Category: Business Owner Stories

Many small businesses are rooted in family traditions, and Russo’s Ravioli is no exception. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, this mother-son operation has been churning out homemade ravioli for the masses since 2014. But, the recipe is anything but new. Armed with a decades-old family recipe and a bevy of knowledge from other Russo restaurateurs, Diane and Garrison Russo are keeping the tradition alive.  They’ve experienced great growth since opening up shop five years ago, including getting their product into a… Read More

It’s that time of year when special events abound – weddings, graduations, baby showers, and bar mitzvahs. With those events comes a tedious but necessary obligation: thank you notes! Taryn Singer has created WithThanks, a business that lets busy people outsource the task of thank you notes following special events. Singer says WithThanks is a one-stop shop for thank you notes; the business handles creating the note content, handwriting it, addressing envelopes, stamping them, and mailing them out.  Why did… Read More

Dylan Gallagher is the founder of Orange Sky Adventures and White Wolf Private Tours, two San Francisco-based travel companies that takes tourists on customized trips across the United States. Whether their budgets are modest or they desire luxury accommodations, Gallagher prides himself on providing customers with the ultimate hospitality and the most unique experiences the country has to offer.  Why did you start your company?  I’m from South Carolina. I went to college for engineering and got a job in… Read More

Leslie Saul & Associates, Inc. is an architecture and interior design firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts that primarily services the greater Boston and Miami areas. The business focuses on renovations including offices, restaurants, retail stores, senior living facilities, private homes, universities, churches, and synagogues, among many other building types. Founder Leslie Saul says that having such a broad practice has helped her maintain a business for more than 26 years. Additionally, her attention to quality and value have brought back… Read More

Lindsey Dinneen is the owner of VidaDance Studio in Leawood, Kansas. With students ranging in age from 2 to 73, Dinneen’s company aims to bring the joy of dance into the lives of all members of her community. VidaDance offers ballet, jazz, tap, modern, hip-hop, and dance fitness classes. In business for three years, Dinneen shares how she’s used different funding approaches to help the business grow. Why did you start your company? When I was four years old, my… Read More

Rachel Dunston is the talented entrepreneur behind Rachel Makes More Cake, a popular bakeshop in Clovis, California. Dunston began her business on Instagram, posting photos of her uniquely decorated cakes and taking orders for local pickup and delivery only. Recently, she’s made the shift from an exclusively online business to a brick-and-mortar store. Dunston spoke with Nav about how she’s navigated that change and overcome a few bumps in the road. Online: The Perfect Place to Start Dunston chose to… Read More