Star-Preneurs

The Fire That Became Firefly Occasions

At 29, Ciara Daykin has built an empire. Firefly Occasions, a Canada-based event-planning business specializing in weddings, is on track to hit the million-dollar mark this year. Always finding herself drawn to event planning, whether it was for pubcrawls and student trips in college or her own wedding, Ciara knew that her passion lay within planning activities for others. She understood that she was inspired by happiness and the smiles on the faces of the people as she helped make their visions come to life. (more…)


An Accidental Solution

Quite literally barefoot, eight months pregnant with her first child and closing in on 40, Kathryn Rose found herself standing … Read the Rest

Helping Families One Head at a Time

Inspiration can strike in the oddest places. As Angie Donenberg stood in line with her child at a salon specializing … Read the Rest

A New Breed of Entrepreneur

Amy Nichols found herself staring into a pet shop window one day, reflecting on her life.Although her career as a … Read the Rest


Heart of the Hearth

Remember the taste of your grandmother’s favorite cake? And how much you treasured spending time with her in her warm, … Read the Rest

Tote-Maker, Rule Breaker, Risk Taker

When custom bag designer Melissa Lewis was told that she was going about her marketing all wrong, she stopped and … Read the Rest

Turning Pain into a Positive Passion

Finding Courage to Reach Out to Others.  Budding entrepreneur Kristine Olsen envisions using the experiences and insight of surviving her … Read the Rest


BOOMER CONSUMERS ALL BOOM, NO BUST

Focusing on Boomer Consumers, Nancy Shonka Padberg anticipated a burgeoning need and embraced a generation
Nancy Shonka Padberg knows that success … Read the Rest

A QUEST TO SEE OUR OWN INNER BEAUTY

Cynthia DeSoto’s personal journey has evolved into a new business, started a movement and produced a unique book inviting … Read the Rest

LESSONS OF A LEGACY

Dixie's family together during a recent vacation: From top, left: son-in-law Bill, daughter Loretta, son Michael, Dixie and daughter Theresa.

Dixie Vollmer reflects on 35 years of building a business, facing fear as a female entrepreneur in the 1970s … Read the Rest