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.
Jennifer De La Cruz
The journey hasn’t always been smooth, but one thing that kept me going was having someone who truly believed in me and my vision. This person encouraged me to share my hair treatment oil with the world, seeing the potential before I even fully did. When I launched my first batch, I wasn’t expecting much, but to my surprise, I sold out faster than I imagined. The overwhelming support and demand reassured me that I was on the right path. Now, I launch every three months, continuously improving and growing, knowing that what I’ve created is making a difference. Read More>>
Vanessa McClure
My unconventional upbringing instilled resilience and adaptability, turning me into a jack of all trades. Every challenge faced and lesson learned became part of my toolkit. But if there’s one thing that lights a fire in my soul, it’s watching the spark in someone else’s eyes when their vision comes to life. That’s where I found my true passion: taking The Blueprint of others’ ideas and transforming them into reality. I’m not just an executor; I’m a master at it, thriving on the energy of turning dreams into tangible success. Read More>>
Varinia Peace
I have always been into fashion. At a very young age, I loved playing dress up in my bedroom with high heels! Right before I graduated High School I saw a Miss Wade’s commercial on TV and I knew then that I wanted to model clothing! I had a creative gift to put outfits together in the most unique way and decades later (in 2019) I opened my own Women’s Upscale Resale Clothing Store! Since then, I have been modeling for my store. I love looking and feeling great and I love to help other women do the same! Read More>>
Shanice Gause
Real estate hasn’t always been a smooth road—it’s a real business that you have to build from the ground up. There are seasons of incredible momentum and times of plateaus, and navigating both is part of the journey. From the outside looking in, many people think REALTORS® just post videos and socialize, but there’s so much more behind the scenes that goes unseen—negotiations, market research, client management, and the constant effort to grow a business. Read More>>
Myah Mayhew
It has been a bumpy road in that it is super hard to make it in this industry if you don’t already have connections or a LOT of money. It can sometimes be discouraging to feel like I am working my ass off without a ton of reward. But when I start to think that way, I have to check myself and remind myself how truly lucky I am. I have parents, friends, professors, and colleagues who believe in me and are willing to invest in my future, and I owe it to them to have a good attitude and to continue to work hard even when I don’t feel like it. Read More>>
Joe Barrington
Growing up in Throckmorton Texas in my father’s welding shop, he taught me the business at an early age. A year after high school gradation I knew there had to be something different out there. I went to college and stumbled into the art department at Midwestern State University. I had no art background but did have lots of technical ability and determination. With some success entering shows and selling sculpture as an undergraduate I rather naively decided to build outdoor sculpture, forty years later I am still doing so. Read More>>
Sarah Reynolds
That’s when the concept for The Cookie Bar was born. We didn’t want to be just another cookie shop. We wanted to build a place where creativity knows no bounds, where customers aren’t limited by the offerings of the day. Instead, they can create their dream cookie from scratch. At The Cookie Bar, the customer becomes the baker. They choose everything—from the warm, flavorful cookie base to the frosting, toppings, and drizzles. Of course, for those who prefer simplicity, we offer our signature creations as well. Read More>>
Jason Brown
Elixir Muscle Recovery is the premier franchise dedicated to comprehensive recovery solutions for youth athletes and adults. Our innovative approach combines cutting-edge modalities – including ice compression, muscle compression, full-body Red-Light Therapy, and targeted stretching – into an all-inclusive monthly membership. The challenge was developing proprietary protocols into a system and packaging them into a turnkey business model to allow entrepreneurs to launch their own Elixir location in just 45-60 days. Read More>>
Patricia Loreto
When I immigrated to this wonderful country, I decided to turn my passion into a business, and that’s how PL Divine Cakes was born. It wasn’t an easy journey, but with effort, dedication, and continuous learning, I built a strong client base that trusts the quality and love I put into every creation. Read More>>
Kalen Snyder
Opening a garden center has been as rewarding as it has been challenging. At 31, my career has just begun, and the learning curves we have faced were uncharted territory for me. Even as an experienced manager with operational knowledge, creating these things from scratch is much different indeed. From creating logos, to newsletters, and check lists, on top of keeping our plants alive and our projects on schedule, hiring a helping hand from the start is something I would highly recommend. Read More>>
Mary Boyle
Which ultimately helped me start to create a central repository of our family’s memories over the years, readily accessible whenever a family member needed to find “that one photo”. Needless to say, all of my photo-managing efforts paid off when it came time to make a tribute video for my Mom & Dad’s respective 70th birthdays! By that point, it became a matter of “which photos to use” versus “where do we find them”. Funny enough, I was also the designated “photo keeper” in my social circle over the years – my friends always joked that if I didn’t post the photos (from a night out) on Facebook the next morning, the night didn’t actually happen! Read More>>
Mollie Goodspeed
Not long after, I shot my first wedding while still in college. After graduating, I worked in ministry while continuing to photograph weddings, but eventually, my business grew so much that I had to make a decision. Going full-time was terrifying—imposter syndrome hit hard. Running your own business means you’re responsible for everything: finding clients, paying the bills, and making it all work. Without my belief in Jesus, I wouldn’t have had the courage to start my own business, and I wouldn’t have the passion to serve my clients as deeply as I do. I had faith in his plan and provision. I took the leap, and here I am today. Read More>>
Stéphane Alexandre
Overall, it has been relatively smooth. Considering I have no prior knowledge or experience in radio, broadcasting, or studio engineering, I made sure that I took my time to learn from others who are already doing it. What can at times be challenging is scheduling my guests and revolving cohosts. I only record in person so essentially, calendars will often have conflicts. Lastly, editing is painstakingly time consuming for me. Read More>>
Crystal Roberts
Shortly after arriving on the island of Oahu my husband was deployed to Afghanistan. During this deployment I found myself being board, so I decided to take a baking class with the local community college. That love of European pastry combined with the tropical flavors of the island I was hooked! After graduating the University of Hawaii’s culinary program as a double culinary major I jumped in feet first into the cutthroat male dominate culinary field in Hawaii. Being a military spouse, at the time of 10 years, I thought I was prepared for anything life threw at me. I had to spend the next 4 years proving myself that I had the passion and the drive to succeed in the culinary field. Read More>>
Chavonne Starr
In no way was it a smooth road. Our biggest setback was believing we had to have a lot of money to start, that held us back for a while. We had no resources and didn’t know where to start. When we got started, we realized marketing was very important to get the word out, but we had no marketing budget. Every time we met with someone it was always what is your budget. We had none. One thing we never did was stop believing. I decided I would continue to push forward to make things happen and it did. We still have small struggles with finding certain cast members but in due time we will find exactly what we are looking for to help tell the story that is being told. Read More>>
Occean Blakely
They say you never know what happens until you start. I always knew that I wanted to run my own business and take the entrepreneur route. BossReflections LLC started off as motivational women’s clothing line that I used to create consistent income for myself but being in that industry just wasn’t making me as happy, So I decided to transition over into content creation which then sparked my creativity to making YouTube intro and thumbnails. These services were in high demand and that’s when I officially started accepting clients. My passion for Graphic Design has grew and I’ve been watering my Business ever since. Read More>>
Brittany Rodriguez
Growing up, I loved organizing and transforming my room and my friends’ rooms, but I wasn’t always the tidiest. I didn’t fully grasp the idea that things needed systems and maintenance to stay neat. When I became a mom, especially after having my fourth child, I realized our home needed a serious transformation. With six of us living in one house, clutter seemed to be everywhere. It felt overwhelming. I just couldn’t take it anymore and I decided to downsize our possessions by 50%, and it was completely life-changing. It gave me the mental space to think clearly, it transformed my motherhood experience, and improved all of our well-being. I firmly believe all moms need organization and simplistic spaces to be able to spin all the plates we need to spin. Read More>>
Shweta Sobat
As a mom, I was constantly looking for products that made life easier, more stylish, and functional. I also saw firsthand how hard it was to find affordable yet high-quality items without endless scrolling and second-guessing. That’s when the idea for ShopBezza was born—a place where people like me could shop with confidence, knowing they were getting products that actually made a difference. Read More>>
Amanda Kayser
Fast forward to 2023, my schedule was getting full and I saw the need for growth to serve more people. It was time to bring on a second therapist and open a physical location to grow and provide exceptional physical therapy and fitness services to more people. 2025 is here and we are looking to open a clinic and bring on a few more staff members, servicing all demographics, ages and diagnosis. Our speciality is that we get to see our clients 1:1 and have enough time to listen, assess and dive into how we can improve their movement, reduce their pain and enhance their quality of life. We take a holistic and individualized approach to each client and their goals. Read More>>
Bernadett Gazsi
By then, I was living in Australia. The news of her operation was hard enough, but nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. During the procedure, the surgeon accidentally snapped her vena cava, the main vein in her abdomen. What was meant to be a spine surgery became a life-or-death situation. She was rushed into emergency intervention, received multiple blood transfusions, and was placed in a coma for four days to help her recover. Being thousands of miles away, helpless, was agonizing. Read More>>
Detayvion Crawford
So one day I was watching my favorite YouTuber Quan and I decided to do YouTube and starting doing vlogs and people was kinda loving it and people been told me to do YouTube years ago because of how funny I am and it was kinda boring juss vlogging doing nothing so I started going to studio videos and vlogging there and vlogging with girls it was gaining attraction. Then I started doing blind dates it gained way more attraction and then I started doing find your matches videos and everyone was liking it and I started gaining a lot of attention, followings, and started to make money off it Read More>>
Jessica Stepnowski
Through coaching clients in health, I discovered something even deeper: I had a gift for helping people see their true potential and step into the best version of themselves. This realization shifted my path from fitness coaching to life, leadership, and business coaching. I became obsessed with identity transformation—the process of becoming the person who can create the success, wealth, and impact they desire. Read More>>
Talya Cooper
The past three years in the industry haven’t been without challenges, but most of them have been mental. Nothing is handed to you in the beauty industry . Success requires constant hustle and the confidence to put yourself out there, especially in the beginning. I’ve leaned heavily on social media to build my clientele, which has been a game changer. But with that visibility comes negative comments and opinions that can sometimes make you question your abilities. Learning to push past those doubts and stay focused has definitely been essential to my growth. Read More>>
Casey Barnette
When starting my first business CaseyTrain, the thought process was to create an online Coaching platform that would make an impact larger than me. Being in the Fitness industry for years, I saw a need for a centralized community with like-minded individuals driven to become the best versions of themself. A community and culture that could rely on and inspire each other on a daily basis. Building a brand around the coaching platform was the best thing I have ever done. Read More>>
Loreal Johnson
I always knew I wanted to work in a creative field. When I was looking at majors, my dad and step mom didn’t really even know what being a career creative would look like. I think at the time everyone was still focused on being a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. I went through so many descriptions of majors and job titles and ultimately landed on advertising. I felt it would be a mix of business, math and creativity. Its crazy because looking back on that, I was absolutely right. Read More>>
Jean Petrik De Lima
With over 16 years of teaching experience under his belt, Petrik has become a respected figure in the martial arts community. His coaching prowess has touched the lives of fighters competing in prestigious organizations such as the UFC, Professional Fighters League, Bellator, and M-1 Global. As a third-degree Jiu-Jitsu black belt, he embodies the dedication and mastery he instills in his students. Read More>>
Hadley Grace
My song (Wanna Be Mine) is now on all platforms including Apple music, Spotify, Amazon music etc. wanna be mine is also on the radio in the Texas area and in Australia doing well. I just recorded my second song coming out soon with my third song waiting to also be released. I will be heading out and performing on the LOL Podcast live tour starting this spring. I love country music and I’m inspired by Lainey Wilson, Jessie Murph, Megan Maroney. I’m very excited to see what path God has for me. My grandpa Ted (who has passed now) would always help me with singing when I was little, I know he is watching over me smiling from ear to ear and proud of me! Read More>>
Alyssa Simpson
Mental Mindset Musings have had me in a chokehold since 2006 – always in the new age section at Barnes & Noble, studying and learning all about ancient spiritual teachings & modern ideologies. I never felt like there was a clear path for me in that realm, so it stayed a hobby of mine allll throughout my life until I lost both of my parents within 6 months of each other when I was just 25. It lit a fire under my ass to start living for a living & showing other women how to do the same. Read More>>
Oking Habib
Shortly, after that I realized that fashion is my passion and purpose. So in 1988 I stared my own retail business in Dallas TX and became the most go to stylist / clothier for men’s fashion for entertainmeners, sports, church leaders and all men allover USA who love to make statements with their clothes. I lunched a tailored custom Clothing store in uptown Dallas in 2004 before moving to present rooftop location in Richardson Tx, where we specialize in Bespoke Custom Tailored Apparel, Made2Measure suits and Tuxedos as well as expert alterations for both men & women. Read More>>
Anu Dhakal
It hasn’t been easy at all. Being a single mother, going through divorce, fighting for custody with a narcissist all while trying to stay afloat in this economy isn’t an easy task! I worked hard day in and out because I knew my end goal was to work for myself and I still work very hard to this day! But I count my blessings each and everyday Read More>>
Justice Cole
But because her choices were motivated by money rather than passion, she struggled to stay engaged. Eventually, she received a letter in the mail notifying her that she was being placed on academic suspension due to her GPA falling too low. That moment shattered her—she had been trying so hard to follow the “right” path, yet it led her to what felt like failure. Falling into a deep depression, she questioned her worth and future, feeling lost in a system that didn’t align with who she truly was. Read More>>
Logan Renfrow
This was 2018 as I had moved back to Dallas. I found a local gallery in Richardson at the time. I wanted to put together an art exhibition that would bring together American and Chinese culture. I was introduced to the Dallas Chinese Art Association. We partnered to bring an exhibition of 50 artists with works made by Americans and Chinese in our show “The Middle Kingdom Meets The Lone Star State: A Cultural Conversation”. We had a successful three-week exhibition where artists and patrons had an exchange of culture and gained a deeper understanding of each other. Read More>>
Adrian Lockett
From there I acted on it and I got myself into the entertainment industry. To date I’ve been acting for 11 years and I love what I do and I haven’t worked a job since 2015. I noticed after years in Dallas that the entertainment industry itself didn’t have a space to thrive, so I wanted to create that and that’s how I came up with creatives Meetup Dallas. It’s an event where I bring the entertainment industry together first then merge the gap with everyday professionals. That means that just because I’m an actor or producer doesn’t mean that I dont need the services of an everyday professional such as a tax expert, credit repair expert, or a plumber or electrician. It’s been such an amazing turnout and I’m happy to say that we are doing this for the amazing city of Dallas! Read More>>
Colebain
I got my start at the first sound of music. It did something to my soul I couldn’t explain. I became obsessed with how all of these different sounds came together to make this masterpiece we so commonly call a song lol. Who would I be, how do I go about carving out my sound? And so I started out like a lot of people and I copied my favorite producers in the beginning. Its the saying, “Don’t try to reinvent the wheel.” But as a producer your sound is just that, reinventing things to make something unique and stands out from the rest. Read More>>
Susan Pham & Tony Trammell
Starting Corvo Martial Arts was all about believing in ourselves and wanting to do things our way. We saw some pretty big gaps in the market—like, “why isn’t anyone doing this better?”—and we knew we could step up and fill those gaps. So, we decided to create something unique and valuable, tackling problems that others had completely overlooked.
At Corvo Martial Arts, our story is all about passion, perseverance, and community. For the past eight years, we’ve been dedicated to bringing the art of American Jiu Jitsu (AJJ) to our community, creating a culture of discipline, respect, and continuous improvement. Now, we’re excited to share the latest milestone in our journey: the opening of our second location in Downtown Plano! Read More>>
