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.

Bridget Pettyjohn

Ive been doing hair for over 30 years.I started off braiding hair and later in the late 90’s got into hair extensions and updos and fell in love with the different looks. Fast forward to now I worked full time at my local hospital working with cancer patients while still doing hair part time. I worked with Novant 21 years but worked with the cancer patients for 12 years. I offered my service to most after they finished chemo. But I wanted to do more than that so I took class that would allow me accept insurance because not every patient could afford my service so if this could help it would be great. Working face to face with these patients and seeing them from the beginning of diagnosis, to starting treatment , during treatment and to see how these treatments can not only damage a patients hair but their self esteem and to hear their story makes me sad, so if I can help them restore their confidence by making Medical Grade and Cosmetic Units that gives me joy to do that. Read more>>

Daniel Qi

To me, cinematography is a way of breathing with the world. Sometimes it’s the stillness of Yi Yi — where a frame holds a silence so complete, it feels like memory itself. Sometimes it’s the heavy, tactile shadows of The Batman — where light drips like ink and every corner hums with tension. Read more>>

Kady Pooler

I was a tennis player for most of my life and retired in my late 20s where many years later I was introduced to pickleball and really loved the game.I started playing frequently, but as a mother of two young kids, I was not able to travel to the tournaments and frankly didn’t want to live that lifestyle on the road again.My wife could see that I was really into the game and challenged me to come up with a business idea that would allow me to stay involved. I went through thoughts of a paddle or apparel, but both markets are super saturated and tough to compete in. Ultimately, I wanted to solve for the infrastructure problem in which there are not enough courts to meet the demand of players. Read more>>

Angel Gould

After graduating, I was living in Downtown Phoenix and watching prices climb across the board. Having moved from England seven years earlier, I had always felt that Arizona was just a few years behind when it came to fashion and food. But even after all that time, there still weren’t any affordable fast food options that were actually healthy — and I realized they probably weren’t coming unless I created one myself. I knew if I was struggling to find fresh, nutritious food on a budget, there had to be others in the same position. Read more>>

Mark Malott

In the early 2000’s I had been getting tattooed by several different tattoo artists and was amazed by their ability to create great impactful art and then apply it to skin.
One day I was shopping at Target and saw they were selling T-Shirts with a tattoo style dragon on them. The artwork was obviously done by someone that did not know how to draw a tattoo style dragon. I thought how much better one of my tattoo artists could have done. Read more>>

Sierra Hall

My creative services business was born out of a deep-rooted love for music that started when I was just four years old. I grew up surrounded by it. My mom was in the music business and she poured into my love for it early on with piano and vocal lessons. I went on to earn a degree in Music Business and while I’ve always loved singing, I realized my true passion lived behind the scenes helping other artists shine. Read more>>

Kimberly Schmitz

I was at a crossroads. After leaving a leadership role at a small business, I found myself in a rare moment of pause—an opportunity to reflect, recalibrate, and truly ask myself what was next. It wasn’t just about my career; it was about balance, about reclaiming time for myself and my family while figuring out how to apply my years of expertise in a way that felt meaningful. Read more>>

Ashante Parker-Shenbote

To be real, I didn’t plan on starting a business. I was working towards being a social service worker, ready to help people in that space. But when my son was diagnosed with autism, I had to shift everything. He needed me to be more present, and that meant I couldn’t work the way I used to. At first, I was scared. I didn’t know how I was going to do both, be a full-time mom and still do the work I love. But I knew I couldn’t let go of my passion for helping people. That’s when I decided to start something of my own, something flexible, online, and still rooted in support and growth. That’s how Chatty Wellness was born. Read more>>

Rebecca Talley

I have always loved to write stories. When I was young, I loved creating books. When I was very young, my mother self-published a book of poetry and I illustrated it. Though I enjoyed drawing, my heart was in creating worlds with words. I love to create realistic characters, give them an obstacle to overcome, and watch how the story unfolds. Read more>>

Michele Evans

As CEO and Owner of a few businesses, this question has a bit of complexity. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, add to the fact that I am one who prefers to do things on my own and my way. Each and every business idea I’ve had, I did not hesitate to bring to fruition quickly. There was doubts from others, even self-doubt, but I had to trust in the God-given and learned skills I possess. I wouldn’t say that my businesses were solving problems that no one else was solving. What I will say is that I solve those problems efficiently and affordably. I do so with extra care and a ‘get it done’ attitude. Each business I have created carried its own different level of excitement. Once the ideas were given to me, I threw myself head first into it with zeal. Read more>>

Amanda Voss

The idea for Yavapai Exploration and Science (YES!) came to me at a pivotal moment in my life. After 15 years of teaching, I had made the emotional decision to step away from the career that had been such a huge part of my identity. It didn’t end the way I had imagined, it was painful and bittersweet, but it also opened the door for me to move forward. Read more>>

Carole Tarr

My sutainable styling business grew organically from my background in the film industry, where I spent 11 years working on productions as an assistant costumer and later as a costume supervisor. After relocating from Paris to San Francisco, I initially planned to continue in that field, but the birth of my second child and the onset of the pandemic shifted my professional objectives. There is a need here in the Bay Area, especially amongst professionals to seek out for stylists – the climate, the laid back work culture, and the lack of clear aesthetic directions! I pivoted toward styling individuals so they could explore and refine their unique style. My Costume design studies continue to feed me every day to bring depth and storytelling to each client’s wardrobe. Read more>>

Hope Lansing

My journey into marketing began over 12 years ago, born out of necessity and a need for fun. I had to find a way to pay for college that didn’t suck. That’s when I started promoting events in Jacksonville, Florida, working alongside Eric Fuller, one of the co-founders of Dayglow. We began by selling tickets to EDM and college nights, which eventually led to us launching Wideawake Wednesdays, our first big event series. Some of our earliest shows featured artists like Calvin Harris, (just before We Found Love became a global hit) and Porter Robinson (during his Spitfire era). I’d spend hours at Barnes & Noble, posting on Facebook (RIP) to get people to buy hardcopy tickets directly from me. Read more>>

Seol Do Hyeong

I start my creative work by imagining irrational, otherworldly creatures appearing in an otherwise ordinary day. One of the biggest influences that led me to work this way was watching the Digimon anime back in middle school. I was fascinated by the idea of strange creatures with their own motives suddenly showing up in the human world and forming connections with people—two completely different beings learning to coexist. Read more>>

Eliza

My journey into creative entrepreneurship really started when I was a kid, thanks to my parents, especially my mom. She would let me use her old camcorder and cameras and let me explore and experiment taking photos and making “movies.” In middle school, she gave me my first DSLR camera, a Nikon, and signed me up for a photography class. I still have the handwritten notes from that class tucked into my old camera bag. Back then, I loved photography, but I never imagined it could become a real career. Read more>>

Sheriz Chisley

This wasn’t an idea that just came to me overnight. It came from a place of hitting rock bottom after my daughter was born prematurely. She spent nearly three months in the NICU. When she finally came home, I was extremely happy and fully immersed in adjusting to motherhood. But a few months in, I found myself facing an identity crisis. Read more>>

Michael Taulton

This clothing brand has been a long time in the making, since about 2013 or 2014. I had the idea to start designing clothes when I was still living in Brunswick, MD and was doing a lot of street art. I hadn’t the slightest clue of where to start and I was also really active with music so I just kind of stuck with making music for the time. Fast forward to 2020 when I begun my solo music project OHHDREAMER and got to a point where I needed some merch for shows and tour. As I started designing and producing clothes it just re-awakened that lost love of starting a clothing brand. So that’s what I did! A few years later in 2023 OHD Presents was born! Read more>>

Ammie Hague

When I dared to leave corporatelandia and start my own cottage core business selling handbound books and magical supplies, I was told friends that I would never succeed. This story has a happy ending so stay with me! It was a crushing feeling to know how deeply our society disparages non-conventional businesses and jobs, even though they avail themselves of unique gifts, alternative music and off-beat performing talents like professional clowns and…in my case…faeries! Read more>>

Amanda Faulk-Ghidinelli

My journey into the childcare industry began simply because the area needed more options and expansion in this field. Originally from Tampa, Florida, I brought 16 years of experience from recreation centers, preschools, daycares, and play spaces. My goal was always to provide each child with a dedicated environment that meets their unique needs. I established Bizzy Bees to offer high-quality childcare services to families in Delhi and the surrounding communities, all within a nurturing, educational, and loving atmosphere. Read more>>

Carlos Ramos

I’d had the idea for Up Elevated Cocktails a couple of years before I actually launched it in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. Having been a mixologist, in the beverage alcohol industry for 10+ years and being a cannabis advocate/consumer doing one off events with a cannabis supper club, I saw the missing niche in the culinary cannabis experience, and thought that cannabis cocktails and mixology could be successful in mainstream spaces but as a safer/healthier social alternative to alcohol. So I started ideating and writing a business plan for Up Elevated Cocktails while I was working in a craft beer/spirits sales role and moonlighting behind the bar in the West Loop. Read more>>

Kitty Izzo

My husband and I own a restaurant, Park & Field, located in Logan Square, around the corner from our home. After opening, we quickly realized we needed more storage space for liquor deliveries, kegs and the like. We reached out to the owner of an abandoned building next door to the restaurant and were able to purchase it. We gutted the back and transformed it into a storage area for the restaurant, but once we saw the shop front space, I knew I wanted to open a retail space, rather than renting it out. It had been left vacant since the 80’s when it was a dental office, but was completely deteriorated since then. We tore down the drop ceilings and found original tin, lifted the moldy carpet to find original wood floors and tore out the drywall to find beautiful brick. Read more>>

Lindsay

While visiting family in Texas last year, my daughter Sofia and I stumbled upon a young girl selling lemonade at a local ball game. Her makeshift stand and entrepreneurial spirit instantly sparked Sofia’s interest in starting a business of her own. Over the past year, that inspiration has blossomed into Sofla Lemon Co., a fresh, playful lemonade brand set to launch in May 2025. Read more>>

Iuliia

Art has always been a part of my life. I started to paint when I was a child, and since then, painting has remained a constant source of comfort and creativity throughout my life. What began as a hobby eventually became my profession. In the beginning, I painted everything that inspired me. Later, I decided to sell some of my artworks online, and that’s how I started attracting customers. That marked the beginning of my art career. A few years later, I realized I also wanted to teach, so I began hosting art classes for both adults and children. Read more>>

PEGGY MURACO

I have always been a lover of Israel. Ten years ago, I had an opportunity to attend a Jewish funeral. I previously researched that Jewish people place stones on graves. I couldn’t wait to see all the beautiful stones in the cemetery. I was expecting to see gemstones made of rubies and emeralds, and sapphire amongst others. I arrived at the cemetery and much to my surprise, I saw basic rocks and rocks that looked like gravel! Then it came to me that I should create Scripture on stones like in ancient times when text was written on clay tablets. Read more>>

Gurveen Thakkar

Grateful Purpose was born in a moment where I realized the most beautiful things often come from our hardest seasons. In 2020, like so many others, I was navigating personal grief, career uncertainty, and the mental toll of a world turned upside down. Amidst it all, I craved a space that felt safe, honest, and deeply human — somewhere people could talk about mental health, purpose, and self-worth without it feeling like a performance or a checklist of trendy buzzwords. Read more>>

Camberly Haith

I was always the friend who people came to when they needed decorations for a party. This was at a time when everyone wanted to decorate with tissue paper pom poms. A friend approached me to make a lot of them for her wedding, as well as she wanted to have paper flowers above her sweets table. I made a small panel of paper flowers and textured paper items and it turned out pretty cute. I thought hey, I think that I could maybe turn this into a business, So early on it was mostly DIY type projects that brides didn’t have the artist skill to make themselves. But my business really took off once I created this one rental as a way to solve a problem for my best friend. She was getting married and loved her venue but, it had a mural that didn’t really vibe with her wedding design. Read more>>

Dr. Shauna Wallace

The idea for my business was born from lived experience, professional passion, and a deep sense of responsibility to disrupt systems that were never designed to serve everyone equitably—especially not Black mothers, underserved families, or vulnerable youth. Read more>>

Kamila Batyrova

Even before we got married, my husband and I often talked about opening our own restaurant one day. We dreamed of a small, cozy place — not just a business, but a true extension of our lifestyle. Cooking had always been a big part of our lives and a shared passion that brought us together. Read more>>

Annie Gamez

I am a professional events manager who leads high end events–from galas, dinners with ultra-high net worth individuals, show premieres, and more. Throughout my work, I noticed that people attending the events I worked so hard to produce didn’t look like me, even while living in a diverse city like New York. Since I was fairly new to the city, I brainstormed how to make new friends, so I decided to merge my passion for community building and highlighting Latinx brands with my events management expertise because I wanted to put our cultura front and center while meeting new people along the way. Read more>>

Laurence Holyoak

I got the travel bug as a child. I loved exploring new places and learning about new cultures. When I had my first child, life slowed down considerably. Then about three months after giving birth to my second child, the lights went out. I had no idea at the time, but I was in the throws of postpartum depression. I forgot who I was. I lost interest in things I was passionate about. I didn’t know how to get help. Just over a year and half later, I finally talked to my doctor about it and we started treatment straight away. After a few days, I started feeling better and was mad at myself for waiting so long. Nobody talks about PPD. So many women suffer in silence, which is why I make a point to talk about it. Help is out there and it will get better. Read more>>

Mikey Tapocik

Offishial Business Outdoors, was formed from the start of a lure company. The lures were only the foot into the outdoor industry. Offishial Business was and is an online forum site for the Outdoors. While all of this was going my Dad’s batte with prostate cancer was on going and we decided we wanted to help raise awareness and money for prostate cancer . Thus, we created a fishing event called The Catch Tour in 2013. Read more>>

Scott Brigham

I’ve always had a passion for cooking. In recent years I taught myself to produce high end barbecue. Youtube was my main source of information. I had friends that would buy different meat products, and pay me to smoke them. One day I was sitting with a couple of them at one’s business. A food truck was operating in the parking lot across the street. As we watched and discussed, I commented that I would get a food truck one day, and sell barbecue. My friend Brock replied “you don’t have to wait until you get a food truck”. I instantly thought of Lisa, who was selling food under a canopy in a parking lot. We continued discussing the possibility, and I left determined to sell barbecue. Read more>>

Dorothy Kern

I knew I wanted to do something – but I didn’t want to go back to work as a teacher. At the time I was a stay-at-home mom that felt stuck so I wanted something that could be mine. The blog actually started as a hobby. I had the idea to start it on a whim – so I researched what to do and how to build a site using blogger (a free service from google back in 2010) and I hit publish soon after. It took several years to make any money – and more years after that to turn into an actual business. Read more>>

Dale Edwards

Roller Skate New England started as something deeply personal — a reconnection with my roots. I’m a third-generation roller skater. My mom skated, her mom skated — I grew up in the rink. It was a huge part of my life, but like a lot of people, I fell out of it for about ten years after moving away. It wasn’t until my local rink reopened after the pandemic that I really stepped back into that world. Read more>>

Kaitlin Anthony

It was November 2019. I was going through a gut-wrenching divorce, co-parenting my 3-year-old daughter, walking away from the gym I co-founded with my ex (which had been my entire identity and community)… and on top of it all, I had just come out about my relationship with my now non-binary partner. It was the kind of moment that could’ve broken me—but instead, it cracked me wide open. Read more>>