Our city is home to so many incredible businesses and so we asked the founders how they came up with the ideas for their businesses and have shared their responses below.

Victoria Iworah Stokes | Founder & Owner

One day during the pandemic, I had seen things going on in the news and realized that life is short and why do what makes me happy. My happy place is truly creativity, crafts and planning. Then I thought it is time for me to start my business. I always loved event planning, but didn’t necessarily want to be an event planner. I also wanted an ecommerce business and wanted to find a way to join the two. I remembered back when planning my wedding it was soo fun getting the gift boxes together and I had done things like that in the past. Well then it hit me, an online curated gifting company. I am a Black Female and I personally love finding brands that I can patronize within this group. So, I figured why not create a brand that focuses on highlighting business owned by People of Color and Women. Read more>>

Monte Applewhite | Co-Founder and CEO of GoSayHELLO

I was at a Saturday brunch event in downtown Atlanta. For some reason, I noticed the lack of engagement between people throughout the venue. It just seemed like everyone was on their phones, taking pictures for the GRAM, but not actually having fun or engaging with each other in real life. Even myself, I was texting someone “Yooo, what’s the move, later?” Instead, I should have been enjoying the moment, meeting new people, and networking with the people that were in the same place, at the same time as myself. Read more>>

Katina Lockhart | Digital Marketing Consultant

The idea from my business came from combining my years of working in media with my years working for attorneys. It’s rare to see attorneys active on social media but it’s an amazing platform that majority of their clients & potential clients use. I had the idea to combine the two industries by providing digital marketing services for private practices & viola! The BL Agency was born! Read more>>

Kelly Genn | Owner & Artist

My business has been many things over the years. I’ve pivoted many times to go with trends and different mediums I tried. Once I came to painting and specifically flowers, I started to really enjoy experimenting within that area of art. I also loved making hoop art and started incorporating more florals into those. The hoops and the different painted items I had for sale quickly became my best sellers and I felt I had truly found my niche. Read more>>

Shawn Robinson | Chiropractor

The idea for the business of ChiroSkate came out necessity. I saw a gap that needed to be filled. Many athletes have “their person” to go to, but for many skateboarders, most did not have access to a healthcare professional with knowledge on the activity. From personal chiropractic help, I realized this would be the profession to take skateboarding to the next level. I also want people to know that if I can handle these type of extreme athletes and injuries, then I am more than capable of handling everyday micro traumas as well! Read more>>

Edward and Debbie Smith | Certified Family Life Educators

Ed and I both had a failed marriage before we married each other. We knew the divorce statistic was even higher for 2nd marriages, but we were determined to make it work. At our local church we got involved in marriage ministry and we realized we had not only a passion for families and healthy relationships, but also a gift for connecting with other couples. As the ministry blossomed and we begun receiving requests to travel and facilitate workshops, we decided to turn it into an LLC. That was the birth of MEET THE SMITHS. It’s hard to believe that was 9 years ago. Since then, we have traveled nationally and internationally conducting seminars and workshops; we have authored 3 books; we have held workshops on cruise ships, Costa Rica, and other islands, and we are just getting started! Read more>>

Patrice Jackson | Self-Love Advocate

Kurvitude was born out of my pain. I lost my mom in August of 2014. After the loss I was numb and living in a fog of grief. I couldn’t break out of the rut I was in. I decided to move from Ohio to Georgia for a fresh start. Once I got here and got over being homesick I decided to start working on me. Through the journey I realized I was not alone and there were many other amazing women going through the same challenges as me. So on December 12th I started Kurvitude, a Facebook group focused on promoting self-love, self-care and body positivity. A safe place for us to come together and encourage, motivate and inspire each other. Read more>>

Nikki Nickerson | Aura and Live Energy Reader

My first experience with having my aura photographed was life-changing for me. It helped me because I was able to see my own energy for the first time. It became a tangible thing to me and therefore, the way I thought about myself and my energy changed. That one little visit changed everything and set me on a metaphysical journey to discover myself. Many years later, I had a live energy reading done where I could see my chakras and energy in real-time. It was such a wonderful experience! At that moment, the idea for BeYoutiful Soul Aura Photography was born. Read more>>

Brittany Graham | Owner of S’agapo

Honestly, I woke up one morning in 2013 and decided that I was going to start my own business. I have always had a passion for design and clothing, and at the time I had just lost my job working for direct tv, so I felt it was the perfect time to pursue something that I have always wanted to do. I didn’t know how I was going to do it and when it would all come together. I just knew that I was going to do it. I strive to do everything out of love and the top place on my bucket list is Greece so I combined the love and Greece together and that is how S’agapo came about because it means I love you in Greek. It just felt right. In my spirit. Read more>>

Marcell Henry | CEO & Musician

I was actually just hanging out at my recording studio and the thought of a new board game came to mind. I had been trying to think of a product or idea of something that’s completely different from what’s already out there. As time progressed, I just thought of how the rap game and music industry works. Every quarter, (songwriters, artists, producers, etc..) you are issued a music royalty check. So with that in mind, I figured that could be the object of the game. Along the way, I just came up with different things that go along with being a rapper. Things like paying for studio time, promo, and music videos. Also, free styling over beats, rap battling, and performing on stage. I combined all of those things you have to do as an artist and I made it into a board game. Read more>>