Denise Garlow is an out of work graphic artist from Atlanta who had been spending most of each day at the computer looking for employment and rewriting her resume.  Then one day her daughter brought home a plate she had designed in Girl Scouts that had drawings of “colorful, mouse-like creatures with large saucer ears and big black eyes.”

She asked her nine year old what she called the characters and she replied “Mom, they’re my representatives … they come to children who are sad and lonely or who were meant to have a better life.”

Since Denise didn’t feel too good about herself or her job prospects at the time, the statement really touched her and it eventually led to the creation of a new business.  Now she has turned her basement into a workshop and has completed prototypes of four dolls, as well as story lines to go along with each character.

Denise has invested in materials, in registering her limited liability corporation, A Place of Good LLC, and she’s taken steps to protect her ideas by filing for patents, trademarks and copyrights.

She’s taking it month by month as she can afford to pay for things, but still Denise has advice for others who would like to go into business, “the thing I would advise is to listen and find out what you really like, what really moves you.”

Read more of Denise’s story in CNN Living.