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.

Teresa Deaton

I’ve been in the insurance industry for 25 years, and I’ve been making music in Kansas City for nearly 9 of those. I worked for an AmFam agent 14 years before taking the leap into owning the Teresa M Deaton Agency of American Family Insurance. Read more>>

Aisha Taylor

I worked in Corporate Finance for a number of years, and in that role I worked on a number of projects including strategic finances, managing a budget of $1B, developing the strategy to turn around a division losing $100M / year, and a variety of other projects. Read more>>

Sun Min Park

Hello, I’m so honored to do this precious interview.I’m sorry because the answer is late.I think it’s not easy to get ideas. First, copy.First of all, I see all the parts that are known in the world. Read more>>

Angela Gilmore

I’ve always had an interest in photography- how one moment can be captured to have for a lifetime or how it could make an individual in front of the lens feel or even the people viewing them. Read more>>

Dan DeMay

Spun Loud was an accident, really. At least initially. I had started a band after several years off the scene and was looking to find a new guitar tone/setup so I called a good friend, Dakotah Cole, who’s a touring guitar tech, and asked him what pedals/gear folks were using. Read more>>

Jennell Chang

Three big things catalyzed the creation of T.OT FM Camp, LLC.—(1) my previous job, (2) my son, and (3) COVID-19. First of all, my previous job as a school-based occupational therapist really shed light on a great need for improved accessibility to strategic instruction on the subject! Read more>>

Raina Gardiner

After experiencing several family health crises in early 2021, I felt compelled to find a way to incorporate healthy, healing foods into our daily meals. Read more>>

Shanera Williamson

When my youngest daughter graduated from high school, I had time in my schedule to reflect on the process of launching three kids to their post-high school lives. Read more>>

Cat Golden Shelby Dubin

We had the idea for our business when we were attending an adult summer camp in the mountains of Pennsylvania. We were working together on a brand campaign in a different capacity and the energy was electric. Read more>>

Jacki Jing

I came up with my business idea when I didn’t have a job and I needed one! Someone I worked with in the past reached out and hired me freelance as a host and then I realized that maybe more people would be interested in hiring me and I reached out to other contacts and a business evolved from there. Read more>>

Ksenia Vasenev

I’ve always had a deep appreciation for the beauty of love and the magic of weddings. Photography has been a passion of mine since I was young, but it wasn’t until a friend asked me to photograph their wedding that I truly discovered my calling as a wedding photographer. Read more>>

Kalenga Juma

My podcast’s idea came from a series of moments and a strong interest in exploring the difficulties and the enjoyment of human life. Read more>>

Tony Taafe

When I became really good at being a headshot photographer, I started working for some of the largest companies in the US and beyond Read more>>

Lisa Hartensveld

Out of severe loss, depression and disappointment came something beautiful! I was an art teacher for a private school and during my seventh year, on the side, I wrote a pilot idea for a mystery television series. Read more>>

Sybil Henry

After a 25+ career in the fashion business, I was having conversations with women who were sharing frustrations about image, aging, and their personal style. Read more>>

Rachel Ivancic

It’s 2019 before COVID-19 lockdowns. I’m working a 9-5 job that does not bring me joy and my stress is at an all-time high. I would wake up each morning dreading the day to come. Read more>>

Kayla Jury

Do you remember being a kid on the playground and really wanting to climb up the slide, but every time that you did, you got yelled at by your teacher for not following the playground safety rules? Ya, I wasn’t that teacher. Read more>>

Karol Brown

I created my portrayal of Harriet Tubman as an older woman more than 25 years ago. I’ve taken this performance to various places like schools and libraries to inspire people. Read more>>

India Williams Olivia Fortune

Fortune & Fiasco sprang to life when India sought a venue for her second annual vision board party. Choosing Olivia’s salon as the locale sparked an unexpectedly profound response. Read more>>

Donna Wojcik

I am an Intuitive Reiki Master Teacher and have had my own private healing practice for the past 3 years. My offerings include energy healing, card reading, spiritual guidance and coaching, sound baths as well as teaching courses, training, and offering mentorship. Read more>>

Azikiwee Anderson

I didn’t specifically come to this idea on purpose. I started making bread as a way to build community with others at the beginning of the pandemic. Read more>>

Carla Fache

I think that this is something I am always discovering and is endless. In my case, my first memory of recognizing I could do “magic” with common things, was when I was 5 years old and I discovered that I could use the flower’s color petals as painting, and I started to paint with them. Read more>>

Lorenzo McNulty

As I walked into the first duplex with a proven concept for making money in Section 8 rentals, flashbacks of my previous business emerged. Read more>>

Morris Zhang

In my latest award-winning work, inspired by the Bible, Satan turns into a serpent to deceive Adam and Eve, while the skull symbolizes death Read more>>

Kayleigh Hofer

I pulled this from our website. I feel like it encapsulates who we are and how we got here. I’ll add more to the bottom with the questions you listed. Read more>>

Charan Bashir

I was inspired to start my own business due to my passion for mental health therapy that has grown over time. Throughout my professional career, I have had the experience of working with amazing supervisors, mentors, and leaders who have given me the guidance to manifest my visions of creating change in the world Read more>>

Donte’ Jones

I’ve been in the service industry since I was 15 years old. I began as a server at one of the busiest IHOP locations in ,my hometown of Roanoke, VA. Read more>>

Kristina Todorova

The inspiration to launch the Co-created Hub came after a period of setbacks in both my personal and professional life that led to experiencing burnout and severe depression. Read more>>

Hadassah Galante-Encaoua

The spark for our business ignited during those transformative moments of yoga practice amid the challenges of the pandemic. My husband, son, and I found solace and strength in our daily yoga sessions, realizing their profound impact on our well-being. Read more>> 

Cherie Feemster

As educators, we are attuned to the needs of our students and strive to identify solutions to support them. This commitment inspired my decision to venture into children’s literature. Read more>>