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.

Courtnee Maxey

I’ve always been a creator at heart. I’ve written music, done makeup and built businesses from scratch, but baking was something that unlocked a different kind of creativity for me. There was a time where I baked just for fun but then I decided to blend my love for creativity, precision, and presentation. That’s how CH₂OH Dessert Lab was born. Read More>>

Abigail Matthew

Five years ago, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but I knew I loved making people happy. I thought a lot about how I could turn that into something meaningful, and that’s how I started Abbys Surprise. Planning/Decorating events and surprises to create moments where people feel loved and celebrated. While building Abbys Surprise, I realized I wasn’t really done. Read More>>

Scott Thomas

I’ve always been fascinated by perspective — how changing the way you look at something can completely transform what you see. That curiosity is really what led me into aerial imaging. Before Sky360 Aerial Media officially existed, I was simply out capturing the world from above, experimenting with drones, angles, light, and motion — trying to tell a story that the ground just couldn’t. Read More>>

Angel Martinez

Resilient Tint: It started with me tinting cars outside in my old Buford Hwy apartments, just trying to make something out of nothing. I didn’t have a real plan at first. just an idea that I could build something of my own. The first few weeks were all trial and error. Read More>>

Michael Hering

I didn’t start with a business plan — I started with a camera and a problem to solve. I was already working in video production and live events, but I kept running into the same issue: clients were paying premium prices for work that didn’t connect their message to their audience. It was all execution, no intention. Read More>>

Windell Dobson

The idea for Dobwin Art came during one of those reflective moments — a realization that my art was more than canvas and color; it was a language, a bridge between emotion and design. I envisioned a brand that would merge fine art with interior luxury — where every piece could elevate a space while still speaking deeply to the soul. Read More>>

Courtney Barnett

FastingHouse Naturals began after a life-changing trip to Iceland in 2019. I was deeply inspired by how intentionally people there lived sustainably, simply, and always in rhythm with nature. When I came home, I started paying closer attention to what I was using on my body and in my home. Read More>>

Matt Schalsey

I had this idea as a side hustle to help optimize what questions were being asked in interviews. We had a widget concept and the prototype ready to go then it happened. My full time job had eliminated my role. There I was now my side hustle needed to be my main hustle. Read More>>

Kevin Jones

I’ve always had a passion for electronics since a young kid. My first job out of college was with a major wireless carrier and after traveling, learning logistics, and what customers love I decided to jump on my dream and start my own business to create generational wealth for my kids and have a great work life balance. Read More>>

Rachael Stauffer

I was working a 9–5 job in Colorado for about three years and found myself craving a creative outlet. Walking into my cubicle day after day started to wear on me, and I missed the sense of creativity I had back in high school and college, when I’d taken ceramics and fashion design classes. Read More>>

Taylor Austin

From the moment I enrolled in esthetics school, I was all-in on specializing in Sugaring, a unique hair removal method. I became certified before graduating because it wasn’t available in my area. Working for someone briefly after school was valuable ; I learned what I wanted and what I wanted to avoid. Read More>>

Austin Spitzenberger

I actually started as a vacation rental owner first. I bought my first property here in Central Texas and just became obsessed with learning how to run it the right way. I got really good at managing my own place — to the point where it started outperforming most of the local competition. Read More>>

Kenyatta Nicole

My journey really started long before I ever knew I’d be a business owner. I was around twelve when my mom, Nora, took me to the salon for my very first haircut and color. I remember how that moment made me feel—beautiful, confident, and seen. From that day on, I knew there was something powerful about helping women feel good about themselves through their hair. Read More>>

Tawanay Bryant

Here is a story of how SB Management & Marketing was founded, based on the journey of its founder, Tawanay Bryant. *** The story of SB Management & Marketing doesn’t start in a boardroom or with a stroke of venture capital. It starts with the end of one life-changing chapter and the beginning of another. Read More>>

Vince Hill

When I got started, I was working a very demanding job as an auditor for a Big 4 accounting firm, evaluating the strengths and internal controls of Fortune 100 publicly traded companies. But despite the prestige, I felt drained and defeated — climbing the ladder downward in search of “work-life balance.” Fresh out of college, I was already burned out after working 80-plus hour weeks.  Read More>>

Kelsey Stafford

I first got the idea to start my business while I was in college — though, truthfully, it wasn’t even my idea at first. My boyfriend at the time (now my husband) suggested that we start creating highlight videos for athletes. Initially, I wasn’t interested in starting a business. Read More>>

Drew St. Laurent

I started during COVID after losing my sales job selling construction equipment. I bought a drone, earned my pilot’s license, and began filming aerial footage under the name HighPeaks Aerial Imagery. What began as a small drone business quickly grew as more people saw the creative potential behind the work. Read More>>

Pattie Dale Tye

I had absolutely no idea that I would one day become an author — especially in the third stage of my career. But it seems God had other plans. In late 2022, I received a phone call from Forbes Books asking if I would consider putting my life’s work into print. Read More>>

Ryan Young

After winning six straight pro national championships in the sport of Moto Trials, I started teaching Trials Schools and started a business importing Trials products from Europe into USA. After selling the import business 5 years ago, I started a new company Ryan You g Trials Schools, RYTS focuses on teaching Trials techniques to Trials and Enduro riders all across the USA and Canada. Read More>>

Alek Lewis

I was a member at a big chain gym and I always thought I can definitely run a gym better than this! So I decided I was time to see if I could actually do it, I was remodeling homes so I had time in-between jobs to get it started so I sold my house !! Read More>>

Stacia Lynch

Scenic Locations Leisure Travel didn’t start as a grand plan, it started with a job ad. I was decompressing from corporate life after years as a healthcare administrator when I saw an opening about becoming a travel advisor. I thought, “I could do that,” so I applied. Read More>>

Paul Flashnick

On February 1, 2020, The Challalujah Bakery opened a unique-to-Arkansas bakery in downtown Centerton, Arkansas. On our Grand Opening Day on Saturday Feb 1, we sold out within two hours, then on Sunday we sold out within three hours. Read More>>

Mike Waldron

Leaving behind a stable federal career was one of the hardest choices I have ever made. On paper, I had security and a clear retirement path ahead of me, but inside I felt like I was not making the difference I wanted to. Worse, I often felt forced to do things that went against my values. Read More>>

Tyron Woods

Founder: [Tyron Woods] I’m originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and I moved to Atlanta in 2018 to build the future I always imagined for myself. My entrepreneurial journey actually began during winter break of my first year at Bethune-Cookman University. Read More>>

Andrew Finesilver

I started riding my bike in mountain bike and road bike competitions when I was in Highschool. I loved riding and my team and I rode hundreds of miles each week for training. Eventually I enlisted in the Air Force but I kept riding. I had the thought to start a bike shop but while in the military I did not have time or opportunity. Read More>>

Carlos Harleaux

I started my LLC, 7th Sign Consulting in 2023. The idea came after 10 years of running my own publishing company, 7th Sign Publishing. I wanted to still help people but from a bird’s eye view. I started studying pros and cons about LLCs and decided it was the way for me to go, as I entered the consulting space. Read More>>

DeMesha Watson

“ There was a moment when I had nothing but faith, and that’s when I decided to create the life I knew I deserved.” I started my journey with just $427, a heavy heart, and a relentless desire to change my life. November 2020 I walked away from the post office with just $427 to my name and a dream that felt bigger than me. Read More>>

Ricardo Tippitt

It all started with a simple idea to create a business that connects people, opportunities, and resources in a way that helps companies grow smarter and stronger. WealthLink National Enterprise Solutions was born out of a vision to build a bridge between ambition and execution. Read More>>

India J

Honestly, India J Designs started out as a creative outlet before it became a full business. I’ve always had an eye for visuals and branding I would find myself redoing logos, flyers, and layouts just for fun. Read More>>

Square Business Kev o

I really stumbled into starting my business. A guy I knew from high school was opening a studio and asked me if I can run his instagram for him. One thing lead to another and artist that were coming to the studio asked if we shot music videos. Read More>>

Lara Levine

At the end of 2019 as I was about to complete Yoga Teacher training, I literally woke up with the crazy thought that I needed to open a Salt Cave where I could offer a space for people to relax, rejuvenate, and restore their bodies and minds. I had only been to one other salt cave (in another state) and knew zero about starting this kind of business! Read More>>

Zackary Bull

It all really started in college when I launched my own clothing brand. I had no roadmap—just an obsession with design, culture, and building something from nothing. Teaching myself everything from top to bottom. That brand ended up opening a door I didn’t expect: a scholarship to FIDM in Los Angeles. Read More>>

Angeleta Thornton

As a creative, I recently achieved a major milestone: publishing my first novel, Standing at a Crossroad. What many don’t know is that the book has a history of stops, starts, and an unexpected transformation powered by personal resilience. Read More>>

Fanny Seimandi

My husband Julien and I are a French couple who spent ten years living in Martinique, in the French Caribbean. I was a judge, and he was an engineer, when we decided to open a contemporary art gallery in the United States, one that would showcase Caribbean artists whose work had deeply moved us. Read More>>

Jodi Bowersox

I’m going to walk you through the process I went through to create my latest book, Time Agents: Alterations. The previous book, Time Agents: Deceptions left my Time Agent, Read More>>