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.

Erin Davies

I spent the bulk of my wedding planning career working with a full service planning agency where clients had to spend a minimum of 30k for a planner. From there I went to work for a high-end venue where I met, for the first time, wedding clients who were NOT working with planners. These clients were literally spending hundreds of hours searching every crevasse of the internet to pull their wedding details together, feeling like they had second full time job, and often just saying that they couldn’t wait for the wedding to be over. Read more>>

Lucia Murphy

So the story behind Autobahn Title and Tag is my husband Glynn and I were coming back from a Doro Pesch concert in Germany when we were going a little too fast coming OFF of the Autobahn, which resulted in two speeding tickets so we decided to name the company after this experience. Read more>>

Amie Teske

I’ll anchor my answer to the question in the context of a true story. There is a woman I know, let’s call her Kate for anonymity’s sake. She is an ace at sales. Clients consider her a partner; bosses want to clone her, and peers respect her. She began software sales at a start-up, which is where I met her, and worked her way up to enterprise Healthcare IT sales. I clearly remember it being her dream job. Read more>>

Jason Davis

“Stay Venomous Records” first came to fruition by a main idea of trying to help other artists release their own music to the masses, using distribution and promotion. Not only did I want to originally help other artists, but I mainly wanted to show others that they too can get noticed within the music industry. It was made public in March 28th, 2022. Read more>>

Rashauwn Jones

I’ve been on a health & wellness journey for several years following high school. After sharing my journal on social media with workout videos, classes, and tips I started RJ Athletics, my online retail store. I wanted to provide affordable, comfortable, and stylish workout gear to my followers & supporters. Read more>>

Taki & Derrick Bailey

AJ’s Dog Bakery wasn’t a business we planned on starting, but a happy outcome of such a traumatic tragedy. On August 18th our lives changed forever. We had been on a family vacation in Mexico and received a call from our dog sitter telling us our beloved mini schnauzer, Apple Jack wasn’t doing too well. The dog sitter gave him a rawhide dog treat. Read more>>

Lindsay Curtis

It can be quite an adventure to move with a family in tow, particularly when it involves relocating five times within seven years – one move was even Transatlantic! As the parent of three young children at the time, the process was exhausting and I found it particularly difficult to deal with the amount of waste generated by the traditional cardboard moving boxes I was forced to use. This led to my life-changing epiphany – I realized that there HAD to be a better, less wasteful way to transport the contents of our home. Read more>>

Keshia Carr

I came up with my business idea to teach credit because like most consumers I had no knowledge of credit . Unfortunately most Americans aren’t taught the benefits of credit and impact of having good or bad credit. My vision started because most college graduates like myself are in the red by the time we complete school. Freshman year we are offered free products to sign up for credit cards when we first arrive to campus. Read more>>

Carmen W Landrau

Several years ago, I was being approached by women at the hospital. Residents and other women physicians would ask me “How do you do it”. They meant to ask how it was possible for me to do “all the things”. At the time I was running the clinic, rounding in several hospitals at times every day of the week. My children were very little, so I was also a mom and wife, plus was taking care of sick parents. People thought I had it all figured out and many would tell me “I want to do what you’re doing” to which I would half-jokingly reply “no, you don’t, do as I say, not as I do”. Read more>>

Rachel Schultz

After 15 years of creating and teaching pottery I was encouraged by many close friends and family to launch my own business. I had always created my work as a personal outlet and gifting it to others, so the thought of entering into a business of creating and selling felt like a vulnerable move. When COVID hit and things were shutting down, it provided the time and space to really dive in. Read more>>

Melissa Gibson

I came up with the idea for my luxury picnic business in the fall of 2021. After losing my job with a major retailer prior to the pandemic I took the opportunity to enjoy time with my 3 children as a stay at home mom. I had worked my way up as an executive there. There were a couple of years at the end of my 10 years with that retailer where I spent approximately 25% of the year away from my family, as I oversaw the home division for 22 stores from Buffalo, NY to Danbury, CT. Read more>>

Reiko Ratcliffe

In 2017, I had a laminectomy and the complications of the surgery led me to quadriplegia. Since then, my mobility has limited and the neuropathy has been so difficult to deal with every day. I was devastated. I was a junior at San Diego State ;pUniversity at the time, but I had to take a medical leave for one year so I could focus on rehabilitation. Read more>>

Ashley Denk

I’ve always loved planning parties! And after having kids, it quickly turned into my passion! In January of 2019, after wrapping up my second son’s 3rd birthday, I couldn’t stand the thought of waiting until June to party again. My husband encouraged me to offer my creativity and planning super powers to family and friends, but I had doubts. Would people really want my help? And even if they did, would they really pay me for it? Read more>>

Rana Rose

After working for other organizations for the last 30 years as an accountant, I decided to start my company Accounting with a Purpose, LLC. I reached a point in my career that I no longer wanted to be guided by another organization’s vision instead opting to chart my own path to create my own vision. With God’s blessing, I have forged ahead to make that a reality. Read more>>

Stephanie Hampton

My dad was a professional photographer who traveled the world. I was born with the “eye” but fell in love with the art at a young age. I learned on my dad’s old Nikon equipment from the 70s and developed my film in a darkroom. My favorite part was watching the image appear on the photo paper submerged under the developer; it was like magic. I studied photography in school as well as training from my father. For many years I was a hobbyist and enjoyed travel and architectural photography. I dabbled in nature, wildlife, and scenic. Read more>>

Liz Nena Porcayo

My family is originally from Mexico and every holiday season at Christmas we made hundreds of tamales. It was a special thing for us that was passed down to me by my late mother Manuela passed down from her mother Maria De Jesus who were both from Zacatecas. What better way to cheer people up than by feeding comfort food my family and I enjoyed. Read more>>

DJ ISizzle

The role of a DJ at weddings, birthday parties, and school dances is crucial. They are responsible for setting the mood, creating a fun and lively atmosphere, and keeping the guests entertained throughout the event. The right music can make or break the celebration, and a great DJ understands this better than anyone. Read more>>

AUDREY PATSIGA

I once owned an antique shop named Conversation Pieces and made these cookies for the shop’s refreshment bar to make shopping a little more sweet. I named them One Delightful Cookie for the expression it brought on faces. People go silent and raise brows. Sometimes, they say politely, ‘Oh, this is such a large cookie, I’ll share it.” But, 2 mins later, they’ll be laughing at themselves for finishing the whole cookie ALONE! Read more>>

David Pischke

My publishing partner, Heather Lang-Cassera, and I were working for another press. We were working two projects that we thought were special, and we decided that we wanted to to have full control of getting those books into the world. We asked the press we were working for if we could have the titles for a new press, and they graciously agreed. Read more>>

Ellie White

Mill & Habs was first created when I was enjoying an early morning Piestewa Peak hike in the heat of an Arizona summer. As I was making my way up the mountain, I was QUICKLY reminded the importance of shading my face, especially when living in the desert. While finishing my hike with sun kissed skin and a burnt nose, Mill & Habs was born from the 100+ degree idea that hats are more than just an eye catching accessory, but can be a necessity as well! Read more>>

Daniela Boos

I’ve been around food my whole life, from cooking with my grandma in the kitchen to behind the scenes at my dad’s restaurant in South Dakota. My creative outlet is cooking and appreciating good food. My mom started taking me to new restaurants around town and I loved the décor, the ambiance, the food and the people behind the restaurant concept. During the day I am a culinary arts high school teacher and in the evening I love to try new restaurants. My whole world is centered around food. Read more>>

Greg Scheinman

What is the “Midlife Male”? I’ve been working on this idea for a while now. It’s called “Midlife Male”. What is the midlife Male. He’s a guy @35-55 balancing work, life, family, health/fitness, finance/money, some style/fashion – trying to balance it all and live his best life possible without regret. He’s about having both substance and style. Read more>>

Monique Ekundayo

Yes, so while studying for my PhD in Business Management specializing in Strategy and Innovation, a criterion for the Dissertation topic selection required that I find a problem within my field, research, analyze, and then ultimately find a solution to said problem. By finding a solution, the researcher is essentially adding to the body of knowledge in the academic field of Business. Read more>>

Jesse Thomas

I have always been a creator since elementary school. I was always drawing and creating characters that I could think of everyday. After years past I was always looking to find different ways to create be an artist. When I first picked up a camera honestly I didn’t know I would be doing photography. Honestly i didn’t even like it. My first thought was I was gonna use this camera to create videos and skits. Read more>>

Kathryn Peña

I started working with polymer clay back in 2020, after seeing the art medium online. At the time, I had left my job as a rural Paramedic and was preparing to start an Aviation Mechanic Program. The mechanic program was a full time schedule, allowing little time to work while going to school. My daughter was one at the time so working away from home while going to school would sacrifice all time spent with her. It was then that I considered starting my own social media based business. Read more>>

Hans Podlipnik & Luna Wang N/A

Hans: I have been very fortunate in my life to say that I played over 16 years on the professional ATP tour of tennis. During that time I was very fortunate to visit over 80 countries and see a very rich and diverse architecture. I fell in love with the scandinavian style of minimalism and natural light. I started planning early on that one day when I retire from tennis I would want to build a cabin with a lot of glass in the most stunning location. Read more>>

Sedric Louissaint

I am passionate about staying up to date with the latest trends and developments in the cybersecurity field. I am constantly researching/testing new technologies and techniques to ensure that my clients are protected from the latest threats. I am well-versed in a variety of cybersecurity tools and technologies, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and antivirus software. Read more>>

Ursula Hawthorne

Ursula loves fashion, putting outfits together, and seeing the final product. James likes finding a unique and comfortable shoe. So we decided to open up a men’s clothing store. Between Ursula’s love for fashion and James’ love for shoes, we like being able to curate unique and exclusive products for our customers. We both felt strongly about the unique products we wanted to provide to customers. As a boutique, we could provide some items that would be hard to find and eye-catching. With this in mind, we were 100% invested in bringing our idea to fruition. Read more>>

Shantell’s Natural Hair

A couple years ago, Shantell realized some of the chemicals, ingredients, and treatments used to style her hair and also products that she used on her skin were not healthy for the body and her children as well, which is what led to her starting her own business in the cosmetic industry and providing products and services that would help her customers and community. Read more>>

Latiyah “Tia” Oronia

Being a parent doesn’t always allow you the luxury of self care or pampering. Whether constantly chasing around the kiddos, working, cleaning, or tending to your partner, time for yourself gets pushed aside. Having quality products that range from self care to family care allows me to incorporate things that are important for the body and mind and cater those ideas to the whole family. Read more>>