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.

Mekhi Turner

I’m self-taught and still learning each day. I love being a student to the craft and will always be open to learning new techniques i might not know much about. There wasn’t a major obstacle for me because I’d do my research if there was something I needed or wanted to know. I’m from Ohio which is an obstacle for wanting to be a celebrity and fashion photographer that is obsessed with old Hollywood. I’d study the cinematography in films, television, and those of legendary photographers. I wanted to shape my business around how photography, directing, and creative direction were in the golden era and new hollywood. Read more>>

Carley Morton

I have always been a reader, but specifically a romance reader. In August 2023 I went to a local book convention. I was supposed to go Friday and Saturday but I had my wisdom teeth removed on Friday. But EVER THE TROOPER, I went to the event Saturday (in pain and on pain killers). The first panel started by talking about romance only bookstores in the US. I said, out loud probably, I CAN OPEN A BOOKSTORE. Then I started texting my husband all the facts about romance books. A few weeks later (once I wasn’t taking meds for my teeth) my husband mentioned how he had started doing research on bookstores and said “I think you should do it. Read more>>

Tene Uleksin

When I was first introduced to life coaching and I was offered training to become a coach, I used to struggle with social anxiety, so the thought of having to talk to another person one-on-one was something that made me say “no” to this without any hesitation. A couple of months later out of nowhere the “knowing” hit me – this is exactly what I want to do! As I defeated depression three years earlier, I knew without a question what I wanted to help others with. Read more>>

Mina Hadey

My journey into the world of eyebrow threading began when I was around 12 or 13 years old. Growing up in a Middle Eastern household, it was customary for my mother to thread the eyebrows of both my sister and me, as this practice is prevalent in Iraq, my country of origin. However, after a mishap with my brows, I felt compelled to learn the technique myself to avoid relying on her expertise. At that time, my passion for beauty-particularly makeup and hairstyling-was flourishing, and I took a keen interest in perfecting my eyebrows. Read more>>

Rachel Diaz

Throughout my 20’s I continuously questioned my decisions. Should I take this job? Should I rent that apartment? I’m a perfectionist, and as someone who never wants to fail, I was always scared to make the wrong move. I worked odd end jobs, convincing myself I had it all figured out until it dawned on me, I wanted to travel! I applied to a travel agency in Orange County, CA and got the job straight away. I worked there a solid 2 years and traveled all over the South Pacific, until it was time to realize my worth. I was one of the top sales people on the team (selling travel packages to honeymooners and anniversary go-ers), so naturally, I asked for a raise.  Read more>>

Yulia Lobacheva

Our journey to opening Lawa Salon began long before we arrived in the U.S. When we moved here in 2018, I already knew that my experience and passion for the beauty industry would be the key to a new beginning. My first encounter with the profession happened back in 2010 in Russia, when I enrolled in beauty school and began mastering the art of hair extensions using Italian techniques and complex coloring. However, moving to the States required me to adapt and undergo new training to obtain a license to work in Florida. This journey wasn’t easy, but it opened up new horizons for me. While studying at an American beauty school, I not only learned new skills but also shared my experience with my classmates, teaching them what I already knew. Read more>>

Karla Lasmar De Araujo Lasmar

” Brazilian entrepreneur and writer for over 20 years in the United States. The author tells her story from life in Brazil to a successful career in the beauty industry in the city of Boca Raton, FL, in her most recent work, Through the Eyes of Faith in the Broward Center of the Performing Arts -on May /2023. ” Karla Lasmar Araújo is a Brazilian entrepreneur who has lived in the United States for over 20 years. She worked in several different areas, constantly innovating and creating opportunities for work and development for others until she became an international reference in the beauty field. After several years of working in salons from Sunny Isles to Fort Lauderdale, I realized it was time to start my own business. But finding the perfect space proved to be a challenge. We searched for a long time until one day, I noticed a vacant space near our supplier, SalonCentric. I called to inquire about leasing it, but as it turned out, that location wasn’t available. Read more>>

Michael Raanan

Before starting my own businesses, I worked at the Internal Revenue Service and had the unique experience of working directly with thousands of business taxpayers. Through my interactions with those business owners, I had learned a lot about the do’s and don’ts of business and incorporated many of those lessons into my initial business plan. However, as with all new businesses, IRSvideos.com was faced with the challenge of finding new clients, telling the world that we exist, and effectively and consistently serving taxpayers with the highest quality of IRS tax resolution possible. Although we’ve been at it for over twelve years now and have been fortunate to see a certain level of success, we are constantly faced with regular challenges that keep us on our toes.  Read more>>

Natalie Daratony

For me, it is essential to not leave too much space between the moment of dream/idea and the actual physical manifestation of that idea. I have noticed that the longer I wait before just diving into something, the more fear, doubt, and excuses have room to creep in and suffocate the excitement of the unknown out of the project. The moment of the big jump from idea to physical exploration of that idea is the most exciting moment and the moment that ignites the entire project. The unknown should be the excitement that keeps the projects’ wonderment and experimentation continually unfolding. If you sit in the over-thinking stage, you lose traction and try to control too much instead of experiencing it. Read more>>

Alexis Ramdaou

When I decided to start Now It’s Hear, the idea had been brewing for a while. I have spent over a decade working as a producer and content creator, building podcasts from the ground up. But I was ready to launch something that was truly mine—a company that would not just tell stories but amplify voices, push the boundaries of audio, and bring fresh talent to the forefront. Sure, there were tons of shows out there, but so there are so many emerging storytellers and leaders struggling to get their ideas off the ground. They have incredible stories but need the right support to bring them to life. That’s when I knew I wanted to create a company that would not only produce top-quality content but also collaborate with a wide array of voices in the industry. Read more>>

Gavin Bacher

The creative process is deeply personal. I like to think about it like the process of getting ready in the morning. Everyone has their own routine. A way they either get ready the fastest, the best most productive way, or the way that makes them the most comfortable. Some people are really open about this process. They share it online or with the people they live with. Some take this routine as something super sacred. They share it with no one and if they do it’s only with the people closest to them. Sometimes these morning routines are chaotic with toothpaste everywhere and clothes thrown out of the closet in a giant pile. At the same time, others have a list or are very organized with it. All this to say the creative process is DEEPLY unique to the creative. Read more>>

Cassy Carpino

I was always tutoring and teaching. It was a great second source of income that I called my “fun money”. When I was pregnant with my son I told myself I would do nothing during maternity leave (I am a natural busybody). I finished all my tutor clients and went on maternity leave from the school board. 6 weeks postpartum a former client called and needed help with an application for her son. I should note I tutored all three of her kids previously and this was a quick ask. She then connected me to his educational councillor who helped partner students with tutors who looked past the normal curriculum and helped with executive functioning skills. Read more>>

Donald Robertson Jr

For me, the ultimate goal was to always do for self. In my mind, I wanted to create a company that best represent me personally and professionally. The idea came to me back in 2016 when I was at work. I knew at some point that I was destined to control my narrative and to display my talents to the world. During that time, I felt that I wasn’t in the best financial position to start up a company when my idea was so new to me. I witness a lot of small businesses being formed but fail to maintain stability due to financial hardship or the lack of strategic planning. I knew my time was coming but I was willing to be patient to develop something that means more than just myself. Having the ability to move the way that you want while taking the time to execute what you want is truly special! Read more>>

Pamela Alloway

As a young girl I always love Romance. I started writing poetry and drawing in my pre teens. One day I decided I wanted to write Romance novels. But the Kind that had suspense, Drama and much more. The passion and the desire led me to write. I love writing beautiful love stories. My first book is “Gone” the second one is “ALL I NEEDED WAS YOU.” It just came out on Amazon and Kindle. Read more>>

Natalie Jas

I was a stay-at-home mom eager to get back to work, so I started applying for jobs and landing them. But it didn’t take long to realize that balancing a full-time job with being there for my family wasn’t going to work. That’s when I began exploring ways to make money online and stumbled upon UGC—User Generated Content. With my business marketing background and a knack for creating organic videos, I thought this could be a perfect fit. And I was right! It didn’t take long for me to discover just how well it suited me. Now, I’m able to do what I love, stay connected with my family, and still grow a successful business from home. Read more>>

Victoria Jean

The first step for me was to believe in my abilities. Trusting that I was skilled and talented enough to sell my skills was crucial. I needed to have confidence in my ability to provide the services I wanted to offer, and crossing that hurdle was the greatest challenge. Before I began freelancing, I worked for a telemarketing company that drained much of my energy. It was hard to invest time in myself and my aspirations because my days off were spent recuperating from a job that left me exhausted. I was clear on the type of work I wanted to do and how I wanted to feel about my work. Unfortunately, I wasn’t honoring my mission and purpose. After numerous burnouts and uninspiring work experiences, I decided to take a leap into the unknown and bet on myself. Read more>>

Eric Porter

It started as an idea as a 12 year old. Then after playing college basketball, I got connected to a former Nike designer and shared the idea of creating a shoe that focuses on comfort and lightweight. We spent the next 6 months designing the shoe and then the next year 1/2 developing the shoe with a former adidas developer. We launched in 2021 and have been approved by the NBA, had over 75 pro athletes across the world wear and got into retail Recently had athletes wear our shoes in the Paris 2024 Olympics. Read more>>

Diana Hardage

Every artist has a different methodology for processing their ideas and potentially turning them into material objects. For me, most of my ideas come to me in dreams or right before I’m about to fall asleep so I try to jot a loose idea down before I go to bed. Usually, I get a vision of the project as a whole and then the creative process is just me trying to replicate the image in my mind as best as possible. For my most recent body of work “Until I Can’t Anymore” I knew I wanted black and white images with spikey picture frames that I hand made from clay. The subject matter of the images sort of fell into place after that. Moving from idea to creation was actually a very slow process for this work. Read more>>