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.
Sara Terry
What changed everything was the support of my father-in-law, William Terry, a professional photographer based in San Antonio. He saw how much I loved taking photos of my daughter and encouraged me to pursue that passion. He signed me up for my first online photography course — and that was the beginning of my journey into the world of photography. Read more>>
Jordana Bistany
I actually started in the wellness space with a blog I created called radiantlynourished.com – it was my little corner of the internet where I could share my love for nourishing food, mindful routines, beauty tips, and living in alignment with what makes you feel your best. That blog lit a spark in me, and when short-form video content really started to take off around 2021, I fell in love with that medium. It gave me a way to show up more personally, casually, and consistently for my audience and connect in a more real-time, intimate way. Read more>>
Dayna Bown
As a young girl, I always loved photos and the beauty in the colors and details. I would take pictures of everything and everyone, then print them out and display them in my room. In High School I received my first “nice” digital camera and had friends, cousins, and family members model for me as I learned about lighting, colors, and posing. I honestly never realized that a photographer was actually a job where people made money, so I just took photos for fun on the side. Read more>>
Yessenia Williams
Throughout the entire pregnancy, both the baby and I were healthy, so it was the shock of a lifetime—on what became the worst day of my life—when we learned at 38 weeks that our baby no longer had a heartbeat. The devastation was unimaginable. My life changed completely after that. I found myself navigating the depths of grief and overwhelming anxiety. Read more>>
Shahnaaz Evans
The road definitely hasn’t been smooth personally or professionally. As a queer-identified, African-American woman in the mental health field, I’ve faced my share of challenges, including feeling misunderstood, having to navigate systems that weren’t built with inclusivity in mind, and working in environments that didn’t always reflect or support the communities I care most about. Read more>>
Ilijah Morrow
It can be discouraging to be around people who could change your life but they either don’t see the vision or don’t care enough to even help with advice. Or trying to come up with enough pieces of content that you can hopefully post often enough to make a splash. Even then…production of reels and marketing yourself are skills on their own. The bright side though is that if you choose to come back to it, you’re more deeply moved to be more thorough for yourself. Read more>>
Ed Norice
Building a business from scratch is never easy. I can’t speak on other business adventures but I can say that personal training comes with many struggles. The first struggle is finding clientele so you can build an income. Once I had a pretty good clientele base, the next struggle was trying to grow. As with any other business, just operating and trying to keep the doors open has its ups and downs. I feel the biggest hurdle I had to overcome was Covid. Covid changed things a lot. The fitness business is completely different now so I had to adapt. Read more>>
Jody Hassemer
Nothing in rescue is a smooth road! I always say you see the best and worst of humanity in animal rescue. The struggles include finding partner rescues in other states up north to work with us, and, as in any rescue group, fosters are desperately needed! We cannot save dogs if we don’t have fosters., so convincing people to open their homes is always a struggle. Read more>>
Garrett Robbins
Almost immediately after training, I started finding success. Within six months, I was offered a promotion to help open a new office in Dallas, Texas. Leaving my hometown, my family, and everything I had ever known wasn’t easy, but I knew the opportunity was too good to pass up. When I arrived in Dallas, there were only eight of us, and I helped lead the team to become the first start-up agency in the company’s history to write one million dollars of business in their first year. We actually did it in just nine months. Read more>>
Aaron Jones
Unfortunately, due to some unexpected circumstances, I had to find something even closer to me, but knew I wanted to stay in the realm of BBQ. Which sometimes life comes full circle and I am now working with my good friends Paul Pizana and Christian Martinez at their BBQ food truck (Pasión BBQ) in Grapevine. With growing up a lover of all things chicken, I decided to start my own business – Cluck It Up Chicken House – that I currently run out of the Pasión truck every Thursday (soon to be every Wednesday & Thursday) at Hop & Sting Brewery. Read more>>
Mallory Delaney
I moved to North Texas in 2019 from Southern California and found my way to Flower Mound, TX through one of the few job opportunities I secured before moving here. That’s where I started decorating cookie cakes at Nestle Toll House Cafe. It sparked my interest in decorating, it was new, creative, and gave me a chance to practice both writing and artistic skills. Read more>>
Nicole Choate
I was the kid who would barely talk at school- until I learned I could sing. I was so reserved that when I showed up early for a choir solo audition, the teacher passed over me at first! Thankfully I did get to audition, and to everyone’s surprise, I got the solo! It felt more safe and at home for me to sing in front of the entire elementary school than to go up to one person and initiate a conversation, but the confidence I gained from that experience helped me to be more outgoing with my peers. Read more>>
Tangie Logan
I’ve always dreamed of owning my own business—but early on, I believed I needed a team to make that dream real. I’d say things like, “Let’s start a business,” and while I’d get some “yeses” and a lot of “nos,” nothing ever stuck. I firmly believe that our thoughts shape our reality. By consistently focusing on our desires, we align ourselves with the energy needed to bring them to fruition. Read more>>
Sean Camp
Growing up, my after school program was hanging out in the old Zorlac skateboard warehouse and Swamp Co warehouse. Watching them silk screen skateboard, shirts, punk show posters and stickers ect. Since then I’ve been collecting low brow art, restoring older pinball machines and classic cars. Over the last few years, I’ve turned my focus into making custom coffee tables, shadow boxes, wall installations with a vintage style. Read more>>
Doreen Brass
I became an RN in 2003 and started in ICU. By 2005, I was ready for a switch and to pursue a passion I had since nursing school, Labor & Delivery. There is something magical about welcoming new life in the world while supporting and guiding new parents through one of their toughest challenges. Read more>>
Arnold Aka Mr. Grouch Bautista
I specialize in realism, both in black and gray and in full color. While I enjoy all aspects of realism, I’m especially proud of my full color work—the way color allows me to push detail and depth to another level is something I’m really passionate about. I think what sets me apart is the level of precision and detail I bring to every piece. Whether it’s subtle shading in black and gray or the vibrant layers in color, I focus on making each tattoo as lifelike and dynamic as possible. That commitment to detail is what I’ve become known for, and it’s the part of my work that I take the most pride in. Read more>>
Ethan Lartey
When Ethan relocated to Dallas, Texas, shopGODSENT began to evolve into what it is today: a luxury Christian fashion brand inspired by the likes of Fear of God and Rhude but carrying its own distinct mission. From pop-ups to placements in local boutiques, the brand started finding its home in Dallas’ growing fashion scene. Read more>>
Sherri Mixon
I didn’t set out to lead a community development corporation—I set out to serve. My journey began in South Dallas, where I witnessed firsthand the resilience of families, the brilliance of young minds, and the urgent need for systems that truly support them. Over the years, I found myself drawn to the intersections of housing, education, and advocacy—not just as issues, but as opportunities to build dignity, equity, and hope. Read more>>
Tiffany Alfred
I began my interest in mental health when I used to be a hair stylist after High school. I enjoyed listening to my clients talk about their lives and ask for advice, but I mostly listened and offered understanding of their situation. I would have multiple clients tell me how good I was at listening and that coming to their hair appointment was their therapy. Eventually I decided to obtain my psychology degree. I am now a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor and a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor. Throughout my education, supervision and training, I have been fortunate to work in hospital settings, nonprofits, public schools and I have a private practice in Crowley. Read more>>
Oksana Kirianova
I’ve always believed that every person carries a story worth listening to, each one filled with lessons, struggles, and beauty. Mine is just one of many, but I wanted to share it because maybe, just maybe, it will touch someone’s heart the way so many stories have touched mine. Read more>>
Zachary Hallak
My name is Zachary Hallak I am a part owner in Pioneer Party Rentals. My best friends Robert Villalobos has always been an entrepreneur and pushed me to start a business with him. As a High School teacher an inflatable/ party rental business made sense as I have summers off. We jumped in head first. We bought six slides which quickly expanded to 9, games, got our LLC, insurance, inspections and we were off to the races. Mind you we had little to no knowledge of this business. We just saw an opportunity and went for it. Read more>>
Michael Rodriguez
Dr. Kaity Brock and I met on the very first day of graduate school and have been close friends and collaborators ever since. As children of business owners, we were both natural self-starters and deeply passionate about quality mental health care. Over the years we’ve supported each other through both personal and professional growth, so when the time came, it felt natural to join forces and bring our shared vision to life. Our experiences working in other group practices gave us valuable perspective and inspired us to create something of our own—a trauma-informed, warm, welcoming space where both clients and clinicians can thrive. It’s the kind of environment that makes us genuinely look forward to coming to work each day. Read more>>
April Word
I studied Theater and dance at Texas Tech university, and got my teaching degree from WGU. I’ve always loved both the arts and teaching Children. When my children were born it wasn’t hard to see their immediate love for the arts. They wanted to be a part of all things music, dance theater and the like. However, when we moved to Bowie there were not many opportunities available to them. It was this that drove the decision to first begin offering theater opportunities through the Bowie Alliance for Education and the Arts and shortly after to begin Rise Performing Arts Center offering Music, Dance, voice, Art, tumbling, karate and Theater classes to the community and scholarships to attend so that any child who wants to experience the arts has the opportunity. Read more>>
Shaun Treat
I love local history and folklore so anytime my partner Melissa and I travel, we visit historic sites and take ghost tours all over the country. That’s how I got curious about Denton’s spooky ghostlore, so before long I had a fairly impressive catalog of stories. Melissa suggested that maybe I should lead some ghost tours around Denton, so that’s how it all began. Nowadoys I’ve broadened the scope of tours to include local history, food and culture, music and nightlife for newcomers as Lil’ d-Tours so there is definitely something for everyone and every occasion! Read more>>
Marrium Haroon
I began my journey in dentistry overseas, where I graduated from dental school before moving to the United States in 2016. Like many immigrants, my early years were filled with challenges and sacrifice. While I worked as a dental assistant to stay connected to my profession, I also took on jobs at Chipotle and JCPenney to make ends meet and support my young family. Read more>>
Spectacular Follies
From the start, the challenges were daunting. Mounting a professional, Broadway-style revue takes money — and lots of it. Costumes, musicians, theater rentals, sets, and technical crews added up quickly. Convincing sponsors and audiences that a senior showcase could be more than just a novelty act required persistence and passion. But with each passing year, the sparkle of the Follies won over skeptics and built a loyal following. Read more>>
Angie Conway
I would think about them and worry about whether they would be ok. Now, I’m able to be with a client and show empathy during session, but when I leave I can disconnect. I always explain it like plugging in and being connected in session, then unplugging when the client walks out of the office. Now, I would say the most challenging thing is making my own self care a priority. I have three daughters and we have been foster parents in the past and are hosting an exchange student currently, so we always have alot going on! With this type of work, I have to make sure I am aware of my stress and doing things daily like exercise or meditation to reset my own nervous system so I can stay healthy for all of my people. Read more>>
Pam Ewell
I grew up the daughter of an artist mom. She was really talented, and for unknown reasons I made up my mind that I didn’t want to be an artist because that was “her” thing. She was absolutely supportive and over the moon when I occasionally tried something or brought something home from school, and it probably made me hesitant or put off. I regret that, She would’ve encouraged my pursuits but I guess I was stubborn! Read more>>
Amy Twomey
I’ve been making art for as long as I can remember. I’ve explored just about everything—photography, pottery, painting, printmaking—and that eventually led me to study photography at the University of New Mexico, then grad school at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and a year in between at the Art Institute of Chicago. I have been photographing high school seniors for 25 years, which I love, and when I’m not editing pictures, I am painting in my studio. Art has just always been the way I move through the world. Read more>>
