The Most Inspiring Stories in St. Louis

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.

Madeline Eades

After several years in sales and marketing, and after the birth of my 4th child, I decided to embark into entrepreneurship. I’m not exactly sure why I thought I could since I am the first business owner of my family. Read more>>

Keysean Jenkins

To God Almighty be the glory. I’m blessed to be the CEO and Founder of Dios Primero, a clothing brand that inspires and encourages all to put God first through high-quality clothing, with Scripture incorporated into each piece. As a young child, I always had the dream of owning my own business, but I just didn’t know what kind of business I wanted to start. Read more>>

Charlene Blair

After reading an article in a 1991 Jet Magazine about the 14th Black Heritage Stamp being issued in 1992, I became a philatelist (stamp collector). In 2017 I started the National Museum of African Americans on Stamps (NMAAS) as a way to share pieces from my collection. Read more>>

Chris Ward

Since a kid I’ve always been into drawing and being creative. As a teenager, I started skateboarding and with amplified my creativity even more as well as starting my passion for shoes. Also inspired by watching anime growing up, I always had story ideas for comic books but, I knew I couldn’t get myself to do it. Read more>>

Michael Girard

For Christmas when I was 6 years old, my parents got me a drum kit, then a guitar for my birthday one month later. I think they knew immediately that it was going to turn into something special. I was addicted from the start and fell in love with classic rock and thrash metal. Read more>>

Walter Holt

I started out buying and selling online, as a supplement to my career at that time. Along the way I was offered a position as an auctioneer, for a local estate auction company. I worked with them for a couple of years and felt I could do things differently and in my mind better, so I branched out on my own. Read more>>

Jalen Lee

During my undergraduate studies at Missouri State University, I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree with a specialization in Photography in 2022. Following the completion of my degree, I have participated in over 30 art exhibitions, solidifying my presence within the St. Louis art community. Read more>>

Mallory Prost

Sense of Play officially launched in March 2021, but the idea started a year earlier. Before starting Sense of Play, I spent 11 years as an elementary school teacher. Around that time I had a toddler and a baby at home, I was feeling burnt out and decided to take a one-year leave from the classroom. Read more>>

Jeanetta Roberts

I’ve been entrepreneurial for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I was creating hand-drawn celebrity gossip newsletters inspired by BOP magazine and going door-to-door trying to sell them to neighbors. Read more>>

Ronni Jay

I started as a stand-up comedian in 2022 a month before turning 39. Within less than a year in comedy I produced and hosted my first sold out comedy show for mother’s day. I got to where I am by being professional and consistent. Read more>>

Brandon Eckardt

This journey has been more than 10 years in the making. We started making rum in my garage around 2014 as a fun hobby and a way to pass the time. What began as a passion project eventually evolved into Naked Spirits in 2020. We opened our first distillery in Brentwood with a focus on rum production. Read more>>

Nadija Rizvanovic

Starting at a young age, I learned beauty comes with thought, intent and skills. As I grew older, I thought why not put this stuff I know to the test. In 2024, I started cosmetology school at Grabber located off Route 66/Watson. It took 1500 hours to receive my diploma. Read more>>

Sarah Banks

June 4, 2015 Eleven years ago, life changed forever. I didn’t know it yet, but that moment—that accident—would split my life into before and after. Before the pain. Before the trauma had a name. Before my body became a battlefield. Before I learned what it truly meant to survive. Read more>>

Darien Elliott

Hi, I’m Darien! Squid Shop Creations originally started as a hobby, when becoming a new stay-at-home mom, and it quickly turned into my passion. A one woman show, born and raised in the Midwest. I specialize in small-batch polymer clay earrings with each pair uniquely made, one of a kind, and a true labor of love. Read more>>

SMOOVE

Spoken Word always called me, from my early years of winning writing contests, to intricate break downs of poems that followed me for years. Spoken word carried me all the way to my professional career. I started moldable to the process, fresh, understanding. My first show booked was through the vouch of another friend of mine. Read more>>

Nina Engelsmann

I’ve always loved clothing and home decor. Over the years I’ve worked in many retail stores and have always wanted to have one of my own! Once my daughters started full time school, I decided it was a great time to open my own shop. It’s been so much fun. Read more>>

Dominique Kelly

In my early teen years, I fell in love with makeup and often used makeup as my creative outlet. I vividly remember spending hours on my makeup before bed, coming up with all sorts of creative looks as well as trying out different makeup styles. Read more>>

Tom Blood

I have always loved to create. As a kid, I loved to draw and paint, write stories and poems (in addition to loving to play sports!) I realized I probably wasn’t good enough to make a living as an artist, so I pursued a career in advertising where I could still create. Read more>>

Wendie Colvin

After being medically discharged from the US Army in 1998, my hopes of a long military career were shattered. I began suffering a series of immune responses, coupled with what seemed like an innocent injury during a training exercise ultimately declared me unfit for duty. What followed were years of agony and frustration. Read more>>

Emrita Konjevic

I came to America from Bosnia after the war changed the course of my life. Even through those difficult times, I always carried a passion for hair and makeup with me. Starting over in a new country was not easy, but it gave me the opportunity to rediscover what truly made me happy. Read more>>

KC Clinton

Growing up, both of my parents were entrepreneurial, and I regularly helped my father with his multimedia production company. Read more>>

Jordan Franks

A good snack one day turned into a major idea. The journey is spiritual. The people we’ve come across. The stories we’ve heard and the lives we’ve touched. It’s always funny how one tiny moment can spark a journey of never ending possibilities. This is a family recipe that we wanted to share with friends. Now we’re making friends all across St. Read more>>

Jodi Devonshire

My husband, Tony, and I have always shared a love of adventure. We actually met through an adventure group where we spent our weekends biking, hiking, kayaking, and exploring the outdoors. Looking back, it makes perfect sense that those shared passions eventually became the foundation for our business. Before opening Bike Stop Cafe, our careers looked very different. Read more>>

Kylene Burke

I’ve always been drawn to creativity. Whether it was styling, thoughtful design, or bringing ideas to life, I’ve always found joy in creating experiences that make people feel something. After graduating from college and beginning my career in the engineering industry, I quickly realized that while I loved the challenge of business, I was missing a creative outlet. Read more>>

Tanya Earls

Thank you for this opportunity! My name is Tanya R. Earls and my career began in the Education field 25+ years ago. Read more>>

Timera Bramlett

My journey into hairstyling started with a passion for making people feel confident, but over time I realized my true calling was working with children. What began as a side business quickly grew into something much bigger through consistency, faith, and a genuine love for what I do. Read more>>

Emily Thibodeau Lake Saint Louis Water Ski Club

The Lake Saint Louis Ski Club was founded in 1975 by local residents. They had one goal in mind: to use this beautiful amenity in our community to teach people to ski. Nowhere else can a family of four join a team and be an integral part of an activity together. Read more>>

Elizabeth Benne

Well, I started photography in April 2022. The reason I am in the photography/wedding industry is all because of my amazing older (step) sister. She took a leap from Chemistry and went to full time wedding photography. When she did this, she asked if I wanted to learn alongside her and I couldn’t jump on it fast enough. Read more>>

Margaret ‘Maggie’ McCarthy

I earned my English education degree from UMSL in ’69 but I always loved working with my hands and doing art. My husband’s job as a meteorologist with the National Weather Service moved us all over—Maine, Indiana, St. Louis (our hometown), Oklahoma, Kansas City, Silver Spring Md at Weather Service headquarters, then he retired to St. Louis. Read more>>

Emma B Miller

Emma B. Miller received her BFA in Fashion Design and Technology this past spring from Lindenwood University. Much of her experience comes as a costume designer and in constructing historical garments, as well as a multi-medium artist. Fashion is art that celebrates the human form, and should celebrate and work with ALL human forms. EBM designs creates art for bodies of all sizes. Read more>>

Chuck Truss

Truss the Vision aka TTV is a lifestyle brand based out of Yonkers,NY. We provide a source of motivation for the visionaries of the world. The brand was established in July of 2019 by me, Chuck Truss. It started off as wardrobe consulting business and blossomed into something larger than life within the first three months. Now we develop content, merch, and music. Read more>>

Jacob Sneed

I had a farm truck from the 90s, a ‘96 K1500 to be exact. When my first car got wrecked, my uncle sold it to me. After being in my family for 3 generations, the thing was pretty beat up. I needed to make it a daily driver, so I started working on it, replacing things as I got to them. Read more>>

Roger Franklin

We moved to Missouri from Nebraska to rehabilitate a closed campground and put our personal touch on it. We came from Nebraska where we both operated businesses in the restoration and decorating industries. We found Big Rock in 2019 and it had been closed for several years. We got to work restoring and updating the existing structures and adding amenities. Read more>>

Candice Cherry

Hello! My name is Candice and I am the founder/Chief Jeweled Officer of The Queens’ Jewels. I’ve always believed that if you’re going to build something, it should be something people have never seen before. That’s exactly what inspired me to start The Queens’ Jewels in 2014. I am the visionary behind The Queens’ Jewels known for its stunning, hand-crafted jeweled glassware and drinkware. Read more>>

Russell Sanders

I’ve always had a passion for cars and a creative, entrepreneurial mindset. What started as detailing vehicles at a local dealership, Bommarito Nissan, eventually led me to a position at a high-end performance shop, Bespoke Motors (now known as White Glove Exotic Services). Read more>>

Tamaki Harvey Stratman

I first developed a desire for fashion when I received my first sewing machine from my parents. I began by making little clothes to fit my Barbie dolls, completely absorbed in the joy of creating something from fabric and imagination. Later, in high school, my parents bought me a grown‑up sewing machine because I wanted to create my own clothes. Read more>>

Morgan Tucker

I’ve been part of the tattoo and piercing industry for a long time, even before Pink Gem existed. My husband, Mike, has been tattooing since 1998, and together we’ve built St. Louis Ink into what it is today. Before I ever picked up a needle, I was the one behind the scenes doing a little bit of everything. Read more>>

Dayne Pearman

I grew up in Southern Illinois, a small town called Murphysboro. I was just a normal kid with a middle class family that enjoyed playing guitar hero and listening to music. Ended up moving to this place called Waterloo when i was 10, my parents split up and i lived with my mom on a low fixed income. Read more>>

Laura-Lee Whitelaw

My story has never been a straight line—and looking back, I am grateful for that. Before founding Legacy Real Estate Photography & Media in 2021, I spent nearly two decades in the corporate world. I built a career, led teams, navigated change, and believed that experience, education, and a strong work ethic would always open the next door. Then that chapter ended unexpectedly. Read more>>

Candace Brown

I started to be interested in the hair industry when I was in community college taking my general classes. Once I started changing my hair and dilly dallying in makeup my mom stated that I should go to beauty school and I agreed; then my mom signed me up to attend Elaine Steven’s beauty school. While working a full time job and attending school. Read more>>

Brittany Rogers

My journey started in 2015 as a hobby, making desserts and treats for people I loved. Over time, that passion grew into something bigger. In 2018, I stepped out more seriously with my business, and today I am building my brand, Southern Champagne Expressions, as a caterer and creative event service in the Metro East area. My story has not been easy. Read more>>

Danielle Dolan

Ever since I was little, I’ve felt more at home in my inner world than the outer one. I’ve always been drawn to the unseen—the quiet magic, mystery, and sacredness hidden within ordinary moments. When I picked up a film camera in high school, it felt less like finding a hobby and more like remembering a language I already knew. Read more>>

Christopher J. Foxworth

If you had told me years ago that I’d be interviewing community leaders for STL TV while building a career as an actor, I’m not sure I would have believed you. Looking back now, though, I realize every setback, every “no,” and every unexpected turn helped shape the story I’m living today. I’ve always believed that everyone has a story worth telling. Read more>>

Jen Seris

Somewhere between taking photos on a Minnie Mouse film camera with disposable flash bulbs and designing album covers in Microsoft Publisher for CDs burned from Napster, I became the person documenting everything and making it look intentional. So while “I’ve always loved photography and design” may sound predictable, it’s true. Read more>>

Kait Mace

My story starts at the age of 15. I decided to pick up a camera that summer and photograph the children my mom baby sat in my flower girl dress and little ring bearer costume and just had fun with it. Before I knew it, I had cousins and friends reaching out of for paid sessions. Read more>>

Lexy Lou

I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I was always involved in choir and band, so music has always been deeply rooted in me. I didn’t start taking music seriously until 2018, 2 years after I came back home from college feeling a little confused about the direction I wanted to go in. Read more>>

Dejah Stroud

At the time I was 22-23 everybody was coming out of being locked down during COVID so many businesses were being started .. I was in the phase of omg ! Read more>>

Joel Raber

We started Countryside Farm + Market in 2018, selling tomatoes on a card table with a few flowers. Today, we have a large production facility with 7 greenhouses and retail 90% of our own product. Read more>>

Tre 14

I first got started maybe back in 2010. Me, my brothers and my dad would record ourselves rapping on a phone, using our tv for instrumentals off YouTube. That was the real start. Then I began to mix and master our songs. That eventually lead to me making beats also. Read more>>

Lauren Bernardino

Laura and I met working in a commission salon in 2013. We quickly became friends and a few years down the road Laura came to me with the idea to go out on our own and rent a loft space. Although nervous we decided to make the leap and worked in a loft from 2018-2021. Read more>>

Tamika Duncan

My love for skin care started in middle school. Any fragrance set that I bought had to include a shower gel, body spray and body oil. I love to layer my scents. By the time I got to high school I was into perfume. I learned to study the notes in the perfume and pair them with my less expensive products. Read more>>

LOGAN ABDO

I started doing music at the age of 14 as a drummer for a band that didn’t really go anywhere. Then at 17 I started a new band that I took more seriously but my health conditions at the time kept the band from truly becoming something special. Read more>>

Keith Van Gels

More than a decade ago, I made a satirical YouTube video with every intention of it being a one-time project. In fact, I originally wanted someone else to appear on camera because I had no interest in being the face of it myself. When nobody volunteered, I reluctantly stepped in. Read more>>