The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some incredible artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with the incredible group below.
Jac Kalaher & Jess Swearingen
St. John’s BFF (Business. Faith. Friendship) It started with a lunch for women who wanted more, and turned into a movement that’s serving both locally and globally. Whether you have a business or buy from businesses, we want you in the room, whether you have faith or need it, we want you in the room. We love our Jesus but Matthew 7 is clear, not our job to judge others so it’s simple, we don’t. Friendship, we want the depth, not the breadth. 1000’s of followers on social is great but what we really need is a close knit group of friends who can be in our corner when we’re in need. Read more>>
Julieta Mosqueda
People quickly connected with our products, and that gave us the motivation to keep growing. We added a food truck, expanded the menu with smoothies, fruit bowls, and other unique desserts, and later moved into wholesale. Now, after 11 years of hard work, we’re finally opening our first brick-and-mortar store at the beginning of this year. Read more>>
Corryn Mobley
This industry involves moving extremely heavy water slides and inflatables. We’re a husband and wife team with no other employees, and to make things harder, we started out with just a manual dolly. Not having the right equipment added a ton of stress and made things way harder than they needed to be. Read more>>
John Armstrong
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road—we’ve faced many of the same obstacles that most small businesses run into. In the early days, raising enough capital to get things off the ground was a big challenge. We had to learn the ins and outs of how to legally operate a business—from licenses and permits to taxes and compliance. There was a lot of trial and error, but each step helped us build a stronger foundation. Read more>>
Ahk Indasouth
I’ve always had a love for music, was always around it since I have been a kid raised in NY & Florida during my generation made it diverse an taught me how to be confident in myself. I started singing 2 years ago, truly working for 10 years to find myself it brought me back & healed me, the journey has been amazing since. Read more>>
Ivi Hysaj
During this time I saw my father struggle with keeping up with his construction business. I decided to give my two week notice at my Logistics job and start helping my dads business. By this time I had gained a lot of contacts and work ethic to be able to maintain and adjust some of the technical sides of owning a business. A few years later I got my roofing license and focused on growing that. My goal was to retire my dad so he can live comfortably and I feel pretty good that we were able to achieve that. Read more>>
Michael And Catherine Woodcock
We are both drawn to renovations because they require vision and imagination, perseverance, and a willingness to see potential where others might not. For us, it’s about breathing new life into homes that might otherwise be overlooked — or torn down — and creating something lasting and meaningful in their place. It’s not always easy work, but we find it to be deeply rewarding. And we’re still just as excited to see a project come together today as we were with our very first house. Read more>>
Raisa Skalaban
I believe mentors don’t always come in formal titles — sometimes it’s a quiet message in your DMs, a generous comment from someone ahead of you, or simply watching someone live boldly and honestly. I’ve learned to find guidance in unexpected places — in books, in women I admire from afar, and in creators who speak from the heart. Read more>>
Hudson Vance
One time when I was out busking someone walked by who happened to also be a musician and asked if I wanted to play a couple songs, at one of his shows at the feed mill. I of course, said yes, and went and played a couple songs after that the feed mill booked me for two shows. This kind of snowballed to a point where I would play one show every two months or so at various places. but beginning in this September I reached out hundreds of venues and restaurants and ended up getting a ton of bookings ever since that September I’ve had two or three shows a week every single week up until now. Read more>>
Kristiana Brush
i’m a licensed massage therapist who specializes in therapeutic massages. The way I describe my type of massage is I use deeper pressure on the areas you would like me to focus on and lighter pressure on the areas that you do not want me to focus on. My clients described me as a tiny but mighty! Read more>>
Brittny Briggs
That’s how My First Silk Press was born. I wanted to write a book that little Black girls could see themselves in, not just in the mirror, but on the page. A story that made them feel confident in their curls, proud of their roots, and bonded with their moms in a way that lasts. Read more>>
Michael Murray
Our immediate focus was on a comprehensive renovation and rebranding. We replaced the existing wooden rigging with professional aluminum trusses, similar to those seen on the show, and opened up the facility to improve visibility and attract passersby. Innovation was key; we integrated technology with visible screens and developed a competitive pricing structure, establishing ourselves as the premier Ninja gym in Jacksonville. We enhanced the family viewing areas with comfortable seating to accommodate larger groups for classes, parties, and competitions, and improved amenities like fully functional restrooms, bottle filling stations, and an ice machine. Read more>>
Disco Cowboy
When developing my sonic identity, obviously disco cowboy is a fan of disco music. My musical background was playing bass guitar and I was always a fan of Funk so I knew that playing funk and disco was going to be a great outlet for my sonic identity. Quickly, I found a niche and started to develop sets and incorporate disco funk in house in a way that not many other people were doing locally. This quickly gained some attention from a lot of fans, and has since continued to spread and create a unique atmosphere for my sets. Read more>>
Jessi Suminski
It was there that I had my first eye-opening experience with curly hair. I was assigned a guest with gorgeous, long curls. The haircut itself went smoothly, but when it came time to style her hair, I was completely lost. I turned to every instructor on the floor for help, and none of them had a solid answer. Eventually, they suggested I ask another student who had curly hair herself. Her advice? “I just put mousse in it.” As you can probably guess, that didn’t quite do the trick. The guest kindly explained this kind of thing happened to her all the time. She pulled her hair into a braid and told me she’d restyle it at home. I felt completely defeated—but also determined. Read more>>
Shannon Trahan
My journey into home inspections wasn’t random—it was built on decades of hard work, personal growth, and the desire to protect families just like my own. I officially became a licensed Home Inspector in Florida in 2019, but my experience goes much deeper. With a background spanning over 35 years in construction and home improvement, I’ve reached a level of knowledge and field-tested expertise that places me among the most seasoned professionals in the industry—Receiving over a dozen accredited certifications in the industry I am now at the level of a State-Licensed & Nationally Certified Inspector. Read more>>
Elizabeth Wildes
My friends, who I met in college film classes, were often my guests on what was then a live weekly podcast exclusively on the app. We all enjoyed it so much that we kept coming up with topics and films to discuss, which was really what sparked the idea to take All the Film Things to the next level. About a year later, I “wide- released” All the Film Things on more accessible platforms, namely Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Now that I am three years in, I’m proud of how its grown and the opportunities it has led me to but there is plenty of room for further growth so hopefully I will be able to make this podcast a true success. Read more>>
Ethan Chene
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but that’s part of what makes the journey meaningful. Starting a creative business means wearing a lot of hats. Creative, strategic, and operational roles can all be overwhelming at times. I’m still in the thick of it, figuring things out as I go. There were moments early on, and still today, when balancing client work with backend systems, financial planning, and growth feels like a stretch. Building trust as a new studio and proving value in a saturated market takes time. But every challenge pushes me to stay focused on what matters most: creating work that genuinely supports the people and missions I care about. Read more>>
Patricia Wilson
Growing up, my mom didn’t know anything about styling hair, which made things a bit difficult for my sisters and me. If our aunt or cousin couldn’t style our hair, I faced bullying. Determined to avoid that, I made it my mission to learn how to do hair. I practiced different hairstyles on myself and my sisters until I became proficient. In high school, I began taking clients and charged $20 to $30 for styles that would typically cost between $100 and $200. Read more>>
