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.

Becca Millstein

Fishwife was born out of a desire to reinvigorate tinned seafood’s reputation. It was the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic when inspiration struck. Me and my then-roommate and co-founder, Caroline Goldfarb, found ourselves eating copious amounts of tinned fish because it was consistent with our quarantine lifestyle, eating, and shopping habits. Read more>>

Manny Habibian

When my brother and I founded our event business in 2018, it was born out of a combination of passion, creativity, and a keen observation of a gap in the market. The inception of our business idea was fueled by a desire to provide a one-stop solution for event organizers, addressing the diverse needs and preferences of our clients. Read more>>

Jourdan Johnson

First I want to start off by saying, life is interesting and I say that because when we are born into this world, we are subjects of what our family exposes us to. Fortunately for me, my family made the decision to expose me to sports at a very young age. Before i could walk I knew what the ball was and ironically enough my first word was “ball”. It’s no secret that love and connection is one of the core human needs, and as most of us athletes are brought up, our first love and connection in this world is the ball. Read more>>

Michael Floyd

I have been a teacher for 55 years, and over 50 years ago I began a nonprofit organization with an all volunteer staff to create Windsong Pictures, Inc. Windsong Pictures is an educational organization to help make the dreams of children come true. Over this time we have produced over 350 motion pictures featuring children, teens and young adults with the support of mature experienced adult mentor actors and technical volunteers. We do not charge students to be involved.

Martina Wade-Hill

I started life coaching many years ago, while I pastored a church. Back then, where I’m from, “Life Coach” was a misunderstood profession and wasn’t respected as it is today. But, it was my way of reaching people that I would rarely get a chance to meet inside of the church. I got a chance to share my God-given knowledge to people of different faiths and they received it because Wisdom is WISDOM… It’s just GOOD no matter what. Read more>>

Anita Thomas

There were two big shakeups in my life that led me to start my business. And here’s the story. First, back in 2019 I lost 3 family members within a 6-week span. No exaggeration. I found myself traveling back and forth between Tennessee, Atlanta, and California. And the third person I lost was very close in age. It really shook me to my core and I thought about the old cliche’ that life is short. This time, it hit me like a ton of bricks. And I wondered if I was really living the life I desired…and would I be brave enough to do so before it was too late. Read more>>

Karen Robinson

Ideas are always flowing through my head, and as a single mom I am always trying to think of ways that I can use the gifts that God has given me to make a better life for me and my children. The idea for my business was born around a table at my friend’s home. I had created a traditional charcuterie board to bring because I do not like to go to people’s home empty handed. As we’re munching away and enjoying all the delicious items, she starts talking to me about how I should make this a business. I was excited about the idea of creating a charcuterie business but as we all know there are many businesses out there like that now. Read more>>

Hunter Manz

I was born in Las Vegas where, at a young age, I was exposed to water scarcity in my community. After watching a documentary on the global water crisis, I realized my community wasn’t the only one suffering and I saw little promise of a solution. From age 14, I have pursued one goal: to end water scarcity and prevent its spread to more than half of the world by 2050. Read more>>

Brendan Hernandez

I must say that I didn’t really pick it, it kind of picked me. Started back in 2020, I was working at this place called Trulucks in uptown Dallas. February of that year I was let go but at the same time I was working for free for a real estate firm in the process of getting my license. My interview went horrible and the CEO Chastin J. Miles who event became like a older brother to me, had no plan of hiring me and saw it going no where. He eventually hired me because I said “I will work for free” after bugging him for a week straight. Read more>>

JESSICA TRANCHINA

Coming up with the idea of opening a business to help more people seemed like a no brainer to me and I often wondered why someone else didn’t think of it!! I have led a life of helping others especially in my physical therapy practice. I have always dreamed of becoming a physical therapist-since the age of 12. My entire life has been dedicated to helping others, so when I had my Physical Therapy practice, PRIMO, where I was helping one person at a time, it dawned on me that I could help more people. Read more>>

Jessica Turner

Embarking on a journey that spanned over 20 years in media, marketing, and advertising, my life took an unexpected turn in my mid-thirties with the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Initially, I was reticent about sharing this personal struggle, fearing labels and misplaced sympathy. As I confronted the evolving symptoms, I recognized the imperative to take control of my life and health. Read more>>

Nakita Burns

My oldest daughter suffered terribly from eczema. By the time she reached high school it had progressed to a point where the over the counter and prescription medicines were no longer working. The eczema had become unbearable on her hands to the point that she could barely write. After becoming frustrated and losing hope we created what was to become one of our signature bars. Our Three Butter Bar. It did wonders! Steadily her skin began to heal. Read more>>

Janee’ Henderson, Ph.D.

If I had to think back to how I came up with the idea for my journal, I would say that it started about four years ago with an idea. Initially, I ignored it, and every six months or so, it would pop back up in my mind. Finally, about two years ago, I started to think about what it would be like to create a product for women.  Read more>>

Lynn Baird

For me it started as a little girl. I loved all things beautiful. I gave all of my dolls and Barbies haircuts. My pets were next. Anything that had hair or fur, I would find my Moms sewing scissors and go to town. My Grandmother had a wig collection and I would play hair salon and set them all lined up in a row and pretend they were clients. It simply was meant to be my calling in life. Read more>>

Pablo Nieves

I got back to my hometown after a long trip away, and an old friend who owned a local bakery asked me to work for him. After training, I was working alone all night long, which provided me hours upon hours to watch TV shows, movies, music, and most importantly, think. After a year, and lots of pondering on what my major goals in life are, I came to the definite decision that I don’t want to put the power of my future into someone else’s hands in that way. Read more>>

Christine Lord

Prior to starting my business I was working as a Paralegal. I was a single mother of a wonderful son, Jacob, When Jacob was 7 I went to law school. Upon graduation I reentered the work force and began to study for the Florida Bar Exam. Update… I failed. I was not into it, my health was suffering, and I had little to no energy left to be a women, let alone a mother. I needed to take back some control. I started with getting rid of all the clutter and objects I have been holding on to in my home. As I progressed I became lighter. Read more>>

Shawna Christian

Once turning 50, I realized I didn’t have a lot of time if I wanted to do anything else professionally. For most of my 40’s, I had become obsessed with making our home a sanctuary. I wanted our home to be the safest place on the planet and a place where all our family and friends wanted to be at. I spent a lot of time and money creating a paradise. Seeing the look on people’s faces walking into our home, I knew I had created something special. Read more>>

Alexis Piotrowski

I had been in high-level management in the service industry for quite some time. Anyone who has ever been in this industry knows it’s high stress, long hours and very little time off. The industry is your life and the bars are you work in are your home. At this point I was Director of Operations for a brewery as well as nightclub in San Diego. Read more>> 

 

Growing up as a young adult I always had a passion to help others. I had thoughts on becoming a pediatrician when I grew up. As I was blossoming into a young woman, I suffered through reproductive challenges. Constantly going through different approaches to figure out the reason why was very frustrating for me. There was one point in my life when I met a doctor that worked with me on different approaches that I never experienced is what shinned a different light for me. Read more>>

Kaligirwa Bridget Kigambo

When I enrolled in college for Architecture at Uganda Technical College of Kichwamba in Rwenzori region, It was more of a second chance for me to achieve my dreams of becoming an engineer, since I had dropped out of school due to financial challenges, while at college we had an entreprenuership project as a group in architecture aspect and everyone was presenting basic engineering solutions, Read more>>

Qadada Lindsay

The inception of Quality Too Good Management, LLC, stems from a convergence of my passion for music, experiences in the industry, and a desire to fill a crucial gap. The idea crystallized as I reflected on my journey from being signed as an artist (Qadada The God) to a terrible management company in Los Angeles. Read more>>

Manny Dixon

The younger version of myself lacked confidence and didn’t believe in himself. Uncertain about life’s direction and unsure about the next steps to take, this personal struggle brings a spotlight to a repeated pattern amongst youth in today’s society. There comes a point of realization that nobody is coming to rescue you. The choice is in your hands to take charge, show up for yourself, and go above and beyond to pursue your dreams and goals. Read more>>

Kerry Ann Pearce

I moved to the US from the Bahamas in December 2019. I met my now husband in the Bahamas where he lived and worked for the US Homeland Security. I was also a real estate agent in the Bahamas for many years, so after moving to Buda, TX, naturally I wanted to become a realtor here. As I started going out and meeting new people, 3 in 5 people were realtors. I quickly realized how saturated this small town was. Covid hit and we were all confined :) to our homes. Read more>>

Ashley Kruszyna

I have worked in the restaurant industry serving and bartending for over 18 years. In August 2020, I made a life-changing decision to cut alcohol out of my life for good. While on this new road to living alcohol free, I noticed there weren’t many options for fun nonalcoholic craft beverages that made me feel like i was a part of the party. I wanted to be included. Once, when I was out for a nice dinner in a swanky restaurant with my husband, I was offered a Shirley Temple as my cocktail alternative and it was then I saw there was a real need for sophisticated nonalcoholic cocktails for grownups. Read more>>

Ann Ziergiebel

The girl/women I am trying to save is myself – this rescue is not, as I once thought, for my two daughters or the hundreds of adolescent girls who have sat in my humanities classroom. My personal work of saving myself requires constant scrutiny of power differentials, gender biases and the rolling ball of grief…pushing over and through the sads arriving at a moment of calm. Going from lost to found. Read more>>

JeriLynne Clifford

I was a caterer for over 35 years. I dissolved my business in 2017 in an attempt to reduce time on my feet and stress. We moved to the Hill Country in 2019 and I was a practice manager at a local hospital. When I found out I was losing my job in 2022, I realized how much I missed cooking, but needed another avenue vs catering. Read more>>

Carly Sioux

No Era arrived out of a unique moment during a Saturday morning Tarot journaling session. One such morning, the words ‘No Era’ came to mind, resonating instantly as the perfect name for an interiors brand. It had an edge, a particular allure that my existing venture lacked. So in 2019, I decided to embrace this new concept, and thus, No Era was officially born. Read more>>

Shelby Glidden

I’ve been mover all my life and I’ve never been able to sit still. Injuries were a constant and slowing down meant missing out on an opportunity to be hired as a professional dancer. Over the years I developed body dysmorphia and became depressed. I was no longer seeking opportunities to audition because I had lost my joy for movement. I worked in the service industry to support myself until 2020 when I lost all of those jobs. This full stop allowed me to slow down and find a healthy way to move forward. Read more>>

Stone Keye

For my backdrop, my wife has written many scientific papers, chapters for textbooks, and has co-written a book with her sister. My sister-in-law is an author and has published several books. I’ve always been a bit jealous of their accomplishments. Read more>>

Gina Wurtz

At the start of 2023, I decided to create a newsletter on Substack called Movie Mondays with Gina. At the time, I was a Reality TV news journalist, but film has always been my passion, so I wanted a way to express my love for film without any limits. I knew if I had my own newsletter, I could do everything my way. I could choose what I wanted to write about, and I could format my writing in any way I wanted. Every Monday, I started sending out newsletters on movies I loved, like The Princess Diaries and Titanic. Read more>>

Amber Frawley

I first started in the wedding industry with a planning company in Metro Detroit. I learned so much from the owner and valued that experience so much. While I was pregnant with our daughter in 2016, the owner of the company decided to retire. So I decided to step back from planning and take a step back and focus on our family. But that didn’t last for long, I have a problem with staying still, my mind is always reeling and turning things over, so I thought, why not start a wedding planning company just after giving birth?! Totally fine and you’ll have lots of time for this. Read more>>

Rebekah Carr

The idea for Up & Tumble Co’s convertible dress was born while watching my 5-year-old daughter perform cartwheels in her grandparent’s yard on a beautiful, warm summer day. I smiled as I watched her, so focused on her body, her form, the way the grass felt under her feet when she made a good landing. With every cartwheel, her little ladybug dress would fly upside down. Needless to say, comments were made, clothes were changed, and I interrupted her practice for the sake of modesty. Read more>>

Shiyu Chen

I will introduce a project that I really like. It’s a space renovation project focused on material utilization, located at Lake Titicaca in Peru. I chose this location in advance before conceptualizing the project. I am particularly fond of the local history and culture of Lake Titicaca, including the traditional attire of the people. Learning about the existence of over 140 artificial reed islands on this lake intensified my interest in the area. Consequently, I designed a floating park made of reeds. Read more>>

Tavia Carmack

There’s this thing that some of us say, “I want to eat and not gain weight”. lol. With that being said I wanted to provide healthy yet delicious 5 star meals on a budget. We customize each experience tailored to your liking. I would go to a 5 star restaurant and want to create meals on that taste level without breaking the bank. I started selling dinners comparable to high end restaurants for half the price. Read more>>

Revathi Naidu

I’ve been running multiple days care and after school since 2006 and have setup operations for multiple new day cares ground up also my experience as a elementary school teacher has helped me visualize this idea and concept of blending early education with activity and sports all under one roof this was my differentiator and the concept to realization meant a new layout of the school which lends itself to a environment where we have spacious classrooms with a more a open concept higher ceilings and multiple activity setups that help kids spend more time outdoor as against indoor and classroom. Read more>>

Paula Cullison

About ten years ago I decided to exhibit my international travel photograph, some of which I had been incorporating into my travel articles. My initial idea was to exhibit at the local university and community college campuses. My goal was to encourage students to think globally, no matter what their respective major. I hope that my photographs, which reflect my travels to many countries, will inspire students to study foreign languages, etc. and to study, travel, volunteer abroad. Read more>>

Stop Suffering In Silence

The way Stop Suffering In Silence came to be is nothing short of a miraculously orchestrated plan that only God could’ve designed. Rachel Timothy and Denise Walsh met for the first time in June of 2021. Denise was coming from a background of being a clinical psychologist and leaving the corporate world to become a personal life coach for others all across the country. Read more>>

Will Bowden

We observed that consumers generally had different grades of indoor flower to choose from, but only one grade of outdoor flower, which was usually low grade, if even available. We aspired to provide consumers with an option of premium outdoor flower. Three years later, we have fulfilled our offer and have more demand than supply. Read more>>

Jakeitha “Ke” | Houston Content Creator | Brand Photographer Mims

Hi.Ke Photography came from listening to clients when I was doing family portraits. I remember one birthday session I was doing and I asked “What are you going to use photos for?” The lady responded, “Oh, just for Instagram”. I remember instantly feeling like I needed to learn what was happening on Instagram to offer trendy photos which then turned into my passion for creating content.

Aquila “Mimi” Benjamin

Roots of Fatima was birthed at 4am while reflecting on one of the darkest periods in my life & being at an all time low. The only thing that would provide comfort was being able to create with my hands.
Being a lover of fashion, specifically accessories, i decided to make my first fascinator. As I was creating, not one tear fell nor did I feel any of the darkness and sadness & it was then i realized I was on to something good because it made me feel good. Read more>>