Auvyonna Graydon co-founded her business, Tranquil LLC, at 21, while working at Whole Foods. She nurtured it—and her bank account—while she worked at the Florida Department of Revenue. Now, at just 27, she’s declared her independence and made the leap to dedicating herself full-time to...
By Anna M.A. Stracey Talking about who is or is not a friend isn’t a comfortable thing. On Facebook the kid we went to middle school with but we haven’t spoken to in 30-plus years is our friend because we can see sweet pictures of their...
By Elliott Potter My father was a flawed man. As it turns out, so am I. For this pair of Potters, however, the impacts of our imperfections on fatherhood proved a stark contrast. I came out ahead. My son and I share the kind of bond that became...
By Donna Lopez Cathi Hardesty didn’t know her biological father, but becoming a new parent made her curious about her father’s identity. She found her biological father with the help of a friend who asked her to pay it forward instead of accepting monetary payment. This unique...
By Reverend Angel L. Sullivan One of the worst parts of my call as an ordained minister serving as a chaplain is to look a parent in the face as I stand with the doctor when he or she says, "I am sorry. I...
By Sylvie Griffiths I had my first child back in 2005, and, in all of the lessons I learned in that year of firsts, I realized that parenting is a balancing act. Balancing multiple relationships: kids, significant other, friends and co-workers—all simultaneously. Balancing working or...
“Yoga found me,” Tracy Kendrick says. “I was sentenced to prison in 2008—what brought me there was drug addiction and alcoholism.” In her life before prison, she says, “I had no way of knowing anything about yoga.” It just wasn’t part of her world. Tracy’s...
PERC, People Empowering and Restoring Communities, is a nonprofit in Pinellas County, Fla., that works with men and women transitioning from incarceration back into society. PERC provides transitional housing, case management, outpatient substance abuse treatment, group counseling, paid workforce training, pre-employment skills development and employment...
Caroline Karp was classically trained as a painter from a young age, working mostly in oils. When she started her bachelor of fine arts at Florida State University, she says, “I knew the technical skills for being a creator of artwork—mixing paint, etc.—and I felt...
When we last spoke with Brandi, she was a newlywed and busy entrepreneur. Now, she’s a new mom, happy wife and busy entrepreneur—during a global pandemic! Brandi and Mitch welcomed their first child, son Troy, in February, and we couldn’t resist checking in with her for...