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.

Lauryn Hendrix

I’ve always loved art, fashion, design, music ever since I was a little girl. I think the biggest things that inspired me to become a model and concept director would have to be first my family they’ve worked hard their whole lives I’ve seen them struggle and succeed which has taught me so much and I have learned some of my great attributes and qualities from them. Another inspiration would definitely have to be the things i’ve faced and experienced in my life. Read more>>

Jesse Henkensiefken

As an aspiring musician, I always loved making music with others, while finding inspiration through creativity and collaboration. Coupled with my passion for teaching, I knew that I wanted to one day run my own business and help the next generation of young musicians find their voice and passion. Read more>>

Ashley Kaplan

I have been taking pictures and have been interested in documenting the world around me from as early as I can remember. I think I got my first little point and shoot camera when I was 7 years old and I would take it on family vacations or bring it around on my family adventures, always taking pictures. I took my first digital photography class my junior year of high school (2013) and although my teacher was an ass and only wanted to see art that he enjoyed – mine wasn’t it – I was able to learn the basics of photography and how to shoot on a dslr camera. Read more>>

Bridget Stephens

The first time the idea of being a travel agent crossed my mind was while I was booking my family a cruise. I spent three hours on the phone with the cruise line representative and somehow my reservation still got messed up. Then, my card got charged twice and I was told they couldn’t refund me until after my cruise. I was livid. I was sure I could have done a better job if I would have just booked it myself, but I didn’t feel comfortable doing it on my own at the time. Read more>>

Coach Kb

In 2022, Coach Kb lost her dream job and was unemployed for 9 months. Depression hit her very hard, but she changed her mindset and decided to do something for herself. She decided to jump into entrepreneurship and create her own business, Ready to Live Coaching. Ready to Live Coaching started as a mindset academy that helps women release fear and turn their burning desires into reality. Read more>>

DeShawna Jones

College was my first taste of adulthood and where my entrepreneurial mentality emerged. I found myself in difficult positions, posing questions like, ‘How can I stretch this month’s allowance for my meals, books, supplies, etc.?’ or ‘What skills do I have that I can monetize to make some extra cash on the side?’ I utilized my creativity and organization skills to create an ecommerce business that sold handmade jewelry. Read more>>

Erin Dunaway

My husband and I have been doing hair for 16/17 years and have always had the idea of integrating the female salon side with the barbering side of the industry, creating a community feel. When we had the opportunity to bring this idea to Hendersonville it was a no brainer. Over the years of our careers we have never really seen anyone combine the two while also creating a space to host events and support the people who support us, our community. Read more>>

Steven King

I worked at T J Maxx while in high school and always have had a passion for fashion and style. I wanted to influence my culture through creating a retail store where minority small business owners would work together to offer Black owned products in one central location. The Reign Shop is a passion project, fueled by the hope of more collaboration and network among minority owned businesses and creators. Read more>>

Kimberly Matthews

The inception of my business idea can be traced back to a phone call I received from my business associate, Ms. Levi. It was a cold winter evening when we crossed paths at our local coffee house. Ms. Levi handed me a notebook filled with meticulously prepared lesson plans. She entrusted me with the task of continuing the program she had initiated at the community college, emphasizing that my passion was unparalleled in carrying forward her vision. I was both excited and apprehensive, as this marked the genesis of my training center business. Read more>>

Claudette Lewis

I was diagnosed with Folliculitis decalvans several years ago. I started losing my hair in patches and tried everything from otc to prescription meds. Nothing worked. I started researching natural remedies for scalp conditions and found oils and plants that controlled my flare ups and inflammation. In 2020 after being sent home due to the Covid pandemic, I decided to get back to research. I took a formulating class online and started playing around with products. My girlfriend, Veronica was my first client. We found that my oil regrew her damaged edges, started giving out samples, and here we are Read more>>

John Deane

My wife, Natasha and I, along with our to young daughters, discovered Granville in the mid 1990’s when we owned a houseboat and made The Granville Marina and Resort (Granville Marina) a long weekend destination from our home port of Cedar Creek Yacht Club about a day’s cruise away. In the late 90’s we sold the houseboat and were seeking a second home site in the beautiful Tennessee wilderness. Read more>>

Annette Torsarkissian

I was motivated to start my own business because I had a passion for sustainable fashion. In the beginning, there weren’t a lot of sustainable clothing options other than thrift stores. However, going to thrift stores, I noticed the never-ending aisles of clothes and felt they could somehow be reinvented. I then took it upon myself to rework pieces by mixing items and adding a new flare. Read more>>

Miranda Malone-Solomon

What I’m getting ready to share is so personal. But I know that it’s God’s plan. When I was young I could honestly say I knew my parents as just that, my mother and father. But when I became an adult, I began to learn so much more about them. Their stories, what they endure growing up, and how their childhoods transformed them. I always felt it was inspiring. As time went on, I would encounter strangers of all walks of life who would just open up to me. Read more>>

Leah Ortiz

The Arc has always been driven by a mission to empower and support our community, but we faced a common challenge—finding sustainable funding sources to fuel our endeavors. We brainstormed ways to overcome this obstacle, and knew we had to think outside the box. We wanted to create funding options that would provide more control and stability, allowing us to continue our important work without constantly relying on external support. Read more>>

L.A. Geronimo

As a professional photographer, I had been grinding and hustling, but I was also cooking for myself every day, to be healthier both physically and financially (because eating out every day isn’t ideal). One day, I was looking at some of the creative categories on Twitch and I decided to try to make content based on making food for myself, but also trying to teach people how to cook and do it simply and well. Read more>>

Danielle Foulk

Over time, the Farmhouse Storyteller Collective has evolved into a multifaceted platform, expanding its reach and offerings to inspire others in their journey towards living their best life. It all began with returning to country living and the restoration of our 1837 farmhouse, which served as the catalyst for personal transformation and self-discovery. Read more>>

Faizah S. Carr, Ph.D.

Washington, D.C. is an extraordinary metropolis with superb fine dining found in every quadrant. There’s no limit to the international cuisine, celebrity chefs, food festivals, restaurant weeks, boutique bars, and pop-up happy hours based in the area. The hospitality industry is engrained in the culture. Naturally, I became more epicurious. I wanted to know more about wine, the art of pairing with cuisine, and have the ability to order without total help from a sommelier. Read more>>

Neta Shani

I have been a pediatric acupuncturist specializing in sensory processing and emotional regulation (which is often a sensory issue), fore over 17 years. Working in private practices and at Stanford Children’s’ Hospital . During COVID, my practice filled with children suffering from anxiety, depression, impaired social skills, and parents were helpless, relying on long waitlists for pediatric therapists. Read more>>

Jason Howard

Everything started from a single idea of exposure. As in, what’s the best way to get exposure for a independent rap artist. We had done the club performing thing for years and it was running its course, I was looking for a new strategy. After a consultation with an area A&R, going the digital route seemed like the best route. I started learning what I could about the DSPs, how they were alike, how they were different. Read more>>

Ricardo Dyall

Well, it all started one evening in 2022 when I was sitting next to my wife. I was reminiscing about my experiences growing up in Brooklyn, New York, particularly during the 90s. Fashion, music, and art were such integral parts of my life back then. Brands like Fubu, Rocawear, Sean John, and Iceberg were the go-to clothing for kids our age, but unfortunately, I wasn’t fortunate enough to afford them. Read more>>

Carol Silveira

We were looking for a business that would require more sweat equity and less capital to start. So we looked at different businesses to find which area would give us the greatest opportunity to be successful. We decided on a maid business because I had experience working with my mother when I was young. Read more>>

Christi Bowen

In 2011 I became a full time voice actor after almost 20 years in film and video production. After attending my first voiceover conference, I met others in the industry in Nashville and we started a Meetup group called Tennessee Voice Over Exchange. For almost 10 years we’ve been meeting monthly as a way to create community and educate ourselves on the business of voice acting. Read more>>

Eda Boss

I’ve always been a lover of candles. In early 2019, I began learning to make them buy reading DIY books and watching tutorial videos. During this process discovered a way to turn the melted wax into skin-safe massage oil. I began giving them as gifts to family and friends. Everyone loved the fragrances and was blown away by the fact the melted wax was skin safe and could be used as a moisturizer. Read more>>

Lee-Anne Reuber

Sekond Skin Society started as a brick and mortar yoga studio Nov. 2018. We had a really great first year building our community and connecting with others in the health and wellness space. We won an award for Best Yoga studio in our first year and celebrated our 1 year anniversary with a huge event. From this event, we gained a lot of exposure and had many studios/people reaching out from across Southwestern Ontario to see if we would come and teach in their region. Read more>>

Jake Perusich

I started my journey into creative projects towards the end of college when I was investigating video and creative work and how that interacts with marketing. Marketing is often too left-brained and forgets the reality that interesting and engaging creative creates more connection with customers than any methodically detailed spreadsheet can ever do. Read more>>

Morgan English

Back when I was in college, I used to smoke weed on my fire escape with my roommates, across from the campus gym. One time we decided to get high and go work out. Growing up, I received all the wrong messaging around body image, self worth, and what movement actually could be, so it was quite surprising when I hopped on the stationary bike and started to peddle that I felt at ease. I felt joy. Read more>>

Niya Brown

My journey toward becoming a life coach was deeply rooted in my own transformative life experiences. It was through these experiences that I discovered a passion for helping others navigate the complexities of life and unlocking their true potential. Read more>>

Nichelle Turner & Sharlene Flood

In the beginning of the pandemic, we were laid off from our previous company which was a home staging business serving the DMV area. Nikki was the business manager and I (Sharlene) was the sales manager. We had poured lots of blood, sweat, and tears into building this company. Using our combined talents, we turned a company that initially grossed $500,000 annually into a million dollar sensation. Read more>>

Nicole Remble

Baking has always been a stress reliever throughout my life. In 2019 I was under so much stress at work I decided to start baking Cookie bars and Brownies for my staff just brighten everyone’s day. One of my regular customers tried my brownies and said these are good to sale. My other coworker also told me to sale my products and this shouldn’t be given out for free. Read more>>

Courtney Chennault

My 2019 trip to Colombia was one for the books. I scraped by for days with no cash in a cash-only city until finally finding a stranger to withdraw money for me. I befriended a hotel worker who showed me around his village in an impromptu cultural exchange. And I went night snorkeling to see phytoplankton in pitch-dark waters of the Caribbean sea. Read more>>

Jenni Durnin

The idea to start my photography business came to me in college. In my freshman year, I picked up a gig photographing college students tailgating on campus before football games. It was an easy gig that required no technical skill. I was handed a very simple point and shoot camera and walked around asking people to smile for the camera. Read more>>

Kristopher Pace

As with any venture in life, especially that of an entrepreneur, the path is never a straight line but goal remains the same. I would say I’m a serial entrepreneur, but I always find a way to connect my endeavors so that they balance each other out and eventually come full circle. My businesses are all based around the concept of balance, hence the name, The Balance Studio Productions. Read more>>

Ronald Johnson

Things sort of just started serendipitously, I’ve always loved the unique nature of New Orleans, and I wanted to make some videos about the words that we say here, that people don’t always understand, and the street names that people couldn’t pronounce. From there I realized since the city is over 300 years old I could also focus on the history, from there I added on food, and just kept adding more things about the city. Eventually companies and corporations, started to want to work together, and by that point I knew I was on to something. Read more>>

Bryan Turner

I founded No Stress Midwest back in July of 2018 when I was at a crossroads in my life. I was 28 years old, and was just named the head coach of a local high school soccer team (boys & girls) earlier that year (February). I was also informed that the civilian contract position I had as an engineer for the US Navy would not be renewed after working from home for the past 3 years. Read more>>

Brandi Smith

I didn’t really come up with the idea of writing my first book. It was something that I felt the Lord leading me to do. It was heavy on my heart to write out the story of my life and my husband’s life and all the miracles we have seen the Lord do. During that time everywhere I turned there would be something telling me to write that book. So I finally just started writing it. Read more>>

Gabrielle Oakley

It all began with a humble basket filled with soaps and a spark of creativity. In 2011, I ventured into the world of soap-making as a personal outlet for my creative energy. Little did I know that those initial test batches would ignite a passion within me and set the foundation for something truly special. The first time I shared my handmade soaps with my family, I carefully packed a basket containing a variety of my favorite soap samples. Read more>>

Shmeka Gibson

I left the workforce full-time in April 2019 to pursue my dreams of helping people change their thoughts to enhance performance and create positive life success. Changing the Mindset™ was founded in 2018 in Memphis, TN. Changing the Mindset started as a Health and Wellness initiative that provided workshops and support for those who wanted to modify their lifestyle choices. Read more>>

Bryan Talbot

I founded West Coast Wing Chun in 2010 to share the knowledge and passion for Ip Man Wing Chun that I learned from my teacher, Sifu Samuel Kwok, with a wider audience. I had been teaching Wing Chun since the early 1990s but wanted to create a unified organization that would promote the traditional values and principles of the art. I also wanted to ensure that my students had access to the most up-to-date training methods and techniques, which I developed through my ongoing study and research of Wing Chun. Read more>>

Keilla Spencer

It’s crazy to sit here and really think how did it start without knowing where to begin. I knew when I was in middle school that I wanted better for myself and I wanted to endeavor something for my family one day. I’m all about creating generational wealth and breaking generational curses. Read more>>

Delora Green

I’ve always been an artistic person but it wasn’t until I got rock bottom & ended up in a rehab facility for alcohol addiction that I discovered my true passion. While in the facility,I started making outfits out of the clothes from the lost & found . It was a creative outlet that helped me cope with my addiction and the challenges of rehab. Read more>>

Emma Z Ramos

I saw there was a great need for a Healing Coach , especially after the Covid pandemic people were dealing with lots of mental health and anxiety issues, people need to heal to become productive in society and at home. Read more>>

Sanaa Sharrieff

Everyone knows at least one artist who’s music and style compliment each other well. When I founded SSBCMG, LLC (Sanaa Sharrieff Business Clothing Music Group), it was an intentional choice to keep my music publishing, consultation skills, and fashion endeavors all under the same roof. Read more>>

Tasha Erickson

In 2013, I was living in Fresno, California and feeling my soul wither as I ran my first business, wedding and portrait photography. While it wasn’t failing, it also wasn’t getting beyond break-even, and I found it increasingly difficult to handle other people’s insecurities when they saw photos of themselves. Not turning a profit was not only disappointing, but hurting my family’s finances, too. Read more>>

Cecilia Davis

To be honest, I did not decide to become a cake designer on my own at first. I used to work for a popular chain grocery store bakery (Walmart) as a cake decorator, and it was there that I acquired a decent level of skill working with buttercream icing. But it was the compliments of customers that really made me consider things. Read more>>