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.

Audrey Nelson

I grew up in the city (Portland, Oregon) but was lucky enough to have a big backyard which my parents poured their hearts and souls into filling with flowers and trees and climbing vines, and so I grew up imagining what my own garden would look like when I was an adult and had a yard of my own. Read more>>

Charity and Cierra

It was a dark and stormy night. No, but seriously, we had a client cancel a meeting last minute, and we decided to take the hour and do a brainstorming session. Being Biblical life coaches by trade, we knew that we were asking the wrong question. What was the question that we needed to ask? How do we get women excited about going to God to ask those burning questions that we all have? Read more>>

Maddie McClintock

My business was inspired by my undergrad senior year solo gallery art show in 2021. MADDHOUSE THE SHOW was an immersive interactive gallery that blurs the boundaries between the digital and physical world, reflecting the digital ‘zoom school’ environment it was created in. Read more>>

Daylee Dunn

How was Baby Daylee created? When I was younger I have always had a love for dolls. I used to bug my mom all the time to buy me dolls. I remember this one particular time I asked my mom to buy me an American girl doll, which is a pretty expensive doll. Read more>>

Krislenn Fleming

Lenneage Consulting is devoted to unraveling the intricate connections between our past experiences and present communication dynamics. The core mission revolves around understanding why we engage in certain behaviors today, be they rooted in positive or challenging past events. Read more>>

Giovanni Serra

I started the idea to start my business “Wellness Through The Lens” due to the passion I have for inspiring others as well as helping others become a better version of themselves. I’ve been an athlete my whole life playing a variety of sports (football, basketball, track) and I would say my love for fitness and physical health started at practice. Read more>>

Tammy Shaklee

I hired a matchmaker to meet my husband of 15 years. But 12 years ago, when trying to refer a gay friend to our matchmaker, I learned no one was really serving nationwide gay and lesbian singles in the certified matchmaking industry. Having worked in the community foundation world, and with a background in new, politics, and philanthropy, I started a feasibility study and focus group interviews. Read more>>

Esther Mun

The idea of Gather was through a dream I had in 2019. In the dream, I heard a voice saying, “Go, Make, Play”. This embarked 1.5 year journey of what this meant, exploring my next pivotal path of creative career. Gather sees a global community that encourages creatives to ignite safe spaces for play. Read more>>

Emily Owens

I  remember when my paycheck was a whopping $231…⁣ ⁣ I came home and broke down – panicked about finances as a brand new trainer in the field. People had warned me a personal training career would be tough, but I had no idea it would be THIS tough. ⁣ I was unhappy & stressed, but didn’t know what else to do. Read more>>

Dr. Marcy Thurmond Simmons

On July 28, 2020, I recorded the first episode of The Connecting Point podcast and started a Facebook Group, The Connecting Point for Creators Group. The idea to create and execute came directly from God! It was during the time of “The Pandemic” when I watched a live discussion about visual arts on Instagram TV that was presented by one of my artistic friends. Read more>>

They Call Us

Morgan Kail-Ackerman was catcalled three times in one week while walking around Chicago. Street harassment was nothing new to her (this is the case for all gender minorities, unfortunately), but this one week put her over the edge. She was exhausted from constantly being a victim of harassment, and she wanted to do something about it. Read more>>

Brian Smith

In 2020, when the pandemic had the world in a chokehold and we were all trapped in our homes, I was determined to be proactive. During the summer of 2020, I started adapting many of my best-selling novels into screenplays. By December of 2020, I was about to adapt a sixth novel from my catalogue and then I had a “lightbulb” moment. Read more>>

Ja’Bria Oliver

When people talk about their first love, it usually entails that person they had a crush on since elementary school that sat across from them in class. You know. . . that person who gave them butterflies every time they heard their name or saw their face. Read more>>

Gloria Dotson-Lewis

As a young girl growing up on the southside of Chicago, in a single-family home, I struggled with self-worth, which led me to engage in unhealthy behaviors. I didn’t have a safe space to talk about or get support for the challenges I faced in my adolescent years. Read more>>

Kariyel Johnson

My story is so different & I’m grateful for the opportunity to share it. I haven’t always had a passion for cooking it was a gift from God something I never knew I needed. I Got fired from the last job I ever worked at the end of 2019 I was in shambles but I knew I had to pick my head up & figure out what was next for me I was already a business owner selling exclusive & customized phone cases but I felt the need for something “NEW” the pandemic was right around the corner little did I know. Read more>>

Lux Pazols

My creative journey began very early on in my life but my path as a designer started when I answered a job post to be a Go-go dancer at EDC 2011. I was only 20 years old and I had never danced in front of a large crowd in my LIFE! I was terrified that I had applied to do this huge opportunity with no experience but like any delusional creative, I thought to myself how are hard could it be? Read more>>

Lynn Moman

I started out in sales, marketing, customer service and advertising when I was 15 years old working for a marketing company. I have also been in the entertainment industry for over 25yrs. In both fields alot of my clients would always ask me alot of questions about how to get started, the do’s and dont’s. Read more>>

Nia Teilor

Faced with creative blocks and yearning for an excuse to make art, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery that ultimately led me to breath life into C.A.N. Press, a remarkable indie publisher focused on amplifying the voices of marginalized individuals. Read more>>

Airy Choi

The idea behind Oasis Family Dentistry traces back to my childhood, where my frequent dental visits became a source of comfort and inspiration. From the waiting room’s “Highlights” magazines to savoring prophy paste flavors and inquisitive conversations with my dentist, the dental environment has always held a nostalgic significance to me. Read more>>

Caprisha Daniels

Lovingyournaturalself is a Natural Hair Care & Hair Loss Center catering to people of color and those who choose to wear their Natural texture of hair, whether it be curly, coily or kinky! This has always been looked down upon in society. It has caused alot of conflict and stress in our community. Read more>>

Tania Zapata

Unique Decor Dallas began with an idea lingering in the back of my mind; I never imagined it would blossom into what it is today. As a dedicated do-it-yourself enthusiast, I found myself in a position where my previous job barely provided enough to make ends meet. When it came to my kids’ parties, I was determined to create something special. Read more>>

SHADCROP

Always love drawing and doing graphic design and other artistry project. Until my brother introduce me to photography from classes he was attending at the time. From there i took my niche for art my everyday lifestyle and fashion to find my style of photography. Read more>>

Chrislyn Pettus

1) Tell us the story of how you came up with the idea for your business? Paint the picture for us so we really understand the context, circumstances, the emotions etc. Before the pandemic, my world revolved around campus life at Lamar University, with my primary focus beyond academics being my health. Read more>>

Ronda Flynn

RondaFlynnWOW all started from deciding to quit my corporate job working in Accounts Receivables at KPMG to be a stay at home mom for my 3 year old son. While working at KPMG, I started a gift basket business: Put It In a Basket and though I enjoyed it, I wasn’t really passionate about it. Read more>>

Pat Haug

Our existing business was traditional craftsmanship and a commitment to providing our customers with quality custom metal signs. We had a eureka moment when we first saw a vertical wall printer, a blend of modern technology and art. We created the “Wall Possible” product. Read more>>

Yecenia Currie

I wanted to write a cookbook I’d actually want to read. After disappointedly reading through many vegan cookbooks over the years, my mission was to create one that focused on nourishing the whole self—body, mind, and spirit—with delicious recipes full of nutrition and flavor. Read more>>

Kate Shantz

In my previous life, I started working for a large corporation right out of university. About 10 years into my career, in 2012, I began to feel completely disenfranchised with the life I was leading, from a professional standpoint. I was constantly hearing the words, “There has to be more to life than this. Read more>>

Jen Hardy

Being a huge animal rights advocate, my main challenge was finding the perfect style that aligned with my ethical beliefs. I found it difficult to shop for contemporary collections that used cruelty-free fabrications. There were so many styles I was drawn to that I would not purchase because they contained animal products such as wool or leather. Read more>>

Sydnie West

The idea for West-McCoy, being the first plus-size denim brand came about by overhearing plus-size women along with myself complaining about the lack of denim options there were for us. The fit made us look frumpy, we experienced gapping in the waist area, camel toe and a ton of other issues when trying to find the perfect fit jeans. Read more>>

Steven Yerardi

I started dancing at a young age and danced through high school. I went to college and majored in dance performance and always wanted to start my own business of some sort. I thought when I was in college that I would be opening my own dance studio or theater company, the universe had other plans. Read more>>

Lionel Lodge

SyncLodge was an idea that came to me in autumn 2017 after witnessing the struggles and frictions in the music sync licensing sector of the entertainment industry. I searched for partners, found who I think are the best at what they do and registered SyncLodge as a corporation in January 2019. Read more>>

Rachel Pierce

Heritage Designs was born from a sense of pride in local heritage and a search for high quality materials to showcase those roots. We offer both jewelry and knives; unique creations from a husband-and-wife team. While this endeavor began as an idea, and possibly just a creative outlet, it has evolved into a small business that focuses on giving back. Read more>>

Miriam Cruz

I offer mothers the support that I most treasure receiving myself. Before starting mindful mentorship, I had a business supporting mothers nutritionally with delicious cookies and teas. Hearing from these mothers, before I was a mother myself, revealed to me how many mothers felt an overwhelming sense of isolation, anxiety, depression, and overall struggle despite also feeling a love and fulfillment infinitely rich and deep. Read more>>

Chris Cook

As a trained culinarian having spent 25+ years in the food and beverage industry the commitment to hospitality runs deep with Special Leaf. In the spring of 2014 while consulting as a chef at a south Texas olive orchard I discovered you can make a very functional healthy tea from steeping dried olive leaves. Read more>>

Crystal Hines

As a music lover, yoga playlists have always been so important to me, but when teaching in local studios, I didn’t have the freedom to play whatever I wanted. That is why I started running New Wave Yoga classes at breweries in 2019. Running these events allowed me to play all the music I loved like The Cure, Joy Division and Depeche Mode. Read more>>

Fran Montano

I started out as an actor who didn’t know anything or how to go about it. I began taking classes. From there, whenever I reached a new level of my training and experience I had to find a new coach, new place, new situation, When it came time to perform on stage I had to go to another school or join a theater company. Read more>>

Joy Fennell

I was brought to this career path during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was a fashion and editorial makeup artist in NYC, and the pandemic shut down the whole industry. I needed to fill my days with something still during that time, so I started doing Instagram Lives. Read more>>

Tiffany Cole

I’ve been modeling for 15 years and I’ve trained hundreds of models working with an organization I was involved with in college. After having a few viral videos and traveling across country modeling, I’ve received numerous inboxes/messages from women and men all over asking me to train or teach them how to walk. Read more>>

STANLEY BOIS

Hotinri was originally my brother Nelson Damoura’s Company, he passed away in his sleep, in the meantime, I was living in Florida, We spoke so much about the direction he wanted the company to go, I decided to pack my things and move back to Rhode Island to continue on his legacy. Read more>>

Seth Quigg

I have worked in the International Adventure Travel and Outdoor Education fields for 20+ years. For the better part of 15 years, I lead outdoor and cross-cultural expeditions all over the world. In 2015, I started my own International trekking company leading trips to Chilean Patagonia, two destinations in Peru, Ecuador, Canadian Rockies, the Alps, Tanzania, Nepal, Vietnam, New Zealand and more. Read more>>

Quincy Eckenrode

I worked as a florist at a retail flower shop throughout high school and some of my adult years. After I went to college and started getting into the medical field I felt that is was my time to leave the retail flower shop, I still wanted to help them out and keep doing arrangements here and there, but it just didn’t end up working out that way. Read more>>

Justin Augustus Fay

The Idea of owning a record label came from the desire to release my own music since i was starting and nobody else would. Also partly because every artists i saw that came to town i saw perform , they all owned there own labels. Read more>>

Wilma Davidson

Imagine being in Minnesota (in February–right before a snowstorm that kept me there a few extra days), sitting in an elementary school classroom observing a classroom teacher who had participated in a graduate credit National Writing Project I taught the previous summer there (where the weather is much nicer!). Read more>>

Misty Bragg

This business of mine is a combination of ideas and interests I’ve had since I was a young girl. It’s funny how life will sometimes lead you on a path you do not notice until you’ve reached your destination. Read more>>

Shneaqua Purvis

My name is Shneaqua “Coco” Purvis I am from Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn NY. I grew up in New York City Housing Development called Tompkins Houses. In 2002 my sister Maisha “Pumpkin” Hubbard was murdered by a stray bullet on December 28th. Read more>>