Highlighting Local Gems

Over the past decade we have had the chance to learn about so many incredible folks from a wide range of industries and backgrounds and our highlighter series is designed to give us an opportunity to go deeper into their stories with to goal of understanding them, their thought process, how their values formed and the foundations of their stories. Check out some incredible folks below – many of whom you may have read about already and a few new names as well.

Sam Layle

I am most certainly walking a path at this point in my journey. For the better part of my life I was wandering along the journey, and now I realize because I wasn’t doing something I was passionate about. I was working for other people and just getting by doing the minimum effort to stay in a position. Read more>>

Elena Beltran

Love this question! I like to think I am both wandering and walking a path. I have a destination in mind, and sometimes I find myself walking on a well-defined path. At other times, I may be drawn off the path to explore a different way, yet I continue to head in the general direction of my goals. Read more>>

Dana Birke

As a child I never thought I was ‘artistic’ because I couldn’t draw! Still can’t! Our house was full of art and that was something that other people did. It took me years to realize that there are a million ways to express your creativity and the art that lives inside of you. Read more>>

Eugene Ebner

All three are very important although I am most drawn currently to the importance of energy. When we ignite the energy from within we create the opportunity to strengthen our own personal intuition. It becomes like an inner compass that leads us to greater understanding. Read more>>

Suzanne Simone

Integrity is the most important to me because it serves as the foundation for everything else. While intelligence and energy are valuable, they’re most effective when guided by strong principles. Integrity fosters trust, drives ethical decision-making, and ensures that intelligence and energy are used purposefully. In many ways, the three are interconnected—but without integrity, the others lose their direction. Read more>>

Nancy Savage

I feel most at peace when I’m behind the lens, fully immersed in a moment that transcends language, borders, or expectations. Whether I’m walking through a bustling city street or sitting quietly in a remote village, there’s a deep calm that settles over me when I’m observing life as it naturally unfolds. Read more>>

Anthony Ruptak

I feel most at peace in the woods. When we take time to congregate with nature, to listen to her and learn from her, we connect with our purest selves. To be silent amongst the birds, the insects, the animals, the plants and trees and rivers and lakes and oceans, they harbor all innocence and wisdom. Read more>>

Mandy Spooks

My husband Mister Spooks has been telling me for YEARS that I should write a script. I was convinced that he just saw that in me because I was his wife and he really wanted to make movies. But he never gave up. He kept bringing it up over and over again, until he finally brought it up at the perfect moment. Read more>>

Luke Maddox

My grandfather. At an early age, maybe 6 or 7. I believed my grandfather could see an aptitude in me that I couldn’t see in myself. He could see that I had an understanding of how things work. How they fit together, and how to improve upon them. And, it would take many years before that was something I recognized in myself and embraced. Read more>>

Nicole Elliott

Yes! Right now. Having been on the entrepreneurial journey for two decades, we’ve walked in your shoes and understand the deep struggles that new business owners face. The path is often filled with chaos and uncertainty, and it’s easy to lose your way. That’s precisely why we are so excited to do what we do. Read more>>

Michael Pappalardo

Most definitely! Honestly, this is the first time in my life I feel like I’m tap dancing my way to work. I genuinely love my job and everything I’m doing. There are two parts to this. First, I draw immense career satisfaction from the success of the people around me. Read more>>

Robyn Otero

I can honestly say I’m tap dancing to work! I feel incredibly fortunate to experience this level of excitement regularly in my career. I remember being ecstatic while writing my first business plan, exhilarated when I opened my doors for the first time, and the positive feedback from first-timers, like ‘That wasn’t as bad as I expected,’ brings me joy consistently. Read more>>

Samantha Schultz

Yes—and in this work, you have to. Most of the trips we plan come together over months, and once our clients are off enjoying them, we often don’t hear much after – sometimes not until six months (or more) later when they’re looking to plan their next trip or we bump into a client and they finally gush a year later about the memories. Read more>>

Gabriela Martinez

Absolutely. I’ve always believed in giving my best, even if no one is watching or applauding. I don’t do my work for recognition, I do it out of self-love and because I truly love what I do. Sewing, for me, is a form of meditation. It brings me peace, focus, and a deep sense of joy. Read more>>

April Alsup

Of course. Giving your best can’t be about chasing praise, it has to come from a deeper place, from the joy of the work itself. Camus wrote about imagining Sisyphus happy, even as he pushes the boulder up the hill, day after day, with no reward or applause waiting for him at the top. Read more>>

Stephanie Thornton Plymale

Yes. As a CEO and a mother, I’ve learned that much of what I do is unseen and often thankless. You have to have a clear vision and a strong “why” that drives you, because if you’re waiting for praise, you’ll lose momentum. I give my best not for applause, but because I believe in the work, the mission, and the impact. Read more>>

Natalie Gentry

Yes, I could—because I have. Many of us are raised to believe we need praise in order to excel. But we don’t. Giving your best, even when no one is watching, is one of the most powerful ways to live in alignment with yourself. It means you’re riding your own ride—living for you, not for validation. Read more>>

Anthony Charles

Giving everything my best has become a lifestyle, so yes! I could give my best without being praised for it. Accepting that has made life easier, especially when in a creative process. Knowing that some will appreciate the art & others won’t. As long as I love the art I’m creating, that’s the main objective. Read more>>

Kevin Bennett

Doing the right thing often doesn’t come with direct rewards or accolades. The right thing, especially when the world is not aligned with doing what is true, honorable, or good, is something that will generally make you a pariah. For years. I’m not alone in understanding this. Read more>>

Samantha White

In the tax industry and financial scope as a whole, understanding the real, impactful changes in the workspace is incredibly important. With the boom of social media, clients often don’t realize the nuances of the problems that various social medias provide quick answers to. Read more>>

Caleb Christopher

When I start asking questions like ‘How will I ever accomplish ___? Why am I even DOING this? Where will I get the capital for that? How will I have enough time for all this?’ But as an entrepreneur and someone others rely on, I don’t have any business not always being at least a little out of my depth and pushing to grow. Read more>>

Marissa Yarrow

I think this is a great question. It’s one of the ideas behind the novel I’m currently working on. In a sense, we do live forever through our actions. If someone remembers a kindness from us, or a slight, and acts differently because of it, then we live on. Read more>>

Natalie Evans

If I set aside my name, my role, and all my possessions, what would remain is the essence of who I am—my ability to connect deeply with others, both in this world and beyond. Read more>>

Jaclyn Haugen

If I retired tomorrow, I think my clients would miss the trust and accessibility I bring to our relationship. They know that every decision I make is with their best interests in mind, not just what makes me more money. I make it a point to respond the same day whenever possible, and never later than the next day. Read more>>

Devyn Pelter

If I retired tomorrow, I believe my clients would miss the personalized attention and the direct, hands-on approach that I bring to every project. I make it a point to truly understand each client’s unique business challenges and goals. I’m not just another vendor for them—I’m a partner in their success. Read more>>

Lauren Winter

One of my earliest memories of feeling powerful was the moment I realized I could shape my environment. At a relatively young age my mom took me to the dollar store and handed me $5 to decorate the new basement bathroom that would be mine. I remember pacing the aisles full of ideas and excitement. Read more>>

HEATHER LUTZE

**Was there ever a time that you almost gave up?** Yes. And it wasn’t just a passing thought—it was a moment that nearly became a decision. After decades of pushing, achieving, and pretending I was okay, everything crashed at once. My son got married, and the empty nest that followed felt like a vacuum. Read more>>

MaryRuth Vincent

I recently received a request from HGTV to be part of a featured program called Luxury Living Insider. Their inquiry was simple: would Glen Isle be willing to represent luxury living? At first, I smirked. Read more>>

Amber Newberry

I have been accused of being a man-hater because of my work with women. I have 3 boys, I have been married for 20 years, I love my boys and I love men. I think that helping women is a part of helping society as a whole. Women who know themselves, find their voices, and heal their trauma will be better for the world. Read more>>

Raquel Rose

One moment that completely shaped how I see the world was becoming a single mom at 21. It was nothing I’d planned for, and honestly, I felt totally lost and unprepared. But it was in that season—filled with fear, loneliness, and the unexpected—that I experienced a profound re-conversion to my Catholic faith in a moment in front of the Eucharist at Mass. Read more>>

Katie Prendergast

This goes back to the question of authenticity and public self. When I started my personal training career, I worked at a local box gym and had to take on any client that wanted a personal trainer. Read more>>

Nancy Vahling

The part of me that believed I had to earn my worth through perfection, through being agreeable or palatable, has served its purpose. That part helped me survive, helped me belong—but now it limits the truth I’m here to express. Read more>>

Michelle Edwards

There have definitely been seasons in my life where I was doing what I thought I was supposed to do—or what others expected of me. But over time, through prayer, experience, and a whole lot of grace, I’ve grown into doing what I truly believe I was born to do. Read more>>

Kelly Tenkely

Education is an industry with a long tail. The seeds we plant today often won’t bear fruit for years. This has been true of every student I’ve taught. So many of the most meaningful outcomes don’t show up as a score or within a semester, but in who that student becomes over time. Read more>>

Tyler Lindvall

We’re building Harmonic—day by day, tweak by tweak. We’re constantly refining our brand, dialing in our audience, and evolving our products and services. It’s all part of a long game to create a business that’s not just profitable, but sustainable, well-oiled, and fulfilling to run. It may not all pay off tomorrow, but 7–10 years from now, I believe it will—financially, creatively, and personally. Read more>>

Gary Allen

It might not pay off for a good deal longer than that. I do think of what I do at my job as playing the long game. The total American prison system has 1.8 million people in it on any given day of the year. We incarcerate more people than any other country on Earth. Read more>>

Arikka Jitendranath

Thank you for having me Voyage Denver! This is an interesting question as I was thinking more about this I tend to battle “avoidance” in general! I tend to be a very anxious person although I don’t come across that way. Uncertainty, is something that overwhelms me immensely. Uncertainty about my work, art, love, kids, finance’s and the list goes on and on. Read more>>

Becca Spiro

We risk losing connection with others when we fail to communicate, and when there is a lack of curiosity or interest in different perspectives and opinions. We build connections when we prioritize relationships and learning, when we greet each day with wonder. Read more>>

Kristen Sandine LPC, RPT-S

In my experience as a therapist, I find that betrayal, dishonesty, and unpredictability breaks the bonds between people. We first bond with caregivers and our families and we learn to take those experiences into all of our subsequent relationships – romantic, friend, neighborly, and professional relationships. When we don’t know what to expect from others or when others break our trust, the bond is broken. Read more>>

Emily Romero

I haven’t ‘proved’ it yet by clinical trials standards. But I believe that Self-Trust is the golden skeleton key to the life you most want to live. Building more trust with yourself is the path to living the life you desire… with true and genuine confidence. Read more>>

Genevieve Baer

A common misperception about voice acting is that all you need is a ‘pretty’ voice. Not only does it take a whole lot more than a nice voice to build a career in voice over…but the sound of your voice really doesn’t matter at all! The voice over industry calls for a huge variety of voices and vocal qualities. Read more>>

Brad Hoopes

I think there are a couple of common misconceptions when it comes to the area of telling your life story. The first—and one I hear far too often—is: “I didn’t do anything special; I don’t really have a story.” In every single case, that has proven to be false. Read more>>

Amanda Bumbala

That being a real estate agent is just about selling houses. The truth is, selling the house is only one small part of what I do. What most people don’t see is the behind-the-scenes work. I’m constantly managing emotions, timelines, vendors, legal contracts, negotiations, and about a hundred moving parts at any given moment. I’m not just unlocking doors and handing over keys. Read more>>

Gio Toninelo

So I work in video production. I feel like people think making a video is just about showing up with cameras and then editing, but it’s sooooo much more than that. It’s about trust. It’s about listening. Really listening to someone’s story and figuring out how to translate it into something that connects, inspires, and moves people. Read more>>

Adrienne Grolbert

I think one thing that is often misunderstood about my shop, and perhaps refill shops in general, is the idea that we are little Costco’s. People see product in bulk or semi-bulk amounts and think ‘Oh, this a bulk store so it’s cheaper’ and then get confused when it isn’t dollar store prices. I don’t blame them! Read more>>