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.
Lacey McDaniel
I started Newsboy Marketing & Publishing with a simple idea: that brands, no matter their size or budget, deserve stories that truly connect with people. While working in the corporate world, I noticed so many businesses pouring their hearts into what they offered, but struggling to communicate that passion in a way that felt authentic and strategic. That gap inspired me to build an agency that could bridge creativity with clarity. Read more>>
Michael Goff
I still remember the first time I finally nailed a rack of ribs. It was one of those blistering August afternoons, right in the middle of a 30-day stretch of 100-degree heat. Read more>>
Nazia Hoda
Art has always been my passion, but for many years, it remained quietly in the background as I focused on my corporate career. Growing up, I was drawn to creativity, and my family and friends often encouraged me to pursue art more seriously. Still, life took me down a different path—one filled with professional responsibilities and little time to explore my artistic side. Read more>>
Crystal Berry-Roberts, MD, MBA, FACOG
I’m Dr. Crystal Berry-Roberts, a board-certified OB/GYN who has always believed that truly listening is just as important as the medicine itself. Over the years, I have learned how many women left their visits still needing space to ask questions, learn, and feel fully supported. Read more>>
Carrie Trees
My own professional path has been shaped by years of experience in marketing, community engagement, financial management, and risk management. These skills gained through leadership roles in insurance, church administration, and nonprofit service. Along the way, I found deep fulfillment in connecting people to meaningful causes and building programs that strengthen communities. Read more>>
Sommer Khachadourian
I first started practicing yoga as a teenager when I discovered a show on PBS that I could follow along with. I had injured my knees several times playing high-impact sports, and was excited to find a form of exercise that felt restorative for my body and soothing for my mind. Read more>>
Dawn Orange
Most people who work for a Chamber of Commerce do not grow up saying….that’s what I want to do when I get older. I am no different. I had been laid off from the computer world when I saw an ad in the paper to run the Salado Chamber of Commerce. Read more>>
John (J.R.) Ernst
I am a veteran entrepreneur and Physician Assistant based in Central Texas. After serving 26 years in the military, I transitioned into business ownership, founding Serious Stuff, LLC, which operates multiple Tune Up: The Manly Salon locations in Anderson Mill, Lakeway, and Killeen. Read more>>
Emily Hamilton
My husband Chris is a retired Marine that grew up in Lorena, TX. I was originally from Idaho and moved to CA to take care of my grandma. I actually met Chris in a dance hall, while he was stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA. Upon returning from his last deployment, Chris went through a music therapy program. Read more>>
Markeisha “Tooo Sauccy” Hubbard
I started out on the traditional college path. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t for me, but I gave it a fair shot. After about a year and a half, it just didn’t work out. I decided to return home and enroll in culinary school instead. I had been cooking with my mom since a kid and knew that was my true passion. Read more>>
John Patterson
Photography has been a creative outlet for me ever since I took my first photography class as a college freshman. I was immediately drawn to the challenge of capturing unique perspectives and creating visually balanced compositions. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic, I bought my first professional camera. Read more>>
Betty Landin
I was born in a conservative town in Mexico, where women were not given the same rights or opportunities as men. Denied the right to pursue an education, I knew early on that I wanted more for my life. Read more>>
Amanda Lieberg
I grew up in the midwest. When I was about 10, my parents divorced and I moved from Wisconsin to Minnesota with my mom. Between moving, changing schools and the family dynamic transitions, I began my own therapeutic journey. My psychologist had an incredibly positive impact on me. It was working with her that allowed my interest in psychology to grow. Read more>>
Chase Riley
Chief’s Motor Group was built on grit, family, and a determination to do things differently. In early 2020, as the world stood still during the COVID-19 pandemic, I (Chase Riley) turned a North Austin garage into a fully operational auto repair shop. What began in a small garage quickly grew, fueled by trust, strong word-of-mouth, and a steadily growing clientele. Read more>>
Ryan Holley
Ryan Thomas Holley is a musical artist that has thrived in Austin, Texas, and called the area home for over 30 years. Maybe he was taking advantage of what’s left of the cheap, South Austin rent, or he was headed back to the Texas Hill Country, but he is very much still a part of this ever growing community of artists in the ATX. Read more>>
Natalia Ibárcena
I was always that artsy kid in the family — the one constantly doodling, covered in paint, and trying to turn cardboard into “masterpieces.” My mom signed me up for after-school art classes as soon as I could go on my own, and honestly, it became my little happy place. Read more>>
Christina Kjar
After more than 20 years in the accounting industry as a licensed CPA, I decided to make a major career change. Most recently, I served as the CFO for a golf course management company. While that role and industry served me well for many years, I eventually found myself feeling burned out and unfulfilled. Read more>>
Tarasa Wilson-Evans
I started my Tax Business in December 2013. But first I started doing taxes for myself and a few family members free of charge. This then sparked an interest to do them as a business. Read more>>
Marcus Douthitt
I am a Mechanical Engineer, that moved to Texas 10 years ago. In Texas I have worked as a metal fabricator/welder for a custom home builder, design engineer for a precision rifle and shotgun shop, metal engraver and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor. My journey with my business started in 2013 when I started to train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in North Carolina. Read more>>
Nicole West
I’ve had a strong spiritual gift since I was young, it’s something that’s been passed down through generations in my family, over the years I realized I was meant to use it to help others find clarity, healing, and direction in their lives. What started as personal readings turned into something bigger. Read more>>
Matt Boring
I was working as a landscape designer back in 1999 when I discovered ecosystem water gardens. I felt that they would be a great way to set my work apart from other people working in my field. I partnered with my then-boss the following year to start a new company focused on creating natural looking ponds for our clients. Read more>>
Devin Meyer
I started working full-time in kitchens in 2006 when I graduated from high school in Long Beach California. In 2008 the recession was hitting the restaurant industry pretty hard and after the third restaurant I worked for was forced to close, I decided to move to San Francisco to attend culinary school at the City College of San Francisco. Read more>>
Jon Gorman and Bianca Rosa
We’re a husband-and-wife team who went from working behind the bar and helping small businesses with websites to running a boutique marketing agency for craft spirits brands. But it didn’t happen overnight. In 2019, Bianca traded her events business in Brazil for a fresh start in Texas. Read more>>
Marge Janiak
Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet© incorporated in the state of Arkansas on 28 January, 2005 after founders Linda Spurlin-Dominik and Carol Olmedo learned that military service members across the country had pets that needed a caring and safe home to care for them during the pet owner’s deployment or an unforeseen hardship situation, but had not been able to find someone to care for them. Read more>>
Ashley Piel
I started my bakery in 2020, right when the world shut down, and I was at home with a newborn. During that uncertain time, I wanted to focus on something positive and meaningful. Cinnamon rolls had always been my mom’s favorite dessert—she would get so excited anytime we were near a Cinnabon. Read more>>
Tracy LaRocque
Hi My name is Tracy, I’m a custom designer, master jeweler and owner of TeLayne Designs. My passion for designing and making unique jewelry began as early as 8th grade when I created a silver ring with a tiger eye stone in an Arts & Crafts class at school. Read more>>
Meredith Childress
Hi, I’m Meredith — founder and owner of Sedona Med. I’m a dual-certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), board-certified by both the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). My journey in healthcare began 15 years ago as a Registered Nurse. Read more>>
Shannon Christopher
I was in the Army for 21 years as a trauma nurse. I had been playing around with what I would do after retirement, and food truck was at the top of the list. During my last deployment, I got injured and eventually had to be medically retired. The medical board’s recommendation was that I shouldn’t do nursing anymore due to my injuries. Read more>>
MaKayla Peoples
In 2021 I found an empty plot of land for rent on Craigslist, it was at a price I couldn’t refuse so I just jumped on it. It contained nothing but open space, a partial perimeter fence, and a small red shed. Read more>>
Whitney Otstott
To go way back — I first started working in the fitness industry in 1993 after I graduated from high school through teaching group fitness classes. Over the next 20+ years, I taught group fitness, including Pilates, Barre, strength training, kickboxing, cardio dance, and more. I have a BS degree from Texas A&M University in Journalism and Public Relations. Read more>>
Ellisa Mimlitsch
From a young age, I was always drawn to people—listening to their stories, sensing their emotions, and helping them find ways to cope even before I knew what “therapy” was. I was that person who could strike up a meaningful conversation anywhere—the grocery line, a produce aisle—and somehow end up helping someone navigate life’s challenges. Read more>>
Cathy Sue Munson
A native Austinite…I have always loved doing art more than anything else, even as young child. My mother would buy me coloring books and I would go from page 1 to end usually in one day. A new box of crayons was my favorite treat. I was blessed with parents who encouraged my artwork as well as my 2nd grade teacher at Gullett Elementary. Read more>>
Emily Stone
I was raised in Southeast Tennessee in a very conservative, small town community in which you were known and grouped by where you went to church. A huge part of my life was playing tennis so I was at one of three places if I was not at home: school, church or the tennis courts. Read more>>
Jenny Pina
It all started when I was a little girl in my mom’s hair salon in the Dominican Republic. I was always there having fun and helping out with shampooing and rollers sets. The funny thing is I always told my mom I didn’t want to take over the salon and do hair, because for me it was just for fun . Read more>>
Yunise Velazquez
My story With a background in social work and years of leadership experience in customer focused industries, I’ve always understood two things clearly: how people feel matters, and how a brand performs is directly tied to the experience it delivers. That insight is what led me to create Unique Shapewear. Read more>>
Jerimie Rodriguez
My journey in boxing started under the guidance of my coach Joe Saldana at Bully Unit Boxing Club. His dedication to me as a fighter laid the foundation for my passion for the sport. However, Simon Sanchez, who worked mitts with me when he could when I was younger, made a significant impact on me. Read more>>
Roy Mullin
I did a fair amount of acting in high school and early college. I had not been on stage in 40 years and realized my kids had never seen me on stage. Added that to my bucket list. Had the good fortune to play the lead in A Man For All Seasons about ten years ago. Read more>>
Jaden Canseco
I’ve always had a passion for photography. I still remember being a little girl asking Santa for a professional camera. One Christmas, I got a small point-and-shoot, and it stuck with me for years. As life went on, that dream of becoming a professional photographer slowly faded — until I became a mom. When our baby boy was born, that spark reignited. Read more>>
Mark Warnick
Most recently, I spent the last year and a half developing an internal foresight practice within USAA. I created foresight workshops designed to guide architects, strategists, and senior leaders through exercises that help them envision their preferred futures and then build roadmaps and culture shifts to support them. I also led a team of foresight practitioners in developing new horizon-scanning capabilities, publishing quarterly reports on the top signals of emerging change, and creating programs to nurture a long-term culture of innovation. Read more>>
Ryan Myers
The year is 2020 before the shutdowns, and my roommate Aaron and I were invited out to a lunch with some friends which used to train at the CrossFit gym which we both coached at — Aaron as the Head Coach. They sat us down and flat out told us that we needed to break out and do our own thing. Read more>>
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