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.

Gail Jillissen | Wife & Mom who Loves Camping

I have always enjoyed camping and used to arrange camping trips with my friends nearly every month. For me it is a form of therapy as I come back feeling refreshed and ready to get back to my daily routine again. When Covid-19 started, my husband and I were forced to close our business we had been running for 13 years so we had to start thinking of what to do next. We noticed, with everything shut down, there wasn’t much to do, but you could still go camping. I realized that I was probably not the only one getting cabin fever, and if I had the right camping trailers, other people would want to use them too. Read more>>

Steven Sashen | CEO, co-fouder of XeroShoes.com and Masters All-American sprinter

Well, it wasn’t really my idea. That is, I never planned to start this business. Let me explain. Fourteen years ago, when I was 45, I got back into sprinting after a 30 year break. And for the next two years, I was getting injured constantly. A world-champion runner suggested I try getting out of my “normal” running shoes — padded, motion controlling, arch supporting — and see what I learned by running barefoot. In short, when my bare feet were on the ground I could feel the form problem I had which was clearly causing my injuries. Read more>>

Amy Collins | Café Entrepreneur

Before moving to the US, our hybrid US/Australian family often had US visitors come to Sydney. These people were a mix of family members and friends. Every visitor was exposed to the very robust Australian café culture while they were in Sydney and the response from them was invariably delight at the experience. Unique food combinations and great coffee were not things they usually associated with coffee stores in the US. So, with these experiences in mind, when my parents moved to the US, and part way through my anthropology degree, as a family of entrepreneurs we started to formulate plans to recreate the Australian café experience in the US. Read more>>

Vannessa Rhoades | Founder | Author | HSR Certified Home Stager

Since 2013, we have staged or consulted on hundreds of properties in Houston’s western suburbs. In late 2019, we made the decision to focus on consultations for occupied homes. Over the years, we recognized there was a huge need for a home staging company that specialized in positive, empowering, practical consultations for home sellers who planned to occupy their homes while on the market. By shifting our focus, we have been able to meet those needs and help even more homeowners learn how to maximize what they already have in order to sell their homes faster and more profitably! Read more>>

Ruben Gonzalez | Olympian, Author, Keynote Speaker

I’m a four-time Olympian in the sport of luge. I used to sell copiers in Downtown Houston, TX. Right before the 2002 Slat Lake City Olympics, a 12-year-old kid in my neighborhood asked me if I would be his “show-and-tell” project when I came back from the Olympics. Thinking it would be just a few kids in his classroom I agreed. When I went to his school, the Principal took me to a room filled with 200 students and teachers and said, “You have 45 minutes.” I thought I was going to die and almost ran out the door. I told the kids my story and gave them tips they could use to realize their goals and dreams. Read more>>

Brandon Bonine | Husband, Father & Entrepreneur

When my wife and I started dating and became engaged, I was a private motorcycle mechanic. I traveled all over the United States working on bikes, it was fun and a great career but I knew I wanted something that would allow me to be home with her and our future family. That was when she encouraged me to think about installing gutters down here in Texas. I consulted with a few motocross friends who owned construction businesses and they confirmed that there was absolutely a demand for gutters down here and even put me in contact with people who I still install gutters for to this day (so thankful for those friends and their expertise!) Read more>>

Robert Reder | Attorney @ Blythe Grace / Partner @ Grace Health Initiative

The idea of opening a small law firm is not unique, or particularly creative. So I decided to exhibit creativity and uniqueness where I could. In Arizona, unlike many other U.S. states, lawyers can practice under a trade name instead of the lawyer’s own name. For example a “John Smith” might open a law firm called “John Smith & Associates” or “The Law Office of John Smith.” Because that is common practice, I thought something different would help us stand out and pay tribute to what is truly important. I named my law firm “Blythe Grace” because those are my sisters’ middle names combined. There is nothing more important than family. Read more>>

Andrea Castaneda | Flower Preservation Artist & Entrepreneur

I started preserving flowers in 2016 after receiving a beautiful bouquet from my now fiancé for Valentine’s Day. My inspiration was his grandmother; she used the process too and we still occasionally find flowers in her old books! I’ve always considered myself creative, but it wasn’t until then that I discovered that I could make my career out of something I could make, using my imagination, my hands, and flowers. I remember the very first two projects I made with the first bouquet I preserved: Read more>>

Whitney Teyf | Artistic director, owner, founder, dance instructor

Expressions In Motion Dance came to life in 2006 when I saw there was a need for convenient dance education for children as an after-school onsite program. I was the full-time dance teacher at an Elementary School when a parent asked me if I could hold classes for her children at the school but after school hours. We decided to see if there was interest from any other families for this sort of thing so I created a flyer and handed it out. the day after I handed out these flyers I had a stack of registration forms and that is when I quickly knew that there was a need for this program. Parents want their children to participate in a fun and healthy activity after school and this program created a convenient opportunity for parents and their kids. Read more>>

Hugo Paredes | Entrepreneur

The idea of starting a limo company all started in 2006 after a group of real estate friends had just closed a large deal. The commission payout was so high that it was more then enough to purchase a Hummer Limo. The excitement was unreal and we knew we had to celebrate big with a limo ride. Read more>>

Karuna | Yoga Teacher

Somebody asked me as a teacher to offer the teachings through my unique platform. Two gentlemen from Los Angeles who were in the wellness industry working with yoga teachers building websites and branding approached me and with their track record, knowledge of the industry, I found funding to move ahead. SO from going to idea to execution, it meant building a website, building an app, finding a name, finding the funding, many meetings of introduction to the practice and how it was relevant to the times were in now. Read more>>

Carissa Gould | Owner/Operator Mama’s Dogs Boutique Hot Dog Cart and Catering

I wanted a hot dog cart for many years before I actually bought one. I know that might sound crazy, but you wouldn’t believe how many people have stopped me and told me they always wanted one too. After pondering the idea for many years, being in a position where I needed to be self employed, and having the funds to start my business it all came into alignment in May of 2012. Strolling through my central Phoenix neighborhood at the time with my 1 year old twins and toddler in tow, I popped into a hot dog cart manufacturers storefront that just so happened to be down the street from my house at the time. Read more>>

Louis Robinson | Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Veteran

Coming up with the Idea for Robinson Dog Training was pretty simple. Since I am a Veteran K-9 Handler it seemed like a pretty natural fit. I attended one of the best K9 handler schools in the world and I am good with people so it was a no-brainer. With world-class instruction and a bright-eyed smile, the industry was my oyster. I started with obedience training for household pets then I expanded into more training niches like Protection, service, detections, and more. My unique background helps distinguish me from most other trainers and gives me the ability to handle the cases they can’t or won’t. Read more>>

Bernadette Marshall | IP Patent Drawing specialist

I never would have guessed I would end up running a business specializing in the creation of patent drawings. In South Africa I attended the Johannesburg High School for Art, Ballet & Music. I studied sculpture, figure drawing, oil and watercolor painting, stage design and photography. I went on to specialize in graphic design, honing my creativity in design studios and advertising agencies, including the Johannesburg office of Young & Rubicam. I came to the USA in 1989 and started a design studio. At the time I had a fuzzy idea of what a patent is but no idea of how the process works. Read more>>

Elena Thornton and James Thornton | Photographers

I noticed that people were reacting positively to photos on social media. I had a little camera that I used to take photos of my art, so I started bringing it with me to events. I started taking pictures at our Arizona Consortium for the Arts community organization events and at other charity, community and social events and would post them on social media. I just wanted to feature them and help them with visibility. Read more>>

AmyK Hutchens | International, Award Winning Speaker, Amazon #1 Bestselling Author & Founder of shegetsit.com

There’s a trite adage, especially for women: “Find your voice.” Know one needs to find their voice – we all know exactly where it resides. The bigger challenge is using it and using it effectively. The seed for my business was planted earlier than I realized. As a child I was shy and awkward with my peers. I didn’t know what to say, and when I did speak, it came out weird and seemingly “wrong.” I felt left out, excluded, as if I was dumb and no one really liked me. As an elementary school teacher I watched young children struggle to use their voices as well, and I realized it wasn’t just me. It’s painful for so many of us. Read more>>

Yoram Solomon | TRUST Investigator

I was always involved with innovation. Whether as an engineer in companies I worked for, or later by helping other companies generate creative ideas. When it was time to come up with a topic for my PhD dissertation, I was aiming low. “A good dissertation is a DONE dissertation,” I was told. But my dissertation mentor was expecting more of me. “I want you to research something that will improve the lives of others,” he said. So, I came up with topic ideas, and he kept knocking them down. Read more>>

Chris O’Brien | Coffee Roaster

I’ve been a bicycle commuter since I started riding bikes in my early 20s. I love getting to work by bike- even when it gets cold or rainy. I worked at a local cafe and roastery for almost 7 years, and I commuted by bike every day. I have a few bikes, each for different purposes. I have a mountain bike for trails, a fancy carbon road bike for going on long endurance rides, and a few others. I had been working at the cafe for maybe 5 years when I started working on the concept for Coffee Cycle. Read more>>

Kelly Gulbrandsen | Pilates Instructor/Studio Owner + Creator of Sweat Love Soul

It was the 2019, the opportunity to expand my Pilates Studio had just come about. Through out this process, my eyes were opened to ways I could touch more people than just the clients I get to see on a daily basis. Yes, I wanted to spread my passion of movement and health, But I also wanted to do something a bit different, all while making a difference in my community. After chatting with my husband and two children about our possibilities, my, then 6 year old daughter, came up with the idea of creating a clothing company. This wouldn’t be any ordinary clothing, this would be clothing that empowered, inspired, and motivated you to be exactly who you were born to be. Read more>>

Wilene Dunn | Consultant & Entrepreneur

My favorite story is how my business was born and how it has evolved through every thought I think and every word I speak. I believe anyone, can create anything, if they are clear about what it is that they want. Here’s my story. I was in a 22 year career in the legal field. One day in 2007, I was in my car and I said, “I want a job I can do from anywhere and not sit in traffic ever again, unless I choose to sit in traffic.” Shortly after, I was laid off from my current sales position and went to work in staffing. Read more>>

Mark Zisek | Business Owner and Entrepreneur

I was taking an Entrepreneurship class at NYU Stern School MBA program and by dumb luck, my Professor was on the same commuter train from NY to NJ. It turned into an extra 45 minutes or so of extra discussion twice a week. One specific “tip” stuck with me – “there are 270 million Americans, if you find a need, likely others have the same”. Fast forward 4 years and I was at a Cable Television trade show …. these are “events” with great giveaways and things to attract visitors to booths: celebrities, sports stars, t-shirts, hats, and tons of others. Read more>>

Kate Boccia | CEO

My desperation to help my incarcerated son forced me to learn how to navigate a very complex criminal justice system. I was determined to get to the highest level officials in corrections to discuss my concerns. Because of my tenacity I became an expert that other families leaned on when they needed help. My idea began when I was standing in line to visit my son in prison. I realized at that moment that the families of those that are incarcerated are the completely alienated from doing anything to help their loved ones inside. Read more>>

Elizabeth Gerdes | Custom Drapery Workroom Owner

I had been working for a small business, running their day-to-day operations, when I became pregnant with twins. That pregnancy was very complicated and I had to leave that job to focus on the pregnancy. However, I ultimately ended up losing it and it devastated me, crushing my soul, and fracturing everything I thought I knew about life. I did not return to that job, but I did take a similar job elsewhere for a while. Read more>>

Darla Shirley | Founder

After entering an apartment at Shadow Creek Apartments in Oak Cliff, with just the intentions of saying hello to a mom and kids, I found that there were no beds and very little groceries in their apartment! How could this be?! I realized that day that everyone in need were not in the West Dallas projects, they could be right next door. I wanted to do something but what? I always heard that when you hear yourself say “somebody ought to do something”, check to see if your’e that somebody! I immediately rented an old dilapidated warehouse at Edgefield and Davis in Oak Cliff. Read more>>

Gregg Visintainer | Pen & Ink Artist

School and I never got alone. Looking back at it I’m not sure if it was because I was always bored in class or just didn’t care to learn. The one thing I do know is that school is where my style of art started and developed. I was an 80’s and 90’s kid! One of the poplar kids magazines was the Highlights Magazine. This was before cell phones so time was spent a little different. I remember every time I went to the doctors office I would dig through all the book and magazines to find Highlights. I loved looking for the hidden items in the pictures and all the crazy artwork. Read more>>

Christina Gambino | Serial Entrepreneur & 3x American Ninja Warrior

I always knew I would own a gym one day, but I didn’t know it would be a ninja warrior training facility. I didn’t have access to obstacle training in Palm Beach County and travelled the country by RV exploring gyms. I learned the ins and outs of programs, pricing and processes. I interviewed owners, employees and customers and created my own business plan. I knew this would work because there are a lot of families looking for fun things to do indoors in Florida. Read more>>

Jennifer Allen | Elopement and Micro Wedding Expert

On Tuesday, July 22, 2010, Tavarous asked me to be his wife. I was surprised, elated and so excited! Fast forward five days later and we were standing in the Court House getting married! My mom took the pictures on her cell phone and my Tavarous had on the same clothes he proposed in. I was looking really chic in my $15 white linen dress from Wal-Mart. This should have been the happiest day of my life, I was about to marry the man of my dreams and our forever would officially start. RIGHT? Not quite, I felt rushed and just another number in City Hall. Read more>>

Monica Seif | Photographer

I’m Monica, an Engineer who became a photographer. I am passionate about all aspects of photography and making my clients happy. I love using natural light to deliver a beautiful picture that has a touch of fine art… I remember waking up one morning, when I was around 6 years old, and seeing my picture right next to me that my parents had just brought from the studio! boy, did it make me smile big… for not just a moment … but for years. As I got older I realized that, through using my photography talent and my love for art, I can too make so many people smile, and even tear up from happiness. Just like that photographer once did for me long time ago :) Read more>>

Abel Garcia | Professional artist

My life long DREAM as a child was to be an artist. I knew when I was 6yrs old I wanted to create. My vision, creativity and faith has gotten me through every obstacle that has unfolded in my life. From humble beginnings of las cruces, New Mexico to the big city of DFW has been nothing less than a roller coaster ride. The biggest aspect of my company /career is the people and how my art interacts with them. I have a pretty cool niche of taking my clients ideas and turning them into reality in my very own specific visual language. From working with professional athletes and teams to major brands and endorsements deals, i feel very humbled and greatful to create. Given the fact that 7 years prior I was living in my car in Dallas. JERIMIAH 29:11 Read more>>

Viviana Estrada | Business Owner

I used to work for corporate America and one day I had the opportunity to transfer to Asia and get certified training on several Asian practices that deal with the concept of vital energy Qi, also known as Chi and pronounced “chee”. This is a concept that is not widely known in the west side of the world but deeply studied in the east, where it is vastly applied to the development of healing and life improvement practices and techniques. There is vital energy Qi flowing everywhere, within the body, outside the body and throughout the whole universe. When Qi is activated, stimulated, or manipulated, Read more>>

Chef Christopher Stephens | Personal Chef

This was always something that I wanted to accomplish. It honestly feel different when you start to work for yourself, the stress on the day and the daily grind just starts to disappear. Cooking is a passion of mine, but I felt like I was losing my passion working in the restaurant industry. I needed to find a way out and still do what I loved. Becoming a personal chef was a very easy decision for me, it allowed me to continue to pursue my future goals while allowing myself to continue to grow as a chef. Read more>>

Dave Kamena | Brand Architect

Our story started in 1998, just about the time the old-school-short volleyball shorts were beginning to look silly (they are back). My friends and I didn’t like the fit of the surf shorts that were available; they were made to fit surfer kids, not competitive athletes. So a few of us got together, searched for some cool fabric and got to work in a garage in South Mission Beach, California. I had worked a few days cutting fabric for my neighbors’ jacket company and learned how to make patterns. I worked after dark in the garage with my favorite shorts, taking the best attributes from each style to piece together what I thought would be a good looking, great fitting pair of beach volleyball shorts. A guy named Stanley stitched them up for us in his garage. Read more>>

Taylor Heaton | Autism Advocate & Resource Creator

I was diagnosed as autistic at 31 years of age in 2020. This was after decades of wondering why I felt so different and trying to figure out how to manage my constantly overworked brain. I spent a lot of time in therapy as a young adult and was met with suggestions for managing anxiety and lessening stress. I did my best to follow these instructions but it just wasn’t enough, no matter what I tried. In 2019, one of my colleagues mentioned that she knew someone my age who was recently diagnosed with autism. I had gone to college with this person and saw them as someone who, from the outside, appeared pretty “normal.” Read more>>

Zoey Hunter Vick | Tattoo Artist

Heart n Soul Tattoo, Its what I knew it would take to make it – my Heart and Soul. I come from a self employed family so I had very little fear of being self employed. I believe deeply in the roots of my trade and its history – doing it “right”..meaning doing a proper apprenticeship and going from there. My road wasn’t as simple as I had thought it would be, after a few years working for the artist who initially taught me the tools of the trade I branched out to meet older tattooers who were much more like minded to me. Read more>>

Ken Kuhlken | novelist

I was twenty-something and had lately become the client of a quite successful literary agent. During a break from my job substitute teaching, I visited a friend who spent summers on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. One evening we got invited to a party in King’s Beach at a cabin only a couple hundred yards from the lake. The cabin was one large room. On one (smoky) end was a cluster of about a dozen people passing marijuana joints around. On the other end of the room was a group, most of whom looked high school and college age, sitting in a circle. Read more>>

Joe Novak | Kid at Heart and Toy Store Owner

How did I come to own a toy store, it was really an epiphany that took almost 20 years to develop. Coming out of business school I knew I liked to make deals and create value, I also knew I did not like to wear suits. So the toy and entertainemnt industries were a perfect fit for me. As I progressed professionally, I marketed, sold, developed, and managed toy brands and IP worldwide. I totally enjoyed seeing an idea go from my head to retail, and wearing jeans or shorts while doing so. Then I met a girl, it happens to us all in one form or another. Read more>>

Dan Glaser | Dog Trainer

Honestly, I just needed and wanted a job that I could be passionate about and hit a wall of dead end, meaningless jobs. I was good with dogs and finally connected the dots. Sadly so many dogs are often given up to shelters or even just dumped by owners just because of a behavioral issue that they don’t realize is a simple fix with just a little bit of training. My passion for dogs runs deep in my blood since birth. My approach is making sure I treat every client as a friend and every dog as my own. Read more>>

Cher Lindsey | Mobil Spa service for special needs clients

After 18 yrs of being in business and owning a day spa, the recession (2009) hit & times were very uncertain so I took my show on the road to service some of my existing clients. I then over the years began so focus on my aging clients and decided there was a real need to help those suffering with obesity, Parkinson’s, and other health problems. I learned how to accommodate everyone and never have I met someone I could not help. Read more>>

BRETT CAMPBELL | Boat Dealer owner

Well it actually started when everything crashed in 2008 and wiped out 90% of the custom boat builders on the west coast. had previously worked for Kachina and Eliminator powerboats for 15 years prior with most of my time at Kachina helping build the company from a small jetboat company to a 40′ sterndrive models at the ending. So with everything being gone and being in such a niche market I didnt know what to do with myself so I had to start selling cars (which was always my biggest nightmare and fear) for about 2 years and doing boat stuff on the side until one day at the beginning of a season I made 4 appointments and got a place setup and off and rolling I was with only about 10k and no inventory or tools other than hand tools to start. Read more>>

Stephen Carrington | Private Guitar Instructor

I was able to withstand the initial rounds of layoffs when the Great Recession first started, but after a couple of years my employer at the time ended up going out of business…and so I was left to fend for myself, right as the biggest recession in generations got into full swing. After witnessing the layoffs and the state of the company, I had been trying to secure some sort of alternative employment…but I had been coming up empty-handed in the job search, and so when I ultimately became out of work I had to acknowledge that continuing to just submit job applications and trying to follow the traditional employment route was not resulting in any success. Read more>>

Violet Stanford | Sparklers for Weddings & Events Planner

Entering into the Wedding Sparklers market was quite a shock to me! It wasn’t until I was planning my own wedding that I realized how difficult it was to find true wedding sparklers. The only type of sparkler you could find was your ordinary 4th of July or New Years’ sparklers which would give off too much smoke for you to have the perfect wedding departure. After spending an entire day searching for steel wire core sparklers which help make them virtually smokeless and ashless sparklers I felt like it shouldn’t ever be this hard to have a wedding sparkler exit. Read more>>

Tyler Copenhaver-Heath | Entrepreneur

One of the best things I’ve ever heard in relation to business or life is Steve Jobs speech to Standford. He speaks of seemingly unrelated occurrences in his life that at the time didn’t have anything to do with eachother. But looking backward you could see how they actually came together to create Apple. Bad things happen in life. In my business career I’ve dealt with a fire burning down a location. Robberies, lawsuits employee issues and more. You ask yourself sometimes why me? Read more>>

Rick Caouette | Aerospace Filter Design Professional

I am an entrepreneur. I have been one since college where opportunity met desperation. In 1995 I was running a sales department of about 22 sales reps. We sold oil analysis kits to monitor the condition of jet engines from the inside. Taking samples and looking for wear metals, one can determine the wear trends on a jet engine and head off expensive repairs. One problem arose in which the owner of this company was adjusting or manipulating the contents of his products to gain greater profits. Read more>>

cindy lucio | adventure travel leader

I love to travel, I love to plan travel, so why not let other people share in the fun? I have always loved to read about the “out of the way” places, beautiful beaches, cabins in the woods, nature hikes, bike rides and adventures that are extraordinary. I love to experience the food and customs of people from different cultures, whether in our own neighborhood or across the globe. As a chef, I sometimes start with food as a topic, who doesn’t like to eat! I also have an art background and am an athlete, of course these are two other areas that I incorporate into travel. Read more>>

Vince Obarski | Owner/brewer of Twisted Horn Mead & Cider

Picture a 10 YO boy playing his favorite game (D&D) and “provisioning up” for the next campaign. In his provisions he included “mead” yet he knew not what exactly it was, other than it was more expensive than beer and ale “so it must be good?” Fast forward 15 years and now the same individual is in the armed forces and on a joint military exercise in Norway. During one of the few opportunities to “go to town” and get some good hot food and drink he happens into a tavern and espies the word Mjod on the wall. Asking the barkeep what the word meant, he was blown over when the response was mead. Read more>>