Good luck will come to those who are prepared to greet it,” foretells the Trader Joe’s greeting card decorated with Chinese takeout boxes and fortune cookies. And, like her design predicts, artist Kellie Day has prepared for this moment, as aspiring artists are reaching out to her, now more than ever, to help them break open the fortune cookies of their long-buried dreams and paint their own bright futures. Day works in mixed media and has no hesitation when it comes to tearing up poetry … [Read more...] about Artist Kellie Day is Transforming Lives through Creative Expression
Community Profile
Eric Slack Finds ‘Hidden Gem’ at Flagstaff Ranch
Whether on the golf course or in his new position as Flagstaff Ranch Golf Club general manager, the discipline, experience and drive behind Eric Slack has paid off and gained him an ace in his career. Originally from Forest City, Pennsylvania, Slack started learning the game when he was 15 years old. “I wanted to spend time with my dad, who had recently started to play golf. The population of our small mining town was between 1,500 to 1,700, so golf for us was $10 for nine holes and a pull … [Read more...] about Eric Slack Finds ‘Hidden Gem’ at Flagstaff Ranch
Teen Builds Business Out of Chocolate
When you have been the Flagstaff High School student body president, captain of the football and track teams, and a part of the school’s Governing Board, it’s not surprising that you would be in a business management position at age 19. For Grand Canyon Chocolate Factory Co-owner and Manager Tyler Stickler, starting a business and running it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. “I just wasn’t interested in going to college after high school,” said Stickler. “Then, my dad had this epiphany … [Read more...] about Teen Builds Business Out of Chocolate
Baking for Health
Cookies, cupcakes, donuts and brownies are not typically considered healthy foods, but Health Coach Karen Russell has found a way to bake for one’s sweet tooth without the processed sugar and gluten. Owner of Sedona-based Karen’s Gluten Free Living, Russell says her introduction to baking started as a child with an Easy Bake Oven. She recalls making Rice Krispies treats, cookies and brownies. “I was the oldest of seven siblings and I was always hungry, so I made snacks.” Russell’s … [Read more...] about Baking for Health
Healthy Lifestyle Led Flagstaff Family to Olive Oil Business
They say you cannot buy good health, but for Scott McPeak and his son, Scotty, purchasing Olive the Best was one of the healthiest business decisions they’ve ever made. Diagnosed with weight-related diabetes, Scott McPeak, 57, had to make some crucial changes in his diet if he wanted to keep living. Turning to salads and vast amounts of veggies, he lost 80 pounds in four months. “I never had to do insulin, which was amazing,” he said. Wanting to dress his salads with something healthy, he … [Read more...] about Healthy Lifestyle Led Flagstaff Family to Olive Oil Business
Sharing Flagstaff through Tours, Souvenirs
After hearing and taking to heart what tourists like to buy, Blake Nabours, owner of AZ Segway and Pedal Tours, is on a roll to open the Grand Circle Outpost, an exclusive emporium featuring souvenirs all manufactured on site. Encompassing what Nabours refers to as the “grand” circle, Flagstaff, Sedona, Route 66, Grand Canyon, Page and Las Vegas, his novelties will feature the genre of these bordering neighbors on t-shirts, prints, key chains, magnets and other items. Nabours says his new … [Read more...] about Sharing Flagstaff through Tours, Souvenirs
Pre-Med Student Finds Career in Accounting
“I started with an office as big as this desk,” said Christina Talley with a smile. She sat at an expansive executive desk in her corner office that overlooks Flagstaff from San Francisco Street and Dale. Last December, the CPA moved her business, Christina R. Talley CPA PLLC, into the two-story building that the firm purchased. “I started in Kingman with a laptop, a portable printer and a cell phone.” Talley’s passion for excellent service has fueled the growth of her business from a … [Read more...] about Pre-Med Student Finds Career in Accounting
Historic Preservation Champion Soldiers On
Henry Taylor, as a college student earning his psychology degree, grew up with a desire to help people, a love of history and a fondness for the West. While going to school, he read Zane Grey’s Call of the Canyon, a novel set in Northern Arizona’s cattle and sheep ranching heyday of the early 1900s. Readers can just about taste the dust and feel the bumps as Grey describes horse-powered travel over rugged, rocky terrain. But Taylor could feel something more. He took note when the novel’s … [Read more...] about Historic Preservation Champion Soldiers On
Teller Continues Looking Up
As a youngster, Arlando Teller stood in the yard of his Chinle home on the Navajo Reservation and looked up at an azure sky pebbled with popcorn clouds and jet contrails. He wondered where those white streaks crisscrossing the wild blue yonder were headed. When he graduated from Chinle High School in 1991, his continuing curiosity prompted him to find out. He wanted to become a part of that high-flying adventure. He enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – home of the Eagles – in … [Read more...] about Teller Continues Looking Up
Ron Getto—Cleaning Up the Strikes
Ron Getto has two Ivy League college degrees and has spent 22 years on Wall Street. So, one might wonder, what brought the Starlite Lanes owner to Flagstaff? His career path has not been smooth. In fact, there were some pretty big bumps along the way. Getto was born and raised in New York. He attended Columbia University as an undergrad and a graduate student in its business school. In 1986, he pursued a career on Wall Street, which he described as “spectacular.” He was happy there … [Read more...] about Ron Getto—Cleaning Up the Strikes