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. 

Elaine Lankford

Honestly, the idea didn’t arrive on a sunny afternoon with a fully formed business plan. It came out of a season of wrestling. Around 2008, I was a nurse practitioner — a seasoned healthcare professional with 16+ years of clinical leadership under my belt — and I unfortunately experienced the roughest year of my life. Read More>>

Tavares Beverly

My path to entrepreneurship wasn’t something I planned from the beginning. I originally pursued acting and performance, and through that experience I developed an appreciation for storytelling, production, and the creative process. Read More>>

Chloe Lenihan

SMILE…the Worst is Yet to Come is a dramatic comedy about infertility, expectations, and the many ways life challenges our definition of success. The project actually began when my friend and longtime collaborator, Joseph Mancuso, approached me with an early version of the script and invited me to help develop it with him. Read More>>

Courtney Harris

CSH Interiors Design started as something that felt less like a random business idea and more like the natural evolution of who I had always been. I’ve always been an artist first. Before interiors, my background was in fashion design, fine arts, styling, and visual storytelling. Read More>>

Ambassador Mercy Ifeanyi Nwachukwu

Waaau!!’ first I appreciate your organization for your dedication and service to humanity as your publications about me and my work over the years has been amazing and tremendous because it has not only announced my works and personality it has also given me a wide coverage and learning experience from other peoples work and the relationships and contacts I have had from this relationship with your works thank you Read More>>

Sharae Hardy

How Pen & Purpose Coaching Came to Life Honestly? I thought it was a crazy idea. I remember sitting with the thought of becoming a coach and almost laughing at myself. Me? My life is messy. I struggle. I have hard days, complicated seasons, moments where I’m not sure which direction is up. Read More>>

Jerrell Riley

My journey started during the Covid pandemic. During this time, as everybody in the world sat home, I sat behind my laptop with boredom- just like everybody else but coupled with inspiration and time on my hands. I started illustrating digital portraits of prominent figures in my home country of Trinidad and Tobago every single day of the pandemic. Read More>>

1Professor

Going from idea to execution with my music career as a brand was a timely process but not so difficult once a team to back me was obtained Read More>>

Ernest Tate

When I started Tate’s School of Fitness, it didn’t begin with a detailed business plan—it began with a passion for helping people improve their health, confidence, and quality of life through fitness. As a personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach, I spent years working with individuals who wanted to lose weight, improve athletic performance, or simply become healthier. Read More>>

Stevii Mills

My journey into entrepreneurship did not begin with a perfect plan. It began with a desire to create something meaningful and a willingness to take action before I had everything figured out. I have always enjoyed communication, marketing, and helping people connect the dots between where they are and where they want to be. Read More>>

Essa Cole

Back in 2023 we decided to open up a food truck! We brought Nashville style chicken to our area, we were the first to bring the true style and it took off! Since being featured in your magazine our first year, things have been amazing! We are now going into our 4th year, and opening a brick and mortar location. Read More>>

From Idea to Execution: Bringing a Creative Vision to Life Sometimes the best opportunities begin with a simple conversation. What started as a friendly collaboration offer from a model and former client eventually became a creative project that reminded me of the importance of taking action. When she first pitched the idea, I was honored. Read More>>

Timothy Russell

I have been a yoga teacher and personal trainer for 2 years and an athlete for life. Health and wellness has always been important to me but within the past year I had the realization that the community is what I am truly passionate about. Read More>>

Steven Elias

From Idea to Execution: The Journey of JASE Designs When people see a finished sign, a custom banner, or a perfectly installed decal, they often see the final product—but they don’t see the journey behind it. The story of JASE Designs is a story of turning an idea into action, embracing hard work, and building something meaningful for my family and future. Read More>>

Jeffery Lakes

Cards Cash Rewards started from a very simple observation: gift cards are everywhere, but most of them are passive. Someone buys one, gives it away, spends it, and the relationship usually ends there. Read More>>

Mir Perkins

My business didn’t start with a grand business plan. It started with crochet hooks, yarn, and a lot of life happening around me. Crochet became more than a hobby for me. It became a coping skill, a creative outlet, and a way to keep moving through some of the hardest seasons of my life. Read More>>

Natalie Born

I never set out thinking, ‘I’m going to start a business.’ My career began in product development, innovation, and corporate leadership roles where I spent years helping organizations solve complex problems, launch new products, and navigate change. Read More>>

Pili Nemer

COVID gave me the push to start my own online business helping women live a healthier and sustainable life. I was working in person at different gyms taking people through hour long workouts but that wasn’t filling up my cup, I wasn’t making real change so when then pandemic started, it forced me and 6 years later, we are still going strong and growing! Read More>>