Going from idea to execution isn’t easy. Part of the difficulty is that often there is no playbook to follow and while we can’t offer a playbook either, we wanted to create a space where aspiring entrepreneurs could read the stories of how some very smart, very thoughtful entrepreneurs form the community got started.

Nick Frontiero

The idea has always been to create. I’ve been a part of creating something for the vast majority of my life, even at a young age I was always making music, mixtapes for friends, and creative writing. Thinking about how to present it, the vibe I wanted to set, and how from packaging to the creative itself would all be tied together. I feel like as a creative, it’s best for you to learn as much as possibly can in the tools of your craft. Read more>>

Mary Nguyen

When I hit those early years of adulthood, I knew I wanted to pursue entrepreneurship of so kind. I love cooking and baking actually became a passion of mine. I was baking French macarons, cakes, and pastries at this time and wanting to open up a bakery myself. A family member of mine gave me the opportunity to take over their lease at 3500 East Colfax and I was to do anything I could have imagined. Read more>>

Chris Fisher

I knew the idea of execution was going to be a long process that takes time. The idea to start a business for dog photography actually came from fellow landscape photographers who liked the photos of my dogs in my landscapes. From there I worked to establish a few basic items for the business – the name, website domain, and social media names. Once I found something that worked for all three, I went to work. Read more>>

Emma Clark

I started the company Moss & Maeve Event Planning & Styling in 2018, after working as an assistant wedding planner for years. It started as this huge dream that seemed completely unreachable until I finally took a leap of faith and decided to make Moss & Maeve a reality. In the wedding industry, one of the most important parts of building a business is the strength of your vendor connections, so I brainstormed ways to meet high quality vendors in the area, Read more>>

Tamika & Kimynn Archie

The execution always starts with a great idea and design which comes from Kimlynn Archie CEO and Owner of Pettywear. After the perfect idea and design Tamika Archie COO and Co- Owner executes it in production. I put the finishing touches on the brand design so it comes to life for to catch the eye of current and new supporters. Read more>>

Abigail Tuano

So Life Films came from an encounter I had in 2017. I was at church and I was listening to this preaching where my Pastor was saying “The youth need to have multiple sources of income” and immediately I had this vision of different businesses and Life Films was one of them. Everything I did I wanted to do it to glorify God so when I kept thinking of the name of the business I remembered that God equals Life and Films was something I would love to produce one day. Read more>>

Michael Denton

I’ve been cooking professionally since I was 16. I went to culinary school at 18 years old, and pretty quickly, I found myself working in casual American and fine dining restaurants in my hometown in Tennessee. I’ve always loved cooking, but the restaurant industry is tough. Long hours, low pay and some pretty horrible bosses tend to come with the territory. I kept searching for a restaurant job I loved, but I never found it. After stints at just about every fine dining restaurant in East Tennessee, Read more>>

Lauren Alleyne

I started making jewelry in 2012. As soon as I realized how much I loved it, I knew I wanted to turn it into an actual business. I remember getting my very first sale when a coworker bought my handmade bead bracelet right off my wrist! That’s when I hit the ground running. Knowing what to do to get started was actually kind of intuitive for me. I knew I needed materials, a website, photography, accounting, branding, packaging, and social media to start. Read more>>

Shelley Kurian

I had long wanted to combine my love for service and execution, and after a decade of owning and running an event planning company and a few years dabbling in consulting for small businesses, I was given the opportunity to serve as Executive Director of a brand new startup corporate nonprofit by the name of Skypass Foundation – and in many ways, it was (and still is) a dream job. Read more>>

Sohary Ouk

First I had the vision, then drew it on paper. I am not an artist, I did the best I could, which wasn’t too great. Second I needed to find a manufacture that can bring my vision to life. It was very challenging to find a manufacture that could grasp my idea because most was owned by men. It wasn’t till we found a women owned manufacture, to finally start making a prototype. We mixed and match many different fabrics and material, which took a long time and many prototypes to find the perfect combination. Read more>>

Kimberlee Morrison

I started out as a yoga teacher thinking I wanted to create a virtual yoga offering. And instead of focusing on that goal, I started teaching in physical studios. And that felt empowering for a while, but the reality is that I was cycling from burnout to burnout. Not only was I teaching 8-13 classes a week (depending on how many classes I agreed to sub), most of which were in a hot room. Read more>>

Daymond The Brand

Today, I am known as Daymond The Brand, CLC, The Original Plurapreneur®. Plurapreneur® is my latest business accomplishment. It’s now a staple in my portfolio of businesses. But it came with time, growth, and whole lot thought as I’ve spent years running my other businesses and learning more and more about myself. Read more>>

Michael Caroff

This isn’t so much a case of an idea I had; it’s a case of an idea that slammed me in the head. Back in the mid ‘90s, I had just heard of the Internet when someone who was writing articles for signed a contract, not only to build this company’s website, but also to bring in business from the Internet. Read more>>

Laura Bravo Mertz

For many years I shot at my home, in fact my husband and I bought a home specifically because it had a studio space where I can shoot clients and it had an abundance of natural light, it was perfect. As my business grew, family life was constantly being disrupted by clients coming in, picking up their merchandise, coming in for a shoot, coming in for a consult etc.. Read more>>

Lisa Jenkins

It seems like another lifetime… Before I started Jenkins sunshine Farm LLC, I was selling insurance. Before that, I was selling school supplies and workshopping for teachers, and before that I was a teacher. All these jobs lead me to “the farm” in 2004. I have always enjoyed working with and helping people. I have always been creative, even as a child and made everything from paper to quilts. Read more>>

Yunisbel Pazos

It was a typical hot and sunny day in Miami in August 2013 when I was working for Groupon (as an account manager) visiting the businesses I had on my list to help sign them up to our promotion service. My next stop was at a sushi spot in Brickell, I had previously scheduled a meeting with the manager and was asked to come by at this time. I walked in and proceeded to ask for the manager. He greeted me and asked me to sit down at a table nearby for us to talk. Read more>>

Elizabeth Cervantes

The idea stared when my mother began having hair loss. I was braiding her hair and she made a comment about how her hair was thinning out. I used to work at a spa and went to school for exfoliating, oils, services and benefits that it can all serve to you. So I decided to take it into my hand and go to the store and buy oils to make her a hair oil that will possibly help her hair grow! (no harm no foul) The first week we began to see baby hair, the second week her hair started growing even faster in the areas that she has not seen her in a while. Read more>>

Rob Lohman

As an entrepreneur, I have had to learn to “build the plane in the air.” Others tend to wait until the plane looks shiny and is all ready to go before the initial take off. LIFTED From The Rut is more of a calling, than a business. You might say it is a businistry … where business meets ministry. You see, my story involves addiction, mental health, recovery and transformation. My story is one of failures, successes, roadblocks and bulldozers. A story of triumphantly overcoming barriers only to be better on the other side. Read more>>

Keren Eldad

Like most things I have done in my life, I was only interested in coaching at the highest standard, and for that – there is only one ordinance, which is gold standard in our industry, the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Though I hold several other coaching course accreditations including credentials and certificates from the University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Strategic Breakthrough Coaching (Tony Robbins and Magali Peysha’s program) and more – the ICF gave me real discipline, a body of ethics and standards and a wonderful community that helps me continue to sharpen my skills each year. Read more>>