Columbia | MO.com on www

May9

“My clients come to me looking for an expert and someone to create events that are sometimes once in a lifetime, so it must be perfect.”

Anne Churchill

AnnaBelle Events & Rentals

Owner & Event Planner

http://www.AnnaBelleEvents.com

Anne Churchill is known locally in Columbia, Missouri as the go-to event and wedding planner and expert. She has a passion for planning flawless events and creating one of a kind event designs. Anne started her business in 2010 and now holds eight years of event planning experience and a Bachelors Degree from Columbia College. As the Owner & Event Planner of AnnaBelle Events & Rentals, she leads a team of professional and experienced Event Assistants.

AnnaBelle Events & Rentals is located in the North Village Art District of downtown Columbia, in Studio 107. The company focuses on planning corporate events, social occasions and weddings throughout Missouri. The company’s work continues to be recognized, most recently AnnaBelle Events & Rentals received the 2013 Bride’s Choice Award placing the company among the top 5% of wedding professionals nationally. In 2012 AnnaBelle Events & Rentals was named the Best Event Designer in Missouri by the Wedding Industry Experts annual awards. In addition to coordination and design services the company offers their clients an inventory of rentals, providing endless options and the ability to achieve the latest trends and styles.

Gus: What local resources were of most useful when launching your company?

Apr11

“It’s amazing to be at a point in our business where we get to choose whom we will and will not work with. We only work with true experts.”

John Hall

DTA

Co-Founder and CEO

www.DigitalTalentAgents.com

John Hall is the co-founder and CEO of DTA, which has become one of the largest providers of premium content to online publications. John is a weekly columnist at Forbes.com and has contributed to more than 50 other publications. He is a member of the Young Entrepreneur Council and has a passion for helping other entrepreneurs and leaders.

DTA specializes in helping experts demonstrate their expertise and credibility through thought leadership and content marketing. DTA’s account service team saves the experts time, while the publication and content teams work tirelessly to help experts produce content that will showcase their expertise and provide real value to publications and their readers.

Apr2

“Credibility is extremely important in this market.”

Don Broekelmann

Stockcast.it

CEO

http://Stockcast.it/

Don Broekelmann is the CEO of Stockcast.it, a technology startup company based in Columbia, Mo. Stockcast.it is a company that grew out of the familiar idea that a stock’s movement is influenced considerably by the thoughts and feelings of people writing about it. The company gathers and analyzes thousands of new articles every day. With this data, they are able to provide insights into what is happening — and, sometimes, what’s about to happen — in the market.

Mar13

“Be patient; it’s probably not as difficult a decision as you think it is.”

Jeremy McBee

Wood Stone Floor to Ceiling

Owner

http://www.woodstoneftc.com/

Jeremy McBee is the owner of Wood Stone Floor to Ceiling, the premier source for interior home needs in Columbia, Mo. Since 2008, Wood Stone has specialized in granite and quartz countertops, as well as carpet, tile, hardwood, cabinetry, sinks, and faucets. With a Creative Granite facility, Wood Stone fabricates all of their countertops in-house so customers never have to worry about a middleman.

Jan21

“Any place that has individuals who are willing to take a risk to follow their dreams can be a good place to start a business.”

Mike Brooks

REDI

President and Managing Partner

https://www.ColumbiaREDI.com/

Mike Brooks is President of REDI (Regional Economic Development, Inc.) in Columbia, Mo. REDI promotes positive economic expansion and provides increased economic opportunities in the Columbia area, assisting entrepreneurs, developing businesses, and companies relocating. As president, Mike led REDI in creating a supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurship and business growth in Columbia. Mike welcomes anyone to reach out to him on LinkedIn or REDI at columbiaredi.com.

Jan18

“I really enjoy incorporating a company’s brand and culture into the design to create an environment that fully reflects them.”

Caroline Leemis

Caroline Leemis Design

http://www.CarolineLeemisDesign.com

Caroline Leemis Design is excited to offer unique and specialized interior design services to the Mid-Missouri community. With a Bachelors of Interior Design from the University of Arkansas, Caroline brings experience from both small and large architectural firms, as well as expertise in the sustainable design and healthcare design fields. CLD’s mission is to create powerful interior environments that inspire, comfort, and excite.

Caroline is currently the only design professional in the Mid-Missouri area to hold the EDAC credential (evidence-based design accreditation and certification). Through the principles of evidence-based design, CLD refers to the latest research in the healthcare design field to make informed decisions and create optimal healing environments in healthcare.

Gus: What’s influenced your decision to concentrate designing for the commercial and healthcare fields?

Jan11

“Brands now have to think about what the consumer actually wants, and what content they want to consume.”

Rob Stretch

Veterans United Home Loans

http://www.VeteransUnited.com

Veterans United Home Loans is the nation’s largest dedicated provider of VA Loans — dedicated to making the American dream of homeownership a reality for those who so bravely served.

Gus: What influenced the decision to re-brand from VA Mortgage Center.com last year?

Nov30

“I listen very closely to what my customers want and what inspires them.”

Russ Anderson

Anderson Homes

Owner

http://www.RAndersonHomes.com

Russ Anderson is the owner of Anderson Homes, which provides high-end quality homes with modern amenities such as media rooms, wet bars and commercial-style kitchens at a price that is below market value. Anderson began building homes in 2003, and has since built more than 200 homes, commercial buildings, and multi-family units. He approaches each home as an artist would a canvas, crafting a masterpiece.

Sep25

Perceptions of Veterans in the Workplace And How We Can Change Them

Levi Newman

VA Benefit Blog

Senior Author

http://www.VABenefitBlog.com/

Be honest: Do some of your coworkers’ previous work (and sometimes personal) experiences impact the way you perceive them? How about if one of your coworkers is a veteran?

A recent survey from Monster.com reported that employers and veterans often have very different perceptions of veterans’ skills and ability to work in the civilian world. In my experience—previously as a soldier, and now as a veteran and a business professional who works with both veterans and civilians on a daily basis—I agree with the results of this survey to some extent.

Perceptions and reality

I agree that veterans, sometimes, have a hard time representing their skills in the best way possible. I don’t think this is because veterans are incapable, though. I believe it stems from the fact that there are so many diverse jobs in the military that veterans might not know how to translate their particular field job to a civilian position. Think about it: the skills demanded in daily military and civilian lives are completely different.

To combat this, veterans should take advantage of the countless free résumé and career-building resources that exist within, and outside of, the military. Additionally, veterans should use their G.I. Bill benefits to educate themselves and continue to grow as people, both personally and professionally.

Overcoming the culture shock

Sep4

“When you are creating a business it truly is on your mind 24/7.”

Matt Lauman

SmartRide

Co-Founder

http://www.SmartRideMo.com

SmartRide offers a premiere designated driving service that allows people to enjoy their nights out while not having to worry about safe, reliable transportation home. They understand their clientele lead busy lives and prefer convenience. SmartRide eliminates the need for the customer to leave their car somewhere overnight or pay for a taxicab to and from their destination.

MO: Congratulations on your upcoming launch! Can you tell us how you came up with the idea for SmartRide?

Aug7

The last year has been one of the most challenging and wonderful years of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

JC Holmes

ReAuthored

Founder

http://www.ReAuthored.com

JC Holmes understands what is special about cracking open an old book. He also has caught on to the new days of electronic readers, and with his wife and business partner Maha, has made the two complement each other. Introducing: Reauthored.com, a website that sells beautifully hand-made electronic reader and tablet cases made from real books. They currently sell online and are going to be entering a few brick and mortar stores in the near future. What makes the Reauthored.com cases different than other tablet cases? They are not made to look like books, they ARE real books.

JC learned the importance of quality and integrity when he ventured into a business called Vintage Prime LLC selling high-end designer bags on ebay. He went from there to working for VAMortgageCenter.com with Maha and credits them with giving him the support and experience to go out on his own. Now JC and Maha are working hard to get the word out about Reauthored.com and trying to get the cases in the hands of as many customers as possible.

We met with JC just over a year ago and it’s our pleasure to have the opportunity to do a follow up interview and find out how his entrepreneurial journey is progressing.

MO: Congratulations on your first year in business! Can you talk about the last year and how ReAuthored has evolved during this time?

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Spotlight: Columbia, Missouri

Spotlight Interview: Gordon Logan

Spotlight Interview: David Allen

Spotlight Interview: Chris Babel

“My clients come to me looking for an expert and someone to create events that are sometimes once in a lifetime, so it must be perfect.”

“It’s amazing to be at a point in our business where we get to choose whom we will and will not work with. We only work with true experts.”

“Credibility is extremely important in this market.”

“Be patient; it’s probably not as difficult a decision as you think it is.”

“Any place that has individuals who are willing to take a risk to follow their dreams can be a good place to start a business.”

“I really enjoy incorporating a company’s brand and culture into the design to create an environment that fully reflects them.”

“I listen very closely to what my customers want and what inspires them.”

Perceptions of Veterans in the Workplace And How We Can Change Them

Perceptions and reality

Overcoming the culture shock

“When you are creating a business it truly is on your mind 24/7.”

The last year has been one of the most challenging and wonderful years of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

MO Partners

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