There are few things more annoying – come to think of it, more ridiculous – than being on terminal hold with a computer. Aaron Dragushan was having that experience while waiting for a service provider. His wife, Evgenya, had already been on hold for so long that she handed the phone over to him and told him it was his turn. During the waiting time, Dragushan began thinking about an app that would stop all the holding. Instead of waiting on hold for a service representative, a service … [Read more...] about Entrepreneur Garnering Accolades
Community Profile
A Born Entrepreneur
Mike Funk, owner of Fire Creek Coffee, has had a lot of careers. “I was that kid who banged his head against the wall wanting to be an entrepreneur,” he said. “I had many different companies, like futon stores. I built and sold futons. I built coffee carts. I had a promotional company that had t-shirts and pens, that sort of thing. I had a catering lunch box company.” He was also into Real Estate and remodeling houses. Funk, who grew up in Seattle, said he was always more into individual … [Read more...] about A Born Entrepreneur
The Business of Beauty
At least half of the due diligence is complete when you have been a happy client of a business you decide to buy. That is how it happened for Leona Bix, the owner of Flagstaff Face & Body. “I had been a client of the company,” Bix said. “I told them if they ever considered selling, to talk with me. I knew what I liked about the business and I could be passionate about it.” About a year and a half later, in 2009, the owners approached her about selling the nine-year-old business. As … [Read more...] about The Business of Beauty
Celebrating a Local Staple
For Jon Schulman, relaxing is overrated. He would rather be overseeing operations at his restaurant, Buster’s, or along the water’s edge at Oak Creek, fly fishing rod in hand. His choices seem to be working out well. It has been 30 years since Schulman and several partners started Buster’s Restaurant and Bar. The partners have gone their separate ways, but Schulman persists, serving up fresh Flagstaff favorites seven days a week. It’s tough work, running a restaurant. Especially when … [Read more...] about Celebrating a Local Staple
Family Owned Business Earning Loyalty
Many of the customers who return year after year to Garland’s Oak Creek Lodge consider it upscale camping. Nestled in the gorgeous Oak Creek Canyon, it’s just the place to unplug from civilization and just relax in a homey little log cabin. And summer is one of the best times to go to the lodge. “The canyon is a cool, green haven,” said Mary Garland, who has been one of the proprietors of the lodge for the past 40 years, along with her husband Gary. “They can walk through the orchard; the … [Read more...] about Family Owned Business Earning Loyalty
Securing Affordable Homes in Flagstaff
Sometimes life does not go as planned. Sometimes, that is a very good thing. Take the case of Devonna McLaughlin, the executive director of BOTHANDS. Her plan was to become a journalist, which she did for a while, but found her real niche a little later. Initially, McLaughlin, mother of Riley, who is two, and Hunter, who is four months old, and wife of Greg, a Flagstaff firefighter, prepared for a career in newspapers. A native of Southern California, she was the editor of the school … [Read more...] about Securing Affordable Homes in Flagstaff
Serving Arizonans in Several Capacities
Kurt Davis views each of his jobs as a learning experience. He then takes that knowledge with him to his next job and begins learning all over again. “Everywhere I’ve gone, I tried to learn and use those lessons,” he said. Some of the jobs he has held over the years include working for two governors, working for an attorney general and being the spokesman for a firefighting association in 27 states. He was also the head of Arizona’s Republican party, a vice president at NAU and now runs … [Read more...] about Serving Arizonans in Several Capacities
A Family Business of Connections
Mike Merrill of CommSpeed was born to be in the family business. “I grew up in large storage yards with huge spools of cable and huge communication dishes. I would have great games of hide-and-go-seek with my cousins,” he said. But, out of a large number of cousins, he is the only one to have picked up the torch for the business started by Bruce Merrill, Mike’s grandfather. “He was a bonafied pioneer in the telecom industry. He absolutely loved the business. He lived it. Breathed it. … [Read more...] about A Family Business of Connections
Embracing Arizona’s History
With Arizona's Centennial this week, we decided to feature Flagstaff Historian Richard Mangum and wife, Sherry for this month's community profile. The original town of Flagstaff burned to the ground in 1886. “A dancer in a saloon did a high kick and knocked over a kerosene lamp. At the time, they used sawdust on the floors to soak up whisky and such. The lamp fell on a patch where there was whisky and started it. In that day, buildings were made of wood and there was no fire department. … [Read more...] about Embracing Arizona’s History
Expressing the Holiday Spirit
For Michael Fleishman, magic happens. Williams High School teacher by day, Santa by night, Fleishman is well suited for both roles. Approaching life with a twinkle in his eye, he is a student of human nature, looking to create meaningful interaction with each person he meets. That is a tall order for a Santa, employed by the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, with a steady stream of passengers. This is Fleishman's tenth season on the Polar Express, which takes riders on a 17-mile train ride to … [Read more...] about Expressing the Holiday Spirit