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.
Jo Peters
I am an experienced and passionate leader, speaker, coach, transformational trainer, mom, wife, and friend. I am also a Bestselling author of two books in 7 countries. I enjoy helping women to discover how to have it all without doing it all, and in so support them to find the best version of themselves understanding that it’s never about the money, the food, the kids, or the husband, it is instead always about them and the inner work they need to do to be able to live the life of their dreams (That they totally deserve to live). Read more>>
Darl Schaaff
Through it all those amazing gifts of patience, support and encouragement kept me going. Today I face challenges such as restoring a historic 120 year old building, My biggest challenge is maneuvering the path of raising the operating expenses, connecting with the community and being a good and generous friend. My life now is filled with opportunity, connection and excitement. Still, the strength that maintains my optimism are those gifts of patience, support and encouragement. This is the best time of my life and I know part of my job is to be that person who hands down those gifts that change lives. Read more>>
Larone Gilmore
Even my Dad is still talking about the moment I got accepted into film school. I didn’t think I was going down the filmmaker route, because my undergraduate degree is in Marketing. I was wanting to do huge marketing campaigns for Disney to CNN. I’m surprised that I didn’t end up in politics, but that just wasn’t the course for me. Years later, I took a huge risk to be with my girlfriend now wife in Chicago. I have grown a lot over the past few years in my career. I still have so much to create bridging different gaps of the entertainment industry together from the East Coast to the West Coast. Read more>>
Cameron Hooks
One day we decided to have some fun and let the creative energy flow and they told me to write a verse for this song. I was nervous I hadn’t attempted to rap since I was 15 and it never ended well for me, I wouldn’t be able to finish the song or get the words to mesh properly. But, for some reasons on this day, a decade or so from then the words were flowing easily through me. I took it as a sign and challenged myself to always get better than my last song, better than my last verse, better than whatever I had just did. I felt I had found my calling and my passion and wanted to dive head first into it all Read more>>
Chuck Taylor
Towards the end of that time period I started another business which focused on the in field documentation of properties for real estate agents and investors. This also included squatter removal and eviction assistance. I coined the term ‘Squatter Swatter’ and use it to describe how we deal with squatters in our properties. This second business has been growing rapidly due to the high demand for someone to enter unsecured properties in low income neighborhoods and document the condition. TaylorMade Services CLE is an established and respected real estate services company for the last 10 years! Read more>>
Phillip Tate
I got started with streaming when I realized my passion for talking about and playing games. When my mom called me on her lunch break, while at work. she told me about how she seen her coworker watching live streams of video games and told me that might be my calling . I found that I was naturally drawn to gaming and the community behind it and wanted to explore more. To pursue this interest, I decided to go to Youtube university to do some research. Read more>>
Dylan Shell
The road has been anything but smooth, lol. The struggles have been many and numerous. We struggled at first with just not knowing what to do. We never went to any kind of film school and we didn’t really have guidance on how to navigate the business, so it was a lot of learning by failure. On top of just bumbling around at first, film gear is crazy expensive, and we were BROKE. Many of the skills we utilize today were born from having to figure out work arounds on projects that didn’t have the correct gear to do the shots we were trying to pull off. Read more>>
Kole Senter
If I wasn’t at the school my mom worked at hanging out, then I was in my grandparents’ home, at the softball fields that my grandpa coached at, or aimlessly wandering the woods next to our house. Growing up between the contrasting worlds of the inner city of Canton and the quiet countryside of Strasburg, I always felt like I didn’t quite fit in. As a gay boy in environments that weren’t the most accepting, I struggled greatly with authenticity. But from an early age, my creative outlet—whether through fashion, art, or self-expression, became my silent rebellion against that confinement. Read more>>
Jessica Fetter
I consider this chapter to start in 2020. Like a lot of people, covid had a big impact on my mental health, and after working in a public service job for 8 years, I quit because my anxiety was deliberating after the shutdown. I started off working a Direct Sales job. After 2 years, I was in over my head and decided to open my own business. It was great, but then, in August 2022, I got sick with COVID-19. I was so sick for months, but during the height of it, I remember thinking, why am I spending my life not liking what I’m doing? Read more>>
Trina Felber
That heartbreak became a catalyst. I started questioning everything—what I was eating, using on my skin, and exposing myself to daily. As I dove into research, I was horrified to discover that the beauty and personal care products I had trusted for years were filled with hormone disruptors, neurotoxins, and chemicals linked to infertility, cancer, and chronic illnesses. These weren’t just small traces of harmful substances; they were ingredients I had been unknowingly applying to my body every single day. Read more>>
James Rosenberger
Hi Samantha, thanks for asking me to contribute! I’m a professional storyteller, musician and media artist. My background includes being trained as an educator, classical actor, director, producer and writer. This has led to work in international theatre, films, television, radio productions and corporate media. In 1978 I founded SPACES, Cleveland, Ohio, the state’s oldest multidisciplinary arts center (www.spacescle.org). After getting my Actors Equity card at The Playhouse in the Park in Cincinnati (www.cincyplay.com), I then appeared in projects for the National Film Board and CBC Radio in Canada. Read more>>
Prince And Bardi
In 2020, we decided to bring it all together and launch the Prince and Bardi Podcast. What started as two best friends turning their lifelong debates into a show has grown into a thriving platform that now reaches over 100,000 monthly impressions across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels. Our audience is highly engaged, primarily 18 to 35 year olds who are deeply invested in fantasy sports, player props, and weekly matchups, and they keep pushing us to deliver content with consistency and authenticity. Read more>>
Craig Kent
In truth, she already was one—running two to three times a week, logging about 9–10 miles total—but, like many of us, she compared herself to others who ran farther, faster, or with seemingly effortless form. That night, we thought: what if we created something right here in our community—a welcoming, respectful group where people of all abilities could run together, feel supported, and make connections. Read more>>
Kemaya Molden
My journey as a baker and entrepreneur began when I was a little girl growing up in Cincinnati. My passion was sparked at the age of six with a simple Easy Bake Oven. It was a cherished gift that, unbeknownst to me, planted a seed that would one day grow into a business. I’ve recited this fact countless times and it gets more surreal the more it sets in! Those “Easy Bake” adventures were ones for the books. One of my first M-Blog entries is about the time my younger sisters ransacked my brownie presentation.Years later, I had a dream about a similar travesty involving my Pink Lemonade Cookies and it unlocked that memory. Read more>>
Drew Ramey
I married at 22, and by 23, my wife and I were expecting our first child. That was my first “life pivot.” I dropped out of college to work full time and support my family, which allowed my wife to finish school and graduate with her degree. Soon after, I was laid off from my banking job and spent the first nine months of my newborn’s life unemployed. It was a difficult time, but resilience became my anchor. Read more>>
Mary Ann Meyer
We searched for months for just the right place, knowing that the location and the “vibe” would be essential to what we were trying to convey. When we did come across just the right place (almost the same day that they put up the “for rent” sign), we immediately knew we had found the right space. Three months later, after adding a new floor, lighting, restroom and kitchen setup, we were open for business. Our venue has a cool modern but classic look, and our clients always bring in fresh ideas for decorating and hosting their events. Read more>>
Danheisha Harding
Since becoming a Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor in 2016, I’ve remained deeply committed to promoting health and wellness as a lifestyle—one that strengthens individuals, families, and entire communities. My mission is to empower others to build sustainable, healthy habits that support both physical and mental well-being. Read more>>
Kehly Amesquita England
After a few years, I decided to take the leap and open a storefront to expand to daily deliveries as well as event work. I will be celebrating 1 year October 2025! Have been lucky to have a supportive husband and extended family, who are always willing to help with my dream. Read more>>
Stephen Counts
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road at all. One of the toughest struggles I went through was during the pandemic. My daughter tested positive for Covid, and instead of receiving the protection that was supposed to come with the CARES Act, I was wrongfully evicted. I had already been approved for rental assistance that should’ve covered five months of rent, but instead of relief, I got an eviction notice. Read more>>
Tabatha Reitenour
When we bought the property all the pipes had frozen and busted and had to all be replaced. It didn’t have heating and air, We had to add walls to turn it from a one bedroom home to a three bedroom home and update all the electrical. My biggest obstacles was the work I could not do myself it’s been a struggle trying to find honest and consistent help to hire for the renovations. Read more>>
Leslie Trimbach
I come from a very creative family—my mother is also an artist. She was a stay-at-home mom, and we were always making something together, whether it was drawing, painting, sewing, crocheting, or crafting. Those early years were filled with creativity, and they shaped the way I see the world. Read more>>
Scott Gordon
The only woodworking class, aside from specific seminars I have attended, was a shop class I took in junior high school. I still have my favorite project from that class – a lamp in the shape of a chess pawn that I turned on the lathe. I often laugh at how that project probably took me the entire 6-week grading period. Now, it would be a weekend project of which the majority of time would be waiting for the glue to dry. Read more>>
Cindy Campbell
What started as a grassroots effort quickly became the region’s largest and most engaged food-based platform. In its very first 24 hours, the group welcomed more than 3,000 members. Today, it continues to grow by nearly 100 new members every week, now totaling almost 35,000. Read more>>
Cassidy Beaver
Petals and Silks was born from that passion and my love for creating beauty and meaningful experiences. I’ve always been drawn to weddings, not just the flowers, but the atmosphere, the emotion, and the tiny details that make the day unforgettable. I started out helping friends and family with floral arrangements and timelines, quickly realizing how much joy I found in bringing visions to life and helping couples feel at ease on such an important day. Read more>>
Maria Wisman
Our mission and goal today is to get more cheerleaders lifting like athletes and utilizing the weight room to not only progress our sport further as a whole but also to reduce injury risk. Through The Cheer Doctor we create strength and conditioning programs delivered via app to cheerleaders and cheer teams looking to take their training to the next level. Our goals is for all cheer teams to have access to expert strength training programs as well as other resources. In our strength app, we have also recorded calls we have done with sport psychologists, dietitians, college coaches and more so that no matter how big or small your team is you can have access to expert information! Read more>>
