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.

Elle Jimenez (Mermaid Elle) | Professional Mermaid

Back in 2016 there weren’t a lot of mermaid performers. I had opened an event entertainment business in Miami offering all sorts of entertainment services such as circus performers, fire performers, dancers, stilt walkers, etc. I grew up a classically trained dancer and it was my dream to make a living out of my passion which at the time was dancing and putting on spectacular shows for some of Miami’s most upscale events. Read more>>

Emilio Dominguez | Founder

While contemplating of how to explain the spirit of our first successful concept, The Modern Rose, we discussed what made our organization and approach unique. The light bulb went off when we realized that what we do stems from the spirit of Cleopatra – bold, uncompromising, intelligent. It all made sense, and we knew the metaphorical glue behind our hospitality group’s approach had become easily definable. Thus was born Cleopatra Royal Coffee. Read more>>

Sean Harvey | Founder of Miami Vintage Prop Car Rentals

The idea came about naturally. I was working on a local TV show and would always see classics cars being used on set, since it was a period piece. Having a large family collection of classic cars, I realized that I could fill a niche gap in the industry. I started off by using my vehicles for production, film, and events, and then slowly started to incorporate vehicles from friends and local car aficionados. Read more>>

Michael Rolleri | Hot Rod builder & content creator

I have a knack for seeing use in objects/ things even after they’ve been disregarded. Repurposing things that others believe to be scrap or trash. Making beautiful one of a kind trucks out of piles of rusted parts. One day I was paddle boarding in the ocean and came across a huge piece of driftwood, I dragged it to the shore line and lugged it to my truck. Read more>>

Gabriel A | Pool Business Owner

I always enjoyed playing video games growing up, as much of my generation did. When thinking of a business name and a theme for my pool company i wanted to stand out. There is a lot of competition in regards to pool service in south florida but they all have generic names. So when i thought about south florida, the game of grandtheftauto vice city came to mind. Read more>>

David Ray Williams | Adventure & Fitness Enthusiast

While working remotely and frequently relocating across the country, I encountered frustration in the process of locating free fitness groups in each new city. This led me to devise a solution that enables searching for such groups based on specific cities. Read more>>

Kimberly Morse | Mindset Mentor & Content Writer

My business is two-fold: One part content creation for other brands and the other wellness writing for those looking to live a more-well life one day at a time. The idea for both these divisions of my business blossomed during my junior year of college. While at the University of Florida (Go Gators!), I decided to pick up a psychology degree while continuing to pursue my marketing degree because I was so fascinated with how the brain works and I knew I needed to know more than what my marketing classes were providing. This degree combination fueled my passion for helping both people and businesses- hence the two divisions of my business. Read more>>