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.
Kyree McClish
My career began at UPS as a Driver Trainer and Safety Manager—known internally as a Feeder On-Road Supervisor, a role reserved for the company’s top performers. It was there that I learned to train drivers the UPS way, where safety, discipline, and precision aren’t suggestions—they’re the standard. Read more>>
Leticia Salinas
My insurance career began twenty years ago as a Customer Service Representative for an Independent Insurance Agent in the Garland area. I was promoted to Office Manager six months later as the agency continued to grow. I never saw it as just a job, but rather as assisting clients in understanding insurance. I built strong relationships with my clients, and some became lifelong friends. Read more>>
Melissa Fryburger
Hi! My name is Melissa Fryburger and I am a licensed massage therapist here in Seven Points, TX. I am a seasoned therapist with 14 years under my belt and absolutely love what I do and truly care for each and every one of my clients. I am a Christian, a wife, and mom of 4. Read more>>
Chris Kinsel
I started DJing High School dances at 18-years of age in 1980 as I started my on-air DJ radio career. I have DJ’d in several cities all over the United States. Read more>>
NaKaydria Johnson
I began tutoring while working full-time as a teacher to earn additional income. I tutored for several hours after school and on weekends, balancing lesson planning, household responsibilities, and preparing for each school day. I maintained this schedule for several years while steadily working toward my long-term goals. During this time, I achieved one of my long-term goals by completing my PhD. Read more>>
Shashi Sharma
I used to have a gas station before 2000 then I got to this Romance Store business in 2001 and sold all my gas station and stick to this one since then . Love to help customers for their sexual frustrations with state of the art sexual devices! And it is somewhat marriage counseling spot . Read more>>
Radha Patel
Rowan Clubhouse, Co-Founders; Radha Patel and Barkha Naik have been friends for many years and come from very different professional backgrounds, Barkha spent over two decades in early childhood education and Montessori leadership and currently has a successful Montessori school in Dallas. While, Radha built her career in finance and consulting. Read more>>
Tamara Lisby
Awesome Times started with a dream my husband Jerry shared with me 23 years ago, even before we were married. He always knew he wanted to own a restaurant — not just a place to eat, but a place where people felt comfortable, welcomed, and connected. When we finally took the leap, we didn’t do it alone. Read more>>
Cassidy Liland
Sister & Sewn Collective grew out of a year marked by both exciting change and deep grief. In 2024, after the loss of our beloved grandmother, my husband and I made the decision to move from Dallas to Fort Worth to be closer to my family. We purchased a 1926 home just down the street from my parents, in the neighborhood where I grew up. Read more>>
Zion Foster
Hi, I am Zion Foster. I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and moved to Irving, Texas, in 2011. Growing up, I’ve always taken an interest in Art. I started out drawing when I was 4 years old and was mainly inspired by anime and video games. Read more>>
Dalî Di’yanne
My story begins in Abilene, Texas. I was born to two Air Force soldiers. My dad, a country man from West Texas, and my mom a resilient hustler who fled war in her home country Liberia. Shortly after my birth, my mom moved my older brother and me to Dallas and that’s where I have spent most of my life since. Read more>>
Samantha Culbertson
I grew up in a once small town in North Texas. My mom died when I was 9 years old after being sick most of my childhood. I have a few but fond memories of her and recall how she loved yellow roses. her laughter radiated throughout the house at times, and her sense of humor was full of wit! Read more>>
ken valencia
Best friends combined Cody Ellison’s background in high end bedding, and Ken Valencia’s extensive background in luxury clothing to open a ‘lifestyle store’ to include one-0f-a-kind, unique pieces spanning categories from women’s clothing and jewelry to home accessories. Read more>>
Nicci Staggs
To know how I got to where I am today, we have to go all the way back to my first semester of college. I was going through a difficult time in my personal life which made school miserable for me. I didn’t know what courses to take, what major to choose, or what career to pursue. Read more>>
Wade Lindsey
I’ve taken a pretty unconventional path to where I am today, but it’s shaped how I work and who I am. I started out in finance at TD Ameritrade, thinking that was the track I’d stay on. When the merger happened, I pivoted and eventually built my own pet-care business, Dallas Dog Den, from the ground up. Read more>>
Blair Parker
Got out of the mortuary business to have a little more time freedom and flexibility. Quickly learned real estate wasn’t the gig to fulfill those desires, but it has fulfilled me in a million other ways. Read more>>
Angela Deacon
I am currently entering my 5th year in real estate. I have sold over 80 homes in my 4 years in the field as well as buying and renovating 5 homes to use as short-term rentals. Read more>>
Angie Heflin
My story is full of twist and turns. I worked for ‘the Light Company’ for almost 20 years. I grew up there and it was a great experience. I learned valuable communication skills, but it was an 8:00 am-5:00 pm job with little to no give in my schedule. In 2004, an opportunity for a buy-out came, which I took. Read more>>
Troy Perkins
My parents had many rental properties during my childhood. I received a dual major in Real Estate and Finance at SMU, earning my broker’s license before graduating. After college I started a buyer’s brokerage. After starting Umovefree apartment locating and selling it in 2004, I went back to traditional residential sales, focusing exclusively in Las Colinas. Read more>>
Dany Prevost
I found an old refrigerator from the 1950s that I kept for years in the back of my garage in Quebec, Canada, and one day I had the idea of turning it into the front of a big truck. I made a bumper and installed some old wheels I had, and I thought that with a nice paint job it could look really cool! Read more>>
Dr PEACE BANKS, DNP
When I stood on the stage to receive my Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) hood, the weight of the velvet felt like the culmination of a thousand different lives. My journey was not a straight line; it was a map of survival, spanning continents and defying the gravity of circumstance. Read more>>
Shawn McKay
Imaginative since I was a little boy, I always dreamed of what could be. I’m still constantly dreaming. After university, I interned at an advocacy marketing group. I’ve always been firmly rooted in making a difference with every step I take. Read more>>
Jim Carlough
Here’s your **tailored magazine interview response**, reframed for a **feature article audience** — focusing on your journey, leadership philosophy, and identity-based transformation. It’s written to resonate with readers interested in leadership, personal growth, and success stories. Read more>>
Lontage Woods, Ed. S, CFLE
As a educator of nearly thirty years as well as a youth advocate serving children and familes from various backgrounds for twenty one years in my home state of Louisiana in youth ministry and community organization, I relocated to Texas in the summer of 2021 and started, New Focus Family and Youth Consultant. Read more>>
Vishala Patel
I grew up in a small village in India, where access to healthcare was limited and opportunities were something you had to work toward intentionally. From an early age, I learned the value of discipline, education, and perseverance, not as abstract ideas, but as necessities. My family placed a strong emphasis on learning, and that foundation shaped the trajectory of my life. Read more>>
Jeff Jones
Right out of college, I worked as a landman and spent much of my time traveling during the week for work—staying in hotels, making decent money, and getting the chance to see small towns across West Texas and Eastern Ohio that I likely never would have experienced otherwise. Read more>>
John Avina
I was born and raised in Chicago. I worked a lot of odd jobs including comic book store clerk, funeral director and wedding photographer, I went to school for film so i could learn screen writing and directing, but the pandemic came and those types of jobs fell away. I started making comics in 2020. Read more>>
Seth Forte
I think everyone has something they were made to do. Not in a mystical way… more in a quiet, practical way. Something that makes time disappear. It’s something that pulls you forward even when no one’s watching. The tricky part is finding it. Or rather, being able to put it into words. And then having the courage to build a life around it. Read more>>
Courtney Jaeckle
New Vine Counseling, PLLC provides faith-based, holistic mental health care for individuals, couples, and families. Rooted in Christian values, our practice takes an out-of-the-box approach to counseling—going beyond surface-level symptoms to care for the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. We believe true healing happens when clinical excellence is integrated with compassion, creativity, and God’s truth and grace. Read more>>
Jason Page
I was raised in a military family, so discipline, responsibility, and structure were part of everyday life from the beginning. We moved often, and I learned early how to adapt, work hard, and take care of what was in front of me. Read more>>
Shana Mims
Shana Mims | Founder, Pharaoh Prosperity Group My journey didn’t start with a perfect business plan or a safety net—it started with responsibility, faith, and the decision to bet on myself. I’m a mother, a business leader, and an entrepreneur shaped by real life experiences—including a difficult divorce that forced me to rebuild emotionally, financially, and professionally. Read more>>
Shahrzad Hamzeh
I started with movement as something personal, a way to process emotion, stay grounded, and feel connected to myself. Over time, I began to understand that the way I move is also cultural and political, that bodies carry histories, memories, and constraints shaped by context, power, and tradition. Read more>>
Swapna Savadi
I began with just one pallet of products and participated in several exhibitions, conducted sampling sessions, leveraged social media, and created awareness within the community. The Houston Maharashtra Mandal, Vishwa Marathi Parishad , SMAP , Mavla Group , India House, and other organizations generously supported me, offering valuable platforms to showcase my products. Read more>>
Edgardo Guerrero
My journey started when I arrived to the united states at the age of 15 years old. I started learning the landscape industry with a family member teaching me everything i should know from maintenance, plants to tree installation and removal to more. I stay working for my uncle while at the same time i was looking for ways to create my own Customer list. Read more>>
Cratina Webb
I’m a country girl from East Texas, a second-generation hairstylist who grew up in a salon. My mother owns a salon there, and that’s where my journey began, sweeping floors, watching women transform in the chair, and learning early that beauty is powerful, but ownership is life-changing. I’ve been an entrepreneur my entire life. Read more>>
Cesarina Johnson
Starting college in 2008 at the University of Central Arkansas, all I’ve done is eat, sleep and breathe Interior Design. When I moved to Dallas to pursue the larger opportunities regarding Interior Design, my journey took me through 3 different full service Interior Design firms. Each one shaped me in an important way. Read more>>
Deanna Fernandez
I am married to the love of my life for 20 years, and we have 3 grown children and 4 beautiful granddaughters. We moved to Weatherford in 2021 to be closer to our 1st granddaughter. As a mother of 3, family is very important to me and we wanted to be an active part of our granddaughters life here in Weatherford. Read more>>
Marla Nutter
My journey into permanent cosmetics has been shaped by growth, reinvention, and a commitment to building meaningful, sustainable businesses. I was first introduced to permanent cosmetics in the 1990s while working as a nail technician. At that stage of my life, the profession did not align with my goals, and I followed opportunities that allowed me to develop strong technical and leadership skills. Read more>>
Bradford White
My path to becoming a psychologist was indirect and laced with rejection. Yet, that winding route shaped both how I work and why I do what I do. Initially, I had no clue what to do with my life. I was drawn to service and discipline, and seriously considered a military or federal path. Read more>>
DEAN MORGAN
I own multiple companies. I just sold my commercial insurance agency called America’s commercial agency and originally started back in 1988 as Dean Morgan Insurance. We specialized in auto and then went to commercial through 2025 I have a business called Baby Boomer Buddies that was a transportation business for non emergency medical and some airport. Read more>>
Shelly Wade
I began my cosmetology career in the early 1990s while raising young children, learning quickly that resilience mattered just as much as skill. I apprenticed, worked commission, leased my own space, and built my clientele from the ground up during a season of life that required both grit and focus. Read more>>
Keisha Williams
I began my career as a therapist working with children, guided by the belief that helping them meant shaping the future. Over time, I came to recognize that this focus was also rooted in my own insecurity—specifically, a fear of not being taken seriously as a young clinician. Read more>>
Leesa Brown
My journey into real estate started from a place of service and curiosity. I was drawn to how housing impacts stability, opportunity, and generational wealth, especially for families who often feel overwhelmed or overlooked in the process. I didn’t come into this business just to sell homes, I came in to guide, educate, and advocate. Read more>>
Ashley Ellerbee
Frisco Pet Grooming has long been a part of the community, and when the opportunity arose to take ownership, it felt like a natural next step for Jackie, who had been grooming at the salon for years, and her sisters, Stefanie and Ashley. Jackie’s experience gave us deep familiarity with the clients, the pets, and the day-to-day operations, creating a seamless transition. Read more>>
Darnell Reid-Hill
Hello My name is Darnell Reid-Hill my goal/purpose is to help people with depression, injury, stress and/or to just to relax people mind and body. I got into massage therapy because I torn my Achilles and massage therapy help me a lot with depression and healing my Achilles. Read more>>
Deb Purvin
I skied on the US Ski Team as a teenager so you probably think that Dallas is a strange place to call home. That’s a longer story about a boy… I attended Dartmouth and Harvard and then moved to Dallas because the bank making me a job offer did it over the intercom at DFW airport (long before cell phones). Read more>>
Omar Aguilar
My story doesn’t begin with me; it begins with the courage of my family. I grew up in a blue-collar home watching my parents work tirelessly, a reality many of us know well. They taught me that our roots aren’t a barrier, but the very foundation we stand on. Read more>>
Sharhonda Luckett
My journey in the beauty industry began in 2015 with lash extensions. As a lash artist, I spent countless hours up close with women, and that proximity opened my eyes to something deeper—so many clients were investing in lashes but weren’t receiving professional skincare or facials at all. Read more>>
Natalie Valdez
My clinical focus for Made 2 Move is elite athlete care – bridging rehab, performance, and return-to-sport at the highest level. I am trusted by athletes of all levels (Professional, Collegiate, High School, & Youth Sports) to perform at the top of their game. I also work with active individuals and believe that there is an athlete inside everyone and will help you reach your full potential. Read more>>
Danzavier White
I started out taking pictures as a hobby, but it turned into something I love to do. I started going to my daughter’s track meets and then added football games as well. Then it transitioned from a hobby to a part-time job. I have been taking pictures professionally for almost 10 years now. Read more>>
