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.

Justin Ruff

My name is Justin Ruff and I’m an Atlanta-based R&B singer. I recently released an EP called “Sessions Vol. 1” and I created my own candle line to accompany the tunes! Read more>>

Tiffaney Gardea

It all started as a fun gift idea for my close friends and family, we are all huge animal lovers. I enjoyed it so much, I started sharing what I was doing with coworkers and people outside my little circle, and from there demand grew. I then decided to create The Art and Paw, an art business focused on creatively honoring our special furry, feathery, and scaly friends. Read more>>

Eric Garcia

The idea of creating and starting my own gym came to me pretty naturally. At the age of 26, after my professional boxing career had ended, I decided that I wasn’t finished with the sport. It was all that I had known for so long and my attachment to boxing was still strong. Read more>>

Amanda Deming

6 months after I graduated from National Holistic Institute, as a Certified Holistic Practitioner/Massage Therapist,, I wanted to add to my repertoire of healing modalities. I decided on Yoga West to get my Kundalini Yoga Teacher training, During a 6 hr deep meditation is when the concept for Inside Out Mobile Spa came to life. I got a download and saw my Logo and felt the intention supporting my new business. Read more>>

Grace Owa

I came up with my natural deodorant when I developed rashes on my body and under my armpits any time I used commercial deodorant and body lotion. With this rashes, l had to seek the help of a dermatologist and she informed me to stay away from perfume and hash chemicals in beauty products. Read more>>

Joyell Lewis

Coming out of the COVID-19 quarantine in 2020, my salon schedule was flooded with new and returning clients. Many had been searching for new hair care options after spending several months at home not flat ironing and straightening their hair. Every week, a new client was excited to see their natural curls enhanced for the first time. Read more>>

Priscila Iwama

“The inspiration for my business was sparked many years ago when I was just 23. At that time, I found myself immersed in an environment that was good but had untapped potential for greatness. I observed that both the visual environment and team management had room for enhancement that could further elevate the experiences of employees and clients alike. Read more>>

Nicky Nocera

I never really saw my self owning a salon. However, after commuting into Midtown Atlanta for 7 years, I decided it was time to work closer to home as I felt like I was missing out on a lot of time with my family. I found a small salon in the up and coming Atlanta suburb Lilburn that was only 8 minutes from my house to work at. Read more>>

Kierra H.

When I was younger, I felt isolated and misplaced as an individual growing up. I hid away and found peace with the art I would create or the photos that I captured. Art has been a major force in healing and finding myself. I realized that this is where so many others can relate. I knew I wanted to create a business that supported the personal need to express through art. Read more>>

Caterine Lopez

When I launched my company Way Forward on April 10th, 2021, I was heavily inspired to design products that push people to never settle for the status quo and contribute to the emerging movement of sustainability and transparency within the fashion industry. I am committed to ensuring that Way Forward celebrates handcrafted and unique pieces that honor the work of local artists and artisans throughout the greater New York area. Read more>>

Denise Benz

In the fast-paced world of business, where transactions and deadlines often take center stage, I saw a profound void—a void that I believed was quietly eroding the fabric of professional relationships. This void was the lack of genuine appreciation. Read more>>

Brent Geris

I have always loved magic, and my grandfather showed me my first magic trick with a deck of cards and I love HOW it worked more than the trick itself. After getting the magic “bug” my mum bought me magic kits and a lot of magic throughout my Jr High and High School career. I performed quite a bit for high school friends and at talent shows and in college hosted a few events where I did magic. Read more>>

Amy Tam

Cake Girl began from my home kitchen. Growing up in the Eastside of Los Angeles, at the time there were very few vegan & gluten-free bakery options without having to travel to the Westside. This inspired me to start baking sweets that were completely vegan and gluten-free in addition to being free from soy and nut products. Read more>>

Ivan Yanez

In that time I was doing nothing interesting in my life then I always knew that some some how I was talented in everything I was doing so I decided to star painting like 15 years ago in my room. It was an inspiration of God like something he ask asked me to do.Because I was creative I knew that this could work but it was going to be difficult so I decided to take a chance and start to create a new way of life and bring some art and hope to this world.i knew art was a massive weapon of creation so using it in a proper way I was going to be able to create better world and with God’s help. Read more>>

Abyan Bashir

The idea of starting a private practice began when I realized the service gap related to providing culturally sensitive mental health care. I wanted people who look like me to know they have the option to see someone who shares their identities and understands their worldview and the barriers they are up against. With my intersecting identities, I understand and empathize with my clients’ unique challenges related to their experiences, and contextualize the obstacles they are up against in ways that are more recognizable to them. Read more>>

Mo’ney Roseman

Throughout undergrad I was not sure what I wanted to do for certain, I just knew I wanted to work in or closely with sports. An unforgettable conversation sparked up between my brother and I regarding the athletes in our local area (Clearwater, FL) that were extremely talented but seemed to be overlooked constantly and got little to no exposure. My brother Marcus and I questioned how we could change that and how we would go about it. Read more>>

Brooke Allison Wandling

It’s amazing how one conversation with one person can change everything for you. I started my first business in the fall of 2014 which opened my eyes to what being my own boss really looked like. I loved the vision, the flexibility, and the confidence I felt when I told people I ran a business at 22 years old. For the next few years, I hustled and struggled financially. Read more>>

Magdalena O’Connor

retrained as a welder in 2014 because I was frustrated by not being able to use steel in my sculptures. I already had several mediums under my belt makeup artistry, special effects, mold making and body paint. The moment I put grinder to steal I fell in love. discovering the softness within this seemingly hard medium captivated me. Read more>>

Michael Wolf

I’ve been a musician my entire life. I’ve been in numerous bands and have always been in love with the guitar in particular. Coming from the underground DIY music scene, I have always tried to do as much as possible for myself. I tried working towards building entire guitars but found quickly that to produce a quality product at a customer friendly price point was not something I was equipped to produce. Read more>>

Donna Wojcik

I am an Intuitive Reiki Master Teacher and have had my own private healing practice for the past 2+ years. My offerings include energy healing, card reading, spiritual guidance, sound baths as well as teaching courses, training, and offering mentorship. Through my healing practice, I am holding space for those seeking an alternative form of healing, guidance, and more. Read more>>

Sose The Ghost

I was in an Outlaw Motorcycle Club for a couple of years. I was at a stop light on my bike waiting for the light to turn. A truck came and took me out. I had to have 2 surgeries so I couldn’t ride. I started to talk about my life on youtube and it just took off. Read more>>

Taylor Warren

Ever since i was younger, I knew that I wanted to be remembered. I didn’t know any to be famous but I wanted to leave an iconic impression, almost in a fashion model way. I knew that I ultimately I wanted to dress up and go to work. When I think about dressing up and going to work, I see these real estate agents and lawyers in their dresses and blazers etc. and i always envisioned myself as that. Read more>>

Mary Big Bull-Lewis

My name is Mary Big Bull-Lewis. I am a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes of the Moses, Entiat, and Wenatchi bands, and a descendant of the Blackfoot Tribe. I am an Indigenous Entrepreneur, co-owning two small businesses alongside my husband, Rob Lewis. Read more>>

Sneha and Shah

Meet Shah and Sneha Shah, the founders of EcoKatch, are proud to announce the launch of their innovative product, EcoKatch, the world’s first contactless bathtub hair catcher. The EcoKatch is designed to prevent hair clogs in bathtubs and drains without requiring users to touch collected hair, providing a hassle-free and hygienic solution. Read more>>

Victorian Mcpherson

Jesus Jewels was a concept that I came up with during a church service. The idea was actually for me to use the name for T -shirts. So I sat on the idea and felt like it was something more and the Holy Spirit told me to use Jesus Jewels to help build young women up between the ages of 17 through 21 and start a mentorship program to help guide them and push them into purpose. Jesus Jewels then scaled from a successful mentorship program to growing into empowerment women brunches. Read more>>

SoFeya Joseph

It was October 3, 2016. A beautiful, sunny morning in Southern California, yet I was consumed by worry. I had only enough money for one month of mortgage and no idea what to do after that. A quote by Wayne Dyer caught my attention: “You receive what you desire for others.” Read more>>

Andrea Hattenberger

I have baked my whole life but began baking cinnamon rolls out of boredom during the pandemic in 2020. I gave them away and they were well received. A friend invited me to do a pop-up shop at her location and that went really well. I looked at my husband and said “well, I think this is a thing!” I then began the process of becoming food cottage certified in Arizona and it’s been a constant journey of learning, growth, and adaptation since. Read more>>

Jay Minaya

I always had a fascination for learning more about renowned international home-made dishes. I had lots of curiosity in making prestigious home-made cultural dishes such as: Gazpacho, Shakshuka, Ratatouille, Coq au vin, etc. Dishes like those tell you more than just food. They also tell a story, they tell the cultural aspect of a country or a region. Read more>>

Jim Hobart

When you live far away from your family, you want to make the most of the time you get with them. If you’re lucky, you can plan a trip now and then to see them. About two decades ago, I made one of these trips to visit family in England, and I brought a borrowed video camera to record the countryside. Read more>>

Danielle Hardy

I started Urbanwalls as a mom of two small boys. After leaving my previous career in graphic and web design to be a stay-at-home mom, I soon realized I needed a creative outlet. Decorating my boys’ room was proving to be a challenge, as I wanted decor that wasn’t cheesy but also fit within our budget. I wanted to create a space that they wouldn’t outgrow in just a few years. Read more>>

Laura Peters

In 2014, I had just graduated college with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota. I was filled with excitement to explore potential career opportunities, but an even stronger enthusiasm took root as I jumped on a plane across the Atlantic to travel the world for the first time. I didn’t know it then, but that backpacking trip to Europe would change the entire trajectory of my life. Read more>>

Samuel Berger

Next Cut Media was born out of my passion for storytelling and my desire to break free from the constraints of traditional journalism. The spark ignited during my time in Kansas City, where I aimed to do more than standard producing and sitting behind a desk in order to explore the stories others weren’t covering. Read more>>

Isabel Fehn

Back in Fall of 2019, I was 25, attending fire academy full-time, working as an EMT, while also raising my 3-year-old daughter. I wasn’t exactly hitting it big but I needed to travel…my soul needed it. That is when I first started investigating how to travel on a budget, and with a young child. Read more>>

Darion Wilson

The idea was formed from styling family and friends subconsciously and being a shopaholic. My aunt and friends would always say that I should do it for a living so I began to focus on making my gift a reality. I can remember when I was driving to Las Vegas, NV, relocating from Kansas City, Mo., heartbroken and shattered; through Utah to be exact, wondering what my new start was going to look like, praying and asking God what should the name of my boutique be. Read more>>

Natalie

Picture this, it was 2020 and I was a 13 year old going through the worst time of my life. My 34 year old uncle Michael, whom I adored and was extremely close with, just passed away and Covid was raging. I was sad, grief struck, and very heartbroken. The only thing that showed me a light at the end of the tunnel was my dog, a French Bulldog named Angus. Read more>>

Kyle Martin

In a world where values often get overshadowed by profit margins, the story of Bodine Clean stands as a beacon of purpose, integrity, and empowerment. The journey that brought Jeff, Kyle, and Taylor Martin together to create this family-owned business is a heartfelt tribute to their larger-than-life father, Jeffrey “Bodine” Martin Sr., and a testament to the power of embracing values in entrepreneurship. Read more>>

Ariel McNellis

My small business, Arrangements By Ariel was born just before my August wedding in 2022. I was looking for small personalized items to give to my guests and was having a hard time finding something affordable and with no minimum order. Having a sweet tooth, I bought a bunch of different candy and spent a few hours in my kitchen creating candy kebabs and different arrangements. Read more>>

Natalie Katona

To All the Men I’ve Tolerated Before was born out of a joke I would tell to my friends. The movies for the book series, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, were gaining popularity and when people would talk about them I would say “My book series would be called To All the Men I’ve Tolerated Before”. One day, a friend made me promise that I would do something with that idea. Read more>>

Candice Falkner-Craig

My husband, David, an met roughly 30 years ago over a comic book. A week did not go by over that next 25 years that he didn’t look at an empty retail space and say… That would be a great comic book shop. Read more>>

Nadine Jimenez-Langagne

When I made the move to Nashville, my career was thriving, I had just secured a new home, and I considered myself quite successful. However, despite these accomplishments, I was working long hours, constantly traveling, and facing the challenge of not having the time to search for a life partner. With the demands of my schedule and a belief in seeking expertise, I decided to enlist the help of a matchmaker. Read more>>