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.

Jennifer Mims

At the age of 9 years old, I KNEW that I wanted to do hair. I am my best self, when providing quality customer service. It makes me happy, and I have fun. 2018 is when I went independent, stepped out on faith, and found salon space. Read more>>

Rachel Maksimovic

I became a solo mum when I was 20 weeks pregnant, over the first couple of years I struggled so much with my life experiences, being a full time mum, present with my son 24/7 while also trying to find small pockets of time while he slept to continue to work in my business to earn enough to keep a roof over our heads. Amongst the financial and career challenges there were so many other unique challenges connected to solo motherhood and I felt really isolated in the experience. My son was 4 months old when I was chatting to a friend and said that there was nothing out there to support me and help me feel connected so I was going to have to create it myself. I spent years sitting on this idea because I spent years feeling debilitated by the challenges and felt like I had no capacity to help others yet. I actually do feel like now there was a purpose to me being in survival mode for so long, it has meant that I can better connect and share with others as I have deep understanding of the challenges of single motherhood. Read more>>

Tabitha Baldwin

I initially envisioned opening a studio because I wanted a space that provided flexibility—somewhere I could photograph clients in a controlled environment, no matter the time of day or the weather. I imagined a studio with a welcoming, home-like feel, an aesthetic that’s both beautiful and versatile, with different areas to inspire creativity and help me continually grow my craft. As I developed the idea, I realized that other photographers could benefit from this same type of space, so I decided to open it up as a rental studio. I chose this location for its convenient accessibility and the gorgeous natural light, which really enhances the overall vibe and offers even more creative possibilities for anyone using the space. Read more>>

Amani Berryhill

Honestly, I just wanted to introduce the thought of inclusive play to families within my very own community but that’s not where it all began. Before I mustard up the courage to start my own play business, I first became a healthcare warrior, oops I mean professional. It was my time in that industry, meeting new families and taking care of various different types of patients, where I found a new community looking for a solution to the limitations of traditional family entertainment places around Nashville. Please don’t get me wrong, I actually worked at a FEC to get through school but the patients I had didn’t have the same access to this place due to their different abilities. That made me frustrated but curious to find a way to become more inclusive. I learned to be an advocate but that wasn’t enough so I started the process to offer inclusive play to both neurodivergent and neurotypical families. There I hoped to encourage imaginative play, developmental skills, and foster a conversation amongst neighbors facing similar experiences…a hub of sort. THAT’S when Toddies was born. Read more>>

Mariana Loya

After spending many years in the interior design industry, I took the leap to start my own business. The birth of my second son made me realize I needed more flexibility than my job offered. At the time, I thought working from home and scheduling meetings on my terms would be the perfect solution—but I quickly learned that the stresses of running a business come with their own challenges. After leaving my position as a senior interior designer at a prestigious San Antonio firm, I received several offers from other great companies, but I wasn’t sure which path to take. I had a planned family trip to Europe and decided to savor that experience before making any major career decisions. While we were in Europe, my husband encouraged me to consider starting my own business, a suggestion that stayed with me. Read more>>

Nikki Crow

From a young age, I was the memory-keeper among my family and friends—the one who never let a moment go unrecorded. I kept everything from photos to little mementos, even notes from high school, tucked away as treasures in my memory box. As the oldest of five, I felt a deep responsibility to preserve our moments together, and by age 11, I had my first camcorder, filming everything I could. Fast forward a bit, I ended up in a corporate job in banking and mortgages that, over 10 years, felt like it was draining my creativity. I kept searching for something that would let me tap back into my passion for storytelling and reconnect with the feeling I had as a kid capturing little slices of life. Read more>>

Reginald Cineus

My journey began when I went to SCAD for storyboarding and sculpture. After I graduated, for the first few years, I was pursuing fine art. There was a moment when I decided to sit down and assess my skills and what I wanted to do. I don’t remember what worksheet I used, but it helped me break down my talents, what my network was consistently doing, and what I loved doing, which is storytelling. That worksheet helped me realize that, even though I love sculpture, my heart wasn’t in making money from it or serving others through it, it would be something I did purely for myself. Read more>>

Alvin Perry

In 2011 after a series of gang violence I wanted to start a movement to show that there was positivity coming from the area I’m from. I started the I Am The Eastside movement which was basically just people wearing a t-shirt with I AM THE EASTSIDE on front and STOP THE VIOLENCE on back. From that movement people wanted me to make them personalized shirts. Originally I had someone else doing it for me but as time went on I learned on my own how to make custom shirts. In 2015 I bought the equipment I needed to start my business. Read more>>

Danielle Holloway

I founded Designing Her with a simple yet powerful mission: to help women feel more confident through a product that is universal part of our lives-makeup. I saw the transformative power makeups can have, not just on the outside but within, and I wanted to create something that would be more than just a product line. I wanted Designing Her to be a tool for empowerment. By encouraging women to embrace their unique beauty daily, I believe they can step into the world with fearlessness and a stronger sense of self. My goal is to remind every woman that confidence is within her reach, and touch of makeup can be a reminder of her strength and beauty. Read more>>

Symone Bridges

For the past 10+ years, I was very fortunate to have not only served in leadership roles, but I was also fortunate to have worked alongside leaders as well. C-suite executives, church leadership, entrepreneurs…..I have worked with them all. So many observations were made over the years that caused me to grow a greater interest in leadership and the development of leaders. Read more>>

Nikki Trout Samantha Capstick

Samantha Capstick can’t help but love others – it’s her greatest gift. Samantha’s heart for women began when she herself was a teen mom at the age of 18. She spent years struggling, then turned her energy into helping other young women thrive. Years later, in 2018, Samantha Capstick and Nikki Trout met when their boys played rec baseball together and hit it off right away. Fast forward to 2019, Nikki had a baby girl who was born with cancer. It was a tough and heartbreaking journey, but through it all, Samantha stood by her side. During those challenging years, they realized how much they loved helping moms who were going through hard times—whether it was single moms or moms with sick kids. Read more>>

Clay Boykin

Have you ever been swept away by a soul-stirring experience, something that left you with a profound sense of awe? Maybe you embarked on a journey or a quest to uncover something hidden within yourself, to sort through the myriad of voices clamoring inside your mind. Perhaps you discovered a place where you were deeply moved, where you found answers and meaning among those voices, where beauty and energy transcended the ordinary and connected you to something profound. Read more>>

Zack Finger

Last Chair Customs was born one night when I was at home having some beers with my roommate and complaining about my job. I’m a machinist by trade, and really wasn’t feeling good about the parts I was making, who they were for and what they were going to go out in the world to do (think military weapons). Gabe asked me “What would you rather be doing?” With the career I’ve had working in manufacturing and in the ski industry, I knew the answer. I wanted to make something I could be proud of, I connected with, and something the people around me would get excited about. That’s where the idea of recycling, repurposing, and reinventing old industrial pieces from the ski industry was born. Read more>> 

Phillip Tate

My mom called me one day she was on her lunch break at work and she saw a co-worker watching someone play games online and she saw they earing money and having fun she called me as soon as she got home told me about her day and told me to go for it Read more>>

Frankie Bashan

I spent nearly a decade working as a clinical psychologist specializing in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder. Eventually, I began noticing concerning signs of burnout. Alongside my work at a large HMO, I was also building my private practice, focusing on singles and couples navigating the complexities of dating. During sessions with my single clients, I often felt a strong urge to introduce one client to another, imagining how well they might connect. But, of course, privacy and confidentiality made that impossible. I remember thinking, “If only I could introduce my 9 a.m. client to my 6 p.m. client.” Read more>>

Poojasri Ranganathan

Hailing from the vibrant town of Harur, India, I, Poojasri Ranganathan, embarked on a transformative journey that led me from a Bachelor’s in Fashion Technology to becoming an internationally recognized Makeup Artist and Hairstylist based in Snohomish, Washington. Upon getting married and arriving in the United States, I found myself at a crossroads, searching for purpose and direction. It was during this period of self-discovery that I realized my passion for makeup – a natural extension of my love for fashion. This epiphany led me to enroll in an intensive 7-month program at the prestigious Tint School of Makeup and Cosmetology in Seattle. I got trained in varying aspects of makeup and hair like Studio, HD makeup, Special effects and Bridal makeovers. Read more>>

Jordan Reddington

In 2022, I was diagnosed with an allergy to methylisothiazolinone, a synthetic preservative that is widely found in many of the household and personal care products that line our American big box retail shelves. It’s a shelf-stabilizing agent that is colorless and is known to be a hazardous chemical, dangerous to both humans and the environment. Because of its strong allergen makeup, the European Union has actually begun to restrict the use of methylisothiazolinone in body products among others.

(source: https://cen.acs.org/articles/94/i16/Preservative-leavecosmetics-banned EU.html#:~:text=Methylisothiazolinone%20will%20be%20banned%20in,preservative’s%20ban%20earlier%20this%20month.) Read more>>

Carrie Goetz

I have been in technology for over 40 years. We have a problem attracting new talent, particularly in data centers and the mission critical space. We don’t reach kids early enough in their career decisions. The first book, Jumpstart Your Career in Data Centers, was designed to be read in a weekend. It is a techno-jargon free explanation of the industry, how it works, and our jobs. There were a few catalysts behind the body of work, Read more>>

Owen Hankle

I sat down one day trying to figure out how to do what I love and do it for myself in a sense? I thought really hard about what relates to me and what I truly love doing. All that kept coming up with, was when I was a kid and how much time I’d spend out in the woods with my uncle. We’d always be out there, whether it be hunting or just camping. I’d honestly say about 75% of my childhood was spent outdoors. I learned how to start a fire, tie the knots, and just in general be comfortable surrounded by trees and nature, no matter the situation. What always stuck with me was the fire, cooking venison (among other animals) right over the open flames. I’ll admittedly say, I have always had a bit of a romance when it comes to open fire but especially because of my upbringing in upstate NY. Read more>>

Julia Liverton

It all started with designing my own wedding invitations. I had attended design school to study Industrial Design, and had been working within that industry ever since I graduated. Because of this, I thought it made sense to design my own wedding invitations. I soon realized that I actually really enjoyed the process of designing wedding stationery and appreciated how special it truly was to contribute to such a memorable day. Seeing our wedding stationery come to life was honestly such a magical moment. It added this beautiful, personal touch that made our day feel even more us. That feeling is exactly what I want to give to my clients – something that makes their day feel truly special and all their own. Read more>>

Edy Massih

When Covid hit and get togethers were no longer happening, I shifted gears with my catering business and focused on making to-go meals for people to pre-order and pick up. I planned the menus myself so I really leaned into my Lebanese background and the flavors and dishes I grew up eating in Lebanon. However, there were no Middle Eastern grocery stores in North Brooklyn. For all my spices and ingredients, I had to travel over to Kalustyan’s and Sahadi’s. It dawned on me that a place with access to Middle Eastern ingredients and products was really missing in my area. The perfect opportunity presented itself when the owner of the Polish deli on my corner approached me about taking over the space and adding my Lebanese twist. Read more>>

Mel

Before I opened up XioPrints LLC, I was a traveling artist who sold artwork in the form of art prints, stickers, and acrylic keychains at conventions. In our world, we typically refer to it as Artist Alley and we jokingly call ourselves “Con Artists”. After a year of doing business, I wasn’t seeing the results I wanted, so I quit to start anew. It wasn’t until the Pandemic that I saw a recurring pattern in the Artist Alley world. People were looking for a reliable, trustworthy, and fast manufacturer for acrylic keychains. That’s when I decided to take matters into my own hands! As a former Artist Alley Artist, I knew exactly what my fellow artists were looking for, so I spent the next two years doing research on the industry. I took local business courses, scoured Facebook, the internet, competitors, and eventually I got the funding I needed to startup! Read more>>

Ahmadi Aydelott

My journey into entrepreneurship has always been intertwined with my passion for education. I excelled in school and found great joy in acquiring new knowledge. I never envisioned myself as a business owner; instead, I was driven by a profound desire to make a meaningful impact and create something truly innovative. Growing up in a family that emphasized the importance of education, I believed that my ability to learn quickly would lead to a successful career. After school, I would return home to cook for my family. Cooking was a cherished activity we shared, and I can’t pinpoint exactly how I developed my culinary skills—it was simply a part of our family life. As I began sharing photos and videos of my culinary creations on social media, I received enthusiastic feedback that sparked my creativity. This encouragement inspired me to experiment with new flavor combinations and dishes. As demand grew and new customers began placing orders, I found myself overwhelmed by the volume of requests and the lack of a structured way to manage them. Read more>>

Marshell Cunningham

At some point, in life I was a single, divorced, Mom of three children. I wanted to instill into them things that I may not have received from my parents growing up due to lack of knowledge. One of the things I wanted to instill in my children is vision and implementation. As a woman of Christian faith, these are values I wanted to promote. Every New Year, we would complete an exercise of creating vision boards and speaking about the goals we wanted to achieve during the year. We would also review the goals we set the prior year and where we were with them. The prerequisite to setting these goals were to pray to God for guidance, first. Read more>>

Jordan & Barry Slocum Bordelon

Seven months into dating, we purchased our first home together, a Brownstone in Brooklyn, and decided to renovate it. We catalogued our experience in the form of a blog, and soon, we had a decent sized online following who were asking us what to do in their own homes. From there, we left our full time jobs to become full time business owners. We started taking on clients in New York and beyond, designing and renovating homes of all kinds. Then, our digital business started picking up, and soon, we were both full time designers and full time content creators. We’ve done campaigns with all sorts of brands, from Farrow & Ball to HGTV and just about everything in between. Though it’s at times felt overwhelming, this incredible amount of growth in a relatively short time, we’ve always had each other to lean on, and together we know we are capable of anything. Now, nearly eight years later, we’re married, have twelve projects currently in progress, published a book, and are getting ready to go to the HGTV dream home next month. This business has become more than we ever imagined, and we’re looking forward to how we will continue to grow. Read more>>

Vivian Cumins

The idea for my work emerged from my own transformative journey that began with a breakdown in 2020. While lying in tears on my living room floor, completely broken despite my seemingly perfect life – the successful career, the beautiful blended family – I had no idea I was actually at the beginning of creating something meaningful. The initial spark came during my ‘wilderness season’ – a challenging period that started with a stage 3 melanoma diagnosis shortly after I had surrendered my life to God. During this time, while wrestling with major health challenges and working through my own perfectionism and control issues, I began noticing something significant: many women in my circles were struggling with the exact same challenges I was facing. Read more>>