Phoenix’s Most Inspiring Stories

The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some incredible artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with the incredible group below. Check out our favorite stories from across the Voyage family.

Kakoli Sengupta

My journey began when I was barely five. My parents would take me to Prince Salon in Gariahat, Kolkata, and I would peep into the ladies’ section, fascinated by the rapid movement of thread in the beauticians’ hands. I didn’t even know it was called threading, but I had already decided that one day I wanted to do what those women were doing. Read more>>

Joseph Nassise

I wrote my first novel long-hand on a bet in college to win a case of beer. (Bass Ale, for the curious.) I wrote it on legal pads, stuffed it in shoebox, and went on with life. 11 years later my wife found that shoe box and asked to read the novel. She though it was pretty good, so in 2001 she convinced me to type it out on our Brother word processor (no personal computer at the time) and submit it. Read more>>

Justin Pioche

My first initial dream was to be a rock star. My mother sat me down and told me that the road would be hard and not a career, so I needed something to fall back on. So, I moved to Phoenix and enrolled at the Arizona Culinary Institute. Read more>>

Waseem Sarrar

I started out in college trying to figure things out like a lot of people my age. I was always interested in sneakers, fashion, and finding ways to make money on my own, so I began reselling sneakers on the side. At the same time, I worked a variety of jobs to support myself, from flipping burgers at Five Guys to working in retail at Abercrombie & Fitch and eventually becoming a pharmacy technician at CVS. Read more>>

Victoria Campbell

My interest in the esthetics industry began when I was in highschool. I would watch youtube tutorials to teach myself how to do hair and makeup. This interest only continued to grow, even during my active duty time in the U.S. Navy where I taught myself how to do brows and nails for my shipmates during deployment. Read more>>

Julie Greenberg

I grew up in a small Illinois town called Mendota, where I learned early on the importance of hard work, community, and showing up for others. Growing up in a small town shaped who I am today. It taught me that community matters, relationships are everything, and sometimes the smallest gestures can make the biggest difference in someone’s life. Read more>>

Lou Moon

I started doing stand up comedy in 2016. I wanted to be a novelist, and had a miserable time trying to write that. A writer friend of mine told me I should try comedy because I’d have more fun, but more importantly, because I loved comedy. 2016 was a great time to start, things were funny bad, they weren’t all the way bad yet. Read more>>

Khetphet Phagnasay

My story began in Laos. I came to the United States as a refugee at seven years old, and growing up between cultures shaped how I saw the world. Finding my voice wasn’t always easy, but the arts gave me a place to express myself and connect with others. Read more>>

Wonder Truly

Hi, Voyage Mag! My name is Wonder Truly. I’m a singer-songwriter, music producer, and visual artist in Phoenix, AZ. I have been making music seriously for the last 13 years, and had the pleasure and privilege of touring the continental US as a solo artist from 2014-2019. Read more>>

Sarah Perkins

I moved to Scottsdale at the end of 2003 after graduating from Denison University in Ohio. I contacted fellow Kappa Kappa Gammas (my sorority) as a way to network for a job. I found Tina Tamboer, a pillar of the real estate community today, Back then she was a title rep and she hired me to be her assistant. Read more>>

Jim Waters

I have always loved music. Growing up, there was always music in our house and I was drawn to it from a very early age. As a teenager, I hated school and rarely went. I barely graduated from high school. All I knew was that I wanted to find some sort of career in music. Read more>>

chris Martin

My journey in the culinary world has been one of hard work, learning, taking chances, and never being afraid to build something from the ground up. I started in the kitchen with a passion for food and a willingness to learn. Over the years, that passion grew into something much bigger. Read more>>

Abu Athar

From Dreams to Direction: The Journey of Never Giving Up Success is not always about how quickly you reach your destination; sometimes, it is about how many times you find the courage to continue. Every successful journey begins with a dream. However, the path between dreaming and achieving is rarely easy. Read more>>

Inok Alrutz

A longtime lover of northern AZ and an Alumni of ASU, shop founder Inok Alrutz opened ReFab shortly after returning to Arizona in 2022. The business began with pop-ups at local outdoor markets in 2023, with Alrutz curating thrifted finds, and performing the mending, repairs and alterations needed for the clothes to remain current and stylish. Read more>>

Melissa Salazar

The Story Behind Red’s Zen Tea My love affair with tea began as a little girl, sharing cups of tea with my grandmother. It wasn’t necessarily the tea itself that made those moments so special, but the experience surrounding it. It was a time to slow down, connect, feel heard, and feel important. Read more>>

Jay Fotos

Jay Fotos, born and raised in the New Jersey/New York area and moved to Phoenix in 1993. Read more>>

Jonathan Robbins

I’m an ASU graduate with a degree in Psychology, but I’ve been obsessed with books since elementary school. Growing up with chronic illness, reading and writing were the doors to my safe haven. I knew I wanted to be a novelist by the time I reached college, yet learned through the querying process it was all but a pipe dream. Read more>>

Bex Bond

In 2018, my life changed in a way I never could have planned. I was a single mom raising my four children when my three teenage nephews needed a safe place to land. I opened my home, and suddenly I was caring for seven children. I loved them deeply, but I also learned firsthand how overwhelming kinship caregiving can be. Read more>>

Samone Hernandez

Being an artist by heart and developing new skills each time I create, has shown me that the passion for art will always stay will me and continue to grow. Read more>>

Mailin Godoy

Our Virtual Team LLC was founded in 2019 with the goal of helping business owners get the support they need to manage their day-to-day operations and focus on growing their businesses. Over the years, OVT has grown from that initial vision into a team that provides dedicated virtual assistance and operational support to businesses across the United States. Read more>>

Jelena Erős

I think I started to draw in my mother’s womb. I don’t remember myself not drawing. My father who was aircraft designer was my frist art teacher. My mother, who worked in film industry was an esthete and a brilliant phototgrapher. My grandmother used to take me to Russian Orthodox Church where I saw magnificient frescos, priestly garments and listened to celestial a capellas. Read more>>

Bree Curiel

My journey as an artist began at an early age when I was encouraged by my family to explore my creativity and participate in school art exhibitions. Those early experiences showed me the power of art as a form of expression and communication, helping shape my commitment to a creative path. Read more>>

Tamara Zach

Dr. Tamara Zach, MD, FAAN, is a board-certified pediatric neurologist who completed her medical training in New York and went on to care for children and families at Banner Health for many years. Today, she brings her experience and passion for pediatric neurology to Rose Medical Pavilion in Phoenix, Arizona, where personalized, compassionate care is at the heart of everything we do. Read more>>

Andrea Sierra

After college, I started to work for the courts in AZ. I was unsure of what I wanted to do careerwise. I come from a family of lawyers and it was easy for me to look into the court system for inspiration. Read more>>

Jason Moon

I’m Jason Moon, a songwriter, author, Iraq War veteran, and the founder of Warrior Songs. I grew up in Wisconsin, earned my undergraduate degree in Oshkosh, and deployed from Oshkosh. I now live in Mesa, Arizona. After returning from Iraq, songwriting helped me express experiences that were difficult to explain in conversation. My album Trying to Find My Way Home grew out of that period. Read more>>

Sophia Lavrenz – Kudu

I started with cross stitch at age 11 when my mom taught me. During the pandemic I opened up Down and Back Stitches to sell hand embroidered wall art and custom cross stitched hockey jerseys. It did okay, I loved what I did but it did not find its true footing until I started needlepointing 3 years ago while visiting family in Southampton NY. Read more>>

Susan Beiner

Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like. I was the daughter of a chemist father, whose hobbies were who hybridizing roses and figure skating. Read more>>

Joel Coplin

While attending the New York School of Interior Design. a friend invited me to a figure-drawing class at his teacher’s loft in Little Italy. We climbed five flights of stairs to a studio furnished with a grand piano and full-sized sculptures of the Winged Victory of Samothrace and Venus de Milo. Incredible paintings were everywhere. We settled in and began sketching the model. Read more>>

Bill Anton

I have been painting professionally for 45 years. My main focus is the American cowboy, but as that entails equine and landscape painting too, I feel my work majors on all three of those subjects and disciplines. Read more>>

Dawn Zintel

I grew up on a dairy farm in Quebec, Canada and doing something artistic was always an important pastime in my youth. I was fortunate that I had an accomplished art instructor in elementary and high school, as well as college. Read more>>

Richard Nihil

I’m Richard Nihil, the singer-songwriter behind I Am Hologram, a one-man acoustic jam band from the American Southwest. I describe my music as Psychedelic Gypsy Folk by a Dirtbag Poet. I’ve been performing as I Am Hologram since 2013, with more than 1,500 performances nationwide. Since 2021, I’ve been living on the road in my minivan, touring across 47 states and Mexico. Read more>>

Vee Tha Rula

since the beginning of the time, you know, grandma cooking cleaning on Sunday, playing oldies like Frankie Beverly and maze, Sade, Luther,Toni Braxton whatever you know what I mean? Read more>>

Elizabeth Hahn

I’ve been in the party entertainment industry for over 30 years, and it’s been quite a journey! What started as a passion for bringing people together and creating fun, memorable experiences eventually grew into a business serving customers across the country. Over the years, I’ve watched bachelor parties evolve from simple nights out into full weekend celebrations with unique entertainment and experiences. Read more>>

Dajah Stevenson

Hi, my name is Dajah. I was never one of those people who knew exactly what they wanted to do in life, but I always knew I wanted my work to mean something. After high school, I found myself navigating adulthood on my own early. Read more>>

Janett Vargas

My journey to creating Sacred Cycle Herbs wasn’t exactly a straight line. My professional background is actually in entertainment and production, where I spent years working behind the scenes on creative projects. While I loved the creative side of that industry, I always had a deep interest in health, nature, and the ways we can care for ourselves outside of conventional approaches. Read more>>

Sammie Lyn

I’m Sammie Lyn, the creative mind behind Dark Lemonade Stand, but if you want to know where my story truly begins, you have to go back to when I was a little three or four-year-old girl in a military family, fiercely drawing Winnie the Pooh characters and everything outdoors. Read more>>

Caroline Van Slyke

For many years, I was a wife, mother an interior designer living in Arcadia. In 2008 I started transitioning my garden from flowers to food, and chickens and livestock too. We were on the edible Arcadia tour and through that, we came in to contact with many people who wanted to know how to grow their own food. Which led to BOHO farm + Home. Read more>>

Bobby Delaney

I’ve been drawing and creating art for as long as I can remember, probably since I was about four years old. One of my earliest memories is of my father drawing Mickey Mouse for my sister and me, doing his best impression of Mickey’s iconic ‘Ah-ha! Oh boy!’ voice as he went. Read more>>

Lenore

I’m a New York City native, born and raised in Queens, and the founder of The Nitty Gritty Travel OT, a travel, food, and lifestyle platform dedicated to inspiring people to explore new destinations, discover hidden gems, and experience different cultures. My professional background is in healthcare, and I’ve worked as an occupational therapist for many years. Read more>>

Henny Flatz

My journey in music started as an artist with my group, Guilty Flavor. Being an artist myself gave me an appreciation for the talent, creativity, and hard work that go into making music, but it also opened my eyes to the challenges independent artists face when trying to get their music heard and gain the recognition they deserve. Read more>>

Sherrel Pratt

Layers of Flavor began as a dream in 2014, when I moved to Phoenix, Arizona with a vision: to bring a taste of Philadelphia to the West Coast. I imagined a menu of Philly-inspired bites, like wings and cheesesteak rolls, alongside authentic Philly water ice, something Arizona had yet to experience. Read more>>