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.
Shasta Smith
My story started with little more than a vision and a vinyl cutter in my grandmother’s kitchen. That kitchen table is honestly iconic , and a saving grace. What began as a small T-shirt hustle turned into FYAB, a boutique brand that now wholesales to 50+ stores and serves a massive community of women who’ve become family. Read More>>
Danielle Allen
The idea of a podcast is pretty simple, but booking quality guests, editing the episode in a meaningful way, creating the marketing content, managing schedules and posting content is the tricky part. Read More>>
Yasmin Hilsdon
I was actually at my first ever retreat, I hit a massive rock bottom at 22 years old. I had gone through a really awful break up, I had been backpacking for 3 months and the day before entering the retreat I was in a big bike accident in Bali. I went into that retreat a very broken person and I had to build myself back up emotionally, physically and mentally. I was a girl in her early 20s travelling on her own and this retreat was the first time I had the space to truly think about what I wanted to do with my life. Read More>>
Percival Ambeau
The idea of Woke Worship Center came in a moment of obedience to what God placed on my heart. For a while, I felt the call to do more, to say more, to be more. I knew my voice was meant to be heard in greater spaces than what I was currently doing. At the time, I had a TV show called “Your Gift Matters!”—and while it was impactful, I knew there was still more. More healing to be done. More truth to be spoken. Read More>>
Amanda Russo
I launched my business in 2023 after receiving my certification in Breathwork Detox, but the seed was planted long before that. Breathwork had completely changed my life. I had experienced how it could calm the nervous system, clear the mind, and help people reconnect to themselves in a way that’s hard to put into words. And I knew I had to share it. Read More>>
Munira Zahabi
The idea for my business didn’t hit all at once. It grew quietly through frustration, curiosity, and years of experience. As someone who’s always been passionate about communication, I kept seeing a pattern: brilliant entrepreneurs with life-changing stories were staying invisible—not because they lacked value, but because they didn’t know how to share it or where to show up. Read More>>
Michelle Nguyen
I’ve been a lash artist since 2008 and have worn lashes myself for over a decade. But a few years ago, I developed an allergy to traditional lash glue. It was frustrating. I had spent my entire career in the lash industry, and suddenly, I couldn’t wear the very thing I loved. Because I’m sensitive to a lot of products, I turned to cluster lashes as a gentler alternative. But they weren’t perfect either: they were uncomfortable, stiff, and just didn’t feel like something I would want to wear every day. Read More>>
Kera Sanchez
The idea for Get Griefy came to me—like so many creative sparks do—in the shower. Something about that quiet space made me realize there needed to be a place for honest conversations about grief, and I knew I wanted to create it. The moment I stepped out, I didn’t wait. I walked straight to my computer and wrote the very first ‘Letter from the Editor’. I didn’t have a background in publishing or journalism—I simply claimed the role and got to work. Read More>>
Dan Myrick
My directing partner at the time, Ed Sanchez, and I came up with the basic concept in film school at the University of Central Florida. After graduation, we teamed up with Producer, Gregg Hale, who put in some of his own money to help out with creating a “pitch reel” that we used to solicit investors. Over time, we managed to raise a little money, just enough to cast and shoot the film. Read More>>
Esther Couch
It all started with a burden on my heart. I remember sitting with my Bible one day, reflecting on the state of young women around me—how many were hungry for truth, for sisterhood, for a space where they could grow spiritually but didn’t quite know where to go. I kept hearing the phrase “be salt and light” echo in my spirit. That verse in Matthew came alive in a new way, and I knew—I was being called to help create that space. Read More>>
Mikki Priddy-Maki
I had been at my old company for about 5 years. For a lot of us our work changed after COVID. I lost my spark, the business was different, and there was a lot of change within my shop that I wasn’t happy with anymore. One day I came home from work and asked my now husband “what if I just opened my own place?” I told everyone for years I would NEVER open a spot. Too much hassle, too much overhead, too much stress. I told him well the worst that could happen is I hate it and I start over again. Read More>>
Cori Laska
From a Single Bloom to a Thriving Community
It all started with flowers.
I’ve always had a passion for creating but there was something about flowers that felt different. They speak a universal language of beauty, healing, and intention. What began as a simple joy arranging blooms for friends and family slowly turned into a deeper calling. I realized I didn’t just want to make beautiful things. Read More>>
Gadrien Williams
Every idea starts from the mind. I’ll sit and think about an idea for months or weeks before I start writing it all out on paper. When Ghetto Global was first formed it was something we talked about, it wasn’t until I was in prison when the meaning or definition came to be. Read More>>
Royanne DeSilva
I was working as an international flight attendant when the idea first sparked. One day, mid-flight, I noticed the plane was filled with travel groups from tour companies in China. It hit me—after fulfilling my childhood dream of traveling the world, I wanted to help others experience the joy of travel too, but in a way that was stress-free and seamless. Read More>>
Odera Akachukwu
January 4, 2023 – A Life-Changing Night
Four days before my wedding in Abuja, Nigeria, I found myself in an ICU bed—poisoned by counterfeit alcohol. The doctor’s warning back in the U.S. was stark: “Stay away from alcohol or risk your life.” As I walked down the aisle on January 7th, I carried a renewed purpose: to build something that celebrated life, not endangered it. Read More>>
Andrei Tone
Plano Videographer | Video Production Company in Plano | Plano Video Production Companies
You know, Tone Films didn’t start with a camera — it started with a conversation. I was sitting at a coffee shop in Plano, watching a brand video online that made me feel absolutely nothing. I remember thinking, “This could’ve been powerful… if someone just told the story right.” That was the spark. Read More>>