Downtown LA 7.31.2017

Nadya Vysotskaya

I’ve loved photography since my childhood. My father had a film camera and developed negatives by himself. Sometimes I took his camera to take pictures of my dolls and toys, and it was one of my favorite “games”. I got seriously interested in photography in 2009 and very soon my hobby turned into a steady job. I fell in love with fashion photography and really enjoyed taking pictures for advertisements, look books, and model portfolios. In couple years, I realized that I love sincere emotions more. I focused mostly on lifestyle photography and weddings, but I didn’t give up fashion. Thus, I became a generalist photographer. Read more>>

Ryan Green

I am a lover of film. Both shooting, editing and watching. Film has been my passion throughout my life. My art comes from capturing the feelings and emotions of a particular event through my camera. While wedding films have become my main form of artistic expression, on my down time I strive to spend as much time in nature as possible. Filming the outdoors is what started me on the path to filming weddings professionally and opened the door to expand my business into other avenues of film. So far so good. I started my business two years ago. Slowly but surely the demand has increased and I am able to fill up my schedule for weddings a year in advance. Read more>>

Jennifer McNeil

My successes are thanks to those around me. Without an amazing support system, great mentors, friends, family, and of course clients, I could not be where I am today. So many people have shaped my business over time – from the days where it wasn’t a business at all, until now. My great grandmother told me many times how important photographs are. They tell stories. They timeline our lives through generations. When I inherited ALL of her photographs, I learned so much about who my family was and is, and who I am. This is why I am a photographer: to help other families tell their stories – for their children, and grandchildren, and so on. Read more>>

Sarah Mack

My story as a photographer started when I was around eleven. My mom had given me her Canon AE-1 for me to play around with. I was hooked immediately! I would bring it everywhere, and went on that year to win a few school competitions. Throughout high school, I signed up for every photography classes offered, and then a few independent studies! We were lucky enough to have a dark room in our high school, so it was a dream. I look back and think how lucky I was to find photography before the digital revolution. A love of the dark room will always be the roots of my photography career. Read more>>

Eyal Alkoby

Our story in the fashion world was born even before we were. Our grandfather owned a women’s clothing store during the 70’s and 80’s and both of our parents worked there. We will never forget helping out at the store as young children, getting our first taste of the exciting world of fashion. Not only did our fondest family memories come from our grandfather’s clothing store, so did the inspiration to start our own. Fast forward to 2009, Eyal had recently sold his company that manufactured laser printer cartridges (this is where the name Perfect Ink comes from) and was looking for an online venture to pursue. Read more>> 

Deepicka Mehta

I was on my way to becoming a doctor when I decided to take a detour and explore photography. Through a long and complicated series of events, I found myself pursuing my rekindled passion and love for the creative arts. Photography was always there for me from the beginning. I was the designated photographer, behind the camera, capturing moments since I could remember. It was nice to reflect back on those moments and relive them like they happened yesterday. I had worked multiple fashion shows and model portfolios, but my heart was set on weddings from the day I shot my first one. As a hopeless romantic, my creative juices flowed naturally. Read more>> 

Joe Niang

Make It Last Events started in 2014. The initial idea came from a birthday of my daughter, Thalina, who was 9 years old at the time. She wanted a photo booth for her birthday, we reluctantly agreed. I had no idea what a modern-day photo booth was like, but was more interested in keeping our costs down than looking for a quality company. That ended being a mistake but started the ball rolling on the formation of a new company. However, during the mid-2013, I got extremely ill and had to have two surgeries. Bed-ridden and in a lot of pain, I was grieved to know that I wasted 6 months of my life being sick with nothing to show for it. Read more>>

Adam Greer

Prior to graduating from the Art Institute of Orange County with my Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, I landed a job at a printing company in Garden Grove. It was scary for me as I had to leave my full-time position with Home Depot and start with this small company getting paid on a per job basis to start. There was plenty of work however. I was doing all kinds of designs from business cards for dry cleaners to banners for churches. My bosses mother was a real estate agent who worked for First Team Real Estate. Once I started working at the company she liked a lot of my designs and asked if I could build her a real estate brand and help her carry that into all her marketing items like business cards, signs and postcards. Read more>>

Jordan Tuazon

I have been an athletic and musically driven individual for as long as I can remember. As a child, I remember my parents constantly driving me from basketball games, to dance classes, to swimming and golf lessons, and then to the mountains on the weekends to snowboard. My free time at home was spent learning to play the piano. Fast forward to sophomore year of college. I was on the tract to becoming a dentist. Consumed by books and the college lifestyle – being active was put on hold. Let’s just say, 40 pounds heavier, I realized I was no longer happy with myself. So I bought a bike. I also changed my major to Nutrition and Exercise Sports Sciences. Read more>>

Shelby Nolan

Green Leaf Designs was started in 2001. I always had a passion for growing and cutting flowers. Buying flowers and arranging them at home for friends and family. After taking a class at a local flower shop and learning I could actually do this for a living I quickly emerged myself in the floral world. While working for flower shops and taking floral design collages courses, I was obsessed with anything flower related. It was like a whole new world opened up to me and couldn’t get enough. I feel so truly lucky to have found my calling. Getting to work with brides and clients learning their style, creating their floral designs and seeing them fall in love what I love so much is such a rewarding feeling! Read more>>

Diane Edmonds

The beach has been a big part of my life since I was born, with my mom teaching me to body surf at a very young age. Growing up in downtown Huntington Beach during the 60’s and 70’s, I spent most days at the beach watching my boyfriend’s surf or body surfing myself. My interest in photography began in college and grew as my world travels began. Fast forward a few decades and I became the mom with the camera, hauling carloads of kids to the beach and taking photos of them learning to surf. At about the same time my oldest daughter started surfing in competitions, digital cameras were evolving at warp speed. I started buying faster cameras with higher resolution and longer lenses. Read more>>

Shaman Isabella Stoloff

I’ve lived many lifetimes in just this one. I’ve learned what it means to grow spiritually and I know now my life, with all its struggle and challenge, made me the woman I am today. I was born Isabella Leigh Stoloff, the daughter of movie producer, writer, director, Victor Stoloff & Jacquline Craven Stoloff cover model. I am 1st generation American and that means something to me. My mum raised me (pretty much by herself) in the Hollywood Hills and taught me the expansiveness of the Universe. There was no one religion to focus on, no one “type” of person in the world. There was just oneness. From a young age, I knew about energy and flow, although at the time I couldn’t put words to it. Read more>>

Sam Yu

Since as early as I can remember I always loved pictures. I doodled all over the walls and floors as a baby. As a student, I got the attention of fellow classmates and teachers through my drawings. The process of bringing ideas and images to physical form relieved an itch deep inside of me. It’s felt like magic to manifest an image to something you can touch and share. The novelty never went away. About 22 years ago, I had the opportunity to open a 1 hour photo lab. After graduating UC Irvine with a degree in mechanical engineering, I was eager to bring my flavor of photo finishing to the world. Read more>>

Galit Brem

I was always attracted to flowers, as long as I can remember, since I was a young girl living in Israel. I started my floral career at the age of 14, selling flowers on the street corner, I would start right after school and spend my entire weekend and holidays designing simple bouquets for customers and selling them curbside. After completing my landscaping architectural design studies, I worked designing gardens and floral projects for municipalities. In 2006 our family moved to sunny southern California. In Irvine, as a mother to 3 kids, I enrolled in pottery classes at the local arts center; I loved it so much that I decided to combine my two passions into a unique product offer -Flower Arrangements in Hand Crafted Pottery – a one of a kind gift where the recipient can use the pottery as a coffee mug or a salad bowl after the flowers expire. Read more>>

Erik Ratensperger

I started skateboarding and playing music at a very young age, and I think both really shaped the world around me. I was mesmerized by skateboard graphics — everything from color and imagery to typography and layout. The old Powell Peralta graphics and artwork always blew me away. But it was also the culture and community of skateboarding: it really made me feel like I had a place to be weird and creative. Same holds true with music: I played in punk and hardcore bands when I was a kid, and that underground culture really fostered a DIY ethic in me. We recorded our own records, put out our own records, designed our own album art, silk screened our own t-shirts, booked our own tours and made our own zines. Read more>>

Jennifer Langley

I strongly believe that makeup is one of the most impactful ways to express yourself. Everyone’s idea of beauty is different and individual to them, whether that is natural to full glamour makeup; or becoming a full creative imaginary character to a frightening creature. Each and every application I do is specifically tailored to each client’s personality, image, skin type, and style. I strive towards an aesthetic that makes my clients feel empowered and to bring their inner beauty to the outside. My passion for beauty makeup and special effects started when I was a very young child when watching The Munsters for the first time. Read more>>

Kim Bunch

My love of vintage fashion and old Hollywood glamour begun at a very early age. This fascination started while listening to stories told by my grandfather who was a set and prop builder for 20th Century Fox studios back in the early 1940’s and 50’s. I would sit for hours while he talked about his encounters with Shirley Temple, Natalie Wood and Marilyn Monroe and showing us movie props from old westerns or The Sound of Music. I remember seeing an old yearbook from the studio of past actresses from the 1920’s and 30’s including actresses from silent films and I immediately felt transported back in time. Read more>>

Franchesca Del Carpio

Bonnie He and Franchesca Del Carpio met while in cosmetology school and have since developed a comprehensive training program to help others build their skills and have worked on hundreds of happy clients. Bonnie has been a licensed cosmetologist for over 12 years, having graduated from Paul Mitchell, has been a certified make-up artist since 2013, and holds several permanent makeup and microblading certifications, including the certification to train and certify other technicians. Franchesca is a double certified permanent makeup and microblading technician and the founder of 3D Microblading Eyebrows. Having owned talent agency The Diamond Dozen, Franchesca has helped market for dozens of brands including Ferrari, Flat Tummy Tea and many more. Read more>>

Hadeel Mahammed

I started sewing when I was 11 years old. My mom would make me pajamas and teach me how to sew, step by step. When I was in school, they would make us take a vocational study, so I would always choose sewing. By the time I was 14 years old, I was really good at sewing. I would take old or second hand clothes, pull them apart and make new designs for me and my sisters. By the time I was 19 years old, my aunt told me she knows a man in Iraq that owned a store and wanted me to sew some shirts and skirts for him. About 6 months into the job, my father bought me a really advanced sewing machine to encourage me to design my own clothes. Read more>>

Hee Jin Yoon

I was born in Boston, MA and grew up in Seoul, Korea. I started playing piano at the age of 7, and at 11, stared harp lessons from my aunt who was a principal harpist in Korean Symphony Orchestra. I auditioned Seoul Arts High School in harp performance and got accepted. This was when I really got serious about harp. After finishing undergraduate in Seoul National University, I moved to US to continue study in harp. I earned Masters degree in University of Cincinnati and Performance Diploma in Indiana University. In 2012, I moved to LA with my husband and two dachshunds and continued my carrier as a teacher and performer. Read more>>

Susann Clifford and Claudia Steiding

Prima Pilates was formed by sisters Susann Clifford and Claudia Steiding approximately 3 years ago. In 2014, both of us were struggling with health complications partially due to unsuccessful surgeries and seemingly endless and painful physical therapy sessions. Then, thankfully, Pilates was suggested to us by a Chiropractor as an alternative to conventional physical therapy methods imposed on us by our insurance carriers. So we tried it. After experiencing the healing benefits of Pilates, we came to believe that we could reach others with similar difficulties, by opening our own Pilates studio. If Pilates could work for us, it could certainly work for others as well. Read more>>

Daryl Hicks

I grew up in Orange County. My father was a barber, as well as, my grandfather. Dad owned his own barber shop, which he operated for over 35 years. Upon my graduation from high school, I joined the Army and served 4 years. After being honorably discharged I started working for Disneyland repairing their arcade games, then got a job with Dave & Buster’s managing the amusement operations. This is where I learned the importance of managing. Dave and Buster showed me that you can take an idea, Dave owned an arcade, and Buster owned a restaurant, and then combined their businesses to make something really cool. Read more>>

Megan Brooke

I “fell” into glamour photography when I was about 20 years old. I am an artist. I’ve always had the artistic eye, and always loved photography. I picked up my first camera at 18, and instantly fell in love. From there, I started shooting everything from scenery to family portraits, and found that glamour photography was my niche. I then started shooting friends and posted trade shoot casting calls on social media to gain more experience and build my portfolio. After a while I was able to shoot with models with large followings on Facebook and Instagram and from there, my business took off. Though I got the majority of my clients from word-of-mouth, social media definitely helped get the word out. Read more>>

Lesley Sattin

I studied the sciences and never imagined being an entrepreneur. Having kids changed everything. My husband and I quickly realized that one of our careers would need to take a lesser role and since he, being an entrepreneur himself had the higher earning capability, I quit my job and studies to stay home with the kids. I needed a flexible job that would allow me to raise our family, be there when they needed me and also satisfy me intellectually and hopefully financially. There are not many employers that offer those benefits. We went to the Anaheim garden show in 2003 and there was a booth there offering a home based business opportunity selling promotional products. I didn’t even know what they were but I was transfixed. Read more>>

Gina Crofts

Mary’s Shelter was started almost 25 years ago by a group of women wanting to support young Mothers. When we opened we had 6 beds. Today, we are licensed for 18 girls and 12 babies (30 beds). The population of the girls we serve has changed drastically over the years. Today, the majority of the girls whom live at Mary’s Shelter are in the foster care system. Most of them have suffered years of abuse, trauma, lack of education and more often sex trafficking. No, we are constantly in a world of change. It is imperative for us to stay relevant and support the greatest need. Read more>>

Renee Carleton

I started as a volunteer with a rescue organization in San Fernando Valley. Every day was a struggle to just keep our head above water. We were always searching for food, and all the other items needed to care for the dogs. Many times, we did not have the money to pay the monthly expenses just to exist. I began to collect food and supplies in the back of my car. Every day the amount of food and supplies began to grow. Not only did we feed our rescue, but we were able to help many others in need. What grew out of the back of my car 20 years ago, is today a food bank that supplies over 2 million pounds of food and supplies a year. Now we are able to also help local human charities and military families with much needed toiletries, cleaners and baby items. Read more>>

Sean Lawrence

My story is defined by my parents who led with their actions. There was never a disconnect between what they taught us and how they lived. When they taught us to love God with all our hearts and our love neighbors as ourselves, they meant it. Our home was always a haven for strangers – the lost and lonely. Learning that lesson early in life set the stage for the opportunity to lead an organization that has the privilege of serving so many “strangers”. It hasn’t been a smooth road. Four years ago, I walked into my office and I was told I was the new Executive Director of Giving Children Hope and I was replacing the founder. Read more>>

Andy Narendra

I moved from Indonesia to the United States in 1999 and lived in New York for over seven years. I was pretty much self-taught in everything. Combined with a vibrant energy and abundance of opportunities, I was fortunate to have worked in many different industries while living in “Big Apple”. Starting and growing a business is always what I have been passionate about. I started my first business at the age of 8; I rented out my comic books that had piled up in my bedroom. Although it was a totally failed business because no one returned any of the books, I came to the realization that I can make money doing anything by being resourceful and with more thoughtful planning. Read more>>

Steve Nedd

I started off detailing my own car, when I turned 18 in 2013 my mom gave me her 04 Dodge Durango. I detailed that car every week. It was very soothing and relaxing and a great way to past the time. Fast forward to 2015 when I bought my 4th car, 09 Nissan Altima Coupe, and I was obsessed with it. I wanted to keep it nice and shiny so I started learning about sealants and waxes and so forth. I only had that car for a year until I bought car number 5 which was a beautiful 2010 BMW 535i in Platinum Bronze (Tan). At this point I was a little more advanced with my detailing knowledge and it showed because the 535i was always turning heads. Read more>>

MJ Nejad

Back in July of 2015, I got into a motorcycle accident and when I thought that was my last day alive I ended up with several broken bones, then in ten days later sadly I lost my very young uncle due to choking on his food. These two events made me realize how short life can be and how soddenly we can lose it. So during my recovery time, I decided to follow my heart and start looking for a career that involves working with dogs. However, dog grooming was not in my list till one day randomly at the vet office I asked the couple next to me if I could pet their dog, the response was ” she is Aggressive ” and that’s why they had travel 45 min to go to that vet to get the dog groomed and every other groomer had rejected her. Read more>>

Crystal Quiñonez

I am 28 years old and I have been doing hair for over just under 8 years. Its kinds funny how I got started. I honestly was never good at school and I never really knew what I wanted to do because I never was the bookie type. One day I was sitting in front of my mirror doing my hair and makeup like I did every day, even when I had nowhere to go, that’s when my husband walked up to me and said,” why don’t you go to school for hair and makeup?” I honestly had no idea that this even existed because I grew up in the middle of nowhere and was super sheltered. I do have to say he has kept me motivated because this industry is rough at times and when I needed the support he was there. Read more>>

John “Lobsterfest” Yao

Freshman year. University. What seemed like a rather foolish idea at the time: to sink ALL my financial aid loans into my first digital camera, would turn out to be the best risk I had ever taken. Driven by the ego of youth, I felt the need to prove something, I wanted to be the best damn wedding photographer in the then-emerging digital era where styles and trends had yet to be established and high-level aesthetic was far from the expected norm. This was 2003, Facebook? Instagram? Not even on the radar. I was young. I was hungry (literally). And had no choice but to immersed myself in every aspect of the industry. Read more>>

Warren Lee

Ace High Casino Rentals was founded by Brandon Hall during the poker craze of 2005. He was trying to sell an old poker table on craigslist, but instead of selling the table he ended up renting it out a few times for more than the asking price. The rental sparked a business idea and Ace High was launched out of his apartment in downtown San Diego. After 4 years of growing Ace High he found himself in a unique business dilemma. He had become a co-founder of One Hope Wine in 2007, and his role as CMO at One Hope became too demanding for him to manage Ace High. He was thinking of giving up, putting the tables in storage, and putting Ace High on hold. Read more>>

Mo Khayat and Giva Santana

Giva Santana began his career as a mixed martial arts fighter by winning a 16-man tournament in South Korea. He won all 4 fights in a single night, submitting three of his opponents by armbar. He would later be nicknamed “The Arm Collector” for winning 13 out of his 18 wins by armbar. By 2006, he began fighting in the United States. For the next nine years, Giva was competing as a professional fighter, Jiu Jitsu practitioner while maintaining his role as the head BJJ instructor at Team Oyama. Mo Khayat was a blue belt when he met Giva in 2006 and he continued studying Brazilian Jiu jitsu under Giva, earning his black belt in 2010. Mo later earned his MBA in 2012, which became instrumental in operating One Jiu Jitsu as a business. Read more>>

Ari Zandieh

In 2015, during a time when I was providing strategy and leadership consulting for healthcare companies and hospitals, my understanding of the mind-body connection and curiosity regarding the body’s ability the heal itself became a new passion. Through fast-paced, intensive training, I became a practitioner in many of the fields which I was studying – such as energy and vibration – in order to have a more hands-on approach to these practices. As I studied topics related to natural healing such as Eastern Medicine, vibrational resonance and energy blocks, I further realized that the connection to the mind and thought as the initial source of separation from health was missing. Read more>>

Peggy Nichols

Studio C Gallery was started a couple years after I moved from West Hollywood to a spacious studio at the Santa Fe Art Colony, in downtown L.A. I noticed how great the space would be as a gallery. It so happened that before I moved in, Studio C was used as an exhibition space, honoring the work of an artist that has just passed away. The exhibition represented his entire life’s work. His work filled every corner, even the loft and the bathroom! It was impressive. My thought was Wow… everything is so beautifully laid out. This space could someday make a great gallery. The first fledgling show was The Disciplines: An Interpretation of the Figurative by Seven Women Artists. Read more>>

Monica Byrd

I worked as an Esthetician in Spain and Colombia for 5 years. I moved to the United States in 2012 and wanted to continue my dream of being a business owner in this profession. In the beginning, I was a little nervous being in a new country, not speaking fluent English as my first language is Spanish, but my passion for doing Skin Care helped me overcome my initial fear. I received my license in August 2016, have all the modern machines needed to be a successful Esthetician, and now opened my business working out of my home that is approved by the State of California. My business is growing with the help of client referrals, Instagram, Yelp where clients have written nice reviews. I love to learn about current technology, latest products, so I can continue to provide excellent service to my clients. Read more>>

Amanda Gomez

My love for fitness started over two years ago. I got a job as an office assistant at a gym called Next Level Fitness in Irvine. Shortly after getting the job I started training with a personal trainer at the gym. I had always been “skinny” and in my teen years could get away with eating pretty much whatever my heart desired and never had to pay the repercussions for that. When I turned 18 I started to notice that things had changed. If I went to Burger King and ordered a Whopper I would be sporting what I jokingly called “a food baby” for the rest of the day. I also started noticing that parts of my body had begun to store fat especially in my thighs and stomach. Read more>>

Benjamin Allen

Ben and Tor are both industry professionals. Both with backgrounds as dancers, choreographers and now dance fitness personalities, they have both earned their respect and continue to change lives with their talents. 3 years ago, they both had an “ah ha” moment and thought, how cool would it be to create an adult dance camp where all their students and friends could escape for a weekend and do nothing but dance all day. They instantly began working on the concept with their partners in crime and equally talented individuals Candis and Amber, and in 2015, United by 8 was born. United by 8 refers to the 8 counts in dance that connect us all. Read more>>

Lezlie Bernal

I am intuitive counselor and advisor doing professional fortune telling for 19 years, I has been a full time Psychic Reader helping thousands enjoy a fuller happier life. I do Tarot Cards – Palm Reading – Tea Leaf – Handwriting Analysis – Crystal Ball and a licensed Life Coach. I graduated from the Berkeley Psychic Institute – Life Coach from Life Purpose Institute and is a natural intuitive. I have grown my business from a one-person fortuneteller to now having staff nationwide. I screens all my staff to make sure they are professional and appropriate to entertain at high-end events of all types. Read more>>

Marina Garrett

When I became an Aesthetician a little over 11 years ago now my goal was to help women and men to feel more confident in their skin by preventing aging or clearing up acne skin conditions. At first, I started with learning and using natural skincare products. As the years evolved I started using cosmeceutical products. Now I use a combination of both, I am certified with PCAskin. I use it both professionally and personally. About 6 years back, I had started with the idea of opening my own spa that had a chill, groove atmosphere. I wanted clients to received corrective treatment without having to go to a doctor’s office but still in a spa atmosphere. It will be 2 years in October that I decided to venture on my own and open Skin Spa. Read more>>

David and Daniel Clements

My brother and I are Identical Twins from Canada who have done everything the same including getting NCAA hockey scholarships to Minnesota. We both decided to become chiropractors and start our own practice together calling it Twins Chiropractic. Some partnerships don’t work however, when you’re an identical twin the trust is very high. In our partnership, we don’t look at one plus one equaling 2 but one plus one equaling 11. Most people don’t realize at first that there are two of us because we look the same and just assume we are everywhere all the time. So it is always a comedic event when they see both of us together. Read more>>

Susan Rueb

In 2006, our family discovered the reality of our own daughter’s brain challenge and we realize that challenge continues to impact us to this very day. After being told that Kristin was schizophrenic and needed long term mental health care, we began a journey to find how who and what would be helpful to our daughter. We were shocked to find the resources to be scarce and the living facilities available to our daughter were way less than adequate. Our experience within the county mental health system often made us wonder who the patient was. Read more>>

A.J. Albert

The only sports that were watched in my home growing up were combative sports. My brother, father and uncles were all wrestlers and my grandfather was a boxer. As a kid, I was obsessed with pro-wrestling, super heroes and martial arts movies. These interests coupled with my family background were the roots for my interests in martial arts. Although I was excited about martial arts I never really attempted to try them when I was young. That changed after high school. Once I graduated high school I made the decision that I was going to pursue martial arts. Specifically I wanted to train jeet kun do, the art created by Bruce Lee. Read more>>

Ron Scolesdang

We were a group of individuals who needed a team for the fairly new sport of MMA at the time. From that team, multiple champions and contenders were made for MMA and Muay Thai. Today, using the same principles that continue to make contenders and world champions, we do more than just fight, we offer all things MMA and Fitness which include: Cardio Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Jiu Jitsu, and MMA for all skill levels. It’s never a smooth road. We always have the pressure to win fights. We always have the pressure to generate enough revenue to stay in business. Finding an all-star team if difficult for both our fight team, and sales team. Read more>>

Oleg Suvorov

Dancing together since 1996, Oleg Suvorov and Tatiana Pavlova are among the nation’s most notable professional dance teams. In addition to winning dozens of open professional events throughout the U.S. and the world, the list of their achievements includes such prestigious titles as the US National Professional Grand Finalists in 2001, 2002, and 2003, World Cup Finalists in 2003 and 2004, as well as winners of the overall ballroom category at Ohio Star Ball 2002. After over two decades of competing, coaching, and judging, opening their own Orange County dance studio was a natural off shoot of their passion for ballroom dancing. Read more>>

Beth Cocuzzi

In the beginning of 2007, my son was 9 months old and I was working a full-time job in the construction business. I realized at a point I was missing some of my son’s milestones and I was craving to spend more time with my son. So I basically left the full-time job to start my own business which was very scary for me especially since I like stability. I had to think of what I really wanted to do and was I prepared to do it. At the time, my son’s dad said it doesn’t hurt to try something new and if it doesn’t work out, go back to what you were doing. 2 months later I started doing makeup for weddings and right away it blew up with referrals, then about 6 months later I decided to bring the photography side into it as well. Read more>>

Olivia Huie

When I was in high school, I took a black and white photography class. My teacher once told me I had an “eye” for photography and ever since then, I was off and running. I continued to take black and white photography courses in college then in Florence, Italy. My boyfriend (now husband) got me my first digital camera. I knew he was a keeper! Friends started asking me to take their family photos and I would get paid in dinners or gift cards. I even bartered services for a while like haircuts and macaron orders for family photography. I started to receive lots of great feedback about my work, so I decided to start my website and try my hand at the business. Read more>>

Randi Slusher

I started my career in photography when I opened an online fashion boutique 5 years ago. When I first opened, I couldn’t afford to hire a product or fashion photographer to help me market my store, so I taught myself. Before I knew it, I had families asking me to take their holiday photos and couples asking me to take their engagement photos. I still remember my very first engagement session and the overwhelming feeling of excitement and purpose I felt. It really is an honor to capture moments of love for people. It was during my first engagement session that I knew I had found something very special and wanted keep experiencing that feeling. Read more>>

Dr. Anastasia and Dr. James Lander

We met in chiropractic school. We were best friends for years before we even dated. Once we got married we shared the same vision for health that we wanted to offer patients. Initially, we worked at different doctor’s offices as independent contractors, then we started renting a room from another chiropractor but eventually we outgrew the space. We have to admit, it was really scary taking that leap and signing a lease for our own space three years ago. However, it was one of the best decisions we ever made (other than getting married of course!). In the three years, we have added an acupuncturist, three massage therapists, and a holistic nutritional therapist. Our approach to health is – let’s figure out what is going on with the patient – find the root of the issue. Read more>>

Kevork Cholakian

I’ve always gravitated toward art even at a young age. I took weekend classes at the Art Students league in NY then attended the High school of Music and Art earning a BFA from Pratt Institute where I studied fine art and graphic design. I didn’t end up pursuing a fine artist or design career as I had thought but instead ended up working in television as graphic designer before moving up the executive ranks in media companies for many years. Rewarding and challenging at first but in the end proved to be very unsatisfying and left me feeling unaccomplished. I had always managed to find time to do my personal art here and there throughout my career but when the opportunity finally came that allowed me to leave the corporate world and follow my own path it was an incredible feeling. Read more>>

Torrey Tayenaka

I started a version of Sparkhouse when I was 15 years old and still in High School. My mom is a real estate agent and she came home one day with a video tour of a house and I said I thought I could do a better job. So I started doing videos for her real estate business, grew to other agents, then to different agencies all together. We went from just making videos to doing full marketing packages of photography, video, flyer design, printing, sign designs, websites and more. Read more>>

Dr. Mindi Jentes

I began my chiropractic journey not long after I had given birth to the last of my 4 children. My own birth was traumatic and caused spinal problems. As a result, I lived with tremendous migraine headaches for over thirty years. During my pregnancies, these headaches subsided and my overall joint pain decreased. However, between pregnancies, all my pain would return. After giving birth to my youngest child, my headaches fired up with a vengeance. The chronic joint pain became so severe it was in bed most every day for nearly a year. I was not able to attend many of my children’s school field trips, go to school events, or do much of my daily activities around the house because of the constant daily pain. Read more>>

DJ Staci

I started DJing in 2009 when a guy I was dating (who DJed on the side) invited me to one of his gigs. It was a hard transition taking my DJing full-time. It’s a big leap. It forced me to learn about marketing and packaging and to get more training and better equipment. I’m a full-time, professionally-trained mobile DJ and MC. I specialize in country music and bilingual events (English/Spanish). I am also known for my writing in the DJ community (I write for “Mobile Beat” magazine and “BookMoreBrides.com“…and based on my marketing expertise will be speaking at the upcoming Wedding MBA conference in Las Vegas). Read more>>

Brian Nguyen

Many people don’t know but “B Nutritious” came from my name “Brian Nguyen”, kinda funny but it was just one of those things that popped up when I was trying to figure out a business name. The whole journey of my business actually started from my parents’ kitchen (2014). It was all just an idea to make some additional income on top of my insurance career. I originally started off as just a meal prep service. Cooking from home and making deliveries to homes and businesses. Started with a few friends, then friends of friends, then next thing you know I was delivering all over LA county. In the beginning of it all, I had to prep, cook, clean, and deliver. Read more>>

Koranit Tangthavorn

Being from Thailand, I am very proud of the art of Thai massage. It’s something I have always wanted to share with the community. Thai massage is fairly new to modern spas can be quite expensive. I wanted to create a business that combined Thai and Western massage which would also be affordable so everyone could experience the benefits. I believe a successful business is measured by how many people you end up helping. I am proud of my Thai heritage and chose to promote it through Panwa Thai Massage. It is especially important to me that it made affordable enough to as many people as possible. I don’t think massage should be considered a luxury. Read more>>

Veronica Munoz

I started 20 years ago as an office gal just answering phones and setting up appointments for a General Contractor while working 2 other part time jobs and putting myself through college. I received hands-on experience in all aspects of the business. It was just a 2 person office with 14 field employees. I worked with the Owner’s daughter and she had taken time off throwing me fully in to learn many aspects of running a business. Then I took time off after marriage to start my family. I was fortunate enough to meet good people through my journey which brought a roofer to knock on my door at home offering me an opportunity to work for her as she had just received her General Contractors License and she needed someone to run the office for her. Read more>>

Lori and Mitch Atkins

Musical Theatre Orange County was born out of a desire to give the youth of our community a chance to experience professional theatre, and learn from working industry directors, choreographers, musical directors and technicians. We wanted to create a kind of Civic Light Opera that focuses on youth. Partial age appropriate casting will allow certain roles to be cast with seasoned professionals, giving the younger actors the opportunity to work with and learn from these artists. We will showcase these actors in major musicals with exceptional production values giving our young artists a taste of Broadway. Read more>>

Rami Halwani

Growing up, I used to get in a lot of trouble, I wouldn’t focus in school, and I didn’t have many friends. Through high school I had under a 2.0 GPA, I was told by a counselor that basically I wouldn’t amount to anything and that I would never go to college. That actually motivated me to work hard and prove all the people that ever doubted me wrong. So straight out of high school, I started working in my dad’s construction company where I am now a licensed General Contractor and Co-owner of the company, Marks Cabinets and Designs. I would attend college and work at the same time, where I would start my mornings at work from 8AM to 4PM and set up my schedule for school accordingly any time after 4PM. Read more>>

Stacy Shubunka

As long as I can remember, I had a love for animals and their behavior. I knew from an early age that I wanted to be an animal trainer “when I grew up”. I researched what I needed to do to enter this competitive field and have the best education and experience possible. I began my animal training career by attending the prestigious Moorpark College’s Exotic Animal Training and Management program. Upon completion, I began a career working with marine mammals. I was lucky enough to train dolphins, sea lions, seals, and even penguins. While working with marine animals, I performed shows, guest interactions, education presentations and even trained medical behaviors. This experience helped me master the art of animal behavior and training. Read more>>

Frederick Fulmer

Joshua Tree Art Gallery was founded in 2009. The idea behind the gallery was to give local artists a place to show their work. The area had so many artists in the area & there was a need for a place to show their art. I invite some of the local artists to come put together a show at the vacant space next door to the Joshua Tree, Health Food Store in downtown JT. The gallery has since moved into a larger space in the same shopping center at 61607 29 Palms Hwy, back in 2010. The gallery list of artists has grown over the years to include artists from around the world. I enjoy meeting new artists, sharing ideas & helping to create a community that support the arts. Read more>>