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.

Holly Keller | Toy and Fiber Artist

I’ve been designing and creating things with what I had around me for longer than I can remember, but at some point, I decided that doing something arts-based with my life was impractical and probably impossible. It took the birth of my son to bring it back out into the light. I was inspired and wanted to make beautiful and unique toys for him. When he was a baby, I took him to the thrift store with me and it was then I started seeing the clothes differently–the racks of brightly striped tees became a rainbow of fat little bunnies, Read more>>

Kyle Channell | Professional DJ & Owner of DJ CHANNELL LLC

This all happened on luck. I never thought this would have turned into a successful business. This is how it all started….. End of summer 2007, I lost all my baseball scholarships due to tearing my rotator cuff. With Baseball out of the picture, I decided to take a year off and start thinking about what type of job I was hoping to get. I ended up going to Boulder one weekend with a couple of friends and wound up at a house party where there was a DJ playing. I actually thought in order to be a DJ… Read more>>

Chandra Brooks | Founder & CEO of The Powerhouse Women

I had always mentored women in my community and would guide and set them up with jobs, connections or influential roles in the community. I had also won several awards and had power and influence in my city. Women wanted to know how I got there and how I did it. So I created the Powerhouse Academy which is now the Powerhouse Women. I teach women how to become powerful and influential Powerhouses in their business, life and community. Read more>>