From This Collection

Bed-and-breakfast is "a labor of love" for Washington owner

Sep 2, 2024
Chef-turned-innkeeper Amanda Zimlich cooks breakfast and does all the housekeeping at Otter's Pond B&B on Orcas Island.
Amanda Zimlich installed heat pumps at Otter’s Pond B&B, above, and hopes to add solar panels.
Courtesy Amanda Zimlich

Strong summer sales help these family-owned bookstores get through the slow season

Aug 16, 2024
Joanna Reese funds her Maine shops on a shoestring. "[We do] as much as we can ourselves," she says, "to save on costs."
Joanna Reese co-owns two bookstores with her father, Harry Reese,  including The Main Bookhouse, pictured here.
Courtesy Reese

When the viral moment fades, will the sparkle stay?

Aug 6, 2024
"Virality is fleeting," says Kelsey Campion. "We could go viral tomorrow. We could go viral in a year, we could never go viral again."
"Similar to going viral, this slowdown is also a moment in time that in two years, we’ll look back on and see things very differently,” says Kelsey Campion, owner of Fringe + Co in New Orleans.
Courtesy Kelsey Campion

How this Idaho entrepreneur gives feed bags new life

Jul 23, 2024
Jodi Gebarowski learned to reduce, reuse, and recycle from her grandmother. Now she’s turned that into a business.
Jodi Gebarowski stands next to custom shelves she built to store empty feed bags, which she sews into reusable grocery bags.
Courtesy Jodi Gebarowski

Charcuterie owner offers a feast for the eyes

Jul 4, 2024
Shandra Turner launched Bougie Grazer in Atlanta after leaving her property management job during the pandemic.
Turner opened the Bougie Grazer "to get off the couch" during the COVID pandemic.
Courtesy Turner

She's a cattle rancher and he loves to cook. Together, they opened a steakhouse.

Jun 17, 2024
The Trasks recently opened JT's Steakhouse, a farm-to-table restaurant in Ely, Nevada.
Terrill and Jess Trask recently opened JT's Steakhouse in Ely, Nevada.
Courtesy Jess and Terrill Trask

When an accessibility mapping app went viral, success came with a cost

Jun 11, 2024
Roll Mobility, an app for mapping accessibility infrastructure and linking disabled communities, went viral. Now the team needs to raise funds.
A viral video boosted the popularity of an accessibility app called Roll Mobility. Now the company needs to raise funds to build its operation, said co-founder Joe Foster.
Philippe Lopez/AFP via Getty Images)

For public good, not for profit.

Brewery owner wants to make a difference in his community

May 30, 2024
Victor Zamudio, co-owner of Brown Soul Brewing Co. in South Gate, CA, hopes his brewery can serve as "a beacon for others" looking to start a business.
Victor Zamudio (left) and Hugo Sanchez (right) are two of four owners of Brown Soul Brewing Co. in South Gate, CA.
Sofia Terenzio/Marketplace

Before, he built nuclear detectors. Now, he's making cowboy boots.

May 23, 2024
Steve Christo runs a custom boot shop in Virginia. "I thought, 'If I can build nuclear detectors, I should be able to make a boot,'" he said.
Christo works with clients to take their measurements and select leathers as part of his custom boot-making.
Courtesy Christo

Transit worker's come a long way thanks to career change

May 7, 2024
Once an actuarial analyst, Liz Young of Denver has achieved work-life balance and financial stability in his new role.
Before joining the Regional Transportation District in Denver, Liz Young worked as an actuarial analyst but wasn't happy in his career.
Courtesy Young