Heart of the Hustle

We all have greatness within us, whether we realize it or not. Oftentimes, it can be difficult for us to embrace that greatness and reach our full potential in business and life. Dawn Rosemond can attest to the incredible transformation that happens when you tap into the greatness that is within all of us. Dawn's business, Reign™, is a platform that focuses on leadership and empowerment meant to help each person discover the greatness within them.

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While there are many advantages to running a business, one of the most enticing ones can be the ability to make the world a better place. Whether it’s a product or service, for-profit or non-profit, or something we do as a side hustle... the desire to do good can keep us going. In 2011, Lorelei made the world a better place when she founded Creative Women of the World, a non-profit organization committed to providing women with opportunities to leave poverty and trafficking through creative businesses.

Tune in for an incredible episode where Johnny Perez of Mercadito Taqueria will share with us his journey and how through a vast array of experiences in the restaurant industry, he was able to find the confidence to do things he’s never done before and execute well in a fast-paced, high-intensity industry like food trucks. Learn how you can find success through confidence, determination, and hard work. Having confidence in our ability to learn, adjust and execute is crucial, especially during those times of trial. 

After receiving his associates in culinary arts, Johnny  became a part of the inaugural staff when Hoppy Gnome opened and eventually became the executive chef at the opening of Proximo. Despite having a lot of experience and achieving so much at a young age, Johnny felt an itch he just couldn’t ignore. He took a leap of faith and bought an old truck in Indianapolis. That truck would eventually become the beginning of his entrepreneurial career. 

It’s a well known fact that success in business, especially in the beginning, requires grit. There are good days and then there are the dreaded bad days. These bad days can make it hard for any business owner to trek on. From an early age, Rich learned to follow his passion, which led him through a winding road of adventure. That culminated into what is now the Fort Wayne Indoor Skatepark, Fort Wayne’s only indoor skatepark.

One of Rich’s earliest memories of fascination was with his big wheel. As Rich grew older he felt the need to pursue something more “realistic” now that he was becoming an adult. For a few years he was a pretty successful in the car business, making a substantial amount of money. After a close friend passed, Rich realized that life was short, too short to be working somewhere he had no passion for. From there he switched gears, learning the audio/visual business before eventually launching his own business. After learning from a few failed attempts, Rich went back to his roots, volunteering at a skatepark ran by a church. After that program closed, Rich and his long time friend turned business partner, Dan, opened up the Fort Wayne Indoor Skatepark in 2014. They are nonprofit focused on providing a safe and clean environment for people to grow their BMX and skating skills

It’s no secret that the freedom that business affords many people is an attractive part of owning a business. Freedom can mean many things, from a flexible schedule to choosing who you do business with. However, for Gustavo “Gus” Rodriguez, the idea of freedom runs deeper. Throughout the mid-’80s to ’90s, a time when thousands of Cubans fled the communist island nation in search of freedom, Gus stayed as long as possible and boldly stood his ground in the name of civil liberties. Today, Gus owns and operates the thriving downtown restaurant Caliente. 

Back in Cuba, Gus reported vital information not covered by the Cuban media. This included anything from dwindling food rations to names of recent arrests. Though he didn’t speak against the nation’s leader, Fidel Castro, his actions were illegal. In November of 1999, Fidel Castro released a list of those he deemed national enemies. Gustavo Rodriguez--a man from the small town of Caibarien, Villa Clara--along with several other independent journalists, was among the first to be named. 

Threatened with 20 years of imprisonment by Fidel, Gus, his wife, and their young son boarded a plane and left Cuba for Miami. Eventually, Gus and his family landed in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They opened Caliente in a small building in 2009 in response to being unable to find a job in the middle of the great recession, figuring food is always a necessity.

Many entrepreneurs start their businesses because they’re driven by a passion for whatever industry they’re in. However, there are a multitude of other facets in business that need to be managed meticulously, and they’re far less exciting. Kristin Thompson realized this quickly when her passion of dancing turned into a nationally recognized business, and she found herself struggling to balance it all. Paying rent, organizing a larger group of clients, bookkeeping—it quickly caught up with her and put her in a difficult situation that threatened her business and landed her in court over financial disputes with her landlord.

Today, Kristin is a nationally recognized choreographer, and her dance studio, K. Monique’s Studio of Dance, wins awards all over the country. Join us as we talk to Kristin and discover how she used confidence throughout her years as a young business owner with very little know-how to continue to propel her business forward. She will share how she made it out of difficult situations that could have ended her business, and what those experiences taught her along the way.

Elizabeth co-founded the Narwhal and the Manatee in October of 2015. Out of the two original partners, Elizabeth was hesitant and looking for any excuse to not open the store. A short time later, she bought her partner out and became the sole owner. Each year into the business, she had to deal with hurdle after hurdle. In October of 2017, she was struck by the biggest one to date...the diagnosis of stage 3 cancer. 

Her battle with cancer took over throughout the following months, which left her sitting on the sidelines when it came to running the business. As someone who held control over the majority of her small business and seldom had a lot of outside help – this was a massive shift. She was put in a position where she had to trust others to run the business in her absence, which was new territory for her.

Being raised half Spanish, Bo traveled to Spain regularly as a young boy to visit family. He grew up enthralled in a unique culture, where food and family were closely intertwined. In Spain, organic and fresh was a way of life, not a fad. After high school, he went to Chicago where he attended Columbia College to become a drummer. But after a few months, Bo realized that college wasn't where he should be. 

His direction quickly changed to becoming an entrepreneur in the food industry. Bravas was born shortly after, first as a hotdog stand, and has since grown to a food truck as well as a restaurant. With being a first-time business owner came a lot of challenges that Bo was unprepared for. He had to learn to adapt quickly and change as needed in order to survive. Since its inception, Bravas has grown to be a powerhouse of flavor and it shows no signs of slowing down.

To most, Theoplis Smith, also known as Phresh Laundry, is widely known as an artist. His artwork covers a wide range of topics from racism and gun violence in America, to powerful stories of victory and triumph. He’s captured the attention of his celebrity subjects and has been acknowledged by the likes of stars such as Gene Simmons and Erykah Badu. While his career as an artist has caught fire, he’s also a father of two, a husband, a son, and a man with a story to share with the world. 

Theo’s inclination to creativity started at the young age of three. One of four boys, his creativity was sparked and encouraged by his parents. His father, an oil painter, and his mother, a seamstress, his upbringing gave him a lot of permission to exercise his creative muscles and express himself. As Theo grew older, however, he found himself frustrated with his lack of direction and identity. While others flourished and followed their paths, Theo felt he was at a loss.