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.

Leah Shellhorse | Interior Designer

Being an interior designer has been a dream of mine since I can remember. I have always felt that I have an eye for design and how to execute it well. As a little girl, I always wanted to help my parents decorate our home. When I was in elementary school, my dad let me “design” his office by placing artwork on the walls. I felt like a true professional! I ended up pursuing a teaching degree, but during my four years as an elementary teacher, my passion for design continued to grow. My husband and I bought our first home and began renovating it, which was the first time that I had full creative control on a space. I was so proud of the finished designs and realized that I was fully capable of helping others through the same process. I began taking on small jobs for clients until I made the decision to go full time and start my design studio, Shellhorse Interiors, LLC. I love what I do and the people I get to work with! Read more>>

Ronak Agarwal | Co-Founder, AARO Real Estate

AARO Real Estate started in May 2023. Aarya and Ronak met at the University of Houston and bonded over their passions of real estate investing and development in the Bauer Honors program. Both of us started talking about development projects and eventually pivoted to real estate investing. Since April 2023, we have worked together to start our own business focused on acquiring and managing multi-family real estate assets. AARO is comprised of the first two letters of each of our names (AArya and ROnak). Read more>>

Mackenzie Pineda | Certified Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula & Childbirth Educator

My business name is “Be Held”. This came about as I was picturing what I wanted my Ministry to be called and I had the perfect image come to mind. When I think about how I want to make others feel and what others would experience with my ministry, I wanted it to be inviting, wholesome & gentle and uplifting. The image I pictured was a women crawling into Jesus’ lap and him holding her….Consoling her, encouraging her, uplifting her, giving her strength & peace. The idea of “Be Held” in my doula services is when a women is in labor and reaches a breaking point or when he body is so tired she feels like she can’t continue, we can crawl in to the lap of Jesus and just Be Held. Allow him to carry you through to the end. Read more>>

 Joy Melan | Owner of StageJunkie Productions & Artist

I always grew up feeling like my idea of “fun” was far different than traditional ways a lot of people like to have fun, and that really rolled over into my adult years. I didn’t really want to go clubbing, or get drunk just to say I was. I wanted an experience. I wanted to feel like I was apart of something and I wanted other people to feel that way too. There were a lot of times I’d watch something on TV and say I wish I could do something like that, and one day I realized I could. Read more>>

Sabrina Impagliazzo | Dallas Family Photographer

Creating a business that specializes in black and white studio portraits grew out of trying to plan sessions in the high heat of Texas weather. Back in 2019, my client wanted to do her session while family was in town in August, and in the 100 degree heat we did a generational session outside. I remember, I even brought a small portable fan and a cooler of water, but that certainly did not stop the sweat dripping down their faces. It turned out fine, but it was certainly not the client experience I wanted to give and that was enough for me to make a big change. Read more>>

Ashley C. N. Hartwell | RN, HypnoBirthing Practitioner & Doula

I am a mother of 5. 4 babies I conceived in my womb and 1 child I conceived in my heart and became his mother through adoption. I am a registered nurse and for as long as I can remember have been passionate about the sacredness of birth. Always being invited to support laboring women in my life. Long before I knew the role of “doula” was an occupation, or as I have come to understand, a calling. I worked in mother/baby in the beginning of my RN career and loved it. Being able to be apart of families transition into parenthood or taking exceptional care of these mommies as they cared for their babies was my passion. I birth four babies of my own and each experience was different. I realized each birth approaching my fourth, that I was longing for more in my experiences. Each of the three births had unnecessary interventions. I was able to support my sister in law, after she gave birth to her first child as a post partum doula. She had the most incredible experience in her birth using tools she’d learn in her HypnoBirthing childbirth education class. Being a RN, working in mother/baby, I thought she was delusional about what she was pursuing in her birth experience. But when I saw her experience I became very intrigued. After leaving her to return home, I learned I was pregnant with our last child. I was set on having a similar birth experience to my sister in laws. I searched out HypnoBirthing classes in my area, and there were none. Between reading the book, my husband and sister in laws encouragement, we had our last child with no interventions. As I held her in my arms I remember having the thought “I am going to help as many families have access to this as I can”. I went on to get the training and certification to become a HypnoBirthing practitioner and doula. I have been helping mothers and their birth companions ever since! Divine Moments HypnoBirthing and Doula services was birthed along with my last child Divine. Yes, my business is named after my baby girl Divine Destiny Hartwell. Read more>>