Our stories are often hard to understand until folks understand our true motivations, our true drivers and the stories behind why our mission or purpose truly matters to us. We’ve asked some inspiring folks from the community to talk to us about why they do what they do and have shared some of our favorite responses below.
Brandon Toohey
Hi, I’m Brandon Toohey. My goal, through martial arts instruction, is to inspire growth in my students, mentally, physically and emotionally, so that they can positively influence their communities. This goal was inspired because of the affect that martial arts has had on my life. Read more>>
Jeanie Schuerman
In 2015, I was crossing the street when a driver under the influence ran a red light and almost killed me. Miraculously, I survived, but my life as I knew it fell apart. I was a mess. I lost my physical and mental health, my job, my marriage, my home, and my trust in the universe. With gratitude, yoga, mindfulness, and lots of spiritual wisdom from people and traditions a lot wiser than me, I went on an epic journey to leverage the growth opportunity brought by collapse. Read more>>
Cole Rom
My healing journey began when I worked at a shop called Mystical Moon in Florida. As you might be able to tell from the name, it was the typical store filled with magical books, sage, crystals, and psychics. I quickly dove into learning all about the intuition, chakras, reiki, and more. I found myself healing so much spiritually, yet my body was still plagued by chronic conditions, my mind was filled with anxiety and worry, and I was virtually numb to my emotions. Read more>>
Shawn Archibald
The story behind my mission is simple. I was a young skater out of Texas City with little direction and I feel that photography gave me that. So now my goal is to make money full time behind a camera. Read more>>
Jerry Zayas
My mission has always been to bring people together. I do that by way of how I design websites for individuals or businesses. I design with usability in mind to help people navigate through the content, and lead them to connect with those who they might be seeking. I also try to achieve this by volunteering. Which is a completely different method altogether, but is a very fulfilling way to bring people together. My main volunteering focus is on the church and its events. I get to reach a lot of people that way. Read more>>
Desiree Talley
My mission is the advancement, education, and protection of the Black culture. On this mission my goal is to educate as many Black creators as possible on the business of entertainment, the legal ramifications of their deals, and the importance of ownership. This mission developed after learning about the overwhelming number of Black entertainers who had major success across performance-based industries such as music, sports, and art, then entered into unfavorable deals, and ultimately wound up penniless and destitute. Read more>>
Cleodine Pierre
It all started in 2020, when I was working on my vision board for the rest of the year with my friends. My friends and I were sitting around brainstorming new business ideas when it turned into something bigger. I was always told how good my cooking was, but I never expected to go from having an anxiety attack and crying on my kitchen floor the first time I had to cook for the public to owning a full-service catering company. Read more>>
Roxie Hayes
My story involved my kids, My mission stems from the true love and dedication I have towards doing the best I can for my sons. Raising winners is what my mission is! Showing my sons that there is never anything bad about working hard for what you believe in. Owning a brokerage requires so much and as I continue on in my mission to help realtors homeowners and investors, im just now about to touch the surface! Read more>>
Rebecca Zirkle, Dria Iris
Together we recognized a need to have a platform for small businesses and makers in our community to be seen, heard and create a space for their products to be sold. Hive Mind Market is the brain child between us, providing these necessities and keeping small business centric in our community. There are no other continual makers markets in Grant County and we wanted to fill that space which has been not only rewarding for us, but also has elevated the community around shopping small. Read more>>
John Fossati
Our story is pretty different from the typical Entrepreneur just starting a business, in the fact that we simply aren’t interested in “going on “lavish vacations” or “Flying Private”. In other words, the financial aspect of the Brand isn’t what drives us. We’re focused on solving the Ergonomic issues that make long-term comfort difficult for today’s Harley-Davidson®️ enthusiasts. As a retired Motocross Racer myself, Read more>>
Cole Hewett
I started bass fishing at a young age and I’ve dedicated my entire life to making it into a profitable venture. I fished 3 years in college at UCF where I not only qualified for multiple national championships, but learned a lot of the business side of fishing. Since graduating college I’ve started fishing the Major League Fishing series and pro tour for the past 2 years. Since the transition to the pro level I’ve altered my goals into trying to prepare myself to become the most successful tournament angler of my generation, not just from a financial sense but from a statistical sense based on finishes. Read more>>
Sarajane Herrmann
Finding my way to photography as a career has been a winding road certainly! I was gifted my very first camera in 2003, and I was immediately hooked. My camera became an outlet; it was a way for me to hold onto these tiny snippets of how I see the world. I was incredibly private about my camera and my photos for several years until starting college in 2007. While I majored in social work and intended to go into either counseling or community programs professionally, I took a handful of photography courses each year. Around this time, I began to show my work, explore other kinds of cameras and camera equipment and I got my first DSLR camera body. Read more>>
J de laVega
Growing up, books were my safe space. I devoured them by the hundreds, yet none of the girls looked like me. Even worse, the books I did see myself in were ravaged with pain, tokenism, or model minority exceptionalism. When I had children I made it my mission to create stories that accurately depicted the world they lived in. I drew communities that looked like our own with familiar faces. I am strong believer that presence creates possibilities. Read more>>
Ashleigh Abney
The mission of Empower Books LLC is to encourage children to know they have inner POWER! Making my author debut allows me to have the space to create and inspire children through my current book and the books to come. I remember sitting down one night early into the pandemic and deciding I had a message and wanted to put it on paper. At the time, I was not sure what I would do with the message as I considered starting a blog and then quickly realized that was not the immediate route for me. Read more>>
Suzanne Ouellette
A new way to wardrobe-People are always looking for new ways to present themselves. People are always looking for guidance. This is where I come in. I share my love and knowledge of the fashion industry, customer service and of course astrology! I kept seeing people I know disappointed with what they were buying online. Items not what they are advertised, no customer service, long delivery times, and not sure what they purchased suits their personality or not. Read more>>
Shivonne Hood
Our mission is to bring excellent food and service to our. clients while elevating the catering experience. We strive to be a “one stop shop” for brides and those planning events. I want to continue to empowering and supporting women, young ladies, moms, like me to have additional streams of income and have the girl boss vibe, Read more>>
Jasmine Rice
Transitions happen every day. Graduating college, starting a new job, getting let go from a job, experiencing a divorce or breakup, your kids going off to college. We all experience transitions in life and sometimes navigating those transitions can be overwhelming when you tackle it alone. After having experienced my own challenging transitions including a divorce and job loss all within a short period of time, I began transforming my mindset through neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and working on positive, forward-focused transformation. Read more>>
Bridget Mucha
The story behind Slow Ladies Club’s mission has changed as we have evolved. Originally, Slow Ladies Club was created with a group of girlfriends who wanted to do fun outdoor things (back country skiing, mountain biking etc.), but didn’t want to feel pressured to be “the fastest” or “the best” while enjoying the outdoors. We wanted to have beers on the skin track, a snack on the trail, catch up with friends, and enjoy being outside! Just because you’re not the first to the top doesn’t mean you’re not good at x, y, z sport. Read more>>
Alexandra and Karole Wechsler, Albach
La Canasta Company brings handwoven recycled plastic basket bags to local markets in St Louis and we have an online store at www.LaCanastaCo.com! We buy from independent basket makers in Guatemala so they get the price they want and we get to offer a really useful handmade product! The basket bags are washable, sturdy, lifeproof, and we offer a lifetime guarantee because we stand behind all of our baskets. We also give back 10% of our profits to various organizations in Guatemala. Read more>>
Taylor Graham Chloe Willemsen
When we started our podcast back in February 2021, we were both freelancing and burnt out from being on social media as much as we were throughout the pandemic. Both of us built our freelancing careers posting on social media, but it got to a point where it felt like our respective niches were all we could talk about. Working by and for ourselves was getting lonely, and we wanted to connect with other entrepreneurs and creatives that were feeling the same way. Read more>>
Patricia Brusha
Courtney Michaels’ mission was to gift graduates from rehab with a purse that celebrates their accomplishments, allowing them to move forward with dignity, strength and the knowledge that someone cares. Read more>>
Lisa Williams
The story behind my mission t Is to give those seeking a safe place the tools and information to do so. After recently retiring from the military with PTSD, I struggled reintegrating myself back into society. I couldn’t find peace, the right people or a company that would give me the grace while I struggled to reintegrate. Read more>>
Megan & Julien Martel
When I was a little girl my mother used to count with me in French from “un” to “dix.” For some reason that stuck with me! France has called to me ever since. I started playing the French horn, then chose French 1 in college, hopped on a plane and lived in Paris for a year where I learned the art of imperfection as I struggled to communicate in a foreign language. I was thrilled by the culture and rhythm of life in France. Read more>>
Judit Beres
My son was born with allergies and he had very dry itchy skin always full of some kind of rash. For 9 years we struggled to bring it under control but with little success. I knew natural remedies and medicinal herbs are better for skin healing then harsh chemicals made in a lab, but I was not sure where to start and I was done experimenting on my son’s skin. So I contacted an herbalist to guide me what herbs and ingredients to use in an herbal salve that is helps heal dry, skin and itching. Read more>>
Tanisha Naughton
My story behind my mission is my mom. I have always been health conscious and heavily involved with living a healthy lifestyle and working out. My mother was diagnosed with being diabetic and it changed my outlook on life because I saw how much my mother was suffering. She experienced symptoms such as dizziness & temporary loss of vision. She was on a few medications prescribed via her doctor. Read more>>
Sarah Young
My mission is to help more business owners build wealth from their businesses. What “wealth” means can be different to everyone, but ultimately it’s about having options, independence, and influence. The idea of more small business owners having more money and being able to positively impact our community is what brings me to work every day! Read more>>
Jameshia Weaver Smith
I was in the nursing field for 13 years. Some days I didn’t know how or what to do , I remember my school called me to the office because I couldn’t afford to make a payment on my education, I cried real tears because all I knew was my dream was to become a Nurse because it was my passion. And I refused to give up on This dream I had FOR ME! Between Financial Aid, Loans, Grants , no sleep I was Tired of just getting through. Read more>>
Ebonette Vargas
My Reason and inspiration for Starting Built on Concrete Entertainment was and still is. My brothers Gas and Cook aka GetMoneyGa$ And Yung Cook their dreams are what made Built On Concrete Entertainment, their love and talent they have for music still leaves me speechless sometimes! I wanted to make and start a successful business to show them if they believe in them selves with a little hard work, determination and a whole lot of hustle they can achieve anything! Read more>>
Ebony Jones
the age of 7, in the 10th grade I decided the cannabis industry was something I wanted to know more about. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in 2016, I worked a few different jobs before landing a job in the field I had dreams of for many years. The only kicker was I had to uproot my life and move 12 hours away to Tulsa, Oklahoma. After making the decision to relocate my life for a job in the cannabis industry right before a global pandemic, I soon found myself in the same position as so many other families in America. Read more>>
Tonia Williams
My name is Tonia williams, I’m an Athlete, a Veteran, a strong black woman who is owner of the UNCHECKABLE athletics clothing brand. My goal with the Uncheckable design is to not only give back to my community but also fight for justice by artistically giving a voice where sometimes we can’t be heard. To me this is more than a clothing line it is a way of life. Read more>>
Rhonda Simmons
My name is Rhonda Simmons, and I am the Founder/CEO of The Simmons Empowerment Foundation Inc. (TSEFI), a nonprofit organization. Just prior to moving to Texas in 2003 with my active-duty husband, I asked God to show me how I could positively impact others. It was through a course at Central Texas College, The Problems with Children and Adolescents, where I first became aware of the alarming statistics concerning Texas teen moms. Read more>>
Jessica Williams
In 2011, I was working on a client project and feeling burnt out and lost in my career. So I went to Spark & Hustle, a conference for women entrepreneurs. There, I realized that while I didn’t consider myself an expert, my business and tech background gave me the knowledge and experience to help in this space. A week later, I bought the domain for techbizgurl.com. My goal was to create a space for folks to go after their online business dreams without technology holding them back. Read more>>
Tinsley Merrill Paul
HerStory is on a mission to empower women to uplift one another and transform their lives and communities through storytelling. We launched HerStory in 2020 to create platform to promote and uplift women-led small businesses around the globe. What started as a subscription box to help customers discover women-led brands has evolved into a marketplace with a network of 200+ brands and 300K artisans who design and manufacture one of a kind luxury goods. Read more>>
Lauren Osborne
The passion for this business was born in 2015 when I was planning my daughters’ Breakfast at Tiffany’s themed birthday party. I wanted a dessert table and after calling numerous bakeries around town, they either could not provide the custom treats I wanted, or they were (in my opinion), extremely overpriced. Out of frustration, I decided to teach myself how to make what I wanted. Read more>>
Amy Crnecki
I don’t know if you’re like me, but I’ve realized over the past few years that there is a very big constant in life that not many people talk about. Life changes. It evolves daily. Things happen. Some good, some bad, some beautiful, and some painful. The big constant is called pivoting. We all do it at one point or another and you’re probably doing it much more than you think you are as you go about your daily life. Read more>>
Marrissa Padilla
I started this clothing boutique because after becoming a mom, my body was different. I wanted to start something that housed clothing that works for mothers and women in general. Our bodies are so spectacular and magical and it has been my mission to create a safe space for us to feel comfortable. That safe space is fashion! Read more>>
Barrett Merrill
My wife and I have been married for a little over 4 years. Her background is in psychology and working with children, and soon after our wedding she not only decided to go back to graduate school for her masters in clinical mental health, but she also challenged me to start seeing a therapist (probably one of the most loving things a person can encourage their spouse to do!). Read more>>
Claire Eschmann
Creations by Claire XOXO began back in my childhood. I have always had a love for creating usable, practical items- hats, boxes, purses, clothing, scarves, bookcases…you name it I probably tried to make it, build it, or fix it! As an adult and during my time as a Nurse I’ve learned that the thing most people long for, and need, is comfort. Read more>>
LaTasha Monique
My story began with selfish ignorance. I am a mother of 2 daughters, who has been living alone for quite some time and purchased a firearm to “protect” us with no proper training . Fortunately I didn’t have to learn the hard way as why that was the wrong way to go about it. So i began getting training and eventually took a CCW course as well as had regular practice with a trained marksman. Read more>>
David Hathaway
I grew up and currently live in Neptune Beach, FL. My parents took me to the beach all the time and now that I’m a father I take my two sons often. My sons also play sports, and those fields get extremely hot in the summer. The frustration with heavy tents on the soccer fields and crappy beach umbrellas/canopies on the beach got me thinking there just had to be a better way! I explored Amazon and google search for months and while some companies offered decent solutions, they all had their flaws: Read more>>
Liz Fagen
My mission, for many years, has been to help others in any way I can. After decades working in National Sales, I made a change and started my residential real estate career. The change was very scary but I have not regretted it. I am able to help so many people with a huge decision in their lives – home ownership. I work with every type of home buyer and seller and have been able to support them in this exciting, stressful, and, sometimes difficult, life change. Read more>>
Michael Holtz
I was diagnosed with stage-3b cancer on March 27, 2012. It was five days after my 43rd birthday. I endured 11 months of treatment that included oral chemotherapy combined with radiation therapy, surgery to remove the tumor, and six months of adjuvant chemotherapy to make sure the cancer was gone. I was employed by the largest cancer nonprofit organization in the country when I was diagnosed. My diagnosis, though, hardened my resolve to do everything I can to eliminate cancer as we know it. Read more>>
Ayush Vats
My name is Ayush Vats and I am a Realtor with Willis Allen and a small business owner. In addition to working with some amazing people in real estate, I also have a beauty salon in historic Mission Hills alongside my wife, Alexandra. In 2020 we had the opportunity to purchase, revitalize and rebrand the salon and currently have a full team of hair, nail and eyelash technicians working with us. Read more>>
Sofia Salazar
My mission is to create a bridge between designers and clients, so that they can both achieve their goals. For designers, this may look like creating work they’re proud of and can include in their portfolios, while doing it at a pace that’s respectful of their personal lives and being fairly compensated for their effort. Read more>>
Jessica Mulcahy
For most small businesses we all start the same…With a dream and a hail mary. Mine started with a wish. A wish to spend time with people. To make them laugh, to enjoy my 24/7 job and get out of the 7-6 life. To have some freedoms to spend days with the people who mean the most to me, and when it was all said and done, it gave me the strength I needed to take my daughter and I to safe place. Read more>>
Yusef Imani Reown
n/a Read more>>
Sandy Ciaramitaro
My mission of serving children grew out of the children’s book series I wrote. The Good Eggs series is a book trilogy that teach the important concepts of virtues, diversity, and service for elementary-aged kids. Since I was a young child, I always loved writing stories in school. As I grew into an adult, the idea of writing a children’s book kept growing inside of me. When I was finally ready to write, I wanted to to be sure that it taught about goodness. Read more>>\
Leah Horton
Traditionally when narrating a story you start with the beginning. However I believe to illustrate my story, I need to start with the end because, the end of this story is my mission. In layman’s terms, I began my company to make humans love themselves through what they wear and what surrounds them. Along with that, I aim to help the mental illness pandemic in this world. Read more>>
Danisha Braxton
I am the Executive Director at Autism Beauty. Autism Beauty is a nonprofit that I started in March 2022 with my daughter Jada Braxton. Jada has autism and recently won Miss Photogenic in her high school pageant. Her win made local news, and People magazine wrote a digital article about her success and what it meant for the autistic community. So many people reached out asking how they could support local families with autism or where someone could go to find resources and information regarding autism. Read more>>
Rachel Leslie
Our mission here at Lāer Studio is: to uncover authentic narratives of those in conscious pursuit of real impact and connection. Before starting this business several years ago, I worked at a major sportswear brand as a digital copywriter writing athlete and product launch stories. During my time there, I was continuously reminded of the bottom line of the impact our words needed to have to drive sales. Read more>>
Jess Teruel
My mission for ‘The Jess Teruel Show’ is to give a big shout out to small businesses. When I started the show back in 2020, it was the summer leading into my Senior year of college. I lost an internship with a local news station due to COVID, but I knew I still needed a portfolio and a creative outlet. So one day I decided to grab my camera and a friend and we hit the streets. I walked up and down Main Street downtown Greenville and I interviewed anyone that would be willing to share their thoughts on the pandemic. Read more>>
Cameron Ljungkull
Developing affordable, community lead co-working spaces for creatives is at the core of Secret Spot DTLA’s identity. Understanding the needs of BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and establishing artists is our businesses. We seek to empower visual artists, musicians, photographers, podcasters, producer, remote workers and creative professionals by providing them with a smart, upscale, turn-key facility, fully furnished with all the hardware and software tools they need to create exceptional content. Read more>>
Paige Neuhauser
That Clay Girl Co. is a handmade polymer clay accessory & lifestyle brand devoted to creating wearable art that is both aesthetically pleasing to the eye and ears. Modern, minimal jewelry that complements your lifestyle. With that, TCGCo.’s mission is to create accessories that bring joy and confidence to the one wearing them or using them in their home. Read more>>
Jared Dean Galindo
As I mature with myself, it reflects in my music, however it has become so much more than just the art I create. I’ve realized the influence that I have on people and I want to make sure that I stay consistent in pushing people in the right direction. This world is starving for leaders & I will make sure that I represent nothing but that. We have one life to live and often times we are in the way of ourselves. Read more>>
O’Tavais Harris
To briefly walk you through my story, at the age of 8, I knew in my heart I wanted to be the boss of my own company. I began to focus on learning the business ropes and how to be successful. So unlike kids my age, who wanted to be doctors, lawyers, and police, I wanted to be “Bill Gates.” I started my company with one goal in mind, and that was to help people achieve their goals by providing my expertise and guidance Read more>>
Aleigha Israel
Books have always been a part of my life, whether reading them, writing them, or adding to our nearly 3,000-book (and growing!) library. They were my way of processing the world around me or escaping to a virtual one. So when I became severely ill with Lyme disease, POTS, and nearly a dozen other health conditions in 2018, I watched as my ability to read and write became more and more impossible and the light that once burned brightly inside of me began to dim. I didn’t know how much books impacted my world until that world came crumbling down around me. Read more>>
Jessica Valentine
I’m a tattoo artist and owner of Haven studio in Brooklyn, nyc. I have been in the tattoo industry for just over 15 years, tattooing for 10. I started as a shop assistant 15 years ago, slowly moving up and eventually opened Haven in 2019 which started out as a private studio and has grown into an appointment only shop with multiple artists. Read more>>
Dafney Tales-Lafortune
We are dedicated to shifting the narrative and perception of Haiti and the Haitian people and culture. With one plate at a time, we strive to introduce people to the love, warmth and fierce passion that Haitians live by. We are hospitable and we don’t feel comfortable until we feel you have been fed properly. That is what we want – by falling in love with our food, you can fall in love with who we truly are and not what a one-sided media narrative tells you who we are. Read more>>
Iyanuoluwa Odebode
Living through challenges in our lives is painful; figuring out how to deal with those challenges is one thing, but turning those challenges into breakthrough opportunities is so rewarding. I could have chosen to allow the unfortunate circumstances to cause me depression, and quit. Instead, I decided not to give up, but to continue to press on, which made a difference. I grew up in Nigeria Africa, started my Bachelors in Computer Science at the University of Ilorin and in spite of a lot of difficulty and challenges chose to continue to push on. Read more>>
Taylar Knippling
I decided to quit drinking alcohol in 2018. It didn’t take me long to realize that there are very limited options when you go out for those that don’t drink. You usually get to choose between water, tea, or soda. Every once in a while you can find a mocktail, but it is almost never fresh, and usually tastes like syrup. With such few options, I would get tempted to just get a beer, or a vodka soda when I ordered because I didn’t want water or soda. I can very easily get that at home, and it doesn’t add anything special to your date night. Read more>>
Keyshia ‘MzzKeyz’ Reed
I started my career with the purpose of transforming hair, but I now understand that I’m building this corporation for the purpose of transforming lives. I’m here to help you stop letting the ‘I don’t know how to’ get in your way of fulfilling all your natural hair goals and to support you past your hair frustration into hair freedom! Read more>>
Saleema Hunter
The story behind my mission is to always motivate people. To always believe in yourself and keep going. There will always be obstacles, there will always be doubters however there will always be people that believe in you as well.That will support you and that will be there to give you the motivation or push that you need. No matter where and when if you want something or you want to achieve a goal stay consistent, stay true to yourself and never give up. Read more>>
Tina Holder
Growing up, I watched my mom try all the different diets, supplements, and exercise programs in an effort to lose weight. I watched her lose it, then gain it back, lose it, gain it back over and over. As I got older, I noticed how many other women (including myself) were stuck in this same pattern. I knew there had to be a better way to achieve weight loss (but also be able to sustain it), so that’s what I went to school for. Read more>>
Syerra Meadows-Haynes
Moments come and go at the blink of an eye, and many wish to remember those particular moments for a lifetime. Capturing cherished moments so they can last forever is my mission as a storyteller, business owner, and photographer. I wish to tell the stories many wish to remember, I wish to capture the memories that warm a person’s heart and soul. Read more>>
Megan & Kathy Bellucci
We’ve always bonded over shopping. Ever since I, (Megan), was little, my mom, (Kathy), would take me out of school one day each school year to have a mental health/shopping day. As time went on, we continued this fun tradition. When I started teaching full time back in 2014, we knew we had to maintain our tradition. We still make sure that we take time to shop together, but opening our own shop has always been a goal for both of us. Read more>>
Charity Bradford
My goal with every story is to help readers connect with their emotions and innate desire to belong while finding hope that they can find their own happily ever after. I believe this all stems from all the years I spent as the “new girl.” Although my childhood was full of adventure, starting in the first grade, I moved from Kentucky to Alabama to Kentucky to Alabama to…. Well, you get the idea. Read more>>
Edwina LaShan
Nine years ago, we created “Edwina LaShan Fashion Blog” to bring attention to shopping under a budget and still being stylish. With a huge lack of fashion and diversity within our community, we wanted to show our supporters that fashion is obtainable, where ever you reside. Read more>>
Cat Friel + Emily Adams Cat Friel + Emily Adams
We are Cat Friel and Emily Adams, the proud owners of a wardrobe styling company based in Nashville, TN called Style Concierge. We offer a variety of services including personal styling, closet edits and consultations, and editorial styling including music videos, photoshoots, advertising, and more. We are completely infatuated with style and staying on top of the latest and best trends, but what makes our line of work so fulfilling and motivating, is the people we have the privilege of meeting and working with every day. Read more>>
Sajie Jay
My mission is to assist as many women as I can on their fitness journeys by positively impacting their mental, emotional and physical wellness. I realized this was my mission as I went through the #75hard program earlier this year. #75hard changed my life and it allowed me to truly see and understand my purpose. I always knew I was doing what I was called to do but the how and why was still unclear so being able to understand that I am not just a fitness trainer, Read more>>
Monaye Etana
My mission is to help the hurting and the lost by spreading awareness and promoting self-love, intentionality, self-worth, and healthy boundaries for women navigating their path to freedom. So much of what we learn about ourselves is developed from childhood and life’s experiences. These experiences aren’t always a fair or accurate truth, but because it’s all that we know, we can attach ourselves to negative labels provided by others which causes us to create a false identity of ourselves. Read more>>
Camyla Hernandez-Meneses
My mission started in 1999 when my parents made the difficult decision to immigrate to the United States with no family, no money, and 2-year-old me in their arms. My parents left Venezuela with 3 Ph.D.’s between the two of them. A lawyer and a dentist with his own practice but arrived here to clean gyms, hotels, and houses and to sell flowers, wrap gifts, and every job imaginable that they could as immigrants. Read more>>
Jeffrey Bonsato
My mission of design first began in high school. I had a teacher who shared his passion of graphic design to our class. I could feel his excitement and this opened a field of curiosity to learn more. He would teach us different skills and talked about how people could do this as a career. I started to design products and shared it with my friends and family. I saw how sharing things I created made their eyes light up and I said to myself, “I want to make people feel like this every single time.” Read more>>
Aaron Bradford
As a child, Bradford heard rumors of possibly being descended from Plymouth Governor William Bradford. A journey to Plymouth confirmed that he is a 14th generation direct descendent. Governor Bradford is widely regarded as America’s first historian, who dedicated his book, Of Plimoth Plantation, to written with, “a singular regard unto the simple truth.” This made history personal! Read more>>
Gregory Hopkins
I really got into photography in high school. It was an after school elective class in the late night program. I sold my first photo that spring at the berkley art show. Prior to the class I actually bought my first camera from the pawn shop because of a 35mm film shoot I seen in a book. Read more>>
Alexa DAmico
The Days Sustainable Apparel originated from Alexa’s primary career path – apparel design. Alexa studied apparel design and manufacturing production management at the Fashion Institute of Technology and continued on to work corporately in fashion for large scale womenswear brands such as Club Monaco, Jones New York, DVF, Betsey Johnson among others. Though she loves designing full time in a corporate setting, Alexa yearned for something more, something that was truly her own and aligned with her passions, morals and values. Read more>>
Lindsey Hogan James
Coming from a background of battling acne even as an adult. And, a passion for making self-care affordable, accessible and fun! The small woman-owned Oasis Face Bar franchise was immediately interesting to me. Oasis Face Bar was created to shake up the skincare scene. The thought of spa music, cucumber water and 90-minute facials make us sleepy. :) We’re reinventing the spa experience across Arizona, Ohio, Illinois, Tennessee and now Florida. Read more>>
Demi England-Forbes
Now I had to think about what my mission was and really put it into words. Coming from someone who has a big family, who had a lot of family parties and get togethers growing up , I always saw my family running around to get things done between set up, cooking and overall coordinating to make sure everything was perfect and everyone was having a great time. Now looking back at parties like they were before, I remember plastic tablecloths and simple balloons from the dollar store and somehow that was perfect and simply enough. Read more>>
Nzinga Muhammad
I started my online crystal business for two reasons. One being that I was raised spiritually so it resonated with who I am as a person & two because of my own personal experience with crystals. It was September 2018 when I purchased two crystals locally that helped calm an oncoming anxiety attack & that was the day that I realized I wanted to help others the same way that crystals helped me. Read more>>
Theresa Kuyl
After being in the industry for nearly twenty years, managing sales team and offices, we felt it was time we work for ourselves and open our own brokerage. Officially launching on New Years Day was exciting! Our location, centrally located in a robust downtown, our neighbors; boutiques, restaurants, professional offices. Foot traffic and energy. It was perfect. Our happiness and enthusiasm was contagious and soon we grew from eight to nearly 30 associates. Read more>>