The story below is a preview from our March/April 2018 issue. For the full story Subscribe today, view our FREE interactive digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!
Age is definitely just a number when it comes to setting goals and achieving dreams. Meet these entrepreneurial women whoare investing time and energy into others and their community.
Boyd Pearman Photography
Beth Garrett moved to Roanoke in 1997 to work for LewisGale where she was an IT Director until February of 2017. When she retired from her job, she knew she wanted to travel with her husband, but she also wanted to do something she enjoyed when they weren’t traveling. Having been fascinated with how color looks on skin since the mid-’80s when she went to a Color Me Beautiful consultation, she decided to get certified as a consultant.
She had never forgotten how she fell in love with the black and white outfit her co-worker wore at her first job out of college. When she bought the outfit, she did not like how it looked on her, but didn’t understand why. A few months later, she was introduced to Color Me Beautiful where she had an “a ha” moment about why what looked good on her friend did not look good on her.
“I feel I am helping people by giving them tools to help them look and feel their best. It’s a happy thing, seeing people light up when they look in the mirror at themselves,” Garrett says about why she is passionate about what she offers.
Her services include color analysis consultations, shopping assistance and closet organization, as well as helping clients put together a capsule wardrobe.
“This is not your mother’s Color Me Beautiful,” according to Garrett, noting that the updated pallets are customized based on hair, skin and eye colors. The consultation is an entire experience where she educates clients on how the right colors can complement their looks, helping them look and feel good, and have more confidence. At her in-home studio or your home, she offers individual consultations as well as small group experiences such as the one she did for a woman who wanted to give her daughters-in-law a special bonding experience.
Garrett, who says she is “in her fifties,” is committed to having fun and enjoying life. Her eyes light up when she talks about shag dancing with her husband. She even teaches line dancing to share her love of dancing with others. They also love beach music so much that not only do they frequent local concerts, they go on beach music cruises. In addition to dancing and traveling, she can get lost in a good book, and on occasion, she enjoys running.
Along the way, Garrett’s life philosophy is to live by the Golden Rule. She says that “kindness is not overrated so I strive to be kind to others.” In doing so, she hopes to encourage others to do the same.
Misty Gregg, 54, says the best advice she ever received was to be your own health advocate. As a result, when she suffered from fibromyalgia and a brain tumor, she did a lot of research to determine ways she could feel better.
Starting as a skeptic, she spent hours investigating and comparing many programs and products to determine what is safe and not safe, and how plant-based nutrition can help decrease inflammation. When her fibromyalgia was at its worst, she had to wear wrist braces each night and took prescription medication to help with the pain. She turned evangelist for clean eating and products she represents from Shaklee when the pain went away after changing her diet and she was able to get off medication. Small changes that she believes had the greatest impact on her health were eating more alkaline, plant-based products and eliminating processed and fast food.
Gregg grew up in Radford and graduated from Radford University. With 20 plus years in business management and accounting positions, she has even owned her own bookkeeping and staffing business. But it was her enthusiasm for holistic health advocacy that led her to found The Sage Soapbox, an educational platform she uses to empower others to take charge of their own health through her blogs and services.
“The first step in taking responsibility for your health is to identify what isn’t working–whether it’s not enough exercise or sleep or poor nutrition,” Gregg suggests.
Passionate about empowering people to take charge of their health through nutrition and exercise, she also enjoys encouraging women and girls to hop on their bikes and get outside–not only for the exercise, but for the feeling of accomplishment and knowing they can do things they might not have thought they could before. She founded Wheelie Fun 101 two years ago to help people learn to ride safely and cheer each other on. Offering rides on a regular basis, Gregg includes safety tips and makes sure no one is left behind on a ride.
Gregg volunteers in a variety of organizations, including FemCity Roanoke where she is a membership chair. She serves as secretary for the Blue Ridge Bike Club, ambassador for Gran Fondo and Chicks on Bikes, and a ride leader with L’roica and Hill Rides.
When asked about her life philosophy, she says, “be kind to yourself and give yourself a break. It’s okay to be imperfect, and take baby steps to make healthier decisions. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.”
And if you need encouragement, Gregg is happy to offer it because once she got on the soapbox to educate others about taking charge of their own health, she hasn’t stopped.
Sacil Armstrong, a self-care coach who teaches and heals through art and energy work, says that true self-care is “creating a life that you don’t need to escape from.”
She certainly knows the importance of self-care. Keeping stress levels down through meditation, art and journaling helps her manage her chronic pain and navigate life, which is why she is so passionate about helping others use these tools to mitigate the stress and pain in their lives–so they can be happier and more productive. You wouldn’t know it by her infectious smile or bubbly personality, but she suffers from chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Both create serious pain and it is hard for her to walk or wear clothes sometimes due to her invisible illnesses that she says many people don’t understand since they can’t see that something is wrong.
Armstong, 45, is an artist who grew up in Newport News and studied at Virginia Commonwealth University. Shortly before moving to Roanoke five years ago, she became a certified Zentangle coach. Zentangle is a form of meditative artwork based on certain patterns. She teaches art, journaling, meditation and self-discovery exercises in her online self-awareness course, Possibilities and Purpose. The course is designed to lead participants to their top three core values and personal mission statement.
“I help people with stress management and self-awareness. The reason I like to do that is once you are more aware of your core values, it’s easier to make decisions and say yes or no,” Armstrong says.
In her life, this means being mindful about resting when it is time to rest, being productive when it is time and being happy now. “And it is always now!” she exclaims. One thing she does to stay upbeat is listen to all kinds of music and dance.
She worked with Mental Health America and various corporations to incorporate meditation into their places of business. Corporate classes are tailored to the company and often include components of stress-management, communication and conflict resolution.
“Art helps move out of habit into a new space of awareness,” Armstrong notes. “It can enhance brainstorming and creativity.”
Creative thinking and problem-solving skills contributed to her success in public relations, marketing and special events planning. As a community activist with Lead and Seed, she helped reduce crime in a high-crime and poverty-ridden neighborhood by bringing residents, CEOs and business managers together to collaborate on initiatives. She taught people they have the power to change their community, that they are bigger than they think and have more power than they realize. “Stop living down to other people’s expectations and up to your potential,” she encourages them.
And she continues to empower people to do just that.
Marj Easterling started Big Lick Screen Printing because she and her friend were selling t-shirts at conventions, but had a hard time finding a reliable printer. Since customer service and keeping her word are important to her, Easterling decided it was either quit or start doing it herself, so she and her sons learned the business. Julien, 22, works at the shop most days while Dorien, 14, helps when he isn’t homeschooling.
For almost three years in an industry dominated by men, she strives to stand out by providing “Langniappe. That’s a New Orleans word for always throw in a little something extra,” she explains. She picked up that slang when she lived there for 10 years. Her adventures also took her to Alabama for eight years. In 2004, her Dad was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease and she returned to the Roanoke area.
With two science degrees under her belt, she went on to become a dental hygienist in 2007. She always had a side business, so when her friend invited her to sell t-shirts with him, she did. As a single mother, her side gigs helped provide money for family karate lessons and adventures to Scotland and Hawaii.
While they still make shirts to sell at conventions, Big Lick has grown into primarily a business to business company. Shirts and other items like tote bags are also available for churches, family reunions and promotions.
One of her favorite things to do is have school groups visit the shop in Wasena because the children enjoy making their own shirts. To her, seeing how excited they get is magical. And one day, she would like to have enough surplus money to give away hoodies to all children who want them as well as do outrageous random acts of kindness.
Easterling does what she can to help others be successful personally and professionally because she believes that is the lasting path to success. It has been a hard lesson to realize she can’t do it for them.
Her life philosophy is “learn as much as you can, go on as many great adventures as possible and do what you can to make someone’s day.”
That is why she continues to be a life-long learner, attending classes and seminars as well as learning from other business owners. It also spurs her to plan family vacations to expose her boys to the world and to do little things that have a positive impact on others.
Big Lick Screen Printing is an extension of Easterling’s passion to be a role model for her sons to take a chance, be fearless and help others succeed.
Deborah Hildebrand, 54, grew up in the New River Valley and graduated from Radford University with a degree in interior design. She started Designs by Deborah Hildebrand in 1988. She believes your home reflects you, and she wants to help make it beautiful. That can entail interior design or space clearing and organization.
Throughout the years, and moves to Florida and California, she built the business through referrals. While she still enjoys creating interior spaces her clients love, decorating led to creating events for them which fueled her passion for event production.
Hildebrand went on to graduate from UCLA with a degree in film, and gained experience in publishing, producing and directing. She co-founded a management and film development company in LA that managed over 40 clients, including well-known actors, writers and directors. In 2008, she founded Malibu Muse, a multi-media development and production company as well as talent management agency.
When she moved back to the area recently to help her mother, she was reminded how many beautiful and diverse locations Virginia has for film and television shoots, from the mountains to the beach and historic venues. Hildebrand is developing two film projects that are Virginia stories and will be shot in southwest Virginia. She also penned a script based around her favorite sport, surfing. The only pro sport she watches, she has traveled to Fiji and Australia to watch competitions and has met all her heroes.
Hildebrand has been around the world and when she tells people she was raised in Virginia, they always say, “That’s where Dirty Dancing was shot!” She says Mountain Lake Resort will live on forever through this film and encourages business owners to invest in films and TV because location shoots can bring a lot of exposure as well as economic development.
Her mission is to inspire, guide and watch over the arts and artists. She loves to help actors, writers and young filmmakers reach their dreams. Actively submitting to studios, casting companies and directors, her company recently booked two actors to film “Homeland” in Richmond. She is accepting new talent and will help groom them for future careers in Hollywood.
She also helps individuals and businesses with branding and marketing, especially in social media. Her services range from designing websites to filming commercials and videos to help clients get noticed and build a platform.
Her creativity shines through whether she is designing a centerpiece or a website, marketing an artist or writing a script. Maybe this Malibu Muse, whose life motto is “Never give up on a dream because it won’t give up on you,” has a muse of her own.
... for more from our March/April 2018 issue, Subscribe today, view our FREE interactive digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!