Custom Ideation

We live in a world that celebrates the overnight success, the viral moment, the six-figure launch. And those things are real. But they're not the whole story.

Most of the businesses we admire? They were built quietly. Slowly. Through seasons of showing up when no one was watching, saying yes to the right things, and saying no to the wrong ones. Through the pivots nobody posted about and the wins that took three years to arrive.

Because the best things take time to grow. 🌱

This month, we're dedicating our content to the small business owners who are in it for the long haul. The ones planting seeds right now that won't bloom until next year. We see you. We're rooting for you! And we're sharing the strategies, stories, and mindset shifts that make the long game worth playing.

Save this post for the next time someone makes you feel like you're behind!

I started Custom Ideation because we believed small businesses deserved access to the same caliber of strategic marketing and operational support that big companies take for granted.

We still believe that.

And I especially believe it for the women-led businesses doing extraordinary things without extraordinary resources.

This month reminded me why we do what we do. Thank you for letting us be part of what you're building. 💛

Julie Konkle didn't start FarmSudz because it was the safe choice.

Honestly? She started it out of spite. Gentle, motivational, beautiful spite. 🙌

When her husband doubted she could make goat milk soap herself, Julie headed straight to the library, ordered ingredients, and got to work. 50+ batches (and a few hard lessons about lye) later, this new hobby became a business, then a product line, and then two Michigan storefronts, a thriving online shop, and a team of rockstars slinging sudz every single day.

And in 2024? FarmSudz was named one of Michigan's Best Small Businesses. 🌿

We are so incredibly honored to support the FarmSudz journey behind the scenes — because *this* is exactly what happens when a great operator gets the right strategic support and processes in place.

Julie proved what we believe every single day: small businesses don't just survive, they thrive when they have the right foundation to grow from. The vision was always there. Sometimes it just needs a little room to run. 💚

Estée Lauder started her business from her kitchen, mixing face creams and cold-calling department stores until someone finally said yes.

Department store buyers told her no. She showed up anyway.

That origin story probably sounds familiar to a lot of women in business. The idea that was too small, too niche, or too soon. The pitch that got ignored. The work that happened long before anyone was paying attention.

Estée Lauder built one of the most recognized brands in the world from a kitchen table and sheer refusal to quit. We think about her a lot when we work with women-owned small businesses who are doing the same thing.

The work is real. The vision is real. Sometimes you just need the right support to make sure the world knows it too. 🌸

Running a business as a woman often looks like this: A late-night spreadsheet. Missing your child's school party because your only employee called in sick. Rewriting a proposal four times until it finally feels right. Managing marketing, operations, sales, and still somehow remembering everyone's birthday.

Women in business don't just lead. They carry. The weight of running a small business is real, and we can help lighten your load.

Custom Ideation was built for business owners who are doing it all — and deserve real support. We handle marketing and operations so you can get back to the work only you can do. And when you have time to re-focus on running the business? You’ll see the growth you’ve been chasing all along (and maybe even take a day off).

Here's a number that stopped us in our tracks:

Women own 42% of businesses in this country. But when it comes to venture capital funding? They receive just 2%. That's not a pipeline problem. That's a systemic one.

This Women's History Month, we’re celebrating how far women in business have come, while also being honest about how far we still have to go. Every day, we work with women-owned businesses that are resourceful, resilient, and relentlessly building. They deserve more than 2%.

If you're a woman-owned business, we want to hear from you. Let’s work together to make sure your efforts are seen, your story is heard, and your business sees the growth it deserves!

Madam C.J. Walker didn't have a marketing team. She didn't have a CMO. She had a product she believed in and a community she understood. Her tenacity paid off, and she became America’s first self-made female millionaire in the early 1900s.

The business landscape has changed since Madame Walker’s time, but the grit required to succeed has not.

To every woman-led business building something real right now — we see you, we believe in you, and we admire your tenacity. Keep going!! 💛