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.

Jessica Lessard

About ten years ago, I took a hair extension class that completely shifted my career. I rebuilt my clientele around extensions and quickly realized the industry was missing something major! Clients were spending thousands on their hair, but there weren’t products designed to protect that hair investment. Nothing on the market truly cared for extensions without compromising natural hair. Read More>>

WILLIAM REEVES

I moved to Denver in 2011 from Philadelphia, where I owned a small skateboard company for a few years. I pretty quickly realized that the company was not going to make it when I moved to Colorado. At the same time I was a full time fish monger and since I let the skateboard company go, I needed a new creative outlet. Read More>>

Dana Bee Jacobson

The idea for being your holistic connector was born from my own personal journey — the one that taught me how healing truly happens in community. Read More>>

Bonita Moore

The idea for my business came from my own wellness journey. During my breast cancer treatment, seamoss was recommended to me for its healing and nutritional benefits. I began supporting local vendors and using it regularly, but over time I became curious about the process and wanted to perfect my own recipe. Read More>>

Debra Clary

he idea for The Curiosity Curve started as a joke, a question, and a puzzle. The joke happened on a train from Rome to Florence. A handsome Italian man turned to me and asked, “Are you American?” When I said yes, he smiled and said, “Then I know what happens next. Read More>>

Prosser Project

Prosser Project is a collective of three female psychologists–Dr. Veronica Coriano, Dr. Trenesha Hill, and Dr. Ashlee Yates Flanagan–who saw a need for more representation in children’s literature. We met while pursuing our PhDs in school psychology. During our training, we relied heavily on children’s books to support emotional and social development. Read More>>

Lynne Payne

The idea of Wear Love became a reality when in 2010 I stumbled into something unexpected. What started as a photo art venture with a friend took a wild turn when we printed some vintage tees to promote our company. We stamped our name on the back and Wear Love on the front. Then something crazy happened. People wanted the tees. Read More>>

Kourtney Kalahar

KKActive wasn’t created in a moment of inspiration, it was born out of survival. At the time, my life felt like it was falling apart from every angle. I was a brand new mom dealing with postpartum, isolated from my support system, and navigating a dying father and an unraveling relationship almost entirely on my own. Every day felt heavier than the last. Read More>>

Shastina Troup

Why I Opened Haven Play Lounge & Cafe? It’s so much more than an indoor playground or just a cafe. I wanted to create a space where people could have fun, feel happiness, and find a sense of community and belonging. I had a lot of heartbreak growing up and lost many of my family and friends. Read More>>

Jill Cherry

Honestly, Cherry Picked Web Co. was born out of both frustration, inspiration and a good ‘ole push from my business mentor and husband. At the time, I was working closely with my husband in his practice and kept noticing the same thing — all marketing and website companies offered the same thing; expensive services with little to no ROI. Read More>>

Irina Sednev

I was born into a family of medical professionals—my father was a surgeon, and my mother a nurse. Naturally, I was expected to follow the same path. I even completed a year of medical school back in my home country. From an early age, I knew I was meant to help people and make a positive difference in their lives. Read More>>

Margi Pandya

The year was 2021. The world was still navigating the complexities of the COVID-19 era, and for me, Margi Pandya, life was on an indefinite pause. I was in a necessary holding pattern, waiting for my work visa renewal. Professionally, I was halted, which brought an overwhelming sense of frustration and restlessness. Read More>>

Madeline carolina Reyes guzman

when I start to clen houses I was and it still as if it were my onw house ,with love ,exited and passion the idea come a person who needed help at home while she worked because she didnt have time to organized,clean,and maintenance her big home.with every little details Read More>>

Annie Highwater

I went through a season where addiction became prevalent all around me. The opiate epidemic exploded through my family. I devoured any content I could find on the subject. Books, lectures, classes, content, etc. I found a great deal…but it was all from the perspective of the person who overcame the addiction to a substance, chemical, or behavior. Read More>>

Judith Onuwa

When I moved from Houston to San Antonio, it was a culture shock. I struggled to find people who looked like me or beauty professionals who really understood my hair and style. Read More>>

Anniesha McDonald

The idea for my business was born out of both passion and purpose. I’ve always loved beauty, not just the artistry, but the confidence it brings to others. I started Ann-LASH Beauty Bar with nothing more than a vision, a single chair, and a determination to create something of my own. Read More>>

Jesús Arias

The Arias Journal didn’t start as a publication, it started as an idea shared between family and friends. In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, I launched an Instagram page to share essential updates, from county health mandates to local city information, so people in our community could stay informed. It was simple, reliable, and rooted in service. From there, the idea began to grow. Read More>>

Katherine Hesami

I started my counseling degree while raising my daughter, and I knew I needed a way to support her while finishing school. I have a background in marketing, podcast production and viral content. As I began studying psychology and counseling, I noticed how naturally it connected with the work I was already doing. Read More>>

Alex Hilburn

The idea for The Surge didn’t come from outside the culture, it came from being in it for years. My partners and I have all spent our careers around creators, festival promoters, artists, and entrepreneurs. We’ve seen the grind up close, the talent that’s right on the edge, and how the industry usually only pays attention once someone has already blown up. Read More>>

Tasha Hutchison

I’m a writer, and while working to finish my first book, I realized I desperately needed a better way to stay organized. I searched everywhere for a tool that could help me manage my characters, plotlines, and notes all in one place, but nothing seemed to fit my exact needs. That’s when I decided to create my own solution, ‘Wordy Writer Organizer’. Read More>>

Erica Murphy

The idea for ELM Interiors was born from my love for creating spaces that feel intentional, beautiful, and true to who people are. For years, I found myself naturally drawn to transforming rooms — curating décor, colors, and layouts that told a story. What started as a creative outlet evolved into a vision to make interior design more accessible, personalized, and forward-thinking. Read More>>

Juice GQ

I really got the idea for Tycoon Sports from working as a Creative Director and manager for a popular photography studio in Atlanta, Cam Kirk Studios. While working there I began to notice that vast differences between the teams of musicians/ artists and athletes. Read More>>

Melanie E. Guzman

My journey into the social media space didn’t start where you might expect. It began in the modeling industry—a career that actually led me to being featured on Canvas Rebel for the previous work I was doing. From the outside, everything looked like it was falling perfectly into place. But then, everything changed when I gave my life to Christ. Read More>>

Courtnie May

Sea The Spirit Studios really began in 2018, during one of the hardest seasons of my life. I was experiencing deep loss, grief, and family hardships. I was at a crossroads—either I could let those circumstances shut me down, or I could choose to transform. Read More>>

Akilah Willery

On paper, everything looked fine. I had spent over two decades in education, led innovation in a major school district, and was recognized for my work in digital learning. But underneath the accomplishments, I felt an ache I couldn’t ignore anymore. The same systems I had helped others navigate had started to feel too small for who I was becoming. Read More>>

Jeremiah Jacksun

You know, the story behind the name ‘Know Your Platform’ is really the story of my own journey, and how God took a simple idea and gave it a meaning so much deeper than I ever imagined. When God first prompted me to use that name for the podcast, I thought I understood it. Read More>>

Christina Monteiro

Turning Tina’s Touch from an idea into reality took a lot of faith, patience, and hard work. The idea first came to me when I was in esthetics school at the Catherine Hinds Institute. I used to daydream about my future business — what I would name it, what it would look like, and what kind of experience I wanted to create. Read More>>

Sarah Aseltine

Touch of Jade Designs was created in 2020 during the pandemic with a simple goal: to give back through creativity. TOJ Founder, Sarah, began crafting as a side business while working full-time as an Assistant Principal in a PreK–2nd-grade elementary school. Days were spent supporting young students, and evenings were filled with crafting. Read More>>

Emily McDermott

I found decluttering and minimalism in 2014 while my husband and I were struggling with unexplained infertility and going through fertility treatments. I was working full-time, a perfectionist/people pleaser/procrastinator and was super stressed out. Read More>>