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.
Emily Trantanella
I had just finished my first season as a landscaper in NYC. That’s a seasonal job, so I had to find something to do during the winter. I applied for restaurant work and took on a part-time nanny gig, but it wasn’t quite enough to get by. One night, I asked my friend Anna to hang out– she said yes, but that she had to clean her room and sort through her clothes, so I was welcome to come over and keep her company. “I’ll help,” I replied. “I actually love doing that.” Read more>>
Laura Goulet-osorio
I’ve always wanted to start something of my own. Something that would belong to me, and in this case to us. One day I decided that I wanted to do something nice for my parents after so many years of prioritizing me and my si kings over them, I thought they deserved something nice, at least a dinner and then it came to me: “maybe a picnic on the beach with some good food and fine wine wouldn’t be that bad” and I knew that was happening around in the west coast already with all the COVID things, so I did that for them, and I remember my mom saying “this is like a piece of heaven on earth, I wish everyone could have this experience!” Read more>>
Eduardo Andrade
Carolina Eggnog is a home crafted recipe with roots going back to our native country of Panama. The recipe goes back decades when my mother started making it as a teenager and has stayed in the family ever since. It became a family tradition to make it every holiday season and many family members and friends would eagerly await our eggnog each year. The way eggnog is made in Latin America is different than in North America so folks couldn’t get enough of the rich and creamy texture our eggnog provided. Having a variety of fresh ingredients that leaves one wanting to take another sip each time. Read more>>
Brielle Bethune
When I first began my social media influencing journey, I was in the fashion and beauty industry. However, I was also posting travel and other things that didn’t really fit into the niche. I received pr packages occasionally but wasn’t getting paid collaborations and my followers weren’t growing. Essentially, it wasn’t going anywhere. So, I took a step back from myself and said “What am I doing wrong? How can I actually help people with my influence and my content?” And THAT’S where my journey really begun. When I stopped using social media like my personal diary (which is fine, but not if you’re trying to grow and monetize) and started thinking about the content other people would want to see, it was game changing. Read more>>
Ria Mozhina
All of my day jobs required me to be a solutions-provider. When it came to technology – I had to learn on my feet, and have answers to concerns my clients had with top-tier technology. It was consistently evolving. Think scanning body parts, objects, designing them in a 3D space, and sending off for manufacturing with industry-leading printers, and milling machines. Putting myself in the shoes of someone who would seek me out, to train on this equipment, I decided to learn an all new software all together for personal use at the time. I had a deep need, being as someone who had all the answers to clients for 7 years … I needed to feel like the pupil again to really understand my people, and meet their needs. Read more>>
Anneke Barrie
The idea for Isla de Oro was born through a decade-long friendship with a shared desire for vibrant self-expression and living life to the fullest. We have always loved sharing fun and unique designs that we discover with each other and our love for warm days in topical locations runs very deep. Our favorite days are spent in the sun in clothing that makes us feel happy, and we had a feeling there were many people out there who felt the same way! At a time during the pandemic when we both were craving something new and exciting, we decided to take a leap into the unknown and create something meaningful together, and Isla de Oro was born instantly. Read more>>
Beth Rudden
In October 2022, just a month before ChatGPT took the tech world by storm, I launched Bast AI. Named after the Egyptian Cat goddess (Bastet – a fierce protectress), Bast AI was born out of a need to demonstrate that there is a practical alternative to unquestioningly trusting black-box AI. Before AI access became widespread, I traveled the globe, educating people not just on what explainable and trustworthy AI could look like but often starting with the basics of what AI was. Read more>>
Odette Garza
Whenever people ask me how long I’ve been doing photography, I always struggle to give a straightforward & exact answer. This is because photography has been a passion of mine for as long as I remember. There’s an old home video of me unwrapping my first camera at Christmastime when I was 5 years old. It was a chunky pastel pink camera that took real digital photos, and I couldn’t have been more thrilled to have it. Fast forward several years later to the fall of 2022. At the time, I was a senior in college getting ready to graduate with my Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast and Digital Media. Read more>>
Clinton Gasaway
Well I came up with my business strictly to create more acting opportunities for me and other actors. It gets very frustrating on finding work so I had to create my own opportunities for me and my friends. The name of my business came from King (King Jaquell Martin) I was his coach in this indie movie titled Bonecrusher. And ever since then he always called me Coach. So that’s a little backstory on how I came up with Another Coach Productions. Read more>>
Tee Parker
Honestly, this was something I said I would do back in 10th grade. I came up with the brand name while in college and sat on it for about 2-3 years. Funny story, it wasn’t until I was terminated from my job that I actually released the brand. Although that year I made a promise to myself that I would brainstorm and release some items before the end of 2019, once that happened, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to brainstorm and get all of the logistics straight while I had a plethora of time on my hands. The idea that had me most excited was me simply chasing my dreams, putting forth the effort to accomplish, and starting something I can build into an empire. I’m nowhere near there, but I aspire to be! Read more>>
Josiah Mauger
I was greatly overworked, often working at least 12+ hours a day 5 days a week, and what I made couldn’t even pay the bills. I enjoyed my job and my bosses, but working that much without getting properly rewarded for my time and effort put a great toll on my body. Realizing that this was unsustainable, I started looking for other jobs. Anything that would take me away from the long hours and little pay. But it being 2022 there very few jobs available within my criteria. Read more>>
Natalie Sanchez
I’ve been passionate about documenting and capturing life ever since I can remember. When I picked up my first camera at nine years old, a hobby quickly blossomed into lifelong dreams to build my own business. As I grew older and expanded my repertoire through various contract work, I discovered how much I loved helping people bring their vision to life through the lens. A storyteller at heart, the camera became an invigorating medium to tell not just my own stories, but those of small businesses, families, couples, and artists of every form. In many ways, photography and film have given me the gift of giving a priceless gift to my clients: tangible memories. Read more>>
Remi Attia
I’ve been dreaming up starting my own business for years and my idea to start The Nosh Table really solidified in 2023 when I was constantly thinking about how my parents would react to the rise in antisemitism. My family has always taught me when met with darkness, always spread light. Growing up in an Italian & Jewish family, everything revolved around the dinner table. Belly laughs over breaking bread, sharing stories over babka and bruschetta. My relatives were originally from Alexandria Egypt, and then moved to Sicily and are now spread out across Italy, Israel and the US. While I was cooking with my grandma in the kitchen from a young age, I began to uncover the stories of our ancestors and the resilience they developed to survive. Throughout my family’s journey migrating from place to place, they continued to pass down recipes and traditions that have lasted for hundreds of years. Read more>>
Kiyanna Singletary
My late father’s passing in 2018 was a devastating blow to my family. His battle with cancer left a profound impact on all his children particularly in the way we thought about the importance of quality care and comfort in people’s final days. My sisters and I were determined to honor his memory by creating A Heart of Gold Home Care Agency to make a difference in the lives of others during their final days. We wanted to create an agency that would not only provide exceptional medical care but also prioritize the emotional and social well-being of patients and their families. We envisioned an agency that would treat each person with dignity, respect, and compassion, making their final days as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. Read more>>
Eduardo Khawam
From $200 to a Fashion Empire: How a Chance Encounter with President Obama Changed Eduardo Khawam’s Life On the day Eduardo Khawam was ready to give up on his American dream, fate had other plans. Feeling defeated and searching for a sign, Eduardo walked into a gym in Seattle—and ran into none other than President Barack Obama. A brief conversation with the former president rekindled Eduardo’s hope and determination, inspiring him to stay in America and pursue his dreams. With only $200 left to his name, Eduardo decided to give his dream one last shot. Drawing on his passion for production he founded Metropolitan Fashion Week, which has since grown to become the longest privately-owned fashion week on the West Coast. Eduardo’s story is a testament to the power of resilience, the impact of chance encounters, and the importance of pursuing one’s dreams against all odds. Read more>>
Isabella Tabares
I’m Isabella Tabares, founder of Footprints of Uganda. Service has always been a core part of who I am—I’ve volunteered since I was 14, dedicating my time to nursing homes, hospitals, animal rescues and the local community center. My favorite volunteer work as been teaching at my local church, teaching children between the age of 4-6 years. In the Fall of 2023, I spent four transformative months in Uganda, I volunteered at a school and submerged my self in the culture reaffirming my passion for serving others and improving lives. While my professional background lies in human resources, my true calling lies in making a positive impact on others and their communities. Read more>>
Brandon Reef
I came up with the idea in Spring of 2017. I love talking sports and always chatted with people at work regarding the most recent game or news in the sports industry. I wanted to use a platform to talk sports not just on the national level news, but also the local state of Indiana. With Indiana being a flyover state, we don’t always make national news and the major outlets only covered the larger markets while people in this state also wanted to talk our teams in the state including the Pacers, Colts, Purdue, Indiana, Notre Dame and Ball State. I wanted to start a “barbershop style” and started with my own podcast which after 4 months, I brought in a former co-worker Jonathan Birdsong. Read more>>
Nadine Moore
I wanted a food truck since I was 16 years old. When I was fired the day after coming back to work from having Covid in 2021 I decided I would never work for anyone again and follow my food truck dream! Read more>>
Jen Hellman
Early in the 1990’s, I’d taken my Nikon on a 1200-mile drive through the Rocky Mountains and returned with some lovely photos of the various rock faces. I unearthed one photo that stood out to me for its striking sedimentary layers of green, pink and yellow. I remember having the feeling that I wished I could make it into something more dimensional. I hung it on my wall and stared at it every time I walked by. Read more>>
Melissa Gallagher
The Story Behind Wonderfully Made Baby: The story of Wonderfully Made Baby began in one of the most unexpected and challenging moments of my life. My son Hudson made a surprise entrance into the world, arriving at just 2 pounds. His early arrival meant we spent an emotional and overwhelming amount of time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). It was during those long, anxious days that the seed for Wonderfully Made Baby was planted. Read more>>
Susan George
About 10 years ago, I was a full-time musician in Seattle and realized to move the needle of my career, I needed to get serious about personal branding and social media marketing. I started working with brands as a micro-influencer and when the pandemic hit, went even harder on socials. My husband built a stage in our living room and I would do live stream shows every week on Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok. I found a new committed and kind community on tiktok which led to giving other creators advice about brand deals, then managing them, and brokering campaigns with companies like New Balance, Costco, and Netflix. Now, Mediary Marketing helps amplify the voices of creators and brands, with influencer management, product development, organic and paid campaigns, content creation, and more recently, scaling products on Tiktok Shop. Read more>>
Maha Bodhi
“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” – The Bhagavad Gita. This ancient wisdom perfectly encapsulates the essence of yoga, a practice that goes beyond the physical to touch every aspect of our being. After surviving a brutal upbringing in Yemen, where I was enslaved as a female, forced into arranged marriages twice, faced multiple life-threatening situations, and endured two civil wars, I eventually arrived in the U.S. and was later diagnosed with breast cancer. Yoga has been my anchor, a sacred space where I learned to let my light shine and be all that I am. My purpose now is to share this gift, to hold space for others to transform, and to pass along the yogic teachings I’ve gathered throughout the years. This book is a part of that mission. Read more>>
Daniela Padilla
I moved to NYC in 2012 when I married Jose. NY life has a very fast paced and I started gaining a lot of weight eating what was available at the moment . No time to cook, shopping always on the run. When I had time I wanted to rest or spend quality time with my family. As well if i ever purchased food sometimes it went to waste because I didn’t cook it. As well I became a mom and in total I gained over 80 lbs in the course of 3 years. In that moment i was working for an event planning company. In 2016, we bought a supplement store next a gym and Jose and I we knew we needed to offer food that was fresh, affordable and healthy. Read more>>
Candace Clay
When I founded Candi Aesthetics and Consulting LLC, I identified a critical gap in the education within the aesthetics field. With nearly a decade of experience in aesthetic sales, training, and business growth, I saw an opportunity to make a real impact on medical clinics and spas. My motivation was clear: to use my expertise to help these businesses grow, moving from six to seven figures. The results, such as helping an office generate $20,000 in product sales in a 5-hour window, confirmed the need for my targeted coaching and strategies. My passion for teaching and deep industry knowledge allows me to drive meaningful growth for clinics and med spas. Read more>>
Jane Ko
When I started A Taste of Koko in 2010 as just a food blog, I had no idea it would grow into the lifestyle brand that is it now. Along the way, people kept asking for community and if they could come along to the experiences that I was sharing. It took several years but I kept thinking of a way to bring my community with me and finally last year we launched Club Koko. Read more>>
Steve Candal
How I Came Up With “Foodography” As a photographer, with 7 years, I started out doing Weddings and other events, portraits, etc. I am a lifestyle photographer. I use natural light and I prefer candid style shooting over studio portraits, artificial flash, etc. Last September 2023, I really wanted to dabble with taking pictures of food. But only for fun. I had no intentions of becoming a food photographer or even monetizing from it. I just wanted to mess around and hobby with food. Read more>>
Carolina Carver
CBDelicacy was first started back in 2020 over a love for pets by Carolina Carver & Cassady Rotthoff. Cassady studied Culinary Arts at Johnson and Wales. Carolina is the owner of the well known pet service, Tails N’ Trails. They brought their extensive knowledge from their perspective backgrounds together, to find a healthy alternative to modern medicine to manage their pets’ ailments. Both Carolina & Cassady had pets that suffered from ailments that could best be managed through CBD. Carolina’s hound, Annie, was recovering from a traumatic injury that left her with a multitude of mobility issues. And Cassady’s beagle, Billie, suffered from severe anxiety as a rescue from Kentucky. Read more>>
Jonathan Rosen
My whole life I never wanted to “go it alone.” Maybe I just wanted to belong. I also never wanted my desire to belong to be in the hands of others who may not include me. I also knew that’s what everyone wanted. When I was in elementary school I was the kid who organized the kickball games during recess. As I grew older I continued to cherish group collaboration in sports teams, student activity clubs, study groups and later neighborhood associations. Read more>>
Todd Hackett
For my company, Hastati Music Network, the idea sort of just evolved over time. I started in the music industry as a promoter selling tickets and recruiting people into this MLM that I was a part of. I was consistently on the leaderboards for top sales and was promoted to higher positions. Eventually, I left that company and formed my own, Diamond’s Edge Productions, which gave me a lot of insight into hosting shows, talent buying, etc. That company failed due to some poor decisions I made in choosing working partners but it still served the purpose of giving me lots of connections and knowledge about how live music events work. Read more>>
Maurice Walker
To Be Honest I Get My Ideas from everywhere weather it’s a meme I saw that I wanted to make a video of or a fan comment that I thought was so good I had to turn it into reality. My brain always has something crazy going on up there constantly thinking of the next best thing so many skits pop up in my head throughout the day I had to start writing them down. Read more>>
Alyssa Biestek
DogLove Original Brand was born fairly spontaneously after a close family friend was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer. I have always dabbled in crafts and creating things for others, so I had an Etsy page for those projects. After receiving that unfortunate news, I quickly came up with DogLove, and knew that I wanted all of the proceeds to be donated back to pay for medical treatment for my dear friend. Read more>>
Sam Vinson
This is in two parts, one about children’s literature and one about The Hippopotamus Thesaurus: The idea to write children’s literature came first. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has a special place they can go. Whether it be the Baudelaire Mansion, Mount Olympus, The Hogsmeade Tavern, Whoville, or The End of the Sidewalk, these places exist in our minds forever. As we grow older, we begin to discover less and less fantastical places between pages, though the value and significance of these locations remain as vibrant as ever in our young minds. We pull on them, summon courage from them, reference them unconsciously, even use them as tools, like pretending it’s an I-Spy game to find car keys. Read more>>
Maria Langella Sorgie
My business is SorgieWrites LLC. I came up with the idea because I am an author. I love writing and creating. I love books. Doing what I love is who I am and my business reflects that. Read more>>
Lauren Wiskerson
My journey as a fundraiser began in childhood, when I was thrilled to raise funds for my elementary school. The idea of contributing to something bigger than myself excited me, and this dedication only grew stronger over time. As a teenager, I started collecting funds for Oxfam, deeply moved by their purpose to fight global poverty. In my 20s, I fully embraced the challenge of volunteer fundraising when the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s mission pulled at my heartstrings, inspiring me to raise funds and cycle 100 miles around Lake Tahoe. That exhilarating experience not only created beautiful friendships but also solidified my belief in the power of collective action to drive meaningful change. Read more>>
Natalie Vargas
This was 21+ years in the making. As a child, I was taught that La Yerba Buena (peppermint) helps with an upset stomach. I learned that Aloe Vera helps with sunburns. All my grandmother’s remedies. As time went on, I grew and knowledge myself in alternative remedies. Aromatherapy stole my interest. Plants, flowers, herbs, and learning all the great benefits that mother nature puts on this earth. Who wouldn’t be interested? Fast forward… 2001 – I moved into a house where the past tenants left behind boxes of books. These books were mainly about plant life, herbs, and essential oils. The backyard had a lot of plants. Some were dying, or they were dead already. I quickly learned how to care for them with the books left behind. I knowledge myself and fell in love with the process. Read more>>
Riah Galore
I began doing music at the age of 7. My father would have me recite lyrics and memorize them constantly. We would bond over teaching me famous quotes and scriptures. Over time my family would allow the children to entertain them during holiday events. During the 90’s era of music I felt unity and that inspired me to write music in my own style reflecting that feeling. Getting positive reactions from friends and peers once I discovered my talent encouraged me to be more proactive with music . Read more>>
Drayland Coney
I grew up helping my dad restore cars, so alot of close friends always called with their car problems so i created the idea of being a mobile mechanic because so many people call me consistently, but im still in the works of legitimately taking it to the next level llc wise, still need start up cost to reach a different audience Read more>>
Bryce Hansen
At the age of 11, I was diagnosed with the degenerative neurological disease Charcot Marie Tooth. I underwent my first surgery when I was 12 and had to completely retrain myself how to walk. With two large blue casts on my legs, I became isolated by the school system. I was not allowed to play football at lunch, walked the track alone during gym class, and was forced into IEP classes despite my disability being physical. In music class, I required extra help for my dysfunctional hands, but there was only one instructor for over 30 kids learning six different instruments, so I learned nothing. I also had a guitar instructor who told me it was not possible to play with the condition of my hands. Read more>>
Liza Pruitt
I launched Liza Pruitt in 2017. It began as a passion project while I was still working full-time in medical sales. I had a small side business selling a curated collection of jewelry. In my travels, I would find art that I loved and wanted to share with others, so I started adding art to the mix, and before long I had abandoned jewelry and focused solely on the art. The mission behind the business was – and is – to make art accessible to everyone regardless of budget, location, or experience level. By making original art available online, clients can find art that speaks to them from the comfort of their own homes. I’ve made my passion my work by connecting people with the art that speaks their language. Read more>>
James Videau
Well, for as long as I can remember I’ve always been a creative in some form or fashion. At a young age its was hip hop dancing, poetry and painting. It really became a reality after the passing of my father and a divorce as a means of personal therapy. I would design various graphics as a result. I showed a woman by the name of Porsche Wilson some of the things that I made and she asked me, “Why don’t you start a business?” It was weird for me because I’ve always played a supporting role in everyone else’s life, and hardly ever stepped out on my own. Plus, I didn’t think I was capable. However, I did it while I was scared and never looked back. That’s how Visuals by Videau, LLC was born. Read more>>
Makayla Askew
The idea for Salt Vault Wellness Center was born out of my personal journey toward holistic healing and spiritual wellness. For over a decade, I had been deeply committed to my own spiritual journey, exploring various modalities that helped me heal and grow. Throughout that process, I realized how important it was to have a safe, inclusive space where people could explore their own paths to wellness, free from judgment and with access to a wide range of healing practices. Read more>>
Valerie Schimel
I am an avid outdoor exerciser with a history of skin cancer & sun damage. I searched high & low for a sun shirt, but couldn’t find one that I liked. Everything was too itchy, too thick or too much designed for a speciality sport (fishing, triathletes, etc). I couldn’t find a comfortable, chic sun shirt – so I decided to make one. Read more>>
Lawanda Beason
ABOUT MAMA LULA’S CREOLE SEASONING, LLC Mama Lula’s Seasoning started when i was a child. I used to see her and my Big Mama season food without using measurements. She used to cook alongside Dulan and Flossi at Aunt Kizzy’s Backporch for seven years, in which she had a notable reputation for her astonishing culinary delights! One day i told her “Mama, why dont you open a restaurant?” She replied, “Girl I aint got time for that.” So i told her that I have time and that one day your name is going to be in lights! As time went on I developed a passion for food and started using her creole seasoning as both a caterer and a chef at numerous venues. In twenty years I never received one complaint. I believe when people eat well, they live well. After Mama Lula passed in 2018 l decided it was time that the world knew what the fuss was about with her seasoning. Tantalizing creole spices, red peppers, chili peppers, garlic, onion, etc. that will have your taste buds on Bourbon Street drinking a Daiquiri. Read more>>