Leslie Kaszer
I actually started out wanting to edit photos! My sister started her photography business and at the time, I loved all things editing and retouching and was planning on doing just that. I was a part of a couple photography and artists sites online and started seeing images that really inspired me and made me really feel something, and I wanted to create that myself. Read more>>
Zach Luz
One day, my mom gave me a Shungite necklace. As a contemporary mystic, she was quick to point out the mystical roots of this Karelian, cure-all crystal. I didn’t pay it much attention as she rambled on about the Russian villagers who boast about the stone’s supposed ability to cure people of any sickness, simply by placing the stone in water and drinking the water. Read more>>
Dr. David Bainer
I grew up in a family of medical providers, so I always had a desire to help people. That led me to a dental school where I had the chance to join volunteer dental work in many different countries around the world. After graduating school from Loma Linda University, School of Dentistry, I chose to continue that work and volunteering here in San Diego and South of the Border. Read more>>
Jeremy Whited
I have always been interested in capturing the things around me and telling stories. From using my dad’s old 35mm camera to high school newspaper photography, I found that the camera was a natural way to capture the stories going on around me. I decided to pursue photojournalism at Ball State University in Indiana. Read more>>
Gabriel Medina
I was heavily into street wear back in high school. My mom used to drive me to these small, hidden away boutique shops to buy clothes. I was obsessed with graphic tees, and at the time, I’d travel hours, or sometimes camp outside shops to buy brands like Acyrlick, Dissizit, The Hundreds, 10 Deep, One People Project, Us vs Them and Obey. Read more>>
Kelli Pease
I started the Happsters as a happiness blog about 5 years ago. It came about after I moved back to San Diego from being at college because I wanted to spread positivity and kindness around San Diego and meet local happy people. In order to do that, I realized I needed a blog first and foremost in order to get the word out. Read more>>
Anne Perry
Always working in high-tech environments, I love the almost forced speed of growth and change that comes with technology driven organizations. As I progressed thru’ my career and was fortunate to travel extensively, living in 4 different countries, I saw clear evidence that people make or break the success of the organization. Read more>>
Julie Sabella
SAND+GRIT was born out of a passion for making jewelry for loved ones, along with an appreciation of geometric shapes, nature and finding beauty in unexpected places. With the tons of support from my husband Greg and three children Ava, Claire and Charlie, friends and family and my community, I took the big leap, and jumped into the jewelry business in October 2016. Read more>>
Michael Bonwell
In 2013, My father-in law bought my wife and I a camera for Christmas, a Nikon D60. It was my first real camera. I never had bought a camera or really used any camera besides those disposal cameras that were popular in the early 90’s. I took my first photos with a DSLR camera in January 2014. Read more>>
Matthew Clay
Golf has been a huge driving force in my life and has taught me multiple skills that have helped me on and off the golf course. My father was a Division I college golfer and taught me how to play when I was 5 years old. He himself learned from his father and also taught my brother to play. Read more>>
Bre Hamideh
When my husband was diagnosed with MS i was pregnant with our second son and i knew we needed a change in our home. I also suffered from Post Pardum with both pregnancies. I was looking for a natural alternative for my husband and well as myself. That’s when Essentials Oils was introduced to me. Read more>>
Lauren Duke
Gather is my fifth yoga studio. The more you fail, the more you get clear on what works and what doesn’t. Failure is a strength. Failure makes you brave and well adjusted. Helps you grow your ability to handle the hurdles. Without it we don’t know how to get through a real life. Real life is hard. Read more>>
Kate Nazif
The beginning of my story may be a ubiquitous one. In 2006 my daughter was born just as DSLR cameras were rising in popularity. With my five megapixel point- and- shoot camera, I became somewhat obsessed with pictures of my daughter. Read more>>
Nicole Cantrell, Kevin Cantrell
I’ve had an affinity toward animals and their welfare for as long as I can remember. My earliest career goal was “to be an animal rescuer.” So, when I fully committed to a vegan lifestyle in 2009, I found a new sort of peace in my being that had always been disturbed. Read more>>
Annie Tame
I started 13 years ago when my Stepdad, who used to own the Chicago Sun Times asked me to come work for him to learn about the Publishing business from the ground up. At that time, He also owned several local newspapers in San Diego. Read more>>
Monique Minahan
I struggled with major depression starting in my teens. When I was 25 my husband, Nathan, died unexpectedly, and things really took a turn for the worst. I grew up in a family that spoke about death freely, but grief not so much. I grew up in a society that treats grief like it’s an illness. Read more>>
Lee Coulter
The simple version of my music story is like any child, I loved music and how it sounded and made me feel from an early age around 10 years old and decided I wanted to be a part of it. The feeling was of timelessness, joy, understanding, connection, community, epicness and much more depending on what song I was listening to. Read more>>
Sadie Weinberg
Modern dance runs in my blood. My mother was one of the founders of the first modern dance company in San Diego, 3’s Company & Dancers. I started training seriously after I saw a piece my mom was making on California Ballet. One of the dancers in particular, Sylvia Poolos, blew me away. Read more>>
Debra Lee Baldwin
I grew up on an avocado ranch in south Escondido on a hilltop overlooking San Pasqual Valley. As a child, I helped my father tend the hillside garden surrounding our home. Whenever I smell ripe plums or wet cement, I’m back in that garden. Read more>>
Jessie Gardner
The initial idea for HeySoul hatched in 2014, I was a twenty-something working girl crushed by the corporate lifestyle. I was drained, unfulfilled, and disconnected. I was desperate to reconnect to the heart & soul I checked at the door and forgot about each day before going to work. Read more>>
Izaac Villalobos
One summer, during college, I was offered an opportunity to work at Fallbrook Winery… I was told I could help at the winery and in the tasting room. I showed up to work on Monday morning at 6am (a little early for the tasting room to be open, I thought to myself) and I quickly learned that what they really needed was help in the vineyards. Read more>>
Skye Walker
I’ve been an artist ever since I could hold a crayon and grew up drawing, painting and creating art whenever I had a chance. I never wanted to be anything else… except a veterinarian when I was 7. But that lasted a day. I grew up with very supportive parents and my dad was a jack-of-all-trades kind of guy and he taught me how to paint murals when I was in high school, which would come back to help me later in life more than I knew then. Read more>>
Kevin Zurek
My journey with Recovery Rockstars started two years ago. Over the span of a few years, I lost my best friend and brother-in-law who ended up taking their lives, followed by my sister who passed away from an accidental overdose. Read more>>
Vivian Thwaits
My love of art and of manifesting my visions through the creative process began as a child. I can so clearly remember manifesting my first puppy, I must have drawn that puppy 1000 times! I talked about the puppy incessantly, and I held a crystal-clear vision of exactly who my puppy was. Read more>>
Dani Luecht
I’ve always loved supporting small shops and local artists, and as a former blogger I used to write and feature as many as I could on my website. I loved being able to share with everyone the creativity and talent that exists right in here in San Diego. I’ve also always loved retail and longed to have my own store one day. Read more>>
Shelby Stanger
I’m a writer, surfer, podcaster and lover of people. I genuinely think everyone has an awesome story, but gravitate towards adventurers, especially ones who have done something a little off the beaten path or “wild.” My mom talked to everyone while growing up, so naturally I turned to storytelling as a profession. Read more>>
Michael Tiernan
My story begins in high school. I fell in love with the guitar and the ability to express myself and explore my thoughts and feelings through music. Music helped me process my cancer diagnosis as a 16 year old, and became my helpmate as I navigated a life and death period in my life. Read more>>
Kerri Leslie
Our business was born out of necessity. Neither Sephra or I could find a natural deodorant that actually worked so Sephra decided to make one herself. Sephra experimented in her kitchen for 5 years before she perfected Magic Deodorant. Read more>>
Michael D’Amico
Co-founder Sebastian Riedel and myself shared a passion for exploring and discovering “off the beaten path” travel destinations over the years, and we wanted to share them with like-minded travelers. Our idea was to take what we had learned and plan authentic experiences for others. Read more>>
Sebastian Slovin
Nature Unplugged started out by providing unique outdoor experiences around San Diego. The aim was to get people off of their devices and out into nature combining movement and mindfulness practices. A variety of outdoor experiences were offered – such as guided hikes, outdoor yoga, surfing, stand up paddling, and snorkeling – based on Sebastian’s expertise and background as a professional bodyboarder (boogieboarder) and yoga instructor. Read more>>
Marcy Browe
My grandfather was a portrait photographer – he started his business in the 1940s. The love of photography was passed down to me and I learned this craft using his cameras. I never considered my photography hobby a career until later in life. Read more>>
Jana Rowland
You may have seen me around the interwebs connecting virtual support specialists, more commonly known as virtual assistants, with entrepreneurs, through my Facebook group Jana NetWorks and in all honesty, that is what brought me here. Read more>>
Barb Miltenberger
I started Around The Town eight years ago with a blog and eventually added Facebook, Instagram and a web page. My goal is to encourage and inspire those in my community to get out there and experience more of what San Diego has to offer and to try new things with their family and friends. Read more>>
Becky Mendoza
I’m an action sports lawyer, I moved here from Miami, Florida in 2007. I started working in the surf industry in 2009, when I started my business, Action Sports Law Group. I love surfing myself and had a solo trip planned to Nicaragua and sprained my hamstring a little over a month before my trip. I had to decide whether or not I would still go, even if I couldn’t surf. Read more>>
Patricia Frischer
I have a Masters of Art degree as a sculptor which I earned from California College of Art in the Bay area in 1972. Instead of staying in San Francisco as a teacher, I chose to see the world and ended up running an art sales gallery in London, having a few years as the director of the galleries at Humboldt State University and then heading an art department at an international school in Nottinghill Gate. Read more>>
Andrea Pate-Cazal
I was born in the Czech Republic, my father is Czech, my mother German. At an early age, my parents separated and my father immigrated to the United States. When I was 9 years old, my mother took me from the Czech Republic to her homeland, East Germany. Read more>>
Beth Jeffrey
When I was a young teenager I received my first camera, a polaroid, for a gift. A part of me felt whole and happy when I was taking photos with it. I always loved going through photos as well and studying them. When I was in my first year of college I took a photography/film class and instead of just trying to pass the class I was actually interested in the material and really enjoyed learning. Read more>>
Ashley Harris
I feel very fortunate because I figured out what I wanted to do with my career at a very young age. I always had a passion for skincare and beauty and definitely knew I wanted to work with people in some way. I lived in Scottsdale at the time and luckily one of the top medical aesthetics schools was only a five minute drive from where I lived. Read more>>
Juliano Teruel
I was born in a very primitive town called Mogi-Mirim; outside of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Since I was young, I worked with my dad on several businesses. I worked long hours in the butcher shop, delivering pounds of meat on a bicycle, I would work with him at his auto shop and fix cars, and also go to the farm and work with the cattle; feed and kill the cattle in order to bring them back to the butcher shop. Read more>>
Jesse Simmons, Mike Moloney
Mike started Peak Rider approximately 10 years ago in the UK offering advanced level motorcycle training on-the-road. Four years ago Mike moved to the US and planned to offer the same training here. In 2015 Mike and Jesse were introduced and discussed extending this training to a military audience. Read more>>
Louisa Magoon
I used to work for Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. as their Director of Risk and Human Resources. I was with them for 21 years. They sold the company in 2010. The new owners only wanted the restaurants. They didn’t need the corporate staff. We were all laid off. Read more>>
Naomi Nussbaum
Born and raised in Zimbabwe to parents who were huge advocates of arts and culture, I studied piano, classical ballet, modern dance and guitar, All through high school, I was privileged to be exposed to an amazing number of performances, exhibitions and theater. Read more>>
