Finding the key partners to work with can make or break your venture. After thousands of conversations with aspiring entrepreneurs, it’s one of the most common obstacles and risks holding folks back from pursuing their idea. So – we asked some of the smartest, most resourceful entrepreneurs in the community to share their lessons and insights to help inspire and educate the next great set of entrepreneurs.

Brooke Mayo

Finding partners in a small community like the Outer Banks really comes down to building meaningful and real relationships. We started by getting to know the businesses and offering the best photography services we could. As we worked with people, they liked and trusted us more and began referring our business to others. Over time, some of those folks moved on to bigger companies and helped connect us to new opportunities. Read more>>

Kimmi Nguyen Lehr

I first connected with Sienna Mulch, a local landscape resource company, while organizing a charity garden workshop last Fall for families about growing lettuce greens and wildflowers to support Hurricane Helene relief efforts. To make the event as impactful as possible, I reached out to local businesses for donated supplies. Sienna Mulch responded with enthusiasm and generosity, donating all the locally crafted premium soil needed for the workshop. Read more>>

Steffen Kenney

I’m often asked how I source my cheeses, and I have a feeling people envision me traveling to places like Switzerland, France, and Italy to taste things and make decisions on what I might want to carry in my shop. Unfortunately, it’s far less adventurous than that, at least from my experience. Before opening Stand Alone Cheese I had roughly 15 years of experience working in the industry, tasting cheeses, talking to people, and learning what I like and what sells. When I decided to pursue opening my own store I already had a good grasp on what to carry and who I would get it from. Most specialty food stores get their products from distributors who do the importing and show off their delicious products at convention halls where shop owners and buyers for larger chains gather to taste and talk. Read more>>

Scott Roush

I make my living writing background music for TV shows and commercials. Most of the time, however, I don’t sell my music directly to the production companies making the TV shows or commercial commercials. Instead, I rely on companies called music libraries to act as the go-between that I can focus on making the music, and they take care of the sales aspect. Read more>>