Entrepreneurs and small business owners filled the vicinity of Flagler Beach’s Beach Front Grille for the first and last Entrepreneur Night event of 2015. If you recall to the beginning of the year, January 27th’s event was an incredible one, despite the cold of the first few months of the year. Considering the positive track record, it was inevitable that November 24’s event – the last event of 2015 – was just as stunning, with a refreshing view of the coastline and sandy boardwalk – except this time the cold wasn’t nipping at the nose of people who dared to walk outside.
With this past event, and the next Entrepreneur Night holding off until January of 2016,
entrepreneurs had an opportunity to reflect on 2015.
One of these entrepreneurs was Craig Hockinson of Southeast Media Production. After earning his Bachelors of Science degree in communications in 1986, he moved from the Keystone State to the Sunshine State.
“I had a sense of adventure!” Hockinson states. “I’ve always heard great things about Florida – everyone went here for spring break – and it seemed like a great place to live and make a living.”
After a successful move, Hockinson joined WFTX TV in Ft. Myers, editing videos for them before eventually starting his own business in 1996. Once Hockinson had started his business, amazing opportunities opened up for him. He worked for the ‘96 Olympics, shooting Portuguese soccer players alongside Portuguese journalists, and was fortunate enough to have traveled to the many islands of the Bahamas. There was a private pilot who wanted to make a video series about flying the outer islands of the Bahamas.
“So, he hired me,” Hockinson said, “I rigged up his plane with cameras, and we flew through thunderstorms in this twin engine, Piper Aztec. We shot all of the approaches to the islands – so even though I went to the Bahamas, I didn’t have as much fun since I was working.” But despite his reason for going, it was an experience nonetheless. Video editing is something that he enjoys, and of course, if you have a passion for your profession, then you won’t have to work a day in your life.
“I believe that video is one of the best mediums available – really, to push any message out there – because it is very powerful. How many times have you heard, ‘Oh, you gotta see this video’? I mean, more businesses should be using this. It gives a prospective client a chance to see and meet you before they even pick up the phone.”
For at least 30 years, he’s been editing videos in different forms, and through this, he has held witness to the tremendous change in how videos are edited. In his previous job with WFTX, he had a responsibility to watch movies, write a script for the promotional video, and edit clips together from the movie. “You would have tapes and multiple source decks that you would run through a switcher and a digital effects back to create the edits there – it was a completely different animal.” Hockinson continues to say, “It was like going from a typewriter to a word processor.”
Despite overcoming this challenge, he’s faced his fair share of hardships in this career, but simply shrugs them off by saying,
“It’s a passion for what I do – that’s what keeps me here.”
And it is that same passion that shines through his work, and into his services. Today, Hockinson claims that he has so many clients that he is trouble keeping up with all of them – but that’s a good problem! – and that he’s ready for the new year saying,
“Bring it on!”
Another entrepreneur that made an appearance that night was Linda Hellman. She was born in the United States, but was raised in Germany where she lived with unfortunate medical ailments. As she was being treated, she became interested in alternative methods of treatment, which lead her to study the integrative field of medicine while in Germany. Now, she is a therapist who started in massage therapy, but now specializes in craniosacral therapy.
“Craniosacral therapy,” Hellman explains, as the motions of her hands suggest the presence of an actual scalp being manipulated, “works with the structures of the head and nervous system. It’s great for many symptoms – very effective for disrupted sleep patterns, or anything that has to do with stress.”
She is one of the few therapists in the county to do oncology massage with women, which is a combination of techniques that are executed in order to safely work with the complications of cancer and cancer treatment. Just as Hockinson has a passion for video editing close to his heart, Hellman has a passion for people. When asked why she does what she does, without even blinking she says,
“If I can provide them with comfort for an hour – even half an hour – then it’s just so rewarding.”
With her business, Change to Wellness, she has been able to help so many women, and reflecting on 2015 was most excited about getting involved with oncology and the Body Therapy Center – which offers help to women diagnosed with cancer by offering therapeutic services at a reduced price to help them through this tough time in their life. Later in 2015, Hellman plans to open a clinic and form a study group that educates people on different therapeutic methods.
Speaking of unconventional therapy, Jennifer Hiers and Ashley Firrantello met a few years ago, marking the beginning of not only what was to become a strong friendship, but the business the two are currently starting up. Hiers was introduced to a practice of psychotherapy, known as Adventure Based Therapy (ABT), while enrolled in a master’s program. Adventure Based Therapy is a type of therapy that focuses on interactive activities, ranging from being as minimal as a one-on-one activity with someone to activities like kayaking.
Just before her move to Flagler County, Hiers’ mother insisted that she talk to Firrantello as Hiers’ mother and Firrantello’s mother were good friends. Just asHiers’ mother had predicted, Hiers and Firrantello hit it off immediately. One day, while talking, the two started to discuss the concept of Adventure Based Therapy that had intrigued Hiers before her move. Rather than letting the conversation just stay as that, a conversation, Hiers and Firrantello decided to be proactive. Firrantello noted the lack of this type of therapy in Flagler and St. John’s County, and together,
they became determined to do something about it.
Recently, the pair attended a conference concerning ABT that was held in Colorado. People from all around the world attended, and Hiers and Firrantello were excited to meet people who shared their enthusiasm for Adventure Based Therapy. While at the conference, Hiers and Firrantello participated in numerous interactive activities. Out of the activities they had done, Hiers and Firrantello noted their favorites as the activities that had them using problem solving skills, and the outdoor-based activities respectively.
The conference the two attended was only one of the many ways they are preparing for their business, which they are planning on opening in the summer of 2016. Both women have a background in mental health care; Hiers and Firrantello work for Behavioral Healthcare, a nonprofit organization that has been around for about 38 years. They have been working with this type of therapy for a year now, and they are both going to obtain their credential in the near future. Hiers and Firrantello have done a lot of research and are very confident in their preparation.
Hiers and Firrantello are very excited about their work. Adventure Based Therapy is something that is lacking in Flagler and St. John’s County, and these two women are very eager to offer their services to the public. Be on the lookout for them next summer!
Hiers and Firrantello aren’t the only ones in town who are involved with creative problem solving though. In fact, Future Problem Solvers (FPS) engages students in creative problem solving – hence the name. This student group was the winner of the Worst Logo contest hosted by none other than Peralta Design. The competition was held to redesign a company’s logo free-of-charge by Peralta Design. “It wasn’t just who had the worst logo,” Ramon Peralta, featured in the September Entrepreneur Night recap, mentioned, “but what would make the biggest impact in the community – for us as far as exposure – and how big of a benefit would it be to the company that’s looking to rebrand.”
FPS fit the bill perfectly! Peralta, saw something special in their organization. He continued by saying, “They needed a logo badly, and they were doing good things. This was a good way to give back to the community, help a good cause, get exposure, and help them raise money. So it was a win-win.”
The logo, as it originally stood, was developed at the high school as a simple blue acronym of all capital letters that stated “FPS” with a flamingo, then a shade of sky blue,inside of the P. They needed a logo that they could own when they would appear at competitions; something proprietary and unique to their team. They also wanted something that would reproduce well on items that they could sell.
“Their original logo was very difficult to reproduce. It has a lot of challenges.” Peralta states as he lists the difficulties of that the previous logo held. He wanted the logo to reflect the youthful, energized, intellectual image that this group of kids held, in a way that would be fun, and could easily be reproduced on mugs, on hats, on shirts, in many different variations.
“Flamingo flocking is one of the things they do, and someone said, ‘Hey the flamingo’s neck kind of looks like an S,’ and it did.” And with that they started designing, using lowercase letters to give the new logo a fun, modern take.
After the presentation ended, the event resumed with glasses clinking and friendly conversation ringing in the air. Whether you missed the event, or were there and loved it, join us in January for the next Entrepreneur Night.
Entrepreneur Night is a grassroots event for and by Entrepreneurs, which takes place the last Tuesday of each month – except July, August, and December – at a different location and venue. It is free to attend. Complimentary appetizers are provided by the venue hosting the event as well as a cash bar. In each event you can expect to meet many new entrepreneurs, investors and service providers; and have meaningful conversations. You can check out the previous Entrepreneur Night events or RSVP to the Next Entrepreneur Night Event