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.

Iyea Brandy | Psychotherapist and Business Strategist

I am a mental health therapist and when the pandemic hit, I realized so many people were looking for therapist and having a hard time. At the same time I had a lot of therapist friends who were having hard time connecting their business. I decided to be a bridge and assist connecting people of color with competent culturally sensitive therapist. I also started coaching other therapist with their branding, marketing and business management. Read more>>

LaTangelia Sanderson | Business Strategist

The idea for my business started as a young girl while watching family members become business owners. Several members of my family were able to enter the world of entrepreneurship, and I admired how they handled business. It inspired me to be a business owner as I witnessed the opportunities they were afforded and the number of people they were able to help. And as a member of DECA, I grew my passion for business and entrepreneurship. I thrived on the notion of becoming my own boss and having endless possibilities to help enrich others. Read more>>

Kandice Dorsey | Mother, Wife and Entrepreneur

PACT is an acronym for Prayer Always Changes Things! I’ve always lived by this saying. When I was going through, what felt life the worst, I kept praying knowing God was going to make a way for me. And he did, slowly. 5 years ago I had no clue that PACT Fashion would be exactly what I needed to be doing. I am able to be a blessing to others and that in itself is a blessing to me. Read more>>

Margaret McNeal | Certified Home Baker

I’m naturally a creative person and I wanted to have a business that will allow me too use my abilities, push me outside my comfort zone and be different. When I decided to make baking my side hustle I didn’t want to do follow trends and at that time cupcakes were in trend. I was in Starbucks and I had my first cake pop I loved it. It was something different unique and small enough that people would enjoy in two bites. I was in target and I saw a book on how to make cake pops and that was the beginning of my journey to develop desserts and delicious. The name came from the street I lived on at the time which was called Delicious Court and I was making desserts so that’s how the name was formed. Read more>>

Courtney B. | Graphic Design, Videographer, Photographer

My business, OneSeven21, started accidentally in my opinion. Back in 2018, I was enrolled at Full Sail University, working to receive my Master’s in Entertainment Business. Our final project and what we had pretty much been working towards was to create a business concept and plan from beginning to end. So I came up with the idea for a production/creative company that prided themselves on bringing your vision to life. OneSeven21 stood for start to finish and availability. I wanted to offer any kind of service you need, whether it was graphic design, production/music photography, videography, etc. After creating the business plan and learning the ends and outs of entrepreneurship, I decided to put this plan into action. I already had the skillset and the tools so why not. Once I created the Instagram page and the website, business took off. Read more>>

Alison Easterby | Soap Artist

Because I was born with very sensitive skin, I believe I’ve always had the inspirational seed for what I’m doing now; however, I didn’t actually cultivate it until my daughter was diagnosed with vitiligo and rosacea at young age. The first product I ever created was makeup. I couldn’t bear the emotional pain my daughter suffered in middle school for having unpigmented areas on her face and set out to help her camouflage it. After trying every shade and type of coverage available, and even mixing shades that were close, I realized there was no perfect match available. Read more>>

Brittney Cobb | Licensed Therapist, Content Creator & Consultant

My business was a natural progression – starting with my Mental Health Instagram Account @ablackfemaletherapist which I created after becoming a Licensed Therapist. My goal with the IG account – to provide mental health education and resources. I wanted to share what I’ve learned on my journey about mental health to people who may not have access to Therapy and mental health resources. Read more>>

Megan Hodgkiss, JD, PhD | Hodgkiss Consulting LLC CEO & Principal Writer

I hadn’t planned on starting my own consulting business. But it’s turned out to be one of the best decisions — personally and professionally — that I’ve made. I’ve always had a passion for the communication industry. Prior to starting my own company, I worked in print journalism, magazine feature writing, television news, and radio promotions. I’ve also earned graduate degrees in communication theory and public communication. Read more>>

Ric Holmes | Sneaker care and custom specialist

I was always interested in owning a business from a young but did not exactly what I wanted to do until 3-4 years ago. I wanted to start a business to provide a service that people did not want to do themselves and no problem paying for. Shoes are a necessity and I believe nobody wants to wear dirty shoes. Read more>>