Starting a business or creative project is scary for many reasons, but one that is often overlooked is the anxiety related to whether this is really “the one.” To some, this isn’t a valid consideration while to others this is the only consideration. Some argue that what you work on, along with who you work with are the two most pivotal decisions you’ll make and so we’ve asked folks to tell us about how they came up with their ideas and how they knew this idea was the one.
Mildred Namusisi
Since I was a little girl growing up in Uganda, I’ve always been captivated by nature and the magic of natural healing. My parents were my greatest teachers, showing me the healing wonders of African herbs, oils, and plants. I would spend hours in our garden, learning how each plant had its own story and purpose. From a young age, I was that friend who everyone turned to for a natural remedy or advice on wellness. It wasn’t a matter of if I would ever do something with this passion—it was a matter of when. Read more>>
Edward Fregoso
Although we didn’t open untill 2019, the idea for The Meltdown started to take shape in 2017, but the seed was planted even earlier. I’ve always been drawn to how food brings people together, especially ice cream. It’s timeless, nostalgic, and almost always associated with happiness. In 2017, I started noticing that while ice cream trucks were around, they didn’t seem to offer the personal, elevated experience I imagined. I saw an opportunity to combine the fun of an ice cream truck with the quality and creativity that often lacked in the food truck world. It wasn’t just about selling ice cream. I wanted to serve more than a product. I wanted to deliver an experience people would talk about long after The Meltdown was gone. I knew this could work because of the universal appeal of ice cream, but what made me feel like it was worthwhile was how customizable and adaptable the concept could be. I wanted to solve the problem of bringing high quality ice cream with a personal touch to an environment that could cater intimate gatherings and large parties. No one else seemed to be doing that. Read more>>
Chris Zydel
When I first came up with the idea for my Creative Juices Arts expressive arts business it grew out of my own experience with intuitive painting and how much making art through letting go of control and without an agenda or a plan really helped me to feel more fully alive and connected to my real self. I saw a lot of people who were teaching art classes that were focused on things like learning technique or creating a pretty picture. Which are all worthwhile endeavors. But I wanted something that was going to allow me to take people on a journey into listening to their souls and being supported in honoring their intuition through making art. Read more>>
James Rudolph
In 2007, a group of friends decided to compete in Memphis in May World Championship BBQ contest. We had 2 goals, don’t get kicked out and don’t come in last place. We flirted with both of those. Lol. Over time we perfected our recipes on the competition circuit and won a few trophies. In 2016 we made finals at Memphis In May and that’s when we knew we needed to bring our rubs to the market. Read more>>
Reiko Kaneshiro
The idea of becoming a skincare formulator came as a surprise, really, When I was finally lucky enough to become a mother, I was already 38 years old. Being blessed with a child was my greatest desire in life. I was so happy to care for and love this sweet baby and it has still been my greatest pleasure! However, I found that with the sleep deprivation, absence of time to care for my appearance, and the onset of pre-menopause, my skin was rapidly changing. I had always taken my skin for granted, although I think a lot of us do because we look simply fabulous in those younger years! It was definitely an eye-opening experience. The changes in my life had also changed the way I felt about my skin and I quickly learned how important it actually was to me. I began seeking out skincare options to help me with youth preservation. Read more>>
Jamie Ferriman
In 2022, our family endured a tragic loss of our daughter Bridgett, which deeply affected all of us and caused a whirlwind of emotions. I found myself lost and struggling to cope with the pain. After a year and a half, I realized I needed something to focus on in order to keep my mind occupied. That’s when I discovered the art of candle-making through an informative article. I delved into the process and immediately became captivated by its calming and distracting nature. As I made candles for our home, I was amazed at how well they turned out. I began sharing my newfound passion with friends, family, and co-workers. They were so impressed that they started requesting candles of their own, sparking a newfound interest in my products. Encouraged by the support, I decided to honor my daughter’s wish of helping others by donating a portion of the proceeds to a charity dedicated to those struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. Read more>>
Natalie Brandt
The word Conduite has evolved a lot for me in the past few years. From initially learning its meaning, to being a reference for how i viewed myself and my work, i have a lot of thoughts on it. I was running a magazine a few years back, called The Reel Magazine. At the time my Dad had actually suggested I call it “Conduit Magazine”, since it’s focus was building something for creatives, by connecting creatives. At the time it didn’t make sense for me, I didn’t really like the way it looked. A few years later, when I began full-time freelancing I naturally was drawn back to the word as I learned my strengths as an individual – the biggest one being a connector within my community. Read more>>
Abby Alem
Branding can be incredibly difficult as it takes a hybrid approach of “art and science”. For me, the name AMBESA came to me with ease because of its organic nature and impact it’s personally had on me. Growing up as a child of immigrants, Like many other 1st generation born Americans, I had the unique privilege to come to age being exposed to a range of languages, styles of communication, register tones, and culture. For any Eritrean or Ethiopian kid, you now that when someone called you AMBESA, it was a very special and encouraging term of endearment. AMBESA means lion in the Eritrean and Ethiopian native tongues. AMBESA is an ode to that feeling of being championed and celebrated by your elders and community. The Lion’s Vision is to move culture forward through the creative arts for brands and creators in the pursuit of the next generation of growth. Read more>>
Sequoia Boyd
The name of my company, Everlasting Events, was inspired by my grandmother, who passed away two years ago. The initials of her name are incorporated into the business as a tribute to her. She left a lasting impression on everyone who knew her, and that’s the driving force behind my company. Our goal is to ensure that every display creates a meaningful and memorable experience for all who attends events we’ve featured in. Read more>>
Sarah Kramer
Teaching forces you to really articulate what your work is about. As an audio journalism professor at NYU, I am always talking about the importance of listening. Listening is really the key to making great radio: listening to what’s going on will help you find a story, listening to your interview subjects will help you get good tape, and listening to stories critically will help you become a better editor and storyteller. Read more>>
Mindy Santo
On Wednesday, August 9th, 2006, I had a come apart counting hundreds of khaki pants in a stockroom; 24 shelving units full of them! In that moment I knew — no matter what — I would take control of my destiny to use my education, skills, and gifts to their fullest potential. I reached out to my network and made a plan for the next 6-8 months. Next, I turned in my resignation. Read more>>
Meghan Calhoun
Our journey with Give River started with a moment of inspiration and a deep sense of purpose. In February 2021, on the anniversary of his mother’s death, my partner was out for a run by the ocean. It was there, amidst the waves and the stillness, that he had a flash of inspiration—a vision that felt like a gift from heaven. He was driven by a desire to address the youth mental health crisis exacerbated by the pandemic and question whether social media was the best we could offer our kids. Read more>>
Daniel Zambrano
The inception of OHOS Media stemmed from a glaring gap I observed in the US film and advertising industry. After a decade of directing commercials for globally recognized brands like Pepsi, Gatorade, and Volvo, I became acutely aware of the scarcity of top-tier talent with Hispanic backgrounds in the American market. As a Colombian filmmaker based in New York, I recognized the untapped potential of exceptional Latin American artists and the increasing demand for diverse perspectives in US productions. This realization sparked the idea for a company that could effectively bridge this gap, playing a universal role in enriching the US industry while simultaneously elevating project quality by incorporating talents from culturally rich countries. Read more>>
Yessica Lizbeth
It was back in June 2022 when I was starting to plan my then four-year old’s party. The past parties I had planned had been in Tijuana and Rosarito with the help of party groups on Facebook for those areas. Honestly, I didn’t feel like having it over there anymore. However, I came across a problem and that was that I didn’t know where to start looking for vendors here. I had never heard of such groups on this side of the border either. I also thought that it would take forever to ask for vendors in multiple groups. So, I decided to create a party group of my own. At first it was just for my area (I live in Chula Vista), but within days I saw interest in people to have it county wide, so I changed it to that. To be honest I never thought people would join, I was in for a big surprise. Read more>>
Amanda Layton
I love to write and have always had a talent for it! At 19, one of my many personal essays was published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Tough Times for Teens. (It’s published under my maiden name “Yancey” and is featured first out of 101 stories.) Helping other people tell their stories, however, is what brings me the most joy! My freelance writing career started with editing college application essays for people. One client I worked with got accepted into BYU Law School with a killer personal essay I helped polish up! The dean even admitted that it was one of the best essays he’d ever read! Read more>>
Julie Vaucresson
My husband and I are the co-owners of a family-owned business, Vaucresson Sausage Company. Vaucresson Sausage has been in business since 1899 and is an integral part of the Creole and cultural community of New Orleans. We are the only original vendor of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, After the 2019 festival season I noticed that we spent a large portion of our budget on condiments, particularly mustard. What goes with sausage? Mustard! Read more>>
Tina Sottolano-cain
Gardens On The Go was born during my senior year of college at Temple University. All senior students were required to submit a final presentation that was a summation of our four years of study In the horticulture and landscape program. I recognized that there was a need for a niche business focused solely on plant combinations grown in pots. Mini gardens that are easy to move, maintain and perfect for small spaces. In a world shifting towards smaller living spaces throughout the 1990s, where downsizing became a booming trend, the concept of gardening took on completely new dimensions. Families who had once sprawled across expansive gardens felt overwhelmed as they transitioned into condominiums or senior living communities, often with barely a balcony or patio for their beloved green companions. This era called for a transformation—a shift toward nurturing mini gardens nestled in clusters of colorful pots filled with blooming flowers. Read more>>
Jessica Papineau
People that don’t know me would never guess how I started in fashion. I grew up in the backwoods of Maine with my mom, as my parents divorced when I was 5. My mom and step-dad chose for us to live off the land, growing our own fruits and vegetables for our meals. We had no electricity, no running water, no TV and had to use an outhouse. We had one very small wood burning stove to heat the house in the winter. I used clothes as a way of pretending I was somewhere else, that I was someone else. Mind you, my clothing was from the Salvation Army, so I had to be creative in how I used these articles of clothing to create beautiful outfits. Some of my earliest memories include me trying on my Salvation Army outfits, looking in my full length mirror and pretending I was at parties having so much fun and feeling beautiful and powerful. I remember my imagination was so vivid that I truly felt like I was actually there at these parties with all these amazing people that loved spending time with me. It truly felt magical. At this time in my life I was an only child and had to use my imagination to entertain myself. Read more>>
Carla Saunders
My most significant project to date was producing the short film I’m Sorry, which was favorably received at film festivals. My goal in making the movie was to provide support to ladies who were abused by a loved one. I wanted to honor those who have passed away, even though it was only a short film. A close family member of mine died years ago as a result of the husband’s repeated beatings putting her on life support, but he was never held accountable. This made me want to create something that demonstrated how the victim’s spirit exacted revenge on her demise despite her lack of bravery to fight back. In order to grow further, I plan to re-create this film as a feature. Read more>>
Nathan Murdock
We are a husband and wife team who discovered solace and strength in the bonds we formed with our first child during a challenging time. The day after our first child was born, we were informed by the hospital billing department that our health insurance had been canceled weeks before without notice by Nathan’s employer at the time. The employer faced almost no consequences whatsoever and despite early promises to help they provided absolutely no assistance to us. As a result, we found ourselves navigating the complexities of being new parents with an additional financial strain we didn’t plan for. Read more>>
Avery Lockridge
Growing up, my family didn’t really do the whole professional family portrait thing, so whenever I would see my friends professional family photos proudly displayed on their walls, I couldn’t help but wish we had something similar and I knew that having professional family photos was something I wanted to do for my own family one day. I’ve always enjoyed photography, I used to spend hours snapping pictures of my friends and baby dolls trying to achieve those famous mall glamor shot looks with my disposable cameras as a kid. So, when I became a mom, I was determined to capture every milestone with professional photos. My husband at the time surprised me with my first real camera, and that’s when I dove into learning how to use it. People started noticing my knack for photography and encouraged me to think about starting a business. Read more>>
Karina Catellani
The idea for Treelance Yoga came to me in 2016 when I was deeply immersed in my yoga practice and wanted to align my career with my personal values. After years in PR and marketing, helping Latin artists at Sofia Vergara and Luis Balaguer’s management agency, I felt a strong desire to create something that reflected my passions and lifestyle. Yoga wasn’t just a practice for me; it was a way to embrace mindfulness, balance, and inner strength. I noticed a gap in the market for yoga-inspired apparel that truly embodied these principles. I envisioned a brand dedicated to promoting a mindful, balanced lifestyle through eco-friendly, high-quality products. Read more>>
Margaret Brown
I’ve struggled with weight my entire life. Like many people, I had just accepted the like that I was “big boned” until the lifestyle choices I had started to affect my health over time. Once the doctor told me I was pre-diabetic, with elevated cholesterol, AND borderline blood pressure, I knew I had to make a change. Visiting Nancy Masoud, my metabolic specialist at LockedIn Wellness, changed it all. I was tested for food sensitivities and I learned there were foods my body tolerated better than others. After the initial shock of beginning an elimination diet, I decided to recreate the foods I’ve always loved. Read more>>
Cristiani Orono
I started to create short food videos about how to camouflage vegetables in the meals I prepared for my kids, and them I just listen to a trending song that goes perfectly to the video and that’s it. So many people that are having difficulties trying to feed their kids with healthy food like vegetables started to follow me and try to cook my recipes and most of them had success because their kids ate all the food! They found out what’s they were looking for, it’s what they said. I feel really happy for helping those people to found out a way to feed their “picky eaters” just like mine. Read more>>
Danielle Nichols
Lovela + Company started not as a handcrafted home fragrance company but rather a wholesale maker of handmade home decor. It’s true. And this is the story. At the end of 2019, I was itching for a new creative outlet. Like many new concepts, I got the round about idea to start making handcrafted candle vessels after watching a YouTube tutorial. My spouse sent me a YouTube link on a unique method of casting pillar candles on a base of rustic concrete. They were beautiful. This simple technique made me think, well, why can’t I use concrete to cast vessels for candle making? This would solve my concern about simply using an ordinary glass vessel to make candles-it just wasn’t the look or appeal I was going for. Read more>>
Christina Taylor
Back in 2005, my ten month old daughter was diagnosed with a minor skin condition. I promptly took her to the pediatrician who prescribed her a large, expensive vial of topical medication. I went home and got ready to apply it but something just didn’t feel right to me. I read the included leaflet and at the bottom in bold print it read “may be fatal”. My mouth dropped open and time stood still. I almost applied this to my baby daughter. There were cancer and other type warnings in the fine print as well. I couldn’t get it into the trash fast enough. I was so rattled that this was given to her for a very minor condition that I ended up treating with a natural product, and it cleared up right away. That was the day my journey to clean living began, and I haven’t looked back since. Fast forward to 2020 when many of us were stuck inside our homes for weeks on end. I was burning scented candles on the daily as a way to keep our home feeling fresh and cozy. One day I thought, “I wonder if these candles are harmful”. After doing my research I was shocked and appalled at what is allowed to be included in home fragrance. Cancer causing ingredients like benzene, toluene and formaldehyde are prominently used by manufacturers in many popular home fragrance items on the market. Not wanting to give up my candle addiction, I set out to curate and launch a collection of low tox candles, home fragrance and bath products you can feel good about using in your home. Read more>>
Curtrice R. Goddard
My Journey: Transforming Inherited Trauma into Empowerment and the Creation of my Business. As a Black woman from Detroit, I’ve experienced firsthand the harsh realities of systemic racism and inherited generational trauma. Growing up, I was surrounded by negative narratives and limited expectations that threatened to define my identity and future. Witnessing the cyclical nature of racism and separation consciousness in our society, I felt a deep frustration. Despite decades of social and racial justice efforts, the same patterns of harm continued to infect our communities. Read more>>
Sarah Norris
I named my business Wild Rye Consulting because I am a botanist and an arborist. Wild Rye Consulting primarily provides consulting arborist services but also offers vegetation community mapping, rare plant surveys, and aquatic resource delineation services. The business is named after the native grasses in the genus Elymus, commonly known as wild rye. The perennial wild rye grasses have deep root systems that help to stabilize soils, prevent erosion, store carbon, and support biodiversity. While the primary focus of the business is trees and providing the services of a consulting arborist, naming the business after an herbaceous understory species speaks to the intricacy and interwovenness of ecology. For healthy trees, the entire setting needs to be considered. Read more>>
Shannon Hope
In short, lawyers. When I decided to leave my family business and launch my own firm the initial name of the company was problematic because it involved my last name, which the family business did as well. I went through all types of names related to aviation and they were all taken by other insurance industry firms. When my wife and I had our second child we did not opt to find out the sex beforehand, but our intuition told us we were having a girl. We had the name picked out and my wife even bought me a pink button-down to wear to the hospital for the birth. Low and behold, when our baby came into this world our intuition was wrong. We had a baby boy and no names! After a couple of days in the hospital we couldn’t come up with a name with both liked. My father has a cousin that was very into genealogy and has done a staggering amount of research and work structuring our family tree on acenestry.com. Read more>>
Grace Parry
I am a luxury travel advisor whose passion for exploration shines through with my business, Parry on a Plane. The name “Parry on a Plane” is a fitting reflection of my adventurous spirit. I am always on the move and want to embody the wanderlust that is traveling and encourage my clients to do the same. My brand seamlessly integrates with my personal social media presence, where I share a lot of my own travel experiences, which can be found under the handle @parrys_party. This cohesive branding not only highlights my personal touch but also connects me with clients who feel as if they have known me for years through my online presence and adventures. Read more>>
Kelsey Mcdonald
I like words. I like stories. I like strong female characters. Twelfth Night’s Viola and Much Ado About Nothing’s Beatrice are two of Shakespeare’s strongest female characters, heroines even. Both push against the status quo and do it with wit, confidence, and grace. I wanted a brand that reflected those qualities of wit, confidence, and grace. I felt like they were great names to use as a foundation for “heroines of fine paper goods” as our tagline. I also got into making paper, cards, and invitations with my mom. It felt right to have a duo like Viola and Beatrice to represent us in our stationery adventure. Read more>>