People, Place, & Purpose

Lisa Carlin has an artistic spirit as evidenced by her time spent studying graphic arts and interior design, and you can feel so much of that background woven into her business, Poppies with Purpose. As a breast cancer survivor whose bright pink shoes provided a beacon of hope and a bright spot through her rigorous treatment, she’s bringing those same sentiments and the feeling of a community at l...

Kate Morneau is the founding attorney at Morneau Law, focused on family law. Kate dreamed of being a lawyer from when she was a kid and despite some bumps in the road, pursued that goal tenaciously. Now as the owner of her own law firm, Kate is finding ways to innovate and approach the work differently, alongside creating a more collaborative atmosphere for her team and their clients, and giving b...

Nancy Bruns is the 7th generation family member and owner of J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works located in Malden, West Virginia. Production for the original company started in 1817, moved to their current location in 1832, and they produced salt until 1945, before restarting again in 2013. The history, the business model, the process, it’s all fascinating! Where you can find J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works: - W...

Ed Aloise, a native of New York City, is the former owner of four restaurants, most recently Republic Café and Campo Enoteca. As of recently, Ed is spending his professional time as a restaurant consultant in the hopes of helping others be successful in the space. With his newly-found free time, he’s an avid cyclist, writer with a book in the works, but also a “mover and a shaker,” so that free ti...

Steveo Stewart is currently the President and Owner of Horizon Insurance, based in coastal North Carolina. While his background is varied, including time spent in the military and as owner of a construction company, despite being the owner of an insurance company now, Steveo is really in the technology and data business. We spend a lot of time talking about disruption, competitive advantage, and t...

Fred Bramante is a self-proclaimed lover of rock-and-roll and education. His initial claim to fame was starting Daddy’s Junky Music in September of 1972, originally the smallest of over 11,000 music stores in the country, but grew to be the 15th largest in the United States. It’s a wild story full of excitement and heartbreak. Since Daddy’s closure, now he spends his days advocating for kids and c...

Paul LeBlanc was born in Canada and grew up primarily in Waltham, MA after immigrating to the United States as a child, speaking only French initially, and was a first-generation college graduate. Now he’s the President of Southern NH University (SNHU), the largest nonprofit provider of online higher education in the country with over 185,000 students and counting. While he is a bit of a nontradit...

Mike Doehla is a longtime health and fitness enthusiast who was able to turn his passions into a very successful company, Stronger U, which he recently sold. Mike is a really down-to-earth guy, and he has a super thoughtful approach, in that he thinks through decisions and information from many angles. His perspective on topics like health and nutrition and running a business often go against what...

Mary Dimouro was born and raised in Massachusetts and is a die-hard New England fan. After being a salesperson in a variety of roles for many years, including with Lego, Mary longed to be able to sell something she created. When an opportunity to own and run her own business fell into her lap, she started on the entrepreneurship journey with On the Road Again. The unique bags she makes and the suc...

Ben White is a Massachusetts native, but his heart is clearly in Utah where he has lived since college. As a bit of an accidental entrepreneur, he has chosen to prioritize fun and a “ski every day” lifestyle, which led him to create White Cloud Adventures and more recently, White Cloud Concierge. We’ll hear about both of those and much more from Ben. Where you can find White Cloud Concierge: - Web...

Natasha Buffo is a native Californian, now residing in South Lake Tahoe, and a new puppy Mom to Poppy, a yellow lab mix. Her education was focused on sociology and mathematical sciences, but as an outdoor adventurer with a love for writing and a passion for mental health, she now spends her days as a freelance writer and instructor for Mental Health First Aid. Natasha’s story is truly one of seeki...

Kate Luczko, the host of People, Place, & Purpose, takes us back to her entrepreneurial roots. From a babysitting and nannying business, to brand new roles in nonprofits and for-profit businesses, to teaching yoga, and more. Some of these fun facts may surprise you - and you'll get to know more about Kate's background in the process! Where you can find more about Kate: - LinkedIn: ht...

Robert McMillan is a native Georgian, a data scientist, and an avid camper. With his extensive background in technology, he has been a part of multiple entrepreneurial endeavors over the years, including selling seeds from his bicycle as a kid. His current venture, Camping. Tools, came about after he discovered an opportunity while on a trip with his two sons. You’ll hear that story – and more! –...

Kristyn Van Ostern has a background working on political campaigns and in finance, and when doing a deep dive into how her time was being spent, discovered a need and a strong desire to outsource laundry. But when no easy and long-term options presented themselves, she took charge and Wash Street was born! In our conversation, in addition to entrepreneurial advice, Kristyn offers valuable laundry...

James and Sarah Budd have worked together pretty much since the day they first met, even prior to starting Alpacas of Montana. James is from Maryland, spent some of his growing up years in the US Virgin Islands, then went to high school in Colorado, whereas Sarah was born and raised in Montana, and spent some time studying in Melbourne, Australia when she was younger. The way that alpacas came int...

Tim Clough is one of four co-founders of Iron Furnace Brewing located in Franconia, NH, in the heart of the White Mountains. These four guys, including Tim, were friends in high school and always wanted to start a fun business together and a brewery was the idea that won out! You’ll hear more about a couple of the other ideas during our conversation. Iron Furnace has now brewed over 625 batches of...

Heather Auclair-Welch is the owner of Mermaids and Madeleines, and while she originally hails from Southwest Harbor in Maine and got her start selling artfully decorated rocks as a kid, now she calls Massachusetts home and creates coastal-inspired jewelry and art. The brand evokes positivity, and feelings of calm and joy reminiscent of being near the ocean on a beautiful day. A self-proclaimed int...

Charlotte Massey and Georgia Grace Edwards met and became friends while at college in Vermont with Charlotte hailing from Leavenworth, Washington, and Georgia Grace from Frostburg, Maryland, now residing in Seattle, Washington and Gunnison, Colorado, respectively. Charlotte definitely gets the award for the most unique childhood career aspirations, and perhaps the coolest hobby, and Georgia Grace...

Kristine Deer grew up as the youngest of three girls in the suburbs of New Jersey in a home with artistic and creative parents, and an “art room” in lieu of a dining room. Her love for fashion and hot yoga started her on the journey to create apparel that was both functional and expressive, initially for herself, and ultimately transforming into a business, K-DEER, known for their iconic bright an...

Jennifer Desrosiers comes from a background in engineering and found herself wanting less compartmentalization of “real life” and work, and more infusion of her passions and activities that excite her throughout every single day. So, somewhat spontaneously, she founded Laney & Lu, an eatery with a much greater purpose than just delicious food, and then Palette, a graze box “edible art” company...

Lizzy Lopez grew up between Chicago and Arandas Jalisco, part of the Golden Triangle of tequila-making in Mexico, and now calls Chicago home once again. In 2016 when her father gifted each of his children an acre of land in their family plot in Mexico, Lizzy decided to join the third generation of tequila producers in her family. She was able to plant 19 rows of 71 blue agave plants, totaling one...

For almost 22 years, Carrie Mayo has been the owner and art director of Mayo Designs, a full-service creative firm working with mission-driven and socially responsible brands – and they recently received b-corp certification. Beyond being a longtime entrepreneur, Carrie has also traveled the country twice in her 96 sq. ft. camper van and now lives full time in a 600 sq. ft. off the grid home in Yo...

Ashley Brailsford grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina spending lots of time outdoors, as a dedicated girl scout, and being genuinely curious about nature. After acquiring lots of education through both traditional degrees and a variety of jobs, but also learning by doing through living in and traveling to different parts of the country, she decided it was time for her to follow her entrepreneuri...

Amy LaBelle is a former corporate attorney turned winemaker after a trip to Nova Scotia dropped her into a little tiny winery with a blueberry wine that produced a spark. She says that in that little Canadian winery, she had an ah-ha moment that brought forth her life’s purpose. After lots of hard work and challenges along the way, LaBelle Winery now has three locations, about 250 employees, and i...

Janelle Fleur Kroon is the Owner, Director of Studios, and Instructor at Bliss Living and Yoga near Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman. It's a yoga studio whose mission is a place for you to “flow, breathe, and grow,” and where everyone, including all of their instructors, feel like family. Janelle grew up in Vancouver, spent summers in the Netherlands, and now shares her time and calls all thr...