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.

Rochelle Garcia | Baker

It was in 2017 after I had my son Jayden. My partner at the time was working double shifts just to provide for my family while i took care of our newborn son. When my son was about 6 months old i wanted to start helping support my family but I couldn’t find a job due to careless choices I made as a younger adult. I had always watched sugar rush (a television show about baking) so I slowly jumped the gun. I started making cupcakes and cake pops for about 8 months and realized I had gained a lot of customers. In December of 2018 I made my first cake and since then I knew in my heart baking Cakes was a passion that I wanted to pursue with everything I had in me. I believe the not so good choices I made as a younger adult actually pushed me to find my hidden talent , like “a blessing in disguise”. Read more>>

Edwin L. Williams II | Actor, Filmmaker & Photographer

Opportunity! There are those who wait for opportunity to knock on their door, and then there are those who lack patiences that decide to create their own opportunity. I originally went to KD Conservatory to become an actor; however, I knew that after I graduated, I had some strikes against me such as being a new actor and being racially ambiguous and not having the traditional actor look. I acted in a couple of short films and was an extra in multiple national tv shows, but in my heart, I knew I was meant for more. That was when I started writing my own scripts, filming them, acting in them, and most importantly providing opportunities for other artists (i.e. actors, models, filmmakers, singers, etc.),. Under the guidance of Ilyssa Pettigrew, I developed a business strategy that covered visual, audio, and photography. What I was doing was not a hobby anymore but something that could create fiscal opportunities. Digital ELW Productions began as a dream, but is every bit a reality. Read more>>

Amber Glasgow | Virtual Assistant, Online Business Manager, & Owner of Virtual Administrative Solutions

With several years of administrative experience, one day I realized that, even in the busiest of settings, I ALWAYS had down time. I thought it would be wise to create a business where I could not only capitalize on my current skillset but also maximize on that downtime by servicing other clients in the gap. Read more>>

Pia Wilson | CEO of Girly-O Boutique

Born to two very fashionable and always so well-dressed parents exposed me to the love of fashion at a very young age. For three short years, I was able to watch my mother as she paired pieces together, accessorized every outfit, and carried me along on her favorite shopping experiences to Neiman Marcus and thrifting. My mom lost her battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma but left one of her many footprints on my life. After she passed as a creative outlet, I embraced and enjoyed playing dress-up with my cousin. I soon realized that our sense of style, fashion, and what we wear often predict our mood and how we feel about ourselves. Fast forward to 2006, and again following in my parents’ footsteps, I have had the pleasure of teaching in DallasISD. This has afforded me not only have the opportunity to educate but also provide mentorship to many young ladies. Through teaching and mentorship, I was eager to birth Dressed in Girly-O by Girly-O Boutique in November of 2019. Read more>>

Chyrese Wright | Actor, Model, Skin Care Alchemist & Brand Ambassador

There was a NEED!! That need turned into a WANT!! That want turned into I MUST!! It wasn’t until a film screening, of the second short independent production, I’d been apart of, at a local college, that I seen how pertinent the need for understanding “you must start somewhere” formed and that lingering feeling of “I wish someone would’ve given me a chance” came into view. Here I realized that taking action was of the essence. NO ONE is willing to hear you, see you, or care for what you do – IF YOU DON’T!! It was heartbreaking…more than once!! I had to learn and understand for myself that what I hoped to gain out of life was for good reason/purpose AND it had meaning. What legacy would I leave behind and would it be one worth mentioning!? Therefore, I planted a seed(drafted the concept of my brand)…watered it with my sweat and tears. I provided it with much sunlight. Spoke to and encouraged it daily(prayed). Read more>>

Meet Dr. Ronnie Rocio | CEO & Founder of Double R Editing Services

I have a Bachelor’s degree is in English, a Master’s degree is in Secondary Reading and a doctorate in Organizational Leadership. I’ve been an educator for 12+ years, teaching English and Reading. So with that being said, people would always feel the need to bring their documents to me to apply a second set of eyes and editing, if needed. So it had become a habit, to proofread and edit people’s documents. Documents such as business contracts, business proposals, personal books/novels, resumes, cover letters, college essays, all the way to doctoral dissertations. It was natural and easy for me to do, but after doing a few editing jobs for people with their own businesses, I thought, “I need to make THIS a business. I can’t keep doing this as a free favor to others.” And that’s what birthed Double R Editing Services. Read more>>

Michael Davis | Ethos Founder and President

I started Ethos Education Group because I understood the importance of achieving generational change by way of redefining one’s success through a firm understanding of identity and self-value. Without understanding these attributes, it is virtually impossible for students to become inspired learners and achieve ultimate success as they define it for themselves. My client relationships with celebrity athletes and entertainers such as Tim Brown and Everson Walls continues to demonstrate the importance of leveraging their social worth as a means to connect with impressionable students while supporting the mutual goals of both the parents and educators. Through this program, it is incredible to see how students, as role models, inspire and create generational change by shifting the mindsets within their communities. Consequently, our students achieve academic excellence while simultaneously closing the overall achievement gap. Read more>>

Sandra Daniels | Baker and Business Owner

The reason Hippos and Hashbrowns exists is to help people enjoy quality, scratch made food without fuss. The idea of a food business came to me after our family moved back from Africa after 14 years. I wanted to help others enjoy the same kind of honest and real food I’d been cooking for friends and family for years. I have loved to bake since I first made cookies for my dad as a teenager. The appreciation people have for handmade food is one of the things that motivates me the most. So, when people started telling me about selling baked goods at a local farmers market, I decided to give it a try. The reaction from customers was immediately positive and Hippos and Hashbrowns has been going forward since that first market on March 17, 2016. Read more>>

Darrian Bush | Founder of Boss Up and Bounce

At the time I was in a really dark place in my life: my relationship, my career, my health and several other things. At the time I wasn’t living up to my full potential and life put me in a place where I didn’t have a choice to turn my life around. Jokingly Boss up and Bounce was created but it quickly became a lifestyle. With Boss Up and Bounce, I wanted to uplift, encourage and empower others that were going through different hardships no matter what it was. I like to encourage everyone that it’s okay to do what’s best for you and not feel about it. We sometimes get into certain situations because we tend to put others before ourselves. Boss up and Bounce is now a clothing line but I would like to expand and go into a different direction. I would like to make the company an academy; where we are offering empowerment events, community service projects and classes where we are helping the youth prepare for the real world. Read more>>

Terry Pappy | Personal Branding and Biz Dev Strategist to Solopreneurs

A year-and-a-half after my husband passed away from a long illness, I was riffed (Reduction in Force) from a 6-year career at Marriott, leading into the recession of 2008. When I couldn’t replace the J-O-B, I hung out my shingle and opened a creative services firm. I basically kept doing what I’d always done in my career and what I was degreed in: creative design and communications. I called my company, “Terry Pappy Creative Services.” Nothing super special, but it conveyed the right idea because of what I did for clients. Once I stabilized with a few clients and referrals from my days at Marriott, I decided that I was going to make being a solopreneur work. I loved the freedom, the ability to finally do work the way I wanted to do it, and take care of clients the way I wanted to take care of them. However, as I grew in confidence delivering websites, copy, branding and marketing collateral for clients, I started noticing a common problem. Read more>>

2 Queen 1Truth | Podcast

2Queens 1Truth was birth by life journeys and life experiences. When we met we were on the same journey of self discovery and experiencing the same struggles. We felt like there should be an outlet that spoke about this journey and it’s importance. Our Podcast promotes growth through self discovery. Read more>>