I can truly remember being scared of everything, but one thing I was never afraid to do was create. As an artist and filmmaker today, I have learned that you have to maintain an unwavering belief in whatever you create in order to bring it to life and that the best art is created from personal experiences. This was most recently present when I found myself dealing in depression and a creative slump during the pandemic. When I could not come up with any creative ideas, I found myself coloring in old outlines that I drawn and never finished. Read more>>

Hollie Haskins

Going from idea to execution is one of the hardest aspects of starting a business. It’s the ol’ “what comes first, the chicken or the egg” and honestly I just asked people who were more successful than me who I felt also cared about me and my success. It started with looking at commercial real estate spaces, then meeting with banks (who repeatedly did not understand my business model), creating an LLC, finding contractors, recruiting, permits, signing a lease, providing down payments, and so much more. Read more>>

Deana Janceski

I studied Fashion Design in New York and thought that path was exactly what I wanted. Don’t get me wrong, the experience was one I will always treasure but deep down inside of me I knew creating garments wasn’t all that I enjoyed. I loved the fast pace, the multi-tasking, the planning of fashions shows, the details and logistics! Read more>>

Calvin Peterson

I put myself in other people shoes and I began to seek out other people who had the same experiences that I had. Read more>>

Maria Swann

I started when people started asking me to style them for big events. I was like hmmmm maybe I’m on to something. I immediately started taking community business classes and doing what I needed to do in order understand what having a business actually was. Within months I hired a business start up coach and went to social media to bring awareness to my new venture! Read more>>

Alia Alston

Icebox Studios was started in 2012 with a vision that all communities should have access to a treatment that was non-invasive, easy, quick, and produced instant gratification. We were the first brick-and-mortar cryotherapy studio in the US and knew from the start that we wanted to have locations nationwide! Read more>>

Quincy Wise

For me the path from idea to execution was a swift. The idea for Quinessentials occurred during the initial lockdown of pandemic and I had a lot of free time. During that time I did a lot of product research, watched tutorials and scoured the internet for design inspiration. The thing I’m forever grateful for is my strong support system. My family and friends were originally my first customers and one of them bought my first resin kit to get started. As you could guess most of them were my first customers, but the real challenge occurred when I was trying to expand outside of them. Read more>>

Neda Faraji

I actually never intended to make bone broth into a business. During the pandemic, making homemade bone broth was just something I was sharing on instagram and facebook. I couldn’t find any pure, authentic bone broth on the market. Everything was sold on an unrefrigerated shelf, which means it’s been altered from its original form to stay shelf stable (bone broth should always be refrigerated or frozen). Read more>>

Jessica Taylor

Ezra Coffee Company prides itself on being a homegrown specialty coffee brand that connects coffee, culture, and history with every blend. We offer mixed-origin, naturally flavored blends bold in flavor without any of the pesky allergens. Our blend names and stories highlight significant events and individuals within our collective American history, giving you a boost of energy and empowerment in every cup. Read more>>

Elvis Fisher

You can say this all started when I was 14 years old. I fell in love with training. I loved going to the gym with my coach and my friends/ teammates. I loved the process. I told my coach back then, that one day I would own my own gym. I played football all throughout high school. I was fortunate enough to play in college as well at the university of Missouri. I received my undergrad in nutrition and fitness and my masters degree in sports psychology. I trained very hard and learned a ton about programming and training for athletes from some of the best strength coaches in the game. Many of whom I still keep in contact with today. Read more>>

Nicole Alston

I had an idea to start one of my brands: Cultivated in the midst of the pandemic. For the most part I did my research, I wanted to create and curate products that were hand made and something that people would love. Outside of them loving the product how the products made them feel. I gave myself a deadline on when I wanted to launch and built upon that. I started a mood board and pinned ideas and tried different product recipes until I was satisfied. Read more>>

Brandy Simpkins

My business Brandywine Public Relations, LLC originally started as Brandywine Writes, and I began offering my services within 4 hours of the business idea being gifted to me. I popped it off by posting a flyer I made on Canva to Instagram and I received my first service request within a minutes. In those ideation initial hours, I was speaking with a colleague of mine, a fellow journalist. I was telling her how much I’ve always adored writing and that I one day planned to make money from it. Read more>>

Lu Garcia Reynoso

When I arrived to Abram Friedman Occupational Center in Downtown Los Angeles to start the Barber program I was immediately hooked. My mind flooded with questions about the trade and profession. How can I be a better technician? How can I start and grow a business? After a few weeks of research I found that the options for barbers were limited. Read more>>

Anju K

I am a dreamer and a strong believer. I always believed in my dreams and crazy looking ideas. Apart from this, I love to take risks with backup plans. There is never a failure, only we need to find a different way to do anything we want. Now coming to my story, I am full of them…it feels like God was in some adventurous mood when he was writing my life story. I am a domestic violence and sexual assault survivor. My abuser was my husband, we were married for around 11 years with 2 kids. My marriage was a difficult one, I suffered every kind of violence and abuse through out my life but I never gave up. Every night I told my kids that I will bring them out of that hell, and they asked me, HOW? Read more>>

Ashley Lawhorn

Starting Kuhrizmuh began before the official formation in 2015. It started while I was working in a popular retail store years before. As a visual merchandiser and retail manager, I spent my workdays selling merchandise on behalf of these companies. The trending sales were on the rise and I began to think, how could I do this for myself? Initially I would brainstorm a jewelry brand I called I’m Hook’d which included statement earrings that I made alterations to, giving it a specialty aesthetic unique to my brand. Read more>>

DELIA ESCOBAR

GOING FROM IDEA TO EXECUTION: My brain is always going and my wheels are turning. My first love came from feeling the freedom of becoming a business owner. I got my first taste at the age of 24. I co-owned an agency that employed as many as 750 employees. I helped in human resources, leading teams, and sales. As a business owner you wear all types of hats. Read more>>

Diego Bravo

Oh man — the beginning of Psypresents was truly a spur of the moment concept that began with myself and one of my closest friends. At the time we were just normal street promoters for our local edm venue, and we finally built up the idea to generate a house party and invite everyone we’ve met over the years. In under 24 hours we generated over 150 people, just off our personal social network! Read more>>

Emiliano Munoz

Where it all started was in middle school for me. At the time I was so focused on wanting to become a veterinarian, all the way up until high school, however, my sophomore year I got into the streetwear and the sneaker industry. At first, it was just a hobby i picked up and I made some cash to be able to go out with friends and live the last few years of my childhood to the max. I knew with the financial struggle my family and I were headed due to my father losing his business due to city reconstruction. Read more>>

Kelly Bey-BOrden

I began my journey with the love of beauty & education. My love of the world of beauty lead me to becoming a licensed and certified makeup artist, the love of education pushed me to teach my skills to upcoming artist, and the passion for it all lead me to transition from artist to business owner. The support from home allowed me to believe that I could expand, the love and support from my customers from MAC and who I met along my journey allowed me to push to teach and brand myself. It took me YEARS to research, brand, network, and become known for my brand Flawless Faces Makeup Artistry & Cosmetics. Read more>>

Chadwick Phillips

I always had an affinity for music. From the time I was a kid, music has always been my biggest passion. That passion turned into a curiosity to see if I can do it myself as an artist. So I started to write rhymes and choruses as a teen. Now I am a Hip-Hop artist. I entered rap battles and talent shows and won many of them which showed me that I can do this professionally. When I moved to NYC after college I worked for BET, CBS, NYC Fashion Week (2008) and I won a talent search put on by HOT 97 Radio Station and released a single on major label KOCH Records as a result of it. Read more>>

Anna Bernfeld

From a very young age, I was always fascinated by aesthetics and design. In middle school, I used to make clothes for my dolls. I sketched and taught myself how to sew. In the back of my mind, I always knew that I wanted to work in a creative field and for myself when I grow up. Fast forward to 2016, and I was working at a job that wasn’t really fulfilling. That drive to create something of my own was only growing stronger. First, I started carving out stamps and created color-blocked designs for T-shirts. Read more>>

Robreauna Ruiz

I never in a million years thought i’d open an ice cream shop, but the idea came after creating my hair business Curl Candi. The branding for CurlCandi is candy shop/candyland themed and became one of the biggest reasons my brand became successful so fast. I was on youtube one day trying to learn how to make a funnel cake at home lol and kept seeing rolled ice cream videos, and came across one that caught my eye. Immediately a light bulb went off in my head and the idea wouldn’t leave my mind. Read more>>

Michelle Robinson

Pumpkinvine Gardens Flower Shoppe started with a sketch, 2o ft storage container and a dream! After 29 years as a healthcare marketing & pr executive, I took a big leap and opened my own business in April 2019. My inspiration started while visiting roadside flower markets while on vacation in Long Island. I even bought a metal sign from one of my favorite flower markets that says “Smile,” with my plan to hang it proudly in my own business. Read more>>

Shanita Irons

Early 2014, I was about 27years old. I think around about the middle of the year I pondered on this prettybiish attire idea. That’s what my brand was called when I first started out and launched. Now that I think of it, its kind of funny! Just the name itself. So, back to it. My coworker used the term so much I begin to dream about what I could do with it every night. I started to use my time in between school homework and work to do research on how to start a business. So, days went on maybe even months before I realize that I wanted to do a clothing line. Read more>>

Ashley Bard

Taking the idea to execution is my favorite part! I’ve been a Creative Director for over 12 years, working with various brands including Good Dye Young, The Four Seasons and Disney. I love taking a brand from the ground up, planning the idea and bringing it to life. After Denton and I married, we knew wanted to take our business to the next level. Our brand was previously known as Hunker Bag Co, but we felt pigeonholed into just making bags. Our ideas of making vintingae-inspired apparel and home goods just didn’t seem to fit — so we made a change. Read more>>

Che’Won Futrell-Bell

Chef: Cooking has always been 2nd nature since I was 7y/o.. I’ve always been creative and ppl would always tell me I need my own restaurant and to sell dinners. It sound good, but 1 person actually gave me a business plan and that gave me the kick to put it into action back in 2019. I started w/ small catering, cakes, and meal preps and my business took off after my 1st pop up shop. Nursing: I gave myself a year to find a school in which I can attend at night because I was working doing Oral Surgery w/ Dental Anesthesia during the day. Read more>>

Laura Doman

My idea was to reinvent myself later in life, to become an actress and voice over artist – something I’d wanted to do since I was a little girl I grew up as a theater kid and discovered voice work in high school when I became the first student to read the morning announcements over the P.A. system during homeroom. Not that many kids were listening! But I also loved business and making money, something that’s rather hard to do working full-time as an actor. Read more>>

Amya Janine

My name is Amya Janine known as DA DON or The Branding Don. I’m a 22 year old 6 figure branding coach who loves to help entrepreneurs execute their brands! While growing up I’ve always had an entrepreneur mindset. I was always that little girl trying to sell you at school whether it was with snacks, accessories, creating customized items & etc, that girl who was always sitting in front of YouTube trying to figure out what new things I could learn. Read more>>

Teresa Meyle

I actually started No Use Market as a fashion/clothing company. When I first thought of the business name and concept behind it, everything was centered around making my own clothing and selling repurposed items. As I was brainstorming logos and designs for the business, I was also starting a career in live video production. I moved to Nashville, TN to be within the job scope of the live production world. Of course, I was hit with the reality of the pandemic and no longer saw live production as a feasible career path. I also learned – I didn’t really love traveling or being away from my dog. Read more>>

Mariah Celine

The process of taking my business from just an idea to executing it is quite nostalgic to think about. I remember, I had just moved back home to Colorado and was living with my parents. I was struggling with my mental health and working a job I didn’t care for at all. I was unhappy to say the least, and I definitely knew I wanted more for me and my son. I went to college for Business Management, and even though I didn’t graduate, I knew I had what it would take to be a business owner; Read more>>

Mary Pombares

The sleepover concept was at the time already very popular in UK, Australia and Argentina. After reviewing numerous amazing designs from international vendors, the first steps was to create mock parties for kids parties for the initial portfolio samples. I first ordered 4 teepees and selected four party themes; unicorn,Christmas, a gold and rose affair(Lots of gold and pink colors). The idea was to create mock parties to be displayed in social media and company website. Read more>>

Tara Williams

My mom was a amazing Creole cook born and raised in New Orleans, I started cooking with her at the age of 11 i fell in love with preparing food and watching family and friends enjoy our food. I learned everything I could from my mom. My family said I cooked amazing creole dishes just like her. My mom dream was to own her own cafe. Unfortunately she didn’t have the money to move forward with that she passed in 2014 my goal was to persevere our creole dishes and share them with people all over the states. Read more>>

Brittany Wisner

For many years I wanted to start a business and was convinced I couldn’t do it. Then, in 2019, I found polymer clay and everything changed. I knew clay jewelry was the thing I could and wanted to make a business. I am a very cautious and methodical person, so I wanted to build a strong foundation before jumping in. I spent the better half of five months researching and absorbing as much information as possible. I knew I wanted to start out on Etsy, so I spent a lot of time on Pinterest finding blogs about starting an Etsy shop. Read more>>

Shannon Buzzerio

Growing up all I ever wanted to do was be involved in fashion. My mother enrolled me in dance at an early age. I absolutely love to be apart of the creative process. But the makeup was something that stood out to me the most!
It brought back to the memory of my Mimi putting her red maybelline brown eyeliner on with her blue mirror. I would watch her every time I was there to watch her get ready. Read more>>

Genevieve West

As owning my own bookshop became a possibility. The dream solidified and mental plans formed. I started talking about when I retire I’m going to open a bookstore. The more I talked about it, the more books seemed to come into my life. A few years ago my mentor died. He had been a collector and seller of rare and collectable books. He had an amazing inventory and no family member who wanted to carry on the legacy, so I bought the inventory. Read more>>

Robyn Noble Powell

Bee-lieve it or not, God actually gave me the idea for this business! I have always had a passion for helping people, but I never recognized it as a gift or a talent, especially a marketable one! However, as I was talking to God one day, like I normally do, I asked Him what I could do for extra income— what gifts and talents have He given me. Well, He answered as clear as day, “Do what you’ve been doing all along— help people — that’s the gift and talent I gave you.” At that moment, it was as if a fire was lit inside of me! Read more>>

Webrnd Network

Well coming from Jersey to GA was a big step into coming up with our new Media Production Team Called Webrnd Network. We had meetings on zoom beforehand to make the big step rite before the pandemic. We had countless nights of game planning before we got blessed with a huge opportunity to work for “The Belaire Campaign” thru my client Terrance Holden AKA (Bigg Hustle). We always had the idea to become a network and media service team for the longest. Read more>>

Ashley Cross

The short answer to the question, “Why did you decide to open a distillery?” is that we turned a hobby into a business. I’m not sure I’d advise that of all hobbies because, as I have learned, when you take this leap, your hobby is no longer your hobby; it becomes a do-or-die investment with no option to set it aside for a while, as we do with our hobbies. My husband and I had the “idea” to distill spirits for quite a while and that idea informed our travels for many years, albeit as a leisure activity. Read more>>

Shameka LeCount

Before I ever formally launch my business, I start working on it a year in advance. I put starting a business on the back burner because I let fear and uncertainty make me believe I wasn’t capable of doing it. When I brought up my cosmetic line during a goal-setting conversation with my best friend, she basically told me that I needed to stop letting fear stand in the way of something that I was actually passionate about. Read more>>

Paige Jones

For a long time starting a business was just an idea. This was never really some thing I thought that I could do between my school schedule and my other day to day responsibilities. The summer before my second year of college I decided that it was time to take a chance on myself but I was still scared to go all in. By nature, I’m a perfectionist, so when my business was in the planning stages, I was very particular and specific about the methods I was using for marketing and to brand myself. For about two weeks. I focused specifically on planning my logo, policies, prices, and scheduling. After doing this, it was easier to set up my social media accounts and other methods of advertising. Read more>>

Grace Aguilar

I started by documenting what I would cook at work as a line cook and home when I would cook for friends and family. Everyday became a journey of my culinary lifestyle and people would express how they wanted to try my New Orleans style food so I would throw parties and backyard cookouts to give people a taste. I created a youtube with my same social media handle @bettersaygrace and filmed segments such as “Backyard Cooking” and “50 Plates” to tap into other cultures and it became research. Read more>>

Jen Worcester

I have always loved making things beautiful, giving new life to something old or tired. Pair that with my love of houses and I am in my happy place! My husband and I have always worked hard and tackled countless projects to make whatever house we were living in at the time, the best home it could be. We wanted that house to reach it fulls potential. Throughout the years I was asked repeatedly to help others in their homes, to makeover rooms or update their style via furniture and accessories… Read more>>

Marcus Johnson

The brand- Mi Money Intangibles ®, a luxury streetwear brand that was started during one of the most unprecedented and afflicted times we experienced in the heights of a global crisis. A time where we were forced to deal with our reality and live with our thoughts more than ever…and that was the start. The thought, the idea, the reason, the purpose, it all came to me like lightning and I had no choice but to document those Intangible thoughts and visions. Read more>>

Donna Metz

I had been designing jewelry for a decade when the idea to begin a subscription box service began. I had introduced wax products to my business but knew there was room for growth. When in lockdown during covid, I knew I could immerse in Netflix and take a break (I mean who was buying jewelry in a lockdown?!) Or educate myself and dive head first into a new challenge. I began researching chemical free bath and beauty. Not only body care but facial skin care too. Read more>>

Pat Ryan

The idea for Jewels of Jaipur was initially romantic – the jewels, the artisans, the environment, and the culture of India – how everything comes together to present a beautiful concept. After a career as a buyer specializing in fine jewelry, I developed a love for these creations. This jewelry integrates gemstones with gold and silver resulting in unique styling and composition. Read more>>