Have you ever had an idea and didn’t know what to do with it? You crafted it precisely in your mind and just know in your heart it would be valuable to others. You can’t stop thinking about it and the passion grows. Obsessing over the idea has consumed you and you just know the next step is to get out there to tell the world? But where do you go and who to tell? Lucky you. Did you know that St. Louis has a huge niche for small business ideas, networking, and startups for people just like you? There is an array of opportunity for beginner prospect. All you have to do, -which is a colossal step- is just put yourself ‘out’ there! Welcome to the world of entrepreneurial startup!

Last night I had the honor of co-presenting with Jonathan Herrick, CSO & CMO of Hatchbuck at StartLouis. What is StartLouis? Their tagline is “StartLouis where StartUps Start”, and it is just that. It’s a free event hosted by Accelerate St. Louis and takes place the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 6:30p in the TREX (which is an inspiring experience of itself) incubator space downtown. The platform is a very relaxed setting where networking comes natural and everyone is there to learn about one another. There is energy about the room with ideas and suggestions. Once you begin talking to a member you want to cultivate a purpose for their objective and you’re very excited to share your plans as well. The evening then proceeds to an open forum for anyone to pitch their idea to the other members, make requests, and open for questioning. It’s a valuable opportunity for anyone in the early stages of an idea to begin. After all the members have a chance to pitch, the sessions moves forward to a featured speaker which is typically a Support Group, StartUp Resource, or Investor. They tell their inspiring story of how they started, what resources they used and the purpose they now serve to the community. The program wraps up with networking amongst everyone.

It is really exciting to be on this ride of a startup business. Just the two of us, conceptualized an idea that was designed to simplify moving in an ecofriendly fashion. Along the way of our journey we have met some remarkable people and the opportunities to grow are limitless. We are still part of the beginning stages of a business, however, we have a good amount of education and experience at this point that we have gained. We have goals that are big and small successes.

Sharing our story with others is very inspiring and motivating to us. Being integrated with our community is what keeps the beat to growth advancement. Thanks St. Louis for your support!