Community Reflections

communityreflections

Women in business

her castle Building

Shop owner speaks on being a woman in the gaming industry

TBy Erika MalonE | The Tribune emalone@tribtown.com

Tara Hunsucker began her journey into card games when she was a little girl obtaining a few Pokémon cards to pique her interest.

Over time, she fell in love with the community these simple card and role-playing games had to offer, and now, she continues to grow that community through her own business, The Castle Games, which opened its doors in 2020.

“When we started out, we didn’t know anybody here except my family, and in just three years, we have created a community that comes

together to play games and have a good time,” she said. “A lot of people really appreciate the space we have here.”

With more than 1,000 followers on social media and more than 300 active users on their Discord server, Hunsucker said the store has created a massive community that has been rewarding to see grow over the years.

Let’s go back to the beginning, however, where she found her love for fantasy, magic and games that started it all.

Hunsucker was born in Seymour and moved away with her mother when she was

Laken Reyno L ds

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To all the Women in Business nominees, thank you, we appreciate you!

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really young. Living in Maine until she was 7, they made the trip across the United States to San Diego, California, where she lived until she was 25.

It was in California where she found an interest in Magic: The Gathering, a collectible card game that Wizards of the Coast first came out with in 1993.

Each game of Magic represents a battle between wizards who cast spells, use artifacts and summon creatures as depicted on individual cards to defeat their opponents.

Players can and often strategically build their own deck

(SEE Castle PAGE C6)

Chasing dreams and tails

Woman expands business to offer boarding services

By Erika MalonE | The Tribune emalone@tribtown.com

MEDORA — Laken Reynolds is no stranger to animals howling in the night or during the day. Whether they are coon dogs howling at the excitement of a raccoon during one of her many nights of coon hunting or a furry friend getting their paws shaved at her full-time grooming business, Happy Hounds, Reynolds knows a thing or two about the animal business.

“I always had dogs growing up, and I was always really good with them, whether that be with training them or taking care of them, whatever they needed,” she said.

Reynolds grew up in Vallonia with her three sisters and was raised by her grandparents, Mary and Ralph Daulton, and Reynolds said out of her siblings, she was the only one her grandpa could convince to try out coon hunting.

By the time she was

8, she was competing in coon hunting competitions, and she has traveled to many states over the years. From Minnesota to Texas and everywhere in between, Reynolds and her grandpa would travel to compete in competitions with her four coon hounds.

“Every weekend when I was younger, my grandpa would take me somewhere to compete,” she said. “He was a truck driver, so he would come

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Ta R a Hunsucke R

Pictured from top: A section of The Castle Games includes various table-top role-playing and board games for sale. // Tara Hunsucker, owner of The Castle Games, opened the Seymour store in 2020 and opened the Columbus location in 2022. Erika MalonE | ThE TribunE; SubMiTTEd phoTo

happy place’

ABy Zach SpicEr | The Tribune zspicer@tribtown.com

At 13, Grace Jaynes went by B.loved in Seymour and saw all of the pretty dresses and beautiful interior decor.

“I would tell everybody, ‘I want to work there someday. No matter what, I’m going to work there,’” she said.

A few years later, she went into the chic boutique to buy a prom dress.

“I just fell in love with the store, the experience, the environment, and I was like, ‘I don’t care what it takes, I’m going to work here,’” she said.

She remembers the staff being so nice, helpful and complimentary.

“It was just so special to have my mom there and that experience with my mom, and then my dad, we would get down to the final two and then he would want to come in and give his two cents on all of the things,” Jaynes said. “I personally felt so special in picking out this dress that I’m going to have

pictures in for the rest of my life, and I just fell in love with that.”

In high school and college, she worked at the store part time. She was assigned to one of the fitting rooms and helped high school girls find their prom dress.

“When I started working there, that was my goal, just to make everybody feel as special as I felt that first time that I was in there,” Jaynes said.

Her senior year at Indiana University, she was in the process of applying for dental school when she realized that wasn’t what she wanted to do with her life.

“My heart is telling me to be here,” she said of B.loved. “I came to Brandy (Hampton, owner) and I was like, ‘I want to work for you.’ That was like a shock to everybody, especially my parents.”

In May 2022, Hampton decided she was going to sell the business she started in 2013 to Jaynes. That became official July 1, 2022.

Carrying on a family business

Seymour woman serves as president of small company

By Jordan richart For The Tribune

Many can say they learned a lot of life lessons from a grandparent or two.

But Aimee Perry can say what many probably cannot: That her grandmother taught her how to operate and own a local business.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better situation or for a better person to learn from,” she said. “We were really close.”

And the business that the late Betty Woodard taught her granddaughter about is in a male-dominated industry.

Perry, 51, has operated Best Way Inc. in Seymour since 2014. She started working for the business alongside her grandmother in 1994 upon graduation from Purdue University.

Woodard and her husband, Glenn, who died in 1985, started the business in 1957.

The shop offers brakes, overhauls, trailer work and repairs, flooring and more.

“We pretty much do anything on a semi or trailer,” Perry said.

They’re also a Cummins certified dealer and can do warranty work and repairs on Cummins products.

The business got its start when employees started working on semis and leasing trucks and trailers. Betty would do all of the bookkeeping for the business.

“Eventually, they bought my grandma’s family farm and built the shop,” Perry said of the business at 1576 N. U.S. 31, Seymour.

Perry said she never really thought about working for the business her grandparents had operated all her life until she was nearing graduation from Purdue University with a business degree.

Both of her parents were educators, and no one in the family had taken a role at the business.

“I was just trying to figure out what I wanted to do,” she said. “It worked out that she needed somebody in the office. She wanted me to go somewhere else to see what I really wanted to do, but I ended up staying.”

BROWNSTOWN — Following nearly 20 years in the medical field, Angie Patman chased after a dream.

The Brownstown woman said she was interested in running her own event center, and when she first shared that with her husband, Nathan Patman, he told her no because they were very good friends with Curtis and Darla Kaiser, who ran Pewter Hall, an event center and catering business in town.

In 2017, the Patmans

wound up purchasing a building in the 100 block of North Main Street in Brownstown and had plans of turning part of it back into a restaurant. While remodeling was being done on the first floor and also upstairs to make way for two apartments, they started a food truck nearby. “We had four rental properties already just within that building,” Angie, 43, said. “We saw an opportunity to be able to rent the apartments and then eventually hopefully open the restaurant.”

In November 2019, Angie

started helping with events and catering at Pewter Hall. One day, Darla asked her about buying the business. She said no because they were moving forward with plans for their downtown building.

“Then Nathan’s like, ‘No, I think that’s a good opportunity. You’ve been wanting to do this. I think that would be great for you to be able to do,’” Angie said. “I’ve always thought about that hospitality or nursing kind of thing, so that’s why I’ve kind of dabbled in both.”

G R ace Jaynes

Angie Patman stands outside Pewter Hall Event Center and Catering at 850 W. Sweet St., Brownstown.

‘If you want it, go get it’ Brownstown woman finds success in running businesses

Erika MalonE | ThE TribunE Aimee Perry has operated Best Way Inc. in Seymour since 2014 and worked alongside her grandmother for 20 years, who first started the business.

‘It’s my Brownstown native transitions from employee to business owner

Pictured: Grace Jaynes became owner of B.loved on July 1, 2022. SubMiTTEd phoTo

(SEE Family PAGE C9)

(SEE Ha PPy PAGE C8)

m ackenzie Ri Tc H ison

Seymour woman looks to mother for inspiration on her own

MBy Jordan richart For thE triBunE

Mackenzie Ritchison had a discovery one day that led to her taking a chance on learning a new skill and pursuit of a career.

The 29-year-old owner of Meraki Massage & Wellness had attended college, but that experience actually left her with more questions than answers on what she wanted to pursue in life. So she decided to look back at something she was familiar with — her mother’s work as a hairstylist.

Ritchison and her mother, Andrea Fee, have a close relationship, and Ritchison paid attention to her mother’s work and how it started to change. Styling hair and coloring was pretty much all of the services offered at many salons, but Ritchison noticed things started to change with more services at salons being added.

That’s when she got the idea to learn massage and begin offering it in a spa-like setting.

So Ritchison enrolled at a massage school before switching to the Carmel School of Massage and

Healing Arts and felt like she found what she had been looking for the whole time.

“At college, I just felt like I was floating around and taking classes that weren’t sparking any interest for me,” she said, adding some brainstorming about the hairstyle service industry helped guide her. “The services increased to more than cutting hair. I thought to myself, ‘What is something like this that I can learn and grow on?’ so I went to the school, and it seemed like something exactly for me.”

So Ritchison continued to work serving tables and bartending through her education at the school and was licensed in 2019.

Ritchison said massage therapy is appealing because of the variety of work one can do and what they can offer. It also provides flexibility in where you work and how you work.

“You can be in a spa, work with cancer patients, work in a nursing home or work on your own,” she said. “I think that is what started my interest in it.”

(SEE lea P PAGE C8)

Mackenzie Ritchison is the owner of Meraki Massage & Wellness in Seymour.

‘I feel like I’m

lifting everyone up’

Hairstylist wants to encourage women who come to her shop

SBy lori Mcdonald | The Tribune lorimcdonald@tribtown.com

Sometimes, we don’t picture our life the way it’s going, but God always works it out for the better.

That’s what 30-year-old Seymour resident Kayli Bailey believes.

She is the owner of Babe Cave Hair Studio in the Vehslage Building at 300 N. Chestnut St. in Seymour.

Bailey said she never thought she would be divorced and raising a child on her own.

“I’m so thankful because I never thought I’d be living in Seymour, starting a business and raising my son,” she said. “But it’s 10 times better than what I ever wanted for myself. It’s incredible.”

Bailey has a 4-year-old son, Milan, and four bonus kids from her previous marriage.

Her parents, Shawn and Tracy Johnson, were from Seymour, but when Kayli was in second grade, they moved out of town.

“We moved to several different places for my dad’s job at 84 Lumber,” Bailey said. “They moved us back here my senior year in 2011, and I didn’t know anybody, so I graduated early so I could get started at hair school.”

She attended Hair Force Beauty Academy in Seymour but knew she wasn’t going to do hair right away because she was 20 and manager of Under Armour at the time.

“So I was working and going to school, and I was so young to be a manager,” Bailey said. “I wanted to work there at least one year for my résumé, then wanted to do hair later when I had kids so I could make my own schedule.”

She is from Jackson County, but

her roots were never really here until about four years ago when she moved from Atlanta back to Seymour with Milan.

“When I came back, I had to work to take care of my son, so I worked at Walmart Distribution for a year to make more money and to have insurance,” Bailey said. “When Milan turned 3, he went to day care, and I worked at a local salon on Saturdays to build clientele.”

She quickly built a list of clients and was able to quit her job at Walmart Distribution Center.

“I worked in salons for a while, and I prayed about it because I had a son and wondered if that was the right decision,” Bailey said. “I had a dream that I opened up my own place and took that as confirmation to go forward, and I did, and

(SEE li F ting PAGE C10)

putting others before herself’

By lori Mcdonald | The Tribune lorimcdonald@tribtown.com

Seymour resident Beth Ann VonDielingen wanted a career where she could help people.

She decided to go into nursing and started out at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus for her registered nurse degree and then earned her Master of Science in nursing at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and South University.

“I’m a nurse practitioner, and I’ve worked family practice and urgent care as an NP, ER, medsurg and long-term care as an RN,” VonDielingen, 46, said.

She loved the idea of having a way to help others outside of

traditional medicine, so she started RevIVe Wellness Studio, 209 E. Second St., Suite B, Seymour.

“I started this business in August of 2022 with partners Dr. David Hartung and Monica Hartung,” she said. “I love helping others find their balance within and feeling their best every day.”

VonDielingen said RevIVe offers vitamin injections, vitamin drips, neurotoxins, dermal fillers, microneedling and various weight loss options.

“My favorite part of running RevIVe is helping clients develop a plan based on their needs, concerns and wants,” she said. “Then working with them on a regular basis, building relationships and friendships.”

VonDielingen said since opening just over a year ago, they currently have more than 225 clients.

She has four kids and is married to Matt VonDielingen.

“We have Brittaney Hendrix, who is married to Tyler with two sweet babies, Remi and Ruby,” she said. “Then Jacob, 24, married to Maddie; Joshua, 21; and Jack, 18, who is going to Indiana University Kokomo, playing baseball and majoring in business marketing.”

Upon finding out she had been nominated for The Tribune’s Women in Business section, she felt very honored.

‘Always

As another way to help people, Seymour woman starts wellness studio

Pictured: Jennifer Watkins, left, gets her extensions raised by Kayli Bailey, owner of Babe Cave Hair Studio in the Vehslage Building, located at 300 N. Chestnut St., Seymour. lori Mcdonald | ThE TribunE

A vision for success

Brownstown entrepreneur juggles family, business, career and education

Owner: Isabel Ponce. Opened in: 2008. It’s been my dream to own my own salon since I was little. I was finally able to attend cosmetology school in 2004; I knew it wouldn’t be easy, working full time, attending school, and being a mom of two. Till this day I still feel blessed and fortunate to do what I love, making people feel good about themselves. Isabel’s salon has grown over the years despite a few set backs. We have expanded and we offer more services. We offer, color, haircuts, waxing, facials, lashes, pedicures, manicures and much more. Our number priority is our customers.

512 E. Tipton St. Seymour (812) 523-1729

By auBrEy WoodS | The Tribune awoods@aimmediaindiana.com

AA 24-year-old single mom of two boys started a craft business in 2018.

Two years later, she came up with a name for that growing business — The Front Porch Apparel & Giftshop.

Nicole Steinkamp opened her first store in Brownstown in April and has since opened a second store in Seymour. The 2017 Brownstown Central High School graduate also has a staff of four high school students to help out.

Over the years, The Front Porch has served customers in eight states.

“We make custom signs, shirts and candles. These are our best sellers along with custom orders,” said Steinkamp, who recently was nominated for inclusion in The Tribune’s Women in Business special section.

The favorite part of the owning and operating the stores?

“I love seeing people around town, at events or photos online of people wearing the shirts I made,” Steinkamp said. “I love people coming into the shops and all the conversations we have.”

The Brownstown native, however, is much more than a budding businesswoman.

“I have been teaching in early childhood education for the past five years,” she said. “Early childhood education is where my heart is.”

To fulfill that passion, Steinkamp works as a pre-kindergarten teacher at Brownstown Elementary School through Child Care Network.

“I love being able to have fun while teaching, being silly, making friendships and giving them confidence as they grow,” she said of her students.

Steinkamp has two sons, Zayne, 5, and Barron, 3, to keep her busy when she’s not taking care of her business or teaching.

(SEE vision PAGE C10)

aubrEy WoodS | ThE TribunE

Nicole Steinkamp of Brownstown stands outside her shop, The Front Porch, located at 118 W. Walnut St. in Brownstown.

Pictured clockwise from top: The backroom of The Castle Games is where people in the community come together and play table-top games such as Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon and other card games. Tournaments also are hosted in this room. // The tavern room is where groups of Dungeons and Dragons players come together and play their adventure for free. // A section of the store includes Dungeons and Dragons miniatures, dice, card sleeves and other various material for table-top games. // Tara Hunsucker, left, and Joe Graw work together on unboxing the latest shipment of Magic: The Gathering cards. // A decorated knight sits in the corner of the store.

c as TL e

of cards to use when playing. Hunsucker said she didn’t start playing and building her own decks until she was 15, but growing up, she could tell there were barriers.

“Growing up, I didn’t see a lot of women who played table-top card games,” she said. “I was definitely an outlier. I would try to get some of my friends who were girls to play, but they just weren’t interested like I was.”

Hunsucker said it was a deterring period of time and even at some points a little lonely being surrounded mostly by men. It wasn’t until she was exposed to tournaments and competitions when she saw how different she was treated.

“There were times where I wasn’t taken seriously because I was a girl,” she said. “I would sit down and they would think I wouldn’t know what I was doing. Eventually, I just learned to use that to my advantage.”

Hunsucker said while the table-top gaming community is made up of mainly men, she tries to advocate for more women

in the gaming community.

“It’s an uphill battle,” she said. “Boys grew up and were exposed to this stuff more than girls were, but that is changing now. I see parents come into the store and they are bringing in their children and even their daughters.”

As Hunsucker advocates for a safe space within her own business, she said she is fortunate to have had supportive people around her growing up who made her comfortable to keep playing.

Hunsucker became fully competitive in tabletop card games in 2017 when she entered her first tournament in a game store called Brute Force Games in San Diego. Upon entering the small backroom packed to the brim with the opposite sex, she said the experience was daunting.

“I was the only girl there, and I remember being utterly nervous,” she said. “I shouldn’t have been, but I was.”

Her first game what was known as a “mirror match,” a match played against the opponent who has a nearly identical deck, and due to her knowledge of the game, she caught a win.

“My opponent went to play a card that wasn’t legal in the format we were playing in, so I called the judge over, and I ended up winning that game,” she said. “I was so nervous when I did that, though. My face probably was as red as a tomato.”

By the end of the tournament, she ended up placing in the top eight.

Besides enjoying table-top card games in her free time, Hunsucker enjoys learning about cultures and understanding the different communities around her. Hunsucker also obtained degrees in anthropology and archaeology during her time in San Diego.

“After I got my degrees, I worked in the financial field, but it wasn’t that rewarding, honestly,” she said. “I always had a love for understanding humanity and found that other fields didn’t scratch the same itch that anthropology did. I was very inspired by a couple professors, and I learned so much about myself and the communities around me.”

With a special love for medieval history, Hunsucker said some of her biggest inspirations when world-building her own

Dungeons and Dragons adventures are authors J.R.R. Tolkein from Lord of the Rings and George R.R. Martin from Game of Thrones.

“Dungeons and Dragons is essentially world-building, and when you have a background in anthropology, you understand how societies are created and cultures are formed, so it helps when you want to homebrew,” she said. “Those authors’ world-building aspects and their ability to tell a robust story that encompasses an entire world is just amazing.”

After she met the love of her life, Hutton, through an immediate connection through the love of music and tabletop games, they noticed something when they were with her family here in town.

“We noticed that there wasn’t a game store in the area, and when we looked at Walmart, all of the card games, like Magic and Pokemon, were pawed over,” she said. “We took a chance and thought maybe this will be a thing, and it was.”

Now three years later and with two successful stores up and running, Hunsucker said she is on

the go the moment she wakes up until the moment she goes to bed.

“First thing in the morning, I check emails and respond to staff to let them know about today’s events and things to do. Then I communicate with distributors, and then I usually make my rounds to the stores for customer interactions and any shop needs,” she said. “We also keep up with a large amount of online orders.”

With as much as 100 online orders a day, Hunsucker said it is important for her to stay on top of inventory, scheduling and keeping herself organized. However, she still manages to give herself at least one day for downtime.

“Self-care is very important, so I give myself one day where I will not look at my phone at all,” she said.

Even though it can be a hassle to own a business, Hunsucker said she finds meaning in many aspects of her job.

“Some people have told me that this store has changed their life, and that is really meaningful,” she said. “We all work toward a common goal, which is creating a safe space, and we do that with an amazing team.

We all care about the community, and we want to give back.”

In the spirit of giving back, The Castle Games has been involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters by donating games, packaging cards for Christmas and currently running a charity raffle for the organization.

When it comes to the people and things that inspire her to keep going, she said there are multiple.

“I inspire myself and the community inspires me to keep going,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine having this place and then not having it anymore.”

In the future, Hunsucker hopes to open a third shop in southern Indiana and then eventually venture north to start the journey over again. However, the ultimate dream is to create her own empire.

“I think it would be cool to turn it into a franchise,” she said. “Just in the way you could go to a McDonald’s, you could go to a Castle Games.”

Overall, Hunsucker said she hopes to continue to provide a safe and fun space for everyone to enjoy, no matter the interest.

home on a Friday and we would leave and come back on a Sunday, and he would be out again on Monday morning.”

Over the years, she has won major accomplishments, including the American Kennel Club Coonhounds Women World Championship this year. Also, when she was only 15, she was the first woman and youth to place in the final four of the AKC Women’s World Championship.

“It was pretty awesome,” she said. Through her love of coon hunting and animals, she at first thought it would be a good idea to become a veterinarian until she developed a knack for grooming under an apprenticeship with Jodi Myers, who used to own All About Paws in Brownstown.

“She started me off with cleaning the kennels and started me off with grooming the feet of many dogs, and I worked my way up from there,” she said. “Animals have always worked good with me, and I work good with them.”

After moving to Medora in 2021, Reynolds thought about what it would be like to own her own grooming business. Living with her grandparents and raising her 3-year old daughter, Jolene, she decided the perfect opportunity would be to start the business right behind her house in what used to be an old barbershop.

After ripping up old carpet, fixing the walls and adding a fresh coat of paint, she opened for business in May 2022, even if there was some hesitation of how successful she would be.

“Whenever I was getting ready to open my business, I had been talking about it, and I wasn’t sure with being in a small town if I would get the clients that would drive to me,” she said. “I just had to do it.”

Now at 23, she has clients in the surrounding communities as well as outside of the county, including North Vernon, Salem, Scottsburg, Bedford and even a client who drives an hour and a half to have his dog groomed by her.

“I came a long way in

a short amount of time,” she said.

However, Reynolds’ day doesn’t end when the shop closes.

“Balancing my life and work is where I tend to struggle,” she said. “I have clients reaching out to me all day, and when I am in the shop, I am not updating my social media page for my business, and when I’m not in the shop, I’m taking care of my family.” .

Reynolds described the experience as wearing

two hats at all times.

However, with the help of her grandma and the support system of her family, she remains positive when times get “ruff.”

“If I don’t have a babysitter, she can come into the shop with me, so that is convenient, and she likes it, too,” she said.

“She brushes the dogs’ fur and plays with them. She loves animals just as much as I do.”

Reynolds said she wouldn’t have it any other way because she enjoys

being able to make her own schedule and find her own creative style.

“I also just love all the different personalities of the dogs,” she said. When managing her own business, especially in the grooming field, Reynolds said it can be a dog-eat-dog world when it comes to competition.

“The grooming business is not really a male-dominated field, but you have a lot of competition,” she said. “So you have to advertise your

have to find your own style and go off of that.”

With a year of business experience under her belt, the clients and happy hounds continue to roll in. Reynolds said the next step is to start expanding her business into boarding.

“I have established a trust with my clients, and they feel comfortable with me,” she said. “I want to be able to expand that to where if they want to go on vacation, they don’t have to worry about if their dog is going to be safe or taken care of because they have that trust with me.”

In efforts to expand, she has petitioned to the county board of zoning appeals to construct a building on her property to operate as part of her business and use it for boarding purposes.

“I have a huge knowledge of how to take care of dogs working with Jodi Myers and seeing a few different boarding facilities,” she said. “I want to use my knowledge from that and build a good foundation where people can trust that their dogs will be safe and also have something that looks appealing where the dogs don’t feel like they are in cages. I want them to be able to play, interact and feel like they are at home.”

Reynolds said once the boarding takes off, she will look into possibly hiring another groomer, but for now, she is content with the help she gets from her daughter every now and then when she visits the shop to pet the dogs.

“Jolene inspires me to keep going,” she said. “If I have a tough day, she is always my highlight at the end of the day.”

Reynolds said without the constant support of her grandparents, she wouldn’t be where she is today.

talent and try to bring clients to you. I feel like with a groomer, everyone does things different, and basically, you have to build up the clientele that like the way you do things.”

Reynolds said since starting her business, she has learned some important lessons along the way.

“You aren’t going to please everybody, and I think a lot of people in business can relate to that,” she said. “You just

“They have always pushed my siblings and I to be the best we can be,” she said. “They were super supportive of me opening this business as well as extending my business into boarding.”

As a young business owner, Reynolds said there is only once piece of advice for those thinking about starting their own business one day, a few simple words that brought her a successful business in just one year.

“Just trust your gut and go for it,” she said.

Pictured clockwise from top: Linda Mack volunteers her time to bathe a shepherd named Casper at Happy Hounds grooming. // Laken Reynolds during one of her many nights of coon hunting. // Laken Reynolds winning the AKC Women’s World Championship in 2023. Erika MalonE | ThE TribunE; SubMiTTEd phoTo

Ha PP y

Jaynes said Hampton had a second job as a representative for a designer.

“She was like, ‘I just can’t do the two anymore. I am ready to move on, but I want it to be in good hands.’ I was like, ‘I will make it happen. This is what I want to do,’” Jaynes said.

When Hampton originally made the offer, Jaynes said she thought about the first year she worked at the store and a discussion they had at the end of a busy prom Saturday.

“There was just a couple of us left and I vividly remember Brandy walking one direction and getting ready to leave and the conversation was like, ‘What are you going to do when you’re ready to retire? What happens to the

store? What are you going to do with it?’” Jaynes said. “‘I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it.’

I was like, ‘Well, if that time ever comes, call me. I will buy it from you.’”

Jaynes, a 2018 Brownstown Central High School and 2022 IU graduate who is now 23, didn’t expect that to come so soon.

“I was like, ‘This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m not going to let this pass me by,’” she said. “I think my support system, like my mom and dad (Mary Ellen and Doug Jaynes) and sister (Sydney Jaynes), they believe in me so much. My boyfriend (Clay Wilkerson), he believes in me so much, and I know Brandy believes in me.”

Jaynes said she and Hampton have been very close since she started working at B.loved.

“She’s like my older sister/second mom all in

one,” Jaynes said. “I feel like we’re very similar in a lot of ways with the way that we care about people. I am also very levelheaded, and I don’t get worked up over a lot of things, which I think that helps me with running a business.”

From Day 1, she said there’s just something about the place.

“It’s my happy place,” she said. “It’s just the energy. People walk in and you see all of the pretty dresses, and it’s special. It’s about the occasion. You are about to purchase a dress for one of the most special occasions, and I get to help you with that and let you feel beautiful and confident.”

Besides prom dresses, B.loved specializes in short homecoming and winter formal dresses, bridal gowns and accessories, bridesmaids

Lea P

Society’s attitude has changed, too, she said. What once was considered a luxury is now being used for medical purposes and healing.

“It can be used alongside chiropractic or physical therapy as treatment for people,” she said.

“There’s definitely a medical view of things, too.”

Then Ritchison found there was a strong market demand for such services when she returned to Seymour, which is evident by Ritchison’s schedule that tends to fill up quickly.

“I don’t have eight arms, so it would be hard to meet everyone’s needs who want services right away,” she joked. “It’s definitely growing.”

She offers Swedish massage, which is focused on relaxation, deep tissue, prenatal, cupping, scrapping and hot stoning.

The name of h er business is based on the Greek word, which means to have soul, creativity or

dresses, mother’s dresses and tuxedos for wedding parties and proms.

“I feel like this is so my calling to be able to work with people,” Jaynes said. “It’s very intimate. These gowns are big-occasion gowns, like weddings and proms and mother’s dresses and everything, and to take care of people and make them feel special and make them feel confident that day of, like they cannot wait to put this dress on, they can’t wait to put this tux on, they feel good, it makes me feel good.”

She likes being part of the process and getting to know each customer.

“We make buying a prom dress just as special as we make buying a wedding dress,” she said. “I get to have a conversation with a customer, learn about them, learn about what they like, learn about their family

love in your work and leave a piece of yourself in your work.

Ritchison was familiar with the term as she had it tattooed on herself. She decided it was a great name for the business because it was a theme for what she was pursuing.

“I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I truly care about the condition of my clients, and it’s been a word that’s resonated with me and the mentality I am looking for here,” she said.

Ritchison’s biggest goal when she started was she wanted to be on her own.

“I always had a vision of what I wanted my space to look like and have complete control over what the experience is and what my place looks like,” she said. “I wanted to be able to control wh at it looks like, smells like and especially what it feels like.” She also has been focused on creating an environment where clients are comfortable being themselves. Ritchison said she is comfortable being herself.

because they are bringing their family in here, learning about their friends.”

Everyone has different levels of reactions, Jaynes said.

“To see the emotions and to see someone get so excited about the way that they look in a dress and just be so happy and excited to wear this the day of such a big event in their life, it’s really amazing to know that I know what I’m doing, I’m able to help them when they wouldn’t have been able to do it on their own,” she said. “You need somebody who knows what they’re doing and talking about, and I’m glad that I get to be the person.”

Jaynes said customer service is one thing that sets B.loved apart from other shops.

“That was always Brandy’s biggest thing and what I fell in love

So after a number of years being in spas and other locations, Ritchison moved to her own independent location at 1301 N. Ewing St. in Seymour. Managing your own business — especially in its own space — has its challenges, and Ritchison has learned how to manage all of those while offering her clients a number of services.

“You have to know what is coming, but you also have to know how and when and be willing to alter what you’re doing,” she said. “You also have to watch how you react to situations in terms of customer service. You have to build relationships.”

One example of altering the plan was when the COVID-19 pandemic started. It wa s around that time she had started building her clientele. Ritchison was worried about whether people would still follow her or be comfortable at her business when things opened back up.

Those times taught her ab out boundaries,

with and what I wanted to continue on,” she said. “From the second you step in the door, you’re greeted by someone who is wanting and ready to help you. Through the whole process, somebody is there to help you and listen to you and just make you feel special and hype you up and do all of the things.”

Jaynes has two full-time employees yearround, and during prom season, she likes to have at least 20 employees. While transitioning from employee to business owner took some adjusting, Jaynes has adapted well and continues to love what she does for a living.

“From day to day, this doesn’t even feel like a real job,” she said. “I’ve said from Day 1 since I started working here ‘I would do this job for free.’ I love this work so much.”

personal space and reinforced her understanding of meeting people’s needs.

As far as being featured in a Women in Business section of the newspaper, Ritchison said she doesn’t necessarily focus on the fact she is a female business owner, but she does acknowledge the fact there are many female-owned and -led businesses in Jackson County that serve as inspiration.

“I definitely don’t look at it like I’m a female dominating things, but I think it’s cool because Jackson County is full of women-led businesses, and that’s inspirational,” she said. “I think it’s awesome to have had women show me what’s possible and what you’d pursue.”

And her inspiration?

Well, Ritchison only needs to look as far as where her idea for the business started in the first place: Her mother.

“My mom is my No. 1 main female inspiration because she is grit, drive and determination,” she said. “She has always been inspirational to me.”

SubM TTEd phoToS

Pictured clockwise from left: Grace Jaynes, left, is the current owner of B.loved in Seymour. Brandy Hampton, right, founded the business in 2013. // Jaynes, left, is pictured with her mother, Mary Ellen Jaynes, at National Bridal Market Chicago. // Jaynes, left, is pictured with two of her staff members, Jaeleigh Minton, center, and Abby Schmidt.

SubM TTEd phoTo

Mackenzie Ritchison stands outside her business, Meraki Massage & Wellness, locaget at 1301 N. Ewing St., Seymour.

There was a time when she and her husband, Tim, lived in Richmond, and Perry would drive down to Seymour and stay with her grandmother for a few nights and work at the company before heading back.

It was during those times she had the opportunity to not only spend quality time with her grandmother but also learn valuable lessons about how the business worked and how to continue making it operational.

“The main thing she taught me was that some months were tight, so you’d make sure you paid certain bills first, a smart cash flow kind of thing,” Perry said.

Perry also saw her grandmother treat her customers well. Woodard knew a lot of people, and many of her customers were farmers and local truck drivers. Now, many customers are come from off Interstate 65, and Perry doesn’t know them as well.

But she remembers the simplicity of how Woodard would handle a situation when one of her customers could not pay the amount in full.

“She’d work with them where they’d pay a little here and there until they paid it back,” she said. “She was always willing to help someone, and she just knew everybody.”

Her grandmother would give her small tasks at first, sometimes so small it would be a little frustrating to Perry, who thought she could be doing more.

“I always thought about how she could be showing me more, and

b usinesses

Con T inu E d F rom PAGE C2

About a year and a half prior to buying Pewter Hall, Angie said she and Nathan knew they were going to be purchasing it.

“We just wanted to make sure everything was in line,” Angie said. “I worked with Curtis and Darla for about a year before I took over just to kind of learn the ropes of everything.”

In January 2023, the Patmans officially became the new owners.

Angie has owned AKP Investments since 2018, which has Pewter Hall Event Center and Catering and Main Street Manor under its umbrella.

So far, Angie said they have hosted a variety of events at Pewter Hall, including weddings, wedding receptions, corporate events, annual meetings and dinners, graduation parties, auctions, baby showers and small groups.

“Anything that anybody needs it for. We do anywhere from 15, 20 people to 600, just whatever people need,” she said.

One thing they added is an outdoor wedding area, and she said several of those types of weddings have been booked.

“One thing that we have changed since we’ve taken ownership is we do offer discounts if you do rehearsal dinner, wedding and reception with us,” Angie said. “Also, another thing we’ve changed is we have a list of DJ, florist, photographer/ videographer, baker, hairdresser that we recommend so brides have a list of people, so it makes things a little bit easier for them.”

Pewter Hall also still does a lot of offsite

eventually, she slowly showed me,” she said. “It was gradual, which was good because I started at the bottom all the way

up to learning what to do each quarter.”

Working alongside her grandmother for 20 years was gift, Perry said.

“When she got to where she couldn’t come in every day, I knew how to do a lot of stuff,” she said. “We were always really close.”

Pictured clockwise from top: Aimee Perry displays the first concepts of the business logo that her grandfather, Glenn, drew for the business when it first started in 1957.

// The shop offers brakes, overhauls, trailer work and repairs and flooring and also is a Cummins certified dealer.

// From left, Augie Redmond, Toby Singleton, Brandon Rice, Donald Toan and Perry talk business in the shop at Best Way Inc. Erika MalonE | ThE TribunE

Now as president of the company, Perry manages all operations

right for the occasion. She said they painted the foyer, remodeled the bar area, purchased new tablecloths and added some backdrops and other rental items for people to use.

“Everyone is different. Every event is different,” Angie said. “We’re constantly putting up tables and chairs daily almost.”

While it’s a lot of work, Angie said it’s rewarding because she gets to be part of a variety of special events.

“It’s just a small piece of being able to help someone,” she said. “At the end of the day, the bride and groom, they are happy, and we’ve made their special day a little better because of it. It’s always enjoyable hearing that the food’s good and everything looks pretty. It’s nice just to be a part of their special day.”

It takes an organized person to go from event to event, and Angie gave away her strategy that has worked well so far.

“I have a lot of sticky notes and papers to keep on my calendar to tell me whether I’m coming or going most of the time,” she said, laughing. “We keep taking on more. If you’re already doing that, you might as well do this.”

and oversees all seven employees.

“I pretty much do anything and everything,” she said. “I don’t really work out in the shop, but I pretty much answer the phone, do invoices and all the administrative functions. I also have someone who helps part time in the office.”

Some employees have been at the company for 40 years.

“We’ve had a few people who were here about that long or longer retire recently, and we have a few that are coming up on retiring,” she said. “It will be hard to replace them, but I think they stay here this long because we’re so small that we’re almost like a family. Everyone knows what everyone is doing and what their family is doing. We have great people to work with every day.”

As far as being a female in a male-dominated industry, Perry said she realizes the significance, but it’s not something she really spends time thinking about. And no one at the company really does, either.

“I think there might be some guys in this industry who wouldn’t like to work for a woman, but we’re pretty laid-back, and no one at our business really thinks anything of it,” she said. “We never even talk about it, and it doesn’t come up.”

That might be a reason why Perry was surprised when she learned a friend had nominated her for The Tribune’s Women in Business section and it was decided to feature her.

“I was shocked,” she said. “She told me she thought it was cool that I am in this industry and should be proud of it.”

apartments, and Angie helped some with that project and also the firstfloor renovation.

The first floor has a full commercial kitchen.

“We’ve talked about maybe leasing it out to anybody that’s interested in maybe opening a restaurant,” Angie said.

“We’ve also talked about having another small event center down there just because we have so many people needing us to do things (at Pewter Hall) that we’re booked a lot of times, so we’re turning quite a few people away,” she said. “If it’s a smaller group, 50 to 100 people, it would be worth us to be able to just offer them that and be able to have that as an option, as well.”

The Patmans also are working on a barn outside their home to offer as a wedding destination. They hope to open The Barn 1875 — named after the year it was built — in 2024.

Considering all she has on her plate, Angie wouldn’t have it any other way and hopes she serves as an example to others.

catering, ranging from buffet-style to boxed lunches. Much of the menu is still the same, but Angie said she has made some tweaks.

Since she loves to cook, Angie handles most of the cooking, while her staff works on setting

up the room for onsite events. She also has added take-and-bake meals for families and offers those when she can.

“Those were a hit. Those went really well,” she said. “Families with kids in sports and things

like that, they really liked those because you can take them home, warm them up and they are ready.” With the onsite events changing on a regular basis, Angie and her staff stay busy preparing the facility so it’s just

She wouldn’t do it if she didn’t enjoy it.

“It’s just fun, and it’s fun to make people happy,” she said. “This is going to be part of their story. It’s just nice.”

If managing Pewter Hall isn’t enough, Angie said she and her husband are still eyeing a use for the first-floor space of their Main Street building, which was built in 1880.

Nathan spent more than a year renovating the upstairs so they could rent the twobedroom, one-bathroom

While she didn’t have plans to be a business owner, it happened, and she wants others, especially women, to know they can do it, too, if they are willing to put in the time and work.

“I’ve never really seen myself as just a woman. I’m a human. I’m a hard worker,” she said. “If you want to do it, do it. I always treat anybody that works with me to be that next leader. … Just be that person for the next one that doesn’t have a chance or wants to own a business or even just start small. You have to start somewhere, and sometimes, if you want to get anywhere, you just have to do it. If you want it, go get it.”

Zach SpicEr | ThE TribunE; SubMiTTEd phoToS

Pictured clockwise from top: Angie Patman is pictured inside Pewter Hall in Brownstown. // Patman helps with renovation on the first floor of the building she and her husband, Nathan, own in the 100 block of North Main Street in Brownstown. // Patman prepares food at Pewter Hall in Brownstown.

it has been amazing ever since.”

She opened Babe Cave Hair Studio on Oct. 1, 2022, but this is her third year of doing hair.

Bailey said she was drawn to her profession because she’s a girls’ girl and loves to lift up women.

“We’re so guarded around other women in public, but when they are in my chair at the studio, they open up to me and share things about their life,” she said. “I feel like that is my ministry, and I want to build them up, and there’s no better way than doing somebody’s hair.”

Bailey only works on women’s hair, and her specialty is color and extensions.

As for female role models in her life, she names her greatgrandma, her grandma and her mother.

“Definitely my mom because she is a true businesswoman,” she said. “She has always done something in management, and since I was in high school, she has always worked full time, and they own properties, so they manage those.”

When Bailey found out several people had nominated her for The Tribune’s Women in Business recognition, she cried because of how kind

it was of them to do. That felt so good to hear, she said.

“I feel like I’m lifting everybody up and loving on everybody, so when I found out, that just touched my heart,” Bailey said.

Several people nominated Bailey for the recognition. One of them was Chandra Dishman.

“Kayli is such a sweet person, she is very hardworking and she is a great person all around,” Dishman said. “She is great with adults and children, and Kayli always has a smile on her face.”

She said Bailey is very flexible and easy to work with when it comes to making appointments.

“She opened her own salon, and that takes a lot of courage, especially in a town that has several already,” Dishman said.

“She is one of the kindest ladies I have ever met.”

Alisha Cunningham said she thinks Bailey is the most genuine hairstylist she has ever met. Caring and loyal, she always puts the customer first and is the color queen.

Suzann Sorensen said Bailey is not only an amazing hairdresser and person, but she always makes you feel welcome.

“I had never gone to her, and my first time seeing her, I was worried, but she got my hair exactly like I wanted,” Sorensen said. “I felt we had a friendship when I left.”

“I was so surprised, and I have worked very hard to build an honest business that people can trust and feel respected,” VonDielingen said. “I have so many goals for growth personally, and for RevIVe, this definitely helps motivate me to continue to work hard. Thank you so much.”

Christy Pottschmidt of Seymour was one of the people who nominated

VonDielingen to be recognized.

Pottschmidt said VonDielingen went back to school as an adult to become an RN and then went on to get her NP license.

“After working in a traditional health care setting, she always knew she wanted to do more to help people,” she said. “She has a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone at the drop of a hat.”

Pottschmidt said VonDielingen also is very brave, going out of her comfort zone to open a

new business, as this is what her heart was calling her to do.

“She has been very successful in this new adventure and provides a service that is muchneeded in our community,” she said. “Her passion shines through with every client that she helps become their best self.”

Brittaney Hendrix said the reason she nominated her mom is because she brings a top-notch level of professionalism, pride and care in her work.

“Her goal is to help her

patients feel better physically and mentally,” she said.

Chloe Auleman said she knows VonDielingen personally, and she is one of the sweetest, most caring people in the world.

“Treating everyone as if they are family, she is one of the most selfless people I know,” Auleman said. “She is always putting others before herself.”

Information about RevIVe Wellness Studio can be found online at revivewellnessstudio.com or on Facebook.

While her craft and business career have been learned as she goes, Steinkamp earned her associate credentials in child development from Ivy Tech Community College and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Indiana Wesleyan University.

She points to her mother, Kris Steinkamp, and her grandmother, Janet Jaynes, as her biggest role models when it comes to work ethic.

“They both work multiple jobs like me because we honestly just love working and helping people,” she said. “I have been working so hard to become someone successful and be able to show my kids that working hard does pay off.”

Steinkamp said her mother and grandmother both help her out by watching her boys.

“I really have to take on planning things out,” she said, adding that hiring the high school girls to help out at the stores really helps out.

Steinkamp said being nominated for inclusion in the Women in Business special section makes her feel amazing.

“I had people nominating me before I even saw your post on Facebook,” she said. “God has truly been blessing me. So thank you for this opportunity.”

Steinkamp was nominated by Krystal Merrifield, Jaelyn Perry, Cortney Steinkamp, Morgan Cummings and Justis Raisor.

“She has worked herself up to a wonderful business that all the women love, and she works so hard and is so nice and honest,” Merrifield said.

Perry said Steinkamp spends countless hours working to be sure her boys have everything they need and want.

“She gives the area the best custom clothes and customer service,” she said.

Cortney said as Nicole’s older cousin, it may seem biased, but she has witnessed her grow from infancy, adolescence and adulthood.

“Nicole has always had a vision for success,” Cortney said. “Nicole would strive to get the right step down for the drill team at Brownstown Central High School. The moment she would walk past a mirror, it was a dramatic stop to do her dance routine, and she would watch every step in the mirror. Now, Nicole watches every step forward.”

Cortney said Nicole’s mother then started to help make candles and wax melts to add extras.

“The locals would come and pick up their orders from her front porch, and this is where the name originated,” she said. “Nicole continues to collaborate with many businesswomen all over the state as well as some locals in helping them thrive, too. It takes stepping forward constantly and never looking back, and Nicole every day continues to do just that. Nicole is a successful, empowering woman of Jackson County.”

aubrEy WoodS | ThE TribunE

Nicole Steinkamp of Brownstown opened The Front Porch at 118 W. Walnut St. in Brownstown and has since opened a second store at 1114 E. Tipton St. in Seymour.

Pictured clockwise from top: Amy Wilson, left, and Beth VonDielingen, right, apply serum on Heather Smith of Seymour prior to a procedure at RevIVe Wellness Studio, located at 209 E. Second St., Suite B, Seymour. // VonDielingen, co-owner of RevIVe Wellness Studio, works on the chart of a client. // A view of the waiting area at RevIVe Wellness Studio. lori Mcdonald | ThE TribunE

Pictured clockwise from top left: Jennifer Watkins gets her extensions raised by Kayli Bailey, owner of Babe Cave Hair Studio. // Bailey is the owner of Babe Cave Hair Studio, She has only women clients and specializes in hair color and extensions. // A view of the waiting area of Babe Cave Hair Studio. lori Mcdonald | ThE TribunE