Our city is home to so many incredible businesses and so we asked the founders how they came up with the ideas for their businesses and have shared their responses below.

Lauren Hensarling | Bright Lights Theatre Co-Founder & Director

It was honestly Divine intervention. I have been involved in theatre since I was four, simply because my grandparents saw a talent in me that they thought was worth cultivating. I ended up majoring in musical theatre in college, but, even at a Baptist university, found myself surrounded by unbelievers. I was totally ill equipped to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those around me in a natural way. Thankfully, I was confident in what I believed and my faith was never shaken. Yet, as a Christian, the most loving thing I can do for an unbelieving cast mate is to share why I do this work: for the glory of the God who gave me the talents to do it! I do everything with excellence to the glory of the God who has totally transformed my heart, mind, and life. That is our desire: to train the next generation of theatrical professionals as masterful stories tellers, so they can effectively tell made up stories on stage that point to the one big story they are confidently telling backstage. Read more>>

Laci Chisholm | Founder, CEO, & Dance Fitness Instructor

Even though it had always been my dream to operate my own dance studio, it was a dream that simply remained a wish for many years. In 2009, I found myself extremely unhappy and working a stressful job which left little time for dance. As a result, I developed poor eating habits, became overweight, suffered from high cholesterol, high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, and I always felt stressed. I hated the way I felt and the way I looked. When my doctor recommended medication for my mounting health issues, I decided it was time to make room for what I loved – DANCE; my natural stress reliever! By making time for dance again, I was finally motivated to take control of my health. Realizing how hard it was to find a single facility that offered affordable, effective, fun, quality dance and fitness classes and provided a sense of community, Fit4Dance was born. Read more>>

Dominique Van Ausdall | Founder of False Idol Brewing

I entered the craft beer industry at 23 years old, but always knew I wanted to start my own business, but didn’t know in what industry. After a failed career in teaching, I started to volunteer for various breweries, became a beer delivery driver and then account manager for a local craft beer distributor. The idea developed from just a basic growler bar serving up the best craft beer available to a growler bar with a small pilot system to a brewpub. False Idol was born after a lot of beers and brainstorming. At 27 years old, I made the official leap to take this dream to a reality and the brand as we know it was born. Read more>>

Allison Bonifay | Owner of Modified Home

For the longest time, I focused all of my energy on pursuing a career in fashion.  It was something I was very passionate about, and I’d excelled working with some very reputable firms in NYC so it seemed like my path was fixed.  But after about 6 years, I was getting burnt out.  The workload was insane, and it was taking a toll on my sanity.  So, not long after we moved to Dallas, I started to question everything.  I wanted something different but couldn’t quite put my finger on it so I decided to stop the bleeding and quit my job.  I nannied for a few years to help pay the bills, but even though I loved working with little ones, I knew this was temporary.   Around that time we moved into a new, more modern home.  I began selling our furniture on FB marketplace and replacing it with vintage pieces that better fit our new home.  In my searches, I kept finding treasures that didn’t quite fit our home/style, but I couldn’t resist getting them. Read more>>

Brigette Danielle | Blogger & Influencer

For my blog, I wanted to share things that I enjoyed and tips I have learned that could help others. I wanted to connect with other women and build a network based on family, beauty, fashion and healthy options. Read more>>

Darrell “DC” Chumley | Host

It all began in an effort to help a friend promote his downtown Grapevine, Texas bar, AJ’s on Main. Within a few days of the two retired cops initial conversation over beers, shots of AJ’s favorite bourbon and DC’s favorite tequila at AJ’s bar, DC came up with the idea of the duo hosting a talk show. “Over two years later I still remember the look on AJ’s face when I mentioned the idea,” DC said with a laugh. “There were many things we had in common but then their was music…he was so country and I was very rock & roll.” After a couple of days of thought, DC came up with a name, Barside Jive, since the show would take place while they literally sat at a bar. “We just started recording and after about the first year, AJ actually started talking…” according to DC. “We didn’t know what the hell we were doing but we were laser focused on a goal to get the Dallas/Fort Worth area fired up about AJ’s cool ass place. Read more>>