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.

Kris K. | Owner & Creative Director

Black Girl Waisted was birthed from my craft addiction. I’ve literally made everything, and at the time waist beads were on my hit list. So I went to the craft store, bought the materials and got to work pumping out strands. Those first strands were terrible but through those is how I fell in love with the art, the history, and the rich culture behind waist beads. This was more than my next craft project, it was a passion, and from then on Black Girl Waisted was born. Read more>>

Katya Vilchyk | Personal Branding Photographer

My interest in photography didn’t start until my daughter was born in 2014. Before that I was a marketing and graphic design professional. But with the birth of my first child, I started getting drawn to the art of photography and capturing every moment of her life. I learned all about manual shooting, the exposure triangle and how to properly light my subject. It was truly an obsession. By the time she turned one, I started taking paid clients. My business was 100% focused on lifestyle and family work, with a few portrait shoots here and there. Read more>>

Cizani Cruz | Makeup Artist

Honestly, I had no intentions of starting my own little business. It all started once I got pregnant and became a stay at home mom. I was bored all day at the house; I did the same thing all day everyday. Due to my boredom I started watching YouTube. I came across @jamescharles and his makeup videos. After watching his channel, I started playing around with makeup and posting it on my Snapchat. Read more>>

Stardust Sonata | New Rock Band from Cartersville, GA

Stardust Sonata was born from the desire to finally chase a lifelong dream. Our drummer, Devon Richir, and our guitar player, Dillon Byrd, began playing music together when they were around 14 years old. They often discussed forming a band and becoming music legends, but never pursued their goal. In fall of 2020, they decided to rise to the next level. To complete the band’s lineup, we reached out Elgin Nation, a vocalist and solo artist they knew from college, and Zack Tyndal, a talented bass player and producer. We are now working together with the goal to become successful by making the best music we can create. This passion is what fuels the unique listening experience that is Stardust Sonata. Read more>>

Rina Wood | CEO of KolorMe Beautiful by Rina

Growing up in the US Virgin Islands came with experiencing a plethora of cultural events including but no limited to Carnival. I’ve always enjoyed Carnival and the various things that make us as Caribbean people unique. Therefore, it was a no-brainer that my business would derive from ideas that would make my brand stand out as a Caribbean brand. KolorMe Beautiful’s first collection was a line of amazing colored lashes. Colored Lashes reminded me of the vibrancies of carnival and the lashes were also perfect for carnival’s festivities such as Parade Day and Jouvert. Read more>>

Meekah Royale | Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, Therapist and Healer

My business was birthed out of pain. It was a time for change in my life and pain is often the catalyst for change. I am a firm believer that sometimes you must be uncomfortable before you become comfortable. How did I come up with the idea? During this time I was suffering terrible pain in my lower back. I later found out my disc was completely gone and was affected the nerves in my back. Read more>>

Denise Leslie | Founder & CEO of Medical & Sports Massage

The idea came after doing the clinical studies. The clinical studies were fibromyalgia, depression, IBS, etc. After the result of those studies, I knew I needed. to create Medical & Sports Massage to help people. in addition to that, I had to create a safe space for massage therapists to be able to do their work in a clinical environment because in America that kind of environment is not offered right now. That’s the logistical part – the energetic part is the miraculous work that is happening for our patients. They are functioning better in their physical, emotional, and spiritual life. We have this ability to connect with our patients on all of these levels which is truly miracle work, in my opinion, Read more>>

Che’ Houston | Macaron Artiste’

I am a woman who has been blessed with many gifts and talents, but I am also the woman who seeks to find what sets me apart. I watched a video of Tyler Perry one day, and he said something like, “God has blessed us with many gifts and talents, but if you do not FOCUS on one, you will not perfect it.” I knew what he meant. I started baking and decorating cakes over 26 years ago, and I pondered over all the desserts I baked while realizing the Atlanta dessert scene was saturated with cakes, cupcakes, chocolate dipped strawberries and infused desserts. A few years ago, I discovered the world of macarons, and I fell in love with the cuteness, colors and flavors. I thought to myself, “How can I make this mine.” Well, I’m a southern girl with a French name who loves macarons, it was destined that my business is Che’Rene’ Macarons French Macarons with Southern Finesse. Read more>>

Lucas Tarrant | Artistic Director and Co-Founder

Singing is a universal passion, and we wanted to create a group where everyone is welcome. As a voice teacher and choral conductor, I always hear that people feel they don’t have the skill or ability to sing or join a chorus. We wanted to create a group that gave them the opportunity without the hurdle of an audition and a chance to learn those skills. The only requirement is a desire to sing. So far, we have had tremendous success and built a fun and engaging community of wonderful people. Read more>>

Olivia Reed | Candlemaker.

This is quite a round-about way to answer this, but bear with me… About 2 years ago my mother’s company rented out a a large studio where, from scratch, she designed the most incredible office space, which since has been decorated with bright colourful glassware that had all been thrifted, and I absolutely fell in love with the pieces. Read more>>

Imari Sayas | Entrepreneur & Hair Vendor

So in 2017 I experienced hair loss from birth control, a side effect that effects so many women world wide. Though I loved hair extensions and seeing myself look completely “transformed”, it no longer felt the same because it was now a dependency. That’s when I decided that if I was going to wear hair extensions more often it should look completely natural. I started doing research and found hair textures that resembled my own. To save money, I did my own hair. At that point so many of my peers wanted to know how I “grew”’my hair so quickly and that’s when I decided to buy it in bulk and sell it to others. Read more>>