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Not sure what to do this weekend in Fort Wayne? Don't worry we have your back! Below is a list of some fun events we think you will enjoy. Events this weekend J&L Pickin Patch Sunflower Maze and Fall Market happening Saturday September 30th-October 1st 2Toms Fall Bier Fest and Market on Saturday September 30th starting at 4pm Encanto: The Sing Along Film Concert on Saturday September 30th at 2pm Fort4Fitness Breakfast Block Party happening Saturday September 30th from 8am-12pm The Dog Days of Autumn Festival on Sunday October 1st from 12pm-3pm For more details read below for locations and descriptions for each event! If you enjoy seeing these events happening every weekend right here in Fort Wayne, follow us on Facebook and Instagram so you're always in the loop about what's happening!

Although society sometimes makes us believe otherwise, people don't always discover their passions when they're eighteen. Many of us spend years going through the motions of a job that doesn't truly fulfill us. Until one day, we try something new and suddenly realize what's been missing all along. Some even take this newfound passion and find a way to turn it into their career. This was the case for Jared Christiansen, who purchased a camera while on vacation in 2014, fell in love with the world of photography, and left his decade-long career in the real estate industry to turn photography into his full-time business. When we talked to Jared, we asked him what the word business meant to him now that he has been running his photography company for several years and he said, "To me, it still sounds scary, stiff, and corporate, but at the same time, my business is a creative outlet so it's fun and exciting, but it's still a lot of work. When they say, 'If you do what you love, you won't work a day in your life,' it's far from the truth because you never stop working. But I enjoy it, so for me, it's twofold." He went on to describe to us what his business is today by saying “I am a one-man show. I'm in my third year of photography being my full-time career, but what I do varies. I don't want to be the person that puts all their eggs in one basket and specialize in only one thing. So, right now in my career, I take senior and family photos, street photography, capture landmarks, nature, and landscapes, and recently, I've had the opportunity to do photography for bands either in action or for promos, so that's been really cool." He went on to say, "After you put in the work doing the things you don't always want to do to pay your bills or build your clientele, eventually you'll get to a point where you can start doing more of what you want to do and less of what you don't, and I feel like that's where I've been this past year." Jared Christiansen spent his childhood moving from place to place every 2-4 years because his father was in the military. When we discussed what this was like for him growing up, he said, "It was hard because I never felt like I had a home. We moved to Fort Wayne in '83, and then three years later, we moved to North Manchester, Indiana, so that's where I went to high school. I really consider that my first home because I was there for the most influential years of my life. Manchester High School is really where I grew up." Thinking back on his childhood, Christiansen doesn't remember ever being interested in photography specifically, but he recalls always enjoying any time he could be creative. In 1996, Jared moved to Fort Wayne and, after a few years, went on to get his real estate license. Through real estate, Christiansen had an excellent first look into what being a small business owner was like. He understood how to create a business structure, handle fluctuating housing markets, and work with clients. He continued to work in the real estate industry for over a decade. In 2014, Jared and his wife visited his father-in-law in Miami, Florida. While they were there, they bought a camera to capture their trip. Shortly after making this purchase, Jared asked his wife if he could take a few pictures, but the camera never left his side. That day was when Jared's passion for photography was born. When they returned home from their trip, he continued to further his knowledge about photography. He watched tons of YouTube videos, read whatever books he could find, and found a mentor in Kevin Mullet, who has been generous enough to share his knowledge with Jared all these years. During our conversation, we asked Jared what type of content he first started doing, and he said he found himself taking a lot of content within abandoned buildings or warehouses, capturing the rugged, dreary, and forgotten spaces. When he was reflecting on this time, he told us that he believes his interest in this style of photography was because he was in a dark place. He went on to say as things began to shift in his life, he noticed he was simultaneously transitioning into different styles of photography. As Christiansen gained more passion and experience in the industry, he set out to find a way to make this his full-time career. When we discussed the challenges at the start of the company, he said, "When I jumped into the business, I knew how to form the company, thanks to my background in real estate, but the scary part was trying to figure out where the clients were going to come from. I didn't understand how I could get paid to take pictures, but once I started doing senior and family photos, the money started coming in. It gave me the confidence I needed to branch out into other areas of photography and transition into photography as my full-time job." Since starting his business, Jared has won several photo contests, including first place at Honeywell Center during their annual photo competition. He has nearly 50 pieces of his work displayed within the walls of Parkview Randallia, and he was given the opportunity to work with Lutheran Hospital, capturing content to go into their new building downtown before they opened. Jared has been featured in Fort Wayne Magazine, including having his work displayed on the cover multiple times. Recently, he has branched into doing concert photography, allowing him to shoot concerts for the Embassy, capture content at Ripple down at Parkview this past June, and even take pictures at a Snoop Dogg concert over the summer. When we talked about his success since starting his business, he expressed that he still experiences some challenges. He said, "The challenge for me now comes in being self-employed; whether it's real estate or photography, it's almost like feast or famine. There are weeks I'm so busy I think, 'how did I get here? This is so amazing' and then the following week, there's nothing, and I feel like a loser. The mental part of it all, like the imposter syndrome and self-doubt, is tough to push through, even though I know it will be okay. But with that said, I also believe the day you stop feeling nervous is when you should stop doing what you're doing. When you're comfortable, there's no passion. To me, passion drives everything, so I'm okay with pushing through it all because it means I'm still passionate about what I'm doing." As for the future of Jared Christiansen Photography, he said, "My dream would be to someday do something with national geographic. I want to continue to find my purpose in photography and find the purpose in what I do. I love what I do now, but I want to start doing things with more personal meaning. Whether that's capturing animals or people, I want to do something more impactful that makes a difference. I know I have a gift, and I want to use it to its fullest." Jared went on to tell us about how grateful he is that he's been able to turn his passion for photography into a full-time job for himself. He doesn't have any plans to hire a second shooter; instead, he defines growth for his business by being able to do what he wants and understanding his worth in the industry. If you're interested in taking a deeper look at Jared's work over the years or want to stay updated with what he's doing, check out and follow his Instagram and Facebook at jaredchristiansenimages or view complete galleries and purchase his work on his website at jaredchristiansenimages.com. To end our conversation, we always like to ask our current owners and leaders what advice they would give someone wanting to take on the entrepreneurial journey, and Jared said, "DON'T DO IT. No, I'm kidding; my advice would be to be honest with yourself and to stay open and humble. The biggest thing is to find something you want and love doing and finding a way to make that your career." Thank you to Jared Christiansen for sharing his story with us and providing us with several pictures he's captured throughout his career to share throughout this article. If you enjoy reading these stories about those helping shape Fort Wayne, follow us on Instagram/Facebook or subscribe to our free monthly newsletter so you're always in the loop about what's happening here at the Fort Wayne Business Journal.

Imagine you just got a call from your mother informing you that she's been diagnosed with cancer. A number of thoughts consume you as you take in this difficult news, but the first thing you ask is what are the next steps. Your mom tells you that she plans to start treatment, but the only place with the treatment she needs is hours away from where she lives, and she will need to be there for the next several weeks. Without question, you offer to go with her to help her through this challenging battle. You start looking into places to stay close to the hospital you'll be taking your mother to. After looking into several options, you realize that staying in a hotel or Airbnb for this long will be very expensive. You know your mom needs this treatment, so you take out your credit card and book the room anyway. You arrive at your hotel and get everything into your new space for the coming weeks. During your stay, all you hear is kids running through the halls, slamming doors, people talking in the room next to you, and you and your mom are having a hard time finding a way to get comfortable. You wished there was a more homelike place to return to after your long days at the hospital that was quiet and didn't require the financial strain this loud hotel did, but there was no other option. This situation happens to hundreds of adults seeking treatment in other cities from where they live throughout the United States. Fort Wayne was one of those cities until 2015, when Amy Torrez founded Paul's Place. When we talked to Amy, we asked her what Paul's Place is today. She said, "Our main mission is to provide temporary housing to adult patients and their caregivers when they travel to Fort Wayne for medical treatment. So, if they are getting chemo or radiation treatment at Parkview Cancer Institute or Fort Wayne Hematology and Radiology, their case manager will connect them with me, and we will set up a time that they can stay at our housing unit. We have a two bed, two bath single story corporate leased apartment with an attached two car garage that we provide for the families, and it's fully furnished." She went on to say that the unit is fully equipped with everything families will need throughout their stay, including dishes, silverware, pots and pans, towels, beds, clean linens, and all paper products they may need. Amy Torrez grew up right here in Fort Wayne. When she described her childhood, she said it was pretty average. She grew up attending a catholic church and attended catholic schools all the way through high school. She believes that her experiences in the church helped shape the values she has today when it comes to being a good person, morally and ethically. When Amy was nine, her parents separated, and would eventually get divorced when she was eleven. Although her parents were not together, Torrez says they had a great co-parenting relationship and were both at all of her important events growing up. While Amy was in high school, her father, Paul, received a heart transplant at Lutheran Hospital when it was located downtown off Fairfield Ave. He was the 52nd person to receive a transplant in Fort Wayne, so it was still considered experimental, but it went exceptionally well. After graduating high school, Torrez moved to Austin, Texas, where she would attend the University of Texas. About a year later, her father also moved to Texas to be closer to her. She graduated in May of 1999 and set out to find her dream job in Austin. In September of that same year, she got a phone call from her dad that would eventually change her life forever. He informed her that he was in the hospital in Houston and wanted her to come down for the weekend, so she did. Once she arrived, her dad proceeded to tell her that the doctors had just diagnosed him with lymphoma, and they believed it was caused by the anti-rejection medication he had to take for his heart transplant. The plan was for him to stay at the hospital and get started on some medication, and they would see what happened through the weekend. Amy's mind at the time took this information as the doctors taking the weekend to get a better game plan together, and on Monday, they would proceed with some sort of cancer treatment. Later, she would find out that the doctors didn't expect her dad to live through the weekend, but against the odds, he did. On Monday, they created a plan that would involve him taking a pill version of chemotherapy for two weeks. When that was over, he was strong enough to undergo a stronger version of chemotherapy. Throughout this time, Amy had been staying with a friend. Still, she knew her father would be getting treatment for at least several more weeks, so she wanted to find somewhere she could stay more long-term. She still had her apartment in Austin, so getting another apartment was out of the question. She couldn't afford to stay in a hotel for an extended time, so she didn't know what to do. Throughout the next few days, she began searching for options, and through a casual conversation with one of the nurses, they told her they could help her with a place to stay. The next day, the nurse handed Amy keys and an address. The nurse proceeded to tell her that a local church was providing her with a fully furnished apartment that she could stay in throughout her father's treatment, and the only thing she had to do was provide her own food; all other expenses were taken care of by the church. Throughout the next several months, as her father continued his treatments, Amy got a job at a hospital on campus to save money to get an apartment in Houston so she could stay closer to her dad permanently. Before Paul's final round of treatment, the doctors told Amy and Paul that the lymphoma was gone but they wanted to do one last treatment to ensure they got it all. When he completed his treatment Paul decided to take a trip back to his home near McAllen, Texas to take care of a few things for a week. During that week, Amy found an apartment in Houston and signed a lease. Soon after her dad returned to Houston, Amy was given the keys to her new apartment. She began moving things from the church's apartment to her new place. During the move, Paul stayed back at the old location to nap while Amy continued moving her things. On her final trip back to the old apartment to get the last of her belongings, Amy found her father on the bathroom floor. He had suffered a massive heart attack and sadly lost his life in March of 2000. After the sudden loss of her father, Amy decided to move back to Fort Wayne. She wanted to be closer to her family as they all grieved the loss of her father. Throughout the next several years, Amy went on to get married, have children, and work within a few different companies. During that time, she never forgot what she had gone through. In 2015, she began thinking about all the ways the church had helped her in Houston. Providing her with that apartment allowed her to focus solely on her father and not have the financial stress to deal with during an already difficult time. She thought about how Fort Wayne is the second largest city in Indiana while also being so close to Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois, and with us having two large hospitals here, she was sure there had to be a lot of out-of-town patients coming here for treatment. She began thinking of ways she could start something similar to what she experienced in Houston, and this was when the idea to create Paul's Place was formed. When we spoke with Amy about this time, she said, "At the time, I didn't have the financial ability to do this myself, but I had the experience. I worked in the hospitality industry all throughout college. I worked in insurance, so I knew something like (housing for patients) would never be covered under insurance. I also worked under property and casualty, so I knew this was a good business model." She went on to talk about how we have the Ronald Mcdonald House and the Hope House for pediatric patients, but we didn't have anything specifically for adult patients, so she knew she needed to fill that gap. She just didn't know how. So, for the next few months, Amy went on to talk to Lisa Pacula the executive director at Ronald Mcdonald House, and Andrew Gritzmaker the executive director at Hope House. Torrez asked them what they thought of her idea. Both gave her great feedback, encouragement, and advice. They would continue to help guide her throughout the next few years, and in March of 2017, Paul's Place was officially accepting families. When we asked Amy what the most challenging part was when she first started Paul's Place, she told us it was definitely funding. She said, "When you first start out, no one wants to fund you. Our first big grant was from the Lutheran Foundation - I think that rolled into my father getting his first transplant at Lutheran. We also had some angel investors and small fundraising events to reach small goals like funding the lease of the first apartment and then funding the rent for the year. We had events like sponsor night for families where you could donate $49, and that sponsors one night for a family. So, smaller amounts here and there kept adding up to where we needed to be. People donated furniture and decor; it was just a lot of everything and everyone coming together." She went on to tell us that after they signed the lease for the first apartment, they were able to expand to three fully furnished apartments for families over the next few years. During that time, Amy began looking into applying for some of the larger grants they had been waiting to apply for. When Torrez first started the company, Lisa with Ronald McDonald House had advised her to hold out on some of the larger grants until she could show their growing statistics to better her chances of being selected. If she was chosen for this grant, Amy planned to use the money to build a house for Paul's Place families to stay. This house would allow her to move Paul's Place out of the corporate leased apartments and into a more homelike environment within a neighborhood. The plan for the house was to build a home with three bedrooms. Each room would have a sitting area, kitchenette, full bathroom, and separate door to the bedroom. The main level of the house would be a communal full kitchen and living room for families to use if they wanted to be more social with other families experiencing similar situations as themselves. This house would create the perfect space that held true to the business motto, "at home while away from home." Around the time she was preparing to apply for the grant, Amy purchased land, got the permits from the city to build the house, and had a developer and building plans ready to go. All she needed now was the grant, but then the pandemic started. Throughout COVID, Paul's Place sadly had to let go of two of their apartments, which in turn caused them to turn away several families that were coming to them for help. With the loss of these apartments, they could no longer apply for the big grant they needed to build the house because they no longer had the proof that Paul's Place was thriving like it was pre-COVID. Today, they still intend to build the house; they just have to raise the funds differently than they originally intended. In the meantime, they are still placing families in the apartment and helping them throughout their treatment in any way they can. We asked Amy how families know about Paul's Place. She said, "During that first year, I spent a lot of time talking to the nurse care navigators, the hospital social workers, the nurses, really everyone that was talking with the families at the hospital every day. This was on the recommendation of the two executive directors I talked to. They said these people will be my direct line of communication to confirm families are here and when the last day of (their) treatment is. I talked with every department throughout the hospitals and Cancer Services of Northeast Indiana. Some families even call us directly instead of getting referred by the hospitals because they've seen what we're doing through social media." She explained that once families have been connected with her, she is with those families every step of the way until they check out of Paul's Place. Amy greets the families on the day of their arrival. She provides them with the keys to the unit and a packet of information if they ever need anything. Soon Paul's Place hopes to provide additional services such as a nutritionist for caregivers to help them learn how to make nutritious meals for their sick loved one or how to create meals if the patient is on a strict diet. They would also like to have a yoga instructor and massage therapist available if caregivers or patients ever need something to help them distress, even if it's just for an hour. The information for these services would go into the information packet provided to families at check-in and Amy would also like to hire a guest coordinator. This person would work with the families ahead of check-in to book these services and make sure caregivers and patients are more aware of these services throughout their stay with Paul's Place. Amy said, "We know they're going through a lot, and they are not in their usual state of mind to be able to remember everything we have to offer, so to have that person there to remind them is something we'd like to do." As for the future of Paul's Place, Torrez plans to build the communal living home soon and hopes to be able to expand by building more homes throughout Fort Wayne in the coming years. She hopes to one day hire a few employees to help her with the day-to-day operations. The big dream would be to expand the company nationally by building homes in other cities nationwide with large hospitals to help more families needing the services of Paul's Place. We asked Amy what the best way is for the community to help, and she said, "Attend events! We are also looking for our Faithful 100, which are donors who donate monthly. Whether that's $10 a month or $100 a month, we would absolutely appreciate anyone who can commit to something like that. Sharing our content on social media to spread the word of what we're doing helps a lot, too." I asked Amy how many families they have helped since they first started taking in families. She said that between 2021-2022, they've provided 456 nights of comfort, and so far this year, they have helped with 216 nights of comfort. She went on to explain that although they've had the ability to help so many families, they have also had to turn away several families due to not having a place for them to stay. She said that in 2021-2022, they had to turn away 297 nights of comfort, and so far this year, they've had to turn away 267 nights, which is more nights than they have been able to help. She went on to say that turning away families is so difficult for her because she knows these patients need their treatments, but without the housing, it makes it very difficult for them to get to it. This issue is why getting the funding to build these homes is so important. Having three rooms to fill at a time will allow her to help more people while keeping the expenses low. When we asked Amy what her advice would be to someone hoping to start their own non-profit, she said, "Keep remembering your why. It's not always going to be easy; there will always be an uphill battle you will go through. It's consuming emotionally and financially, so you have to make sure it's powerful enough why to keep pushing. Going through COVID, almost all of our events and grants dried up. There were a few times where I almost lost my car or my house because I wanted to make sure the mission was being taken care of because there were so many families that needed this to live. There were people who stopped going to treatment because they had nowhere to stay until Paul's Place was available. I knew my family would be okay; we have a large family here in town, and the kid's dad is here. I knew we would never be homeless or starve, but knowing that the alternative of Paul's Place closing would mean someone wouldn't have the ability to go to treatment kept me pushing. So make sure you keep that why for when things get rough. If it's true in your heart and passion, God's going to provide for something to happen. It's not going to be an easy road, but it's going to be a fulfilling one." Amy Torrez has a huge heart, and with her help, she's been able to help so many families during the most difficult days of their lives. She is so passionate about what she is doing with Paul's Place; you could hear it in her voice the entire time we spoke. If you would like to help Amy continue her mission of providing a home away from home for adult patients seeking medical care here in Fort Wayne, consider attending one of Paul's Place fundraising events or become one of 2024 Faithful 100. If you're interested in learning more about Amy's story, she will be speaking on October 6th during the First Friday's event at Lutheran Campus in the Kachmann Auditorium. To sign up for the event, click here. The event is free, but you do need to reserve your spot. Torrez also has a podcast called Embracing Adversity, where she speaks with people about how they overcame the most difficult times of their lives. She says the hope for this podcast is to inspire and encourage other people who may be going through similar situations to know they're not alone and help them overcome whatever battle they're currently facing. We want to send a huge thank you to Amy Torrez for allowing us to share her story with you and for being so open with us about her journey. We want to thank Nike with Creative Roots Media for capturing these pictures for us to use throughout the article. If you enjoy reading these stories about local entrepreneurs shaping Fort Wayne, subscribe to our newsletter so you're always informed about what's happening here at the Fort Wayne Business Journal.

Are you looking for something to do this weekend in Fort Wayne! Well you're in luck we have all you need to know to plan your weekend with fun filled activities! Events this weekend Art This Way Art Crawl: Alley Bash Friday September 22nd from 6:00pm-10:00pm Haunted Black Forest and Haunted Castle open for the season starting Friday September 22nd Fall Harvest Festival at Salomon Farms Friday September 22nd-Saturday September 23rd If you want to stay in the loop about what's going on every weekend here in Fort Wayne follow us on Facebook and Instagram we post weekends events every week so you're always informed!

On September 29th, 2023, Mike Clem will take over as CEO and President of Sweetwater in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Mike took on the role of President in January of 2023, and when the current CEO, John Hopkins, announced his retirement after 30 years with the company, Clem was promoted to CEO. Mike joined the company in 2003 and has taken on several significant roles throughout the last two decades that have helped lead the company to great success. We had the honor to speak with Mike and ask him a few questions before he takes on this new role at Sweetwater. Mike Clem grew up in Fort Wayne, so he knew of Sweetwater's existence well before he started working for the company. He said, "I loved the story of Sweetwater. I am a musician, and I have been playing since I was a child. Throughout high school and college, I played for a number of different bands, and I still play at my church today. My career background is in technology and marketing, so when I found my way to Sweetwater in 2003, it was a great way for me to mesh my passions. When I started, I helped build out and scale the first online e-commerce site here because things were still very much phone-based at the time." He told us that by the end of 2003, Sweetwater made $60 million in sales, and $4 million of that came from the e-commerce site. To some, that may sound like a small chunk, but in 2003, buying items online wasn't as popular as it is today. Over the years, the e-commerce portion of the business has grown significantly. We asked Mike what attracted him to the CEO role, and he said, "Sweetwater is a company that takes care of customers like friends, obsesses over details and is built on integrity and ethics. So what draws me to the CEO role is to be able to continue to stay true to who we are and to continue to carry out the vision for the future." He went on to say that it has been a lot of fun watching the growth of the company over the last twenty years. He explained how it's been refreshing to work for a company that focuses so heavily on the customer experience and how proud he is that they are not another faceless, transactional e-commerce business. When it comes to leadership, Clem plans to keep the bar high regarding the company's attention to detail and ensure that every experience is top-notch for its customers, whether in-store or online. Mike strives to have excellent communication and trust between himself and his staff. He said that if someone were to describe his leadership abilities, he believes they would say that he is authentic and transparent. During our conversation, we asked if there were any plans to incorporate work-from-home positions, and he said, "Our culture works best when we're onsite working together and collaborating. To ensure we're all highly trained on our products, you have to be here to see and hear the equipment, so we're very much an in-house work environment. As a result of that, we've invested heavily in creating an attractive space for our employees. We have a diner, fitness center, salon, doctor and nurse on site, and an arcade, so we've worked hard to say, 'Listen, let's all work together here at the office, but let's also provide some amenities that make life easier for you while you're here.'" As for the current challenges for the business in today's market, Mike said that with the cost of goods increasing due to inflation, all of retail is uncertain. What is interesting, though, is that even through this product-based business industry problem, the music industry seems to be resilient. He continued by telling us that even through the pandemic, they continued to see growth in the company. He said, "We sell the things people needed during that time to stream their businesses, church services, school sessions, or whatever personal reason they needed to stream for. We also had several people picking up an instrument for the first time or re-engaging with a music hobby. We found 2.5 million new customers through that timeframe. Even today, they're still engaged with making music, so even in an uncertain economy, we were quite encouraged in the number of people finding joy in making music." Now that society has opened up again and gotten back to mostly precovid norms, Mike says that the business is doing better than before the pandemic. With this growth, they plan to continue supporting the community, doing more sales, concerts, and master classes, and finding new ways to accelerate the growth within their store. As for the challenges on the online side of the business, Clem says they are heavily focused on the user experience. The challenge with this is finding the best way to scale, augment, and equip people with the proper tools online to create a more intimate and personal approach to help aid customers in their online musical journeys. To make these experiences, they have incorporated technology to provide their clients with the most highly sophisticated product recommendations and personalization's to help add value to their online customers. When it comes to the hopes for the future of Sweetwater, once Mike takes on this new role, he says there will continue to be a lot of exciting growth. Recently, they have incorporated several new markets, including band and orchestra, educators and content creators, and even branched into the used gear industry. They will continue to be heavily focused on their millions of customers and hold the bar high regarding customer experience and satisfaction. Over the last few years, Sweetwater has built a 350,000-square-foot distribution center in Glendale, Arizona. This warehouse is the first time Sweetwater has ever made anything outside of its headquarters here in Fort Wayne. The distribution center has been open since October 2022 and has been crucial for their West Coast customers. Before the warehouse was running clients where waiting 4-5 days for their equipment to get to them, but with this new location being strategically placed in Arizona, those wait times have been drastically reduced to just 1-2 days. Mike Clem is honored and excited to take on his new role as CEO and President, and you could hear the pride in his voice when he spoke about the company. We are excited to see what great things come from this transition at Sweetwater and want to send a huge thank you to Mike for taking the time to talk with us. If you enjoy reading our stories, learning about important business happenings, and being in the know about weekend events follow us on social media or subscribe to our free monthly newsletter!

Looking for something to do this weekend in Fort Wayne, Indiana! Check out these awesome events happening near you! Events in Fort Wayne Vera Bradley Classic: Friday 15th - Monday 18 Arts and Music Festival: Friday 15th - Saturday 16th Kuehnert Dairy Farm Fall Festival: Saturday 15th- Recurring weekly Friday-Sunday until October 29th Johnny Appleseed Festival: Saturday 16th - Sunday 17th Oktoberfest 2023: Saturday 16th - Sunday 17th If you have any local events or happenings you would like to promote email Fort Wayne Business Journal! fwbusinessjournal@gmail.com

What are you doing this weekend? At the Fort Wayne Business Journal, we share every Wednesday what is going on this weekend in Fort Wayne, Indiana! If you are visiting Fort Wayne or just want to try something new, check out our business journal every Wednesday! This Weekend 41st Annual West Central and Neighborhood Home and Garden Tour - Saturday Sept 9th-Sunday Sept 10th Fox Face Plate - Saturday Sept 9th Dino Day - Every weekend in Sept Autism Ally Autism Acceptance Walk - Sunday Sept 10th Monarch Festival - Sunday Sept 10th If you know of any local events in Fort Wayne, contact us:

Have you made any plans this weekend in Fort Wayne? We know last minute planning can be tough, but we got your back! The Fort Wayne Business Journal publishes local events happening over the weekend every Wednesday, so you're always informed. This weekend 1. Sweet Breeze Canal Boat Cruise - Bird Watching Tour: Friday September 1st 2. Jurassic Empire: Friday September 1st - Sunday September 10th 3. Last Day of the Season for Hawiian Shaved Ice: Sunday September 3rd If you would like us to share any events you are hosting or know of any that are coming soon email us at fwbusinessjournal@gmail.com so we can share it with everyone!

It was a big day for Surack Entreprise, the Surack Family, Weigand Construction, and everyone involved in the progress of The Pearl. Today, they placed the topmost beam during the Topping Ceremony in Fort Wayne. This ceremony was celebrating the highest point. The Pearl will be coming in at 7 stories tall! More about The Pearl Downtown Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is about to witness a transformation with the upcoming arrival of "The Pearl," a groundbreaking mixed-use development set to reshape the heart of the city. Scheduled to be finished in 2024, this nearly 80 million dollar project aims to be a central hub of growth, offering abundant opportunities for businesses, entertainment, and culture. A Vibrant Hub of Possibilities in Downtown Fort Wayne The Pearl will bring a world of possibilities, giving the local business community a fresh boost. From retail spaces to restaurants, live music venues, and artistic hubs, the Pearl will entertain both residents and visitors alike, making it a go-to destination for all. The Pearl's spot on Main Street, in the lively downtown area, makes it easy for everyone to get to and enjoy. It's packed with exciting things to do and see, blending in smoothly with other neat places nearby. A Haven for Business and Residential Ventures The Pearl also embraces commercial and residential spaces. Spanning 12,000 square feet of street-level retail space, the project will undoubtedly attract dynamic business ventures, supported by the foot traffic from the residential areas above. A total of 76 single and multi-bedroom apartments, along with five distinctive live/work storefronts, will provide a unique style of downtown living, promoting a sense of community and growth. A Vision Brought to Life by Surack Enterprises and the City of Fort Wayne The visionary minds behind The Pearl are Chuck Surack, founder of Sweetwater, and Lisa Surack. In partnership with the City of Fort Wayne's Community Development Division, they aim to create a seven-story masterpiece. The ground floor alone will offer over 35,000 square feet of commercial and event space, while structured parking facilities will cater to the needs of Pearl's residents. Moreover, the development will feature an impressive 75 units on its upper floors, ensuring ample opportunities for tenants. Paving the Way for Community Growth The Pearl is not just a real estate endeavor, it symbolizes the possibilities that can only happen between the collaboration of private and public entities. With the Suracks' investment of up to $7 million to enhance the surrounding streets and public infrastructure, this project showcases how public-private partnerships can benefit the entire community. The city of Fort Wayne eagerly awaits the transformative impact of The Pearl, which promises to elevate the downtown experience for both residents and visitors alike. For more information about The Pearl: https://thepearlfw.com Construction info: https://www.weigandconstruction.com If you have any business news or events, email us at fwbusinessjournal@gmail.com to learn more about how to promote with us! Thank you, and hope to hear from you soon. Fort Wayne Business Journal

It’s easy to spend hours at the hair salon; many people have to plan it out in advance to ensure they are saving enough time for their upcoming hair appointment. On the opposite end of the spectrum are those that want a much faster approach, the clients that need a quick haircut or a nice blowout. Unfortunately, quick-quality salon service options are few and far between. Bethanie Morken, a cosmetologist since 2009, noticed this problem throughout her career, among other flaws in the salon industry, and decided it was time to change the narrative. In 2021, she decided to fully commit to an idea she has had in her mind for some time and started her venture into an industry-disrupting project that she now calls 260 Hair Bus. When she described what the company is today, she said, “260 Hair Bus is designed to have W2 employees; my goal with the bus is for it to be a platform for new stylists to build their clientele and find their own identities and build confidence behind the chair with the help of my training and shared knowledge. For clients, I wanted to bring a quick in and out salon service that also provides a quality, uplifting, and positive experience.” Bethanie Morken was born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana. When we talked about what her childhood was like, she said she has many great memories from when she was growing up. Like visiting her father in Wisconsin, helping him on projects for his home building business or hearing her stepdad tell her she should be a hairstylist someday after seeing the haircuts she would give her Barbie’s. She also told us, “I was an only child until I was ten, so the word lonely comes to mind. When I grew up, we didn’t have many gadgets like kids have today to stay busy. I entertained myself with arts and crafts or by watching what the adults were doing around me. Throughout my childhood, people would tell me that I was too mature for my age and that I needed to spend more time playing with the other kids, but I never felt like I fit in with the kids my age. I was just too interested in learning about the world around me.” She went on to say that even though her childhood felt lonely at times, she believes that all the observations she had growing up helped guide her in many decisions she’s made in her adult life, and those big decisions have helped shape her into the person she is today. When Morken was a teenager, she remembers thinking about the concept of being a business owner; she said, “I remember in middle school thinking that I never wanted to live my life only looking forward to Friday. I always wanted freedom and flexibility, and being a business owner is really the only way to get that. Being around my dad when I was younger really exposed me to what being a business owner would be like. Watching business be good and bad, sometimes overwhelming while also being rewarding and exciting. It was all the things, and I knew I wanted something like that for myself.” When Bethanie was at South Side High School, she applied for the cosmetology program at Anthis Career Center. At first, she wanted to do the program because growing up, she always heard people talking about how important skilled trades were to have in your back pocket but soon after starting the class she realized this was something she’d actually want to have as her career. In 2009, Morken passed her state boards and became a licensed cosmetologist. She went to Indiana University to study Human Development and Sociology, and throughout her college career, she worked behind the chair at Master Cuts. Master Cuts was a corporate salon, similar to Great Clips or Big League Barbers. This was Bethanie’s first salon opportunity, and she was grateful to have the peace of mind a corporate-backed salon had. She told us, “I’m grateful I had the corporate experience starting out. Today when you work for a local salon owner and, for example, you overprocess someone’s highlights, you’re not protected like you would be on a corporate level. I never felt like I would over-process anyone’s hair, but I always felt a little more protected in the beginning knowing I had corporate backing if I ever needed it. It helped push me along and learn a lot really quickly.” She’s carried this experience throughout her career in the salon industry, among other situations she’s encountered that she felt could be done better or differently. Bethanie has had the opportunity to witness many different versions of the various salon business models out there but has never found anything that felt like a good fit for her. Many of the salons she worked in didn't share the same values as she did, or had toxic work spaces from trying to blend too many stylists into one work environment. In 2020, Bethanie lost her job when the world shut down to stop the spread of Covid-19. Although she lost her job, it gave her the time she needed to think of what she could do to change the industry. As she thought through her business model, she knew she wanted to create a space for a convenient, in-and-out, quality salon service for her clients. With this concept in mind, she knew the services she would offer in this new salon would need to be ones someone could perform in an hour or less. This led to the creation of the first menu, which included a blowout bar and clipper cuts. On the stylist side of the business, she wanted the location to be small so that there wasn't room for too many people to be in the same space to prevent the chance for conflict. This would allow her to always ensure the environment within the salon would stay positive. Next, she knew she wanted to hire newly licensed cosmetologists to give them the opportunity to get comfortable, confident, and find their identities behind the chair with the help of her guidance. Bethanie loves teaching and sharing her knowledge with other stylists, so planning to hire newly licensed cosmetologists would give her the ability to dig deeper into her educational side with those hungry to learn more about the industry. Now that she knew the business model she wanted, she had to find the best way to execute it. The idea of running a storefront salon wasn’t what she wanted for this concept; it needed to be something that was more convenient for people because convenience was one of the main focuses of the business model. She loved the idea of mobile detailing or mobile pet grooming businesses, so she decided to create Fort Wayne’s first mobile hair salon. After months of searching, on June 6th, 2021, Bethanie finally found the perfect vehicle for her business. A 2005 Navistar school bus, once used to transport special needs children for the East Allen County School district. Now that she had the bus it was time to start designing and executing the conversion from a school bus to a mobile hair salon. Without the ability to work the last several months, Bethanie's savings was dwindling but, shortly after buying the bus, covid restrictions began to loosen and Morken was able to start renting a booth at a local salon. Through the mass amount of clients that were coming to see her, she was able to start saving again and putting money aside to start the build. Now that she had money to work with, she set out to find a contractor willing to help her convert the bus into a mobile salon. Unfortunately, this was when the housing market was skyrocketing, and due to this, many contractors were too busy or booked out to learn how to properly handle a project like this. The rejection from contractors left Bethanie with only one other option; she needed to build it herself. As a newly single mom, it would be hard to find the time she needed to complete this project, but she was determined to find a way. So, for the next several months Bethanie would work her shift at the salon, come home and feed her children, load them up into the bus and get to work. During this time there were not many resources out there to reference how to create a project like this so it took a lot of time to ensure everything that was being put into the bus would perform the way it needed to. Morken spent countless hours cutting wood pieces to create counters and shelves, finding creative ways to mount everything inside the bus so it wouldn't shift while the bus was moving, and planning out every last detail that you see today when inside. She even carefully planned out the way the bus would look aesthetically because she knew she wanted to create this space for everyone to feel welcome. When we talked to her about what the most challenging part was throughout the build, she told us it was not being in tune with her mind, body, and spirit. This led her to overwork her body to the point of total exhaustion. She also said not having the support she thought she would get from some friends and family was tough for her too. She said, “You expect the people in your life to be supportive and show up. I’ve gotten advice from people in business who say your friends are not your first customer, and I’ve been aware of that, but doing something that’s such a novelty like the bus and the fact that I had to figure out how to make it all happen while also being a newly single mom was hard. I was so excited and passionate, but some of the people around me tried to bring me down. I had to coach myself throughout this process mentally. I could have sat there and said I couldn’t continue, but I had to teach myself to heal my body to help my mind. Throughout this process, my intuition started to kick in, and things flowed more naturally. I gained the confidence I needed to push through all the challenges of building the bus and knowing every decision I was making was needed for the project.” She went on to tell us about how her father passed away shortly after she graduated from IU, but she felt he still helped guide her in the process. She likes to say that he helped her with the construction, just from the other side. She also said the bus wouldn’t have been possible without the help of her ex-husband, who helped her continuously throughout the construction process, and the ones that did show up for her along the way. She was so grateful to have their support throughout the build. After the bus was finally completed, Bethanie didn’t feel the sense of joy and excitement she thought she would. On the contrary, she felt utterly worn down and burnt out. She needed to find a way within herself to keep pushing; she worked so hard for this moment, it was time for the city to see what she’s created. So, she began calling local businesses in town to see if she could park the bus in front of their location and start accepting walk-in customers. At first, she didn’t get the response from the community that she thought she would. She had hoped that the city would be more excited about this new twist in the salon industry, but instead she was receiving a lot of rejection. She didn’t let it stop her, she continued calling people until someone finally gave her, her first yes, and in October of 2022, 260 Hair Bus was officially open for business. Since opening last year, Bethanie has gotten great feedback from the community. She’s added a few more options to the services menu including scissor cuts, hair add-ins like tensile or feathers, root touch ups, and color conditioning services to name a few. She’s hired her first stylist and has had the opportunity to partner with FWCS to provide kids with a fresh haircut for their first day of school. When we talked about what the hopes are for the future of the bus, Bethanie told us her hopes are to one day open a Kids Cut Bus to provide children with a unique and fun haircut experience. She’d also like to start teaming up with local beauty schools to continue her mission of helping new stylists find their paths into the industry but her biggest dream of all would be to one day franchise the company. She would love to see her buses all around the country and have the ability to help others build out a bus into a mobile hair salon. When we asked Morken what advice she would have for another entrepreneur taking the leap into starting a company, she said, “My biggest advice would be to learn to mentally train yourself and have resources to help keep your mind, body, and spirit in alignment. You manifest your future, so if you think you’ll fail, you will, but if you think you’ll succeed, you’ll always find a way.” If you want to find 260 Hair Bus to get a fresh blowout, try out a new haircut, get your hair done before an event, or just see for yourself what the bus looks like and experience its uniqueness firsthand, follow them on Instagram and Facebook @260HairBus to see where to find them! Bethanie posts where the bus will be for the week every Sunday, so you’ll always be in the loop. We want to give a huge thank you to Bethanie Morken for sharing her story with us and being so vulnerable and open to discussing all the highs and lows of starting her company. Entrepreneurship is a journey, but from one of Bethanie’s favorite quotes by Henry Ford, “When everything seems to be going against you, remember the airplane takes off going against the wind, not with it.” Keep pushing, and you’ll be able to accomplish whatever you set your mind to. Another big thank you to Nike with Creative Roots Media for taking these amazing photos. If you love reading these stories about the people helping shape Fort Wayne into the great city it is today, subscribe to our newsletter so you’re always informed about what’s happening here at the Fort Wayne Business Journal.