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.

Nick Gray

When I first moved to New York in my late 20s, I had no social life. I worked six or seven days a week and didn’t know how to make friends. Nightclubs and networking events didn’t work for me. But then I discovered that I could be successful by hosting my own events. I learned how to curate the room and control the environment. It wasn’t easy, but I eventually found a formula that worked for me and I can now help others do the same. Read more>>

Sophie & Izzy

It started at school. We were forever switching between pencils and highlighters when annotating textbooks and losing time. we wanted to keep up and not get behind in our school work. One day we came up with a simple hack to combine them, by scotch-taping a highlighter to a pencil to be efficient and save time. Soon we noticed our friends started doing the same thing to save time when doing classwork. Read more>>

Zabrina Zablan-Duvauchelle

When I was planning my wedding, my partner and I had a negative experience with wedding vendors who were not willing to work with us due to our sexuality. It was frustrating and disheartening, and we felt excluded and unsupported during the planning process. We also didnʻt have family participation and that was difficult for us to navigate alone. Read more>>

Chandler Lipe

I struggled tremendously during both of my pregnancies. I am someone who has always had a level of self confidence. When I went through my transition into parenthood, the confidence that I’ve so easily accessed was completely gone. I was lost, I felt alone, and I didn’t know what was going on. Unburying myself from the weight of that chapter in my life was a herculean task and it opened my eyes to the hurdles that people go through as they navigate their reproductive identities. I left the workforce and spent a year feeling like I’d lost not only who I was, but also the path I had believed I was on. Read more>>

Julie Turner

I always say movement saved my life. When I was 23, I was a modern dancer in New York, working multiple restaurant jobs to pay my bills and pay for dance class in order to stay dedicated to my passion. I was also in an abusive relationship. That period of time is still difficult for me to think about, much less speak about, but it was dangerous and scary. I eventually got out of it by leaving my apartment and quitting my job. Read more>>

Jayla Burnett

To begin, my business started in February of 2020. During quarantine, I decided I a wanted to start a small business. I am currently in my third year of college, majoring in criminal justice and I have a passion for safety. I came up with the idea of starting a safety keychain business. Read more>>

Samantha Falkner

My background has been predominately in corporate retail, working FOR retailers such as Macy’s, Kmart/Sears and Pier 1 Imports, as well as working WITH retailers including At Home, Tuesday Morning and coincidentally Pier 1 Imports again. The majority of my career has been in a Buyer role, managing categories upwards of $200M in annual revenue, in departments ranging from kitchen textiles and pillows to home decor and various seasonal categories such as Christmas and Halloween. Read more>>

Mi’Asia Scretchen

Ok so let’s paint the picture. March 20, 2022, I found out I was pregnant. I was super excited but nervous at the same time. This was my first child so I was nervous about being a first time mom, but I was excited about having my own bundle of joy. I told my boyfriend, but I waited before I told anyone else. Well I couldn’t hide it for long because I was sick everyday. Read more>>

Torrey Montgomery

My wife and I hit what we call our financial wall. My job I was working had cut my hours in half. My church I was pastoring had a major decrease in finances so I wasn’t able to get able to get a salary. We went from a decent middle class income to literally living not just paycheck to paycheck but from negative balance to negative balance. We start losing cars. Our house almost went into foreclosure and I started thinking there has to be a better way to live than this. Read more>>

Rani Alfers

The journey began with a desire to connect with other women entrepreneurs during the pandemic. With networking events and the world closing, I wanted to create a platform where women could support each other during a challenging time and launched a Facebook Live series where female business owners shared their experiences and insights. From these conversations, the idea of expanding our reach and impact grew, leading to the project of Working Women Mentor Podcast. Read more>>

Raphael Stark

With eyes closed, I quietly breathe in and exhale. My eyes slowly open, revealing a crowd eager to hear the dulcet narrative of my six-year-old voice. I gaze upon an open book resting on the large podium in front of me as I begin to speak into the microphone. My voice, so much larger than my small frame, echoes through the room as I read aloud. Will the countless hours of practice pay off? Will anyone notice my stutter? Read more>>

Shun Johnson

My journey into the bling world began in 2012 where I started out making t-shirts once; I’ve done it for a while I wanted to know and learn more. I went on with life and forgot all about the t-shirt business until the summer of 2014 when life hit and hit hard. I found out I had stage 4 Ovarian Cancer while I was undergoing Chemotherapy. A fellow friend that was also going through chemo one day was there making some shoes. Read more>>

Jessica Sellenberg

I left my full time “normal person job” and was looking to build something of my own. I had always wanted to work from home, and have always had that entrepreneur personality. Crochet had been a hobby of mine for a long time, but I never thought I could turn it into a business because my experience with crochet had always been making large blankets and scarves… items that take a lot of time, yarn, effort. Read more>>

Ilana Mekler

I’ve always been curious about how running your business works and dreamt of having my own clothing line. One day, I decided to bite the bullet and start the process. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. The only professional skills I had to offer were social media management and I knew how to use Shopify and handle shipping. I just jumped in feet first and am so thankful I did. Read more>>

Dominic Jeudy

Ahh man what a story we have! It’s been a rollercoaster! It all started from when I lost my job of 4 and a half years at an IT company in Feb of 2020. The IT company unfortunately got bought out by a bigger company and laid the whole staff off. I quickly realized the liability of working for another company, rather than myself. I then flew to California to clear my mind and think of the next steps to take in my life. During my time in California, I knew I didn’t want to work for anyone anymore. Read more>>

Shalisha Marie

Growing up I was always different from the way I carry myself, to how I dress, to the mindset I always had that followed me as a young woman. Growing up I always had an entrepreneur mindset it was always in me to have a hustle. I fell in love with the idea of being my own boss as a kid and told myself I didn’t want to work for anyone. I’m mainly known from my YouTube channel “iamshalishamarie” aka better know by “makeupbyshalisha22”. Read more>>

Steven Jasik

I had wanted to start my own company for many years, mostly for the allure of being my own boss, and the clout of being a business owner. After many business ideas, business plans, and even failed attempts, I felt the need to step back and reflect. I realized that if I’m going to be successful, the business needs to be something that I’m passionate and knowledgeable about, and not necessarily what is trendy at the time. The passion aspect of owning a business is really important. Read more>>

Kelly Garcia

I was pregnant with my daughter and on the hunt for maternity clothes and discovered they had not changed since my first pregnancy with my son five years prior. They were expensive, frumpy and uncomfortable! Worst of all you have to keep buying more and more as you go through the trimesters. I thought, there has to be something better so I designed- The Momper. A waistline free one-piece jumpsuit that grows with you all nine months of maternity and beyond. Read more>>

Shani Edmond

It all started around 2017, when I planned my son’s 8th birthday party. It was a carnival themed extravaganza in our backyard, in the month of July, in the dirty south. Needless to say, it was HOT! We had a bounce house, games, a cotton candy & popcorn machine, a live pony for pony rides, and of course balloons. I even made a ticket booth as a prop, but unfortunately it didn’t hold up well with the outdoor elements lol. Read more>>

Derkey Ford

After developing Marketing and Branding Agency Uraeus Inc. I maneuvered the marketing for close to a year working with entrepreneurs to help bring their ideas to life. This is where I noticed a gap which needed to be bridged between new business owners and business professionals who provide services to the entrepreneur. While spending countless hours properly conveying topics such as branding, business law, finance and marketing and how these should be considered in a business plan I quickly realized my clients needed more education. Read more>>

Chase Clark

MI is unwavering in my commitment to empowering Black Youth. This drive guides every action I take. When I reflect on my journey, I see that every pursuit was motivated by a need I observed as a Black woman. I founded Chase’s Chance, Inc. in response to income inequality, and my podcast, “the renaissance project: a black girls movement,” seeks to shift conversations from a Black woman’s perspective. Read more>>

Mona Elyafi

Champagne has always been my to-go drink and one day I decided to learn more about it – the region of Champagne and the wine. I started reading as many books as I could get my hands on to learn and educate myself about the history, the champagne elaboration process and the geology. I realized it actually was actually quite a massive enterprise and an extensive field of study. When Covid hit, I had to put my PR company (ILDK Media) on hiatus as the majority of the PR campaigns I was handling were in the field of “special Events”. Read more>>

HANSEL DELGADILLO

Tell us the story of how you came up with the idea for your business? Throughout my time serving in the US Army, I frequently used dating and social media apps both domestically and abroad. However, I noticed that they all had similar limitations such as being overly expensive, filled with fake profiles, and lacking in features. That’s when I decided to take matters into my own hands and create something better. Read more>>

Erika Neumayer Ehrat

I have been a member of the American Aid Society of German Descendants since 1990. When I joined the Jugendgruppe (youth group) in 2001, I knew I had found my home. Being of Donauschwaben descent, I felt a strong connection with the people involved and the culture behind the organization. As a part of our performances, we would wear dirndls. It was also so fun to feel connected to my heritage through the dress. Read more>>

Niecy Samone

I came up with Niecytakeouts from loving to cook & also right after I got baptized in 2022! When I was a young girl in elementary school, my mother taught me how to cook because she was in nursing school so she wasn’t able to really cook daily for me. I was taught to cook everything from soul food & noodles lol. I decided to start Niecytakeouts because I wanted to combine my talents which is cooking & acting to share the Gospel Of Jesus Christ! I know your probably thinking , “How is that possible”, But through my content I’m able to share my testimony & share the love of God through my talents! Read more>>

Desiree Dupuis

The year was 2016, I had been following a vegan lifestyle since 2008 when I read the book Skinny Bitch which I had picked up at YVR Vancouver Airport on my way to Maui. I picked up the book because I had always been interested in nutrition and it’s important to me to be educated on everything I put into my body. I picked up the book after a co-worker had told me that she was no longer putting milk in her coffee because of what’s in it. Read more>>

Daniel Ginsberg

We came up with the idea for Utrain, the all-in-one basketball training software solution, because I was frustrated with the fragmented and expensive options available for basketball trainers. The goal for Utrain is to create an App that provided a complete solution for basketball players and trainers of all levels. So, I teamed up with developer Darryl Smith II, a former Cornell University Mens Basketball standout, to design and develop the software. Read more>>

Morgan Murray

I’ve honestly always wanted my own business so I’ve had many ideas and was always looking up ideas that I thought I could do. I came across this one day and started googling and watching YouTube videos. I remember texting my cousin, my sister and brother that night telling them I decided to start a candle business. My honest thought process behind it was like “oh this will be so easy” which I later found out was NOT the case at all. But it’s also a product I love and can now make for myself. Read more>>

Maya Risteska

I first heard about Permanent Makeup in 2013, when I decided to get my eyeliner done. I wasn’t very happy with the results because back then they didn’t use much anesthetics and artists weren’t as educated as they are now. I really liked the idea of not having to do my makeup every day so I went and got my eyebrows microbladed as well. Read more>>

Time Ends

I was working as a behavioral therapist for a company in Los Angeles when a 12 year old client with an extreme level of autism whom exhibited in server behaviors was having a real bad day. I arrived to relieve the other staff when I walked into a war zone. Items were being thrown, people were bitten and the staff as well as family members were tired from wrestling. I walked in a was debriefed on what had happened. Read more>>

Misty Banchero

I came up with the idea of @Seattlebutcherswife one day while helping my family business start up their social media story telling on Instagram. I convinced my husband to start sharing about the 3rd generation family meat business. In that I discovered so many delicious foods when I started to research hashtags such as #meat and #bbq. Read more>>

Constance Nicole

I got the vision for My Girlfriendz Place at a time in my life when I was struggling. I was overwhelmed and grieving the loss of my mother and my grandmother. I was exhausted from trying to be a caretaker for my mother’s only sister and also unemployed, but frantically scrambling to keep my mother’s house and to keep my household going. As the sole provider for my family, I was drowning and I thought to myself if only I could talk to my best friend. Read more>>

Khari Sekou I

I’ve been studying martial arts for about 30 years. After 25 years at SWAM FuJuKa Boxing Academy and years in other disciplines (Fannul Harb – The Art of Combat, Kenjutsu, Aikido, Ninjutsu), I wanted to create a community to share, teach, learn, and cultivate the Warrior Arts from my perspective. This is the natural progression and is the “art” in the term “martial arts”. The science of combat is the same and has existed since war began but the perspective, philosophy, and focus is different for each system. Read more>>

Tylia Flores

I first started to write as a teenager after needing something to help me cope with the world, and how old is to live with it when you have a disability, such as Cerebral Palsy, which is a condition that not many people understand Writing was an escape for me, and I found solace in putting my thoughts and feelings into words. I soon realized the power of writing and how it could help others who were struggling with similar issues. Read more>>