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.
Tim Davis Jr.
I dove into the process headfirst, fueled by endless curiosity. I spent countless hours researching, learning the ins and outs of writing and publishing. I leaned heavily on conversations with friends and family who had written books before me. Their experiences, insights, and encouragement were incredibly valuable. Every question I had, I asked. Every answer I received helped shape my path forward. Read more>>
Brenden Butler
Transitioning back into reality after treatment was one of the hardest things ever. I did not know who I was and I was not accepting of my new self and new body. I had no confidence and thought no body understood what I was going through. After I received the help I needed from lots of different sources, I tried entering the work force just to learn that I couldn’t go through a normal workday without experiencing and decent amount of pain in my leg. I still have struggles to this day as the road continues to be bumpy. I’m just a lot better at managing the bumps and responding to them. Read more>>
Charles Armstrong
I started selling Cajun Pastas with Crabcakes, Loaded potatoes with crabcakes, Deviled Eggs with Crabcakes and many more items with crabcakes . My Menu surrounds itself with Crabcakes and that’s what makes me different. A lot of restaurants sell crabcakes only as Appetizers but here at Peewees Crabcakes we sell them and pair them with majority of our dishes . Read more>>
Tabatha Trolli
There have always been struggles in the path of the artist. The world we live in says one thing and does the opposite. I know that making art is the only way I can be so it’s just something I have accepted. But it is incredibly difficult to make enough money to continue to make art work without sacrifice of the self or the work. Read more>>
Candice Wagner
With time and a lot of hard work, we began to turn things around. Then, at the end of 2019, just days before becoming the sole owner and rebranding the gym, I entered the darkest period of my life. I stopped taking care of myself and the CFIH community took notice right away. I was met with a tremendous amount of love, support, and that’s when it hit me – that’s what community first is – we all go through hardship in life and when times get tough you need a community that will be there to support you and help you get back up on your feet, especially in the fitness space… Read more>>
Erica Robinson
With our momentum building, we decided to take a leap of faith and open our own studio in 2022—and it’s been one of the best decisions we’ve made. We’ve always dreamed of working in the beauty industry, and our goal was to create a space where men, women, and people of all backgrounds would feel welcome. Although we’re under one roof, we designed separate spaces for the salon and barbershop to give each a distinct atmosphere and experience. Read more>>
Chef Lori Rogers
I poured my heart and soul into my cookbook, “Calibama Cooking” and I’m very proud of it. And Jam Vino–well, it’s definitely what I’m becoming known for. I’m incredibly proud of how Jam Vino represents the perfect fusion of my Southern heritage and California upbringing—what I call Calibama. Growing up in a family where jam-making was a tradition, I’ve always had a deep appreciation for creating something from scratch. My California roots–which emphasize quality ingredients and a love for wine, brought a unique twist to this Southern tradition. Jam Vino is the personification of Calibama—a reflection of both cultures in a jar. Read more>>
Kelly Ann Winget
Despite being born into generational wealth, my journey to the top was anything but traditional. I am a self-made entrepreneur, having never earned a college degree. My financial acumen was honed in predominantly male-dominated spaces, where I learned transferable skills that proved valuable across various industries. My first job was selling carwashes part-time in highschool, despite being the only woman and 16, I was making almost six-figures, achieving some of the highest sales records regionally in the company. I was often the only woman in the room throughout my career. Read more>>
Tanya Rojas
For 14 years, I poured my heart into being a stay-at-home mom, fully devoted to raising my children. But when my youngest headed off to kindergarten, I felt a powerful shift—it was time to rediscover myself and pursue the dreams I had put on hold. I had spent years cheering from the sidelines as my husband’s career soared, but I knew I was capable of more. Life was moving forward, and I decided it was my turn to rise, to invest in myself, and to create a future that reflected my own passions and purpose. Read more>>
Deonte Davis
I’ve been through a lot of setbacks in my life dealing with betrayal, love, hate, death of loved ones, depression, suicidal thoughts, sleeping in my car and getting caught up in shootouts and the system to where during those times I really didn’t know if I’ll make it home that night or even be able to see home again but through all the trials and tribulations I couldn’t had made it without God being with me every step of the way. I’m blessed and thankful for our lord and savior for talking to me and getting me through life’s curveballs. Read more>>
Amy Pagan
And then there was my art class. I started it for children. I’m a mom myself and so I knew that math and science were now being taught online, but there was no art class. So I started one. It was open to anyone. I taught simple projects anyone could make at home using paints, crayons, pencils – whatever they had on hand. It blew up. Quickly. I think my first class had eight people. And then it was hundreds, and quickly thousands of all ages – five year olds to seniors. Eventually, I had 123,000 people per class. Read more>>
Ifeoluwa Kazeem
What I enjoy most is helping teams understand their systems better and find ways to improve. I don’t just point out problems—I work with people to find practical solutions that actually help the business. What makes me different is that I can explain technical things in a way that’s easy to understand, so everyone is on the same page. I really take pride in making the audit process helpful and not just something people feel stressed about. Read more>>
Shadran Franklin
I definitely have had my share of struggles during my startup. There were a lot of trials to discover how much to stretch the elastic before stringing beads down to what size of elastic works best. I have also learned that I need to know the size of the bead hole before I make a purchase because not one size fits all. There have been many times I purchased beautiful beads but wasn’t able to use them in the way I wanted because the elastic did not fit in the hole. Read more>>
Kassandra Esquivel
From there, I slowly earned more responsibility. i began helping bake cupcakes, then preparing cake layers for upcoming orders. eventually I was trusted with icing cupcakes, crumb-coating cakes, and even working fondant. Each task deepened my appreciation for the craft and confirmed what I already felt: baking and pastry would always be a part of my life. At the time, I didn’t know exactly how or in what form, but I knew I had found something I was meant to pursue. Read more>>
Kimberly Skarke
All of a sudden what I thought would be my retirement job, I felt the need to come back to cosmetology. It was scary because I was now in a new town where I knew no one and also in a way it felt like I’d start all over again. Since I’d been working up a ladder in my corporate job. I took the risk and the chance. It was the best decision of my life. I believe it was all God. Within 3 months my books started filling up. I’m so grateful and thankful for all the connections I’ve made. Now I can say I’m an established nail and makeup artist in my area. Read more>>
Irene Enaya Fowler
We are currently having very expected growing pains! As we get our academy on its fins, we are working with several groups to ensure we are safe, thorough, and useful! As with any small business, finding the right investors and sponsorships are always a challenge given that the structure for being a professional mermaid is not defined; we want to make it inclusive for both the hobbyist merfolk, and the actor that wishes to train and grow in their career. Read more>>
Brandon Shaw
After being laid off from a plumbing job at 30 years old i decided to start a mobile barber business, to finance my ambitions to further educate myself in barbering. After about a year of being mobile i was a victim of an aggravated robbery while attempting to service a couple clients. This prompted me to go to school so that i could obtain a license and eventually own my establishment. Read more>>
Stavona Marie
I felt like I needed a change although I really enjoyed what I did. I wanted to do something as rewarding as delivering babies and Real Estate came up. I realized delivering keys could be just as rewarding, so I began Real Estate classes fall of 2021 and became licensed by November. I started during the time interest rates were really low and homes were being oversold. The only real challenge I faced was trying to not become overwhelmed by the demand. Things quickly changed. I have gotten some great experience, met a lot of wonderful people, and I have had the pleasure of helping families as well as individuals find HOME. Read more>>
Kendall Miskimins
I worked with my professor, Trey Egan throughout my college career and developed a broader understanding of channel pure creative expression through oil painting. I have been featured in 4 group shows for my paintings and hope to be in more soon. After graduating, I began working with Melissa Corpuz at Artful Home Interiors and have found a love for interior design and home staging as well. Art will always be a critical part of my life, and I am always seeking new mediums to express pure creative thought. Read more>>
Francesca Lawrence
Over the next four years, that simple idea grew into something incredible. My brother built a wildly successful safari business in Malibu. At its peak, it hosted over 200 guests a day, had a team of more than 40 employees, and offered private tours to celebrities like the Kardashians, the Jenners, Will and Jaden Smith, and so many others. It had thousands of followers and became a staple luxury experience. Read more>>
Emily Elliott
E. Elliott Hair Therapy is a local salon rooted in the belief that hair care is a form of therapy. We specialize in personalized hair color, multiple extension techniques, and advanced scalp care, all grounded in Trichology, the science of the hair and scalp. This dual focus allows us to go deeper than surface-level beauty—we’re helping our clients understand the why behind their hair health and giving them real, long-term solutions. Read more>>
Shakia Dorsey
To me, this work is more than just styling—it’s healing, it’s cultural, and it’s deeply personal. My daughter, Serenity Emani, inspired this journey, and without her, our business wouldn’t exist. Every client I meet brings a unique story, and I’m honored to be a part of their hair journey. Whether I’m restoring damaged wicks/locs, starting someone’s first set, or mentoring the next generation of locticians, my mission remains the same: to create a serene space where natural beauty is celebrated and self-care is sacred. Read more>>
Tom Wagner
Ever since I picked up my first serious camera in 2016, I have been hooked on photography! I soaked up everything I could to learn camera settings, composition, and post-processing techniques. Since then I have traveled the world capturing God’s beauty in landscapes, city scapes, and the night sky. I consider myself a student of photography, so I’m constantly learning and trying new techniques to improve my craft. Read more>>
Kristen Ballard
In 2021, I moved to the corporate space at TTI, Inc as the social media marketing specialist. I really enjoyed working in the corporate setting for a successful Berkshire Hathaway company and getting marketing experience in a large-scale corporate setting. I was promoted to content marketing manager and managed a team responsible for the content marketing strategy and social media strategy at TTI Americas. I found a love for corporate events, corporate communication and cross-functional collaborative projects. Read more>>
Ashley Lee
The biggest struggle for me was managing my time while getting my degree. Working full time and completing 25+ hours of coursework after work or in any time I could squeeze it in was tiring. I had to be very mindful of my time and plan my workload at the beginning of the week to ensure I could get it done on time. Read more>>
Sharon Jones
I started practicing yoga in 2012 and really enjoyed the benefits. At the time there were no studios in our area without driving 40 minutes away. With encouragement from friends I had the opportunity to build a studio on our ranch. In 2012 with the idea of “build it they will come”, my husband got started on Serenity! My vision for the studio was to make it a special place dedicated to women’s fitness and wellbeing. My hopes were to have enough members to pay my instructors. Classes filled up quickly! Presently the studio is still helping women maintain an overall better wellbeing physically and mentally. We offer three different styles of yoga; hatha, yin, and vinyasa. Read more>>
Whitney Karpoff Maverick Hale
So in 2023, we took the leap and opened Painted Manes Salon. From day one, we’ve poured our hearts into building something different — a space where stylists can thrive independently while still feeling deeply supported, and where every guest feels like they’ve stepped into their own dream world. It hasn’t always been easy (hello, small biz rollercoaster ), but every lesson and late night has led us here — more aligned, more inspired, and more excited for what’s next. Read more>>
Sheldon Atkinson
There were moments of trial and error, from securing reliable venues to ensuring the right vibe and crowd. Balancing creative vision with business realities wasn’t always easy, but every challenge pushed Sheldon and Andre to grow, stay focused, and raise the standard for Caribbean-inspired and diverse nightlife experiences in DFW. Read more>>
Meagan Funk
Meagan has spent over 15 years building community through business ownership, event production, and brand storytelling. She’s led large-scale experiences, collaborated with high-profile clients, and launched a celebrated live music series in Dallas-Fort Worth that centered artistry and connection. Bryson’s background spans marketing strategy, digital media, and operations—most recently managing greenhouse logistics and social media at an AgTech startup. He also co-founded Loft Stories with Meagan, a top-ranked music series that blended performance with creative hospitality. Read more>>
Jared Smith
It’s been a roller coaster in the real estate business. I had this passion for helping people and there were times I was so swamped with real estate, or finally had time to breath to catch up. Times I have had time to breathe, I utilize those times to go meet with my professional sport players, agents, financial advisors, or just nfl teams. I always keep my self incredibly busy with work. I enjoy everything I do because I work with incredible people, such as professional sports players, ceo of Fortune 500 companies, and music entertainers. A lot of these people trust me and that’s the key to my success. They trust me that I’ve been in their shoes, and I’m not going to act like a fan or pester them about their job. And that trust is huge for me. Read more>>
