We LOVE a good story, especially when it’s a heartwarming one. Below, you’ll hear some amazing stories from incredible business owners, practitioners, and creatives and artists.

Kristen Miller

I founded a non-profit organization, Memory Makers of the Midsouth, that provides free programs for those with dementia and their caregivers called the Memory Cafe. We have 9 Memory Cafes that each meet monthly, so that is 9 times per month I get a first-hand look at the effect our program has on our participants. It’s very heartwarming to see them laughing and sharing stories, doing art projects, etc. without worrying if they’ll say or do the wrong thing. At our November Memory Cafes our topic of discussion was Thanksgiving, and we did a group project of making a “gratitude quilt” that included all the things we were thankful for. Read more>>

Leah Welborn

Last year I was contacted by a frantic woman. Her husband was in crisis and a mutual friend (and Reiki client of mine) suggested he try an emergency session with me. And here’s how I know Reiki is a real thing: I knew Reiki could help him. It wasn’t a “me” thing, I was simply a conduit. I was the right healer at the right time. He and I had a virtual session and it was the impetus he needed to turn his energy around. I’m grateful to have been the channel for that.  Read more>>

Charnay Brandon

A few years ago, I decided to stand on Venice Beach Boardwalk with a simple sign that read: “Free Hugs.” It was a spontaneous decision that came from a deep place within me, fueled by the desire to bring a little comfort into the world. I didn’t anticipate the profound impact that gesture would have on me and the many people I met that day. Read more>>

Halima Tajiri Shelton

The idea of starting Tajiri’s kitchen Swahili flavor came up 10 years ago after I had moved to Saudi Arabia to live with my husband. I was a housewife, and I figured out what I would do at the comfort of my house during my free time. Since I love cooking, I started taking photos and videos of every meal i prepared. I opened both YouTube and facebook channel accounts whereby I would share my recipes, photos, and videos. Read more>>

Bo Turner

I’ve co-owned a social media marketing agency for the past 4 years and looking for something different to do, I found these fun dating events in LA and NYC on Instagram. As a married person, I couldn’t attend the events, and I wanted a way t0 support my single friends who were tired of the dating apps, seeing the same people on there and they were tired of the bad first dates. So I reached out to a company in LA to chat and the rest is history! Read more>>

Malika Hadley Freydberg

The idea for the tour company was a direct offshoot of working for two of the biggest companies in New Orleans as a walking tour guide. In a city that is demographically over 60% African American, the tour guide population is overwhelmingly predominantly Caucasian, resulting in the majority of the Voodoo/Vodou tours being led by non-initiates. In addition to the information being shared about this African Traditional Religion being somewhat suspect as it was not coming from people with firsthand knowledge, these are people who live largely outside of African American culture. Read more>>

Matt Mccune

When I came up with the idea to start an insurance agency, I was in a difficult spot. I had trouble finding jobs in the marketing field that I could grow in and be excited about. I always wanted to start my own business but had no idea what I could do. I found the insurance industry was reliable and fairly recession proof, which came in handy because I obtained my licenses right before the pandemic. At this point I had nothing to fall back on, so there was no choice but for this to work. Insurance and financial products have a stigma attached to them, so I have developed a unique approach to helping families by treating them as family and coming up with unique approaches to meet their long term financial goals. Read more>>

Nashville Collective

When Madeline and I (Bonnie) both moved to Nashville from out of state, we connected through social media and instantly hit it off. Eager to meet new people, network, and attend exciting events, we came up with the idea to create Nashville Collective. After designing a logo and branding, we turned to the platform that brought us together—social media. We launched an Instagram account, started posting, and our brand quickly gained momentum. Within six months, Nashville Collective saw remarkable growth, leading to collaborations with major brands like Dyson, Aperol Spritz, and others! More than just a social club, Nashville Collective has become a welcoming community that unites local businesses, influencers, and organizations. Read more>>

Mikaela Miranda

One day I was on TikTok and I saw something called Ugc. I had no idea what it was And I was super interested on seeing how it worked because it seemed very different from being an influencer. I was working at a restaurant at the time and I wanted to be my own. I’ve always had a love for beauty and things of that nature as well as a love for content, creation, and filming! So I figured this was absolutely perfect. As I did more research, I started to build my portfolio and I was on the way to getting my first client within the first month! It has definitely been an up and downhill battle, but I have built my Ugc business and through that I have found my love for filming in person. Read more>>

Jeff Lewis

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved to hike, bike, explore, and so many other things that involve spending time outside. With that comes the gift of getting to see so many amazing places, and experiencing nature at its best. When I would come back, everyone would ask me things like, “how was it?” and I would find myself struggling to answer. How DO I tell them in a sentence what I experienced? I quickly developed a love for taking pictures of these incredible things I’d experience in the wild. It became my language, my way of sharing my love for the things in my life. Read more>>

Priya Srini

Hi, I am Priya. I am a Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer. This is how it all started, sometimes, life has a way of gently nudging you toward what you’re meant to do. My journey into photography wasn’t something I planned, and yet, looking back, it feels like it was always meant to be. Read more>>

Imani G

The idea for Anti-Weeb Fashion was born from a unique blend of passion, personal experience, and a deep desire to redefine the way anime/nerd culture is perceived and celebrated. I noticed a significant gap in how anime culture intersects with fashion and individuality. Growing up, I experienced the societal stigma often associated with being an anime fan—commonly labeled as “cringy” or overly obsessive. This perception was something I knew didn’t reflect the nuanced and diverse community of anime enthusiasts I was a part of. Read more>>

Artesha Murray

Thank you for the opportunity to share the story behind Pretty Society. It’s a journey rooted in personal experience, a clear need I saw in the market, and a deep desire to empower women. Let me paint the picture for you. Read more>>

Ariana Galante

I decided to become a psychotherapist my junior year of college….I wanted to become someone that gave back to others in a way that’s sacred and meaningful….(i also wanted to be my own boss). Of course, the journey to get there is not an easy feat as I had to do a lot of grunge work to get to where I am now, & I still have a bit to go. I knew it was a worthwhile endeavor because I love what I do. I wanted to build upon my greatest strengths and implement it somewhere worthwhile. Read more>>

Jada Robinson

The idea for my business truly began during the chaos and uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic. Like so many parents, I found myself navigating the challenges of a suddenly virtual world, trying to balance work, home life, and my children’s education. I have two daughters, and seeing how the closure of schools and daycare centers was affecting their ability to learn really weighed on me. I could feel the frustration, the loss of connection, and the growing gap in educational opportunities for young students, especially during those formative years. Read more>>

Julianne Palumbo

Since our family’s move to Texas three years ago, Marina has studied to become a natural health professional, and I have felt drawn to focus my energies on the effects of natural living on our health. As a family, we discovered that there are many natural ways to take our health back and began to pursue them. Step by step, we “cleaned up” our bodies, choosing real foods over processed foods and reducing our exposure to hormone disrupting chemicals and other toxins by replacing our cooking pans, home cleaning products, beauty products, and clothing. Read more>>

Shakeyla Randall

The idea for my children’s book was born from a deeply moving moment with my oldest child. After getting into trouble, he anxiously asked if God still loved him. The concern and look on his face sparked a heartfelt conversation between us. As he was learning to read, I searched for books that explained God’s love in a way he could understand but found none. Realizing there was a need, I decided to create one myself. What began as a personal project has since been published and is inspiring children worldwide. “How God Sees Us” reassures toddlers that God does not define them by their mistakes, with characters inspired by my three children. Partnering with schools in Nigeria from Houston has confirmed that this was a worthwhile endeavor. Read more>>

Sadija Smiley

The idea for my business was born from the most heartbreaking moment of my life—the stillbirth of my daughter. I carried her for nine months, feeling her every kick and imagining the life we’d share together, only to leave the hospital with empty arms and a broken heart. Holding her in my arms, I made a promise that her life, though brief, would have meaning. I realized how isolating and unsupported families feel after experiencing pregnancy or infant loss, and I wanted to create a community where no one would have to grieve alone. Read more>>

Liz Lyon

I always loved photography- especially nature and landscape. When I started my business I really wanted to create my own way in life- be my own boss, make my own hours and spend as much time with my family as possible. So I left my teaching job in 2018 and told my husband to trust me! Haha Read more>>

Darbe Canady

For years, I ran my own designer custom clothing line under my label, Malibu Darbe. While I loved creating, I started noticing a major gap in the market here in San Diego—especially for women looking for a chic and elevated shopping experience. Most local vintage shops leaned toward costumey clothing, while bigger retailers like Zara left stylish young women with similar wardrobes, wearing the same trends as everyone else. Having spent so much time in places like Los Angeles and New York, where vintage shopping is a natural part of the culture, I realized San Diego was missing something: a space where women could invest in their wardrobes through curated, timeless secondhand pieces. Read more>>

Jordan Yaklin

We serve gamers. Our services are specifically tailored to empower sedentary gamers to reclaim their health, lose weight, and build the confidence to finally become the main character of their lives.

I have always been a nerd/gamer. I remember getting my first FatBoy gameboy when I was 3 years old and it was really game over when I received a green GameBoy Color with Pokemon Yellow for my 4th birthday. I’ve been hooked every since. Read more>>

Laura Wissa

Prom Beach started out as a passion project in March of 2020 just before the COVID lockdown. I was speaking with a friend on the phone and while we were chatting away, her daughter, who was a Senior in High School, learned her prom had been cancelled. As you can imagine, she was very upset and disappointed. As the conversation continued, I realized for this young lady this was a moment in time she was never going to get back – a Senior in high school attending Senior Prom. From there, my mind went to the teens that I have worked with through Junior League of the Palm Beaches, Boys and Girls Club and other organizations I am involved in, and realized these teens are missing out on important high school milestone moments due to costs. Read more>>

Katie Tackman

I went to college at Drexel University in Philadelphia to study photography with the idea that I wanted to work for a magazine in the future. My experience at school gave me the tools to express myself visually while still thinking about how to make a living. But after I graduated, I could not find a job related to photography and I wasn’t ready to jump into freelance quite yet. So I had the crazy idea to go work on a tall ship schooner! It was one of the best decisions I ever made and I still think back and wonder how I had the gumption to just throw myself out there. Read more>>

Alexa Mulvihill

I have always been the friend that everyone goes to for advice. It even happens with complete strangers. I’ll come home and tell my husband how the cashier at the store, a mom I’ve never met before, or someone sitting next to me ended up sharing their life story with me. I’ve always loved helping people work through their problems and find clarity. Even in high school, my friends would call me “the mom” of the group. Read more>>

Patty Ward

The taste of fresh garden food! Really, there’s nothing better than a garden tomato or watermelon. My husband and I both grew up gardening and we both love eating from the garden.

As a child, my family planted a vegetable and flower garden each year. I worked in the garden with my mom. We pulled weeds, picked off unwanted pests, and harvested food from the garden. And then when visiting my grandparents, I spent hours picking and eating fresh raspberries. They had over an acre of raspberries on their property and it was pure heaven! I could taste the difference and knew I always wanted to have a garden. Read more>>

Lika Torline

The Birth of In The Weeds: A Story of Resilience, Passion, and Purpose

In May 2010, I graduated from Texas State University – San Marcos with a degree in Consumer Sciences in Interior Design and a minor in Technology. The future looked bright, but life had other plans. The economy was struggling, and finding a job in my field was nearly impossible. Eventually, I landed a physically demanding role as an assistant display manager at a furniture store, tasked with creating stunning displays across a three-acre showroom. It was tough work, but I loved it—until a workplace injury changed everything. Read more>>

Angela Johnson

Glimmers Clothing was inspired by my journey to find light during some of life’s darkest times. Growing up in the FLDS community, I faced challenges that shaped me in ways I never expected. When I found freedom and began building a new life with my husband, Cade, and our children, I learned to cherish the small glimmers of hope and joy that helped me keep going. Read more>>

Martin Slyngstad

A quick backstory to how Spire Autism. Watching the news after seeing teachers hit and drag special needs students out of the classroom, it really upset me. then after some thought, Spire Autism came to be. I felt it would work because hearing from an autistic person who went through mainstream school along with the difficulties faced, I provide valuable tips and training for teachers as part of what I offer with my company. after my first training session, I received great feedback from instructors and was invited back to train different school districts. Read more>>

Tina Miller

As a survivor of childhood trauma, rape, domestic violence, addictions and mental health issues, I struggled terribly in high school to focus on academics. Overwhelmed by learning disabilities and ADHD, forced to sit in a chair for 6 hours a day and try to listen to a teacher surrounded by constant distractions was torturous for me. Not to mention, emotionally, I was an absolute mess! Read more>>

Yisrael Lawrence

I can honestly say that music has been something I’ve wanted to do since childhood. From recording s9ngs on the radio using a tape recorder, to me creating my own music. I guess I always wanted to give the same feelings back that I got from listening to songs from DMX, to Jay-Z, Nas, etc. Read more>>

Dr. Lolita Cleveland

Caring for someone other than myself became a big responsibility moving from one state to another to ensure my love one was provided for, supported and able to live their latter years as their best years. In the midst of this decision my life took adjustments. In navigating this adjustments I found myself assisting others with launching their business or nonprofit. They needed guidance, direction, strategies on how to start and what was required to start. After doing this for a couple of years my clientele base of referrals increased. Read more>>

Julianna Writing As Lalalalawriting

While I started writing songs and short stories from a young age, I came up with the idea for my first book, When in Rome, from a dream. In the dream, it was summertime. I was painting a large canvas in a backstage room in a small theater. The air was hot and sticky with humidity. I shrugged off my sweatshirt and started painting in my bra. Then, a boy walked into the room and his eyes went from my face to my chest and back up again. I have never painted murals in my bra, nor been to Rome, Italy, but I turned that little dream into a popular boy meets shy girl forced proximity high school romance novel. Read more>>