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.

Johnathan Harris

I came up with the idea by testing out some funny material I had on file. I felt like I had the gift of making people laugh and once I saw the effect it had on others, it made me want to take it more serious. What excited me most is the fact that I’m able to help people get through their hard times in life. I wanted to be a light for those who needed it and that’s what makes me the happiest. The fact of simply being able to help. Read more>>

Katie Williams

In the year 2020, a profound realization washed over me, reshaping the course of my aspirations. Up until then, my journey had been an intricate dance of collegiate transitions. I had traversed through different educational institutions, initially immersing myself in the realm of Education with a specialized focus on dance pedagogy. Read more>>

David Damian Ramjohn

Many years ago in undergraduate Botany, our Professor Dr. Reid Wiseman walked into class on the first day and drew a circle on the chalkboard. That circle was his two-dimensional representation of one of the most common microalgal cell forms: a sphere. Prof. Wiseman then proceeded to teach us about these microorganisms for most of the semester, in what was undoubtedly one of the most unique college experiences I ever had. Read more>>

Marta Peverada

It was more or less 3 years than I was working with social media , promoting brand awareness for a fashion and jewelry shops. It was going quite well because I was getting good commissions so one day my husband told me It was going quite well because I was getting good commissions so one day my husband told me why you keep on working for hours why don’t we try to work for ourselves and create our own small brand” why you keep on working for others ? why don’t we try to work for ourselves and create our own small business ” Read more>>

Sheri Stevens

As a child I was not allowed to have a pet. As an animal lover that was a difficult thing. I enjoyed spending time at my paternal grandparent’s home because they had a dog named Meg. My grandpa was a breeder of pigeons and hunting dogs in his younger years. Read more>>

Jaquayla Baker

The way I came up with the idea of Tuned in at 12:01, was simply based on my love for interacting with others and wanting to create a platform where other business owners/creatives could share their stories. I had always been a fan of podcasts and interview based settings and I noticed Memphis was lacking a modern space where they could express themselves and speak on their journey. Read more>>

Jae Graham-Anciso

For nearly a decade, my professional journey unfolded behind the scenes of an adult store, where I served as a dedicated buyer. My focus was the smoke shop department, curating a diverse range of products sourced from specific vendors. While my demographic consisted primarily of men, there was a sprinkle of female patrons in the mix. Read more>>

Sean Leary

I had a college scholarship to one of the best universities and baseball programs in the United States, and in the blink of an eye it was gone. My education, my baseball career and my future seemed like it evaporated– but despite all of that, I found my vision and purpose. Read more>>

Andres Fragoso Jr

Since as long as I can remember, I have been an active member of the Spectrum (LGBTQIA+) community. Embracing my true self was never an issue for me, and I never felt the need to come out because I was always open about my identity. Read more>>

Terese Shanley

I was literally led by Holy Spirit to open my healing practice out of my home. When you hear anything from Holy Spirt , you act on it and I sure am glad I did! It was scary but exciting and it forced me to move forward and believe in myself and the work. I focused on service and made myself available for others needs. My aim was to help them relieve their burdens of mind, body and spirit and to help them navigate through ego and into spirit. Read more>>

Marvisha Singletary

Heyyyyy!!! Im so excited to be here today, I decided to become a school owner because I wanted to teach, I wanted to give back something non traditional back to my community. I wanted to create something of such value that people can create a new lifestyle for themselves. Read more>>

Janae Samuel

I came up with the concept for Golden Haus based off of what I personally wanted in the spa space. Everywhere I looked I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted, all in once place. Growing up my mom was very into self care, and because of that I watched her really take care of herself, and I got to experience the spa atmosphere at a young age and loved everything about it, beginning to end. Read more>>

Jonah Fry

I’ve always wanted to have a company. Specifically focusing on video production and short form content. Earlier in my life i wanted to be a director, but after being in the film industry I lost a little luster for it and wanted something that i was truly manning the ship, as selfish as that sounds, lol. Once the shift of social media really started affecting creators, I noticed that the way people consume content changed as well. Read more>>

Sara Wiles

I was 2 months postpartum + desperate NOT to go back to my 9-5. Read more>>

Jeorgette Briscoe

It all started just having a conversation with friends all different topics and as friends we always talk the real and raw with no filter. So the podcast discussions are mainly after dark content that includes conversations about relationships, dating, and/or sexual contents. Read more>>

John DiGirolamo

I was writing a book about police officers. I would interview the officers and usually end with some “get to know you” questions. For example, I asked, “what would you do if you won the lottery?” I expected answers about heading to the lake and go fishing. One answered, “I’d quit my job and hunt down human traffickers.” I realized that I didn’t know much about human trafficking so I decided that these stories needed to be told. Read more>>

Stephanie Heller

Before RKVIST, I spent years SHARING STORIES in the theater. I began my career working in production for Broadway Producer Manny Azenberg, winner of 80+ Tony Awards, working on the original Broadway productions of “Broadway Bound”, “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Dreamgirls” and “La Cage aux Folles.” I worked with Chicago’s Second City, assisted Mike Nichols in filming “The Birdcage”, appeared in more than 50 national theatrical productions and TV commercials, and produced over 350 plays as co-founder of City Theatre’s Summer Shorts Festival. Read more>>

Kaitlyn Mahoney

I came to my queer identity relatively late in life. Growing up, I didn’t have access to the language or history of queerness. Reading books in my 20s is how I was able to discover the possibilities for myself and how I figured out my queerness. Read more>>

Ana Pineda-Ponce

I always liked painting and drawing, growing up coming from an immigrant family, I had a vey humbling childhood. We did not get a computer or any electronics until I turned 16. So all we really had was crafts, and the TV. On TV I became obsessed with America’s Next Top Model, not because of the girls, but just how the photographers on set would shoot the girls and how they were able to edit them and make this set come to life. Read more>>

A.R Brown

Writing poetry has always been an outlet of expression for me. I remember reading Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein and loving how the words sounded, how the rhymes made sense and how I caught on to the rhythm of their flow. Also, growing up I loved to read or getting read to. English was always a favorite subject throughout my studies. Read more>>

Gabriel Madrid Madrid

Going to a mall with your friends is an average high school experience. Shopping wasn’t really my thing, but I was always happy to go with my friends to a mall on the nicer side of town I don’t usually venture to. I had just started high school; no style, no real sense of direction other than my mom wanting me to be an engineer. I wore whatever was socially passing as a freshman that wasn’t really fresh. Read more>>

Yasmin Brown

In 2018, I was dealing with self-discovery after trauma. This was an emotional place in my life were lacked confidence, self-worth and depression. As part of my healing process, I started to journal and be of service in church. The more I wrote the more I healed, during the phase of self-awareness I realized the method I used on myself can help someone else develop a breakthrough. Birthing my first book, The Silent Destruction. Read more>> 

Renee Becher

Ask any of my close friends and they’d tell you I was opposed to owning my own business for the longest time. So I certainly surprised myself when I decided to start The Crowded Bookshelf. I had just been unexpectedly demoted and had my hours drastically cut at my previous job. I had been with the company for 7 years and had put some much of my time and love into it. Read more>>

Beth Seaman

I’ve never been a girly girl. You’ll rarely find me in anything other than jeans and t-shirts, but I’ve always been obsessed with all things nail related. You won’t see me in public without my nails done. In the fall of 2019, I discovered the art of nail stamping. It’s a process wherein you use a rubber stamper to transfer detailed images from an etched metal plate to your nails. It took a while to perfect the process, but I loved every minute I spent learning. Read more>>

Troy Nelson

I’ve worked directly or indirectly in the music print publishing world for 30 years. After graduation from high school (Viroqua, WI), I moved to Milwaukee, where I earned a two-year associate’s degree in music. While I was in college, I met a friend who eventually got a job at Hal Leonard, the world leader in music print publishing. Read more>>

Stephanie Hansen

Hi! I’m Stephanie Hansen. Last time I spoke about Metamorphosis Literary Agency with Voyage. This time I’m discussing my author journey instead. I’ll be specifically focusing on Ghostly Howls, which is a paranormal romance scheduled to release 2/7/23 (Tinnitus Awareness Week). In my twenties, I survived a serious illness that caused me to become severely deaf in one ear. Read more>>

Luca Marcato

During the Covid quarantine time (and shoulder surgery recovery) I struggled with remaining positive, while some days I was all into research and development and finding ways to hone my skills, other days I was facing depression and loneliness, so around April 2021 I was offered to check out a location with a pizza oven with gas connected and partial equipment already in place, the choice appeared very clear to me; going back to the daily struggle or jump into a new adventure…….and then it clicked in my mind, pizza-man!?! Read more>>

Britt Von Bossy

I started my business for many reasons but I whole heartedly have to say that it was all the bad experiences with male photographers they led me to become the creator I am. It’s no secret, women are sexy. Women are walking art. Every curve, every scar, every pore. We enjoy feeling sexy. It’s very empowering to me. You know what’s not empowering… Read more>>

Halle Roberts

I come from a family full of entrepreneurs, but I never thought I would be one myself. Growing up, my parents never allowed me to have a dog, so naturally the second I turned 18 I became obsessed with finding the perfect one. Knowing absolutely nothing about dogs, save for the fact that they have four legs and a snoot, I armed myself with a laptop and started researching rescue websites. Looking back on it now, I realize I didn’t have a good idea of what I was actually looking for; I just wanted a companion and friend. Read more>>

Alex Koupal

I came up with the idea for Alimental Life after having several ah hah moments over the course of about 10 years. Read more>>