Mom of three, Michelle Cardillo, has been running her antique and vintage store Peace Barn for the last six years. When she opened her business, Cardillo was a full-time mom trying to find her own passion in life. She remembered her grandmother, an avid antique collector, and she found she had a connection to the […]

Stacey LaFay built her business, Franklin Benefit Solutions, in 2009 right after an economic recession. Working in the industry, LaFay spent years watching other agencies work and thought she could build something better. So, she set out to do just that. “I saw other agencies didn’t focus on building relationships with providers and clients,” says […]

In 2015, Sheena Harrison was let go from her job working in social work and found herself at a crossroad: Continue down the road she was on or start something new. “I wanted to do something that couldn’t be taken away from me,” says Harrison. “I set off to learn new skills and educate myself […]

Brandee Cooke-Brown started working at 100K Ideas the year it launched. She found the opportunity after attending a networking event at the Ferris Wheel – the building which houses the nonprofit organization – where she met 100K Ideas’ co-founder David Ollila.   “We got to talking and I shared my background, and we kind of just clicked,” says Cooke-Brown. “A week later I […]

Owning Cranberries Café in Goodrich for the past 27 years has given owner Patty Plant a sense of pride in her community. “We aren’t competitive here,” says Plant. “We have a brewpub next door, and we’ll go out of our way to support each other if either is ever in need.” Plant describes the area […]

Adriane Deiulius gained a great amount of business experience in the past year and a half. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, she has worked hard toward her dream business and, in turn, opened and closed four businesses during that time. “The pandemic affected me greatly due to business restrictions and lack of financial support,” says Deiulius. […]