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.

Huyen Do | Food Blogger & Accountant

I have always loved trying new food and local restaurants. I began taking food photos to document my dining adventures for my own memories. Over the course of a few years, I had accumulated many albums of food photos. I also had friends and family who would frequently reach out to me for restaurant recommendations. I decided to create my own Instagram page to share all my favorite food and restaurants. From there, I had restaurants begin reaching out to collaborate. I’ve been so lucky to work with amazing local business owners and to meet many incredible food bloggers along the way. Although it started out as a fun hobby, I’m very fortunate that it turned into something greater. Read more>>

Richard and Nancy Best | Candle makers, animal lovers and first and foremost mom and dad

The idea for our business just sort of formulated over time. When COVID hit my husband had just been laid off due to the Oil business down turn. As COVID continued, I was furloughed. So our business idea started as something to do during our time waiting for COVID to pass. Read more>>

Khalia Ervin | Business Owner of Sankofa Athletics, LLC

My father passed away in 2010 from diabetes and my mother passed away from breast cancer five years later back in 2015. This pushed me to change my lifestyle to start living a more healthy life style. I began to change my life choices and my eating habits were the first to change. Within a couple of weeks, I witnessed the benefits of eating healthier which led me to start a workout regime. Read more>>

Alexandra Arroyo | Photographer / Nursing Student

It all started back in high school when I first had my DSLR. I love taking photos and my main subject was food. I’m a huge foodie! I mean, who isn’t? It was later on that I gained more confidence in terms of photographing people. My fiance amd dog were my test subjects aka model. I reached out to my family, friends, co workers to get more experienced. I joinedc various photography groups and then it went from there. Read more>>

Emma & Michelle Suarez Lopez | Owners

Emma and I have always been extremely passionate about animals, Growing up we both had and still have a love for horses, dogs, cats, and many other animals. Both of us have always known that we wanted to start a pet business, The initial idea of starting a pet sitting/grooming business came about when we decided to take a trip (which is usually something we never do without our pups) but with this trip, they were not able to go. Read more>>

Kelsey Rodriguez | Owner of Thirty-Six and Seven

My small business idea began during our lockdown last year. I was unable to work my regular job for 2 months and had a lot of free time that allowed me to focus on things I otherwise wouldn’t have time for. I started to play around with different types of art forms which subsequently lead me into the world of polymer clay. At first, it was solely for fun, and then I realized I could take this further and turn this passion into a small business. The name is a tribute to my hometown in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada that is nestled between the highways of 36 and 7. I wanted this business to have special meaning and remind me of where I grew up and how far I’ve come. Read more>>