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.

Pennijo Brenke

I had gotten my first crested gecko in February of 2021, and instantly fell in love with them. Crested geckos are probably the reptile that is considered the potato chip of reptiles. As you can never have just one. After my first one I had gotten another one and from there I kind of just went down a small rabbit hole. After I had gotten my 5th one i had stopped for a little while. And i had also gotten some eggs from some of the females I had bought. After hatching my first babies is when I realized this was something I had truly loved and enjoyed. From there is when I started to think of business names for my breeding. Read more>>

Haley Kowalewski

I founded Femme Financial Coaching in 2020 after working as a headhunter in Los Angeles for most of my 20s. In my corporate job I was starting to make good money, but I had no idea what to do with it or how to invest and no one around me seemed to know anything either. I started teaching myself all about personal finance and investing and then coaching my colleagues and friends around money. When covid hit and I had more time on my hands I decided to post to educate others as a side business offering coaching services, not knowing it would get to the point where it would become my full time job. I was moving up in my corporate career eventually landing a recruiting role in Big Tech while building my business nights and weekends. Eventually, it go to the point where it was too much to manage both and I made the decision to go into Femme Financial full time in 2022. I knew if I had more time to put into it I could really make money with it to support myself fully. I knew it was a worthwhile endeavor by how much I loved doing it, the amount of money I was making, the demand for my services, and the brand deal requests. In the finance space, I feel like I also got in at a good time as there were less pages than there are now so I was able to grow quickly. I was solving a problem that others are also working to solve, however the way I solve it I really believe in. I believe in a holistic approach to money management and I have a system I have my clients follow called my Aligned Money Method that helps them get to the point where they are confidently managing their money on their own. I love making finance approachable and giving my clients the tools they need to be successful. Read more>>

Julie Altemus

In 2021, I found myself in the world of real estate journalism, interviewing top-producing agents for a feature in our local DFW real estate magazine. Time and time again, after wrapping up an interview, I’d get the same curious question: Read more>>

Becca Michaelson

Video game music is the musical score that you hear when playing a video game. Video game music (or VGM) has journeyed from 8 bit programmable sounds to fully orchestrated pieces. The music of a video game plays such a strong role in the player’s experience with the game. Sometimes the music even changes based on decisions the player makes. VGM often loops or repeats so the player ends up hearing the same song a lot. It really can become a core memory for people. Read more>>

Alan & Lisa Chow

Donuts have always been a part of our lives. My husband grew up in the donut business, learning from his family, and we both share a deep love for our hometown of Hercules. So when a spot opened up in town, we knew it was the perfect opportunity—not just to open another shop, but to bring something special to our community. Read more>>

Jessica Scott

I started with weddings, but what I really fell in love with was the art of storytelling. Whether I’m designing a luxury event, curating content for high-end brands, or sharing my own journey in elevated living, my goal is always the same—to create a world that feels intentional, aspirational, and beautifully told.” Read more>>

Nicki Guild

It was Spring 2020 when the pandemic was going on. I was working as a para at a local school. We stopped working because of the pandemic. One night I had a dream about making cheesecake. I woke up and said to my husband “I’m going to start making cheesecake” he started laughing because I was so serious and he said to me “ you have to make one first” I have never made a cheesecake in my life so this was all new to me but I was determined to figure it out. Read more>>

Rowyn Adelaide

From a very early age, I’ve been drawn to books and poetry. I’ve always loved immersing myself in different worlds, especially those involving magic, mythical creatures, and the intricacies of the human experience. When I was around thirteen years old, I fell in love with romance novels after my mother accidentally gave me a romance novel. I’d already been in love with gothic romance, but this was different. From then on, I knew I wanted to be a romance author. To weave stories of love and angst and the journey through all of that is the ultimate reward. I want to write about people who have experienced trauma, but who also grow from their hardships while finding hope and love along the way. Of course, there has to be magic, spooky creatures, and villains you love to hate. Read more>>

Ryan Daza

I am the executive director of a competitive science and STEM leadership pathways program for students PK to 12th grade focused on systemically excluded students, many of whom I now currently employ to run the program (all of our employees are students – part of our leadership pathways and a aside from the competitive robotics programming). There is really no one else who has done this model before as a nonprofit so essentially I had to wing it. I had inspiration from the National Society of Black Engineers (where my sons were doing robotics in Maryland) but I had to figure out how to operate and what the content would look like. I was not afraid to fail (and did so many times) and I knew I would succeed so I quit my job, clenched my teeth, and entered the world risk and entrepreneurship! Read more>>

The Tiny Home Lady

By 2017 my husband and I had been living in Marin for 7 years. We totalled up $100k in rent paid and were really tired of being renters where all our hard earned money flowed out of our bank account with no equity to show for it. We both had jobs, I was a Lighting sales rep and my husband a caterer while we made $100k a year together we simply did not have enough to buy a home in the $800k-$1m that was available in Marin. We tried to buy land and build a home on it but got outbid on three properties. We also wanted to travel and see other parts of our country and that’s when the lightbulb went off, what if we got a Tiny Home on wheels we asked ourselves. Read more>>

Heather Timmons

Back in 2014, I started my music industry career as an intern at WEMF Radio, internet radio station that also handled music bookings at small venues in Boston, MA. When my internship was up, I kept working with the radio station part time. Through this opportunity I ended up connecting with a lot of local musicians and music industry folks, many becoming close friends. Read more>>

Erica Gaines

When I mention the year 2020, we all remember that was the time that we sprayed our grocery bags with disinfectant ; our children were doing gymnastics practice in the backyard on zoom; graduations were online; and the mask that restricted breathing became our reality. I’m sure you will say I recall that time. Well having a Masters Degree in Public Health I recognize all the prevention tools were set in motion, yet unfamiliar with the public immediately I recalled the countless lectures where my professors shared history that we were currently experiencing. Read more>>

Vrienda Ganguly

I came up with the idea of starting a tarot card reading business after going through multiple traumatic events back to back that could have almost destroyed me. At that point, I was searching for videos online and I came across a Tarot Reader called water, baby Tarot on YouTube, who described some of the issues that I was going through With 75% accuracy, and I was blown away by her attention to detail and her understanding about Tarot, which made me resonate with her on such a deep psychological level. It allowed me to spiritually understand what was going on with me and how to slowly get out of a situation that could have damaged me badly if I continued being in that situation. This is when I got obsessed with her channel and started watching all her readings about my zodiac sign, and studying how she was interpreting her Tarot cards intuitively. It was beautiful how each and every card was forming an entire story about my life. Every time I watched it. This fascinated me to pursue tarot reading after learning it through watching her videos on YouTube after observing and learning from her for a year, I started my own YouTube channel called VriEvolution Tarot during The Covid outbreak. It’s like she inspired me to take the pain of my life and transmute it to help and heal others. This is how my journey as a tarot card reader began, and currently I have 1000s of loyal clients from all over the world that I help spiritually and psychologically, which also heals me in return. Read more>>

Endya Burgess

I was always a girlie girl. Setting my nail appointments, getting my hair done, playing in makeup, it really gave me such peace. While attending college at Georgia Southern I realized if I was going to be in corporate america I’d want to be an owner. I dropped out sophomore year and as my plan B I began doing nails. I practiced on myself religiously from December to February and then took my first ever client. As the years past on my sister helped me realize that if I want to go as far as my dreams take me I’m gonna have to be a lot more risky. So, in 2022 I quit my full-time job with Jasons Deli and began working at Athens Nail Salon. I didn’t work at the nail salon for long due to feeling very unwelcomed by the staff and decided it was time to make my mark. My brand, BrattE Therapy Beauty Salon, was created off of knowing how therapeutic it is to get your beauty services done. I have also been a lover of Bratz and channeled it into my personality so the name came pretty easily to me. My goal is to open a good vibes, accommodating, welcoming, therapeutic, traditional styled nail salon with only caring nail artist because everyone deserves a sense of BrattE Therapy! Read more>>

Sanni Baumgaertner

In the early 2000s I was a musician living in Athens, Georgia, my second home after moving to the US in the late 90s as an exchange student and falling in love with this creative, supportive college town and it’s music scene. Like many musicians I didn’t make much (or really any) money with music, so to support myself I sold vintage clothing at a couple of stores in town. Within a year or two I was able to support myself from vintage sales and also worked part time in a vintage store. I became interested in sewing and fashion design, so I started redesigning some of the vintage I found that was looking dated or costumey. Read more>>

Robyn Watson

I was a corporate PR executive in television distribution and was invited to attend a new member meeting/mixer for NY Women In Film & Television (NYWIFT). While at the event, I met a young filmmaker who told me about how she was looking to finalize a film that she had been working on since college (for 6 years). She said she was a struggling creative and needed $7500 to give to her editor to finish the film, and it would change her life. I remember thinking that I had just received over $15K worth of lanyards, pens, and cups to my office that very day for a marketing event that was no longer happening. I also remembered thinking that I wished I could sell that useless marketing collateral and give the money to this filmmaker to finish her project. The next day, I went to my boss and told her about my experience at the mixer and asked if I could use some of my discretionary marketing funding to help the organization and then help the filmmaker. She was on board with me doing this; in the process, I discovered that my company already gave to NYWIFT from a corporate social responsibility standpoint. I immediately knew I wanted to do more to help female creatives, so I joined the board of NYWIFT, then joined the international board, WIFTI, ultimately landing in Atlanta to lead the Women In Film & Television Atlanta (WIFTA) board. After leaving corporate, I started my consulting business, WATSON MEDIA VENTURES, which is a consulting firm that connects and strategizes with creatives to move their film/television/events forward; this includes help with production, marketing, financing, staffing/crew-up, talent and more. I do it all! Read more>>