Featured Entrepreneurs

For years Sonya Overstreet dreamed of being a voice-over artist. In her early teens, she used her “voice-over” voice to read movie listings, real estate ads, fashion catalog descriptions and just about anything she could find. Years passed before she decided to pursue her dream, but the first time she recorded her voice in a professional studio, she felt right at home. “I’ve found a new passion,” she said at that time. Today, Sonya is the owner and voice-over talent for Vision Voice, a business that provides professional and affordable voice-over services. Sonya’s dream to use her voice-over talent as a way to help business owners bring their vision to life is born out of her belief that all business owners want a successful and prosperous business. “I started to think how visions become realities,” she said. “A vision begins in your head and in [...]

She loves the freedom of entrepreneurship—the ability to innovate and set her own course. We’re talking about Bernice Ross, CEO and founder of RealEstateCoach.com, a virtual company that provides real-estate training, coaching and consulting for Realtors®. Ross is also a nationally syndicated real estate columnist for Inman News and the author of three books, including Real Estate Dough: The Recipe for Real Estate Success, due out mid-2008. To represent the new book and a new series of products, Ross recently changed the company tag line to: RealEstateCoach.com—the Place You Go to Make Real Estate Dough. There’s no doubt she’s passionate about helping Realtors® grow their business. Clear Vision Every business needs a vision statement, and for Ross that was the easy part. She’s crystal clear about her company’s mission: RealEstateCoach.com is committed to providing our clients with the highest quality coaching, training and consulting services [...]

Debba Haupert didn’t have to go far to establish the idea for Girlfriendology.  It started with a blog she created to show appreciation for one of her girlfriends. That, in turn, prompted Debba to research the topic, which reinforced what she already knew—that girlfriends make women happier, healthier and less stressed. She also learned that girlfriends increase longevity and make women feel more beautiful. This confirmed the goal of the site: to make the world a better place, one girlfriendship at a time. Today, Girlfriendology.com is an online community for women based on female friendship. It is designed to inspire women through semi-weekly podcast interviews with amazing women. The site also features shopping, reviews, blogs and more. The entire endeavor is a reflection of Debba’s passions for marketing, learning and friends. “The creative process of writing, finding images to support the story and finding products [...]

Based in Dublin, Ohio, Our CupCakery is the brainchild of Linda Kick, a former teacher who left education to pursue her passion for baking. Our CupCakery began as a custom cake, cookie and cupcake business, catering to weddings, birthdays and other special events. Then in 2006, Linda introduced the idea of a retail cupcake bar where customers can decorate their own cupcake masterpieces to go. More recently, she expanded even further by adding classes, parties and camps, which are really more opportunities to enjoy delicious desserts with friends. Today, visitors to the cupcake bar can witness great-tasting treats and a kitchen overflowing with activity. Says Linda: “If you’re in need of something sweet, Our CupCakery is the place to create, order—and eat!But make no mistake. Linda is an astute businesswoman and entrepreneur. Inquisitive by nature, she is motivated to try new things, and she is [...]

Monique Hayward is a woman with a mission -- for her business and her community. And now Monique is on a new mission – to reinvent herself and her company. When she first launched her company, Nouveau Connoisseurs Corporation, in April 2004, Monique envisioned that she would create sophisticated, welcoming places that take evening entertainment in the suburbs to a higher level of indulgence and sophistication. The entrepreneur and author did just that with her first concept, Dessert Noir Café & Bar, in Beaverton, Oregon, in January 2005. In addition to delivering great desserts, fantastic cocktails, and delectable dishes, the restaurant focused on supporting the local community and being “the place” in Beaverton for live music, local art, and special events. “From the first day Dessert Noir Café & Bar opened, I supported charitable causes and organizations because it made good business sense,” Monique said. [...]

Call her the quiet warrior. Calmly and patiently, she just gets the job done. We’re talking about Lisa Hinson, owner of Hinson Ltd. Public Relations in Columbus, Ohio. Formerly the director of public relations for Limited Brands, Lisa’s client list now includes real estate developers, retailers and healthcare businesses. She gets the job done with the help of three employees and two high school or college interns. Overcoming Hiring Hurdles It’s no surprise that Lisa attributes much of the company’s success to the people on her team. “Because I believe strongly in mentorship, I watch very closely people that I have worked with over the years and select carefully from them when we need to hire,” she says. “I only want people who can thrive in an entrepreneurial environment where priorities change quickly and execution is everything.” Managing with Moxie So, how does Lisa conduct [...]

What happens when you combine business with artistic performance, and then you spike it with a heavy dose of empathy and positive creativity? The answer: ImprovEdge LLC, a unique business that uses improvisation to provide training and consulting to teach business skills. The company’s products and services include workshops, retreats, long-term leadership development and strategic planning, content design and online training, and tools for creativity and critical conversations. “Through 10 years of research with Wharton School of Business and Otterbein College, we’ve uncovered ways to help people communicate, behave and work differently,” says Founder and CEO Karen Hough. It’s all about getting unstuck, she says, and that requires a mix of serious research, organizational psychology and play.Karen is understandably at home in this environment, having trained with Second City and performed with Improv Olympic and other troupes. After seven years of acting, she entered the [...]

Both empowering and engaging, she’s building a community of authors and readers. We’re talking about Carrie Runnals, founder, producer and host of  Words to Mouth, an Internet talk show and companion blog Web site where “readers meet authors beyond the printed page.” She introduces readers to new and seasoned authors and the books they write. And she does it via downloadable media, or podcasting, and written blog posts. Words to Mouth Equipped with a background in marketing, recruiting and human resources, Carrie had no problem identifying her passions: interviewing, networking, reading and promoting. That made for an easy transition to entrepreneurship and the creation of her business brand. The name, Words to Mouth, was an easy choice, primarily because new media is a word-of-mouth industry—a world of viral promotion through social networking and downloadable audio MP3 files available on iTunes and other directories. Even at [...]

Full of energy, she leads a balanced life. We’re talking about Rachel Anne Mazur, CEO of DASCO Home Medical Equipment in Westerville, Ohio. Her father started the family-owned business in 1987, but Rachel spent some time working for a similar company in New Hampshire before joining her dad. That’s when she discovered her passion for the industry, and it’s the reason she returned home to learn the family business. “One day it hit me: Why work for someone else?” she recalls. With an Attitude With 102 employees on board, hiring is a big part of Rachel’s job description. And the most important quality she looks for in a new employee is attitude. That’s no surprise considering that DASCO is a high-energy, fun place to work where associates have positive attitudes—and a sincere passion for helping people. Rachel best describes it like this: “We look like [...]

Driven to succeed, she’s turned her passion into a business. We’re talking about Marianne Frantz, president of the American Wine School and the Cleveland Wine School. Formerly a chemistry teacher, Marianne moved to New York City to change careers. With a keen interest in the theatre, she worked for various Broadway and off-Broadway theatres producing special events, including the opening of Miss Saigon on Broadway. After working as a special events coordinator, she spent four years developing a culinary department and eventually started her own food and wine marketing company. In 2002, that company morphed into the Cleveland Wine School, followed by the American Wine School in Chicago in 2005. Destined for Entrepreneurship Marianne’s career took off as soon as she hit the streets of New York. But she also spent years compiling experiences, and they have made her what she is today. Everything she [...]