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Are you ready for the weekend? I know we are! If you're not sure what to do this weekend, we have a whole list of fun-filled events we think everyone will enjoy! Trunk or Treat and Night Market: Friday October 13th from 5pm-9pm Brickworld Lego Expo: Friday October 13th - October 14th from 10am-5pm Handmade Homemade Sale: Saturday October 14th from 12pm-5pm Wild Zoo Halloween Superhero Weekend: Saturday October 14th-Sunday October 15th Wags and Wiggles Howl-O-Ween: Sunday October 15th from 23pm-4pm Fort Wayne Hobby and Collectibles Show: Sunday October 15th from 11am-4pm Below you will find all you need to know about each event, let us know if you attend any and how your experience was! If you like being in the know about all the fun weekend events happening around Fort Wayne, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @fortwaynebusinessjournal so you never miss out on the fun!

Fort Wayne, IN, is known for its blend of businesses, culture, and community spirit. Electric Works, The Lofts at Headwaters Park, and the Arts United Center exemplify the city's commitment to providing spaces where commerce and culture blend. These destinations embody Fort Wayne's dedication to fostering innovation, supporting local entrepreneurs, and celebrating artistic expression, collectively creating an atmosphere where the public can enjoy the city's vibrant entrepreneurial and cultural landscape. At its core, Electric Works is all about fostering innovation, creativity, and collaboration. Located in Downtown Fort Wayne, IN, at 1020 Swinney Ave, 46802. It offers affordable workspaces, making it a welcoming home for startups and small businesses, helping budding entrepreneurs thrive without the burden of hefty overhead costs. But Electric Works isn't just a business space; it's a thriving community hub with something for everyone. You'll find a variety of vendors serving a diverse selection of dishes that cater to different tastes, making it an excellent spot for food enthusiasts of all kinds. Additionally, Electric Works is where the local culture truly comes alive. They host various events and activities, from art exhibitions and craft fairs to live music and educational workshops. It's a place where you can savor the flavors of Fort Wayne and immerse yourself in the city's rich culture, all in one vibrant location. As construction progresses on the Lofts at Headwaters Park, Fort Wayne eagerly anticipates this addition's arrival to its downtown landscape. The $98 million mixed-use development at the intersection of Superior St and Clinton St is working hard to become a popular destination in the city. It's not just about the modern apartments, townhomes, and the much-needed public parking garage; the Lofts also will offer substantial retail space. This feature is set to create a lively environment of shops and boutiques, further enhancing its appeal as a go-to destination. As Fort Wayne continues its downtown revitalization project, this project represents a significant step forward, promising a dynamic living and shopping experience right in the heart of the city. The Arts United Center has been a cherished venue since its beginnings in 1973, architected by Louis Kahn, located at 303 E Main St, Fort Wayne, 46802. Hosting theatrical and musical performances, community gatherings, festivals, and classes, the Arts United Center has showcased some of the best performances in Fort Wayne throughout history. An essential capital campaign is underway to expand and modernize the Arts United Center. This endeavor aims to ensure that the community theater remains fully accessible, functional, and thoughtfully preserved to honor its historical significance. As the Arts United Center commemorates its 50th season, this investment will enable the venue to continue serving future generations. The Arts United Center stands as a long-lasting symbol of Fort Wayne's appreciation and celebration of the arts. Providing a dedicated space where creativity is admired and artistic expressions are embraced by the community. In Fort Wayne, destinations like Electric Works, The Lofts, and the Arts United Center are fantastic examples of businesses offering the public vibrant experiences as well as new experiences. These destinations showcase Fort Wayne's commitment to innovation, supporting local entrepreneurs, and celebrating the arts. Together, they create a welcoming atmosphere where everyone can enjoy the city's entrepreneurial and cultural scene, making Fort Wayne, IN, a fantastic place to-be.

The path into entrepreneurship is never a straight one. It's more like a crazy roller coaster ride that has highs and lows and multiple twists along the way. From the life an entrepreneur lives before their business was even thought of to the conception of their business and the challenges of being a startup and beyond. This holds especially true for Nikeshia (Nike) Young, owner of Roots of Life Photography and Creative Roots Media, who has had to overcome many obstacles throughout her life to become the successful business owner she is today. Although Nike has had a rough journey, she still maintains a positive attitude and strives to make everyone around her laugh and smile through her bubbly personality and sense of humor. When we asked Nikeshia what her business is today, she said, "I've been in business for 11 years in February, so Roots of Life Photography is the umbrella company. Roots of Life handles all personal photography, so I do maternity, birth, newborn, milestone, and family photography, engagements, elopements, weddings, senior photos, and destination photography. Creative Roots Media is a business under Roots of Life that handles the commercial side of my photography. So that's where I do real estate photography, corporate headshots, product pictures, business branding, and e-commerce." To follow up on this question, we asked Nike what the word business meant to her, and she said, "When I think of business, I think of an entrepreneur. I think the words go hand in hand. It's an idea, a way of selling something, and a way of creating. Honestly, it's a way of life that's not for the faint of heart." Nikeshia Young was born and raised in Bryan, Ohio, a small town just outside of Toledo and home to the Dum Dum sucker factory, Spangler Candy. When Young talked about what it was like growing up, she said almost all her childhood memories included some form of trauma. She grew up with a father who was in and out of her life due to being an alcoholic, abusive, and spending most of her upbringing in and out of prison. Nike even shared a raw story with us about how her earliest childhood memory included a time when her father picked up a puppy and threw it through a wall. At the age of 10, she picked up a paper route as her first job, but when she was 11, she and her mother were involved in a tragic accident that would change the course of her life forever. On the evening of January 1st, nearly 20 years ago, Nikeshia and her family were on their way home when a drunk driver t-boned them. The drunk driver was an Amish man who passed out in a buggy, leaving the horse running down the street without guidance. The horse ended up running straight into the road, hitting Young and her family. The severe impact broke her mother's neck and paralyzed her from the neck down. After spending much time in the hospital, her mom was eventually transferred to a nursing home to receive around-the-clock care, and Nike was put into foster care. After bouncing around between different family members, Nike was placed with a family in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 2006. When Nike moved to Fort Wayne, she was a freshman in high school. She attended Snider High School and at 16 Nikeshia moved into her own apartment. Shortly before her 17th birthday her mother was released from the nursing home into Nike’s care. After graduation, Nike received a scholarship to Purdue for veterinary school but ultimately decided to leave that dream behind and moved to upstate New York but eventually moved back to Fort Wayne. At the age of 20, she got married, but soon after the wedding, she realized that the man she married was abusive. She filed for a divorce and left, but this would now leave her homeless. She managed to get a third shift position at a factory, which allowed her to find a place to stay, and she began going to Indiana Tech for Early Childhood Development and Education. Soon after finally returning to her feet, Nike gained temporary custody of her newborn and 2-year-old nieces. After graduation, Nikeshia got a job at a local school as a preschool teacher, but when she got pregnant with her daughter in 2015, she was wrongfully terminated. The reason they gave for her termination was because a pregnant person shouldn't be in her position. This lit a fire underneath Nikeshia that would soon lead her to take her first venture into entrepreneurship as she opened a daycare and began taking photography more seriously. We asked Nike if she remembers being interested in photography as a kid, and she said, "Throughout my childhood, I always had a disposable camera. I have boxes of pictures from when I was growing up. I always wanted to capture the moment and memories. Some may say that's linked to my childhood trauma because I never knew when I would see my dad again. It was always hit or miss if he would show up, so I had a camera with me all the time to capture everything. I never thought of it as a career though, growing up I wanted to be a veterinarian because I love animals, but I was always taking pictures. My friends, even today, still make fun of me because I'm always taking pictures and videos, but you know what? That's all you're going to have when someone is gone. And that really hit me when my dad died. All I had left of him was the few pictures and videos I took. Now that I've had that kind of loss and impact, I live by that even more. I want to take pictures and be in pictures because that's all that's left when loved ones are gone." She went on to tell us about the first time she ever picked up a professional camera, which was in 2013. She said that a close friend asked her to take pictures of their family, and after the shoot, someone told her that she could do this professionally, so she did! Nike began to focus more on a career in photography at the beginning of 2020 after she realized that she was spending far too much time at the daycare instead of being at home with her daughter. Towards the end of the daycare business, Nike was working from 5 a.m.-10 p.m. and only a little bit of time at home. So, at the end of 2019, she notified all the parents that she would close the daycare at the end of the year. In 2020, Nikeshia left her daughter's father, moved in with her mom to be her full-time caregiver, and took her freelance photography business full-time. When we spoke with Nike about that time, we asked her what the most challenging part was as she transitioned into this new career path, and she said, "The biggest challenge I was afraid of was COVID, but 2020 was when my photography business blew up. I don't know if that's because COVID made people feel like they needed to capture memories or if it was because I wasn't spreading myself thin on two businesses, but either way, 2020 was when I really blew up. A personal challenge I had was being a single mom, a business owner, and a full-time caregiver to my quadriplegic mom. It was a lot. I was exhausted, stressed, burnt out, overwhelmed, all of it. And then Covid. So, it was rough at the start, but here I am. I'm a full-time successful photographer, and there are not many photographers that can say that because this is a cutthroat, very competitive, over-saturated business to be in." Since starting Roots of Life, Nike has accomplished many things that she never imagined were possible in the beginning. Her work has been published several times, including in multiple photography magazines. She won top 2% in the world in a 2019 photo competition and accomplished one of her biggest dreams of being a traveling photographer. Nikeshia has had the opportunity to travel to Florida, New York, Colorado, Virginia, Wyoming, and Italy. One big personal accomplishment for Nike was when she was able to pay for a trip for her and her daughter to go to Hawaii together and while she was there, she was able to fit in a few photography sessions. When we were talking about all the great things Nike has been able to do over the last few years, we started talking about what helped her stand out among the rest in such a saturated industry, and she said, "I've had so many people ask what makes me different, and in the beginning, I didn't know (how to answer that question), but now I can say it's my personality. I know I do good work, but people keep coming back because of me. So, my personality stands me out. Most of my reviews are about how I make people laugh, feel relaxed, and have fun (during their sessions). My repeat clients all tell me the reason they keep coming back isn't just because of my work, but because of who I am as a person." As for the future of Roots of Life Photography, Nike said in the short term, she would love to do more real estate photography because she loves shooting houses. She would also like to expand on doing more business branding for other entrepreneurs. She said she loves meeting new people and hearing their stories. One of her favorite things is learning the why behind why a company got started and how it got to where they are now. In the long term, Nikeshia would love to be a National Geographic Photographer to fulfill her love for animals and nature. The biggest goal would be to shoot in Antarctica, Africa, and Alaska to capture content of the polar bears, take pictures of her favorite whale, the beluga, and photograph the Kodiaks. Her dream would be to one day shoot with her favorite photographer, David Yarrow. She loves his work in Africa and would love to learn and create with him. At the end of our conversation with Nike, we asked her what advice she would give to someone hoping to take on the entrepreneurial journey, and she said, "Don't sell yourself short. Don't do free and cheap; your time alone is worth more. Especially as a photographer, but really any business, don't sell yourself short, and it does get better. Hold on for the light at the end of the tunnel. It does come; it just takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get there." If you want to see more of Nike's work or book a session with her, follow her on social media at Roots of Life Photography or visit her website at rootsoflifephotos.com. Working with Nikeshia has been a lot of fun, and we're so honored to have her on our team. Her genuine attitude towards every new business owner we send her to is unmatched. She goes into every shoot with the desire to learn more about everyone she encounters, and it shows in the creativity of her work. Everyone she has worked with for us has come back with such positive words about how comfortable she made them feel, how fun the shoot was, or simply how great of a person Nike is in general. We are so excited to see the future of Roots of Life and Creative Roots Media and witness the wonderful things Nike accomplishes throughout her career. Thank you, Nikeshia, for allowing us to tell your story and being so open about what you've been through to get to where you are today. We are so grateful to have you with us at the Fort Wayne Business Journal and can't wait to keep growing with you. If you like reading stories about the people shaping Fort Wayne into what it is today, subscribe to our newsletter so you're always in the loop about what's happening here at the Fort Wayne Business Journal.

Not sure what to do this weekend in Fort Wayne? Don't worry, we got you covered! This weekend is full of fun activities but here's some of our favorites. Harrison Dental Group Trunk or Treat Fort Wayne Rubber Stamp and Scrapbook Getaway St. Joe Little League Fall Festival St. Joe Christmas Tree Farm Fall & Christmas Market Fest Wild Zoo Halloween: Truck and Tractor Weekend If you like seeing these events don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram so you're always in the loop about what's happening here in Fort Wayne and at the Fort Wayne Business Journal.

When it comes to Fort Wayne, the 2nd largest city in Indiana, some may think, is there any business potential there? As our city grows, there are more business opportunities than ever, so we say yes. With a spotlight on entrepreneurship, we believe Fort Wayne is one of the top places to grow a business. With a growing population, a more diverse consumer base, and numerous opportunities for networking and collaboration, starting a business today in Fort Wayne could be the perfect time! One of the best advantages of growing a business in Fort Wayne is the access to a more extensive customer base compared to previous years. The city is becoming more densely populated, offering a wide range of potential customers with varying needs and preferences. This allows businesses to tailor their products or services accordingly and the ability to take risks in new markets. Moreover, the higher population often leads to increased foot traffic and online presence, providing businesses more opportunities to attract customers and generate sales. Another benefit of operating in Fort Wayne is the availability of resources and infrastructure. As a growing city, we are becoming well-equipped with modern facilities, transportation networks, and technological advancements. This enables businesses to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and deliver products or services more effectively. Furthermore, Fort Wayne is becoming a known city with a vibrant and dynamic business environment. We are attracting diverse ranges of industries, professionals, and entrepreneurs, creating a rich environment for networking and collaboration. Business owners can connect with like-minded individuals, potential partners, and industry experts, fostering innovation and knowledge sharing. This collaborative atmosphere can lead to new business opportunities, partnerships, and even the development of new products or services. When starting a business in Fort Wayne, Indiana, we believe these are essential reasons why now is a great time to start a business here in our city. If you have any questions, send us an email at info@businessjournalfw.com, we'd love to help or offer any advice as you take the leap into entrepreneurship.

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!