Chapter BE

Michelle Roark is an Olympic freestyle skier turned business entrepreneur. Michelle joined the US Ski Team at the age of 16 and skied competitively for 16 years! She overcame 7 knee surgeries and continued to compete even while she earned her degree in chemical engineering from the School of Mines. She is a decorated skier who has directly applied what she learned on the mountain to her 3 businesses - Phia Lab, Voila Salon and Freestyle Group. We met at her salon (hence teh background noise!), and we talked about her days as a competitive skier, her outlook on what obstacles teach you in life and her passion for how science affects society.

Featuring - "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin

Evan Skladany is the founder of Trés Correct Productions in Brooklyn, NY. Evan worked at a marketing research company when we was let go due to the fall of the economy in 2008. He took it as a sign to pursue his life-long interest in writing and got a side job waiting tables in order to ensure that he had the time to dedicate to the craft. In August 2013, Evan ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to help fund his independent comedy web series, Donnie Holland.

The series is currently in post-production, and if all goes as planned 7 short episodes will be released in summer 2015. In this episode we talk about what it means to take a leap of faith, how, when you first get started, you have to be okay with putting out work that might be less than perfect and the importance of knowing yourself and being clear and honest about it, instead of chasing what you think you are supposed to like or be.

Featuring Be Thankful for What You Got by William DeVaughn

Paul Kim is Chapter Be's guest blogger for the month of June, and his written piece is "Be Opportunity." Paul developed and teaches design thinking based social studies courses at Colorado Academy in Denver, CO. He has taught for 25 years, and co-founded Dot-to-Dot Children's Books with some of his former students. In this episode we discuss how the idea of "be opportunity" has affected him professionally and personally.

Featuring, "Born to Be Alive" by Patrick Hernandez

Bonnie Coberly is a certified health counselor and the founder of Healthy Bites in Washington, D.C. Bonnie became a health coach after going through some health issues in her early twenties - experiencing a chronic health issue made her want to help other people find a healthier way of living. Her clients eventually nudged her to start Healthy Bites - a company that plans your weekly menu and delivers the freshly prepared dishes right to your door. Two years into the business, Healthy Bites ran into some trouble. In this episode we talk about how Bonnie worked through that, got to the other side and ultimately made the decision to partner with another local company, Power Supply, so that she could exit the business.

Features, "You Let Me Be" by Melissa Ferrick & Ani DiFranco

Paul Laurie is one of the founders of Walking Tree Travel and the creator of Silver Spork Social in Denver, CO. Paul was exposed to travel from a young age and it infused in him both a sense of adventure and an appreciation for what you gain when you push yourself out of your comfort zone. Walking Tree Travel encourages young people to expand their thoughts through travel, while Silve Spork Social is all about getting adults to seek adventure in their own backyard. Paul thrives on living a life of his own cration, and in this episode we talk about how he created both of his companies, what he's learned through the process and the importance of listening to your heart instead of other people's perceptions.

Featuring Be by Common

Sasha McDowell is the creator and founder of Epicycle - an organization whose mission is to support parents pursuing flexible, meaningful work, so they can devote ample time to their families and maintain engaging, challenging careers. Unlike some people who leave a job that they do not like and become an entrepreneur as a result, Sasha loved the work she was doing before starting her company. The journey began when she became a new mother and had to think about her time away from home and in the office in a whole new way. While looking for a new job, she struggled to find meaningful and challenging work that would also allow her the flexibility to be with her daughter. Meeting other parents that felt the same way, Sasha saw a real need and one that she had the skillset to address.

Featuring - "Let It Be" by Joan Baez

Today's episode features Ali DeJohn, the creator and founder of The Makerie - a creative retreat that was started in Boulder, CO. The goal of the retreats is to offer a place to find quiet, be inspired, learn and create. Ali's background is in events and marketing, but after taking a few years off to have children she found that she was craving having something of her own. Something that would help her to connect back to herself. This path led her to create The Makerie - so that she could bring what she was looking for to her community. It launched in 2010 and since then she has had to learn how to balance the teeter-totter of family and business, while continuing to grown an idea that she whole-heartedly believes in - which is creating a space for other people to tap into their own creative being.

Featuring "Could You Be Loved" by Bob Marley

Kim Nemeth is the creator and owner of Woven by Hand - a small artisan business focused on handwoven wearables using traditional weaving patterns, but with a focus on textures and color schemes that are chic and modern. Kim first discovered weaving when she was working as an AmeriCorps member in Walla Walla, Washington. Her career would take her onto other non-profit organizations before she decided to reach herself how to weave and ultimately make it her livelihood. We talk about her story to becoming a weaver, some of the difficulties along the way and the importance of being patient in the process of creating your own path.

Featuring "Why Can't You Be Nicer to Me?" by The White Stripes

Carol Renz Blake is Chapter Be's guest blogger for the month of May in honor of Mother's Day. She writes and talks about the importance of being invested - in life, as a mother and in yourself. We talk about how risk and trust play into the role of being a mother and how her life has been shaped by the risks she has taken and by trusting in herself. Being a mother is hard, and there is so much pressure to be the best, but the more we talk about it and be honest, the more we break down unrealistic expectations.

Featuring: I'll be There by Jackson 5

Karen Clark Cole is the creator and founder of Girls Can Do - an event series that hosts events around teh country where girls come to engage, connect and share experiences with amazing women speakers who are pursuing their dreams. The goal is to inspire a generation of possibility thinkers. Once could definitely define Karen as a possibility thinker, as Girls Can Do is her 2nd business. When not working on Girls Can Do she is running Blink, a tech company in Seattle, WA. We talk about how Girls Can Do came to be, how Karen balances running two companies and how she finds moments to just be in between it all. [Featuring "Don't Be Shy, by Pearl Jam]