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.

Emily Pottiger

Tom & I (Emily) offer both photography and videography services for our couples on their wedding day. Tom and I were both freelancing in 2018 occasionally shooting wedding videos where Tom would lead and I (Emily) would second shoot with him. We noticed while serving our couples, that the photography and video teams were not working together. Often time the photo team would take the couple away for a separate portrait session or just generally keep us out of the loop. We knew our couples deserved better and needed a team that could work seamlessly alongside each other. Read more>>

Oliwia Biela – Szczekot

The idea of starting to create and showcase Art was born in 2014 when I was living in Hamburg , Germany where I was raised . ( Born in Poland ) . “The Kunsthaus an der Alster “ Gallery has offered me a wonderful art show followed by group shows and satisfying sales. Viewers started feeling an affinity to my abstract paintings . One of the buyers described that he saw my painting in one of his hypnosis sessions and when walked into the gallery he recognized it . Read more>>

Natalie Greathouse

Owning an interior design business has always been a dream of mine, but never really thought could happen due to my background being in education. It was something I had always been very interested in from a young age, but never actively pursued. In 2019 my family moved back to New York from Virginia, which allowed me to redecorate our home that was in desperate need of a makeover! I started an Instagram account for fun and started documenting the work I was doing at our home. Read more>>

Keisa Moss

My appreciation for wine started simply from consumption. Pouring a glass of wine was a way for me to relieve from a stressful work day. Years passed, the wine began to intrigue me in a different way. The wine tools used to open the bottle and selecting a glass became fascinating. The history of wine piqued my interest, Read more>>

Maria Lugo

How do I start! The reason I am a Nail Technician comes from my loving and supporting mother. She always believed in me and always told me anything was possible; as long as I did it with love and faith. Everything started back home in Puerto Rico where she helped me open my first nail salon. Read more>>

Holly Ryan

The story of ABHR began in 2019 with a passion for fluid painting. From there, I went along to create multiple different pieces such as canvases, wall hangers and keychains. After about 6 months of this medium, I began to teach classes at my local paint store and inside my home, showing other locals how to create this beautiful art. Read more>>

Courtney Phillips

When I was 20 years old I started a clothing brand right out of design school called 23 Skidoo Clothes. It was such a pure and easy outpour from my heart. The company lasted about two years until I was completely burnt out. Up until that point, sewing clothes was something I had loved doing for most of my life. But the burnout was real. Read more>>

Mary Rampellini

The Metroport Messenger covers a handful of rapidly growing communities in North Texas. It’s an area in which I spent a good deal of my childhood and at 19 I launched a newspaper in the market. I sold the publication that was later returned to me, but I never reopened the paper. Read more>>

Sarah Wells

In 2010 I found myself in the midst of a divorce. I was a young mom with two little kids. I hadn’t finished college and really wasn’t qualified for anything more than McDonalds. Somehow I found a job working in an insurance office. I was able to support myself and my two little kids. While this job afforded me money to survive did not afford me time off to take care of sick kids, take sick days for myself, and meant that my kids were cared for by another instead of me. Read more>>

Delaney Wilson

My business, Topophilia Co, was inspired by my love nature and the desire to create something that is influenced by the places I visit. I stumbled across the term topophilia one day while reading a nature book and fell in love with the meaning and thought it was the perfect way to described my art. Topophilia is defined as “the love of or emotional connections with place or physical environment” (Collinsdictionary.com). Read more>>

Sudipto & Chaitali BALLAV

Hunger Square was formed in August 2020 in the midst of the pandemic, at this given point we realised that most people were working from home and had long hours of work which gave them barely any time to cook a meal for themselves ,specially for people who were living alone , there were a lot of Indian meal services that were offering there services on social media but none of them operated legally or had a license , hence there was a huge question about hygiene specially during the pandemic. Read more>>

Daniel Rector

2020 was an extremely tough year for a lot of us. My best friend Trina, was a huge part of getting me through the early quarantines and isolation. Unfortunately, Trina passed in 2020, peacefully in her sleep. Read more>>

Jeanelle Folkes

When I first started my business, I was working a desk job that was unfulfilling, mundane, and boring. It was a job that I could have done with my eyes closed, and my boss and I didn’t have a great working relationship. I needed something to keep me from going insane. Being a creative at heart, I poured myself into my interest of photography by taking some walkabout photography classes I bought a couple of Groupons for. Read more>>

Canela Una Acosta Eatman

Attending Hampton University and speaking to others about my experience, I began to realize people were interested in HBCUs but weren’t sure of how to navigate the journey of identifying the best fit HBCU and matriculating. Additionally, some questioned the quality of education and compared HBCUs to Traditionally White Institutions (TWIs), positing HBCUs were antiquated. Read more>>

George Parent

The idea of powder coating has always appealed to me. It’s a very interesting process and produces some of the best results in the finishing industry. For me and a lot of others in the industry for a while it was just a small hobby, just kind of a pass time. However, it was something I thoroughly enjoyed doing and had a great passion for. Read more>>

Janelle Russell

I came up with the idea of Brasini Swimwear while relaxing on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. I had spent many years building a career in the fashion industry in NYC starting out in production, then transitioning to sales. During that process, I worked at both large and small companies. Both opportunities were important because I learned, from each, how to effectively run a business. Read more>>

Jessie Redden

By the end of 2018 Daniel was tired of always being financially strapped; especially around the holidays. As much as he enjoyed working for his boss, he was topped out pay-wise and didn’t want to want to go work for the mines or oil fields as many in our area do. However, after years of welding and then learning blacksmithing, he’d discovered that not only that he enjoyed it, but he was really good. Read more>>

Morgan EGNATER

I thoroughly love the beverage and hospitality industry. I enjoy the moments spent around a table watching people immerse themselves in delicious food and drinks. Creating not only moments but memories for people is a passion of mine. Read more>>

Emily Shalant

In 2020 the fashion industry shut down. As creative director of an eveningwear line for a corporate company, I was in a particularly bad position. No one was throwing an event or wedding or party and I designed clothes for those occasions! When the industry started opening back up, the company that I was working for hired my assistant to do my job thinking they could save a few bucks. Read more>>

Marvetta Tarpley

We came up with the idea to start Ivy Wedding’s & Events LLC in May of 2017 after I moved to Charlotte from Atlanta. We were both planning weddings and events separately and sometimes helping each other from afar. When I moved we decided to merge our separate businesses into one to create a duo team. Read more>>

Diamond Brown

It has always been my greatest desire to show the beautiful world God created through the lens of the camera. The Holy Spirit leads and guides me when I take photos and He is my greatest inspiration. Read more>>

Lakeeia Smith

I created KIA KOLOUR in 2018 after discovering my ability to visually create and hand craft jewelry. It surprised me because I never created jewelry before and these visions of earrings, necklaces, and bracelets would pop into my mind. I would then sketch them out onto paper and figure out the best way I could construct them. Read more>>

Paul Hardersen

Seadog Travels formed from the desire to build a unique type of company. I wanted a company with a focus, a company whose theme is instantly recognizable, and a company that can both inspire and empower people to make a better world. As I have a Navy background and I love sailing on tall ships, developing a company with an ocean theme seemed obvious. Read more>>

Kathy Abia

A few friends of mine actually convinced me to start my business. Prior to COVID, we were always planning events with each other and paying other people to decorate until one day my only task for a friends gender reveal was to do the balloons with a kit she bought at Party City. Read more>>

Vada Sorel

The idea for my jewelry business has been slowly taking root throughout my whole life. My dad was a wood sculpture artist, and I grew up living in the loft space above his studio. His deep appreciation for his medium, wood, has left an impression on me from an early age. Read more>>

Lavik Jain & Shivansh Nikhra N/A

A lot of the roots of our initiative were discovered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools were shut down, so we had the extra time to explore machine learning (which was of our interest at the time). Mental health was all the talk, so it was naturally on our minds as well. Most of all, almost all interaction was online, so we realized that some people were more expressive on social media than they were in-person. Read more>>

Ashley Bebley Adesiyan

ItsAllCulture was an idea as I was pregnant with my first child. Really as a hobby, I wanted to monetize it but I didn’t really see a future in it deep down. Read more>>

Katrina Golden

Katrina Golden is the head baker and has been baking since she was a little girl. She tells everyone she burned her first cake in an EasyBake oven! Baking is a passion for her, and her passion shows in everything she makes. Lil Mama’s Sweets and Treats was born in 2019 after Katrina retired from government service and wanted to expand her hobby to a business. Read more>>

Charles Crawford II

The surface-level aspects and skills of designing logos, identifying the best print methods & mediums, or taking photos & videos came early, mainly through trial and error, YouTube, and natural absorption. The gift of taking those talents and channeling them to help guide people into new creative spaces when it comes to their business and personal brands, I learned in part from my collegiate education and others in learning and relearning myself. Read more>>

Mena Monroe

Well I always had a passion for the entertainment arts. I did plays & hosted my own talk show in high school that streamed on our local cable network. After getting into a few indie movies my entrepreneur in me simply followed the money & now I have my own film production company “Mena Monroe Studios”, and provide a dope living for myself & a few others. Read more>>

Kimberly H.

So why did I become a dog trainer? Because I want to help people have a better understanding of their dogs. Many people don’t have the time or skill set for that, and I want to share my knowledge – the more knowledge I can instill, the better dogs are understood, and the better life they have alongside with their humans. Read more>>

Laura Gethers

Love Harder is a result of desiring to solve a problem I saw among peers, friends, and family. The couples wanted to address their issues, but they were not ready to commit to counseling. I created an obstacle course focused on teamwork, trust, and communication. The obstacle course allowed couples to identify issues they faced in a non-threatening environment. Read more>>

Maia Samb

I moved to the metro-Atlanta area in 2008 from France. Moving is a stressful situation no matter where you are from. Moving from one country to another has even more stressors, because of the culture shock that goes along with it. Read more>>

Patricia Jenkins

Solutions For Everybody started when I started my weight loss journey. My Solution to living healthier for myself and my family. I once weighed 320 pounds:scenario five children with three ages in the early 20’s and the two younger were pre teen and teenager both active in sports. Being the fun mom and person I am who enjoys sports, outdoors, and fairs. Read more>>

Venus Thurman

Initially, I was a stay at home mother coping with PTSD and looking for a hobby while having the freedom of working on my own schedule. It began with me seeking a natural alternative to help with my son’s severe eczema. After months of researching and trying out expensive products, I decided to look into formulating my own natural products. Read more>>

TJ & Tony Kittles

The Clinkitt story starts with TJ, feeling constrained and bored with her drink choices and always shying away from wine. Not only was it unfamiliar, it was intimidating! Aisles of wine bottles with labels in foreign languages, pages of wine selections requiring an interpreter. She felt out of place and so ordering a Jack & ginger or a margarita was just easier. Read more>>

Tammy Nelson

The idea for CONQUERing came from a personal experience and a desire to empower others. After the loss of my mom, I reflected on the many valuable gifts she gave me, including her unwavering belief that anything is possible. I realized that this confidence and belief is not common and many people feel restricted by their circumstances or lack the confidence to chase their dreams. Read more>>

Kayla Carson

In the summer of 2022 I was ready to date after taking a break to be single. During this time I wanted to try speed dating which seemed like a fun and unique way to meet other singles. I also knew I only wanted to date Black men. When I tried to find a speed dating service for Black singles I couldn’t find it – so I decided to create Black ATL Speed Dating. Read more>>