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.

Jerone Penrose

I walked away from my government job in November of 2018. My life’s work, a program called Buying Back Our Communities or B.B.O.C. began to gain traction and I had to choose between working my purpose fulltime or continuing to work a job fulltime. I reason with myself that I had spent 20 years working for companies, and it was time to put all my efforts into my purpose. I had just been chosen to take over Santiago’s Boxing Club earlier the same year, but it wasn’t an income-generating business. A good friend at the time was doing very well selling insurance and he convinced me to do the same. I felt like it was a way for me to work my purpose fulltime at least 9 months out of the year, if I did well during insurance’s peak season. Unfortunately, I was never a good salesman, so that plan didn’t work too well. Needless to say, 2019 was a hard year. Read more>>

Patricia Rodriguez

“The idea for my business, Home Temple Designs, really began as a very personal journey.
Twenty Years ago, I studied interior design, but life took me in other directions. I faced challenging times—health issues, single motherhood—and my home became my safe space, my sanctuary. I realized firsthand how deeply our surroundings affect our mood, energy, and even our healing. Read more>>

Aravind Gurram

The idea for Charminar Express Indian Food Truck was born out of my love for food and my passion for travel. As a food enthusiast, I found myself constantly exploring different states across the U.S.—especially places like Texas—where food trucks are a huge part of the culture. I was amazed at the variety, the creativity, and the energy around food trucks in those cities. But one thing always stood out to me: the way Indian cuisine was either underrepresented or overly Americanized. Read more>>

Shara Armprester

Honestly, it all started by mistake. I was working in the school system, and I always kept condoms, sanitary napkins, and other supplies in my office for the girls just my way of making sure they could protect themselves in every way possible.

One morning around 9 a.m., a young girl asked me for a sanitary napkin. I didn’t have one, so I walked her to the main office and got her a tampon one of those outdated, old-school ones. As I handed it to her, apologizing for the quality, I asked how many she needed. She said, “Just one.” Read more>>

Brownie Marie

I came up with the idea of Fox Hunters Club during the COVID-19 pandemic; I had a lot of time on my hands and decided to start a new business. I was also back on dating apps as I was single and couldn’t meet folks IRL during the shutdown. I tried several mainstream apps (most of them owned by one company, Match Group), but found that the selection of older men was limited. The average Hinge user is 25 years old, for example, which is about the average age for dating app users overall. I’m a millennial and preferred Gen X men for dating, so I then searched for age-gap dating sites. To my surprise, all I could find were sugar baby/sugar daddy websites. Read more>>

Ben Branson

My family have been in agriculture and timber for over 300 years, a nine generation legacy i am very proud to continue and my four current projects have all been born out of this lineage and relentless pursuit of solving problems and doing things differently with a love for nature and an insatiable curiosity. None have started as business ideas! Read more>>

Kristin Cruz

It all started after one of our own family photoshoots. I’d spent so much time obsessing over what we should all wear—hours of scrolling, over-ordering, returning, second-guessing—and when it was all said and done, sure, the photos were beautiful… but the process? Way harder than it needed to be. Read more>>

Peyton Disenso

If some one had told me I would be a business owner one day, I would never have believed them. Despite having dreams of owning a business many times throughout my young adult life, the dreams never stuck around long and my interests changed so many times, I just never thought it would actually pan out. Until my life changed dramatically in December of 2023. I worked in education since I was 15 up until that day and loved every minute of it. Or so I thought. I didn’t realize the toll the stress was having on my mind, body, and spirit. Read more>>

Dorian Harris

My experiences as an event curator has been always been from an invitation from my peers. With Ratchet Bingo, one of my supporters encouraged me to create a bingo party for my hometown, Augusta, GA. And with any event I develop I start small and build it out from there. Test the concept with a certain demographic of people and see how does everyone respond. And for this event the response was overwhelming. The first 6 months of this event went from monthly to bi monthly to 2 shows per day. From that momentum and social media marketing, it became a national tour within the first year. Read more>>

Angela Brooks

At KimaniBrooks Consulting, Inc. , named in honor of my father and father-in-law, we intertwine philanthropy and community awareness into the fabric of our marketing philosophy.

We believe understanding our clients’ unique needs and values is essential to crafting authentic and resonant strategies. Read more>>

Shannon Wheeler

Venue XIV was birth from love, strength, and patience. The vision of two people that genuinely loved the wedding and events industry. This family owned venue if run by Jawon and Shannon Wheeler. We wanted to create something elegant that had an amazing view, and told a real true story of love and romance. When we came across the Harborview area, we thought it would be the perfect backdrop for this vision to come to life. Our Now waterfront venue sits right in the harbor view Marina and can accommodate weddings, corporate events, birthday parties, and more up to 300 guests. Read more>>

Macy Gayler

Dance has been a central part of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up in a highly competitive studio environment gave me the technique and discipline to pursue a career in dance, but I often felt that I was missing emotional support and mentorship as a young artist and individual. That experience shaped my vision. Read more>>

Jade Celi

I am one of those people who knew I was a shaman since I was a toddler. It only made sense that I ended up creating a Spiritual Healing and Advising business of my own one day! From a young age I was connected to spirits, crystals, and animals. I grew up feeding a spirit wolf pack before I was even old enough to realize that they were a part of my Spirit Tribe! During life as a child, I did pendulum work, and worked with the elements, as well, to make rainstorms. I mostly did this to cancel soccer or swim practice haha!! I was particularly good at that! Utilizing wind was certainly a gift of mine, like an ancient friend working in tandem with me. Eventually I grew up to play didgeridoo and channel light language, utilizing wind elementals and the Spirit of Wind itself to guide healing on behalf of the planet and animal collectives! Read more>>

Efrain Alas Moran

For a writer, an idea can arrive at the most unexpected moment. When I first began shaping the vision for this book, I was with my family visiting the Tazumal Archaeological Park in El Salvador. The park’s guide was describing a ritual to the god Xipe Tótec—its symbolism of renewal, and its profound meaning despite the fact that it involved sacrifice. I was captivated by how drastically it contrasted with today’s society, and I tucked it away in my memory. Read more>>

Debbie Steele

The story of how my creative services business began is very personal and heartfelt. It all started with my first granddaughter, Camryn. When she was born, I was completely captivated by her—from her tiny fingers to her bright eyes. I wanted to capture every moment, every smile, every milestone. So, I bought my very first camera and began taking hundreds of pictures of her. What started as simple snapshots quickly grew into something much deeper. Read more>>

Emily Wren

In my former life, I was part of the corporate machine, specifically tasked with planning my team’s presence at our company’s annual client event. My duties included everything from organizing the booth layout to scheduling presentations. It was a stressful but exhilarating experience that revealed a passion I didn’t know I had: leading and creating memorable events. I discovered a deep satisfaction in bringing a vision to life, meticulously planning every detail, and seeing it all come together. Read more>>

Isabel (Rooney) Calvert

For over a decade, I worked at the intersection of fashion and business—first as a corporate buyer overseeing a $300 million portfolio, then as head of merchandising and product development for a luxury fashion house. I lived and breathed design, product, and performance. But something kept nagging at me: when it came to jewelry, there was a noticeable gap between the editorial and the everyday. The market was either saturated with ultra-trendy pieces made for Instagram, or classic styles that lacked imagination. There was little that felt bold, refined, and wearable—jewelry that made a statement but was grounded in longevity. Read more>>

Po’okela Bates

The idea for KDI Consulting came from a frustrating pattern I kept witnessing during my years in federal law enforcement. I’d regularly interact with contract security guards from big-name companies, and what I saw was deeply troubling – firms prioritizing fast returns over actual protection, treating security like they were just “sticking bodies on posts” rather than providing professional service. There was this pervasive lack of standards, even from industry leaders, and it became clear they were focused on quantity over quality, not on what would actually result in client success. Read more>>

Crystal Nicole

People have always felt comfortable talking to me. Women and young ladies seek me out for advice, guidance and prayer.on a regular basis. I love helping people and giving back. Having a strong desire to see the next generation of young ladies become powerful leaders that dominate in every area of life, while also maintaining dainty and lady like qualities is how Dainty & Free was birthed. It is a mentorship program for all young ladies ages 6-11 but specifically for those with parents who are deceased, incarcerated or have substance abuse issues. We want to show these young ladies that despite their circumstances, they can thrive! Read more>>

Brittany Mascioli

The idea for both of my businesses—grief coaching and memorial bracelets—was born from the most heartbreaking experience of my life: the stillbirth of my son, Mason Edward Mascioli.

I was 38 weeks + 4 days pregnant when we learned Mason no longer had a heartbeat. We went from preparing to bring him home to delivering him in complete silence. It’s impossible to put into words what it feels like to leave the hospital with empty arms, a memorial box, and a broken heart, but that moment changed everything for me. Read more>>

Isabel (Issy) Von Zastrow

I had spent the last 10 years of my life traveling all over the world chasing the wind for teaching, shooting video campaigns, and competing in kitesurfing when, due to a small injury, I found myself taking a year long break. I, honestly, had no idea what I was going to do with my time and where to put my focus, so I decided to do what i loved most: be by the beach creating. I tried anything and everything I could think of that I might be interested in. Read more>>

Sydney Schutzman

My own practice began during a difficult chapter of my life, when yoga became more than movement – it was my way back to balance, clarity, and self-trust. Over time, I pursued extensive teacher trainings in classical and modern styles like Dharma, Rocket, and Ashtanga Yoga, not just to refine my skills but to understand the roots of this practice. What I found was that many studios focus heavily on postures (asanas) and fitness, but often leave out the rich philosophical, meditative, and breathwork traditions that make yoga a complete path to self-realization. Read more>>

Tiffany Rosell

The story of Sweet View Optical started from a deeply personal place—one born out of frustration and inspiration in equal measure. After spending years working within corporate optical environments, I began to feel stifled by the rigidness, the lack of personal touch, and the assembly-line approach to eyewear that prioritized quick sales over genuine, personalized service. As a Licensed Optician, my passion has always been helping people not just see clearly but also feel truly seen. Read more>>

Vaughn Owens

I came up with Saguaro Queen Catering over the past few years while working in various restaurants. I found myself in a position where I knew what I was capable of so, I decided to branch away from the restaurant industry and go on my own. The name for my company actually came from a specific Saguaro cactus that I came across years back while off roading near Reymert Mine. Read more>>

Ashley + Patrick Hanrahan

It all started with muddy boots, a camera full of blurry sunrise photos, and one too many “where is the trailhead?” moments.

We’re P and A; a couple of curious wanderers who swapped weekend plans for trail maps and found our happy place somewhere between lost and awe-struck. After one too many hikes where we wished someone had told us about the surprise switchbacks, the secret snack spots, or where to actually park, we figured: why not be that someone for someone else? Read more>>

Felicity Tabia

Dreamers Avenue started from my own experience applying to college as an undocumented student. I remember sitting at my desk late at night, scrolling through page after page of resources that either didn’t apply to me or shut me out completely. Every scholarship I found excluded me. Every “guide” assumed I could fill out FAFSA or apply for federal aid. I felt stuck, frustrated, and completely on my own. Read more>>