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.

Bill Parmentier

When I first started Oldstorm Studios in 2016, I had already been in the video and film industry for nearly 15 years. Mostly I work in commercial production, and almost all of the productions I worked on were run-of-the-mill, creatively. They were safe and watered down and boring. It was maddening watching the same videos get made over and over and over. Frankly, I knew I could do better. I had spent 15 years networking and writing short scripts on the side in preparation for…something…and I guess Oldstorm Studios was it. Read more>>

ELVIS BURROWS

During the pandemic in 2020 when we all had to quarantine. I was left without a job and ample time on my hands. I strategized about what business I could start for an income. It had to be something I actually cared about, not just to make a quick buck. After seeing the soap shortages and only being able to swim for physical activity, Read more>>

Michael Jarel

The idea for the story came from a hypothetical conversation about people of color and reparations. I had the thought that giving people money today would be sort of a like putting a band aid over a laceration. Sure we (black people) would get maybe a piece of land and some money but we would never get back the centuries of knowledge and foundation that was taken away from our ancestors. Read more>>

Chris Mohead

Well I had been recording music since I was in high school, and as an adult a few friends and I started recording comedy skits. At a certain point I knew if I wanted to do this as a career, then I should own my own company. That way I could have creative freedom as well as provide opportunities for others. I asked my dad to help me figure out some of the paperwork and that turned into him becoming my business partner. Read more>>

Lynn Teece

I am the owner of Cincinnati Party Balloons. I am also a teacher. During Covid-19 pandemic, I was going through a difficult time like everyone else. I was on Facebook looking at some of my friends and family Facebook posts. My sister in-law posted a picture of a balloon bouquet. I was intrigued with the creativity and went to search more about who did the balloon bouquet. After looking at her business page and seeing the work she did, Read more>>

Garett Southerton

I’ve always been creative! From hacking my toys together to photography, but when I was about 12 when I got my first computer and shortly after that I was bored because the internet wasn’t like it is now – I had nothing to really do. I stumbled upon AOL Hometown and taught myself to code and make graphics so I could have the best page amongst my friends. Read more>>

Courtney Hollis

I love to travel and I love pampering products. Whenever I was somewhere new, I found myself stopping in boutiques and discovering skincare & candles made by small brands that I had never heard of. I’d fall in love with these products and then wasn’t able to find where to replenish them. So, I thought…I can fix that and create a one-stop online shop for Indie Beauty. Read more>>

Samara IVERY

The vision for my business was implemented while on maternity leave after giving birth to my first son. Everyone states having a child changes you and I can agree to this. It helped me start thinking about a legacy I could leave behind. I never thought I would be a businesswoman. My expertise has always been in healthcare. That is my current career field & I have also attended college to accompany this field. Read more>>

Kayla Life

The Rebrand Creative Agency is a full service digital branding and marketing agency focused on putting business owners at the center of their story. We are redefining “rebranding” by providing strategic research based and data driven designs curated uniquely for each client. Through the power of technology, education and social emotional techniques, we are the answer to a fresh start. Rebrand Land®, home of the Main Character. Read more>>

Mary Bruno

I inherited my letterpress printshop from my late father, Don Bruno, who was an art professor for many years. He was an incredible designer and a wonderful teacher. He acquired all of his equipment in the mid 80s when all the local letterpress print shops were tossing all of their type and presses to make room for the next form of printing technology. My father was there and got his pick of type and presses move into a studio he had built onto the garage. I got to spend a lot of time in that shop with him while I was in college and after I graduated. Read more>>

Nadya Durham

I started my brand in 2020 Ichronic Marketing was the original name. Ichornic refers to having a good idea while under the influence, and as most of my clients know, I ALWAYS had a glass of creative juices (aka Pinot Noir) with me at our meetings. Ichornic marketing started as a social media agency that helps people monetize social media for their business with social media management, marketing, and consulting. Read more>>

Deboraj Clemons

How I Got Started: In early 2016 my best friend was diagnosed with cancer. In an effort to help, I would prep her meals so she could easily cook for herself. To simplify the recipes, I combined my spice rubs for steaks into butter for her to use on her meats. She began using them on stir fry veggies, in her pasta and as a spread. This inspired me to begin producing my own line of spice-infused artisan butters. Read more>>

Angela Flowers

I never knew I was going to be a business owner. I kind of fell into it. I was going through the pages of Black Enterprise Magazine and I saw an ad for a contest from Miller Coors Brewing company advertising the Miller Urban Entrepreneur Series (MUES) which was a business pitch competition. I had two weeks to develop a business concept, write and submit a plan. I’ve always been a solid writer so I felt like the task at hand could be done. I was currently employed as a school social worker and two of my friends had similar positions in other local schools. Read more>>

Kennedy Dumas

Stationery Black was thought of back in 2016, when I was a junior in high school. I loved school supplies, and I always told my dad that when I got rich, I would buy a Staples. Being an avid collector of school supplies, I soon started to notice that none of the characters on these supplies are Black. This made me feel very underrepresented, so I decided to make my own. Soon Stationery Black will go from just Black-inspired illustrative and custom notebooks, to a Black- inspired school supplies line. Read more>>

Sno (They/Them)

I had been working as a preschool teacher in La Jolla, Ca. for seven years when a billion dollar company bought out the school. When I challenged the HR department during a staff onboarding meeting, asking if we would finally be making a living wage, I was immediately shut down. It’s common knowledge that teachers in general do not earn what they are worth but it is not common knowledge that preschool teachers earn much, much less- both financially and in regards to respect. Read more>>

Joshua Wall

So, I was at Winston-Salem State University in my final year of undergrad. I was studying Marketing and my understanding of what marketing was or what it could be was I’ll admit limited, but I saw a cubicle. I saw myself in a shirt and tie everyday and my heart couldn’t agree with that reality. I took time to reflect on the 3 things I loved/enjoyed doing at that time. Those 3 things were basketball, sneakers, and critical thinking. Read more>>

Daverney Freeman

I came up with Limitless Community Outreach Ltd. because police brutality, mass incarceration, injustices, and racial discrimination has impacted my life prior to my birth. My mother’s teenage sweetheart was beaten and killed while in police custody. My teenage sweetheart was racially profiled and killed. My uncle is currently serving 40 years in prison and never had an opportunity of proper legal representation. Read more>>

Yida Catala

About 17 years ago I was going through a life change (divorce) and I wanted to do something for myself, so I took up cake decorating classes for a year. I started doing cakes as a side business while I was teaching in an elementary school. About 10 years later, I didn’t want to do cakes any longer and I wanted to do something with flowers because I LOVE flowers. Read more>>

SUZANNE POWELL

I came up with the idea for my business in 2015 after being diagnosed with breast cancer. After having a mastectomy I had a hard time looking in the mirror. I didn’t feel pretty anymore but one day I had a talk with God and he told me I saved you for a reason and that gave me the courage to look in the mirror again. I started wearing the most fabulous statement jewelry. I felt like a warrior princess every time I wore a nice piece of jewelry. I wanted women to have the same feeling I had when I wore bold statement jewelry so that’s when the idea of my business Pink Purpose Collection was born. Read more>>

Brittanae Campbell

Ivy League Events started as an idea while working my ​corporate career as an HR Manager. In that role I was responsible for Employee Relations and Appreciation; so,​ I did a lot of event planning for the organization. While planning, I recall having to rely on rental companies and sometimes these companies had less than quality inventory. After so long, I mentioned to my husband that I wanted to start my own rental furniture company and he supported that decision. Read more>>

Olivia Arnold

I initially started my business as a web and brand designer. I have always had a natural ability to create and design based on the vision given. However, I had no idea I was being conditioned and prepared for what I do now. I recognized that people were starting businesses with the logo being the basis of where they would start but many times that was as far as they would go. Read more>>

Kimberly White

The Planetary Press combines two things I am passionate about- the environment and journalism. It was an idea I had for a while that evolved through my experiences working with nature organizations and with regional, national, and international business on sustainability initiatives. The idea progressed into something more tangible in 2017. When it came to the topic of climate change, I would turn on the news, and it was a constant barrage of negativity. Read more>>

Simeitsa Stamoulas

I had just moved out of parent’s home and was learning to live “Little House on the Praire” lifestyle. I was doing canning, making homemade sausages and yogurt. I came across candles and thought it be cool to make candles. Little did I know, I stumbled on this whole crafters community for candle making and other health products. Read more>>

Katelen Watkins & Mandi Robertson

My mom and I have always bonded over our ability to be creative. Making something out of nothing… true DIY’ers. From school projects growing up to spirit week outfits, Halloween costumes, wreath making…. we’ve had fun with it all! 2020 was a tough year for most. It was a time of uncertainty, anxiety, sickness, fear and extreme isolation. It was the year of my (Katelen’s) destination wedding in Mexico, which unfortunately had to be canceled. Read more>>

Alicia Washington

I came up with the idea for my business because it was a need in the surrounding areas and rural areas for CPR , Marketing and Business startups. I did my research of existing businesses in my field and figure out how can I do it better ( either cheaper , more knowledgeable or maybe faster in response time).It sure wasn’t easy at first, I had sleepless nights, I prayed to not fail at what I was developing . I worked very hard at developing the curriculum and business plan of my business and make it appealing to the public. By being a business owner it is only about daring and taking risks. There were too many ideas undeveloped I just had to sit down focus and do it. Read more>>

Atiyya Joseph

My journey into Birth Work began with my personal birthing experience. I birthed with a Midwife and a Doula and it completely changed the trajectory of my life. I was over the moon about my birth experience. I had written out my birth plan, conveyed how I wanted to be supported and my team did exactly that. I thought this was the norm. I thought that everyone was happy about the birth of their child and their experience. As I shared my story with others, I learned that this was a rarity. Read more>>

Rashawnda C Scott

I start Pieces of Kandakes with no clear intentions why. I was working as a CNA in Kansas at the time and I got injured. I knew I was really good at being compassionate but I wanted to explore my options without more injuries’. I wrote a list of 100 ways I could do that and jewelry made the top 5. I began creating and selling to my friends. It turned out their friends wanted to buy jewelry as well. I watched as my passion was able to uplift these women and decided it was time to make it official and give my passion a name. Read more>>

Brianna Willis

Event planning can be a full-time job. However, it is a side hustle for me. I needed to supplement my income from my full-time job as a Para-professional. My niche is planning parties. I was always the family member who set up celebrations and parties and I became good at it. So, when I needed to make extra money, I thought about selling my services to persons outside of family for parties. I tested my idea with friends, first. They loved having someone they knew in charge of their parties. After a few successful parties, I decided to create a business for event planning, specializing in parties for children and adults. Read more>>

Cat Oliva-Pedraza

In summer 2020 I decided to start learning about investing. I opened my first Roth IRA and for the first time, at the age of 32, I made it my mission to understand my retirement plan. Not only did I realize, after three years of working at my 9-5, that I could retire a millionaire at age 56 with my pension, I realized that my Roth IRA could make retirement even sooner. With that also came the realization that if i had started investing earlier or had I not made financial mistakes in the past, I could be retiring in my 30’s. Read more>>

Cecilia Stanton Adams

In January 2020, a popular headline came out, it said: “Chief Diversity Officers: The hottest & toughest job in business” ​ This was a clear sign that the industry of DEI was changing quickly, and DEI leaders were claiming their seats at the executive table. However, I also was very aware of how little attention is paid to the mentorship, coaching, and development of DEI practitioners. These talented leaders that are often overachievers are expected to take full accountability for creating sustainable change in organizations whose culture has been steeped in tradition for decades. Read more>>

Susan Buttery

In 2009, I saw the documentary, The Gerson Miracle. The movie introduced me to juicing and the amazing benefits of having fresh juice daily. I have never had caffeine as part of my daily routine but when I started juicing, I felt an amazing boost in energy and I really liked how I felt after consuming my juice. The Gerson Miracle is about Dr. Max Gerson and how he was curing different types and stages of cancer in the 1940’s here in the U.S. He spoke in front of congress with two senators from Illinois and Florida backing him and his findings. Read more>>

John Tatum

PYF Management – Put Yourself First To support, inform, and guide athletes with organized approach. We create a support system that meets with our core values that assist with personal lives and professional careers. We know that the road to becoming an exceptional athlete is tough, and making a living playing your favorite sport is a near-impossible dream for most but I was fortunate to play the game of basketball. Read more>>

Tara Gangadharan

I was going through a personal health struggle that was affecting me both emotionally and energetically. I was trying all sorts of things from yoga to breathwork to making my own body care products to help support my wellbeing. One of those products I made was a scalp balm. At the time, I was struggling with major dry scalp and psoriasis. I didn’t like using oils because they were difficult to control, and I often ended up with too much product or not enough. As a result, I began formulating a balm that could melt easier in my hands and allow for a more concentrated application. Read more>>

Nicole Alvarado and Andrea Alvarado N/A

Since we were young we have been passionate about fashion and business. We used to handcraft beaded bracelets and necklaces and sell it to our neighbours and friends. When we grew up that passion still remained, so Nicole took a handcrafing jewelry course and Andrea was studying Fashion design. Back in 2013 we created a handmade statement necklace made from thread, gold-plated chains and dangling beads. Read more>>

Quatisha Zeigler

I have always been passionate about financial literacy. I understand struggle, which fuels me educate others on the importance of good credit and wealth creation. My driving force began with me rebuilding my own credit at the age of 31, after going through a financial hardship in which I acquired over 250k of medical debt. I then began teaching myself to boost my personal credit scores. This evolved into me helping others for free. With the success of helping myself and others, I seemed to have found the magic formula. Read more>>

Roxana Gomez

Wapa Handmade is a brand dedicated to highlighting the handmade work of the Wayuus indigenous tribe from the Colombian coast. We support three different communities of women that showcase their skills through the art of crochet. Our products are handmade and include different types of bags and many other accessories. Our main focus in Wapa Handmade is to support and empower women and promote the Colombian culture through craftsmanship. Read more>>

Melody Denise

As I like the service world, giving back and the joy it brings. Anyone who knows me personally knows I absolutely Love” the beauty world! With this being my very first time selling products I must admit I was very nervous and my adrenaline skyrocketed. I continued to research and sample many lash styles, (as we still are). I could remember feeling no one will purchase my products. Read more>>

Glen Masker

This business is the non-profit side of the Scuba School called Water therapy. Being a vietnam veteran, and associated with many veterans, we bergan to support another non profit organization called lifewaters. this included specialized training to deal with PTSD, amputees, paraplegics and even quadriplegics. In order to obtain local funding, we incorporated in a 501c3 last january. We decided to promote water therapy for PTSD for not only veterans, but medical, firefighters, and lawenforcement. Read more>>

Abby Mook Moreno

During the spring of 2019 I was recovering from a major surgery. The thing about a major surgery or a challenge in your life is that it can give you a newfound perspective. It makes you reflect on what is important in your life. I know this was definitely the case for me. As I was recovering I reflected on things that made me truly happy. I had posed the following question to myself: if I could do anything at all with my life, what would it be? The answer was instantaneous. Dog photography of course! Read more>>

Janine Williams

After graduating from college in 2007, I started to freelance in graphic design. I didn’t have many job prospects due to my lack of experience and the recession, so I decided to hire myself to get some experience and make some extra money. I was getting clients solely through word of mouth, so things were working out, and I enjoyed working for myself. I knew making freelancing into a full-on business was a move to look into. Business owners, organizations, EVERYONE is always in need of a graphic designer. However, I didn’t have the guts. Read more>>