Lara Pieper is proof that a professional setback can be turned into a huge opportunity — if you’re not daunted by the fact that the professional journey rarely is a straight line. Resourceful, creative, and determined, the 39-year-old Leawood, Kansas, native and single mom of three boys opened Bloom Bookkeeping in 2016 after losing her […]
James Williams, the late, wonderful pianist and educator, figured measurably in planting my jazz seeds, which have now long since flowered. Three-quarters of my 36 jazz-involved years have centered on the “We Always Swing” Jazz Series, now a 27-season, independently run, financially stable, all-jazz, community project. I continue to enjoy this quite unexpectedly wonderful jazz
Bringing It All Together Brothers Jabbok and Willy Schlacks were working in the construction industry when they realized how difficult it was to acquire equipment. Many contractors had loads of equipment not in use and sitting around while others had to pay hefty costs to lease equipment from rental companies or buy the equipment outright.
When Mid-Missourians need someone to listen, CJ Davis and his team are all ears. CJ is the president and CEO of Burrell Behavioral Health, a behavioral health center with over 40,000 clients across Missouri and Arkansas. The group has specialized in accessible and compassionate behavioral health care — an umbrella term for mental health, substance-abuse
The miracle of life is a strange, beautiful, and sometimes terrifying ordeal for humans and animals alike. However, most four-legged mothers don’t typically give birth in a hospital, making delivery a dangerous and often life-threatening experience. This is the issue that Libby Martin, Paula Hodges, and Fardis Najafifard have set out to fix with their
Maybe the only thing more difficult than sustaining a new settlement and growing it into a city is starting a business that lasts decades. Home to colleges that opened in the 1800s, Columbia is no stranger to enduring institutions. But small businesses and organizations that have stood for 100 years or more tell a story
Like a lot of Columbia residents, Ruby Abdul came to town to attend MU. She also wanted to open a business. So, Ruby did her homework, researching franchise opportunities. The day she discovered Snapology, she stopped looking. Ruby had discovered a great fit for herself and for a town steeped in education. “I want kids
Curiosity may be lethal to cats, but not to the curious engineer with a passion for music. Wil Reeves, 43, is the owner and operator of local recording studio Centro Cellar Studio. He serendipitously discovered a passion for sound engineering and production back in the early 2000s and has never looked back. Now, he’s making
With everything going on in the world, one could be forgiven for not knowing that one of Columbia’s car dealerships, Kia of Columbia, changed ownership this fall to McLarty Automotive Group which also owns all Joe Machens dealerships as well as Columbia Honda. But an even lesser-known fact is the direction this car dealership is
