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.

Charles Dismang

After spending years teaching at another martial arts gym as well as training in different facilities in different types of arts. I found myself at a crossroads. My passion for martial arts and my desire to create a unique training environment led me to make a bold decision: to open my own gym. Read more>>

Suki Nijjar

The idea for Makeup by SKN came from a mix of passion and necessity. Growing up in Birmingham, I was always the one doing hair and makeup for my friends and cousins, and I quickly realized how much I loved the transformation that happens when someone sits in your chair. Read more>>

Tarishi Gupta

The idea for Gifty Studio was born out of a moment of creative frustration. At the time, I was working full-time as a photographer, but I found myself burning out. Read more>>

Jennifer Rossi

My glimpse into goatscaping began in college, while working towards my degree in Environmental Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. In fall of 2019 I took an invasive species class that focused on the invasive plants in Virginia, a lot of which are also in Georgia. Read more>>

Sim Bhansali

I am originally from India and came to Savannah in 2021 to pursue my Masters at SCAD. I graduated with an MA in Design for Sustainability in 2022. During my initial year in Savannah I was single and decided to share my love with animals, so I started fostering with Renegade Paws Rescue. Read more>>

Jason Ross

My wife and I have always loved people. To be honest, sometimes to a fault. Our goal in life was always to have a great family and be surrounded with people we could serve and love on. As we worked our way through ministry school and then jumping into a few already established ministries, we fell in love with loving people. Read more>>

Lori Schur

Writing a novel was never on my ‘to do’ list. However, over lunch with a friend, we were discussing our life experiences raising children under unexpected circumstances. The idea to write a novel was born out of this conversation. What Happened to Normal? is about a mom named Jessie. Her world implodes when her eight-year-old son is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Read more>>

Ashley Vaughn

I’ve had a camera in my hand for about as long as I can remember. My dad was an avid photographer, and his mom before that. While my grandma mainly captured some amazing family memories and travel photos, my dad expanded that by also taking artistic and creative images. From them, I learned the importance of photos. Read more>>

Traci Konas

As an ER nurse for 15 yrs and working in multiple different disciplines in healthcare. I noticed how bad out healthcare was on all levels. When my dad died of gross negligence at Northridge hospital i decided to write a book and open up a website to try and help people. Read more>>

Michael Patella

The idea for Corporate Menace Coffee Co. really started from our own lives. All the founding partners are part of corporate America. I work in corporate consulting. My friend from college, and founding partner Nathan Wilson, is a Marketing and Events Strategist, and our third founding partner Matthew Patella (my dad) is a longtime corporate executive. Read more>>

Brittany Stauts

In 2018, I moved from New Orleans to Victoria, TX. The move was part of a corporate relocation and part of the package included working with a Professional Organizer to downsize prior to the move. That was the first time that I realized organizing could be an actual profession. I immediately hit it off with the Organizer who was assigned to me. Read more>>

Tiffany Jones

Legacy Photography began with a vision I shared with my mentor: to create something lasting, something meaningful- a legacy. For me, photography is not just about images; it’s about connection, authenticity, and preserving stories that matter. I know that for many people, having their photo taken can feel intimidating. Read more>>

Shonda Knight

My Omnilocks was born after a conversation between my then nine year old daughter, Zya and me. Zya wanted her hair straightened for an event and I told her that due to the humid weather and her high level of activity, it wouldn’t stay straight, therefore it wasn’t worth the effort. Read more>>

Cassidy Nation

Small business ownership runs in my family and have always envisioned myself pursuing the entrepreneurial path at some point in my life; I just wasn’t sure when that would happen. In 2020, I felt a strong urge to bring life to a new business idea that had been on my mind. Read more>>

Maren LaFollette

My whole life, I have loved makeup. So, in 2019, I began my journey with producing makeup-related content for social media. This endeavor led me to gain makeup clients for weddings, senior pictures, photoshoots, etc. Read more>>

Rocky Ramirez

I used to work at a supplement shop. People use to always come in and tell me they got kicked out of their gym for being too loud lifting. I always thought it was crazy, being quiet while trying to lift real heavy, coming from a powerlifting background. Read more>>

Braden East

Today I run a one-man branding agency for churches, but how I got here was pretty unexpected. In fact, if you told me this was possible 5 years ago, I wouldn’t have believed you. Growing up Christian, I thought that I had to be a pastor if I wanted to work for the church. The problem was that the idea of preaching sermons terrified me. Read more>>

Caline Raab

I started working fairly young because I liked the idea of making my own money. It made me feel “in control.” I put that in quotes because control is an illusion — but that’s another story for another day. At 13, I was doing data entry for my mom’s company. At 15, I got my worker’s permit and started at The Gap. Read more>>

Andrew Nussbaum

I’m a big golfer and I noticed that I was ripping through / losing grip of my gloves so quickly into use, forcing me to buy a new one sooner than I’d ever want to. I wanted to see if there were any golf gloves out there that I could buy that wouldn’t need to be replaced as quickly, but nothing like that existed. Read more>>

Carrizo Allen

Moncru Yoga saw its first spark of life after I personally realized the effects that yoga itself had done on my mind and body. In 2023, graduating from university and coming into a full time role within tech, I hit the ground running without giving myself little time to be present and slow down. Read more>>

Cam Clear

The idea to start a 7v7 football team that isn’t try-out based but only sign-ups came from recognizing a gap in the youth sports world. I noticed that a lot of talented and passionate players were getting overlooked simply because they didn’t stand out in a single tryout. Read more>>

Brandon and Donny

The idea for Humble Threads started in the summer of 2023. At the time, both of us (Donny and I), without realizing it, had been looking for hats with unique Christian patches that we could wear as a way to share our faith. The designs we found felt repetitive and uninspiring. Read more>>

Sharne Maloney

Awaken Beauty was born from my personal journey — as a woman, a mother, and an entrepreneur navigating the delicate balance of life, love, and business. Through it all, I discovered that beauty isn’t just about lashes or aesthetics. It’s about how women show up in the world — how they carry themselves, how they lead, love, and live boldly. Read more>>

Sophie Miller

The story of The DeCantillon didn’t start with a wedding or an event at all — it started with an office. Nearly twenty years ago, our father, Reed Miller, moved his family business into a small building on the river in North Little Rock. For years, that riverside office was more than just a building. Read more>>

Diamond Walton

As a returned U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, public health educator, and grantmaker I have witnessed first-hand the importance of creating safe, healthy environments where community members can be successful and thrive. For the past ten years I had pursued community-based solutions to public health problems. My work involved coalition building, strategic planning, community needs assessments, program development and evaluation, and grantmaking. Read more>>

Keith Jenkins

It was the dead of winter, the kind that settles into your bones. I was sitting in my brother-in-law’s woodworking shop, the air carrying the smell of sawdust and the hum of a propane heater doing its best against the cold. I had just retired from the Army after more than 24 years, and the weight of the question hung over me: what’s next? Read more>>

Naomi Rose

I came to my work as a wedding officiant and ceremony leader for non religious and unaffiliated couples by living it first. I grew up in rigid, insular and repressive religious community. Early on I started grappling with big philosophical and ideological questions in an attempt to make sense of the world and my place in it. Read more>>

Quincy Unger

The idea for Sleep Hypnos came from a very real, very personal frustration — struggling to get quality sleep. When I arrived on campus last year as a freshman, I was dealing with the normal anxieties that come with transitioning to college life. Read more>>

Gabriela Kaneva

Most people assume senior care is a straightforward process — you search online, make a few calls, and pick a place. But anyone who has actually gone through it knows it is more like an emotional maze. Read more>>

Ashley Sutton

When I first dreamed up Moonlight, I wanted to create a space where everyone could shop and feel comfortable and beautiful. As someone who used to be plus size, I knew how hard it was to find lingerie that actually made me feel good about myself. Even after losing weight, I found that most chain lingerie stores were expensive and didn’t carry many inclusive sizes. Read more>>

Nicol Natale

In 2018, fresh out of college with no internship experience, I landed my first magazine job after countless “no’s” during my initial search. Fueled by a hunger to write words that could reach millions, I stepped into the buzz of tight deadlines, glitzy events, and celebrity interviews. 24-year-old me leapt out of bed each morning, intoxicated by the dream. Read more>>https://canvasrebel.com/meet-nicol

Sydney Jones

In April 2023, with only about a month left until graduation with my marketing degree, I still had no clear direction for what I wanted to do next. I’d completed several internships throughout college, each one helping me identify aspects I liked and things I didn’t, which eventually shaped my vision for my career. Read more>>

Alexyss Coles

Frame and Flask was born out of a mix of passion and frustration. For years, I noticed that when people planned weddings, parties, or even intimate celebrations, they were forced to juggle multiple vendors who didn’t always communicate or align on vision. Guests might have a beautiful venue but an average bar setup. Read more>>

Michael Napolitano

Honestly, I did not come up with the idea myself. At the time I was bartending and one of my regulars, who I had gotten close with, was also my realtor for an investment property I had just purchased. After the sale went through I showed him the rental listing I put together. Read more>>

Lesley Jones

I’ve had the idea for this company for over 20 years. It started when my aunt was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. She was in her 30s, with two little boys, and she was terrified. Read more>>

Bo Blair

I was introduce to a gentlemen name Andrew O’Brien who started this dad group during Covid in Austin TX during Covid. We connected and I was absolutely prompted by God to start the Lonestar Dads Dallas Chapter. I myself was still isolating and and having difficulty with getting back out and living life to the fullest. Read more>>

Jerry Kondwros

Over a year ago my son and I were walking around a large Corvette Car show in Tennessee and came across a vendor selling car show boards featuring custom artwork and customer provided photos of their car. I bought one for around $400 for my 1979 Corvette Coupe. Read more>>https://canvasrebel.com/meet-jerry-kondwros

Chelsea O’Neill

While growing up, I always heard moms talking about how, after having their children, they were experiencing urinary leakage. I thought nothing of it; I just figured that was a normal occurrence after giving birth. Once I went to physical therapy school and pursued specialized education, I realized that although urinary leakage after giving birth may be common, it is definitely not normal. Read more>>

Juan Thompson

In 2013, while watching American Idol, a random thought came that it would be cool to see rappers and singers competing against each other. When I went to sleep, I was in a massive arena and a rapper and singer was performing against each other.. Read more>>

Anthony Pappas

The Story Behind Heritage Habitat & Forestry I have always had a passion and interest in the outdoors. Growing up, being involved in outdoor activities, recreation, and appreciation of nature led to me pursuing an ecological field of study in college. Being a good responsible steward of our shared natural resources is a passion of mine, specifically. Read more>>

Matthew Love

The ongoing journey of finding ones truth in each moment always mattered tremendously to me. To be authentic, I’d have to integrate with ever more precision and clarity what I thought with what I said and did. I always looked at tension in my life as guideposts directing my attention to the right places were I only able to pay attention. Read more>>

Sophia Harvey

The idea for my podcast, Finding My Way, was born during one of the most chaotic and emotional seasons of my life. At the time, I was working as a software engineer: a role that, on paper, was both respectable and sought after. It paid the bills, but it didn’t feed my spirit. Read more>>