Raleigh’s Most Inspiring Stories

Monique Ray

Born in North Carolina, Raised in Stamford, Connecticut. Went to Berkeley College in New York for Fashion Management & Merchandising. As a Delta Epsilon Chi business student accomplished esteemed award as Top 8 in US for problem solving (Human Relations). Graduated 1987 & worked in Manhattan, NY in advertising. Saatchi & Saatchi DFS Compton & Ally & Gargano. My clients were Toyota, Leggs & Dunkin Donuts. Got married at age 22 and my abusive ex-husband exposed me to drugs and hopelessness. Was a victim of verbal and mental abuse for 6 years and suffered heart-attacked and stroke. After rehabilitation, new life began, remarried. my new husband, my king and best friend Leslie “Les” Ray. We’ve been together 30 years, married 28 years. Daughter ,Whitney 33 and grandson Marcus Jr. 12. Ordained a Recovery Pastor & Chaplain, Opened a home for women & children “In His Hands Wholeness Center” in North Carolina and served as Chaplain for Cape Fear Hospital in Elizabethtown, NC. Relocated to West Coast for work. Continued my spiritual journey, Received Double Doctorate 4 yrs apart in Clinical Pastoral Counseling and Christian Ministry. Opened a sober living home for women and worked with Judicial system. Also headed up Spiritual Recovery as a Chaplain and Group facilitator for Veterans and civilians at a Luxury Rehab – Virtue Recovery. Just relocated from West Coast to Clayton, NC. 5 months ago. to care for my mother who has Dementia. Trained and certified in hypnotherapy, energy, sound healing and halotherapy. Over the last 1 year really started to experience awakenings which challenged me at my core and sent me seeking… I found Corey! Read more>>

Dolev Zaharony

We are relocation and short-term rental specialists. We provide an experience that makes the move seamless and headaches-free. What sets us apart is our service- we will go above and beyond for our customers to make sure they can focus on what is important to them- whether it’s finding their dream home or their work. Read More>>

Alley Buscemi

After years as a set designer in New York City, staging stylish interiors for film, tv, and commercials, I entered the sales world and unexpectedly loved it. Within six months, I was managing multi-million dollar international wholesale accounts. I connected buyers from Fortune 100 retail companies with home trends and developed custom-designed collections. Eventually I wanted more meaningful work, and decided to sell the whole house. I’m coming up on 5 years as a Realtor, and in January 2024 I launched my own team at Compass- AlleyCo Homes. Read More>>

Wendy Clark

My journey into dentistry started early – when my little brother was born with a cleft lip and palate requiring complex dental needs throughout his childhood. I was inspired by the team of dental specialists who supported both him and our family. I chose the specialty of prosthodontics (tooth replacement and complex care), and after 11 years of higher education, I was fortunate to practice in Atlanta with some of the same doctors that helped by brother years before. Read More>>

Kevin Shane

Sure! I grew up in a very small town in western New York state. Travel was always an integral part of my life growing up, from our family vacations throughout the United States and Canada to the stories and slide shows my parents and aunts and uncles would tell and show us from their travels abroad. This sparked a keen interest in exploring new cultures, meeting new people, and engaging with different contexts at an early age, and acted as the foundation for my future professional pursuits. Read More>>

Rocky Dimico

When the movie came out, I was here stationed at Fort Bragg, I went to the midnight showing of it and I was just blown away, I had to do some research of where the movies were filmed and I found out it was New Zealand, so it was on my bucket list for many years and then I went in 2022. That experience inspired me to share these adventure with others, sparking the idea of Flights & Fables. I then began researching the travel industry and discovered it was thriving. Obviously, I love Lord of the Rings, I love Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, all these things. So, I said that will be my niche within the travel industry. We’ve been operating for just over a year now and every month our client list grows. Read More>>

Shakiara Mclean

My story starts with me starting my first job in college working for the City of Raleigh. I was a Track out counselor while I was attending Shaw University. I was an undecided major and City of Raleigh Parks and Recreation paved the way for me to decide to become a Recreation major. While working in parks and rec I wore many hats and worked in many different departments. Being with the Parks and Rec department opened my curiosity to what more could I do for my community. I began to love the work I did. I worked many with anything dealing with kids and sports. Read More>>

Kyndall Roland

In 2018, while I was attending East Carolina University, I worked as a spa attendant at a beauty salon. My responsibilities included cleaning, handling laundry, and prepping guests for treatments. The salon offered a variety of services, including spray tanning, and I was given the opportunity to learn this skill for additional income. As a college student, I was eager to take on the extra work. Read More>>

Aly Davis

I founded Abundant Amos Financial Strategies in 2023, building on three years of entrepreneurial experience. My mission is to empower individuals to achieve financial independence by providing comprehensive financial services that enhance income and improve money management skills. The journey has demanded relentless hard work and dedication, and I take immense pride in the foundation I’ve established for myself and my family. This business is more than just a venture—it’s the beginning of a legacy. I attribute all my success to God’s grace, and I recognize that I am nothing without Jesus. Read More>>

Apryl Dannemiller

In 2012 I started a business that eventually grew into 2 hair salons, in these years, I also became a Reiki master, a shaman, and incorporated my tarot reading skills to offer a blend of these into a hair healing experience for my guests. in 2020, I decided to drop back down to 1 salon. Over the next couple of years, I decided it was time for a change, and bring my focus back to the work and myself. I’m so glad I did! Read More>>

Jordan Pickett

Instead, I received praise from my siblings and parents and applaud for my work ethic and progress. With said, when 3am rolled around, my parents would walk up stairs and say “Jordan.. go to bed son..” but I could have expected that considering our wood floors and my room being directly above theirs! Truly, it is the smallest moments like those that I believe have set me apart and boosted my success. Read More>>

Shakirah Scott

In the process of growth, struggle is an inevitable part of the journey. It’s not always going to be sunshine and blue skies. For me, this journey has involved self-reflection, victories, the loss of friendships and relationships, triumphs, financial challenges here and there, self-discovery, and numerous of valuable life lessons. Despite the difficulties, I’ve come to realize that the positives far outweigh the negatives. Read More>>

Michael Robertson

That’s when I discovered the financial services industry. It offered me everything I was searching for: the freedom to be my own boss, the ability to help others by educating them, and the flexibility to manage my time as an entrepreneur. This shift allowed me to create a career that aligned with my goals and values while still connecting with people in meaningful ways.  Read More>>

Vanessa Urena

I started in the world of balloons in 2020 during Covid. Since I was bored at home and unable to go out, I started watching tutorial videos on YouTube about balloon arches and balloon bouquets as a hobby. Then I started ordering balloons and started decorating all the birthdays in the house, even if it was just to celebrate it in family, since no one could be invited due to the virus. Time passed and everything in the world was returning to normal. Read More>>