The business owner

Owning a small business is akin to riding a roller coaster. There are lots of highs and lows, and sometimes you may feel queasy.

Timothy Totten has taken that ride many times. He is owner of Final Embrace, a Eustis-based company that makes blankets, quilts, and casket covers for funeral homes on five continents.

For him, stress comes from the fear of knowing his success or failure will directly affect the lives of his 15 employees who work hard to help him meet his everyday business goals.

“I’m always thinking of new ways to diversify my business because I want to make sure my employees can continue to eat,” he says.

It’s how he deals with stress that counts.

For Tim, channeling his creative side has proven to be the ultimate stress-buster. In recent years, he formed the game company Fun Ventures LLC, which allows him to create innovative and fun-filled game experiences for adults.

Those games have included Clue! Live Mystery Party at the Mote-Morris House in Leesburg, Pop Up Art Golf in downtown Mount Dora, and the Escape Game in a Box, a great team-building exercise for companies.

“Coming up with unique ideas for adult games feeds me personally,” he says. “Seeing other adults laughing, smiling, and having a good time is very fulfilling.”

Tim also is founder of the Amazing Race for Charity, which is modeled after the CBS hit reality show “Amazing Race.”

During the race, teams of two compete in quirky challenges that test their agility and problem-solving skills. The event, which will be held April 7, has raised $400,000 for local charities and nonprofit organizations since debuting in 2013.

“Doing good things for other people is a great way to improve your mood and reduce stress,” he says. “I want to live in a better place. I can rely on others to make it better or I can make it better myself. Also, I’m the type who gets easily bored, so I enjoy coming up with games and events to keep others from getting bored.”

When he’s not organizing games, Tim serves as a master storyteller who travels to different venues and takes audiences on a journey through the life of famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. “His life story has love, adultery, murder, and the emperor of Japan, and that’s all in his first 45 years,” he says. “I have always been a big fan of Wright and am very passionate to talk about him. Doing things I’m passionate about helps minimize any stress I may be feeling.”