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.

Kevin Grass

From about 2000 to 2019, my artwork consisted of hyper-realistic figure paintings and landscapes. The landscapes were doing well in the Florida Art in State Buildings program, but in about 2001 the calls to artists began looking almost exclusively for work that could be integrated directly into the facilities, such as mosaics, tile pieces, fountains, and glass. Read more>>

Ariana Cotton

2019, the world experienced something very unfamiliar. Covid 19 shock the world, nationwide. We couldn’t be around anyone, we couldn’t go out in public, and I was pregnant with my second son. One day I was scrolling on tik tok and I saw a cookie video. A light bulb went off in my brain. Read more>>

Antonio Mateo Garcia

In the beginning, HELP was a community project to support the local LGBTQ Youth in Boston who were experiencing homelessness and housing instability by giving them care packages that included hygiene products, seasonal items, blankets, and items to put a smile on their face, as someone who has lived experienced with homelessness; the project was initially called Packs, same as today. Read more>>

Dave James

So the idea for Factory Records was a no brainer. This is my second indie record store. I had a shop across town for fifteen years, Noise Noise Noise Records, from 1991 to 2006. Noise3 was a huge success until I had the bright idea to spend all my profits and more on a nasty heroin addiction. That obviously didn’t work out for me, so I had to shutter the doors and get my shit together. Read more>>

Vanessa Caswell-Rodgers

I Am She Memphis was founded by Vanessa Caswell-Rodgers after she realized her passion and purpose for mentoring. I Am She Memphis mentor young girls in areas of navigating through difficult situations and pushing them to pursue their dreams and goals. Our pivot point focus aims toward self esteem, financial literacy, ACE’s, sex trafficking, dress attire, dining etiquette and community engagement. Read more>>

Kameron Crichlow

Project Kartí is a New York City based brand seeking to encourage youth to find their passion and explore it. Read more>>

Melissa Gjelaj

Well, since I can remember my mind has always been flooding with ideas . I can remember very vividly when I was dating my now husband Mark and talking to him for hours in the car over coffee about my future and what I envision it to look like . I always wanted to own my own medical spa but I was really into studio suites . They weren’t a thing really yet then . Read more>>

Eddie Adams

I’d worked at several sign shops and places that offer engraving services over the last twelve years, as well as growing up around my grandpa’s sign shop. One thing I always thought would be cool was to show that this industry is fun, and has a lot of room for creativity. Read more>>

Sarah Curry Rathel

I’ve been working with critically ill children and their families for almost twenty years. In 2011, after years of seeing kids struggle with feeling like outsiders, noticing other kids staring at them, an idea came to me to write a book called, “There’s Something Different About My Hair.” Read more>>

Megan Kum

The idea for Romparound was seeded many years ago by two things. 1) A school uniform & love for a shortcut 2) Inspiration from my dad, who was an entrepreneur. My experience as a family caregiver in 2020 was the final inspiration to start Romparound. Read more>>

Colleen Byrne

After a 3 year battle with Neuroendocrine Carcinoma, a rare, incurable cancer that was caused by his 30+ year dedication to the fire department, my father passed away during the spring semester of my freshman year of high school. At this point in my life I still had so much growing to do and so much learning. How was I supposed to navigate a new world that didn’t include my father? Read more>>

Claire Lee

Growing up, my mom loved to brag to anyone who would listen about how willing I was to try new things – and true to character, I became and remain a jack of all trades but a master of none. Part of it came from my parents being immigrants who didn’t have the time or resources to gather a bunch of hobbies and instilled a carpe diem, adventurous spirit in me. Read more>>

Cheresee Rehart

In late 2203 or early 2003 I was watching a game show on TV called I’ve Got a Secret. The idea of the game show was to guess the contestants secret. The contestant I saw on the show was Tim Stone Sr. of Scoop Masters, in California. Tim’s secret was that he was a professional pooper scooper. It was right then the idea was born in my head. Read more>>

Kelsey Beth

Honestly, I resisted being a Sex and Intimacy Coach. Read more>>

Brenda Carrillo

I first created Hauz Of Smalls in 2016, I saved to my money from my multiple jobs to be able to have enough to invest into my stores inventory, which was about $5000. I started doing pop-ups at first Friday events, drag shows and Pride. After about 3 years of saving I was then able to purchase the brick and mortar building which I am currently located Read more>>

Debra Turner-Ray

I am a retired Hemodialysis Technician. My idea is a clothing line for dialysis and chemo patients. This is to provide easy access to their dialysis or chemo site. Whether its in their leg, arm chest, or back. When trying to give my patients their treatment, it would have been easier if i could get to their site without the patient having to almost strip. Read more>>

Nate Hamilton

I relocated from West Seattle to Ocean Shores, WA just before the West Seattle bridge broke. With me came my collection of vintage goods…two storage units full. Three months after moving, I happened upon the retail space (where my shop is now). The opportunity just fell from the sky. Saying YES to the lease and then opening the shop within two weeks was the beginning of one crazy journey! Read more>>

Tanisha Smith

My hubby and I love to have a great time, but we realized that besides the normal parties and events, there weren’t any special hangouts just for couples. Even with the popularity of Social Media, we noticed that most conversations about marriage are geared toward unmarried folks. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still value the insights of my single friends, but when it comes to matters of the heart, discussing it with other happily married people feels more reassuring. Read more>>

Pamela Hirsch

When our 28 year -old daughter and her husband began trying to conceive, they endured more than 3 years of unsuccessful attempts at assisted reproduction…including 4 ivf’s (in vitro fertilization) each ending in miscarriage at 9 weeks. Finally, because our family was financially blessed, the couple turned to surrogacy…an astronomically expensive process costing more than $120,000. Read more>>

Mitch & Megan Vaughan

I USED TO JOKE ABOUT HOW I HAD A BLACK THUMB. I COULDN’T EVEN KEEP FAKE PLANTS ALIVE. IT WAS ALWAYS A RUNNING JOKE IN OUR HOUSE. SUCCULENTS DIED THE SECOND I LOOKED AT THEM SO THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD KEEP ANYTHING LEAFY AND GREEN ALIVE. FOR YEARS, WE HAD A PLANTLESS HOUSE AND WE WERE JUST FINE WITH THAT… BUT THEN… Read more>>

Francesca Reicherter

In 2019, I became a three-time suicide attempt survivor after losing my uncle to suicide earlier that year. I was hospitalized in a psych ward following my third attempt. In the psych ward, I saw how many other people were struggling with their mental health just like I was; how many people needed to feel heard and validated as I did; Read more>>

Jamie Gonsioroski

After having my first baby in 2019, things really shifted for me. I was working in a management role in a large metro hospital and the stress of the job with the transition into parenthood really rocked my world. I knew I wanted to pursue something that allowed me to stretch my creative muscles and provide a bit more flexibility. Read more>>

Yvvey Smith

I have always been fascinated with science since I was a kid. So when I became an adult, I decided to pursue the field of chemistry. I have always been a very ambitious woman with a “go-getter” mindset. I always set high goals for myself. I never let anything stop me from accomplishing them no matter how many and what obstacles are in my way. When I would say “I couldn’t do it”, my mom would be my source of encouragement saying that I can. And she was right! Read more>>

Joey Jones

The inspiration for the JoGo originated during my 2-year (solo) motorcycle expedition from Minnesota to the bottom tip of South America. While in Argentina, a family gave me a “bombilla” – a straw with holes on the bottom designed for drinking the loose-leaf Yerba Mate tea, made popular by the legendary Gauchos (Argentinian cowboys). Read more>>

Marina Kononenko

Lately I started to believe in faith and universe. Originally I have a medical degree in diagnostic ultrasound. I used to work for a doctors office, I tried to be a real state agent , I worked as a sales representative, waitress , shop assistant, etc. Nothing ever felt right to me and I was scared if I had to do it for the rest of my life. Read more>>

Hannah White

When we first had the idea to open our shop SecondHand Muse, the name made perfect sense to us! We are artists ourselves and work with other local artists in the area and thought what a clever name! We are offering Art, (someone else’s Muse inspired them to create ) to others for their own enjoyment or inspiration!A “SecondHand Muse Gift Shop! Read more>>

Patrice Johnson

Patrice Monét Designz is a handcrafted jewelry company that specializes in made to order, unique and customized jewelry. All of her earrings are made from unfinished wood, resin, and clay. The idea came about because she began to get really frustrated going from store to store and not being able to find exactly what she was looking for. Read more>>

Brittany Herzberg

I became a copywriter by way of massage therapy & the pandemic. Read more>>

Molly Knuth

In 2016, I was a stay-at-home mom of three (soon to be 4!), and I was looking for a way to make some additional income for my family while I stayed home with the kiddos, so I started doing virtual admin work for a local manufacturing business. Read more>>

Xiyuan Wang

Ideas are always coming from our daily lives. Those talented and creative people around us often have a ten times stronger sensation than others. When I was a kid, my parents called me “sensitive,” I learned that sensitivity became helpful in creative work as I grew up. For instance, clients or art directors often provide a direction for designers to work on. Read more>>

Charles Burton Jr

After spending some time assisting different boxing promoters with matchmaking, athletic connections and various other aspects of the fight business, I’d would often come across many professional boxers who were unaware of a lot of the blind spots in the sport. Read more>>

Adam and Grace Druecke

A few years back, we were camping with a group of friends. At one point, we pulled out our camp kitchen – which is now known as the Yoke Outdoors Chuck Box Camp Kitchen – and everyone immediately gushed over it. They all wanted one! Read more>>

Valeriana Wick

I am a Women Veteran Owned Business, I served in the Army for 22 + years. The passion for making beauty products comes from personal skin issues. After retirement. I began to have a lot of skin issues. In seeking treatment, I was prescribe many medications that had a lot of side effects. I borrowed from my up bring (Half-Native American), lending into my ancestral teaching, I began finding alternatives to skin medication, developing my knowledge in herbs and botanical herbs and their beauty properties. Read more>>

Sara Simonson

I have always loved taking pictures since I was a child. My dad had gifted me a new camera after my second daughter was born and I thought I wonder if any one would like me to take pictures of their family for a small fee. I took a chance with a facebook post and worked everyday since then approaching 9 years in business this fall. Read more>>

Gerald (Pete) Mills

I graduated from high school in 1963 and I had already been involved in boxing and wrestling and studying everything I could get my hands on pertaining to the martial arts. I meet master Harold Long and started training with him, never expecting to make black belt. The first tournament I fought in was in Nashville, Tennessee and the center referee was Master, Robert Trais. He was the President of the United States Karate Association. Read more>>

Kevin Greene

AS we were working in the industry we notice the need to find great employees. WE had no trusted source and knew that this was a business opportunity Read more>>

Jenna Haefelin

Cleaning was a passion of mine ever since I was little. At the time, I didn’t realize I could turn my passion into a creative business, but at 23 I realized I wanted to work for myself and the only passion I could really come up with was cleaning. Read more>>

Cheryl Cox

I was a Montessori teacher for 17 years when in 2016, I was encouraged by a good friend to try an improv class at The Second City in Chicago. Even though that sounded somewhat terrifying to me, I decided to try it because I believe we grow by getting outside our comfort zones. Read more>>

Michelle Hammer

Being schizophrenic in New York City I see a lot of mentally I’ll homeless people. One day I was riding the F train and saw a homeless man talking to himself in the same mannerisms in how I talk to myself. I then realized if I didn’t have my support of my family friends and doctor that I too could be homeless like him. Read more>>

Sartteka Nefer

People always say, “do what you love, love what you do.” Even though I have worked a fair share of jobs that I didn’t “love” exactly, I always wanted to set up my life so that I could do what I love and still survive in high-priced California. That drive, is how I came up with my businesses. Read more>>