{"id":552678,"date":"2026-01-29T23:53:49","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T23:53:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/552678\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T23:53:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T23:53:49","slug":"jacksonvilles-most-inspiring-stories-voyage-jacksonville-magazine-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/552678\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacksonville’s Most Inspiring Stories – Voyage Jacksonville Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In the recent weeks, we\u2019ve had the privilege to connect with some incredible artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can\u2019t begin to express how impressed we are with the incredible group below.<\/p>\n

Joe Bassett
<\/p>\n

As the son of two busy Salvation Army officers (pastors), I had a lot of free-range time as a kid\u2014some might even say *feral.* I spent it roaming the woods, building shelters, and fishing when I should\u2019ve been in school. When I wasn\u2019t exploring outdoors, I was in the library reading about explorers like Lewis and Clark, Shackleton, and Peary, or studying the Tom Brown field guides that sparked my lifelong love of bushcraft. (For the record, I don\u2019t recommend skipping school to chase your dreams\u2014but it worked out for me.)\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Chad Dennis
<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t start out chasing a career in photography. To be honest, I never even realized that was a career possibility growing up. It all started when I opened my own 7000sqft fitness facility with 2 racquetball courts. I started making exercise of the month videos and trainer spotlights.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Chad Cahoy
<\/p>\n

Jacksonville Strength was born out of resilience, passion, and a belief that strength changes lives. We officially opened our doors on May 18th, 2020\u2014the very day after the state of Florida allowed gyms to reopen following the COVID-19 shutdown. At a time when uncertainty was everywhere and many fitness businesses were closing their doors, Jacksonville Strength took its first bold step forward.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Kay Lux
<\/p>\n

I started working and managing Med Spa\u2019s where my specialty as a trichologist was hyper focused on hair restoration and PRP. While those approaches could be helpful, I saw that they weren\u2019t the right fit for everyone. That realization pushed me to look for a more in-depth, less invasive way to support scalp health.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Samuel Ramos
<\/p>\n

I\u2019m originally from Bayam\u00f3n, Puerto Rico, and I started cutting hair in 1999 when I was just 11 years old. At first, it was simply out of curiosity. In 2001, my mother passed away, and in 2002 I moved to Jacksonville, Florida, to live with my uncles.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Greg Smith
<\/p>\n

I started out in the financial advisory business about 18 years ago. The way I got into the business was a unique story in the sense that I had graduated college 2 years sooner and for the first time in my life moved away from Florida to live in Indiana to work on dilapidated homes.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Stephan Esser
<\/p>\n

I love people and I love science, so the practice of medicine has always attracted me. As a young boy I was fascinated with how things work and especially the human body. I was an athlete throughout my youth so sports medicine became a natural path for me.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Chelsea Albert
<\/p>\n

Hi, I\u2019m Chelsea Albert, the owner of Perfect Placement Advising. I\u2019m based in Jacksonville, Florida, and I serve families throughout Jacksonville and the surrounding areas. I live in Neptune Beach, and I truly feel honored to do this work in the same community I call home. My passion for supporting older adults began long before my career did.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Larry Baumgartner
<\/p>\n

My path has never been a straight line, and I\u2019ve learned to see that as a gift. I began my career in television news and radio across the Midwest.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Effi Saei & Genny Cruz
<\/p>\n

When Effi moved from Turkey to Florida in 2022, she arrived with one goal: to continue the beauty career she had built in Istanbul. She spent her first two months working in a Jacksonville salon to learn what local women wanted, especially in permanent makeup, while also looking for the right partner to start her own business.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

eileen teston
<\/p>\n

We have been open. At the Hidden Crab since 2018. At this location we actully began our restaurant and dream called Shuckers in 2008 then we moved shuckers on the water in 2018 and we converted this spot into the hidden Crab. It\u2019s like a Cheers show everyone know everyone when they walk in.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Tiffany Brearton
<\/p>\n

I grew up like a lot of girls who were trying to find love, safety, and a place to belong. Parts of my story include childhood sexual abuse, years in the adult entertainment industry, and later discovering that what I once called choice actually fit the definition of trafficking.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Kristal Todd
<\/p>\n

My journey in education began in 2008, when I made a bold career pivot from corporate America into the classroom. I earned my undergraduate degree from Jacksonville University, and although my degree was not in education, I took a leap of faith that ultimately became one of the best decisions of my life.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Cara Potter
<\/p>\n

My path into the mortgage industry wasn\u2019t something I planned from the very beginning, but it quickly became something I felt deeply called to. I started my career learning the business from the ground up \u2014 not just how loans work on paper, but how much trust people place in you during one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Dorothy Train
<\/p>\n

My path into speech-language pathology began well before grad school. I remember in highs school completing a career survey that narrowed nothing down for me. After I gained work experience in retail and office settings, I realized what I did not want to do.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Adam Chaskin
<\/p>\n

I joined the Jewish Community Alliance in 2018, with more than 20 years of experience in leadership roles at nonprofit community organizations and universities throughout the United States.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Brae Coats
<\/p>\n

From a really young age I was singing and acting. Carrying it into my middle and high school years, I was in Acting class and Ensemble classes. My Ensemble teacher was putting me up for a scholarship on my voice. I was gonna be famous. I was gonna sing and act and be famous\u2026LOL\u2026But life got in the way.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Amy Hemphill Dove
<\/p>\n

I am a \u201cdyed in the wool\u201d fiber artist! I was born in West Chester, PA, into a family of artists, musicians, creators, and collectors. Earning a BSc from Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science led to several years designing Jacquard fabrics, ranging from abstract to traditional. From this \u2018Weavart\u201d emerged, a reweaving of these commercial and industrial designs into uniquely artful woven collages.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

amanda Hamilton
<\/p>\n

If you asked me 15 years ago if I liked flowers, I would have said no. Now I build my life around them. Once & Florall Designs began in an unexpected place: grief. After my mother-in-law, Cheri, passed away, I created her funeral arrangements myself. Hour by hour, surrounded by heartbreak, I found something I didn\u2019t expect: peace.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Teresa Nascimento
<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t set out to build a business, I just wanted to create things that felt meaningful. Back in 2016, I started making custom designs from my house, simple projects for friends, family, and local teams who wanted something more personal than what big-box stores could offer.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Vinnie De Andrade
<\/p>\n

Golden Creek Ranch started as a modest cattle operation, focusing on Angus breeds suited to Florida\u2019s sandy soils. Over the years, we saw the value in opening our doors to share the daily rhythms of ranch life, turning it into an agritourism hub. Florida\u2019s agritourism laws played a key role, allowing us to host visitors while maintaining our farming core.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Walt Bianchi
<\/p>\n

I have an MBA in Finance and began work as an analyst with Citibank in New York. After a stint in the credit card business in financial control I was sent to Italy where Citi had just purchased a bank. I am fluent in Italian having grown up there so it was a nice career move.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Robyn Branch
<\/p>\n

I started my design journey as a child attending the High Point furniture market with my parents. They owned a small town furniture store in NC and I \u2018designed\u2019 the floor and accessorized for hours. I later worked with my sister on model homes during her real estate career.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Danielle Brooks
<\/p>\n

Danielle Brooks loves drinking tea, especially with honey. One day she thought how awesome it would be to have her own hive to harvest from; so she started researching bees and how to keep them. After checking out every book in the library on the subject, she decided to jump in with both feet.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Denis Baskin
<\/p>\n

We began our journey in the electrical field through independent contract work. Early on, the focus was on gaining hands-on experience, building technical skills, and understanding what clients truly value \u2014 reliability, safety, and quality work. As demand grew and our experience expanded, it became clear that we wanted to build something more long-term.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Angel Velez
<\/p>\n

I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. I came to the United States when I joined the Navy at 21 y\/o back in 2002. While in the Navy, I did travel to many places, from the Middle East, Europe to Asia and of course various locations in the US.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Joseph & Dionne Wellington
<\/p>\n

Icecapade Frozen Treats\u2019 journey began with our late-night movie rendezvous. During our movie intermissions we would make it a sport to run out to get our favorite ice cream. After a number of these ice cream binges, we realized we packed on a few pounds. So, we decided to make a change.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Lawanda Silas
<\/p>\n

Since 2014, I started toying with the idea of wanting to start my own business, but had no idea of what it would look like. The following year, decided to loc my hair, as maintaining it became quite cumbersome due to my active lifestyle. After having my hair loc\u2019d (Sisterlocks) for a year, a light switch went on!\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Melissa Butler
<\/p>\n

I discovered rugby in 2001 as a student at the University of Central Florida, and was immediately hooked by the sports unique blend of teamwork, physicality, and pure fun. After graduating, I returned to Jacksonville and launched the Women\u2019s team in 2006 (there has previously been a team from 1997-1999).\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Lee E. Gladden Jr.
<\/p>\n

I started boxing at 12 years old at the Pleasantville Recreation Center in Pleasantville, New Jersey. What began as a place to stay active quickly became something much bigger, it taught me discipline, structure, and accountability at a young age. Those early lessons laid the foundation for everything that followed, from my military service and competitive boxing career to coaching and mentorship.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Ray Carr
<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know if there\u2019s a brief story but I\u2019ll cut it short. Through the toughest times in my life, exercise has always been something that made me feel good and better about myself 100% of the time. It was a part of my everyday life as a means to help me grow and build character.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Tanda Jarest
<\/p>\n

Back in the early 90\u2019s, I was a sales rep for luxury linen manufacturers in NYC. After moving to NC and discovering there were no luxury stores to call on, I decided to open my own. The first store opened in Southern Pines, NC in 1997. The Raleigh store opened 10 years later and the Ponte Vedra Beach store opened another 10 years later.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Ashley Burnett
<\/p>\n

I started Coastal Roots Greenery back in 2021. Initially, I wanted to jump right into retail, and started looking at rental units. I am so glad I was talked out of that by my husband and family. I\u2019m not sure I would have found success jumping in all at once.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

EMANUELA LLANGOZI
<\/p>\n

I\u2019m Emanuela, the founder of Be That Queen Bridal. Opening this boutique in the heart of historic Saint Augustine has been a dream come true, born from a lifelong love for bridal beauty and the belief that every bride deserves to feel like the queen she truly is.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Heidi Aderman
<\/p>\n

In third grade, I wanted to be a rock star. I started as a musician who simply loved creating and performing. Music was always a driving force for me. It wasn\u2019t just something I did, it was how I processed the world.\u00a0Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":538961,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5136],"tags":[5229,1322,3188,723,7310,238076,6291,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-552678","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jacksonville","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-featured","10":"tag-fl","11":"tag-florida","12":"tag-jacksonville","13":"tag-localguide","14":"tag-other","15":"tag-united-states","16":"tag-united-states-of-america","17":"tag-unitedstates","18":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","19":"tag-us","20":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115981089809863743","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=552678"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552678\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/538961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=552678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=552678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=552678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}