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.
Jonathan Wynn
Soul’d Creative Collective ideated during a heart-to-heart talk with my co-founder Christian Sinclair one late night shift at All People Coffee in February 2022. By that point in time, I just retired from the National Football League and wanted to start my professional career over, so I began working as a barista there. Christian was fairly new to Nashville, graduating from Middle Tennessee State University in 2020. Instantly, we recognized there was no access to safe spaces that celebrates BIPOC arts & culture, especially coming off the pandemic in a city that is engrained in celebrating white, mainstream culture. Read more>>
Brit Williams
I embarked on a granola bar journey back in 2015. It all started when I noticed the lack of nutritional value in the granola bars my husband was eating and I was determined to create something better. I crafted a granola bar that was both delicious and packed with essential nutrients, free from unnecessary additives. But it wasn’t just about granola bars. Thinking about how our bars could stand out, I found myself teaching our young son about manners and so, manners became our brand’s purpose. Our granola bars are crafted from simple, gluten-free, and dairy-free ingredients. They’re wrapped in eco-friendly packaging, but that’s not all – they carry a message that matters. Read more>>
Mckenzie Bunn
The idea of Barbecue and catering came to me naturally. I was always a lover of cooking and culinary arts. My grandparents were great cooks also. My grandpa was a fisherman and hunter, and my grandmother made the best meals that I would try to sneak a treat while she was cooking. I remember she would always say, “If you wanna taste then you need to come see hownits done,” and that sparked my love. My step-father, my “Pops”, was also a great cook, who had a love for BBQ, so being around him as well also helped spark this passion. So when I decided to dive deep into the world of BBQ, and catering as well, it was a match made in heaven that me and my family have truly benefitted from. I love what I do. Read more>>
Serena Allen
AirVitalize actually didn’t start with a specific idea—it started with a lot of questions. I spent months literally walking up to folks and asking, “What’s your biggest problem?” It was a kind of “exploration phase.” As we dug deeper and deeper into problems people faced, we eventually came across particulate matter air pollution. What stood out to me was how inequitable air pollution is. It disproportionately affects low-income communities and people of color. The pollution is often caused by things beyond people’s control. For example, freeways running through poor neighborhoods or people burning wood to heat their homes because electricity costs are high. Since the 1970s air pollution in the U.S. has exponentially decreased – but in the past few years pollution is actually increasing. That was a wake-up call for me. It hit me that we hadn’t seen much innovation in this space since the catalytic converter was invented, and now growing pollution requires more innovation. Read more>>
Amanda Khazhinov
The idea for Evermore Fine Jewelry began when my husband proposed to me many years ago. He, like many men, went to a big box store, picked out a premade ring, spent a small fortune, and proposed. We were in love and so over the moon with excitement that nothing else mattered. We later learned, however, that he had paid far more than he should’ve for the value of the ring. We knew we weren’t the only ones, and that the process of engagement ring creation could be so much easier, honest and transparent. I set out to create a brand that makes made-to-order, custom-design jewelry affordable, accessible and personal. Read more>>
Bradley Barks
Our Barks Classroom Headphones have been a labor of love from the very beginning! I started out new to selling physical products as a business model, as I had been working more on the marketing side before. The idea was born when researching products to launch a brand for. My mom was a teacher for many years, and I had a few other ideas having to do with teachers and schools, but the headphones became the top choice from the start because they were the most unique and challenging. Challenging due to the fact that they’re difficult to make strong and durable. Read more>>
Koiya Kensicki
Oh gosh, what a loaded question… this might seem off topic. But, this business really went hand and hand with my newly married self and our journey to having babies of our own. I will give you the short version… I was married to my husband in 2015 and shortly after we knew we wanted to have kids. I was working in the medical field at the time and my husband working with the fire department pulling 24 hour shifts. With his schedule and mine, we knew we’d either need a village or new jobs to have the family life that we wanted to have. So, I picked out a camera and started offering sessions to family and friends for free. Eventually it grew into taking clients for pennies on the dollar, just to convince myself I had what it took to own a small business and to eventually be a Mom… in the midst of all of that we were trying and failing to have children… after three losses we ended up at a reproductive endocrinologist and after three more losses we had our baby girl. In 2016 I quit my full time medical field job and pursued my full time passion turned small business. In 2019 we had our baby girl and in 2021 we had our baby boy. Read more>>
Patricia Rigsby-scott
Wow—Where did it all begin? How did I come up with this idea? This idea is not new… but was “new” to me. I never imagined being Founder and Director of a non- profit that desires to help the homeless and the unsheltered. I actually had a phobia regarding this population. I feared and regarded them as “less” until I went out and purposely and intentionally got to know them. I saw them. I felt the needs and desired to fill the needs. I have always had the desire to help even as a young child. As an adult, that desire to serve really surfaced while visiting a relative with my mom at a rehab center. The residents had been served chicken fried steak for lunch. I noticed many were having trouble cutting up their food. I can remember putting my things down and washing my hands. I went from table to table assisting those that needed help. I made sure each had bite sized pieces to make their meal more enjoyable. My late mother noticed and said, “You have such a big heart and you’re always using your hands to help people”. Little did I know a seed was planted. Many years passed, and the desire and passion to help people grew stronger. I became more active in at my church. I worked with our senior citizens. Read more>>
Kimberly Shires
Hear Me Roar Studio was born from a desire to create a space specifically for women and non-binary artists, crafted by women. My vision was to produce for indie artists, and during the brainstorming process for names, I wanted something that felt feminine yet empowering, with a bit of an edge. As I explored other studios in the area, I realized that I might be one of the only female professional studios in the region. That was my “ah-ha” moment! The name “Hear Me Roar” emerged as the perfect representation of the vibe and community I wanted to serve. While there are many phenomenal home studios nearby, Hear Me Roar Studio stands out by offering a distinctly feminine perspective. This creates an approachable atmosphere where vulnerability is welcomed, which we all know is essential for creativity and authentic performances. Read more>>
Pavani Eathalapaka
My idea of starting my own food business started during my time in the UK a decade ago. After moving to Leander from the DFW area in 2022 I was unable to find any home based cooks who could provide healthy home cooked meals on an as needed basis. In 2023 I started exploring the idea of starting my own food catering business on a small scale. After joining the DeerBrooke WhatsApp community I realized that there was a market for home based cooks and that’s how my journey began. Read more>>
Jason Bauch
I believe all great ideas are rooted from something someone saw, read, or heard. This was one of those events, while traveling on business and listening to The Everything Book which outlines how Amazon scaled it really got my brain turning about how I could innovate the transportation industry. Then one day, a week or two later while taking a shower the idea of Luramiles came to me. I could innovate the transportation industry if I created a system that would offer trucks to shippers like a retail site allowing for more transparent system. I instantly knew this idea was huge so I didn’t hesitate and got out of the shower soaking wet and with shampoo in my hair to write it down on a note pad I had on the night stand. I then finished my shower and started to figure out who I know that could help make my project come to life. I began to lean into my 20+ years of transportation experience and documented the current process and where all the bottlenecks were. Read more>>
Vanessa Barrios
The story of Pumarosa Candles began with a desire to inspire people to slow down and create meaningful moments. I wanted our candles to be more than scents and light; I envisioned them as a way for people to craft memories worth holding onto. This purpose came from cherished childhood memories in Venezuela, where scent connected me to people and places I loved. After losing my mother young, I felt a need to honor her teachings of simplicity, love, and mindfulness, and candles became a way to share these values. As I explored the candle market, I realized many products offered fragrances that needed a sense of connection or depth. This insight inspired a unique approach: to create premium candles that go beyond ambiance and help people nurture a sense of peace and meaning. Starting in 2019, I invested years into refining scents, sustainable materials, and designs that inspire calm and mindfulness, and in 2022, Pumarosa was launched with candles meant to invite users into their own sacred personal moments. Read more>>
Javier Rosa
Well, my best friend Ray Bennett and I were scuba diving when I noticed that he, Ray, was more active in communication than normal. I noticed that scuba diving must have opened up something to him that allowed him to talk about anything freely. You see, Ray is a Marine Corps veteran who suffers from PTSD. He is usually quiet and short with words, but not after scuba diving; something changed. I told him that seeing him like that must have sparked something within him, and I mentioned that we should start a Facebook group for veterans around our area to get more vets to open up and share what they have been through or are going through. That was on a Saturday; we had a non-profit in the works by Monday. Read more>>
Raquel Beauchamp
I first came up with the idea of being a freelance ballerina and photographer during my last job, where I was a full-time Photo Editor of a magazine. At the time, I was 24y/o and hadn’t danced in over 2+ years. I was working full-time producing creative editorial photoshoots, with amazing celebrities like Kevin Hart, Serena Williams, Sarah Paulson, Jimmy Fallon, you name it! It was so fun, and I even had the opportunity to photograph for the actual magazine! Even though I absolutely loved my job and all the creative liberties it gave me, and the people I worked with, I still found myself missing dance. This is when I went on Groupon in search for some ballet classes and was lucky enough to come across a small ballet school that offered ballet for adults! Needless to say, I was HOOKED and I started going to dance 2-3 times a week after work. After some time, I expressed to the director that I had one goal of learning how to dance on pointe, a life-long dream of mine. She was not only excited to hear this, but actually took me seriously and guided me on what my next steps would be. Read more>>
Andy / Jarvis Shaw
When the world came to a standstill during the pandemic, I started playing the ukulele, something new for me, and Jarvis joined in. It turned out he had an incredible memory for lyrics. What began as simple father-son jamming sessions quickly turned into something more meaningful. It wasn’t long before I realized that we had the potential to turn this into a real project, so I created ShawTime Duo, branding it and getting us active on social media. Our first break came when the Brooklyn Ukulele Festival invited us to perform virtually in 2021. That show kicked off our live performances, and since then, we’ve been gigging non-stop. I’ve been in many bands as a bassist, but this is the most passionate project I’ve ever been involved in. It’s not just about playing music—it’s about the bond I share with Jarvis and watching him grow as a performer and as a person. Read more>>
Amber Tkaczuk
The story of Cup & Cone begins with a deep-seated desire for connection. When our kids were young and playing sports, we always wished there was a place in our small town where families could come together after games—a spot to celebrate wins, shake off losses, and, most importantly, build connections over a scoop of ice cream. That idea stayed with us for years, growing with each conversation about what it would take to open an ice cream shop. We also wanted to invest in our community by purchasing a building in downtown Bennington. When a property became available, we looked into it, but it wasn’t quite the right fit. However, we’d shared this vision with Jeremy’s parents, Pam and Harry, who happened to be out on a boat ride one night with their neighbors. When they casually mentioned our idea, the neighbor surprised them with an incredible opportunity: they owned a property in downtown Bennington and were willing to sell. Read more>>
Donovan Capron
I’ve always had a passion for music and came from a line of musicians in my family. Growing up as a kid, I was inspired by those around me; dedicated church musicians who were not just pioneers in their own right but also wielded cool gear like sequencers to create beats. They would share stories of their studio escapades, and I was captivated. In the 90s, the beat-making scene was on fire; you didn’t need to be a rapper or singer to be part of the magic, Just look at Timbaland or Dr. Dre, and you’d see that producers were the real wizards behind the curtain. Armed with a dream to one day be as good as these icons, I begged my parents for a drum set and a keyboard. From there, I embarked on a self-taught journey that would shape my career. Of course, technology wasn’t as sophisticated back then as it is now, we’re talking Windows 3.1 era and analog here. I practiced for countless hours recording and making beats. Starting out, there wasn’t any special ways to save my work so I had to save my progress on cassette tapes. Completing my first full song at just seven years old felt like a monumental achievement. There was no luxury of quantizing or looping, so I had to play the parts with perfect precision every time the whole way through. One mistake in any layer meant starting everything over from scratch….EMOTIONAL DAMAGE and thoughts of speaking in Cursive were discovered for the first time. Read more>>
Angel Boonthiam
Starting my car detailing business all began when I was 16 and working as an electrician. The job was fine, but I got tired of being told what to do all the time. I wanted to be my own boss and do something I really enjoyed. That’s when I thought of starting a car detailing business. I could make cars look amazing, and I knew it would be something people would want here in Las Vegas. I didn’t have a lot of money, but I took every dollar I had saved and spent it on equipment—pressure washers, vacuums, polishers, and all the supplies we needed. I asked my friends Zayed and Gio to help me out, and they were just as excited as I was. We had to figure things out as we went, but with hard work, we started to build a good reputation and get more clients. That’s how it all came together—just an idea, a bit of risk, and the support of friends. From then on We made the name ZAG auto detailing which stands for Zayed, Ángel(me) and Gio. We took off from there Read more>>
Antoinette Banks
I remember sitting at my kitchen table at 2 AM, surrounded by sticky notes and IEP documents, and my daughter finally asleep upstairs. As a single mom to a nonverbal child, I’d just spent hours preparing for yet another IEP meeting, trying to memorize terms like ‘present levels of performance’ and ‘procedural safeguards.’ Despite my MBA and professional background, I felt lost in an educational maze that seemed designed to confuse rather than help. That night, fighting back tears of frustration, I decided to create something that would make sense of this chaos. I started building a tool for myself – a prototype that could analyze IEP documents, break down the jargon, and help me understand exactly what I was agreeing to for my daughter. Every meeting, every challenge became an opportunity to refine this system. As I used my background in technology to create something that could make sense of these complex documents, I began to see results. Not just in the tool’s effectiveness but in my daughter’s progress. Today, she isn’t just speaking – she’s thriving as a neurodivergent advocate, preparing for college visits, and showing me daily what’s possible when parents have the right tools to fight for their children. Read more>>
Becky Nieves
My journey from Virtual Assistant (VA) to Cycle-Breaking Empowerment Coach is a story of transformation driven by purpose, personal growth, and a deep commitment to helping others break free from generational trauma. As a VA, I was already working closely with clients in the wellness and coaching spaces, supporting them in achieving their goals, organizing their lives, and empowering their businesses. While I was skilled at handling the logistics, I realized that my impact could be much deeper than task management. Quickly, I saw that my true calling was in helping people not just with their businesses, but with their lives and personal well-being. I sort of fell into the VA role because I was playing it small, I had been out of the workforce for years, volunteering in my children’s school, being a rare disease mom, and a non-profit leader for that rare disease, Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome. I wanted to be able to support my family, without compromising my values or my desire to be a changemaker in the world. Read more>>
Irene Delgado
The story of how I came up with the idea for my skincare business? Here’s the back story…. In December 2016, I was stricken with an autoimmune syndrome called Guillain-Barré. It strikes the peripheral nervous system. My arms, lower back, and legs experienced numbness, tingling, muscle atrophy, and nerve pain that felt like hot, fire pokers. I was in the hospital for 5 weeks and received plasmapheresis (plasma dialysis) for 5 days. I had never experienced anything like this, EVER! I have never been in the hospital like this, I thought I was strong and healthy, but this illness had me bed ridden and I could hardly walk. I thought I wasn’t going to walk properly again. A friend came to see me at the hospital and suggested I try magnesium chloride oil. When I came home I was researching where to get really good magnesium chloride oil and found some on Amazon. I put some on my legs and waited about half hour. Read more>>
Stephanie Pogas
During the Pandemic, I really wanted to delve into my hobbies. Aside from making sourdough like everyone else, I got really into watercolor painting and digital drawing. With all of the extra time on my hands being at home, I was able to really hone my craft and learn more about taking watercolor designs and digitally manipulating them into patterns or preparing them for print as art prints. Once I was able to make a few successful patterns and prints I thought, “hey these would look really great as greeting cards!” That thought, plus my dislike for the same old generic greeting cards at the pharmacy and grocery store, sparked the idea for starting my own stationery business. Read more>>
Michael Chevin
The idea for The Shop Talk Podcast was inspired by my experience as a barber, where I saw firsthand the unique role a barbershop plays as a place to unwind, connect, and share stories with people from all walks of life. Barbershops bring together individuals with different perspectives in a relaxed setting—a place where local culture and conversation come alive. I realized that Vancouver was missing a similar community-focused space in the digital world—a place where people could tune in to relatable, pop culture–oriented conversations that resonate with our local experience. There’s a common misconception that Vancouver is ‘closed-off’ or lacking in social engagement, and we wanted to counter that with a platform that fosters connection, curiosity, and humor. The Shop Talk Podcast was created to fill this space, offering a go-to spot for discovering cool events, interesting facts, and fresh perspectives, all while making people laugh and feel at home in their city. Read more>>
George Hokett
I’ve been into ecommerce for 7 years now, I think I became interested starting with EBay and Amazon. No success. But I feel that I have a business in my journey of life. A successful entrepreneur never quit. At the moment I’m providing SaaS solutions services to businesses. I’m in the beginning stages but I’m up and running. My product is a CRM system that helps businesses. Its name is BUSINESS APP PRO. I’m quite excited about it. Read more>>
Chasen Lykins
When I started Bad Apple Candle Company I was working as a Patient Care Technician at our local hospital. I originally started it as a hobby in 2020 just for something fun to do, which very quickly turned into friends and family buying my candles, to me turning it into a part time side-hustle. Hardly a year later I discovered I was pregnant with my daughter and being that I was a high risk pregnancy, I had to leave the hospital but candlemaking allowed me the opportunity to still make some money on the side. Now four years later it is my full time job and I would not trade it for absolutely anything. Read more>>
Rachel Jugai
My baking (now creator) business has been a long journey. About 6 years ago, I was working in corporate tech and I was known as the office baker. I brought cakes and cookies into the office pretty much every week and the joy it brought people… brought me joy! I started running a bakery from my home while still working my corporate job. Mostly cake orders, a few cookie orders here and there. And about 2 years ago I decided I that I really wanted to give this baking business a run. I had been posting my content to instagram for awhile at that point, but had a very little following. In the back of my mind, I knew being a food blogger/content creator was what I secretly wanted to do, but I was scared to put myself out there. After doing several wholesale and in person baking gigs, I realized my baked goods were very popular with locals, but the supply and demand of working by yourself was very tough. Read more>>
Shubham Ghotekar
To be honest,I can across an article in which they have written about the countries in where healthcare is expensive.I was curious about and I started reading about.The same day I saw post/reel of a lady ,where she was explaining about the cost of her treatment in USA.When I saw the cost ,I was surprised.Then I called my relative who is a doctor, asked him about the treatment cost in India.He told me it would cost this this much ,it was way cheaper than what it would cost in USA.I saw the business opportunity and then started researching about it .I found out that more than 2million people came to India of medical treatment.That’s when I decided that I would do something in this sector. Read more>>
Laura Ter Meer
Lifting the Mood (LTM) started on a rainy afternoon during COVID lockdown. I was searching for dumbbells online so I could work out at home. They were such a hot commodity at the time and there was close to zero supply. Making matters worse, everything was either too light, too heavy, or just ‘f-ugly’. Most had overly masculine designs, and those that were more feminine were too light and just plain ugly. The subliminal message was: women aren’t strong enough & lifting is not for women. That’s when it hit me. Why not create adjustable dumbbells that would appeal to women? Dumbbells designed for our specific needs. After a lot of iteration, patent approvals, and 4 years of hard work, we created the first adjustable dumbbells for women. Adjustable from light to heavy, soft to the touch, aesthetic, and triangular shaped to allow for stability for floor exercises. Read more>>
Joey Cole
I used to be a musician, but my career came to a halt when I was presented with a contract that contained terms that were unfavorable to my future. So, I focused on my life and eventually had a daughter. She developed a deep love for concerts but the distance, hotel costs, limited tickets and scheduling conflicts made some concerts difficult for her to attend, especially since she was young and couldn’t travel alone. My daughter was a frustrated teenager who wanted to enjoy music and I was a frustrated father who wanted to find a solution. This inspired the creation of the OUTLET APP, a platform where artists can sell audio, video and live stream content such as virtual events, concerts, and performances directly to their audience. Fans and supporters worldwide can easily locate events to view on the Outlet or attend in person without interruption from ads or commercials. Read more>>
Maggie Mccane
The truth is that I was put on an unpaid leave of absence at my job last year. I had been a mental health therapist for 5 years and just received a promotion to a clinical supervisor within my company. There was a delay with the Department of Public Safety returning my Fingerprint Clearance Card and my company wouldn’t allow me to work without this. I called the Department of Public Safety daily but weeks turned into a month. I want to include that because sometimes amazing things come out of horrible circumstances. I had no intention of leaving my company, I had just been promoted! But an idea was planted during that time. An idea to build a mental health practice that could creatively and without restriction meet the needs of the people that were suffering. Healing cannot be one size fits all (something it turns into with large companies) and I could build a practice where treatment is truly catered to the individual. Read more>>
Tonia Berry
The motivation to start the Berry Collective came from a deep-seated love for hosting and connecting people, which has always been a part of who I am. It all began organically when I decided to host an event to treat my community to a bit of self-care. I invited friends from the entertainment industry whom I knew could benefit from meeting each other and reimagined the networking experience. I set up various activities throughout the house I was staying at, including mini facials, reflexology, 24-karat gold ear seeding, vitamin shots and IV drips, a flower bouquet bar, a DJ, a holistic mixologist, and small bites. Each guest also received a gift bag filled with my favorite things. Read more>>
Trinity Higgs
My life’s journey is the reason I came up with the idea of How to be Dope AF. This was the process of me reflecting upon my choices in life and the reason why I wasn’t experiencing a life fulfilled. My father was tragically and suddenly killed when I was 9 years old. Being raised by a foreign Korean mom without any influences in American culture drove me to wanting to live life from what I learned in movies, television and books. As I approached adulthood, I started working as a hairdresser at 19 years of age. With little life experience, yet naturally positive, I wasn’t in my authenticity and that created a shaky foundation that took me through the next 2 decades on an “act first think later approach to life.” My nature was being an escape artist, meaning professional party girl; however my work behind the chair was my one constant I would never let falter. Read more>>
Claudia Rivier
Back in time when I was a child I had crystal clear vision of what my adulthood will look like. I dreamt a dream of being a business owner, famous, known, successful. Success was the key word I had on my mind 24/7 and there was no other way around. To be fully honest, I never knew how my success will happen, I just trusted my gut – manifested in kind of way. One day randomly in 2019. I started posting my photos on Instagram and gained big audience for having natural curves. I never planned to be an influencer but it seemed that my desires of being “successful and known” are met. Some time later, OnlyFans and COVID19 came. Adult industry being completely new to me, I decided to give it a try and post erotic content for my audience. Back in time, OnlyFans was more of an erotic type of platform, today is known as “a bit more” than that. Read more>>
Megan Peters
Surf Salutations was born out of a deeply personal journey through physical challenge and seeking more balance in my own life. My athletic background and high-stress career in tech sales had me constantly eager to push my limits, running on adrenaline, which I thought I thrived on, but was teetering on the edge of burnout in reality. Eventually, the toll became impossible to ignore. In my mid-twenties, I was diagnosed with two autoimmune diseases, which was a wake-up call, making it clear that my body was mirroring the imbalance in my life—stress and exhaustion were manifesting physically in ways I could not ignore. Read more>>
Aisa Badmaeva
I’ve always been drawn to capturing moments that feel authentic and timeless. Photography became a way for me to connect with people and tell their stories in a way that words sometimes can’t. I started by capturing little details in everyday life, and the more I photographed, the more I realized how much I loved being able to preserve those moments. There’s something magical about helping people remember the happiest days of their lives, and that’s what keeps me excited about photography every day. Read more>>
Adrian Robinson
I have a Great Uncle who is really big on family and knowing your people. Every time we have a family event I would always bring my camera so we could have memories of each other in the future. Also I’m really big on history and the people before us. I watch a lot of documentaries and I came across this one interview about a photographer named Gordon Parks from there I went down a rabbit hole and hearing his story made me want to do some similar things. Read more>>