A dad can’t find a bakery to make a birthday cake that can accommodate his daughter’s allergy-related needs. Two freelancers realize they need a way to organize all of their client contracts and can’t find software that adequately handles their use case. Necessity is often hailed as the mother of innovation – but not all ideas come from necessity. Unfortunately, in our experience, often media coverage of the ideas that powered amazing businesses and projects often stops at a very superficial level. The founders noticed a need and boom – idea. Often the ideation process has a much longer, more complex story and so we’ve asked some entrepreneurs and creatives we admire to go into detail about their ideation stories.

Clara Bauman

My career path has been non-linear; it has been a journey through teaching in NYC public schools, working in higher ed, and years of circling around two questions: how do I make art my career, and how can I work in service of others? Back in the winter of 2021, I was working as a public school art teacher in Brooklyn. It was the height of the pandemic and every day in the classroom was difficult; Read more>>

Jazmine Hall

Growing up, I was taught that I always needed to have a job; “if you don’t work, you don’t eat”. So, I did just that until 2020. During the pandemic, my corporate bank job sent copious amounts of computer equipment to their employees’ homes, attempting to make the change in economy and social life as normal as possible. I was not only working full time, I also was a student in college, working on my bachelor’s degree in psychology. Read more>>

Stephanie Milosh

Beauty & the Budget Events began after I fell in love with the wedding experience while planning my own wedding in 2017, and maybe this makes me a cliche, but I got hooked. Less than a month after my wedding, I was sitting at the same office worked at since graduating from NC State in 2014, bored out of my mind, and the business name popped into my head. I’d never considered being a business owner before, but I became totally captivated by the idea and couldn’t wait to get started. Read more>>

Richard Tomlin.

My story, I’m sure is not unlike many in the automotive world, I just don’t share it often, what started as a hobby, became a lifelong obsession and business. I began racing in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), the largest automotive racing club in the world. Over the years I built and rebuilt my 1985 BMW E30 constantly improving it for racing, and I was seeing good results on the track, which quickly caught the attention of other drivers. Soon after other racers were coming to me asking me to tune, service, and race prep their cars. Read more>>

Jessica Heffinger

It’s a GIRL! The first time-expecting parents scream in excitement and begin making all the phone calls to family, social media posts, texting friends so others can share in the excitement. Little did they know that excitement at 15 weeks gestation would drastically change a few weeks later. Read more>>

Matthew Hamilton

From a very young age I knew school wasn’t for me. It was just not the type of environment I learned best in. While in high school I began to do video editing for fun and over time people began to pay me to do it for them. Who would have thought I could make money doing something creative?! At that point I was also spending a lot of time in the music scene in Philadelphia. Read more>>

Anisha Angella

As a little girl, I always wanted to be a teacher. After college and university, I went right into it and discovered my passion for early education. Often overlooked, early education is the foundation of our society and economy. While teaching, I also discovered another passion – empowering educators. I played many leadership roles in the ECE field, where my focus was empowering educators. Still, as we know, leadership has a scale of other responsibilities that leaves empowering educators to the sideline. Read more>>

Joslyn Kump

Growing up I always had a passion for art, it was my favorite way to connect with myself. I was working a corporate job when I stumbled upon the process of inlay ring making. The form of art instantly resonated with me and I finally built up the courage to get some of the basic materials and take my best shot at it. I instantly fell in love with the ring making process, Read more>>

Jason Watts

So there is was, the year 2000 and I had just checked into 3rd Recon Battalion. Located on Camp Schwab, Okinawa. It’s my first day at my first duty station as 21 year old 0321 Reconnaissance Marine. After my initial admin check in, I was told to make my way over to my unit, Bravo Company, located in the center of a row of 1950’s era cement one story buildings. I was understandably nervous as this was my first day on the job after undergoing the better part of a year of intense training. Read more>>

Brandon Tucker.

I remember vividly wanting to capture the moments to show people “Look! this is right in front of us we just have to pay attention”. Once figuring out a camera existed and what they do, I couldn’t put it down! I wanted nothing more but to show people what I saw. When figuring out what I wanted to go to school for I instantly knew that photography was the way to go and getting to college I added graphic design to those sets of skills. Read more>>

Felicia Slaton-Young

I actually came up with the idea to start a Chamber of Commerce when I was actually looking to find more clients. I was a investment advisor working for Edward Jones, in 2015 and I wanted to join my local Chamber to source more clients. As I was looking to see if I could find where they were, when they meet, etc, I learned that there wasn’t one. Read more>>

Rhianon Brown

I started out as a wedding photographer and I was in that industry for 3 years. While I absolutely loved my couples, I didn’t love photographing weddings. I am a huge advocate for Mama Earth and I just hated being around all the waste created by weddings, and not being able to do much about it. It was starting to really wear on me, both mentally and physically (as weddings are extremely long days). Read more>>

Sara Haar

I first picked up a camera at the age of 16 years old. I knew I wanted to be a photographer, but I didn’t know which type of photography I wanted to specialize in, so I did everything I could. After a few years, my sister-in-law reached out to me and asked me if I wanted to do some boudoir portraits for her and I jumped at the opportunity. Since then, I’ve been specializing in boudoir portraits. Both solo, and couples’ portraits. Read more>>

Dianna Austin.

As a kid, I always had the passion for creating something I could call, “my own.” But, like most, I didn’t know how to start my own business and had no clue on what my niche would be. Due to these dilemmas, I put a pause on pursuing my small business dream and took the safe route and went to nursing school. Read more>>

Bailey Smith

I have always been an artist. Painting and drawing pretty much any chance I got. I eventually got bored with canvas and paper alone and wanted to try my hand at something new. That is when I found leather. I dabbled for a while and began learning the craft before ever starting my business. I tried tooling but it just was not for me so I decided to paint on it and it all clicked! Read more>>

Elizabeth Schenk

Let’s go back to May 2020. We got the phone call that a friend had died unexpectedly, and it was a total punch in the gut. We wanted to DO something for his family with meaning as an expression of our love and support. Food and flowers are the two most common sympathy gifts in the U.S. But flower arrangements wilt, and food expires. Read more>>

Emily Cass

I had inherited my grandmothers paints when I was a teen. I hung onto them because they were sentimental to me. They were left boxed away for years. Then as a young mom I craved ways to get out my creativity. I was always crafting and creating with my kids and for my kids but had very little time to invest in my own artistic endeavors. Read more>>

Sam Parker

I’m a communications consultant and writer, and 99% of my work happens in service of my clients. I adore my clients, but was craving a creative outlet where I could have complete artistic freedom to craft something that was fully my own. I am one of those people who frequently gets asked for advice or counsel; Read more>>

Catherine Serra

I quit my job (restaurant business) while I was pregnant with my third child and then shortly after having him I got pregnant again and really wanted a way I could help provide financially for my family. I have always loved creating things and so my husband and I just prayed that I’d be able to find something I could do at home, not really even having any type of direction. Read more>>

Mallory Allen

It’s always fun to say that you got to create your own job, but for me, that really happened! As a mom of two young kids, I had done freelance work and worked at our church preschool for several years, just to be there for my kids mostly. But I always craved doing something more. Read more>>

Shannon Leighty

The main service that I offer through my business, Dreaming Heart Ceramics, is customized Intuitive Crystal Ceramic Mugs. Each mug is created through the unique lens of my clairvoyant abilities/intuition and my knowledge of the chakra body. For each mug I tune into the clients energy and see where they are needing support in their healing process and then create a mug that compliments this for them. Read more>>

Brittany Koester

I became a business owner after losing my mom to cancer in 2017. I was working an office job but her death changed my entire life and inspired me to find my passion. I found that coffee is the best part of my day and so I decided to open a coffee business. I had never even worked in a coffee shop before but I quickly learned and started a mobile coffee business which I operated for several years. Read more>>

KiKi Tatum

My whole life I’ve always had a passion for knowledge. I’ve always wanted to know the deeper meaning in everything. I’m an optimist so I like to dream of the bigger picture and very talented in many things. Growing up i was always fascinated with being a boss or owning a business, at the time i didn’t know what “IT” was that I wanted to pursue in. So, I’ve dug a little deeper in journaling and began writing what i wanted in life and what I was really passionate and talented in and re-learning myself all over again. Read more>>

Shekina Moses

I absolutely love capturing images whether it’s of myself or others on my phone. My husband, who was my boyfriend at the time purchased me a Nikon camera in 2015. He recognized my love for taking pictures, and he was also tired of me taking images on his phone. Hilarious right! I would capture almost everything we did together to include family functions. Read more>>

Allister and Denise Hill

Imagine your 10-year-old son with the most bubbly personality, always the popular kid at school, and all around happy kid coming home from school telling you he didn’t feel special. As his parents we thought we were doing everything right to make him feel loved. Somehow we failed at making him feel good inside. Sometimes the biggest smile doesn’t mean your happy from within. Read more>>

Lauren Jewel

Ever since I was born, I was destined to be an entrepreneur. I grew up watching my father run a very successful screen printing and embroidery business, called Jewel & Company. Building not just one but two successful businesses during my lifetime. His vision began in the basement of his home back in the 70s which organically grew into a custom-built 4-million-dollar warehouse. All of which were done in 10 years or less. Read more>>

Jordan Miller

Coming up with the idea to go into film and video production wasn’t tough. I went to school for filmmaking and it’s something for which I have an unending fascination. I was a full time musician before I moved into this world and when it came to video I started by just making music videos and projects for my own amusement. As I started to transition to film more professionally, Read more>>

Sara Wood

I’ve worked in the restaurant industry since I was 14 and I’ve been a vegetarian my entire life. girlsgirlsgirls Burritos came out of my love of bicycling and good food with friends. It was 2016 and I was 29 working as a server and bartender in some local joints here in Lexington, Kentucky. I was bored with the limited vegetarian options for late-night and delivery food. And I LOVED riding my bike. Read more>>

Abbott & Dorian Crow & Kohl.

Abbott: Our idea first came up when Dorian was going to move in with me. He had moved from an entirely different state and we were discussing possible job options for him when I (Abbott) suggested the farmer’s market in town. We often joke that I tricked him into opening a bakery because I had already researched everything needed to get involved in the market that summer (cottage food licensing, vendor tents, fees, etc.). Read more>>

Susan Thomack

Our story starts in 2019 with Susan, she made it through some serious medical issues and quit drinking. She has been a lifelong crocheter but hadn’t crocheted in awhile and rediscovered how much joy it brought her. Then in 2020 Susan was furloughed from her full time job because of COVID-19 and had a lot of time her hands and started making more and more beautiful crochet goods to give as presents etc. Read more>>

Lindsay Niedringhaus

I didn’t start out thinking I wanted to begin a marketing firm. Rather, I left my full-time job knowing it wasn’t fulfilling but also not knowing what was next. I reached out to past clients and friends and told them I could freelance write or create marketing strategies. The result was an outpouring of “Yes!” Quickly I had more clients than I could manage, so I began to hire people to help. Read more>>

Frengy Alvarado

The most important migratory phenomenon in recent years is the migration of Venezuelans. Many of us migrated and we did not have anyone to wait for us or to guide us, we felt alone, very alone. And I was one of those Venezuelans alone, in an unknown country with a different climate, an unknown language and a job that I never thought I would do. Read more>>

Zenobia Dyson

In 2018, I was diagnosed with a skin condition called Central Centrifugal Cicatrical Alopecia (CCCA) which is a hair loss that is very common in African American women. My dermatologist had advised my hair loss would become aggressive and would continue to fall out until completely bald. There is no cure for alopecia! I started my hair journey with many injections to my scalp which was very painful without results. Read more>>

Etta Noriega

I started self publishing because I had written this manuscript and I thought it was such a great story but when I went and looked at the requirements that publishing companies wanted for their stories mine didn’t fit. I felt like an outcast, or like maybe my idea for my manuscript wasn’t good enough to be considered urban fiction. Read more>>

Karen Morris

To be a fashion designer has been my dream since I was six. Since my home town Hong Kong is a more business and finance-oriented city, I chose Business Administration as a major in University. After graduation, I had been working in marketing and sourcing companies for eight years, until I met my husband, Jeff in 2008 and it changed my career and life. Read more>>

Kenya Winckler

Let’s rewind to March 2020 where I was working at 16 handles in manhattan because my born place The Bronx, NY. I got laid off from 16 handles leaving me unemployed, worrisome and inspired. I saw a black woman who owned a cosmetics business called Moon x Cosmetics and her business success of earning 1 million dollars in 8 minuets so i was astounded by how successful a business creating beneficial things like soap could be. Read more>>

Ryah Jay

MHLF Beauty was named after I had my son. I had already been an aesthetician for 3 years but I never named my business. Pronounced “milf” I wanted to make it for the moms looking to get their sexy back after having a child. I looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize myself or my body and deciding to do self care and get my lashes done really boosted my confidence. I wanted to give other women the same experience. Read more>>

Antoine Brimbal

In order to understand where my determination to create The Modern Insurgent comes from, we need to go all the way back to November 2020. At the time, I lived in Vienna, Austria, and I was the primary witness of the November 2nd terrorist attack, where an armed gunman killed 4 people in the name of the Islamic State (ISIS). Read more>>

Stephanie Tran

In March 2020, I didn’t catch COVID-19. Instead, I caught the quarantine baking craze. I was a dental student in the midst of COVID, and I finally had free time on my hands! It was the perfect time to check “bake a macaron” off of my bucket list. Macarons are notorious for being a challenge to make. How hard could it really be? Read more>>

Tiffany Christoffersen

As the daughter of a successful small business owner and entrepreneur, you could say the mindset was passed down. At an early age, I wanted to own my own business, be my own boss. I never thought it would happen but 2022 has felt like a dream. One day in January, I woke up and felt like it was my turn. I spent an entire month dreaming up ideas, Read more>>

Ashleigh Sutlive

To be honest, my blog originated from a desire to feel included in the trendy new blog wave that was hitting the world in the early 2010’s. I started the blog as a way to document my everyday life and from there is took many different turns and twists. It went from fashion to diy to a combo of the both and finally landed on travel with a lifestyle element. I really had no idea what I was doing, nor did I have any kind of definitive plan, so making decisions about the blog were sporadic and not very long lived. Read more>>

Roberta Staley

2018 was the year that truly tested me as an adult. It was the year after graduation, the year after giving birth to my daughter, and the year of my first true mental breakdown. During this time I was looking for a way to help heal myself naturally. So I started, journaling, praying, and meditating more. That same year I came across yoni steaming. I was introduced to it from a video of another local Practitioner practicing this ancient healing technique. Read more>>

Shaqueria Howard

Public relations is a very heavy industry. There are so many shakers and movers in this industry. I remember being in college and every professor, and every mentor would say “You cannot be in Public Relations with a family, because your clients take over every aspect of your life. They are your family now” I remember thinking, wow this is a demanding industry – however, I get to travel and meet celebs so I was willing to sacrifice. Read more>>

Erick Brazile Sr.

All of my ideas and projects have been centered around me dealing with my mental health. I felt with me being a man and how I was raised talking about your mental health is kind of taboo. I wanted to do something to encourage others to break the cycle and let them know it’s ok to get help and deal with your mental health. To let them know it’s ok to talk to someone about your struggles and feelings all while learning how to heal. Read more>>

Sheena Scruggs

Back in 2018, while working at the National Institutes of Health as a science writer, I had the opportunity to write a fact sheet for the general public about the various ways that certain ingredients in our cosmetics and personal care products might be harmful to our health. Needless to say, this concerned me and so I started looking for ways to detox my personal care routine. Read more>>