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.

Rosario Moore

My journey into the world of books through creation began in 2019. In that year, the world changed for everyone with the pandemic. Seeing so much sadness in people but at the same time so much help that many people gave on social networks, mainly through free classes for children, motivated me to give something to the community. With my experience as a teacher, I embarked on my journey as an author and illustrator of my bilingual books, THE WHOLKS. I started writing my first story, “Coloring the Gray World.” The story that I dedicate mainly to my children is that they begin to color their gray world again through gratitude for what we have. The world was full of sadness at that time. That’s how I could share wonderful stories based on values, gratitude, and positive affirmations, among others, with children, mainly of young ages. Read more>>

Tayler Kirby

We conceived the idea for Green Light Drive Thru through discussions about the importance of appreciating the little “Green Lights” in our lives. We all often complain about red stop lights and we tend to overlook the gratitude we should have for the green lights. Our love and attention for food lead us to follow our dream of opening a non-conventional food trailer. We choose to establish a permanent location with consistent operating hours. We have purposefully designed our business as a drive-thru establishment for ease and convenience of our customers. While our focus is on delivering prompt service, we do not classify ourselves as a fast food establishment. Our menu features dishes that are freshly prepared daily, with most items crafted to order. Notably, our fries are cut by hand each day and seasoned with our own house-made blend of spices. Read more>>

Bianca Fernandez

When I was a sophomore in high school, I kept seeing pictures of macarons floating around on Instagram. I never ate one before, but really wanted to try one since they looked SO delicious. I didn’t know where to buy them either, so I decided I would make them from scratch. So, I went on Google and tried the first recipe that popped up. Read more>>

Pallavi Sarup

As a queer South Asian American artist, I’ve always looked for ways to honor South Asian craft in my everyday life. During the pandemic, with everything going on with the world and the US’s racial climate.. I started re-evaluating my career and what was most important to me. That catalyzed my journey into exploring my own art and culture. I drew South Asian illustrations, learned about new mediums, and started coming across South Asian brands whose businesses were culturally based. Through that journey I discovered the world of craft tourism, and attended a craft workshop led by Thread Caravan in Oaxaca. Read more>>

Madison Lumbert

Mad Shot Photography formed in 2021 when I had several friends and family members having trouble finding an affordable photographer. The job market was also heating back up after the first round of the global pandemic, and a lot of people were wanting updated headshots for job-seeking reasons. At the same time, I had a camera that was collecting dust, a creative itch that I needed to scratch, and an excuse to be outside much more. Thus, I started learning the in-and-outs of my camera gear, different forms of editing software, and exploring different venues in my city for photoshoot locations. Suddenly, Mad Shot Photography was born. Read more>>

Allison Kittle

As a consumer shopping for my personal wardrobe it was difficult to find everyday wardrobe staples that were crafted from high quality sustainable materials and with something more than a basic design silhouette. I created my clothing brand Betty x Bow to be a brand of elevated everyday basics with a feminine aesthetic that make a statement. Each BXB style is crafted with high quality fabrics and designed in classic silhouettes to provide versatility and longevity for the wearer’s wardrobe. Simplistic dressing does not have to feel tired or boring. I saw an opportunity to create a brand of wardrobe staples that are intentionally designed to work in harmony with clothing already in the customer’s closet and for our brand’s styles to be complimentary and pair easily within our collection. Read more>>

Janet Goldberg

I’d never intended to write a novel. I actually consider myself a poet and short story writer. But once The Proprietor’s Song got under way, it took on a life of its own. From one day to the next, I had no idea what would happen or what characters might appear. And, of course, since I was used to writing in short form, I worried that I might not have enough material to reach 200 pages, a traditional length for a novel. Read more>>

Jennifer Goto

Love, Ghostie was heavily inspired by the Fire Emblem series. On the surface, it might be hard to tell what could be similar between a colorful, cute game where you play as a ghost matchmaker to something like Fire Emblem, a tactical role-playing game often themed around war and combat. However, it’s much more similar than it seems. In Fire Emblem, you have a team of characters that you fight alongside, and a way to increase the bonds between your teammates is to increase their support levels. This results in a combat bonus, but more importantly, it unlocks support conversations between the two characters. Each of these conversations feature unique dialogue per pair and sometimes, you can even create romantic couples. Read more>>

Jillian Gundy

Tiki Hit Life was born out of the need to provide healthy alternatives for the skincare of our family, free from harsh chemicals and without all the fillers now commonly found even in the “natural/organic” space. We wanted to be able to trust and pronounce the ingredients in our everyday use products. Too many companies these days are changing their product ingredients to save money instead of nurturing the skin with the ingredients it needs. Read more>>

Kobe Goodall

I originally came up with the idea for my Photo Booth company as I was graduating college. I was looking for a low-maintenance business that I didn’t have to learn a new skill to operate. I was also looking for a business that would maximize the value of my time. This led me to choose to start Kobe’s 360 Photo Booth. I wanted to couple the marketing skills I learned in College with the charisma I already have in order to curate the perfect small business for myself. I knew this would be worthwhile because it was a business that could be operated outside of 9 – 5 business hours, it didn’t involve long hours, and I potentially have the ability to make more money than my day job if I really apply myself. Read more>>