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.

Joey Wiz

As a kid, I was a skateboarding and involved in the punk/hardcore/metal scene in Milwaukee. It was a loud, loose, vibrant, and eye-opening time. That scene developed my core style of music, my closest friends, and our fashion. As I grew up, I always enjoyed keeping that punk ethos in my style. Read More>>

Nickolas Melbourne

Initially, I came up with this brand idea after I lost a good friend to gun violence and my little brother lost his best friend in a car accident. Read More>>

Ali Parnian

The idea for Impact Delivered took shape long before it became a business. Years ago, I bought the domain name because I knew something in my consulting work wasn’t aligned. Some clients took the guidance, applied it, and transformed their organizations. Those moments made my work feel meaningful. Others ignored the guidance or pursued goals that didn’t benefit anyone beyond the owner. Read More>>

Darlene Black

I actually started my business, Prettying Up Boutique, after I saw a former co-worker crafting during her lunch break. I did compliment her work, and informed that I had learned to sew; knit, and crochet (by my mother) at the age of nine. Read More>>

Kia Cooper

Similarly to Rome, Coop To Candle was not built in a day. When I began my journey, I had two main goals in mind: create quality beautiful candles and provide people with comforting ambiance. Candles were something that provided me creative freedom while simultaneously being able to enter the homes of people across the world, one fragrance at a time. Read More>>

Paul Sofsky

I was working at a local establishment and was asked to hit cost of goods that seemed impossible so I created a 17 page excel sheet where all the pages connected and feed each other data so I could track food and beverage inventory down to the ounce. In the first year I saved the company a million dollars! Read More>>

Charissa Gant

For decades, I was very successful behind the scenes of some of the world’s largest corporations. My work in change management touched hundreds of programs (and thousands of people) across Fortune 500 companies with one goal in mind: connect people to purpose. My core belief is that change should never feel like it’s happening *to* people. Read More>>

Diana Esanu

I came up with the idea for Tula Yoga Studio in early 2022. At the time, I had co-owned another yoga space with a partner, and although we had to close it sooner than expected, the experience taught me more than any success could have. Read More>>

Steve Buzzard

As it relates to being a DJ, I ran into a friend of mine who was a DJ. Thought it looked fun and asked if he needed any help. I worked for a year under him, learning the craft. I was then able to purchase my own set of equipment, and the rest is history. Read More>>

Leeah Smestad

Travel has always been a love of mine, well, at least since I could pay for it myself as an adult. These were Mapquest days and internet cafes – so going on a trip felt like an adventure. Putting all the pieces together and making sure logistics were organized so that if something happened, it wouldn’t be hard to figure out a Plan B. Read More>>

Jenna Caradonna

The idea for my residential design studio didn’t happen in one dramatic “aha” moment. In fact, when I was in design school, I swore I would NEVER do residential design! It’s funny how circumstances and intuition can dramatically shift your mindset. Read More>>

Ashley Rath

As a breast cancer survivor myself, I began to realize that often times it wasn’t the toll of treatment that was hard, it was everything that came after and learning how to assimilate back to life that became even harder. Read More>>

Anabella McCrary

TELL US WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO My name is Anabella McCrary, 14 year old CEO and proud business owner of “Sweet Bella Grace.” I am a model, actress, teen influencer, and young entrepreneur. I represent my brand, Sweet Bella Grace, while using my platform to inspire confidence, kindness, and strength in others while pursuing my passion for the runway and the camera. Read More>>

Gianina Galatro

I grew up with a strong sense of tradition and ritual. Dinners lasted a few hours and holidays were filled with little acts we performed together year after year. Through these rites, I learned intuitively they had the power to form bonds, integrate successes, grow from failures, and enrich lives. Read More>>

Han Hamel (they/them) Katie King (she/her)

In 2022, we met and quickly became friends, bonding over astrology and disability justice. The longer we were friends, the more we realized that social events in our community were inaccessible. In 2024, the frustration of feeling left out came to a head, and we decided to start organizing our own accessible, COVID cautious events. Thus, MaskedNH was born. Read More>>

heath kizzier

The easiest way is to paste the about us page. Fun story….. (We have a human product now as well, but this is the Origin story. )……… The Four Oaks Farm Story LEARN HOW FOUR OAKS FARM SPORT HORSE REHABILITATION AND RECONDITIONING CENTER IN SIMI VALLEY, CA BECAME THE BIRTHPLACE OF FOUR OAKS PRODUCTS, WHICH ARE SOLD WORLDWIDE. Read More>>

Pasang Sherpa

DGT Tacos really came from a shared dream among all of us partners. We’ve always been in the hospitality business, and food has been at the center of our lives; not just as a career, but as a way to connect with people. For years, we talked about owning a place that reflected our values: something local, authentic, and built around community. Read More>>

Michal Bohm

I started in windows and doors business as a production manager for large company in Los Angeles. I had seen and experienced many example how this business can be run more efficiently and with better ethics. Read More>>

Rashod Stanley

The idea for The Impact Center wasn’t born in a boardroom — it was born in a moment of truth, in a place most people try to forget. I was sitting in a jail cell after being arrested for unarmed robbery, replaying every decision that led me there. Read More>>

Yewande Akinse

I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, a vibrant city constantly humming with life, creativity, and contradiction. But beneath that energy was a quieter, more painful truth: the environment around us was growing increasingly fragile. My family and I experienced displacement more than once because of severe flooding. Read More>>

Dennis Hering

The idea for my business didn’t come to me in a single lightning-bolt moment. It came from years of watching people struggle in silence. I grew up around leaders, business owners and working families who carried enormous responsibility but rarely had anyone pouring into them. Read More>>

Mia Gamble

How did I come up with the idea for Susie Q Scrubs, LLC? Honestly, I was in search of more natural products that my family and I could use to care for our skin. I wasn’t finding much I or my daughters liked. Read More>>

Elizabeth Lange

After my 2 sisters lost their phones in the same week my mom was furious. Later, while chatting with her sister in law she found that she always kept her phone in her bra! Even after developing a breast cancer tumor in the very same place! Read More>>

Stacy Miller

When I first imagined Scout & Gem, it grew out of years of searching for pieces that felt unique, cool, modern, and beautifully made — but still affordable and accessible. I kept thinking, why is it so hard to find things that feel special without the luxury price tag? Read More>>

Breasia Battle

A Fresh Look Events didn’t start because I had a business plan or a five-year vision. It started in the most genuine way possible — my best friend needed help with her wedding. She had all the décor, all the ideas, all the excitement… but the flow wasn’t there. Read More>>

Anthony Lauletta

For years, I had the goal of starting a lifestyle brand that blended my background in alternative culture with my interest and appreciation for the American West. Finding my way into the local music scene in Cleveland, OH where I grew up, was a formative experience and lesson in how powerful finding your people and building a community can be. Read More>>

Eden Wade

Honestly, I wanted to open a bookstore when I saw the movie “You’ve Got Mail” in the 90’s. I’ve always had a passion for reading and the idea of having your very own bookstore didn’t even occur to me until I saw the movie. That dream was put into my back pocket for retirement and in the meantime I had various jobs in the entertainment industry (soap opera intern, talent agent assistant, extras listing service manager) until my friend and I decided we were going to open our own extras listing service. Read More>>

Sheila Daniel

To sum us up, we’re birth nerds. That’s what we tell our clients. All three of us are so excited whenever we get to educate, empower, and support couples on their birth journey. Sheila and Brooke are Certified Birth and Postpartum Doulas, as well as Certified Lamaze Childbirth Educators. Corinne is a Certified Birth Doula, as well as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Read More>>

 Erlene Olson

The idea of DidDatWigsLLC (DDW) started out as just casually fixing/revamping one of my mother’s wigs. I did not like that it was matted, stiff and dull. The hair had no true style except for the one ponytail it was stuck in. It was a red synthetic unit that had seen better days to say the least but I felt I could give it new life.After a couple hours of cleaning and trimming, I brought it to my mom and saw how happy it made her. Read More>>

Kiran Balakrishna

In architecture, ideas rarely arrive fully formed. They take shape quietly – through observation, patience and a willingness to let a place speak before you begin speaking for it. Every project starts as uncertainty, and the concept gradually emerges when you start listening to the site, the people it holds and the feeling the space is meant to carry. Read More>>