Cover Stories

Rob Hessel went on a trip of a lifetime this year. He took his grandmother, Mary Ellen Hessel, to Ireland to visit where his family originated. When he recounts the

Valeri Marks has run eight businesses in her career, including in the telecom, data communications, online real estate, recruitment and health care industries. She prefers to go by Val, is

Michael Lundy is a straight shooter, both in and out of the courtroom. He doesn’t mince words, a trait that has carried him far as co-founder and managing partner at

Rick Thomas has a quiet and reserved personality but his face lights up when he speaks of his love for his wife and children. He entered the life insurance business

Crystal Morris knew how to water-ski practically before she knew how to walk, learned how to fly a plane in college and she started a company with her father after

Walking into FKQ Advertising + Marketing, visitors most likely will be greeted by a screen welcoming them, by name, to the offices. Attention to detail is one of the qualities

It all started with a van, two guys in college with a summer to spare, and an idea. “The summer before our senior year of college, I had an internship

Jean Paul Guilbault, or “JP” as he’s often referred to, never intended to become a CEO. Originally majoring in psychology to earn his doctorate, he says his path to the

Vick Tipnes is driven by success, but to him, success means nothing if you don’t have freedom. “There are people that have a lot of money, but they’re not successful

If Brian Butler disappears for too long from the Vistra Communications office in Lutz, his assistant, Pam Mooney, knows where to find him. He’s likely down the road at Mort

Monica Eaton-Cardone is many things — a wife, a mother, a businesswoman, a philanthropist – but one thing she is certainly most not, is easily intimidated. With a career spanning

Photos by Michael McCoy Ben Heldfond’s most prized possession is a book, one that resonates with the story of his life. A first edition of The Big Book of Alcoholics