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.

Tania Streetz

Styling by Tania started when I realized that I wanted to help all those women who feel like they can’t wear a certain item of clothing because don’t feel good about themselves and the reason is they think that to wear certain clothes they have to look a certain way. Read more>>

Sydnee Cummings

Throughout my time at Ball State University, I’ve had the chance to fully immerse myself in campus life. One of the most rewarding experiences has been my involvement with the Black Student Association. BSA provides a safe space for minority students, and through my participation, I’ve been able to organize impactful events such as pageants, breast cancer awareness initiatives, community service projects, and lively block parties. Beyond campus, I’ve also seized opportunities to organize both birthday celebrations and corporate events. Read more>>

Susan Loggins

The story behind S.I.T.S. Haven is rooted in personal reflection, legacy, and a deep sense of purpose. I felt driven by my connection to my late mother Selina and felt a calling to empower and uplift women. My mom’s qualities of love, generosity, and faith left a lasting imprint on me. Which helped guide me towards a mission of compassion and encouragement. The pivotal moment came when I inherited something precious from my mother, not just in a material sense, but as a symbolic torch to pass on—an opportunity to create something meaningful. In my daily mindfulness, prayer, and devotion, the word “RETREAT” consistently emerged. It wasn’t just a fleeting thought; it was a call to action, a vision that excited me and sparked endless possibilities. Read more>>

Baiyinah Brookins

Mystics and Sages began with a gift—a small half-moon necklace encircled with tiny black onyx beads, given to me by my father upon his return from a trip to West Africa. This gift initially sparked my interest not only in Tuareg jewelry but also in the tribe itself. Tuareg jewelry designs have been featured in museums around the world due to their rich history, culture, and unique aesthetics. After receiving that necklace, I wore it constantly, completely enthralled, and began incorporating Tuareg pieces into my everyday jewelry collection. Read more>>

Noelia Borbon

Everything started when I was a little kid, passionate about fashion, modeling, project runway and picking my own outfits, then life happened and I ended up modeling in my hometown and studying Exterior Commerce. Both things became my passion and sometimes the things we love guide us to new opportunities and doors we haven’t considered. In 2020 the pandemic hit the world and everyone was locked up at home, so were my family and I. I almost finished my career online, boredom hits us and we decided to clean up our closets and drawers. Just imagine; three generations in my house… so many clothes that were used barely once in their lifetime, as we cleaned up we realized that those garments were ready to be with someone new and start a second life. Read more>>

Aisha Sanders

Wicksup Candle Co. was born in 2022 during the pandemic, a time when many of us were grappling with stress and seeking comfort at home. I realized how much lighting a candle helped me feel grounded and present during those uncertain times, and it sparked an idea. What if people could not only enjoy candles but also be part of the creation process? That’s when I saw the opportunity to create a personalized, eco-friendly candle-making experience that could help others find a sense of calm and creativity, just as I had. Read more>>

Tori

In the summer of 2020, I was feeling lost creatively. During the time of isolation, I decided I wanted to dig into creative outlets to keep myself occupied. I tried painting for a while, and writing, but neither of those hobbies seemed to be the winner. For my birthday in August, my husband and I took a roadtrip to a new restaurant opening up in Cleveland, Ohio. On the way up to Ohio, I decided to download Instagram to my phone after staying off of my personal account for a few years. I always admired the art of photography, so I thought that maybe I could try that as a new creative outlet. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with my account, but I knew I wanted it to be something different. Something big. Read more>>

Zoe Spodek

The idea for Zoetaylorfit was influenced by my own upbringing. I grew up doing gymnastics, so movement and fitness were a big part of my life from a young age. My parents have always been my role models—they go to the gym every morning, and watching their dedication and discipline planted the seed for my own passion for health and fitness. As I got older, I knew I wanted to build something of my own. During the summer of 2023, I interned at a golf fitness performance facility, and seeing the owner build his brand and achieve success with a company that carried his name really inspired me. It made me realize how impactful it can be to create something personal and meaningful. About a month left of my intern, I submitted my application to have Zoetaylorfit LLC. Read more>>

Dante Hancock

I was always an avid Boxing fan; but could not participate in the sport as I grew up with Epilepsy which caused Seizures. My parents always emphasized in standing up for myself and fighting back when necessary. Boxing is centered around those which explains my passion for the sport. Growing up with Epilepsy; fighting back and being confident were challenges for me. I always wanted to Box; but doing so with a neurological condition was out of the question. However; I watched the sport for motivation and believed that one day I will be a Boxer after getting past my disorder. Read more>>

Shaun Beall

I picked up woodworking around 10 years ago with the singular purpose of making myself a record cabinet. I inherited my parents’ collection of classic rock albums and wanted a cabinet that didn’t exist, so I decided to buy some tools, watch a lot of YouTube, and try building what I had envisioned. I’ve always found so much satisfaction in the rituals of playing physical records with family and friends: carefully handling the vinyl, poring over album cover artwork.  Read more>>

Bianca Johnson

I began traveling for work and I enjoyed experiencing new surroundings and meeting new people. My husband and I traveled to Puerto Rico to take a cruise for our honeymoon. We traveled to 5 different islands and the experience was amazing, from the food to the excursions. It left me with a desire to see the world and to experience more. I started planning group trips and everyone would tell me how much they enjoyed themselves. One of my friends noticed my love of travel and convinced me to join her travel team and I started my travel business. I often talked to people or read social media posts about people wanting to travel but not having friends or family to travel with them. Others stated that they didn’t know where to go or what to do to plan a vacation. Some were concerned about being able to afford to travel. I knew I needed to create a solution for them. After hearing their travels concerns, I wanted others to enjoy travel as much as I did without the worry. Read more>>

Kaszia Mitchell

During the pandemic I was really craving a candy apple and I thought maybe I could make my own since everything was shutdown, So, I went on Google and YouTube to see what ingredients I would need to make can candy apples. It seems pretty easy, but it was a total fail lol. During the process I learned my own do’s and don’t’s. Such as, which apples taste better for dipping in candy, the perfect temperature, the cleaning process to avoid bubbles on your apples, and how to add my own flavors. After about 2 weeks of experimenting I finally figured out how to dip a candy apple successfully and I had fun making the apples. I was so proud of myself I decided to post my apples on social media. A few people inboxed me asking how much for an apple and I didn’t really have an idea to sell them at first but people really wanted to try my candy apples so I stepped out on faith and started taking orders. Since then I have added to my menu of making cake pop, chocolate covered pretzels, candy grapes, chocolate strawberries, candied popcorn, and dipped rice krispy treats. Making treats has become my passion and I take every order big or small very seriously. Read more>>

Audra Walters

It was all very organic, and one thing led to another. I started out selling real estate and my schtick was “List with me, I stage for free.” At the time, I was storing all of my staging furniture in my two car garage, but before I knew it, my phone was ringing off the hook from other agents wanting me to stage THEIR listings. At the time, I thought it would be a side gig, but it quickly turned into a full time job. Being in Charleston, the “coastal modern look” with rattan furniture is very popular, but when Covid hit, it became very difficult to get furniture, and at the rate Staging Charleston was growing, I needed ALOT of furniture. That’s when I thought that I should just import the furniture myself. How hard could it be, right? I began researching various companies and after awhile, I settled on one. We compiled a list of items I wanted and one of the scariest moments in my life is when I had to wire a complete stranger, in a different country, a large sum of money for the first 40ft container.  Read more>>

Tommy Basco

Part of being an artist is being able to build a brand around yourself which includes creating merchandise your following wants to purchase and represent you by. Throughout my career it has been hit or miss on translating my idea into fruition. I’ve worked with several different printing companies, and although the products always turn out great, it isn’t 110% my vision. There has been something missing. Being a paper and pen kind of guy, there is something about the digitizing process that has changed the outcome. I wanted to keep my screen prints as organic, bold, and large as possible. Read more>>

Deanna Blasi Deandino

As an elementary special education teacher, I witnessed firsthand how, even at the ages of 8 and 9, children were grappling with debilitating anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. When I became a mother during a pandemic, my perspective on traditional child-rearing shifted drastically. I needed to find a solution that would help instill a positive mindset and a strong inner-voice during early childhood, not only for my students but also for my two little boys, for whom I had big dreams. Read more>>

Keith Mcdonald

My wife Allison and I have an extensive background in the hotel, restaurant and culinary industry. After working for such companies as the Ritz Carlton and the St. Regis we decided back in 2017 to look into our own business. Our experience and the feeling that ownership was a natural progression, we decided to purchase a full service Bed and Breakfast on Cape Cod in Barnstable Massachusetts. It was during these years that we really honed our cooking and baking skills. Fast forward to 2022 we took advantage of a hot real estate market and sold the business as a single family compound which now houses young adults with learning differences. With the proceeds from the sale we decided to move back to our home state of California to be closer to our families. After relocating back to CA. we came up with the idea of an organic bakery. Again this felt like a logical next step given our past kitchen experience; not to mention a huge book of incredible recipes. Read more>>

Joe Maldonado

I came up with the idea for my studio while working with a few artists in my apartment. Initially, it was a comfortable space where we could create music, but as word spread about our sessions, I noticed more and more people were reaching out to work with me. I remember one late night when a neighbor knocked, asking us to keep it down. That’s when I understood I needed a dedicated space where we can work freely without no interruptions. Read more>>

Edward Beazer

I was given a small genetic rubber ball from my coach to practice with. It helped my game so much that we made it part of our weekly routine. Then I got the idea to develop a ball like this specifically for pickkeball. It had to look like a Pickleball, same color, similar bounce, just smaller to help improve eye/hand coordination and ball/paddle contact. Read more>>

Dominick Perez

My business focuses on custom decorated cakes and desserts. Makings someone’s vision come to life for events and party’s is my specialty. when coming up with my pop up I needed to find a way to show what I can offer your events. By selling cake bars and desserts like treats and custom cookies I noticed that In doing this if someone has an event coming up and happen to be somewhere I’m vending, they have another baker in mind but with some extra points in taste! I didn’t realize people would actually take business cards and call for my availability but thankfully they did and have kept coming back. Read more>>

Xylo Aria

I started off as a singer songwriter and unfortunately didn’t have great experiences with the male producers that I was working with. As a young female artists you can often get into unpleasant power struggles with producers and I eventually got tired of this and decided I wanted to take control of this situation and be able to release music without dealing with these issues. I eventually realized that producing my own music was the only option moving forward and got started. This journey felt really lonely and I often felt like the odd person out in production workshops and forums, but when I eventually started to release my self(produced music it was an absolute game changer. I wanted to tell every woman that she could do this too if she wanted to! Read more>>

Matai Steen

Tai’s Kitchen started as a way to make some friends in college while bringing them a home-cooked meal. I had nothing but a small dorm kitchen with a barely functioning stove, and some basic cooking utensils like one pot, one pan, and one knife- that kind of vibe! I bought some cute reusable bags from the dollar store to make the food I was giving my newly acquired friends more personable and I guess, professional. I did not have any concept of the business at the time and just wanted to bring college students together with a home-cooked meal since many of the students around me were a long way from home. I wanted to bring a sense of relaxation to them and provide food that was cooked with love and passion. I had no idea of how to make a profit from what I was doing, I was focused more on bringing the community together through food. Read more>>

Rachel Dickens

The idea for Women Who Collab (WWC) was born from a deeply personal journey and a heartfelt desire to create a space where women could thrive together. As I navigated various women’s groups over the years—whether for business networking, casual meet-ups, or social connections—I cherished the camaraderie and support they offered. However, I often felt that these groups operated in silos, with barriers that kept women from truly connecting across different backgrounds and experiences. Read more>>

Frederick Blackman

Fueled by a passion for health and wellness cultivated during my time behind bars, I envisioned launching a fitness boot camp upon my release in 2016 to chart a positive course. However, upon reentering society, I noticed significant changes in the industry and societal trends. Recognizing people’s deep affection for their pets, I pivoted my business idea towards a niche in dog accessories through an online store. This transformation was inspired by observing the strong bond between individuals and their canine companions, affirming the potential success of this venture. A serendipitous encounter with my girlfriend, Sash, and her dog Kobe deepened my understanding of the invaluable connection between families and their pets. Read more>>

Anton Dabbs

I began my career as a mechanic but eventually transitioned into mechanical breakdown analysis for extended warranty companies. In this role, I would visit automotive dealers and independent repair shops to verify failures before warranty claims were paid. After doing this for about two years, I began to think bigger. Rather than receiving work through inspection companies that partnered with warranty providers, I realized I could become the inspection company myself and cut out the middleman. Read more>>

Pooja D. Bhatia

Frustrated by the constant flood of sugary, over-processed gifts, I found myself regifting most of them. It wasn’t until I created a box of stuffed dates for a diabetic friend—who called it the most thoughtful gift they’d ever received—that I realized the need for health-conscious alternatives. This moment of inspiration led me to develop a range of gourmet treats made with minimal, high-quality ingredients, entirely free from gluten and dairy. Packaged beautifully, these treats offer a delicious, elegant option for those who value both flavor and well-being, without compromising on health. Read more>>

Daphne Marie

Fashion was never in my life plan. As a kid I always thought I would be a lawyer. When I started college that was still my goal. I had my first son in college at 21 and then my second son came along at 24. I was ready for a change so I relocated from PA to GA. I started getting involved with artist management. Then I worked in the TV industry as an Administrative Assistant for almost 10 years. Got married, started our own entertainment company doing artist development, management and promotions. I decide to recruit aspiring models for the promotions team. In the course of that I got involved in 2 organizations whose mission statements aligned with my values. Read more>>