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.
Griffin Holtby
I’ve had the honor of being interviewed about my solo career with Voyage Magazine in the past, but today I want to talk about a project I’m really excited about, TEXAS TURMOIL! We’re a country and rock cover band, with 2 years of playing gigs and entertaining people in the DFW. A few years ago I had a rock band, The Deadmen Walking. Read more>>
Blessing Taylor-Ryer 
I started my career in business at the age of 14 as a student in Eaton High School’s Business Academy of Entrepreneurship. During my 4 years in the program, I was equipped with insight on the primary channels of Business including but not limited to Branding & Design, Operations, Human Resources, and of course Marketing. Read more>>
JoAnna Moore 
I actually got into boudoir photography through weddings. At the time, I was focused on growing my wedding photography business, JoAnna Marie Photography, and I was photographing a wedding where the bride and groom did a gift exchange before the ceremony. Read more>>
Niki Jackson 
I’m a third-generation hairstylist. My mom has been doing hair for as long as I can remember, and my grandmother was a hairstylist as well, so I pretty much grew up in the salon. As the eldest daughter and granddaughter, I guess the lot just fell on me! Lol! But honestly, I didn’t mind. Read more>>
Landra Jackson Sr 
I started in 2021, I was originally going to sell my Trailer to a relative, but I wanted to start a business with it but never did get it going. Read more>>
Chyna Brown
I started creating content because I’ve always loved being in front of a camera expressing myself, and sharing things I genuinely enjoy. Over time, I learned how to turn my personality, lifestyle, beauty, food, and everyday experiences into content that people actually connect with. I’ve grown my platforms, worked with hundreds of brands, and created content for both small businesses and larger companies. Read more>>
Melanie Prete 
I discovered Pilates nearly 20 years ago and immediately fell in love with it. At the time, Pilates wasn’t nearly as popular as it is today, and making a living solely as a Pilates instructor was challenging. So, I expanded my expertise and began teaching a variety of fitness disciplines, including yoga, barre, HIIT, spin, kickboxing, TRX, and more. Read more>>
Paige Callaway 
Many roads and experiences seemed to merge together when I started my clothing line in 2014. I grew up on the back of a horse, competing and training in various disciplines, predominately rodeo. I attended Ecole Holt Couture, one of the only couturier schools in the world outside of Paris. Read more>>
Jennifer Eagan 
Born in Bad Hersfeld, Germany in 1972, and raised in East Brunswick, NJ, I moved to Texas when I was 19 to attend college and be closer to my parents who had already relocated. Read more>>
Crew Kinser
I guess we’ll have to go back all the way to that rainy October morning, where it all began. The moment I picked up that Ticonderoga number two pencil. The shape, the smell…. that really bad eraser….. Since then, it has been a roller coaster of graphite and erasing. In my youth, I actually had a grandiose dream of being a professional baseball player. Read more>>
Victor Thomas 
As a kid, I started out rapping over instrumentals I found, and recording on this old 80’s boombox that required cassette tapes. My fascination for Dinosaurs played a big part of my artistry. I also danced a majority of my life as well. Ranging from School Talent Shows to Pep Rallies with the Dance Team I was apart of at the time. Read more>>
Bonnie Gayle Sparks 
I’m a born-and-raised Texan, and I took my first acting class in Houston when I was 21 years old. I didn’t grow up in the entertainment industry or have some perfectly mapped-out plan for becoming an actor. Read more>>
Ally Raye 
After undergrad, I looked for work that would let me stay connected to the field of psychology. I landed in an administrative role within a therapy practice and quickly learned that I really enjoyed the work behind the work – keeping things organized, figuring out how processes fit together, and finding ways to make everyone’s day run a little more smoothly. Read more>>
Tolga Temirlenk 
I started tattooing around 11 years ago in Turkey. In the beginning, I was simply focused on learning, improving my technique, and developing my own visual language. Over time, I became especially drawn to black and grey realism and began building my style around realistic imagery, fine details, strong composition, and contrast. Read more>>
Nicole Collie 
My journey with Creating Gray Spaces and Emerging Creatives began with a simple belief: there are talented people in our communities who need support, but not all of them fit into the traditional categories that nonprofits typically serve. Read more>>
Unkaged Ink 
We’re a team of two artists, we’re both brothers, Aarman (36) and Isaiah (30). We have always been into art but have slightly different backgrounds, one in graphic design and the other in film and script writing. Read more>>
Timothy Gargiulo 
=- My story STARTED growing up in Arlington, Texas WHERE through high-school and undergraduate studies, I developed multi-instrumental skills as a guitarist, percussionist, and pianist. Read more>>
Monica Kornblum 
I have always had a heart for kids. Even before starting Language Lions, working with children was something that brought me so much joy and purpose. As a speech-language pathologist, I began to see how many children and families needed more individualized support than they were able to find. Read more>>
Bertrand McKinney 
I grew up loving hip hop music. From my earliest memories I was a fan of the genre. I also was raised in church. My mother made sure that God was the center of our household as I grew up. It just made sense to combine the music that I love with a God that is love. Read more>>
Elina Salinas
My journey really started with my son. When he was a baby, he struggled with terrible eczema, and as a mom, I became much more aware of what I was putting on his skin. That led me down the path of looking more closely at the ingredients not only in our skincare, but in the everyday products we were using throughout our home. Read more>>
Olivia Kennedy
I’m Olivia, but people online know me as MamaLiv. My husband inspired me to start sharing content, and he’s been my biggest supporter from the beginning, even when I was still figuring out what I wanted to share. Read more>>
Dallas Psychic Fair Owner and Producer, Cheryl Andrea 
In late 2007, I received very clear guidance from my Spirit Guides to join the Dallas Psychic Fair as a professional Reader. At the time, the instruction made little sense to me. I already had an established private practice and no particular desire to become involved with local events or groups. Read more>>
Haley Hoover 
I joke that Winnie & Lu was born somewhere between my years as a nanny and having two little boys of my own. I spent over a decade caring for kids before becoming a mom, and I thought I knew what I was getting into…until I didn’t. Read more>>
Josh Lindsley 
My journey as a longevity physcian started after ballooning up to 270 pounds in my late 20’s. While in residency, working 80 hour weeks, fostering 2 kids, I really let myself go. It all changed when semaglutide came out, a GLP-1 medication that showed promising weight loss, I intially lost 60 pounds and thought ‘WOW this is great, why do I still feel terrible’? Read more>>
Kendel Bolton 
My path has never been particularly linear, and I think that is one of the reasons I care so deeply about creating opportunities for other people. I did not begin college until I was 27, so I understand firsthand how transformative education can be when someone is given the right access, encouragement, and environment to see new possibilities for themselves. Read more>>
Brandie Janow 
I am originally from East Tennessee, and design has been part of my life from the beginning. I started in Visual Communication Design and later expanded my academic interests into Future Studies and Speculative Design. I lived in Chicago and Washington, D.C., before moving to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where much of my career developed. Saudi Arabia was incredibly important to me, both personally and professionally. Read more>>
Colby Lovelace 
I opened Lovelace Chiropractic and Sports Rehab to be the kind of healthcare I’d want as a patient: simple, personal, and focused on actually getting you better. Affordability was a big part of that from day one. Read more>>
Reeta Cruz 
I’m Reeta, I’m a model, host, content creator located in Dallas. Walked a Show back in 2019 that I enjoyed and decided, “This is fun, let’s run it.” Just a couple of shows in Covid happened and things shifted. I have a background in Hair/Makeup(Paul Mitchell) post Air Force so I worked with clients as more individuals began taking self portraits. Read more>>
Karlie Stawychny 
For almost ten years, my classroom was my world. I was a special education teacher, and I loved it. I loved the structure, the problem solving, and the moments when a student finally felt seen and understood. Read more>>
Jacquelyn Pilgrim 
I started taking social media seriously when I was 16 years old. I jumped on the Tik Tok wave and started making dancing and lip syncing videos. My fourth video I ever posted was a dancing video for my 17th birthday and it was my first viral video ever. I had about 500,000 views initially and gained a little over 30,000 followers. Read more>>
Alisha Melvin
I did not take the traditional path to becoming an attorney, business owner, real estate broker, or educator. I left high school and later earned my GED. From there, I continued my education, eventually earning my bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Dallas and my law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Read more>>
David O’Druaidh 
I have had a lifelong interest in astronomy. When my grandchildren were young, I spent a lot of time reading books and watching television with them, and I often found myself wishing there were more things that were both genuinely entertaining and educational. That gave me the idea of writing a children’s book about the planets. It seemed a natural subject for several reasons. Read more>>
Rosa María Baos Laguna 
‘In my life, I think I have always been guided by my heart and the intuition that underlies it.’ My personal and professional worlds are intertwined at that meeting point: doing what I feel is right for me at any given moment, even if many times it doesn’t make much sense. Read more>>
Greta Patapovaite- Bryant 
My name is Greta Patapovaitė-Bryant, and I’m the proud owner of Love Healthy Skin, a skincare studio in the Plano area serving clients from Plano, Frisco, Dallas, and surrounding communities. This year marks 20 years since I became an esthetician, but my journey in this industry has definitely not been a straight line. Read more>>
Tamaria Johnson 
Born in Waco, Texas, I was raised by small-town country parents who taught my sisters and me the importance of hard work, humility, perseverance, and treating everyone with respect. I worked hard to put myself through college and graduated from The University of Texas at Arlington before beginning my real estate career nearly 20 years ago. Read more>>
Cydney Young 
My story has always had creativity running through it, and so much of that comes from my late mother. My style and taste are a direct reflection of her. She had an incredible eye for fashion, interiors, and beautiful details, and growing up around that shaped the way I see the world today. Read more>>
LaShonda Hill 
I began my journey in the beauty industry more than 26 years ago, with a passion for hairstyling and a desire to make people feel beautiful and confident. Over the years, that passion grew into LaShonda Hill The Experience, where I specialize in short hair, pixie styles, quick weaves, and custom wig design through my brand, Chapeaux by LaShonda Hill. Read more>>
Trish Bernard 
Farrell’s Daughter Consulting started the way a lot of businesses probably do: with me saying, “Sure, I can help with that too,” one too many times. I originally began as a freelance graphic designer and virtual assistant. But pretty quickly, I realized my clients usually didn’t just need a graphic, a website update, or help checking something off their to-do list. Read more>>
Jesse Ortiz 
I started my career in EMS, where I worked for three years before transitioning into the emergency room setting. I then spent 10 years working as a paramedic at Medical City Arlington. During that time, I began taking classes at the University of Texas at Arlington and ultimately earned my bachelor’s degree in marketing. Read more>>
MaxTomi 
My entrepreneurial journey really began in the nightlife industry. I started as a nightlife promoter, and over the years, I realized that the experience was teaching me far more than just how to put together a successful event. Nightlife is an extremely competitive and fast-moving business, and it taught me valuable skills in marketing, sales, branding, relationship building, customer service, negotiation, and understanding consumer behavior. Read more>>
Chastity Hillman 
It all started in Middle school. Searching for someone to do my hair was always an issue, so my sister and I started practicing on each other. Braiding was my first love. I got so good at it people would ask me all the time who did my hair or my sister hair. Read more>>
Kimberly Ansley 
It all started at Eastfield College. I got involved with the college newspaper — started out as a videographer and worked my way up to editor-in-chief. After I graduated, I went on to the University of Texas at Arlington, where I had my own radio show. That’s really where my love for radio — and eventually podcasting — came from. Read more>>
Michael Dixon Sr. 
When I first started, I had no money. I was young, ambitious, and knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I just had ideas and was determined to figure out how to turn them into something real. I taught myself everything. I learned graphic design by watching YouTube videos. Read more>>
Keirah ‘Sundae the Griot’ Shaw 
I’ve always been an artist. I just spent a long time pretending I could live without being one. Before poetry, I was an actress. I studied theatre in college and, at one point, performing was what I imagined my life would revolve around. But I left college, and adulthood got very practical, very quickly. Read more>>
Brian Gould
I started MedicinalMoves.com in 2018. I wanted to get myself into the best shape of my life and I did so maintaining and growing my brand and clients until 2022. I ended up hurting myself and experiencing loss and experiencing change and transition to find myself in the position that I am in today. Read more>>
Richie Supreme 
I always had talent just didn’t know I could make a career from my own perspective.. 2013 I started 7BM music while in school for Graphic Design ! I made my own t shirts merchandise etc , working on music and merch with my personal designs I created! Started passing out shirts and promo CDs with mixtape songs ! Read more>>
Victoria Madeline Velasquez 
My journey into real estate wasn’t something I originally planned. I actually started out pursuing a career in criminal justice, but when COVID happened and the world seemed to completely shut down, life took me in a different direction. Read more>>
Hope Thurston 
My journey started with a love for photography and storytelling. I’ve always enjoyed finding ways to capture a moment, make something look beautiful, and tell a story through visuals. Over time, that passion evolved beyond photography and into content creation, social media, and digital marketing. Read more>>
Paige Pasta 
VIN•TAGE started with a love for two things: great wine and vintage furniture. I’ve always loved the idea of creating spaces that feel collected over time, where every piece has a story and people feel comfortable settling in and staying awhile. I wanted to bring those two passions together in a way that felt different from a traditional wine bar. Read more>>
Joshua Parker
My journey with music became much deeper while I was serving in the military. Music became a way for me to cope, express what I was feeling, and eventually helped me heal. What started as simply loving to sing grew into writing and releasing my own music and discovering more of who I was creatively. Read more>>
Paige Cowan 
If you would have asked me five years ago if I would have thought this is where I would be—crazy about donkeys, I probably would have laughed at you. My mom is actually the one that heard about our original trio, Sarah Connor, John Wick, and Jack Reacher. They were in need of a home, and we said yes. Read more>>
Eric Tucker 
My journey into barbering started from something pretty simple: my sons barber pushed their hairlines back and I had to do something about it. What started as cutting hair for friends and family eventually turned into something I realized I could build a career and a brand around. Read more>>
Josue Gutierrez 
I was born in Mexico, but it was in the United States that I began to understand who I was becoming as an artist. My name is Josue Gutiérrez Espinosa. I am the founder and curator of Gtz Art Gallery in Dallas. My background is in business and international trade. When I arrived in Dallas, I began to recognize myself as an artist. Read more>>
Saurabh Singhal 
## From Zero Connections to Top Producer — Building My Real Estate Career From Scratch My real estate journey in Dallas didn’t begin with a large network, family connections, or a ready-made sphere of influence. It began with a suitcase, 20 years of international business experience, and the confidence that I could build something from scratch. Read more>>
Sara Hill 
Undercurrents Ministries is a ministry for healthcare workers. Our goal is to bring the hope of Christ back into healthcare by caring for healthcare workers. This ministry was started by me (Sara Hill), a nurse, as I was working through burnout. At the time, I was noticing how many of my peers were struggling with disillusionment with their jobs and burnout. Read more>>
Damien Ramirez 
My journey began in the home-improvement industry, where I spent six years leading installation services for one of the nation’s largest home-improvement retailers. During that time, I worked across cabinetry, custom closets, organization systems, and exterior projects, eventually becoming the company’s top-performing leader nationwide. That experience taught me how to lead teams, manage complex projects, and turn a homeowner’s vision into a finished space. Read more>>
Jammie Cush 
I grew up in Ashdown, Arkansas, a small town in Southwest Arkansas, and I come from what I would describe as humble beginnings. My mother was a factory worker, and my father was a carpenter. My parents divorced when I was young, and although I was primarily raised by my mother, my father remained an important part of my life. Read more>>
Erin Gerner 
I did everything the way I was supposed to. Law school, Big Law, then in-house. I was good at it. I was also physically sick before work more mornings than I’d like to admit. Everyone around me seemed fine, so I assumed the problem was me. Then my first daughter was born seven weeks premature, and everything shifted. My identity changed overnight. Read more>>
Aishwarya Bobbili 
I am an architect by profession, and I moved to San Francisco to pursue my master’s degree in architecture. After graduating, I practiced architecture for several years, which shaped my understanding of design, materials, functionality, and thoughtful creation. Later, after becoming a mother, I intentionally chose to expand my creative career by founding R.ootd. Read more>>
Zachary Wilson
If I had to describe my story, I’d say it was handcrafted—woven together by God. I don’t have a textbook explanation for how I got here; I only know that even throughout the most traumatic, shifting seasons of my life, God had His hand on my back. Read more>>
Adriana López
My interest in photography was born thanks to my family. From a very young age, a cousin who was a photographer sparked my curiosity for this art, sharing his knowledge with me and even giving me my first cameras. While studying Fine Arts at the Central University of Venezuela, I chose the course Introduction to Photography, a decision that would shape my professional path. It was there that I discovered a true passion and even conducted research on Domingo Lucca, one of the pioneers of photography in Venezuela. Later, I had the opportunity to work at a contemporary art museum, where I photographed artworks for exhibition catalogs featuring important national and international artists. That experience taught me the value of light, detail, and visual documentation. Read more>>
