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.
Clinton Martens
As a child, my mother would always play an oldies radio station that played mostly 50’s and 60’s music and that started my fondness for old school music. In my middle 30’s I learned a lot about Northern Soul music and being a vinyl DJ from my mentor Rico Dejoie. Read more>>
Sara Bellum
Sara Bellum and the Brainwaves are a 7-piece dance punk band based in Kansas City, Missouri. Our music combines danceable rhythms, rockin’ guitar riffs, and upbeat melodies with uncommon instrumentation: viola, keytar, and foley art. Our inception began in theatre school at UMKC, where I met guitarist MC Burnie Beta, sound designer Theo Theta, and vocalist/keytarist Zesty Zeta. Read more>>
Brian & Jacquie Hove
Chef Brian & Jacquie met in 2000 at the Omaha Regency Marriott. Chef Brian was steadily climbing the corporate Chef ladder while Jacquie was finishing her studio art degree at the University of Nebraska Omaha. We settled in Smithville Missouri in 2008. The perfect community to raise our two sons, Kobe & Zach. Read more>>
Julia Rice
Frankie & Jules has been a part of my life for nearly 20 years, and in many ways, I’ve grown right alongside it. What began with a love for fashion has become so much more…a community, a creative outlet, and something I’m incredibly proud to have built. But I could never have done it alone. Read more>>
Pierce McKie
My story really started with having to adapt to life changing surgeries and losing everything I’ve worked for. A forced restart. I never thought I would have to deal with learning to walk again, giving up my future soccer career, and getting disconnected from my family and friends.. Read more>>
Bobby Johnson
I’m Bobby Johnson, I am from Middle of Missouri, moved to Kansas City in 2010. But the story starts in maybe 2007 in Marshall, MO. At first I managed a local band pointing them toward shows etc. Then I started Booking Shows in the garage they practiced at. After that I joined a band, we changed our name. Read more>>
Jessica James
My story of business ownership all started with a feeling of wanting something different. After college I took the traditional path and worked in corporate jobs because that’s what I thought I was supposed to do. Everything looked good on paper, but I never felt completely fulfilled. I wanted more freedom, more creativity, and more ownership over my life. Read more>>
Joyce Watts
I’m Joyce Watts, the owner and baker behind Boujee Baker in Kansas City, Missouri. My journey in baking didn’t start with some big fancy plan. It started with a love for creating something that could make people smile. Over the years, baking became more than just something I enjoyed it became a passion, a craft, and eventually a business. Read more>>
Katie Brantmeyer
I started KTB Media & Marketing when I was 17 years old, sitting in my college dorm room. There was no big agency, no team, and definitely no perfectly mapped-out business plan. I knew I loved marketing, I understood how powerful it could be for a business, and I was willing to figure out the rest as I went. Read more>>
Jacob Duncan
J.D. & The Chasers formed in 2008 as a blues/roots trio, playing locally at small events and bar venues. As their sound evolved, so too did the line up. In addition to core members Jacob Duncan (vocals, guitar) Rob Mawby (bass) and his wife Marie Mawby (vocals), Jason Martinez joined the group in 2022, bringing his Latin-inspired high energy percussion skills to the drums. Read more>>
Melissa Garrett
My journey to founding The Hive: The Indigenous Collective began in an unexpected place: recovering from spinal surgery. After my surgery, I started Carefree Creations, which became one of my first steps into entrepreneurship. It gave me an opportunity to explore my creativity and begin building something of my own while navigating a new chapter in my life. Read more>>
Ashley Fewell
I’ve spent a lot of my working life in the restaurant industry, but photography has always been something I’ve been passionate about. About six years ago, I took that passion and started building my own photography business. The more I’ve grown, the more I’ve wanted to push myself, really learn my craft, and become the best photographer I can be. Read more>>
Danielle Fries
My name is Danielle Fries. I live in Lone Jack, Missouri, and I’m a multi-media artist. I didn’t consider my art as a career option until last year. That’s when I started pushing myself more, attending art shows, and expanding my knowledge of career options in the art industry. Recently, I’ve started taking commissions, which has been a big step for me. Read more>>
Asia Williams
I’ve been in the beauty industry for almost 11 years, but my love for hair started long before I ever became a stylist. My mom is a cosmetologist and was also an instructor, so the salon has always been a big part of my life. In fact, my very first job was working at the salon where my mom worked. Read more>>
Riane DiMarco
I’ve always known I wanted to be a hairstylist from a young age. Truly, I was that little girl doing hair and makeup and it never stopped. So after graduating high school I went straight in cosmetology and got to work. I’ve now been in the industry 16 years. Read more>>
Katie Barnett
In 2005, I my best friend Brandi and I traveled to Mississippi which was one of the staging shelters for survivors of Hurricane Katrina. We stayed for a few days and volunteered with the animals who weren’t allowed in the human shelters, left behind, or were separated from their families. Read more>>
Dr Crystal J. Davis
My story has unfolded in layers. I began my professional journey in higher education, where I learned early that leadership is not just about position. It is about presence, service, integrity, and the ability to help people become more fully who they are called to be. Read more>>
Brianne Jewell
Gosh I could answer this so many different ways – how I started in the helping field was a calling from my own upbringing – to not only understand myself, my family of origin and the world around me. Read more>>
Jenna Swanson
My path into this work has been anything but linear. I’ve always been deeply curious about the human body, healing, and the connection between our physical health, emotions, subconscious patterns, and the way we experience our lives. I began my career in therapeutic massage, which eventually led me to discover BodyTalk and a completely different way of understanding health and healing. Read more>>
Sara Cramer
I’ve always been a creative person and knew I wanted to build a life around making things. I graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2010, and over the years, my creative career has continued to evolve into what is now Sara Cramer Jewelry. My business has gone through many different chapters. Read more>>
Mary Lee Painter
Thank you so much for having me here. I’m Mary Lee Painter, and I write romantic comedies. I reside in Omaha, Nebraska, where I can be found chasing kids, watching Minnesota Wild hockey, and sneaking away to write whenever possible. I graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and somewhere along the way fell in love with writing. Read more>>
Marissa Hutchison Murphy
My path to owning Collar & Comb Groomerie has definitely not been a straight line. I grew up around entrepreneurship and business ownership. I’m a third-generation shareholder in a large family-owned company, and my dad also owns and operates his own separate business. Read more>>
Megan Feighny
I actually started my career in primary care at a mental health facility, and I truly loved that job. Unfortunately, the business model just wasn’t financially sustainable, and the primary care side ultimately ended up closing. Read more>>
Forest Kinsey
When I was a kid, I made myself a promise: to one day be both an animator and a paleontologist. Since then, I’ve got a degree in Biology and produce films and comedy productions in Kansas City. That’s pretty close, I’d say. Read more>>
Armando Raymundo Vasquez
Armando and Mike Armando and Mike started Anchor Island Coffee in September 2019, finally opening the doors the public March 2020. Starting Anchor Island Coffee Mike grew up 3 hours from Mexico’s ocean, and 5 hours from California beaches. Most weekends were spent at the beach. Read more>>
Desiree Tigue
I’ve been a creative individual my whole life. As a child, I liked to make my own doll clothes using materials we had around the house. In Jr. High I was introduced to Sailor Moon by some friends. We played as the characters and I was Sailor Pluto. I was older and ‘more mature’ than my friends so she was the obvious choice. Read more>>
ANDREA BOSWELL-BURNS
I never thought I’d be running a business, let alone a vintage clothing store meets bar! I have two Masters degrees and in my former life was a Neurologic Music therapist and then a Director of Education: specializing in Musical Theater. Read more>>
Tyra Randle
My name is Tyra Randle and I’m a paraplegic and domestic violence survivor. January 15th of 2020 I was shot 8 times in my home by my son’s father. Since than I have devoted my life to be an advocate for domestic violence survivors as well as the disabled community. I was Ms. Wheelchair Missouri 2024 and placed 3rd runner up for Ms. Read more>>
Gary Jones
My story begins with my village. My parents and grandparents instilled in me very early that excellence was not optional—not because achievement was the sole measure of a person, but because they understood that preparation, discipline, and character would open doors that had not always been open to people who looked like us. Read more>>
Deanna Johnson
I’ve always loved photography, but for most of my life it was just a hobby. I was finishing college in a completely different field when my little sister asked me to photograph her wedding — she was on a tight budget, and I was the one with a nice camera. Read more>>
Kelsey Beaver
If you had met me a few years ago, you probably would not have guessed I would become a business owner, author, publisher, and community advocate. Honestly, I would not have guessed it either. I spent a large part of my life feeling like I was either too much or somehow not enough. Read more>>
KC Golden Gloves
Kansas City Golden Gloves has a long and proud history in the Kansas City community, dating back to 1936. For nearly nine decades, the organization has provided amateur boxers with an opportunity to compete, develop their skills, and pursue their goals in the sport of boxing. Over the years, Golden Gloves became much more than a boxing tournament. Read more>>
Andrea Nett
This is my story from my website andreassweetoccasions.com. Make today a sweet occasion. Time is unknown to us. Cherish every moment, every laugh, every talk and especially, every hug. Would you like to try?” Those simple words changed me into the person I am today. Honey, we called her, although she was born as Elizabeth Opal Ray. She is my grandmother, my dad’s mom. Read more>>
Mak Wutke
If you had told me a few years ago that I would become a photographer, I probably would have laughed at you. Actually, I did. For years, I worked in the wedding industry, but always on the planning and coordination side. It started with a college internship and grew into a world I absolutely loved. I loved the people. I loved the relationships. Read more>>
Jaydn Swailes
It’s funny because we ask this exact same question to the bartenders and manager we interview now. But we didn’t used to be this coordinated. Pour people podcast started off in Des Moines, Iowa in my (Jaydn’s) Kitchen nook. Just 4 friends who had nothing better to do on wednesdays. Read more>>
David Akao
DJ Dave started as something I honestly never expected to turn into a business. I’ve always loved music, and I eventually decided I wanted to learn how to DJ for myself. I started teaching myself the basics, taking lessons, practicing at home, and slowly getting more comfortable behind the decks. Read more>>
Rachel Diedrich
Diedrich Candle Company started very simply—with a love for creating a warm, welcoming home and the idea that scent can bring back a memory, change the feeling of a room, or make an ordinary day feel a little more special. What began as something small in our home gradually grew into a family business that my husband, William, and I have built together. Read more>>
Adam Blanchat
My story starts long before I was born. Our family farm near Danville, Kansas, traces its roots to 1883, with the Blanchat family becoming part of that history in 1902. I am the fifth generation. From the outside, that kind of legacy can sound romantic. Read more>>
Nick Tre. Smith
I have been an active professional photographer for over 19 years covering competitive sports. I originally started my photography journey after being injured while playing football at East High School (KCMO). While sidelined, I still wanted to contribute to my team in some way, so I picked up a camera. It was at this point that I fell in love! Read more>>
Tammy Brown
I am a creative! Now in my 60’s I still recall my first finger painting done while in Kindergarten. It seems the texture of the paint opened up my young imagination and left an indelible impression on me. Later in my college years I lacked the confidence to pursue a major as an Artist so I defaulted to a Business Degree instead. Read more>>
Connie Walton
My story definitely wasn’t a straight line, and I think that’s what makes it mine. I started my career in healthcare as a Registered Nurse, and later became a Licensed Massage Therapist and business owner. For years, I was the woman who could handle everything. Read more>>
