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.

Mikyla Baker

I’ve always been very much into beauty. Throughout middle school and high school I loved messing around with lashes, nails, and makeup. While in college I was working a job that I HATED. I’m very thankful for it, but it was a boring office job. I would always go and get my lashes done faithfully and one day at work the thought of me running my own lash business would not get out of my head. Literally all day. I prayed and talked to God, stepped out on faith, quit my job, took a lash class and because of prayer and hard work I’m here today. Faith without works is dead. Read more>>

Luzmaria Renjifo López

My idea came from longing for freedom, growth, and a love of teaching. When I used to teach college, I realized I loved helping my students during my office hours, but I wanted to be independent, I was tired of following a syllabus, and grading exhausted me. I loved when students came with specific problems, and I could help them and hear all of their “aha moments” I also realized I was fulfilled by listening, understanding their thought process, holding space for them, and walking them out of their tangles. Read more>>

Hannah Alley

I’ve been playing with the concept of opening up a retail space since I was in college. I interned at the coolest shop in Minneapolis called Parc Boutique and was offered the opportunity to learn the ropes of retail — from buying to merchandising to vendor relations. It was an experience of a lifetime where I really learned the art of retail and the nuances of running a successful business. Read more>>

Axel Gonzalez

It is funny how a business idea can show up from anywhere, many people would say that they can come up form an “unresolved problem”, but there are advantages to develop businesses from and “poorly resolve problem” instead, which is my case. When I came up with ComienzaEnUSA (which means “Start in USA”) it was mostly because I already had a long background of entrepreneurship in a third world country, I thought I was going to easily succeed here in the United States and found out how everything was different (different from Latin-American countries). Read more>>

Brittany Bettini

Like most of my businesses, I Need A VA was born by a need I had myself. I am a huge advocate of turning your problems into streams of income. In business, the biggest obstacles a founder faces are deciding when, and who to hire to help them take their businesses to that next level. Most start-ups struggle to hire employees because of the high cost of labor, the taxes, and the expensive benefits employees need their employees to provide. Read more>>

Weina Dinata

Growing up as a child in Jakarta, Indonesia, I was always charmed by plants, animals, and design/crafts. Then, I moved to San Francisco, California, to pursue and earn my Bachelor of Fine Art in Graphic Design with focus on branding and packaging design. Read more>>

Marcelo Wanderkauven

Since I was 12 I’ve been obsessed with guitars, there was something entrancing about them. I took apart my first guitar, which I borrowed from one of my mom’s friends. The guitar was unplayable so I tried to fix it; which didn’t turn out so well. Unhappy with my lack of skills and knowledge, but always willling to learn, I grabbed another broken guitar and successfully repaired it. That first real repair awakened my curiosity in the engineering and mechanics behind an instrument. Read more>>

Richard Crawford

Sunday Bakeday was born because I needed a creative outlet from my corporate job and wanted to make something with my hands. The fact that it turned out to be a semi-viable business model was an unexpected bonus. I was trying to master croissants as a home baker and I regularly had a lot of leftovers so I decided to offload them onto my friends and call it a business. Read more>>

Brenna Estrada

Three Brothers Blooms. Our story is in the name. Our boys were born to first responder parents. Life had always been high stress and face paced. Long shifts. Night shifts. Overtime. Fatigue. Burnout. When your daily life involves helping others navigate life threatening emergencies it is impossible to ignore how fragile the mortality is of all people, those you love being no exception. No day is guaranteed. Read more>>

Samantha Peck

Having solo traveled for years, I had my essential products that went on every trip including my quick-drying towel which always came in handy…packing up small, drying in minutes, and saving me from paying towel rental fees. But the towel I had wasn’t perfect and what I wanted didn’t t exist. Towels on the market were basic, usually grey and boring with no special features. So in 2017, I decided to learn how to design and create a better travel towel for every type of adventurer. Read more>>

Quandrell Claybrooks

Believe it or not, I never wanted to teach or pursue this strand of my career. My goals were to become a successful opera and theatrical artist and entrepreneur. However, I was offered an opportunity to teach Voice privately at a dance studio, immediately after college in 2005. It was not something I really wanted to do at the time, but it was great side hustle to my career and my then full-time job as a college-administrator. It also allowed me to build my skillset and to connect with other creatives. That lasted about a year, and then I resigned and continued my journey as a budding artist and career man. Read more>>

Jan Golden

Once you’re aware of ageism, you see it everywhere. I learned about ageism when teaching an iPhone photography course at a conference for older adults in 2015. The keynote speaker was Ashton Applewhite, and her message about ageism was powerful. And funny. Read more>>

Oliver & Denise Marcelle

The real truth is that we didn’t come up with the idea. We stumbled upon a passion we never realized was there, and a purpose that would not only impact the lives of others but be the catalyst of growth in our own lives. Read more>>

Noah Treshnell

Retailers will produce and market whatever serves profitable growth. Success is measured in dollars and units sold, not in the intrinsic value of the product, nor the impact the brand has on community or environment. If a company’’s number one purpose is profit, there is no other purpose. Read more>>

Joshua Grant

Hey! I’m bestselling author, comic creator, and video game designer Josh Grant. I developed the website community Diabolic Shrimp that went from a group of around six people to a community of creatives (authors, readers, artists, etc) of around 5,000 people in the span of a few years. Diabolic Shrimp started as my crazy idea to support other authors but has since grown into a business that has enabled me to become a bestselling author and comic creator, a video game designer, a professional reviewer, a professional Youtube talk show host, and a philanthropist that gets to give back to universally good causes like childhood disease research. Read more>>

Mavis Muhammad

The idea to start my counseling business came when I was recovering from an illness in 2007. The name Overcomers Foundation rang loudly in my head and I began putting my thoughts on yellow post-it notes. Before long, I had those post-its all over every mirror in my apartment. My business took off slowly and progressed over the years and then waned a bit. Today I have launched the twin sister to it and named it Overcomers Life Solutions LLC. Read more>>

Tiffany Lewis

The idea of Cookies with Tiffany came about during the pandemic when the world went into lockdown and BAU quickly became a thing of the past. Jobs were lost, including my own, milestones were missed and ever so quickly, every opportunity to simply meet a friend for coffee, turned to a zoom chat. I quickly realized what we all needed was a little bit of comfort and joy, which to me, came from the nostalgia of a cookie. From shipping cookies nationwide to delivering straight to someones doorsteps, individuals could still send a little bit of joy and “thinking of you” via the nostalgia of a cookie. Read more>>

Caleb Wieske

I grew up in Canada as the youngest of 6 children. My father had nearly always been working for himself and when I was about 12 years old he took the risk of moving away from his previous business of carpentry, and starting a stone supply yard. Selling stone to landscapers and outdoor living experts to be used in all sorts of beautiful jobs around southern Ontario. While it was hard for the first few years as you can imagine, he pushed through together with my mom and they managed to grow that business to a substantial enterprise and employ over 15 people and do millions in revenue. Read more>>

Joe Thaete

We founded instaPronounce™ and invented NamePlayer because this is personal for us. Our family has a name most find very difficult to pronounce correctly. It is impossible to figure out phonetically. My name is unique. It is part of my culture, family history and identity. Like many with “difficult” names, school (and childhood in general) was very stressful. It is well known and widely accepted that students with “difficult” names feel anxiety, shame and embarrassment that can result in lack of participation and poor performance. Read more>>

Andrea Hintz

I was an avid reader growing up, generally never going anywhere without a book! I also have a very vivid imagination, so oftentimes, my brain goes on autopilot, and begins playing a story like a movie. These moments tend to hit me after prayer time, when I’m falling asleep in bed. I thoroughly enjoy this nighttime ritual, and have been doing this since I was super young. When I was a pre-teen, I had a strong desire to make a movie based off of my stories. Since I didn’t own a film production company at twelve-years-old, I decided to write a book. Read more>>

Anastasia Maier

As the daughter of immigrant parents who opened a small business, they’ve inspired and instilled in me from a very young age a strong work ethic and for serving others through their restaurant. They are the pinnacle of the American Dream and have set the example of what it takes to succeed by persevering through the highs and lows of owning and operating a business. I’ve worked since the age of eight, and it always brought me great joy to serve others and to connect with people. Read more>>

Amy Feind Reeves

My business was never as much an idea I had than a problem that was like a pebble in my shoe for almost 30 years! had knowledge I wanted to share because I knew there was no other resource out there providing it to the people who needed it – here’s what I mean. Read more>>

Susanna Domosi

It was my childhood dream to have a dog, but could never get one because people in my family are allergic. When I was able to get a dog of my own, I was blessed with Grizzly Bear, a 7.5lb Pomeranian. I became obsessed with finding Grizzly the healthiest food, treats, and chews to figure out how I can help him live the longest, healthiest life possible. Read more>>

Livasey Ward

I always knew I wanted to be my own boss and create something special. Ever since I was a little girl I would spend hours making jewelry or trinkets to sell on the streets next to lemonade stands. As I got older and got my first job at a retail store my interest changed from making jewelry to making clothing. I ended up going to college for fashion design and graduated with a bachelors degree in apparel design, Right after college I moved to Charleston, SC. I noticed that there weren’t a lot of swimwear brands in Charleston. Read more>>

Essence Carson

Me always working for someone, quickly got tiring when i learned enough to begin to be on my own. Granted i was always still open to work with artist and labels. However, i always wanted my own clients and connections. Read more>>

Ann Henderson

To be clear, I did not come up w/ this idea. It was given to me in a very profound dream one night over 30 years ago. God showed me a blue horse arena w/ a silver star & he whispered in my ear “Rainbow of Hope”. He not only used my vision but my hearing as well to make an impression on me. I carried that dream in my heart for many years until God used my husband, Jack to bring us to this exact location. Our Mission is to enhance & empower lives of our young adults w/ autism & other abilities through the healing power of horses, life skills & social skills. Once our young adults hit that magic number of 22 years old, all public school stops in Texas. Read more>>

Brittany Martinique

I started this business due to several issues I was having in a position with my previous employer. I unjustly did not receive a raise for two years, was overworked and underpaid, extremely stressed, was having anxiety attacks, and just wasn’t happy with the way I was being treated. This an unfortunate story many hardworking corporate employees can relate to. Read more>>

Elisabeth Hernandez

Life is tough my darling, and so are you; a quote by Stephanie Henry that continued to fuel my soul after my service in the military. After the military I continued to work as a Critical Care Nurse in the ER and ICU, there were times where I would be assisting with a trauma and while performing CPR or attempting to apply pressure to a wound the smell, the age of the patient or the circumstance would cause me to have flashbacks. Read more>>

Dr. Shavon Leach

Growing up I kept everything in. I do not reach out to anyone for help because I did not feel comfortable speaking up. So, I wrote everything down. I wrote my thoughts, feelings, desires, fears, etc. I wrote anything that came to mind. Writing gave me a voice and helped me deal with everyday life. I was able to deal with my trauma (and continue to overcome it every day). Read more>>

Rae Thomas

The birth of Burning Ambition Candle Company came from the deep, dark depths of boredom and depression. I was stuck in a dead-end job with no passion involved whatsoever. I was really struggling with ways to keep myself out of my slump, so in a conversation with my now fiancé, he suggested I find myself a hobby. I had absolutely no idea where to start. I wanted to find something that would spark my creativity and keep me engaged at the same time. I tried really hard to think of something I was passionate about, and I landed on Interior Design. Read more>>

Samiha Brown

I have always been an artist. I’m the happiest when I’m creating and learning. My clothing brand Hemloya started with this idea, that I want to be able to wear these art pieces that I create. But the birth of Hemloya didn’t happen overnight. It happened because of a slow yet painful understanding that I was deeply unhappy. Back in 2020, I was burnt out of my Architecture job. I was originally trained as an architect, went to school for it, then graduated and practiced it for 6 years. Read more>>

Amber Rai

Once I started working as a threading artist I realized the place I work at can be a happy place for people. They are happy after the service, they feel confident, they feel like a new person etc. These kinds of comments from them made me feel like I am helping the community. Obviously I am helping myself as well as this is a livelihood for me, but at the same time I am helping others, and this feeling made me motivated to start my own business. Read more>>

Dominique Dunn

How did I come up with the idea of More II Lyfe Clothing…Well I’ve always been into fashion. I enjoy collecting shoes and hats and matching up outfits to go with them. Aside from that, there was a time when one of my best friends and I were working together on a brand. This was her baby and I had ideas but I didn’t want to overstep or do too much since she presented the idea to me. Eventually, my ideas started to overwhelm me so I started brainstorming on starting my own clothing brand. Read more>>

Amanda Luecke

My mom passed away in February of 2016 and I had a 9 month old at the time. Wanting to find a way to stay home with her, I quit my job and started looking for at home job opportunities. In the meantime, to keep myself busy, I started baking but wanted to find something new to try and came across royal iced butterfly cookies online. I thought they were the most beautiful cookies I’d ever seen and wanted to see if I could figure out how to make them myself! Read more>>

Pia Sierra & Carolina Cardona Studio TNG

While attending school to get our master’s degree in Interior Architecture, we had the opportunity to collaborate for two design projects and won several awards. This is when we realized how great we work together and how our different styles and approaches to design actually blend perfectly. Then, one night, after working on an assignment, we starting thinking how would it be if we actually had our own design studio. Read more>>

Kimberly Behzadi

People want culinary adventures! They want to try adventurous foods and reconnect with the old, and discover new cultures through cuisines worldwide. The problem is you are time-strapped, overwhelmed and unsure of how to find an authentic food experience. You know you want to be adventurous, and that food affects more than just your tastebuds, but you don’t know where to start. Read more>>

Janyelle Milton

I think its important to mention that in highschool you couldn’t find me dead in gym shoes or jeans….I thought it was masculine and it wasn’t my style. I was into heels and dresses. After graduating from College I settled down in corporate America in the downtown Detroit area. My life became parking structures and a lot of Walking. Read more>>

Debbie Andrews

I came up with UpSackit™ after going to another baseball game holding my purse and a give away on my lap -refusing to lay it on the ground to avoid the beer and crushed peanuts around me all while trying to balance my nachos , drink and trying to cheer. Only topped off when I had to get up to let someone through and my purse dumped over and my lipstick rolled down the stadium rows. I thought there has got to be a different way!!! Read more>>

Arianna Reyes

I am originally from Mexico. My mother who lives in Mexico is an Evangelist. She visits the most vulnerable communities that live around the place where she lives. Through her I have been able to hear the needs of my people. I have prayed for guidance on how to help them, I combined my taste for jewelry with my passion to help, this is how Lighthouse Boutique was born. The purpose of our small business is to give a helping hand to men, women and children who are going through a vulnerable time, providing them food, clothing and medicine, but above all sharing the love of God. Our mission is that with each piece we sell a percentage of our sales is donated to different institutions here in the United States and in other countries. Read more>>

Taryn & Anthony Vickman

Business story It all started with our own wedding. Flash back to the beginning of 2016, we were newly engaged and trying to plan the wedding we were both envisioning. We knew we wanted an outdoor wedding and we wanted vintage rustic vibes. We also were on a pretty tight budget. We just couldn’t find anything that felt like “us”. Read more>>

Brad Linder

I am very humbled and excited to be celebrating 14 awesome years of the Get You In Shape Program since starting in Coppell. I started the Get You In Shape fitness program wanting to bring a fitness program that would attract like-minded people to form a community, helping all of us live healthier lives.I decided to share this story in hopes that it will motivate, encourage and inspire you to be, do and become more. Read more>>

Geoff Davis

Friend of mine, Ashley Bierne had a goal – creating 300 period supply kits for her birthday. Ashley was horrified at hearing of women prioritizing food over basic hygienic necessities. So, with a vision in mind and a desire to help her community, she recruited friends to help and Period Kits was (informally) born. Read more>>

Christian Gomez

The idea of opening up WetStone developed through decades of maturation and experiences. Coming from a multi-ethnic, immigrant family of 1st generation American parents, my father from the Philippines and mother from Panamá, my exposure to their ethnic cuisines naturally set the table for my future. Read more>>

JG Bashlow

I have always been interested in history and science. When I decided to write a book, I knew it would involve both subjects in some way. After some thought, I settled on William the Conqueror and the interaction between gravity, time and dimensions. Read more>>

Stacy Savage

It all started while I was in a deep, zoned-out trance sitting at a stop light in south Austin. That’s when the biggest epiphany of my life struck me like the ultimate “I should’ve had a V8” head smack moment. (Big reveal at the end! Wait for it…) Read more>>