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.

Chad, Alex Martinez, Dishong

Chad and Alex are longtime friends and car enthusiasts. We found ourselves frustrated with the lack of convenient and high-quality mobile car detailing services in Austin, Texas. Read more>>

Andy Kadima

My dream has always been to create an umbrella business that creates several companies related to activities that I enjoy doing. Read more>>

Rebecca Murdasova

I have always been a coffee fanatic, anywhere I would travel I would always look for a new coffee shop to try out. After trying so many coffee shops I realized the perfect cup of coffee was at home. Read more>>

Dathisha Brown

I feel like I was destined to own a spa. As a child, I always dreamed of running a beauty salon, although ironically, I grew up to dislike working with hair! My interests naturally gravitated towards esthetics. Read more>>

Katie Knips-Ladas

My career has always been a big part of my identity. In college, I actually started out working towards an accounting degree. I was decent in math in highschool and figured that was a good direction. But I discovered I wasn’t good at accounting. It was hard for me and not very much fun. Read more>>

Judi Melton

The journey began in 2021 when I realized there was a lack of celebration and sharing for the incredible daily occurrences in Black Mountain. Read more>>

Selena Galloway

Bliss & Blends was inspired by my own personal journey with wine, which has always served as a source of solace and joy during life’s challenges. Read more>>

Kalye Antonyuk

The idea for Loaves in Motion was born out of a simple desire for better bread. We wanted something wholesome, delicious, and truly nourishing. Read more>>

Joyful Genia

Halfway through 2018, I was deeply unhappy with my life although most people around me wouldn’t have noticed. I woke up every morning feeling sick because I dreaded going to work. Read more>>

Eric Yaillen

I had stopped working in 2014 due to significant health issues including Stage 3c Colorectal cancer, being in a coma, developing stage 4 kidney disease and more. Read more>>

Terry Mudge

The birth of my science shop emerged from a simple, stark observation: a void in the world of retail—a glaring absence of science-themed stores dedicated to true exploration and discovery. Read more>>

Lee Mills

I’ve been in tech for quite some time, since the 90s. I’ve done all kinds of B2B, consumer, and SaaS. Construction software was never on my radar until my friend co-founded Raken. Read more>>

Stephanie Lay

After college and two degrees later I realized quickly that working for other people was not what I wanted. I dreaded going to work everyday and not having anything of value come from all the hard work. Read more>>

Alexis Carrion

My business is called Thique Vintage because I primarily cater to larger sizes and curvy bodies. As a lover of vintage designer fashion, I found it difficult to find a wide variety of clothing in my size even at some of the most well-known shops in New York City. Read more>>

Joshua René

I’ve been in human services my entire career and have seen so many systems, processes, strategies, businesses, and brands built and designed in ways that served themselves first, yet they desired outcomes and successes as if they didn’t. Read more>>

Tamiko Murman

The acceptance letter felt surreal in my hands. Harvard. The name whispered prestige, opportunity, and a price tag that made my middle-class family wince. Read more>>

Brett Donelson

My wife, Tam, and I had always been involved in coaching sports and working with youth. We met in the ski industry coaching kids in back-to-back winters between Australia and the U.S. Read more>>

Danielle Spinola

The concept for this business has really evolved over time. It began with a really great cup of tea in the back of the Jade Buddhist Temple in Shanghai. Read more>>

Joshua Allen

JamSessions Productions didn’t come together in a flash; rather, it was a gradual process of trial and error until one day I realized I had something special. Read more>>

Christian Sturt

I started Queen City Disc because I love the sport of disc golf and the community that can be created around it. I had a great group of friends that I would go out and play rounds with and I quickly noticed that there was such a fun and engaging dynamic being created with everyone in group that I had to start finding some way to capture it. Read more>>

Jennifer Ho

The inception of my business idea was a result of a profound intersection between my passion for permanent makeup and a realization of a void in the market for quality education in this field. Read more>>

Robin Lipnack

There are so many companies doing digital marketing ( which is needed) now. I saw a need for a business development company on a fractional level. Read more>>

Carmen Bethea

Moving to Charlotte, NC, in January 2023 was an exciting but daunting experience. As I settled into my new surroundings, I found myself craving connection and community, particularly within the Black community. Read more>>

Tim Brown

The love for graphic t-shirts and fashion contributed to the idea to create my very own clothing brand. First I needed something that would attract the locals, and that would peek the interest of everyone else. Read more>>

Taylor Good

I have had backyard chickens my whole life, off and on. One day my daughter said to me, “Mama, instead of a lemonade stand, we should have an egg stand!” Read more>>

Roz Manley

People always told me I had a story to tell. They loved reading my post, notes and random videos I would do. I would get so much feed back. Read more>>

Kirsten Dexter

There was a need for finely crafted jewelry based on architecture. On my travels to countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, I saw beautiful archetypes crafted from stone and iron. Read more>>

Kathy Barron

The idea for Women Who Podcast magazine came about when I attended PodFest Expo in March 2020. A new magazine called Podcast Magazine was being distributed among attendees. Read more>>

Jeremy Bacon

Port of Call Photography came from the passion for moments. Sitting on a ship’s weather deck on a Sunday evening looking out over a sea like a mirror. Read more>>  

Krystal & D’Andre Richardson

There are several impactful times throughout American history, good and bad but we survived one of those times. Police brutality and crimes of all kinds were plastered all over our televisions, radios and social media accounts daily. Read more>>