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.

Carl Monty

As a retiree, and being someone who likes to work with their hands, I started “Nature’s Edge Woodworking” as a way to expand my creative endeavors. Read more>>

Craig Wilson

About 18 years ago, I felt compelled to talk about and then create a class called “Living a Meaningful Life” to share “all the things I wished somebody would’ve told me in high school or college that would’ve been really helpful for living a life worth living.”

These thoughts came about because of two major ideas I’d been pondering from a young age. Namely, why weren’t people seemingly as happy as they should be and why were so many people financially strapped and living from paycheck to paycheck in one of the wealthiest countries in the world? I thought it was possible that these two questions were linked and the science of positive psychology, which began near the beginning of the 21st Century, started to unearth some clues in the area of money and happiness. Read more>>

Keosha Powell

I was working as a supervisor for two years, it started to feel draining and like I was challenging myself enough . I decided to quit right before Covid hit . I’ve always loved cooking, making Jewelry and the ideal of self expression. I was home one day and decided to cook a bunch of meals and have people try them . That expanded into a demand for more and more . I gave the people what they wanted and they loved my food ! I experience with different flavors and techniques to always have something different with my own twist on it . While taking breaks from cooking, I discovered my love to express myself through art, particularly acrylic painting and resin art. Read more>>

Eric Delapenha

After graduating USC in 2017, I started working at a biotechnology company in Los Angeles, helping to bring a consumer genetic testing platform to market. During my time there, I learned that people didn’t just want information, they wanted a personalized solution and began exploring opportunities in the beauty market. I started to look at haircare and the approach to customization that brands were taking in 2018. They created quizzes that only used subjective, self-reported data to customize products like shampoo and conditioner. After taking these quizzes and not knowing how to accurately answer many of the questions myself, I saw an opportunity to build a better product and experience for the consumer using biological data. The entire industry was built on the assumption that the average consumer knows their hair and understands all of the factors that impact their strands. Instead we use the only tools we have, our sight and touch to inaccurately assess our hair and guess what it needs to look its best every day.  Read more>>

Charmi Gosalia

The idea for our beauty brand came naturally because beauty has always been such an integral part of our lives. My mom practiced as a medical esthetician for years, and it was always her dream to create her own beauty brand. Her deep passion for everything beauty-related—from skincare to makeup and the science and artistry behind it—has always inspired me. Growing up, I was constantly drawn to her knowledge, enthusiasm, and creativity in this space, so it felt like second nature for me to share that same love. Read more>>

Anastasia Chernetska

Our story began with creativity—it’s something I’ve been drawn to since childhood. I still remember the first dress I ever made when I was seven years old. It was for my doll, inspired by Belle’s gown from Beauty and the Beast. That project sparked something in me, and over the years, I started sewing clothes for myself. My professional journey began in banking. I built a solid foundation in the corporate world, but the creative spark never faded. It was always there, quietly waiting for its moment. While my weekdays were focused on building a contact center, my weekends and free time were spent learning everything I could about design and construction. For six months, I attended pattern-making courses, perfecting my skills in creating the technical foundation for clothing. Read more>>

Menal Kidane

The idea for Jebena Joy Cafe came from a deep connection to my culture and a desire to share the beauty of the Eritrean and Ethiopian coffee ceremony. Growing up, coffee wasn’t just something you drank—it was a ritual, a moment where family and friends came together to talk, laugh, and strengthen bonds. It’s a time to slow down and be present with one another. Read more>>

Austin Ollis

When my brother and I started helping couples lose weight and get in better physical shape, we realized that many of the wives of the couples we were helping happened to teachers for their local schools.

Our parents had been teachers for High Schools and Elementary Schools for over 35 years each, and when we asked them if they had ever been offered workouts at their school, they said they had never experienced that type of offering at the schools they had worked for. Read more>>

Stefania Clementi

The idea of opening a cultural center for children came from a combination of passion and necessity. I am an Italian child psychologist and for many years, in Italy, I have been working with children, and their families, in schools, daycares and communal centers. When I moved to New York City, I continued my experience in educational settings, especially with expat and bilingual students, but being in a different environment, I had the opportunity to closely observe the educational dynamics that a multicultural context entails. I could see that, despite being a city with a melting pot of cultures and a large Italian community, Brooklyn lacked a concrete and structured offer that could both introduce American families to our culture, and welcome Italian expats with resources and services, in a creative and engaging way. Read more>>

Mike Soderholm

The idea for Foundry Saunas was born in a swirl of nostalgia, passion, and an unrelenting desire to bring people together in a space where phones can’t follow. Growing up in Minnesota, saunas weren’t just a luxury—they were a way of life. Every summer, my family would head to these idyllic lake resorts, where evenings were spent sweating in rustic saunas, followed by a mad dash into the icy water. I didn’t know it then, but those moments were about more than just tradition—they were about connection, resilience, and a little friendly suffering that somehow made life feel richer. Read more>>

Rachel Mcrae-keith

The Belle Agency began as a mere idea. During my junior year at Delaware State University (DSU), I was deeply involved with the radio station as a host and Program Director. Eager to interview popular artists and celebrities, I learned to leverage the radio station to my advantage. While at DSU, I actively participated in the Recording Academy’s Grammy U and served as a College Representative for Atlantic Records, which allowed me to build numerous relationships within the entertainment industry. At that time, we only had X (formerly Twitter) to contact artists and celebrities, so I reached out via DMs to request interviews. I contacted many artists, hoping they’d schedule interviews with me, but some referred me to their publicists. Read more>>

Courtney Gary

We chose the name “The L.I.V.E. Project” because we wanted a name that truly reflected our vision for the company. Our goal is to inspire women to live boldly, authentically and unapologetically, and “L.I.V.E.” stands for Lifestyle, Inspiration, Vision, and Empowerment. These are the pillars that define what we aim to achieve and represent in everything we do. Read more>>

Abigail Blue

My business is called Blue Wellness. I am a fan of detailed creative processes and brainstorming, but naming my business was intuitive, quick and natural. The name for my business is a nod to my family history. My last name is Blue, my Dad and I are Native American, Choctaw if you want to get specific. I love the symbolism behind the family name. Blue is often a color represented as peaceful and soothing. I used to get my identity from my family heritage, my hobbies, or even bad habits, but now I claim my identity in Christ alone. It is important for me to share what I’ve learned through my faith, schooling, as well as personal spiritual experiences that have strengthened me. Blue Wellness is a business to honor God, and to offer a helping hand. It is an invitation to the world, to return home to God and embrace Him fully. Read more>>

Braden Timmons

I’ve loved movies for as long as I can remember. Growing up, going to the theater or renting the latest releases became more than just an escape; it was a way to dream. I can still picture myself sitting on the carpet of my childhood living room, wide-eyed and completely captivated by the magic of storytelling on screen. Every film felt like a new adventure, and I lived for the moments when the lights dimmed and the screen came alive. Read more>>

Susan Sandler

On the morning of 9.11.2001 our world changed forever. As a resident of lower Manhattan, our neighborhood was uninhabitable, and simultaneously, as the universe will have it, my work as the general manager of an interactive advertising/marketing agency with corporate clients was becoming extremely challenging. Many of the digital 1.0 agencies and companies that supported them were overvalued at that time, and going through mergers or shutting down. Read more>>

Mark Smith

I decided to base my fifth novel on a character. No outline, story board or preconceived narrative. Just a character, based on the theory that character is action and action is plot. No notion of sex, race, height, occupation or hobbies. I would not begin the book until the universe presented the character. After three months of being on the lookout, my wife began to make fun of the process. One night at a crowded restaurant, she asked, “Is your character here tonight?” Read more>>

A.j. Weinzettel

In the summer of 2019, I fell head over heels into the world of wine. It started with a passion project—a weekly newsletter where I’d dive deep into the story of one winery each week. These weren’t just surface-level write-ups; they were longform features, 1,500 to 2,500 words, peeling back the layers of these incredible people and their dreams. Wineries, I discovered, aren’t just businesses—they’re personal journeys. They’re people raising families, nurturing vineyards, and pouring their hearts into every bottle. I was hooked. Read more>>

Bailey Dowell Joshua Shockley

In 2021, while doing a bridal hair trial, a bride to be told Bailey of the need for this service for her wedding. She said “if I don’t start this business in the next year, please tell someone to take the idea because we NEED it!” I came home and joking told Joshua he should quit his job and we should start this pet business, not knowing this was in fact a service that existed and was a proven success else where! We never did anything with it, just joked about the possibilities from time to time. Read more>>

Mikell Reed Carroll

As an avid pageant competitor, I had been helping others prepare for pageants for years, for free.

It was during one call with a woman, where I spent an hour of time away from my family, late at night due to a time zone difference and listened to her telling me about spending thousands on coaches while I was giving her my expert opinion for free, that I decided I should start my own pageant coaching business.. Read more>>

Sophia Gonzalez

Well, I have always loved photography. It’s been a safe place for me to store my memories and relive them whenever I wanted to. As a person who struggles with her memory, that matters a lot to me.

I started taking photography seriously when I realized my local church had a need for someone to take church service and worship photography. I volunteered for the role and started taking photos using my husband’s camera. I realized how much joy it brought me to capture raw moments like people worshipping God. That Christmas I was gifted my first personal Canon camera. I learned photography basics and my cameras settings and functions. Soon after, I started getting inquiries regarding professional photos for families, graduates, and couples. Thus began my professional photography adventure! Read more>>

Eric Fleming

Since I was a kid, I was obsessed with entertaining, circling up my friends, playing, and unbeknownst to me at the time-teaching. I was a little know it all, but always wanted to share what I was learning with people in a really fun way. Fast forward to 2014, I was working at one the best wine restaurants in the country. I was able to meet and learn from heavyweights in the wine industry-winemakers, sommeliers, wine directors-legends. While being immersed in this culture, I fell in love with wine. It felt like discovering this secret society in a way. There’s always a tasting or wine lunch happening in the city. I was excited at the potential to expand, to learn more, to discover new parts of myself. While having all of this excitement, I was also holding this tension of feeling like an outsider. Read more>>

Ana Garcia

I’m thankful to have grown up in a family where the women around me were always creating. I picked up jewelry from my mother & grandmother who would do it as a hobby. I grew up in the Dominican Republic, an amazing and lively country that I draw inspiration from constantly. Staying close to your roots is so important & I’m lucky to come from a place with so much culture. After studying Fashion Design & Merchandising and moving to Maui, my passion for making jewelry grew as I was collecting shells and finding inspiration around me. I always knew I would start some sort of business so I started with my jewelry designs & intercepting glass-blown beads along with island treasures. Jewelry had always been special to me but designing clothes is my north star & I’m excited to finally expand into that in 2025. Read more>>

Jason Lustina

I’m the founder of the Kababayan Network, a platform dedicated to connecting the Filipino American community through meaningful content, events, and partnerships. It all began with SoCal Filipinos during the pandemic. Like many of us, we were isolated at home and craving connection. I connected with a person named John Erick Pabalan on Facebook, and together we came up with the idea to create a group to unite Filipino Americans. At first, we imagined it would be a small space to share our experiences growing up in the Filipino American community through memes and posts. But within just two months, the group grew to 10,000 members. Read more>>

Erica Hahn

Sweet Clicks was born from a blend of creativity, vision, and a desire to redefine how people experience desserts and social gatherings. As someone with nearly 18 years of experience in international business development, I’ve always been attuned to emerging trends and the emotional connections people seek in their experiences. Read more>>

Lena Fleminger

The idea for Lena’s Wigs came from a deeply personal place. As a kid, I watched my mother navigate hair loss and wigs. She looked into so many options, and spent lots of money, but had a really hard time finding answers to all her questions. There was a lot of trial and error and the whole experience was disheartening.When I was working with wigs years later as an adult, I assumed things had gotten better. But the more I explored the wig industry, the more I noticed how little good information was available to help women figure out what made sense for them. It wasn’t just about finding a wig—it was about addressing a profound need for education, transparency, and compassion.  Read more>>

Marina Jiang

My journey with INCENZO began in the midst of a life brimming with ceaseless activities and the pursuit of grand achievements. I was always on the move, chasing a better life, yet I found myself struggling to carve out even 30 minutes of solitude. My days were a whirlwind of social media buzz, work tasks, family commitments, and a relentless drive to make my life meaningful. I was lost in a sea of fragmented messages and unending to-dos, searching for a way to ground myself. Read more>>

Zoya Biglary

I stopped eating raw fish about 4 years ago when I developed an intolerance to it. Every single time I ate sushi, my stomach would hurt afterward. I did an online deep dive into researching the raw fish we consume in America and was horrified to learn of the pollution, parasites, mercury and micro plastics that existed in so much of our fish. Then I learned about how disastrous the commercial fishing industry was to our oceans and it’s safe to say I permanently lost my appetite for raw fish. Read more>>

Bryan Groff

I got the idea from my dad. I grew up on a farm up in Lancaster. My dad taught me how to milk cows, and drive tractors, and how to be a farmer. Growing up on the farm with my dad inspired me to be a farmer myself.
I knew it was worth trying because it was what my dad taught my siblings and I. Farming is worthwhile to me because I get to be around people and I am a good, hard worker. Read more>>

Victoria Liz

From the very moment I realized I appreciated the foundations of art and design, my dreams began to materialize in ways I never imagined. It was only fitting that my artistic creativity would eventually guide me towards my ultimate goal: becoming an interior designer. My journey began by refurbishing furniture and styling children’s bedrooms. Although I enjoyed styling whimsical environments for children, I knew that I possessed the capability and desire to extend my creativity into broader spaces. I was determined to share my vision with the world, demonstrating that my talent was not limited to one niche. Read more>>

Madison Peterson

The story of Waffadilla started in one of the simplest ways—a family moment in our kitchen. We had just moved into our house, and our daughter wanted a quesadilla. Without a lot of tools unpacked, I grabbed the waffle iron and pressed the quesadilla in it. When I pulled it out, crispy and golden, it wasn’t just a snack—it was an idea. That moment became the seed for what eventually grew into Waffadilla. At the time, I didn’t realize how big it could be, but looking back, it’s so special to think about how something so simple sparked something so meaningful. Read more>>

Xavier Walker

After hearing designers vent their frustrations about other collectives not following through on their promises and only recognizing their brands when Fashion Week season rolls around, I knew something had to change. Designers deserve a platform that truly supports them year-round, not just when the industry’s eyes are on them. That’s why I created the Caribbean Fashion Collective—to give emerging designers, especially those from the Caribbean and beyond, a space where their talent is valued, their voices are heard, and their brands have the opportunity to grow on a global stage. Read more>>

Jenny Brisson

We spent hours and hours working on the name of our business. Do we go with something super catchy or something more simple? We felt like we had this blank canvas in front of us and we wanted to paint the most authentic name to illustrate what we can help our clients with and ultimately, most clients are looking for a difference in behavior or new learning style for their dog(s). And voila, we had it- A Different Dog. Read more>>

Michaelyn Saechao

Wow yes, would you believe it if I told you I’ve re-branded multiple times to finally feel like I’ve found “the one”? I think that goes back to evolving as an artist, business owner, and human. Looking back at earlier work my brand names were very laser focused and niche and in turn would create a bit of conversation. I think that is key and worked well, but what makes me feel even more excited talking about SAE●ORO is that it is personal. It represents my growth as an artist and jewelry designer. SAE- the prefix of my married last name, Saechao surname dates back to 476-220 BC. ORO- Italian translation of gold. Read more>>

Attacha” Rudolph

Actually my two sons came up with part of my business name. They said momma you are always coming up with new flavor combinations and different ways to do your food and desserts so why not have Creative and I was like I love that name and then it dawned on me, I’m always calling every women I meet a Queen even if they don’t see it themselves. I try to uplift and speak to that Queen in them. So that’s when Creative Queen came in. Read more>>

Alexandra Lobo

I started a website, shop, and one-person-design-studio under the name Synthetic Animal a few years ago. I got the name from the My Chemical Romance song “Zero Percent” which has the lyric, “synthetic animals like me never have a home.” The band has been a main source of inspiration in both my personal and creative work-life, so I wanted my moniker to allude to them in a small way. That line has always stood out to me when listening, and I love how it also describes my art style— the merging and contradiction of the artificial and natural.  Read more>>

Allie Votava

My name is Allie and I’m the creative mind behind this quirky brand. Let me share the why behind the name ninnie + nanny.

It all started with my lifelong cheerleaders – my amazing parents. They’ve always called me “ninnie” (hence the name!) and have been my biggest supporters in everything I do. From my wild childhood dreams to my crazy sewing experiments, they’ve always believed in me. Read more>>

Arden Cote

I have always been an animal lover, particularly cats. So I knew I wanted to bring cats into the name somehow, and of course I kept coming back to their paws, affectionately called ‘Beans,’ and I work with fiber, yarn and string of course, so String Beans just had a nice feel to it. Read more>>

Krista Windon

The name ‘Hippie’s Homemade Candles’ is deeply personal and rooted in my love for my older brother, who had a profound impact on my life. He passed away after a long battle with cancer, a journey that began when I was just 14 and ended when I was 22. He was an artist and musician, with a kind heart and a calm, soulful presence. His creativity, love, and wisdom shaped who I am today, teaching me so much about life, love, and staying true to myself. Read more>>