Ideas aren’t everything, execution matters greatly, but starting often requires an idea and so we asked folks to think back and tell us the story of how they came up with the idea for their businesses. We’ve highlighted some of our favorite stories below.

Sara Namken | Registered Dietitian & owner of Namken Nutrition

When I went back to work full-time after having our daughter, I quickly realized I needed to start meal prepping on the weekends. Without that, I spent the little time that I had with our child after work, in the kitchen making dinner and lunch for the next day for both my husband and me. I made a plan to grocery shop and cook all of our lunches and dinners for the work week every Sunday. This allowed us evenings with our baby to enjoy the time together. I shared this information with clients at work, and the general response was, “I wish you could do that for me!” So, that sparked the idea and discussion with my husband about the possibility of starting a meal prep business. Read more>>

Allison Barchichat | Owner & Director of East Cobb Tutoring Center

In 2010, I had three babies (really) and a teaching career in Cobb County. With the kids in daycare, I would have been cash-negative. Anticipating a return to teaching high school math, I started tutoring in my house to keep up with the material and maintain relationships with my colleagues. It didn’t take long for word to spread, and I quickly ran out of time in my day to tutor students. Telling a parent that I couldn’t help was the worst feeling. I was taking calls from parents stressed beyond capacity because they were feeling the academic stress of their kids. It was time to get some help. Read more>>

Jonathan Wiles | Grading and Excavation Contractor

I came up with the idea for my business while in the process of transitioning from Clemson University Back to Greenville Technical College a school I had previously left. I was having trouble with my truck in this season as well. So it seems I was in a season of adversity and transition. I had my truck parked in the back yard and I was doing a repair but over in the course of the night it rained our as I like to say, ” watered the seeds I had in the ground” non the less the place we were staying at the time did not have grass so when it rained the backyard turned into a complete mud pit. Read more>>

Felici Tucker | Entrepreneur

I suffered with horrible menstrual cramps caused by fibroids and uterine polyps. After years of pain and discomfort with little to no help from pharmaceuticals , I started searching for an alternative to drugs or medicine. That’s when I was introduced to V Steaming through a groupon purchase that changed my life and the life of the thousands of women my company has been able to help. V Steaming is , a traditional method used by her grandmother from our hometown of Kingston, Jamaica and one that was previously used by me after childbirth, when I lived in Jamaica . Read more>>