Meet the Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills Business Launch Class of Fall 2023

Photo taken by Cindy Pulse Photography

Flint Hills Business Launch, a 9-week immersive course designed for entrepreneurs in their first three years of operations, kicked off this September with 16 participating businesses from Pottawatomie, Riley and Geary counties in Kansas. The course curriculum is built on the nationally-recognized, Kauffman FastTrac, with additional support for participating business owners in the form of small group discussions, expert Q&A, mentor matching and additional visibility and preparation for capital for their business during and after the course.

In this series, get to know the participating entrepreneurs committing to start and grow their businesses on strong foundations in the Fall 2023 Flint Hills Business Launch course.

Get To Know Andrea Carter, Inspirational Speaker, and participating entrepreneur in the fall 2023 business launch cohort.

Tap the questions to learn more about Andrea, and view her responses.

  • My business is unique because I share my own story of how I have overcome Domestic Violence, Sex Trafficking, and severe Mental health obstacles. My story is educational and inspiring.

  • I hope to learn how to better navigate the business world.

  • I’m a good fit for business launch because I had no clue of how to launch my business and this class gave me ideas, help, support, and connection with the entrepreneurship community.

Get to Know Joshua Maxwell, owner of the dogfather, and participating entrepreneur in the fall 2023 business launch cohort.

Tap the questions to learn more about The Dogfather, and view Joshua’s responses.

  • The Dogfather is a Family and Veteran owned small business based in Manhattan bringing a taste of Chicago to our community through our premium Vienna Beef Hot Dogs and Italian Beef.

  • Flint Hills Business Launch has provided me a comprehensive program to improve my business plan while creating a network of fellow business owners.

  • The program is the penultimate experience I needed to improve my business know-how and update our business plan as we ideate toward a traditional brick and mortar Chicago Style Hot Dog Stand/Portobello.

Connect with Joshua or learn more about The Dogfather’s services at their website.

Get to Know Ramona Book-Lucas and Michael Haselhorst, owners of Gofer Toffee Industries, LLC, And Participating entrepreneurs in the fall 2023 business launch cohort.

Tap the questions to learn more about Gofer Toffee Industries, LLC, and view Ramona and Michael’s responses.

  • We are Michael Haselhorst and Ramona Book-Lucas, the head Gofers at Gofer Toffee. Michael is a chef with 12 years of experience and Ramona is an administrative professional with 25 years of experience. We have been building this company from the ground up since late 2021 in hopes that it will one day be the foundation of our larger dreams to create community through the shared experience of food. Gofer Toffee is based on love, jokes, a romance with working hard to make life sweet and just a little bit of epicurean snobbery - we love our toffee, our gofers, our friends & family and our constant drive to do things right even if it costs a little more or takes a little more effort. Our toffee is special, it's made with high quality ingredients and has unique elevated flavor and texture profiles created specifically for our brand by our talented Chef Michael and tested by Ramona. Every aspect of our product and presentation is then carefully curated by Ramona and Michael together.

  • We joined this program with the hope that it would give us foundation building business tools and resources , concrete recommendations for needed professionals, and the skills and knowledge required to effectively use those tools and resources to ask investors for funding. We also wanted to network with a community of other small business owners to find community, mentorship and mutual support in that way.

  • We are great candidates for the Flint Hills Business Launch Program because we are small, motivated and just getting started, and we are also, even after a year, pretty new to navigating this entire process. We felt it was very important to gain more knowledge in a structured and guided environment instead of depending on our google skills and trial and error.

Connect with Ramona and Michael or learn more about their services at their Facebook page, Instagram page, or website.

Get to Know John & Jina Kugler, owners of Bug Hounds, LLC, and participating entrepreneurs in the fall 2023 Business Launch Cohort.

Tap the questions to learn more about Bug Hounds, LLC, and view John and Jina’s responses.

  • We use a proactive approach by using canines to detect and locate bed bugs BEFORE a large infestation. Our canine employees are Beddy (beagle) Cocoa, Huck and Finndy (German Shorthairs). If bed bugs are present, this allows businesses and homeowners to save in treatment costs by only treating affecting areas. We can also give business owners and homeowners peace of mind they do not have bed bugs. Another unique aspect of our business is we enjoy providing educational programs as professional development to clients we serve and community organizations on topics such as how to identify bed bugs and proactively work to avoid spreading them.

  • Networking opportunities, marketing ideas, ideas for sound business practices

  • Our business started as a side hustle by two working professionals without a business background. We are still a relatively new business with John being full time self employed with Bug Hounds for two years. Networking with other entrepreneurs and hearing from business experts in areas of marketing, finance, and law has been very beneficial.

Connect with John and Jina or learn more about their services at their Facebook page or website.

Get to Know Cindy Pulse, Owner of Cindy Pulse Photography, and Participating Entrepreneur In the Fall 2023 Business Launch Cohort.

Tap the questions to learn more about Cindy Pulse Photography and view Cindy’s responses.

  • I am a lifespan and experience photographer (lifespan meaning taking photos of individuals throughout their life - seniors, engagement, wedding, maternity, birth, newborn, family, etc. and experience meaning I will have events such as pumpkin picking, flower picking, easter egg hunt, etc. in which my clients can partake in that activity and I will photograph the experience, as well as the still, posed photos). I have an outdoor photo studio (5 acres to work with), a limestone cellar underneath our home that was constructed in 1874, 30 feet long x 18 feet wide x 14 feet tall, that my husband and I are in the process of turning into an indoor studio, which will offer my clients the option of indoor or outdoor photos, as well as being able to take photos indoors in case of inclement weather. Providing these experiences, along with building close client relationships in which my clients feel comfortable being photographed is extremely important to me.

  • The opportunity to grow and improve my business on all levels so that I can be as productive and successful as possible while providing my clients with amazing customer service, fun experiences, high quality photos, and comfortable photo sessions. I also want to be able to find a way in which I may be able to contribute to the launch program in the future as well.

  • I feel like I am a good fit for the business launch because I have a very unique service in a very saturated world of photographers. Capturing people at their business and in the moment with my camera means the world to me, and I want to make sure that my clients have the photos they want to enjoy those memories over a lifetime.

Connect with Cindy or learn more about her services at her Facebook page or website.

Get to Know Christi Simmons, Owner of Thrive785 Nutrition & Wellness Coaching, and Participating Entrepreneur In the Fall 2023 Business Launch Cohort.

Tap the questions to learn more about Thrive785 Nutrition & Wellness Coaching and view Christi’s responses.

  • I will specialize in one-on-one online or in person coaching. Nutrition and wellness are not a 'one size fits all' journey, nor should coaching be. I will teach my clients to build sustainable, healthy habits that ensure long term results. Together, my clients and I will create a lifestyle plan, not just a diet plan.

  • I am excited to learn the ins and outs of launching my own business. Learning the fundamentals and having such great resources to refer to later will be extremely helpful. I've already been able to apply many aspects to my own business that I wouldn't have known if I hadn't been a part of this program.

  • My business has not yet launched, so I feel I'm in a good position to learn the basics and hit the ground running when I'm ready. I'm currently finishing my nutrition coaching certification, and also just started a Women's Coaching Specialist certification program to add to my skill set.

Get to Know Christina Gray, Owner of Rejoicing With Oils, and Participating Entrepreneur In the Fall 2023 Business Launch Cohort.

Tap the questions to learn more about Rejoicing With Oils and view Christina’s responses.

  • [Rejoicing With Oils] is a company that presents the knowledge of essential oils to people in several different ways. My logo is a cupped hand with an essential oil drop. So, putting the knowledge in the hands of our clients, whether it’s through consultation, one-on-one instruction, or giving them the information that they need through education classes or the actual materials.

    A lot of times people love essential oils, but they don’t know how to use them, and they don’t know what oil to use for whatever aliment. There are two things that I offer. One is a GSR scan, which is like your Fitbit, and what it does is it lets you know which body system needs the most support, and then it follows up with the actual essential oils or products that will help your body. So, it kind of takes the guesswork out of the whole equation. Then, there’s an app that I offer to my clients, and that is done virtually. The app is a transdermal optical imaging, and so it scans your face. [This offering’, is a more in depth, than the previous [GSR scan], because it allows the client to pick and choose what they want to focus on. Whether it’s their body systems, maybe it’s their mood, maybe it’s lowering their toxins – but again, [the app] produces the actual essential oils or other products that will help my clients.

  • I did not realize I was signing up for a class until I was signing up for a class. And I’m glad that I did. I have this little notebook that I got from the WE Retreat, and it has all [my notes] from the event, and now [the notebook] has my notes for the Business Launch course, and it’s all related. Since that event and taking this class, they have really helped me hone-in and come up with exactly what my business is, what my business offers, and they’ve given me the extra push to create what is my mission statement, what is my problem? So, I’ve gotten out of the class more than I really anticipated, only because I didn’t even realize I was signing up for a class until I was signing up for a class.

  • My husband is in the military, and because of his position here on the installation, I am not as free with my business as I would like to be. Since being connected with Spark, I don’t have to be concerned about who I’m talking to, because the majority of [the students] are not associated with the military. And so, it allows me to be freer and more open about what my business is and what my business offers, and I don’t have to ask those questions of – where does your husband work at? Or where does your spouse work? I don’t have to ask those awkward questions.

Connect with Christina or learn more about her services at her Facebook page or Instagram page.

Get to know Yendi Gonzalez, owner of Ayuda Para Hispanohablantes, and participating entrepreneur in the Fall 2023 Business Launch cohort.

Tap the questions below to learn more about Ayuda Para Hispanohablantes and view Yendi’s responses.

  • I think that being flexible is one of the things that makes me unique, I go to my clients, we meet up, when & where is convenient for them, and sometimes we don't need to meet up at all, we can do everything by phone or email. Also I have been where they are, I know how difficult it can be to adjust to a new language, culture, country. But it can be done, and by helping them many doors can open to new opportunities.

  • Knowledge, guidance and resources to not just help me but it will allow me to also help others to learn that there is so much more they can do to help our community grow into a variety of business entrepreneurs and owners.

  • Because we need a bridge between cultures and languages and there will always be a need for that, I like to reach out to more people to let them know that I can provide that for them. The Business Launch can help me with knowledge, information on how to's and educate me to provide guidance to help others as well.

Get to know Cathy Jones, owner of More Than Milk lactation services, and participating entrepreneur in the Fall 2023 Business Launch cohort.

Tap the questions below to learn more about More Than Milk Lactation Services and view Cathy’s responses.

  • Home visit lactation consults night and weekends.

  • Networking, blind spots, basics of business

  • First time owning a business. There are no other services like More Than Milk Lactation Services.

Get to know Tabatha Neubert, owner of Essentially One Wellness LLC, and participating entrepreneur in the Fall 2023 Business Launch cohort.

Tap the questions below to learn more about Essentially One Wellness and view Tabatha’s responses.

  • My business is unique as I am an Angelic Reiki Practitioner and a Certified Holistic Intuitive Coach. I empower people to create change in their life and to find confidence and joy.  I also offer an energy healing service where I scan your body to determine what needs cleared, aligned or energy sent.

  • I hope to learn more about other marketing strategies, networking and financial resources.

  • I think I am a good fit for Business Launch as I think it always good to continue to learn new ways to improve and gain more knowledge.

Connect with Tabatha or learn more about her services at her Facebook page here.

Madi Quinn