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.

Alex Cahanap | Founder of Citrine + Photographer/Videographer

I have always been a host. Making a time and place feel special and beautifying spaces is pure joy to me. Launching a company that allows me to curate tablescapes and help others flex their hosting muscles is an absolute dream. Read more>>

Carl Winston Sr. | US Army Retired/Novice Pitmaster

I have enjoyed cooking and trying new recipes since I was a teenager. My mother, my grandmother & grandfather was inspirational in me appreciating the art of cooking. Then after joining the military and having the opportunity to cook for my newly extended military family and friends, the thought of opening a business started to seem as if it was in my grasps. I would get several comments from my friends telling me that I need to “quit being scared” and open up a restaurant. Read more>>

Kali Gajewski | Owner & Beer Advocate

I grew up in Sedona, and after living in Colorado for almost a decade I found myself looking for a place in Sedona to spend time when I would visit that felt comfortable to me. I had a hard time finding the right fit, and so I thought I would explore opening the place that I wanted to hand out. My husband had been brewing beer since we were in undergrad, and breweries were a place we liked to go. Read more>>

David Goodman | Blacksmith, Bladesmith, and Instructor

My business is a blacksmithing school, and it’s not something I set as a goal for myself. My passion was traditional blacksmithing and bladesmithing, which I invested a lot of time into both learning from industry experts and practicing studiously in my own hobby shop. What pushed me to teach was the result of watching the industry for about 7 years and recognizing business problems nobody else was looking at yet. Read more>>