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. Check out our favorite stories from across the Voyage family.
Koko Kwon
My journey has been anything but linear, and that’s what makes it so special. I started my career as a journalist and quickly realized that my passion for storytelling was deeply rooted in my own truth. When I decided to make my infamous “f**k it, I quit” moment to fight for cannabis legalization, it felt like I was stepping into the most authentic version of myself. Read More>>
Shelby Sullins
Reflecting on the past four years, I can honestly say that every step of this journey has been worth it. The path has been filled with challenges and triumphs, but it has led me to a place where I have the privilege of serving incredible couples. Each wedding film I create is a labor of love, crafted to evoke the same emotions and memories that were felt on the wedding day. I cherish the opportunity to be part of these special moments and to bring them to life through film. Read More>>
Traphena Souder
Growing up, I watched my mother own hair/nail salons where she provided hair and nail services. Her dedication to her craft left a lasting impression on me, however, I was always encouraged by my parents to pursue higher education, something they didn’t have the opportunity to achieve themselves; so I followed that path. Read More>>
Jeff Silverman
In 2009, I hired a barbershop quartet to deliver a singing telegram for my wife for Valentine’s Day and thought to myself, there must be something cooler than this… (there wasn’t). I started Rockstar Singing Telegrams soon after with the goal to rock people’s birthdays and events with epic performances by pro musicians. Read More>>
Stephani Dickinson
Later on in my career, I was witnessing a pattern of folks using hair expression to merely serve their vanity, and not putting as much focus on their inner beauty and well being. So I created Sunflare Self Care! A place where people can not only receive care for their beauty needs, but have just as easy access to other means of self care, including access to a community of other people who are interested in holistic wellness and personal growth. This way I could support my clients in more ways than just their outer beauty care. Read More>>
Marvin Gilmore
To make ends meet, I returned to corporate America while tirelessly searching for fashion opportunities. Through networking, I connected with the Regional Manager of Suitsupply, who introduced me to Michael Malouf, the owner of Malouf’s in Southlake, TX. In 2013, I flew out for an interview and Michael hired me on the spot to oversee the contemporary menswear side of his business. I packed my car and drove to Dallas to start a new chapter. Read More>>
Abigayle Hartson
I was always pushing myself to do more. I was constantly doing research and studying on how to be the best I can be in my field. From going to networking events to putting myself out there on social media, there is multiple ways to continually gain knowledge and excel. To me, as long as I saw I was progressing, no matter how big or little, that’s what made me feel accomplished. Read More>>
Melanie Acker Liz Hemphill
In late summer of 2023, we sat outside of a coffee shop and started drafting what our dream practice would look and feel like. Magic was happening that afternoon. We felt that God was laying it all out for us. That evening, we talked to our husbands, Travis and Joey (also co-owners), and they were fully supportive and on board with the idea. From that day on, we never looked back. We looked at locations and found the most beautiful space with plenty of room to grow in the Rockwall Harbor area Read More>>
Soréya Dalé
Today as an adult, that not only created in me a feeling of never being good enough, but also a feeling of not understanding why I was allowed in certain spaces that I obviously deserved to be in. It sometimes gets very hard to be consistent with things that I love, and it’s easy to rationalize that by downplaying my efforts and making them seem worthless because that’s what others used to make me feel. I am however glad that I have hit that threshold of self-awareness, as it keeps me grounded and focused on my personal goals instead of goals others wanted to achieve through me. Read More>>
Allie Griffin
I have always loved to cook. Friday nights used to be browsing through a specialty grocery store after work and picking out excellent cuts of meat and fun ingredients to prepare for my husband and I while sipping a glass of wine before sitting down for dinner at 9pm…fast forward a few years and there aren’t enough hours in the day to spend that much time cooking! When my husband and I first had children, I was working full-time, and while I still had a passion for cooking, I had to make it a little easier to be able to still have home cooked meals every night to enjoy at the dinner table. Read More>>
Tina Lopez
In 2015, I moved to Frisco and began working at Texas Family Fitness. When the opportunity arose to join Cowboys Fit, a new fitness club, I embraced it eagerly. At Cowboys Fit, I led several fitness formats and spearheaded the Aqua Fitness programs while also serving as the lead instructor at Texas Ford Aquatics. Read More>>
Ashley Alvarado
Shipping cost was the first big roadblock that arose early on in my business journey. I like to think that my knowledge of the e-commerce industry was above proficient, but I was quickly humbled, as I wasn’t anticipating the outrageous shipping costs for a product like mine and how it would soon negatively impact my overall margin. Fortunately, I was able to find a quick solution, but this was definitely a learning lesson. Read More>>
Angela Glahn
This was equal parts humiliating and terrifying. I found myself constantly wondering, “Why is my sweet, lovable dog, that I took to so many training classes, acting like a complete jerk whenever we see another dog?” It wasn’t just the embarrassment—I was genuinely worried about what could or would happen if got away from me. What if he hurt someone, or another dog!?! Was he a lawsuit just waiting to happen? I mean that really shook me and kicked off my journey into the fascinating world of dog behavior. Read More>>
Jd Roberts
Just like any small business start-up, they experienced growing pains and poured all of their blood and sweat into Finstincts. Word of JD’s love for the river, ability to teach people and success putting them on big fish began to spread and in 2017, Finstincts was birthed. They currently operate 5 river boats that can accomodate up to 10 fishermen at a time. They offer lodging at the Finstincts headquarters in Graford. During the winter months they offer overnight float trips wher you camp in wall tents and eat fine Texas cuisine. It is a true Glamping experience and a bucket list trip for any angler. Read More>>
Janae Harris
I’ve worked hard since I was 15 years old, building my résumé to appeal to other “business owners”. But I have always wanted to have my own business and build generational wealth for my children. I want to leave a legacy for them. I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without my mother, Monica, my partner Jonathan, and my sister and brother Payton and Jared’s help and support. I didn’t want to just have any business, I wanted a family business. Read More>>
Ally Hocking Howe
I don’t think a career in the music industry is ever a smooth road! Working in an industry such as this one always keeps you on your toes. The stakes are high, the job security is low, the hours are long, and there is always more work to do. To top it off, you have to have the resilience to get out on a stage with a smile on your face and perform, rain or shine. Read More>>
Rhiannon Smiddy
I knew that this was going to be a big struggle that I needed to overcome. I spent almost 3 months in the hospital and during that time my hairstylist came and washed and styled my hair. I instantly felt so much better and more confident and in that moment, that’s when I knew that I wanted to make other girls feel the same feeling that I felt in that hospital bed when my hair was done, which led me to becoming a hairstylist. I have been a hairstylist for almost 14 years now and it has truly helped me overcome so many obstacles in my life. Read More>>
Briana Robertson
I’ve known I wanted to be a lawyer since I was 12 years old. Watching Claire Huxtable on The Cosby Show, I admired her grace, intelligence, and strength. As I grew older, that childhood inspiration evolved from wanting to be like Claire to wanting to be a voice for the voiceless. I began to look up to civil rights icons like Charles Hamilton Houston and Thurgood Marshall, who stood as champions of justice. Their legacies fueled my desire to attend Howard University School of Law, where I proudly graduated in 2015. Read More>>
Khrystal Dawn
It was about a month into quarantine and everything around me had changed within the blink of an eye. One second I was working 12 hour days at the office, next I was working from home with no projected return date. This gave me a lot more time to look at what I hadn’t noticed before: my failure to keep my health in check. I knew I had to take back control and this is when my keto journey began. Read More>>
Aaron Gonzales
Overall, the journey has been smooth, though we faced a few challenges in the beginning. One of the main obstacles was figuring out how to get our name out there. We eventually found that word of mouth worked best, although we still advertise on social media and use Google My Business. Starting in a new city and having to prove ourselves was tough initially, but once we gained momentum and let our work speak for itself, things began to fall into place. Read More>>
Roberto “Monky” Silva
I’m a Puertorrican producer and comedian that start producing comedy show for spanish speaking crowd in Dallas / Fort Worth. After bring some names from Puerto Rico, i start working with locals latin comedians from Venezuela, El Salvador, Colombia,Mexico and Puerto Rico too. Read More>>
Hattie Meyers
It is a true pinch me moment every time someone reaches out to schedule a session because I love sharing my passion for pilates and bringing a comfortable and serene atmosphere for clients to come and workout. I am just getting started with Hattie’s Pilates and I have so many ideas and dreams for my brand in the future and I truly give God all the glory that I get to do this every day. Also – I always forget to mention my love for pink! I have always been a pink girl and it truly brings me joy so I of course had to incorporate it into my brand/logo for a feminine/luxurious feel. Read More>>
Antonio Espinal
I started my journey with a strong academic foundation in sociology, earning an opportunity to play in Eureka, California while getting academic credit from College of the Redwoods while playing JUCO football. After receiving several offers, I ended up at Langston University, an HBCU in Oklahoma, where I had the opportunity to continue my college football career and gain the experience as an HBCU student and athlete. Read More>>
Taylor Tryggestad
As much as I love the Architecture world, my heart and soul yearns to have a camera in hand at all times! Maternity, graduates, pets, families, engagements, you name it – I love to capture it all!!!! After graduating this past May, I decided to uproot and move to Tulsa, Oklahoma to fully pursue wedding photography. It is my absolute dream to capture the essence of love as warm, timeless memories. I am grateful that the Lord has walked alongside me through this journey and led me to where I am today! Read More>>
A.D. Scott
This journey has been extremely rewarding for me! And after filming them all back to back, it’s also been extremely exhausting lol. But I put a lot into those 4 completely different characters, and I’m so thankful to the production companies who saw something in me and trusted me with the opportunity to tell these stories: JF Bailey Films, Rainey-King Productions, LAS Productions, and Clearwater Productions, LLC. I’m truly excited and I can’t wait to see what the future may bring. Read More>>
Tyler Martin
Some didn’t make it past COVID, and those who did had to overcome a steep uphill climb to get back to we were before all that. 2020 really did a number on the music industry, but it also opened some doors for musicians as well. I think home recording exploded as a result of the world being shut down. There has never been a better time to have a home studio. The resources online are endless for people like me, and its awesome that music-making has become accessible for virtually anyone. Read More>>
Aakash Sridhar
My name is Aakash and I’m a jazz pianist and composer. I consider myself to be from Bangalore, but I was born and brought up in Dubai and always grew up being passionate about music. Through my childhood I was exposed to a lot of different kinds of music from family and friends, including Bollywood, Tollywood, rap, rock and metal. At the age of six I started having formal lessons on the tabla, and began performing for many occasions in my school. My interest eventually shifted towards the keyboard and I began taking a huge interest in chord shapes and harmony and theory. At this point I had not the faintest idea that I would end up choosing a career in jazz piano. Read More>>
