The Most Inspiring Stories in Dallas

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.

Nesim Zeydanli

At NABA Style Nails, our journey began with a dream — to build a new life and a meaningful business as a family. In May 2025, my wife Anna, our daughter, and I moved to Texas from Turkey to make this country our new home. Read more>>

Manuel Chavez

Everything started in 1999 when I arrived in the USA with my wife and my daughter to have a new page in out life, with only 2 luggages pieces, one for clothing and the other one with dreams, at the beginning we slept in the floor since we dont have beds, looking for jobs with no english and leaving all the job experiences behind, i started working on a industrial AC units company making $5.60 per hour, i was there for the hottest months of the year and working nights as well. Read more>>

Suzy Wilson

Growing up in a very small southern town, I loved to sing and wanted to be a singer. But the idea of writing the songs that I would sing never entered my mind. I didn’t even know anyone who played an instrument other than a piano or a marching band instrument. But I was a good writer. Read more>>

Alexandra Green

My whole life has been spent pursuing creativity, and my entire family supported me. My memories, and family photo albums, are filled with images of me making artwork out of unconventional materials, taking art and theatre classes, writing stories, and making and playing with puppets. Because of my parents, siblings, grandparents, and extended family, I never really grew out of those activities. Read more>>

Andria Jackson

“We travel not to escape life… but for life not to escape us.” It’s a quote by Robyn Young that has quietly guided my life and, in many ways, built my business. My love for travel started early, with a summer trip to Europe after high school that changed everything. Read more>>

Suzzie Campfield

I’m a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and honestly, the way I got here came from a lot of learning, unlearning, and figuring things out in real time. When I first entered the field, I knew I was naturally good with kids. That part came easy to me. Read more>>

Brandon I. Parker

My journey began with a strong foundation in music and service within the church, where I have been involved for over 10 years. Early on, I naturally transitioned from simply playing to taking on leadership responsibilities, including organizing teams, improving rehearsal structures, and elevating the overall quality and execution of services. Read more>>

Tad Dobbs

I’ve spent almost 30 years building a career focused on crafting unique visual stories, coaching graphic designers, and helping clients build brands that connect to their audiences. With a recent work separation, I took a step back to reconnect with my initial passion – illustration and fine arts. Read more>>

Evan Jones

I’m an entrepreneur, a husband, and a father—but at my core, I’m a builder. Not just in the physical sense, but in the way I create pathways, opportunities, and spaces for people to grow. I own and operate Sainte Studios, a creative hub where artists come to bring their ideas to life. Read more>>

Jazmine Fischer-Veal

Jazmine Fischer is an Ohio-based fashion designer and founder of By Jazmine Fischer, known for creating high-fashion, editorial pieces that blend cultural influence with bold, modern storytelling. A graduate of Kent State University’s fashion program, Jazmine’s journey into design has been anything but traditional. Read more>>

John Reyes

I was born in Belize on January 14th 1988, an era where karate was probably the most coveted activity for a young boy. I would watch karate movies every chance I got (no Netflix or Hulu existed, only cable); and, I would imitate the greats like Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris whenever it was time to play with friends. Read more>>

Tamica Cueto

I started my business in 2022 after my granny passed away. My family was going through a really emotional time, and they wanted shirts for the repass. I didn’t have all the tools or experience at the time, but I figured out a way to make them happen. Read more>>

Olga Ortega

My journey into Reiki and energy healing began through my own experience with anxiety and a deep desire to feel more balanced and at peace. I was drawn to explore holistic approaches, and through receiving Reiki, I began to notice a sense of calm, clarity, and emotional release that truly impacted my well-being. Read more>>

Dr. Paloma Ocampo

I knew I wanted to be a psychologist as early as middle school because I was fascinated by human behavior. My parents always stressed the importance of a college education and they were instrumental in helping me reach my goal. Read more>>

Cuinn Cornwell

I have always been a creative and inquisitive person, drawn to exploring a variety of different artistic media. Though I got my start as a traditional artist, I chose to pursue graphic design in college because I loved the idea of creative problem‑solving and building visuals with intention. Read more>>

Greg Gayden

I’ve always had a love for aviation, starting when I was a kid and my father would take me out to watch the aircraft coming at going at the airport. Years later, I started a career at the airport and that passion was soon rekindled. I had been writing a commercial aviation newsletter for the past ten years at my regular day job. Read more>>

Sage Decay

I have always been drawn to art in just about every aspect of my life. I have done every job under the sun. Almost 7 years ago, I was introduced to my tattoo mentors. I started by helping around the studio; anything that needed to be done. Being around such strong artists day in and day out really spoke to me. Read more>>

Jocelyn Chavez

I started my journey to create a space where people, especially those from underrepresented and underserved communities; could feel truly seen, heard, and understood. As a Queer Latina, I recognized how limited culturally competent and affirming mental health spaces could be. Through my education and clinical training, I was intentional about building a foundation that centered on understanding people as whole individuals. Read more>>

Amit and Girik Samuchiwal

The story of ThinnkBotics didn’t begin as a business plan, it began as a belief. Both my wife and I come from Data & MLAI technology backgrounds, and over the years, we often found ourselves discussing a simple but important question: why does technology feel so complex for kids, when it has the potential to be so creative and empowering? Read more>>

Sandra Murcott

When our son was 10, he had some issues with attention and emotional regulation. I searched for non-drug solutions and learned about neurofeedback, a non-invasive therapy to help regulate brain activity. It was life changing for him and for us. As an elementary school educator of 25 years, I have seen so many families struggle with similar issues. Read more>>

Brion Dillard

My journey in the creative and fashion space began long before I had the language to define it. As a child, I was deeply influenced by my mother, who showed me the importance of presenting yourself with intention—waking up each day and being dressed to the T. That mindset stayed with me. Creativity also runs through my family. Read more>>

Bradley Cunningham

After 20 years in the Dallas service/restaurant industry bartending at Chuys, Blue Goose, and Razoos, I concocted my own fresh fruit margarita mix. Combining years of consumer opinions, likes and dislikes of what they would like to see and taste in a Margarita mix and adding some Margarita history flavor for the right amounts of each ingredient. Read more>>

Ed Porter

My story starts in New York, where food, music, and culture all lived at the same table. That environment shaped how I see the world and how I create. Early on, I wasn’t focused on titles or industries I was drawn to expression, whether that showed up through cooking, music, or storytelling. Cooking became my foundation. Read more>>

Laura Martinez

I’ve always had a passion for marketing because it blends creativity with a wide range of skills. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from UTD in 2021, and shortly after graduating, I began volunteering with Visit Plano, capturing content to build my portfolio and gain real-world experience. Read more>>

Lisa Osborn

There are many different phases to my story and they all serve an important role in where I have ended up today, a social worker of 15 years, a therapist of 7 years, and a woman entrepreneur and private practice owner of 2 years. Read more>>

Emiley Schnieders

Hello! My name is Em, or Emiley and I have been an artist since my hands could move. Read more>>

Emily Golden

I started my photography career in 2010, shortly after graduating college with a BAAS and a focus in business. While my education was rooted in business, my true passion has always been people. Photography became the perfect way to bring that passion to life, and it quickly grew into a career that I deeply love and feel incredibly grateful for. Read more>>

Yael Stromer

I started my career as a classroom teacher, then became a learning specialist in special education, and eventually a dyslexia interventionist. Throughout that time, I worked with so many students who were incredibly bright but struggled with things like organization, time management, and getting started on tasks, all the behind-the-scenes skills that somehow no one actually teaches. Read more>>

RODOLFO MEDINA

I started my business in June of 2010 providing janitorial service for two bowling centers. A couple of years later, we added another 4 bowling centers to the service and 3 years later we were servicing 20 bowling centers in Texas. During this time, we discovered that there was an opportunity to offer other services and the idea of diversifying our services was implemented. Read more>>

Ben Weber

Code K9 has been training dogs for over 20 years, I was a volunteer firefighter for five years prior to moving to Texas and then when I moved to Texas in 2005, I trained and became a certified search and rescue K9 handler. Read more>>

Amy Martin

I was born to be a writer, exceedingly articulate as a young kid. The legend is that as soon as I could talk, I spoke in sentences. The family house was not a happy place, and I spent much of my time outside. That’s where sanity was. Read more>>

Emily Putman

We started a family oriented trucking hot shot company in June 2025. We are looking forward to expanding our business in the future and aiming to connect with local companies that are needing general freight transportation. Jacoby Putman is the owner operator along with his wife Emily Putman being the logistics operator. Read more>>

Ced Williams Ricard Council

Ced Williams & Rich Council met at a comedy show in 2023, where Ced and his team (Commcanine Enhanced Protection Services, LLC) were working security. Rich, also an owner operator (Rich Guardian Protection, LLC) was impressed by the Uniforms and how the team carried themselves properly introduced himself after the show where they exchanged numbers. Founded in 2024, Williams Council Security Group, Inc. Read more>>

Jacob Strickland

I struggled to find my path in life but I knew I wanted to help people. 20 days after I graduated High School I applied to be a corrections officer and got the job. Read more>>

Yvonne Umeh

My journey into fitness really started with a decision to take control of my life and become the best version of myself mentally, physically, and emotionally. But a big turning point for me was losing my dad to cancer. That experience shifted everything. Read more>>

Garo Avanessi

I have always had a passion for music and grew up playing various instruments such as the piano, trombone, and guitar. I was introduced to DJing from a friend in highschool, as his brother had a set of turntables and big speakers in their basement. We would regularly take turns playing on the turntables while playing video games. Read more>>

James Vasich

We started our honey bee farm & removal business in 2015. It all started with a long battle with chronic Lyme disease. After running out of options with western medicine and the political mess with refusal to treat Lyme disease in the state of Texas.. Read more>>

AMENA BAKALI

I’ve been writing and creating travel content for just over 4 years now. Post graduate school, when I wasn’t finding aligned opportunities, I took the plunge to run with this side hustle. I didn’t know what I was doing, or where it would go, but I’m so glad I took the leap of faith. Read more>>

Anna Mikhaela Reyes

My work started out as a sort of visual diary—it was a way for me to organize my thoughts and feelings and even process unresolved trauma. As a personal testament to the success of art therapy, using art as an outlet really helped me come to terms with my own mental health issues and find a healthy way to cope through them. Read more>>

Taylor Cole

My Big Letters started with our own wedding. We wanted something meaningful and different, and when we could not find it, we decided to create it ourselves. What began as one project quickly turned into something much bigger. We realized we were not just creating décor, we were stepping into some of the most meaningful moments in people’s lives. Read more>>

Janet Dowell

I began studying social work because I wanted to help kids. So my first few jobs were in nonprofits focused on kids including pregnant and parenting teens, homeless families, and families with new babies. Then I did a stint doing counseling with court ordered youth. After moving to Texas I was fortunate to be able to be a stay at home mom. Read more>>

Celine Broecker

Yes I first started saving dogs years ago. We finally became non profit in 2015. It’s been a lot of ups and downs but finally 3 years ago we finally purchased our first home now on 3 acres. We also have several volunteers who come and help a wonderful lady who does all of our paperwork. We now have a website. Read more>>

Megan Liles

I took an unconventional path into my role as the Head of School of Guidepost Montessori at Flower Mound. I knew early on that I wanted to be a teacher, and I pursued that passion in college, earning my Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the University of Texas at Austin. Read more>>

Terra Sears

I didn’t set out thinking I would become a western fashion influencer, It really started from a genuine love for the style and the lifestyle that comes with it. I’ve always been drawn to western fashion, from the details in the pieces to how confident it makes you feel when you put an outfit together. Read more>>

Phillip Banks

Im a creative with a strong focus on visual storytelling, videography, and content creation, but over time I realized I wasn’t just interested in capturing moments, I was interested in shaping how brands are perceived. I’ve been building my own path in creative marketing and brand development. Read more>>

Walter Sullivan, III

As a child, I loved working math problems that were in textbooks. Numbers made sense to me and I enjoyed it. Growing up, I wanted to be a Nuclear Physicist – primarily because it sounded cool coming out of my mouth.  Read more>>

Yvonne Saldivar

I spent over a decade in accounting, and while I was good at it, it never fulfilled me. I’m someone who thrives on connection, emotion, and meaning—and Federal and Multi-State taxes just weren’t giving me that. For a long time, I kept that part of myself on the back burner. Read more>>