It takes a lot more than an idea to build a business, but there can’t be a business without the idea.  So we asked folks who’ve built wonderful businesses to tell us about how they came up with the idea in the first place.

Dr. Valerie Gillespie | Gallery Owner & Visual Art Educator/RYT 200

My husband Emmanuel Gillespie and myself have always had a love of the arts. We are both artists and art educators in Dallas. While we enjoy our work during the school year, we wanted to explore ways in which we could reach our students beyond the classroom. In addition, creating safe spaces for artists of all ages has always been an interest of ours. Pencil on Paper Gallery emerged from our love of arts, teaching, artists and community. The gallery provides a space for students to continue their love of the arts beyond school, and for artists to exhibit work to share with their communities. Read more>>

Tanisha Stokes | Career Strategist, Coach & Founder

I was a first-generation college graduate and I was always told that completing college would set me up for success. Well, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication towards the end of the Great Recession and nothing went as planned. I did not secure my “dream job” and I was underemployed for quite a while. While going through this frustrating process I started to research more about career development and personal development. I ended up getting a job with a nonprofit working with youth and that was my first experience with implementing my newfound career development and personal development coaching skills. From that point on I knew that I would eventually open my own consulting business to empower people at all levels through career and personal development coaching. Read more>>

Treva Sneed | Owner/Operator

Love On Purpose originally started with me loving a man and learning to love myself. In the midst of loving God, I found myself and began to really love on me and I asked God to show me how to love people like He loves, with purpose and on purpose. Back in April 2019, God woke me up out of my sleep, giving me all kind of ideas for Love On Purpose. The information was coming so fast, I had to write things down. Candles were on top of the list and they are made from the heart. With God leading the way, the candles are labeled with positive messages and Bible Scriptures, along with the scents being re-named after love songs. What a combination right.. lol .. Read more>>