It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from in and around KC.
Laura Solt
My story starts back in my banking days. I started as a bank teller when I was 16 years old, and I learned very quickly that in the banking world, you work with all walks of life. I dealt with customers who had businesses and had it together, and those who struggled. Read more>>
Angela Quick
I’ve been in the beauty business 25 yers! I first got into lashes at Hush Lash Studio where I worked 3 years as a master lash artist/educator. I then started my own lash business and have operated it for 5 1/2 years now. Read more>>
Naum Lopez
Before starting my business, I worked in the restaurant industry. It was a stressful job with long hours, and I spent most of my time indoors. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, the restaurants closed, and I suddenly found myself without a job. Around that time, a friend invited me to help him with painting projects. Read more>>
Vanessa Grayson
More than eleven years ago while pregnant with my son, I started my career as a Leasing Professional after meeting with a General Manager unintentionally. She really opened my eyes to transitioning from the hours and lift of the service industry and do to something that supported the lifestyle that I needed to be a mother as well. Read more>>
Ghadeer Garcia
Honestly, if you trace it all back, it’s really just one thing: I’ve always cared more about people than org charts. I started in the corporate world doing change management and I learned fast that companies don’t actually change, the people do. Read more>>
Danny Lamb
I was 12 years old when I started voice lessons. Mom forcing me to take them after a conversation that she had with a retired Singer from the Phantom Of The Opera, who taught voice lessons, and had identified a good little Boy Soprano voice inside of me. Read more>>
Luna Isham
I started doing YouTube videos as a teenager, I grew up in the era of the internet and it looked like a blast. At first my sister and I did a channel together which is now defunct. In college, I began to dedicate a lot more time to it, at the time lifestyle channels and vlogs were all the rage. Read more>>
Blake Isaacson
I’m an independent music artist rising in the underground scene- creating a unique sound by blending elements from multiple genres! Started making music on SoundCloud in the basement to earning the respect from the city! Creating a community of people who are unapologetically themselves Read more>>
Megan Kelly
Photography began as a creative outlet long before I ever imagined it would become my career. I was always the one with a camera in hand, documenting the people I loved and the little moments that often went unnoticed. What started as a hobby gradually became something much bigger as I realized I wasn’t just taking photos- I was preserving memories and telling stories. Read more>>
Jessica Fisher
Photography came into my life in a way I never expected. In August of 2018, I started modeling. One of the photographers I worked with let me edit my own photos, and that was the moment everything changed for me. I instantly fell in love with the editing process. Read more>>
Kelli Hearn
I’ve always been a relatively creative person but oddly enough, I’d considered myself a writer rather than artist. After moving back to Kansas City in 2019 and going through the emotional roller-coaster that was Covid-19 and protests in 2020, writing didn’t seem to be enough. I purchased a refurbished iPad and Procreate and my world opened up. Read more>>
Richey Huffman
Well, When I was a kid, my dad bought me a small little camera, nothing special but I liked it, Years would go by & I’d still have a camera, but in 2018 my friend ‘ Dave ‘ let me borrow his camera at our local air show. It was my first dslr I ever used! To say the least I was hooked. Read more>>
Ken Downs
I was an amateur photographer all of my adult life. My career was at the Honeywell located here in Kansas City Missouri. I retired about 17 years ago from their purchasing department . About 13 years ago, my nephew bought me Watercolor paint as a gift. This started a new adventure as being an artist. Read more>>
Tatyana Hopkins
I started out cosmetology school my senior year of high school to learn more about my hair. Throughout that time period God begin to reveal to me that he has more for me. Read more>>
FAMOUS RENO
I’m FAMOUS RENO. I ain’t got some crazy story where everything was perfect. I just know what it feel like to want more outta life than what’s in front of me. I got tired of watching other people live the life I knew I was capable of having, so I started putting the work in. This music ain’t no gimmick to me. Read more>>
Andrew Johnson
One day, when I was twelve, I snagged my dad’s acoustic guitar, locked myself in my bedroom, and stayed there until I had learned the three chords required to play Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth.” I guess that’s how it started. Read more>>
Colby Holtman
I always liked to tell people that I’m just a small-town kid with big-city dreams. Growing up, I was always told I spent too much time watching television and movies. What may have seemed like simply sitting in front of a screen was actually the beginning of something much bigger. Read more>>
Joshua Thornton
It’s really not that entertaining or complex of a story. I just got to a point in my life where I wanted to be my own boss. Read more>>
Andrea Shelby
The KC Juke House was established 2007, by my father Benny Shelby. I worked beside him until 2012 when retired. Read more>>
Jalen Hinnen
In 2019 I started a TikTok account @curls.with.jay where I posted tutorials and tips for anyone with curly or wavy hair. It quickly gained a lot of traction and I was helping so many people embrace their natural texture for the first time. This led me to cosmetology school, which led me to Kansas City to become a curl specialist in 2024. Read more>>
Krista Moon
I am a born again believer since I was a little girl. My mother was an evangelist and Pastor. I grew up in a household of faith. Read more>>
Ryan Spilman
I had a buddy that got into tattooont and naturally I started getting tattooed by him. My brother and I would book same day appts and my brother always told Jordan if he wanted an apprentice Ryan is a good artist. Never took it seriously and always laughed it off. Back tracking a little; I was always above average in school in art. Read more>>
Jennifer Bricker-Pugh
As a fine artist and entrepreneur, I am always looking for ways to my express and grow my creativity and after having my art studio in my home for several years, I was ready to move into a more public and accessible studio space. Read more>>
Pam Meek
I joined the Blue Springs City Theatre board ten years ago after my granddaughter developed an interest in performing in some of its shows. After learning more about the organization and its programs, I was invited to join the board. My professional background in nonprofit organizations and administration prepared me well for the role. Read more>>
Justin Corbin
Some of my earliest memories involve messing around with recorded sound. I had one of those tan Fisher-Price cassette recorders with a built-in handle as a kid. I would take it around recording sounds, and I remember discovering that if I partially pressed the pause button while recording, it would interfere with the tape and distort the sound. Read more>>
Allison Moses
In 2017 one day I was just done with my life and that current path I was on. It seemed the more I tired to make others around me happy – the further I got away from self. I surrendered and started setting small goals and living for my daughter and I. Read more>>
Dana Wright
My name is Dana and I am a career story teller, and story saver. I’ve lived my entire life in Kansas and I have been blessed with a 32 year broadcasting career in my home state. Read more>>
steph shannon
After an accomplished career in film and television production—including ten years as the Kansas City Film Commissioner—I made a significant career pivot: I became a fundraiser for Kansas City PBS. It was a major change, but not an unfamiliar organization. I had loved PBS for years, had worked with Kansas City PBS professionally, and volunteered for on-air pledge drives. Read more>>
Adam Raynes
In high school, I was a theater kid. I had big ambitions to become an actor and pursue performing arts school, but those plans really fell apart through various life circumstances. Read more>>
Ashley Nastave
I started Laundry Matters in 2020 after realizing there was a real need for convenient laundry services in our community. Read more>>
Zareenaah Cooper
I decided to go to Esthetics school in 2019, however, my story with skincare starts earlier. In my teen years, I’ve always had pretty good skin, and I experimented with the little skincare products I knew of in 2016. Once I started my winter semester in college of 2019, my skin actually started to have inflamed acne and hyperpigmentation issues. Read more>>
John Livingston
I actually have quite the story. From birth I wasn’t quite dealt a complete hand of cards. I was born to a Mexican dad and an American mother of Scottish heritage. My mother initially met my dad because he was her drug dealer and after some time I was born and 11 months later my brother came along. Read more>>
Amado Espinoza
My first encounter with music happened when I was nine years old. My school teacher gave me a pan flute and assigned us the task of figuring out a melody on it. I took the instrument home, heard a melody on the radio that I liked, and managed to play it on the pan flute. Read more>>
Amanda Rushly
From 8th grade on I always knew I wanted to be in the beauty industry. I was in love with all things beauty-hair, skin, makeup and nails. I have a twin sister that, bless her soul, always let me practice crazy Pinterest hairstyles on her. Read more>>
Mike Amos
Our story really started long before County Line Lineage. It started when I handed my son Chris his first guitar. Chris never had a formal lesson. From the beginning he had a natural feel for music, and before long we were spending hours together learning songs, trading guitar licks and pushing each other to get better. Read more>>
Josilyn Wakes
After COVID, I was given a scholarship opportunity to attend massage school. At the time, I was exploring different career paths and massage therapy felt like a natural fit. I had always been good at helping people relieve tension and the idea of turning that gift into a career was exciting. So, I took a chance on myself and enrolled. Read more>>
Jenna Martine
Align Collection began with the desire to create truly clean, effective personal care products for myself and my family. I started making products in my own kitchen because I couldn’t find products that checked all the boxes; clean ingredients, plastic free packaging, effective formulas and a price that felt accessible. Read more>>
Cerise Hall
Thank you again for allowing Business Speaks LLC to share our entrepreneurial journey. We started out business here in the urban core of Kansas City in 2017 and purchased a commercial property in 2022. We are blessed to still be in business and have grown our footprint in our city. Business Speaks LLC has some distinct verticals 1. youth entrepreneur exchange 2.www.entrprenuerschurch. Read more>>
