Kansas City’s Most Inspiring Stories

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.

Boston Craig

Throughout high school, I found interest in doing makeup on others. That also branched into another passion of skincare and product knowledge. Growing up, I would do makeup for my friends in high school for school dances. That has now turned into me doing some of those same girls makeup for their weddings, years later. I graduated from Eric Fisher Academy and now am a licensed professional in the beauty industry. I am grateful to be an in demand traveling makeup artist based out of Wichita, Kansas. As well, I am a esthetician who specializes in facials and medical grade skincare. Read more>>

Dannie Loth

After moving to Kansas in 2008, I pursued photography more seriously, eventually gaining experience in commercial and fashion photography. That background really shaped the way I see light, composition, and storytelling. But it wasn’t until I photographed my first wedding that everything clicked. There’s something incredibly special about being trusted to document one of the most important days in someone’s life. It’s a huge responsibility—but also such an honor. Read more>>

Gen Amaro

I started posting on TikTok as a fun way to document my life, but over time, I realized I loved sharing parts of my journey—whether it’s teaching, cozy hobbies, or little everyday routines. At first, it was just casual, but then I saw that my best-performing videos were the ones where I was just talking and being myself. That made me lean into my personality more, and I started being intentional about what I shared: my experiences as a student teacher, my lifestyle, and the things that make life feel a little more put together. Read more>>

Joey Thomas

Few years later, I found myself with a weekly clientele, cutting either in the restroom, basement, or garage of my Mother’s home. Operating completely off of scheduled appointments, mainly because I wanted everyone to take me a serious as I took myself. Fast forward to my Senior year in high school, I graduated after 1st semester and enrolled as a full-time Barber student at Ea LA Mars Barber College. Attending that school was definitely a culture shock as well as a fast-track program that forced me into adulthood, which at the time, I didn’t know thay I needed. Read more>>

Jessie

As I transitioned how I spent my time, I avoided Facebook and spent time scrolling Pinterest. After a few months of saving pretty things, I decided to try creating some of them. Instead of bringing flowers in to wilt over a week, I practiced drying them to have them in my house long term. It was so relaxing and at the time, it felt like a healthy way to spend free time. I started giving creations away because I was running out of space. Looking for a way to close my in home daycare, I decided to launch into a dried flower art business. Now, I am still working out of my home, helping people decorate their homes with feel good arts. My work can be found at boutiques like Monarca Art Space in Kansas City, Merchant Square in Independence, Genevieve’s in Blue Springs, and The Grove in Oak Grove. Read more>>

Jessica Taylor

Then, one evening, fate intervened. My husband and I went to dinner with some friends we hadn’t seen in a while, and one of them was in chiropractic school. As I listened to him talk about his journey, everything suddenly clicked. I had always found relief from seeing chiropractors, and the idea of helping people feel better resonated deeply with me. I had also always dreamed of owning my own business, and owning a practice seemed like the perfect way to make that dream a reality. Read more>>

Brittany Manney

I began with lash extensions and quickly fell in love with the artistry. That passion grew into a full-service beauty studio offering permanent makeup, brows, lips, eyeliner, facials, and now advanced services like Procell Microchanneling. I’ve also expanded into mentoring and training aspiring beauty professionals it lights me up to help other women build something they can be proud of too. Read more>>

Lauren Travers

Since 2020, running this business has definitely been a challenge. Every year feels like I need to adapt to keep up with everything that’s changing. I ended up closing my retail location at the end of last year to focus more on my online presence, especially since in-person shopping has really dropped off. Read more>>

Knotty Orchid

Since then I have performed all over Kansas City with traveling performances into Columbia, MO and St Louis. In 2021 I took over my old troupe from the previous producer who wanted to wind down to retirement. From there it was rebranding and making the hybrid show into one of the top burlesque and variety shows in the city! Including being nominated two years in a row for Best Burlesque Troupe in The Pitch, winning the first runner up position in 2024. Read more>>

Akira Gilmore

I started my dance journey at a young age through varies styles such as praise dance, drill team, and hip hop. As I got into high school I started exploring a new dance styles which was majorette. I instantly fell in love and continued doing this from high school into college. After training in college for two years. I was given the opportunity to start coaching. Choreographing, and teaching dance classes. The transition from college to home was a little rocky as it was hard to find my passion for dance again. To overcome this I then began teaching my own freelance heels classes and was able to connect with so many dancers in the area. Read more>>

Leslie Scott

After witnessing the City of Overland Park’s Recycling Extravaganza, we launched Un-Dumpster Day. Each spring and fall we host these drive-thru one-stop donation collection events where you can bring your excess furniture, bikes, books, clothing and other household goods to pass on to one of our participating charity partners so they can put it to good use helping more people and pets in the Kansas city region. You can also bring your confidential documents to be shredded and your electronics and tires to be responsibly recycled. Read more>>

Darrell Williams

In 2015 I was found by a head hunter and moved to Kansas City to help start a Nursing College in Overland Park. This went well but never took off and eventually I found myself back at the VA asking for advice and a career change where “people” were not the commodity. I was in a “burn out” period of my career. My goal was to control my time, my time with my children. Read more>>

Anne Dezort

I have always been passionate about sustainability and natural household and personal skin care products. This model blends my love for people and products perfectly. I worked in a similar concept in California for years and had to bring it to the midwest where I felt it would be the last to get into a fringe idea like refilling. My partner of 15 years Adam, works along my side as the manufacturer of our closed loop HOUSEbrand products. He makes em, I sell them through our shops. Everyone should be able to refill their SOAP. Not just West Coasters. Read more>>

Taylor, Darby Rivera, Peterson

At Pop Off KC, we specialize in creating stunning backdrops and dreamy balloon arches that bring your celebrations to life! Whether it’s a birthday, bridal shower, baby sprinkle, wedding, or just an excuse to gather your favorite people, we love adding that extra touch of magic to your special moments. Read more>>

Kendyl Grender

So when I hit that emotional breaking point at work, everything just… clicked. I had knowledge to share, a passion I couldn’t ignore, and a deep desire to build a life on my own terms. I hesitantly posted my first Instagram Reel. I started a blog. And then I committed to a year-long project called Europe for Free, where I documented how I was saving up points and miles to quit my job and take a five-week trip across Europe with my husband. Read more>>

Kari Rydalch

Betty and Denett arranged to borrow a dragon boat from Iowa to compile a team to enter the Missouri American Water MR340. In the meantime, we found interested friends who also wanted to try out the sport. While preparing for that race, we hatched a plan to buy that boat, and spent a lot of time and energy refurbishing it. We completed the MR340 in 2022 and started a Co-Ed team in 2023. Let’s stop here and clarify something. Normally, dragon boats don’t do the long distant races like the MR340. That was a novelty. Dragon Boat Racing as a sport that usually consists of 250, 500, 1000, or 2000 meter sprint races, with 500 meters being the most common. Read more>>

Dillon DeVoe

Working with John Feldmann led to our signing with Warner Bros. Records, the production of a full-length record he had produced, and a nationwide tour with bands like The Used and Story of the Year. From that moment on, my life underwent a profound transformation. The shadows of doubt receded as I embarked on an odyssey fueled by passion, defiance, and an unwavering belief that music was my destiny. The journey hasn’t always been smooth, but it has been mine—a testament to the dreamer who never quite fit in, but who found a place on the stage, where belonging is defined by the courage to be unapologetically oneself. Read more>>

Kimmie Queen

My partner of 21 years, Cody Wyoming and I play in bands, and have done a lot of alternative and professional theatre in KC. We enjoy supporting live music including local bands and believe in supporting our KC area artist community. I’m a vinyl DJ, so I collect records of various genres. Cody and I also have a love of B-Movies, and genre films. We collect hard to find VHS and DVDs. Many of the films we sell at Planet Queen are from our own collection. Read more>>

Jacque Smith

I work with clients 1on1 in nutrition, online or in person, to help them strategize different ways to feel better & live the life they want. I also train small groups of 4 people for more a personalized approach to training as well as 1on1 clients too, and some large group training. These all are specific to resistance training and heart rate conditioning. Read more>>

Crystal Reckker

Over the next few years, I grew unbelievably frustrated trying to understand what my children needed. It felt like I was constantly jumping through hoops, just to get the bare minimum of clarity. That frustration led me to start my company — to give families a clear starting point. A place where they can begin to find support, know they’re not alone, and most importantly, realize that their child is no different than before the diagnosis. The only difference now is that they have the power to open the right doors to help their child thrive. Read more>>

Paemon And Ashley Aramjoo

The road has certainly had its peaks and valleys. Business ownership, marriage and raising kids all has its moments of strain and glory. Smooth roads seem more like something we would encounter in a fictional tale rather than reality. The struggles we have encountered have also presented us with opportunities to reassess and decide whether the path we are on is the path we should stay on. The most recent struggle we have encountered was the loss of Paemon’s father during a cross-country motorcycle trip. This loss has caused us to rethink of why we do what we do and has helped us land on the area of law we handle now, personal injury. Read more>>

Aerial Brown

The biggest challenge by far is managing the day-to-day upkeep and staying on top of everything. Some days feel heavier than others—but then I look at my kids, and I’m instantly reminded why I started this. They’re my “why.” And on top of that, I’m incredibly grateful for my customers. Many of them have become true friends, and their support keeps me going, even on the tough days. Read more>>

Daniela Tapia

As we were getting out of the truck there was a sketchy car driving really slow towards us when they started shooting at our direction and I got hit by one of the bullets. The bullet hit my abdomen and exited through my back hitting my spinal cord but when it was inside it exploded inside into tiny pieces rupturing my left iliac vein. When I got shot I remember looking down and seeing all the blood and immediately passing out until I woke up in the ICU with a breathing tube down my throat and paralyzed from the waist down. The doctors then told me I had an incomplete spinal cord injury level L4-S1 and was never going to walk again… but that only motivated me to prove them wrong and that’s when my story really began. Read more>>

Dave Still

THE BEGINNINGS-Binky and I moved to Reigate, Surrey England in 1996. Within a couple years, Binky was requested to source English “smalls” by owner of an antique shop in Vail Valley Colorado., i.e. Victorian writing slopes, tea caddys, jewelry/trinket boxes, Mauchlineware, Tartanware, etc. England sources evolved from local fairs to various South of England auction houses. THE INTERRUPTION-Colorado shop owner retired. By suggestions from local KC dealers, Binky continued buying English antiques and opened a space at Mission Road Antique Mall and registered Still Antiques as an LLC. Continued periodic shipments from England to KC. Established a Belton MO warehouse space in 2003 to receive periodic shipments. Read more>>

C’Asia Walker

Started August 2022 at Johnson County Community College – Esthetics program. After achieving 1500 accredited hours within 8 months. I received a certificate of esthetics. I then took a two-part state board exam and became a licensed Esthetician in Missouri. While building my skincare career, I am continuously furthering my skills by taking educational courses. Like obtaining certificates from Dermalogica on “Treating Melanin-Rich Skin,” Lush Academy “Brow Lamination” plus more! Read more>>

Mary Garrity

In the seventies when Calvin Klein jeans were all the rage, I convinced my mother to stretch our price points to bring this fashion forward trend to Atchison. When my dad found out what we did, he tried to pull the plug on the order. I told him I would quit if he did. He didn’t. Retail is in my blood, and I always try to push the boundaries. Read more>>

Madeline Herrera

The year after I left was a time filled with exploration of different teaching and schooling methods from around the world and digging into educational research. From there, I asked myself what pieces made sense for the school I was building and what pieces were unhelpful or just not needed. Before leaving my previous school, a parent in the community had told me that it was impossible to have a school where students, parents and staff could all be happy and have their needs met. When creating Limestone, I wanted to challenge that notion and take into account these three core demographics. It translated into flexible drop-off and pick-up, extended plan time for teachers, more play for students and targeted instruction within small groups. Read more>>

KC Sips

As I got older, I found myself working in more corporate spaces, but I still felt like I was missing an outlet to express myself. When I first started my page, I didn’t have much experience on social media or any idea of what I was getting myself into—I just knew I loved Kansas City and coffee. I’ve always enjoyed exploring local spots and finding that perfect sip, and I realized no one was really focusing just on drinks, and I thought, why not me? So I started my page, found a catchy handle, and that’s how KC Sips was born—a space to share my love for all sips! Read more>>

Kasey White

Now, Rejuvv is a full service luxury medical spa with five locations across Missouri and Kansas, including Warrensburg, Clinton, Sedalia, Marshall, and the newest addition in Overland Park, Kansas. The spa continues to expand its offerings, helping clients feel better and look their best. Rejuvv’s commitment to quality care and customer satisfaction makes it a standout in the medical spa industry. Read more>>

Grant Nelson

When I got home from the trip, I did some basic editing of the image and posted it on Instagram (which I rarely do anymore). Within a couple of days, I received a message from an interior designer in Tokyo. He told me that he was putting together a design for a bar in the Roppongi District and that he wanted to use my shot as part of the design. Long story short, a huge print of “Tatanka” is now prominently displayed at the One-Eyed Jack Lounge in Tokyo. Read more>>