In 1997, both Mary Clare Murphy and Christie Miller had left their jobs to care for their children. Murphy and her husband were having trouble selling their home so they decided to sell it on their own. Murphy’s husband suggested creating a Web site to advertise their home and others. Murphy asked Miller to help her work on the site and in February 1998, they launched FSBOMadison (for sale by owner) with 10 listings. For $150 they’ll feature your house, manage inquiries and provide a teal yard sign. Today, FSBO has listings for over 2,000 houses and the women earn annual salaries in the six figures.

When Dosik was laid off from her corporate job in 2003, she took the opportunity to explore a new career. Dosik had been baking for years, and finally decided to pursue her passion by enrolling at The French Culinary Institute. After she completed the program, she furthered her education by interning for a cake decorator and working at a popular bakery. In the summer of 2005, Dosik launched One Tough Cookie, Inc bakery that uses cookies for decorations on cakes. A write up on UrbanBaby in 2006 boosted their visibility, and the orders have poured in!

Johnson loved wearing long pants with high heels, but hated when her pants would get stuck in her open-backed shoes resulting in a "heel wedgie." Inspired by the QVC/Oprah "Search for the Next Big Idea" project, Johnson filled out the registration form and caught the interest of producers but didn’t make it to the final eight. The competition motivated her to patent her idea and create Kix by Katie.

A trip to Puerto Vallarta proved to be a life-changing event for Debbie Davis. She fell in love with the ocean and snorkeling but felt unattractive in her wetsuit. While working in real estate, she spent her free time sketching wetsuit designs with princess seams and taking sewing classes. She perfected her pattern, found a surf-clothing manufacturer and a few months later launched Sea Dreams Wetsuits. Though she still supports herself with real estate investments, Davis has left behind her day-to-day real estate job for working with wetsuits.

Linh Reilly was working as a full-time benefits consultant when her hobby of making homemade Asian sauces turned into a booming business. She started selling bottles at her daughter’s school Christmas fair, and her product sold out in an hour. She then distributed sauces to homes and small businesses around her community. After doing more research in food processing, Reilly launched Asian Creations and in 2005 she quit her full-time job and committed to her sauces-a wise decision. A year later Whole Foods decided to distribute Asian Creations creating an even bigger buzz around her already successful company.