San Diego’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.

Lucas Widdes

I’ve been fascinated by personal development, peak performance, and mindfulness for as long as I can remember. As a teenager, I was introduced to meditation, but like many people, I struggled with traditional approaches. Sitting quietly and trying to ‘clear my mind’ felt nearly impossible. Read More>>

Jonathan Rangel

Hello, My name is Jonathan, I go by the artist name Lil Chino. I’m from a rap group out of southern California called SSOL(Smooth Stylez Of Life). I started making music in 1999-2000 with a few local friends. My first studio session was on a 8 track recorder. In 2006 I formed the 2 man group SSOL alongside partner Lil Panch. Read More>>

Elizabeth Fried

I spent more than 40 years as an executive coach, leadership advisor, and business owner, helping executives, business leaders, and professionals navigate career transitions, leadership challenges, and major organizational changes. Throughout that work, I noticed that many talented people struggled with networking—not because they lacked ability, but because they approached it as a transactional activity rather than a strategic one. Read More>>

Kevin Wilkerson

I broke the mold early in life. While I am from Knoxville, TN, home of the University of Tennessee, I attended that school’s top rival, the University of Alabama. Read More>>

Maria Felicia Kelley

Despite a flourishing career in upscale restaurant management, I decided to return to school and earn degree in broadcast journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. I graduated summa cum laude. The PBS affiliate hired me as an associate producer and writer as I earned my degree. Read More>>

Chloe Olsen

Growing up around my family’s business, Olsen’s Tile & Stone, I was exposed to creativity and entrepreneurship from a very young age. Watching my parents build a business taught me how creativity can completely transform a space, an experience, and even the success of a company. Read More>>

Richard Sweeting

Photo & Studio was founded by Richard Sweeting and Marissa Velasquez after each spent years developing their own photographic practices before eventually working together. With a combined 10 years of experience behind the camera, their partnership was built on a shared desire to create a studio that felt intentional, community-driven, and distinct from traditional commercial photography spaces. Read More>>

John Arendsen

From Rebuilding Homes to Building Experiences People often ask what I’m doing now that I’ve stepped back from the day-to-day operations of the businesses I spent over 50 years building. The answer usually surprises them. At 80 years young, I’m not retiring. I’m reinventing. Most of my life, I built things. I started as a boat builder in Newport Beach. Read More>>

Michele Padron

I started working as a bather in a corporate salon in 2013, and then about a year and a half later I trained to become a dog groomer and worked at a few different salons before I became self-employed. I started my first business at the height of COVID in 2021 after being let go of a grooming shop I managed. Read More>>

Dayna Hoff

My journey began in 2003 when my husband, Todd, and I co-founded Autism Tree, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, following our son Garret’s autism diagnosis at age three. As Executive Director, my greatest blessing is helping our families navigate their journeys and supporting the neurodiverse individuals we serve. Read More>>

Celita Turcios

I’ve always been driven by passion, resilience, and a deep appreciation for both family and fashion. I’m a UCLA graduate, where I studied psychology and international development, and I spent over 15 years working in the apparel industry as a director of purchasing and sourcing for well-known brands. That experience gave me a strong foundation in quality, design, and understanding what customers truly value. Read More>>

Eric Gilliatt

I grew up being a very introverted, artistic and imaginative kid. I think I spent more time reading and drawing in school than actually paying attention to much anything else. It’s cliche now, but growing up in San Diego in the 70s and 80s we had a lot of room, freedom and spare time to explore and discover the place we lived. Read More>>

Dr. Roy Inzunza

I’ve been in the world of organizational health for 20 years, predominantly in the San Diego (clients like Hoehn Motors). That has opened up opportunities to do work with AE Sloan Leadership, a consulting agency that focuses on leading adaptive change initiatives. Read more>>

Thomas Matthews

Hello, and thank you for this opportunity. Who am I? That is a complicated, yet interesting journey. I began drawing and writing very young. As one of six kids, I was left with plenty of time on my hands, so I kept myself busy by creating. Read more>>

Arianna Litrenta

Sunflower Creative Co. began from a passion for storytelling and a love for creating meaningful, visually compelling content. What started as an interest in photography and writing gradually evolved into a full-service creative studio focused on helping brands connect with their audiences in authentic ways. Read more>>

Kathleen Czech

Well, as of today, I am a professor of communication at San Diego State University. Some in the education community would quibble over this statement, so I simply tell them when they ask what I do, I say I teach. This is usually followed by, oh what grade level? And the look of disbelief when I say college. Read more>>

Ben Sullins

When craft and commerce opened up in San Diego I went with some friends one night. At the time I didn’t know what I didn’t know abut cocktails. So I asked for my go-to, a Jack and Coke. They of course, had neither. Instead, they asked me what flavors I liked, and if I was open to trying something new. Read more>>

Pankaj Singh

My name is Pankaj Singh, and I’ve spent the last 7 years in SEO and digital marketing. Over the years, I built deep expertise helping businesses grow online, but it was actually a personal experience that led me to my most meaningful venture yet. Read more>>

Tia & Tayler Lawson

We have always been social butterflies & love meeting new people & having great conversations. We also love to plan and go on trips. In 2022, after a few successful trips, we were inspired to do a YouTube video speaking on ‘The do’s and don’t’s on a girls trip’’. Read more>>

Michelle (Mimi) Bailey

My journey has always been rooted in service, resilience, and a passion for helping others improve their health and well-being. I began my healthcare career as a Registered Respiratory Therapist and later became an Emergency Room nurse, where I spent over a decade caring for patients during some of the most challenging moments of their lives. Read more>>

Anthony Dedrick

Our band, Sight Unscene officially started in 2005 in San Diego, CA. Our guitarists Mike Halsdorff and Tony LaMarra had met through an ad placed in a Guitar Center (old school, right?). Some time after I auditioned to play bass in the band. I remember going through a list of names and landing on Sight Unscene. Read more>>

Amy Forsythe

My career has been built around one thing: helping people tell meaningful stories. I started as a young Marine combat correspondent and later served more than three decades as a U.S. Navy Reserve Public Affairs Officer. Over the course of five combat deployments, I learned firsthand the power of communication, not only to inform, but to connect people, build trust, and preserve history. Read more>>

Emily Lund

I got started in small business finances almost 20 years ago. My husband was co-owner of a small graphic design firm, and they needed help with bookkeeping. I was a stay-at-home mom at the time and had no experience but quickly learned all I could and then jumped into the deep end. Read more>>

Kristen Armstrong

I became interested in healthcare law while working as an employment counselor for the New Jersey Department of Labor. I met many people who were unemployed, uninsured, and unable to access the healthcare they needed. Seeing how a lack of insurance could prevent people from getting treatment—even for serious conditions like cancer—inspired me to attend law school and focus on healthcare law. Read more>>

Sarah LeClair

Riot Productions is an intersectional women’s theatre collective with a mission of amplifying women’s voices at the intersection of the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities while making art accessible for historically marginalized and underserved communities south of the 8 freeway in San Diego. Read more>>

Jeanelle Ditto

I didn’t grow up wanting to be a designer. I spent a decade and a half climbing the ladder in medical sales and marketing — a stable, respectable career that left me completely flat. Read more>>

Usha Nagavarapu

My journey has always been driven by one question: How do we support the body’s innate capacity for balance and wellbeing, rather than simply manage symptoms? I began my career in science, earning a PhD in Pharmacology and Neuroscience and spending more than 25 years in biomedical research, including postdoctoral training in dermatology at Stanford. Read more>>

Sarah Bruno

My journey in creating TravelingArrowArt started from two things that have always been close to my heart: creating art and helping animals. I’ve always loved drawing, but for many years it was simply a personal passion rather than something I shared widely. Read more>>

Salma Hernandez

My name is Salma Hernandez, owner of Silk & Style Studio in San Diego, California. I have been in the beauty industry for over eight years, specializing in hair color, hair extensions, lash extensions, and beauty education. What started as a side hustle quickly grew into a passion-driven career. Read more>>

Scott Taber

Music has been the central thread running through my life for as long as I can remember. My musical journey began on trumpet in the school band when I was eleven years old. I later studied piano, but everything changed when I picked up the guitar at thirteen. Like many young musicians, I became completely immersed in the instrument. Read more>>

Alberto Tawil

My journey started at a very young age in Mexico, where I began working in the textile industry while simultaneously studying both Business Administration and Accounting at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM). Working in the textile industry taught me valuable lessons early in life. Read more>>

Jenn Herman

I started a little hobby blog back in January 2013. It was ‘Jenn’s Trends in Social Media Management’ and had no posting schedule or strategy. I simply posted blog content because I could! Read more>>

Marcy Evers

I come from an artistic family. My parents and two older sister are all creatives so art has always been a part of my life. My earliest recollection was choosing to stay inside during recess in first grade so I could draw an airplane for the student wall at LAX. My passion for art never wavered. Read more>>

Nyaomi King

I started doing nails when I was 18 years old while attending cosmetology school. At the time, I honestly didn’t think I could pursue nails as a full-time career because I didn’t see many people who looked like me in the industry. Still, I loved it, so I kept going. Read more>>

Sholeh Abounasseri

i consider myself an artist at heart, a dreamer with a huge imagination. Part of that imagination always led me to a vision of opening a wine bar—a place where i could nurture my creative streak while offering my community a place to gather and connect. Read more>>

Kelley Kay Bowles Gusich

I am a writer. I had a twenty year career as a high school english and drama teacher, which I loved so much, but I’d always wanted to write. When I moved to San Diego with two small sons, I couldn’t find a teaching job. I was lucky enough to be able to stay home with those boys (my husband is a teacher too. Read more>>

Dr. Allison Champagne

Opening Pacific Beach Chiropractic on Cass Street felt like a full-circle moment. After years of studying, building my first practice in Portland, selling it to start over in San Diego, and learning what kind of doctor I truly wanted to be, I finally had the chance to create a space that felt like me. Read More>>

Nicole Buie

My name is Nicole Buie and I have always had a creative mind. I wanted to make creative gems out of photos for great keepsakes. I began my business in 1999; however I officially formed my business in 2019 Read More>>