{"id":409024,"date":"2026-09-24T06:44:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T06:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/409024\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T06:44:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T06:44:19","slug":"jacksonvilles-most-inspiring-stories-voyage-jacksonville-magazine-45","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/409024\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacksonville\u2019s Most Inspiring Stories \u2013 Voyage Jacksonville Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In the recent weeks, we\u2019ve had the privilege to connect with some incredible artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can\u2019t begin to express how impressed we are with the incredible group below.<\/p>\n

Lawain Howell
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I\u2019m a semi professional soccer player trying to become a full time professional, business executive, professional Internet personality, model &, influencer (soccer, lifestyle & fashion) sponsored by a number of brands. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Tarah Burkhart
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My story really started long before Glam Repeat. I spent more than 15 years in retail and over a decade working in e-commerce and business development, most recently with Walmart Marketplace. I loved the industry, but after years in the corporate world, I reached a point where I wanted to build something that was mine. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Johnny Ice
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My story today is really about evolution. I started in jewelry because I genuinely enjoyed creating things with my hands, but over time I realized I didn\u2019t just want to sell jewelry. I wanted to build something people could become part of. That shift changed everything. JOHNNYSICEANDCO grew from a small custom jewelry operation into a much broader brand. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Thomas Hall
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I was involved in the theater (drama) program in high school and enjoyed it very much. Shortly after high school, I served in the US Army for 22 years and taught high school for 19 years after the Army. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

David Suarez de Puga<\/p>\n

I am a Venezuelan born US citizen. Moved to the US for my senior year of High School at age 17, decided to stay for College and after College I received good work offers and everything has worked out to were I have been a US citizen for the last 29 years. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Eric Peterson
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Wingin\u2019 It\u2019s Datil Pepper Bloody Mary Mix is locally made in the nation\u2019s oldest city, MARY\u2019S TO OUR St. Augustine, Florida. Our one-of-a-kind Bloody Mary Mix is best TO OUR FRIENDS enjoyed with your favorite vodka and your favorite drinking buddy (or two). The unique and refreshing flavors were crafted and fully blended with a kick of datil peppers. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Marc Wiggins
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My life path, like anyone\u2019s, has a few twists and turns. Growing up in Roseland, NJ, I was drawn to music early. After my family gifted me my first guitars and keyboards, I couldn\u2019t put them down. I taught myself to play by ear, picking out harmonies from the music my mom played around the house. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Joan Walker
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My career has really always revolved around dogs and storytelling. I began as a writer and editorial photographer, authoring 28 traditionally published nonfiction books about dogs and writing hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles covering everything from dog behavior and training to dog sports, veterinary medicine and advances in canine health. Occasionally a cat found its way into the mix, too! Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Marquis Thornton
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My creative journey started at a very young age. Around five years old, I was already drawing animated characters and eventually began creating my own stories, scripts, and characters. As I got older, that creative side followed me into music. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Sylvia M
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I have spent the last nine years as a Certified Medical Aesthetician and the last seven years as a licensed Laser Technician. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Robin Holt
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I have always been captivated by glass in all its forms. My artistic journey began nearly three decades ago with stained glass mosaics, but I always felt a pull toward something more. The moment I discovered flameworking\u2014traditionally known as lampwork\u2014everything clicked. I knew I had found my ultimate creative outlet, and today, I love nothing more than melting glass to transform it into wearable art. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Emilie Wilkinson
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I moved here from Boone NC which is a very small town with not that many resturants. I was tired of going to the same place over and over again. When I moved to Savannah I started following a ton of resturants and local accounts such as the_Longweekender and Samantha in Savannah. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Tayra Barnfield
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For more than 25 years, I\u2019ve had the blessing of working in the beauty industry as a hairstylist, makeup artist, and cosmetology instructor. What began as a career became a calling\u2014a way to connect with people, build their confidence, and remind them of their own beauty. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Erin Webber
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Erin began photography back in 2006 shortly after her own wedding. However, it was a wedding in 2011 that jumpstarted her career in boudoir photography when a bride asked her to take some lingerie photos of her before the wedding. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Sonya Dunbar
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I\u2019ve always loved seeing people smile. As a kid, I\u2019d smile at strangers and wait for them to smile back\u2013and when they didn\u2019t, I\u2019d ask why. So often the answer was the same: they didn\u2019t like their teeth. That moment planted something in me. I decided right then that helping people feel confident in their smiles would be my life\u2019s work. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Natali Riera
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I started Bloom Flower Wall Rentals because I\u2019ve always loved creating beautiful spaces and seeing how one special detail can completely change the feel of an event. What began with flower wall rentals has slowly grown into something much bigger for me. Over time, I started adding more custom touches like signage, floral styling, backdrops, and personalized event details. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Chiquita Gale
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For much of my life, I didn\u2019t realize I was living in survival mode because I was highly functional. I was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, and from an early age, I learned how to observe, adapt, and keep going. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Leisa Albritton
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I fought with insecurity throughout school. I always felt like I didn\u2019t quite fit in, that I was less than everyone else, and that eventually manifested into a struggle with anxiety. However, I soon found my escape through my love of art! I always felt empowered when creating; it was a space where I felt free from judgement and where I could be myself. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Shauntrell Perry
<\/p>\n

Take a Bite Jax started in June 2023 from something I\u2019ve always loved: creating desserts that make people happy and become part of their celebrations. I started small, taking custom cake and dessert orders, and over time, word of mouth helped my business grow into a loyal customer base of more than 200 clients. As the business grew, so did my vision. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Anna Bradley
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Crafting has always been my favorite way to unwind, but a few years ago, it became my lifeline. When my son went through a series of major surgeries, I found myself navigating the most stressful season of my life. To keep my hands busy and my mind grounded during those long heavy days, I turned to my craft space. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

AWILDA QUEZADA La Tremenda
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**Awilda Quezada \u2014 \u2018La Tremenda del Merengue\u2019** Awilda Quezada is a Dominican merengue artist known for bringing raw energy and authentic Caribbean rhythm to every stage. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Jrock The Gypzie
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My story really started with music. I\u2019ve always been an artist at heart, and music gave me a way to express myself, connect with people, and tell stories. That eventually led me into tattooing in 2007, and what started as an interest became a lifelong career. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n

Quartz FreeWater
<\/p>\n

My personal journey began when I decided to give up all my possessions, leave Atlanta and start traveling out of my backpack. I stumbled upon the Appalachian trail where I met what they call trail angels who showed me how to survive in harsh conditions along with there actually are good people in the world if we can just radiate the frequency to find them. Read more>><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":409025,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[116,118,117],"class_list":["post-409024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-jacksonville","tag-jacksonville","tag-jacksonville-headlines","tag-jacksonville-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=409024"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409024\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/409025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=409024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=409024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=409024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}