Balboa Park-Hillcrest

Leel Michelle

Founded by Leel Michelle in 2006, Bow Wow Dog Bakery (formerly Bow Wow Beauty Shoppe) is an award winning retro dog bakery and pet boutique with exceptional onsite pet grooming now provided by Gabriel Feitosa Grooming Salon. Read more>>

Coronado Island

Susan Dunne

After several years of working in the fashion retail industry, my work ethic and attention to detail led me down a path of visual display coordination for a well-known Fortune 500 company. The career opportunity as a Visual Coordinator fueled my innate passion for design. Read more>>

Caroline Langford

My journey as a maker began when I was 10 years old and my mom bought me a “learn-to-knit kit” from the school book fair. She said that I was often finishing up my homework quickly and wanting to watch TV, so she felt it was time for a new hobby. Read more>>

Del Mar, Encinitas & Carlsbad

Rachel McKinney

I started Branch Out Market when a group of card-markers in South Africa asked if I would sell their handmade pressed flower cards in America. I thought it was crazy at the time, but the question stuck with me. I was living in South Africa working for local nonprofits and absolutely fell in love with the country. Read more>>

Darbi Roberts

After finding out I was pregnant earlier this year with our baby Harper, I decided it would be the perfect time to launch my YouTube channel and blog. I started both to share my journey through pregnancy and motherhood but also to share my other interests like fashion and beauty. Read more>>

Susan Taylor

Since I was a small girl, I was always interested in photography. Unable to think of much else, I realized as a young adult it was my passion. My first camera, a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye which my father gave me when I was 10, sits on a shelf in my office to this day. Read more>>

Paulette Povar

Being a lover of design, music and fashion, when the use of fanny packs began increasing popularity, I felt inspired to create belt bags with options™ that combined functionality with fashion. My vision was to create versatility. Read more>>

Jennifer Burns

I have always been a creative person. A crafter, party planner. So getting into Art or painting specifically seemed natural. I was looking for new ways to create and spend quality time with my youngest daughter.
I wanted us to create something that came from our souls. Read more>>

Kimberly Bruch

Hopscotch San Diego was started in 2007 to expose young children to art, music, and movement activities while also learning fundamental “preschool” concepts (ABCs, 123s, and such). Initially working with the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Council in North Clairemont to re-establish. Read more>>

Chelsea Gladden

After years of working in PR related jobs, I’ve been fortunate to establish amazing media contacts that I have worked with for several years in some cases. Back in 2018, I finally decided to start my own public relations and social media company. Read more>>

Sara Harris

I am born and raised in San Diego, went to high school at Our Lady Of Peace in North Park, and went off to college in Northern California at San Jose State University. I studied business management/entrepreneurship and graduated in 2012. Read more>>

THUY-DOAN NGUYEN

When my husband’s friend asked me to attend a “party” via a facebook group messenger message, I ignored it several times and then finally said “no” to her. At the time, we decided that he was going to be a stay-at-home parent and I was the working parent. Read more>>

Christina Dinh

Looking back, my life seemed pretty planned out, and I went a long time coloring within those lines drawn out for me. I grew up in a very strict, Asian household in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, and I was conditioned to perform. School. Piano. Soccer. Band. Studies. Read more>>

Jessica Aragon

Amazing how unknowingly, all my experiences have led me to this place, having my own business and owning Having Happy Hippie Skin and Lash. It is a dream that I didn’t even realize I had when I started my career as an Esthetician 6 years ago. Read more>>

Theresa Carmichael, RD

I am honored to share my story as I have read so many great features in this series. My journey working in mental health began when I was in college. I scored an admission to San Diego State University for the Foods & Nutrition Program, specializing in Clinical Dietetics. Read more>>

Susan Shane

I initially followed my heart and pursued a professional dance career. During this time, one of my engagements brought me to Osaka, Japan. After weeks of performing, my muscles and body would become sore so I needed to find a way to care for myself. Read more>>

Johanna Godinez

I am a Business Woman by Education; Lifestyle and Wellness Educator by Passion; Coach and Speaker by Trade. My name is Johanna Godinez and I’m considered by many to be their personal assistant for life! With one purpose and goal in mind. Read more>>

Downtown & Little Italy

Jhoanne M. Castillo

My background is in graphic design and advertising, but if you asked me as a kid what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer would’ve been either “eye doctor” or dentist. Growing up in a Filipino family, it was highly encouraged to have a career in the medical field. Read more>>

Claire Burke

Working with dogs is something I’ve known would be my career since I was a kid. I wasn’t quite sure in what context, but I knew this was the industry I was made to work in. I used to build agility equipment in my backyard and teach my dog any trick I could think of. Read more>>

Melissa Slack

I grew up watching both of my parents work really hard to provide for our family. We didn’t have much and like most children, growing up I just wanted to feel like I belonged to a community and to hang out with the cool kids. My mom made most of my clothes until I turned 13. Read more>>

East San Diego

Sandra Espinoza

I grew up in the small city of El Monte, California. It is a small residential and industrial city made up of predominantly Latino immigrants. My parents moved to El Monte from Mexico in the early 1970’s. Both of my parents fled poverty in their country of origin and came to the US in search a better life. Read more>>

Taylor Hyland

I also always LOVED changing up my hair and expressing myself through my appearance (SORRY MOM!). I started working at 15 in the food industry and kept that up for about 7 years before I realized I REALLY don’t like working for people, it was time to be my own boss. Read more>>

Lori Jimenez

My story started when I was 11 years old. I was always having pain in my knees and we chalked it up to growing pains. Some days were better than others, but I was always self conscious of limping or letting my friends know about my leg pain. Some days were awful and I couldn’t walk. Read more>>

Alison Mattazaro

So cliche but I’ve always known I wanted to do hair. After having my first daughter, I decided to leave the restaurant and management life to try for the third time To go to school for hair. Graduated cosmetology school seven years ago, and in January 2020 I will be a salon owner for
2 years now. Read more>>

Nicole Aguirre

I started re-selling in high school on eBay to make some extra money. I have always had a love of vintage books, primarily vintage and antique cookbooks. As the years went on I branched out and kept it as my side hobby for over 16 years. Read more>>

Julie Lupo

It’s an interesting thing to talk about yourself when you aren’t a fan of doing so. I stayed home with my children for almost 13 years. I waited until they were all in school to work outside of the home. In the meantime, while I wasn’t gainfully employed, I always stayed busy with philanthropic work. Read more>>

Kathleen Gundert

My story began in North Park San Diego where I was raised by my mother and father, a now Retired Fire Captain out of National City, with my two brothers. We ended up moving to the Mount Helix area and my parents later divorced. Growing up, I always felt pressure, as so many do, to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Read more>>

Lakeysha Sowunmi

I was born and raised in the Windy City, also known as Chicago, about 2,000 miles from San Diego. Some may say it was the youngest child syndrome but I could always be found pushing the limits, trying new things, hanging outdoors running or hanging out at the park until the street lights came on. Read more>>

La Jolla & UTC

Michelle Perkett

Creativity has always bloomed in different ways throughout my life. Being an extremely shy and introverted drawing and painting was always the way I expressed myself and my feelings. and I knew I wanted to be an artist when I grew up. Read more>>

Alexandria Follas

I got into the modeling industry through an Equestrian friend, Etirsa South at the local horse stable in my hometown. I was about 15 at the time that I met Etirsa, who is a runway model and coach. Growing up, I was highly encouraged to get into the modeling industry because of my height. Read more>>

Shayna Brody

I wanted to be a marine biologist from about the time I could walk. Staying close to the ocean proved to be tricky growing up as a military-brat, because my family moved to a new state every two years. I spent my childhood learning new cities and environments. Read more>>

North Park, South Park, Kensington & Normal Heights

Elsy Garcia

Growing up i always loved experimenting with hairstyles, make up and even cutting bangs on my little cousins. LOL. As a little girl i remember always doing my own hair. I loved everything beauty. In high school there was an in intro to cosmetology class, i joined and loved it. Read more>>

Andrea Paulus

I was raised in Alaska,. My father was a biologist and a commercial fisherman and my mother a teacher. We moved to Dutch Harbor for several years in our early teens, which was really tough for a family who lived a suburban life near the “big city” of Anchorage. Read more>>

Dana Rowley

I graduated college with a Sociology degree, but also with two internships in FM radio under my belt. I loved radio – especially the behind the scenes promotions work – I had no idea work could be so fun. So I pursued that path after graduation and eventually landed myself a full time position – 40 hours. Read more>>

Old Town-Mission Valley

Jamie Kromm

It all began when I joined a health and wellness network marketing company in October 2015 that opened my eyes to entrepreneurship and personal development. At the time, I was an unhappy, stuck, and stressed middle school teacher and basketball/track coach in rural Illinois. Read more>>

Jasmine (Jaz) Miles

I still try to find the “right” words to capture what I embody and who I am becoming. To begin, I didn’t wake up one day and magically know myself or where my journey would take me. Since elementary school, I developed the habit of minimizing my worth. I thought the more I fit into the confining boxes people made for me. Read more>>

Adrienne Moch

I’m one of those lucky people who knew what I wanted to be when I grew up at a very early age. I never deviated from my path of being a writer. After graduating from Western Illinois University with a degree in political science and journalism, I became a reporter for a newspaper in Lewisville. Read more>>

M. Viviana Oropeza, MBA, Esq.

I was born here in San Diego, to Mexican immigrants in 1984. Throughout my life I have lived on both sides of the border here in various areas in California and in Teocaltiche, Jalisco, MX, my dad’s hometown, and ultimately mine as well. My dad worked various jobs, as a gardener, a laborer, a mechanic, and a bread maker. Read more>>

Erin Painter

I’ve been an Esthetician for 12 years. I absolutely love what I do. Last year, the business I had been working at for nearly four years abruptly shut down…. Five days before Christmas. It was a difficult blow and I had to scramble to figure out where to go next. Read more>>

Pacific, Mission & Ocean Beach

Jacquelene Cristina Verna

As an Argentine-American I was born in Corona, California and have annually stayed in Rosario, Argentina for extended periods of time, visiting family and further exploring my culture and heritage. Luckily, I had many family members that encouraged my artistic process and creative means from a young age. Read more>>

Desire’e Borja

The typical definition of CBD or Cannabidiol is a phytocannabinoid discovered in 1940. It is one of 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants and accounts for up to half of the plant’s extract. Basically, clinical research on cannabidiol included preliminary studies of anxiety, cognition, movement disorders, and pain. Read more>>

Ashley de Luna

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a doctor. The true capabilities of the human body have always fascinated me. Once I started exploring the world of science and getting a glimpse into what was happening on the cellular and molecular level, my curiosity evolved into a clear direction for my life. Read more>>

Rachel Svoboda

I am an entrepreneur and philanthropist representing companies across Southern California. An Orange County native, my achievements and drive have made me a prominent female business leader. A key contributor to my success is the ability to build impactful, dynamic relationships. Read more>>

South San Diego

Adrianna J. Moran

It all started when I was about 5 years old and I decided I’d change my Barbie’s platinum blonde locks into something colorful. Being a child all I could use was a washable marker, so I began to paint her hair BLUE ! It turned out gorgeous , and After that Hair became a passion for me. Read more>>

Wendy Plata-Acevedo

I have a vivid childhood memory of me sitting in my kindergarten, trying to very carefully draw in between the bold black lines with a red crayon. I cared so much about how the strokes looked. It felt so good every time I completed a part of that drawing. Read more>>