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.

Bridget Jenkins

Thank you so much, I am grateful to be given the opportunity to share my story. My dominate background has been in the beauty industry for over two decades, serving women, through makeup, skincare, personal styling and more. Read more>>

Necolle Banks

I came to the Central adult Learn to swim at the age of 43 as a complete beginner– a fearful non swimmer who never once put her head underwater or floated on her own until the first class. Read more>>

Brittany Rowe

I live in Raleigh (where I was born and raised) with my husband and three boys. I was in the corporate world for over 12 years. Although I loved my past roles, they lacked any creative outlets. Read more>>

Heather Fehst

There are a lot of people out there who are book doctors, do editorial services, or otherwise coach writers – but there aren’t any I have found who offer the holistic approach I always wanted for myself as a writer, Read more>>

Kevin Melson

Originally I’m from Detroit Michigan and my father has been running a pest control company there for the last 25 years. In 2019 my father became very ill and could not run his business. Read more>>

Jenny McHugh

Campbell + Charlotte is a reflection of my journey in becoming a mother as I started the line soon after my first daughter, Campbell, was born. Read more>>

Sarah Brown

Before starting Sarah Alexis, I had worked in the apparel industry for years as a Designer. Being in the industry, I felt the constant need to be up to date on trends and consistently wearing new outfits. Read more>>

Kevin Craft

I’ve been in the creative industry for 13 years now. For me what I saw lacking in the agencies I worked for was the disconnect between strategy and design. Read more>>

Avery Crites

I used to work in corporate HR for a large CPG company. I spent my days interviewing college students and hiring a group of future leaders for the organization. Read more>>

Ondi Mcmaster

In 2010, I was invited to travel to India for an art residency called “ARTKaravan,” organized by the Indian multimedia artist Inder Salim. Read more>>

Rahil Taj

It all started when a friend and I were throwing around the idea of making a coffee table from reclaimed wood about 10 years ago. Read more>>

Konstantinos Malouchos

I came up with the idea of owning a food truck back in 2019. My family was amazing in supporting me and helping me along this journey. It was something i wanted to do for a while. Read more>>

Ma’ayan Lifshitz

I was drawn to Landscape Architecture and design after a transformative trip to France. Interacting with the exquisite gardens scattered across the country, I found myself pondering the minds behind these meticulous designs—Landscape Architects. Read more>>

Joyce Petrowski

In all honesty, I was not looking to start another nonprofit. Then I learned of a loved one who had been involved in a scam. I did lots of research and realized there a many great organizations that help scam victims and I took a different approach. Read more>>

Louise Baigelman

I first noticed a problem fourteen years ago in my classroom, as a Teach for America corps member. I was a reading teacher, working with middle school English learners at KIPP Academy Lynn. Read more>>

Vik & Lina Khasat

The concept of The Dirdie Birdie was actually born out of a time I think many were familiar with around Spring 2020…sitting on the couch at home reminiscing of the things we used to do and places we used to go back when it was safe to be outside. Read more>>

May Boudreaux

Love II Dip L.L.C. is a chocolate covered treats business. I’d like to believe my business is customer driven and satisfaction focused. Read more>>

Madiana Margao

The genesis of Red Sprinkle is a story deeply rooted in personal passion, shared adversity, and a commitment to empowering others. Read more>>

Gabriel Elmblad

In my senior year of high school, my dad approached me about this business opportunity. Together we looked into the “Jeff Paul Training Program” In a nutshell the program was about setting up a drop shipping website, Read more>>

Lois Lewis-Jolley

I was very good to creating and designing gifts and home decor items. However, at the time…I did not know how to make it a business. Read more>>

Chynita Garrett

So just to rewind back to the early 2000s I had my first experience with getting my nails done and it was something that I always loved. Read more>>

Nikki Rutledge

I’ve always been fascinated by the metaphysical world ever since I was a little girl, magickally fueled by many weekend adventures into Salem, MA. Read more>>

Michelle Pennington

The Sea Moss Boss was initially created in 2015 by family patriarch Kaseem Pennington. His idea was to share sea moss with friends, family, and neighbors and educate his community on the health benefits of sea moss. Read more>>

Aaron Camacho

Mind Over Hatter as a name was just a phrase I brainstormed in a bar with a random stranger, and casually decided to go with it. Read more>>

Dominika Jasinski

During the pandemic, like most, my biggest concern was the health of my family. I was constantly trying to find ways to keep my loved ones healthy by making clean and delicious recipes. Read more>>

Paul Mencel

The idea for Philadelphia Table Co. was born from a fusion of passion, practicality, and a sense of responsibility. The journey began in my parents’ garage, where I spent countless hours working with wood, crafting furniture by hand. Read more>>

Ramona Ferreyra

I discovered profound purpose and unwavering commitment to my ancestors through a transformative experience with my nephew, Jadiel. Read more>>

Frances Mitchell

First off, let me express my gratitude for taking the time to have me! I am truly honored. Youniversal Goddess came about from me scrolling on Instagram and seeing women tear women down. Read more>> 

Cheree Ready

In 1997 my life changed in the blink of an eye from choices I made in my past. To make a long story shorter, I dated a drug dealer a few years prior, and one morning around 5am, Read more>>

Shannon Bergeron

Back in 2016, our eldest child was headed off to college with the younger child just two years behind them. I was a school counselor at a public school and my husband taught at a local community college. Read more>>

Sasi Kondru

I’ve been volunteering with various organizations since the 5th grade, having racked up hundreds of volunteer hours. Doing all of this volunteering with all fo these amazing organizations made me want to start my own organization that helps the community in a variety of ways. Read more>>

Liz Kantner

It was this Spring, five years ago, that I launched the Stay Gold Collective. The initial idea came from several places, but the most important one was the need that I saw for community and education in the jewelry industry. Read more>>

Sheree Clay

It came about in dark times when I lost my vision after having eye surgery. I kept thinking about humorous and funny things related to me not being able to see. Read more>>

Josselyne Herman-Saccio

I have been coaching more than 30 years and I know people want to live the life of their dreams they often do not see an access to actually doing it. Read more>>

Elizabeth Sanders

For the past 20 years, I have worked in a corporate environment, managing a group of 180 sales reps in the women’s apparel space. Read more>>

Charlette Williams

It all started in 2018 I started having issues with my left knee. At the time I was 38 and I still felt young like it was 1999😂. So I went to the doctor and found out I had arthritis in my knee. Read more>>

Leslie Paetschow

In December 2013 when I adopted my dog Shiner he was estimated to be about 1 years old. I knew he had a lot of goofy dog energy but truth be told I didn’t realize just how much energy he really needed to burn. Read more>>

Thomas Imes Jr

This business came from a horrible personal health experience I was dealing with that I had. Coming up I didn’t have the healthiest eating and lifestyle habits and in my adult years it all caught up wit me. Read more>>

Shirley Martinez

I gave birth to Shirley’s Designs Handcrafted Jewelry after getting laid off from jobs that had either had major layoffs, bought out, or closed. I was disappointed and frustrated because these jobs had sold me a story, and I believe it. Read more>>

Tiwan & Antwinette Twitty

My husband Tiwan Twitty would always buy me bath & body works candles. He started thinking of how much he spent on their products & turned that into making his own SOY CANDLE! Read more>>

Victoria Urso

For a few years, I was completely off social media. I was going through a period of time when I really wanted to focus on my relationships and found that social media was making it hard for me to be present. Read more>>

Paola Rosado

The idea started quickly after moving to Orlando from Puerto Rico, and realizing we couldn’t find a childcare facility that had all the things we were looking for as a family. Read more>>

Adrienne “AC” Price

AC Art Of Food was created out of a love for family and to rethink the heart of the home, the kitchen. I come from a long line of amazing cooks and a DNA deeply rooted in eating good food! Read more>>