WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES

Get to know New Jersey’s extraordinary entrepreneurs and what their companies have to offer.

Beyond 20/20 Vision Training Center KIRTI P. PATEL, MPH, OD, FCOVD beyond2020vtc.com • Instagram @beyond.2020

HEALTH & WELLNESS

What inspired you to start your business? It was my very first vision therapy patient in optometry school, an 8-year-old girl who had difficulty with reading. During her first progress evaluation my attending optometrist asked her mother if she was noticing any improvements. Her mother responded that her daughter still hated to read. When he asked my patient, she sat there silently with her backpack on her lap and head down. Her mother proceeded to remove her backpack, only to find my patient was reading a chapter book. At that moment, I realized this is how I’d make my impact on this world.

What sets your business and brand apart? The quality of my program sets us apart. Because I take a curative approach, patients who graduate from my program, see long-lasting results.

What was your proudest/happiest moment as a business owner? I was treating a young girl of about 9 years old for exotropia, one eye turned outwards. She was seen by a local pediatric ophthalmologist who recommended surgery. Her mother wasn’t comfortable with the recommendation, researched alternatives and found my office. They drove long distances every week to see me. Before she finished her program, her mother went back to the same pediatric ophthalmologist to get another evaluation. He told her she no longer needed surgery; her eyes were straight.

What do you love most about what you do? Besides getting to know my patients and their families, I love to see the positive changes my program makes not just visually, but in peoples’ lives. We often hear that people are more confident, happy and successful both academically and professionally in their daily lives.

What’s your most memorable experience when you knew your business was nailing it? I recall my patient, a senior in high school, had incurred three sports-related concussions. After three months of physical therapy, he was still complaining of daily headaches and began struggling academically. His goal was to get into college, but he couldn’t tolerate the visual demands needed to take the SATs. By the time he completed my vision therapy program, he was headache-free, back to being an A-student and received an early admission offer to his first-choice college. Prior to my vision therapy program, he’d seen numerous specialists including a neuropsychologist. He failed every part of his neuropsychological evaluation. After my program, he passed every part of it except the auditory portion, which I don’t train for.

How do you juggle the business with family demands? I’m blessed with a supportive husband and three wonderful kids. We work as a team and make daily tasks into family time. For example, we cook together, eat meals together, run errands together and, my favorite, travel together.

Leezaworks, LLC LEEZA HERNANDEZ leezaworks.com • etsy.com/shop/leezaworks • Instagram @leezaworks

GRAPHIC DESIGN, ART & ILLUSTRATION

What inspired you to start your business? I’ve always freelanced as a graphic designer and illustrator in addition to a full-time job. It helps me stay inspired and keeps the workload interesting, because it’s so varied. Forming the LLC two years ago and building what I’ve created into more of a brand seemed the next logical step. Plus, being able to show my daughter that you can manifest a life that you love by doing what you love is important, too. It’s hard work, but can be rewarding in unexpected ways. What’s your business best known for? My whimsical illustration work—mostly children’s books and cat art—as well as my large-scale abstract paintings. What do you love most about what you do? Connecting with people. One of the most gratifying parts of what I do is receiving a personal message saying how my work made an impact, or simply made someone smile. One of the biggest compliments was a parent thanking me for making a kid’s book character look like her babies. Diversity really does matter and make a difference! What’s your best seller? Private commissions and any cat art. I sell my work at cat conventions (yes, it’s a thing) and have built a base of loyal customers and furriends in the past few years. I’ve gotten many repeat customers through the conventions. What was the hardest thing about getting the business off the ground? Time management and work/life balance. Working my side hustle around a full-time job and spending quality time with my family meant a big shift in my daily schedule. It took time to adjust, but I now have a formula that works and I’m able to take it all in my stride with little to no stress. How’s your business invested in your community? I work with a not-for-profit organization visiting inner city second- and third-graders in New Jersey and NYC helping raise awareness of the importance of early literacy and sharing stories. Plus, a percentage of proceeds of art prints sold in my Etsy shop is donated to local animal shelters. What would you like people to know about running your own business? • Patience and perseverance is key. It’s taken years for me to get to the point where I’m comfortable with facing challenges head-on instead of getting frustrated, freaking out or throwing in the towel. • Establish a support system. It can be exhausting and sometimes overwhelming trying to do it all when you’re a party of one. Having a spouse, partner, friend, relative or impartial third party to sound off ideas, vent to, celebrate milestones with (big or small) or keep your feet on the ground makes a world of difference. Hang in there, trust your gut, take your time... you got this! What’s next for you and your business? Continuing to grow my body of work is a big focus, and I’m currently revamping my newsletter to stay in touch with my community of customers and supporters. I’m also expanding into art licensing, so you’ll see my work on fabric in the near future. Yay!

Njswim Schools

CHRISTINE HOWE, Partner & Director of Swim School Operations JULIA ECKHARDT, Partner & Operations Manager; LINDA BOHN, Partner & Regional Manager njswim.com • facebook.com/njswim

KIDS PROGRAMS

What is Njswim best known for? Christine Howe: We teach thousands of swim lessons every week, starting with Water Babies at three months old. We offer a developmental approach to swimming, year-round, in heated pools with private and small group swim lessons for children of all ages and abilities. What sets the Njswim brand apart? CH:“Warm Water—Cool Teachers—Happy Kids.” Each child who walks through the door is cared for, loved and taught in a way that benefits and works for them! From our heated pools to our state-of-the-art facilities and certified staff, our business model is unique. Julia Eckhardt: Every team member, from lifeguards to upper-level management, is a swim teacher, trained and certified to deliver our in-water curriculum, supreme customer service and keep safety first. Our kind and loving, yet effective approach to teaching swim lessons has been the hallmark of our success. How has Njswim evolved? CH: When I first started almost 11 years ago, we had one location and about 15 team members. We are currently in the process of building our sixth location and have more than 100 employees. Today we have more systems and processes in place to ensure that all five Njswim locations are operating to the same standards. What are your happiest moments as a business owner? JE: Seeing the magical moments of a child progressing from a water baby all the way through learning the four swim strokes. The confidence and sheer joy of accomplishment that learning how to swim brings to a child makes me happy. What was a moment when you knew your business was nailing it? CH: Seeing team members who love coming to work every day. Watching them grow on their career path and work their way from part-time swim teachers to upper management positions. In some instances, our team members are now partners—amazing! Can you name a recent milestone you are proud of? Linda Bohn: When Njswim Manasquan reached enrollment of 800 active swimmers in February. It was an unbelievable feeling. What’s on the horizon for Njswim? LB: This summer we’ll open our sixth location in Brick. The new, custom-designed 8,000-square-foot aquatic center will feature a state-of-the-art pool, custom changing rooms, stroller parking and hair drying stations. The new location will be open year-round offering the highest quality swim lessons, water babies programs and pool parties. How is Njswim invested in your local community? CH: Njswim visits hundreds of elementary and preschools schools in New Jersey every year for free. We present our proprietary Water Safety Curriculum, designed for kids to recognize various drowning risks and ways to protect themselves and other people in and around water. We’re also creating the curriculum and piloting water safety programs to be taught in public schools across New Jersey.

Williams Law Group, LLC ALLISON C. WILLIAMS, ESQ. familylawyersnewjersey.com • facebook.com/TheWilliamsLawGroup

LEGAL SERVICES

What sets your law practice apart? Williams Law Group, LLC was founded in 2013 on the principle that good enough is not good enough when a family is at stake. Though accomplished in matrimonial law, Ms. Williams is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Matrimonial Law Attorney, a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Law, and Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as a family law trial attorney. Ms. Williams built her career on helping the least fortunate, most demonized citizens battle the most formidable opponent—the State of New Jersey. In child abuse and neglect matters, there is no “meeting in the middle.” A middle of the road outcome may mean the parent never sees the child again. So, learning how to fight and prioritizing the “win” became an essential lifeblood of this law firm. Ms. Williams has appeared in the media, on news outlets, on the Katie Couric’s talk show and has presented to local, state, national and international conferences on issues involving child abuse, neglect and welfare. Of course, not every case warrants a “fight.” Most cases require a nuanced understanding of the very human problems that face our clients and their children. This understanding is informed by the extensive experience we have with psychological disorders, substance abuse and addiction science, developmental pediatrics, medical and mental health intervention protocols, and the countless trials, hearings, motions and pleadings we have conducted and prepared throughout New Jersey. It’s this nuanced understanding that led the firm to dedicate an individual to meeting with and assessing new client matters to coalesce for each client the legal team best suited to meet the client’s needs and fit their unique personality. The firm consists of a stellar legal team of attorneys, paralegals, and administrative support and handles all types of family law proceedings: divorce, child custody, child support, parenting time, adoptions, grandparent visitation, domestic violence, third party custody applications, and the one area of family law that the majority of family law practitioners will not handle— child abuse and neglect proceedings. Our attorneys have appeared in every county in this state, in Superior Court, the Appellate Division and the New Jersey Supreme Court. We also handle administrative appeals of child abuse investigation outcomes and advice and consultation of individuals involved in these matters, whether the person be the accused or a parent understandably concerned with the welfare of his or her child. Our expertise in handling the worst of issues in the most dire of circumstances helps us deliver winning outcomes to our clients, day in and day out.

Chatham Orthodontics

DR. BARBARA FODERO, DDS, MS chathambraces.com Instagram @chathamortho

What sets your business and brand apart? Having a “mom perspective” has helped me understand the demands of juggling children’s busy schedules along with work schedules. It’s made me a more compassionate and sensitive orthodontist. I treat my patients the way I’d treat my own children. What do you love most about what you do? I love having a profound impact on someone’s self-esteem when I create a beautiful smile. I also love the connections I make with my patients and their families. I feel like people come in as patients and leave as friends. What’s the moment when you knew you nailed it? When I learn that new clients hear positive things about me and my business on their community Facebook page, I know I’m doing something right. How do you juggle being a business owner with family demands? It’s not easy being a divorced mom running a business. I work my longer days and my Saturday hours when my children are with their dad, which has relieved me of a lot of mom guilt. I’ve learned not to overextend myself in order to maintain a work/family balance. How’s your business involved in your local community? I participate in a program called Smiles Changes Lives, where I donate free orthodontic treatment to children whose parents can’t afford braces. I also sponsor local school sports, performing arts and general fundraiser events.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Fitness Coaching, LLC

LOIS MANZELLA-MARCHITTO FitnessCoachingLLC.com facebook.com/FitnessCoachingLLC

What do you love most about what you do? Connecting with people then pairing with our team. Seeing our clients’ and team’s excitement when our clients surpass their goals and expectations. Helping make fitness easy and achievable for our clients. What’s your business best known for? We bring our exercise experts face-to-face with our clients for on-site (at home, office, park or online), one-on-one personal training and group exercise sessions. What sets you apart? Safety is our number one priority. We make it easy by coming to our clients. Our team’s education is leading the way in the industry to give the most value to our clients. Lastly, we do a federal background check to assure our team’s professionalism. What was the hardest thing to get the business going? All of it! In the beginning, all I knew was how to train clients. Learning how to be a business owner was daunting and humbling. I’m still working on it. How has your business invested in the community? We’re active in the Morris County Chamber of Commerce, Bernards Networking Group and Morris Networking Group. We assist many nonprofits by providing warm-ups for golf and race outings. What’s next? To franchise my company so I can help others take the fitness industry to a new level and help more families. We’re changing this generation so the next one can thrive.

Modern Acupuncture

JOAN ARATA modernacupuncture.com/nj001 Instagram @modernacupuncture_fp

What inspired you to start your business? I’ve personally used acupuncture for many years to deal with many different challenges. My whole career was in corporate America, and I was looking for my next adventure. When I heard from friends about this new national franchise concept in acupuncture, I knew it was something I was really interested in that would be my next adventure!

What sets your business and brand apart? The Modern Acupuncture goal is to bring acupuncture to many more Americans by making it accessible and affordable. According to the NIH and WHO, only 3-5 percent of all Americans have ever tried acupuncture. By being in retail locations with retail hours (being open seven days a week) and offering affordable, efficient memberships and packages, we believe that we’ll meet our goal!

When was the moment when you knew your business was nailing it? Every day, we have patients who tell us how we’ve positively impacted their lives by making it possible for them to try acupuncture. We have so many patients who tell us that friends are asking what they’re doing differently because they look so calm and relaxed. One patient who’s doing our Glow facial acupuncture said a relative asked her if she had a facelift after only two weeks of treatments! Then, of course, we have patients who are finally feeling relief from longstanding back pain. This can be life-changing.

LEGAL SERVICES

Tomasella & Associates, LLC

VICTORIA TOMASELLA, ESQ., OWNER COURTNEY VACCA, ESQ., SENIOR ASSOCIATE tomaselladivorce.com

What inspired you to start your business? I was divorced 16 years ago. I have three little boys. After my divorce was finalized, I dedicated myself to advocating for families. What sets your business and brand apart? I lived through my own divorce and teach family law at Pace University. I understand the emotional factors of each divorce and that each divorce is different and unique. What was your happiest moment as a business owner? When I receive a thank you note from a client, I’m always very happy and proud of the services our firm provides. What was your most memorable experience with a client—a moment when you knew your business was nailing it? Our business comes from past and current client referrals. It’s always satisfying to know our clients trust us and refer us to family and friends. Why do you think it’s so important to support small businesses in general? Large firms aren’t always able to provide individual services to the extent that small firms can. What else would you like New Jersey families to know about you? Our clients’ happiness is of the utmost importance to us. Most of my clients have my personal cell phone number and I check in with them from time to time after the divorce legal proceedings are over.

Warshaw Law Firm, LLC

JULIE WARSHAW, ESQ. warshawlawfirm.com

What do you love about what you do? I love being able to find the right placement, services and accommodations for students so that their lives begin to change for the better. It’s magical when a child thrives academically, socially and emotionally in his or her learning environment.

What’s your most memorable experience with a client? I have fond memories of all my clients. I love when students I worked with in the past come back to visit me years later and they’re smiling and proud of their accomplishments. The most memorable experience with a client started several years ago. This child was autistic, and when I first met him, he was self-injurious, had virtually no language and had been placed in a self-contained class on the other side of the school away from other children. After we battled the district, he was placed in an appropriate out-of-district program. A few years ago, he came to my office, spoke my name, gave me a huge hug and told me he’d just graduated from high school. That was a great day.

How do you juggle being a business owner with family demands? My family is most important to me. I moved my office closer to home and work my schedule around being there for my children. I work crazy hours and weekends, answer my own phone so I’m accessible to my clients, but I also prioritize and work as efficiently as possible.

CHILDCARE

Yaycare

JEN GREENSPAN yaycare.app Instagram @yaycare_app

What inspired you to start your business? After the birth of my daughter, I had trouble finding flexible daycare, so I decided to create an app that allows parents to find and book open spots at licensed childcare centers (like Opentable for childcare)! What sets your business apart? We’re the first app in New Jersey that allows parents to book open spots at licensed daycares, preschools, school break camps, summer camps and Parents Night Out programs. We’re working with both top-rated franchises and independent providers, and we heavily vet all providers before allowing them on our app. How does Yaycare work? Simply download our free app to search, book and pay for open spots in just a few clicks! There are no fees and no commitments. Just pay for the days you need. We also provide a universal registration form and required health forms. What’s next for you and your business? For summer we’re introducing a weekly booking option for camps. Our goal is to allow parents to book lastminute spots at different types of camps for kids through age 14. What else would you like New Jersey families to know about you? We’re expanding quickly across NJ, so if we’re not in your town yet, we should be soon! Feel free to email me with any questions or feedback at jen@yaycare.app.

Anew Dawn Beauty + Balance

DAWN JACOBUS, LMT, LE, CHTP anewdawnbeautyandbalance.com facebook.com/anewdawnbeautyandbalance

What inspired you to start your business? My passion for helping you look and feel your personal best through massage therapy, facials, quality skin care, energy therapy and various relaxation and rejuvenation practices to relax, refresh and renew. What’s your best seller or most requested product or service? The Microcurrent Face Lifting Treatment uses safe, noninvasive microcurrent technology to rejuvenate and reeducate the muscles of the face, neck and body. This treatment has no downtime and can create a firmer, lighter and brighter complexion. What was your most memorable experience when you knew your were nailing it? When my guests emerge from the treatment room with a glow and a smile, I know I made a difference and helped them get their glow on! What else would you like NJ families to know about you? We host spa and wellness events to soothe your soul, and Glowing Goddess™ Gatherings to celebrate and honor the goddess within. You can view our updated events on our website. We’d love to host your special occasion.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Foot and Ankle Premier Specialists

JULIANA PATERNINA, DPM footandankleps.com Instagram @footankleps

What inspired you to start your business? I’m passionate about providing excellent care to my patients and want them to feel at home; not just like another number. My personalized, holistic approach to care differentiates my practice from other practices. How do you juggle being a business owner with family demands? I try to dedicate family time with my daughter and husband whenever I can. When I’m here in the office, I focus on the business. It’s not about the quantity of time but the quality time I spend with my family that matters the most. What’s the one thing you wish everyone knew about running your own business? It’s not easy running your own business and it takes a village to have a successful practice. Dedication along with a strong support system with mentors to guide you towards your goal are so important. What else would you like NJ families to know about you? My practice is here to serve them. We’re here to provide the best, personalized care for their foot and ankle conditions. We offer the quality service that they deserve and are here to assist with anything that they need.

HEALTHCARE

Holistic Family Healthcare

ELAINE HARDY, APN holisticfamilyhealthcarepc.com Instagram @elainehardyfit

What is your business best known for? Digging deep, thinking outside the box and resolving the root cause(s) of my patients’ medical issues. What sets your business and brand apart? I’m a nurse practitioner and the sole provider in my practice. Treatments include both holistic and mainstream medications. My patients have the best of both worlds. What do you love most about what you do? The rush I get as I pursue a resolution to the various cases that are presented to me. Who inspired you to start your business? My mother, a cutting-edge nurse practitioner. When she was ill, I took over the care of her patients and realized that integrative medicine was my calling. A moment when you knew your business was nailing it? When my staff had to create a new patient waiting list. What’s your most memorable experience with a patient? I detected a potentially fatal heart murmur in one of my pediatric patients that had gone undetected by several other providers. After open heart surgery, her family told me that I was instrumental in saving her life. That feeling is beyond description.

Hudson River Dental Arts

JENNIFER SUNKIN, DMD hudsonriverdentalarts.com Instagram @HudsonRiverDentalArts

LEGAL SERVICES

Jacobs Berger, LLC

SARAH JACOBS, ESQ. & JAMIE BERGER, ESQ. jacobsberger.com Instagram @jacobsbergerllc

DENTAL SERVICES

Kids Smile

DAWN M. FORBES, DDS kidssmilenj.com

What are you and your business best known for? We’re best known for treating patients gently, providing exceptional care and making even a dental visit fun! What sets your business and brand apart? We’re ethical, honest, gentle and take the time to listen to our patients. We don’t overbook or rush patients out of our office. We create an environment where our patients feel like family and actually become family. What’s your proudest moment as a business owner? The first time a new patient referred another patient. It meant that we did something right! As a new small business, referrals are how we stay alive and grow. Referrals are the greatest compliment we can ever receive. What do you love most about what you do? The most rewarding part of my job is when patients with severe dental phobias are able to sit in my chair and allow me to make their mouths healthy. What’s the one thing you wish everyone knew about running your own business? It’s not a sprint, but a marathon. Be patient.

What sets your brand apart? The “De-Stress Divorce Doctrine!” We focus on client-centered service. While we can’t wave a magic wand and eliminate all things “evil” (we bet you just thought “my spouse”), we can and do control aspects of the process to allow our clients to focus on what really matters. We can’t control everything, but we can control our client’s experience with us. We know life brings a ton of competing priorities (family, career, community, friends), and divorce just adds to the mix. Our practical, goal-oriented advice is designed to weigh options and plan for long-term, sustainable success. How do you balance being a business owner with family demands? Creatively! As working moms, we each know all too well what an overscheduled life is like, and we need workable solutions to get the job done. We have a list of our own priorities, carve out time for work, family and, let’s be honest, ourselves, and we live (and die!) by our calendars. Sure, things can go sideways, but what good are we to our clients or families if we aren’t able to handle a crisis?

What inspired you to start your own business? Dental visits aren’t usually a priority for some families. I started a family-friendly practice to help view dental visits as a routine activity, by welcoming families in a warm, caring, comfortable and professional environment. What’s your most memorable experience with a client? When a parent said this was her daughter’s fourth dental office and she didn’t think I’d be able to get X-rays or do treatment. We proved her wrong. At the end of her visit, her child remarked, “I like this dentist.” After 11 years, she’s still my patient, along with her siblings. How are you involved in your local community? One of our biggest annual events is giving back with Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) where we donate dental services to underserved children. We sponsor individuals (students and athletes), communities, schools, sports and PTA events, as well as school visits teaching children about dental health. I’ve mentored students who have shadowed me, interned and now attend or graduated dental school. I volunteer with the South Brunswick Commission on Women to inform and motivate female students in dental careers.

Lawrence Law

JERALYN LAWRENCE, ESQ. lawlawfirm.com facebook.com/LawLawFirm

What inspired you to start your business? My kids. It’s exciting to show that hard work pays off, and that if you dream it and believe it, you can make it happen. What sets your business apart? While every divorce/family law case is different, Lawrence Law’s philosophy is the same for every client: Be mindful of what they’re going through to guide them to a better place. How do you juggle being a business owner with family demands? The days go slow and the years go fast. I live that harsh truth, but make it a priority to manage my to-do list so that my kids come first. How is your business invested in your local community? We proudly support law enforcement, military personnel, food insecurity, autism, domestic violence and breast cancer survivors, plus we sponsor an underprivileged girls’ basketball team. What’s one thing you wish everyone knew about running your own business? Take the leap. Surround yourself with an amazing team. Have no weak links in your chain. Invest in yourself. Control your future.

KIDS PROGRAMS

Merry Musicians Music Together

GENEVIEVE SCHMIDT merrymusicians.com Instagram @merrymusiciansmusictogether

What sets your business and brand apart? What sets us apart is the research that we have and share with our families. Music Together (MT) is in more than 3,000 locations in 40 countries; we must be doing something right! What’s your proudest/happiest moment as a business owner? My proudest moment was when my son decided to become an MT teacher. My happiest moment was when my husband brought our granddaughter to class without me. How’s your business involved in your local community? I often offer my services to libraries and have a scholarship program for those in need. Why is it important to support small businesses? When you support a local business, you’re supporting your neighbors and your community, which is your extended family; everyone benefits. What else would you like NJ families to know about you? I’m celebrating teaching MT for 25 years, having served more than 7,000 families in Morris County. Each day, I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my love of music with families, and to inspire them to bring the love of music into their families.

DENTAL SERVICES

Singh and Smile Pediatric Dentistry

ANUPREET SINGH, DMD singhandsmile.com Instagram @singhandsmiledental

What inspired you to start your business? I decided to become a pediatric dentist after noticing a trend with my adult patients; the ones who were most fearful were the ones that had not-so-pleasant experiences when they were younger. I decided that I wanted to be a part of the solution. I wanted to provide my patients with the tools to develop great preventative habits at a young age so that way, their experience at the dentist could be as positive as possible. What is unique about your business? Our office is designed specifically with kids in mind. By combining our specialized pediatric dental training with a staff that loves working with kids, our practice is tailor-made for treating young smiles. When you choose a practice that specializes in pediatric dentistry such as ours, you’re ensuring that your child receives customized, ageappropriate care. What sets you apart? While we take the practice of dentistry very seriously, we don’t take ourselves too seriously. In fact, we love to have fun! We often sing to our patients and love to see them smile, hence Singh and Smile.

SuperKids

BRIDGET O’BRIEN superkidsnj.com facebook.com/superkidsnj

KIDS PROGRAMS

The Gagasphere

PAM DIAMOND AND LESLIE SCHRAER TheGagasphere.com Instagram @TheGagasphereNJ

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Vein Center for Women

GIRIJA SURYA, MD veincenterforwomen.com

What inspired you to start your business? Necessity is the mother of all invention. Nineteen years ago, I was a single mom looking for childcare. The options in our area lacked a sense of community or family environment. I sold my house and started my own. What sets your business and brand apart? We’re a community with a history. Twenty-five percent of our teachers have been here more than 10 years. More than 90 students have relatives here or graduated SuperKids. What do you love most about what you do? Watching our community grow and seeing their accomplishments. Our first class graduates college this year! What was the hardest thing about getting the business off the ground? Starting a business is hard. When you do things for the right reasons, it always works out. How do you juggle a business with family demands? SuperKids was conceived to be with my own children as much as possible. My daughter chose the name. We strive to make the work/family balance easier for parents with loving developmental and educational programming that promotes family time, too.

What inspired you to start your business? We have five kids between our two families. Each played Gaga at camp and were obsessed with the game, even though not all typically enjoy sports. In a community like ours, most active play is focused around competitive team sports, so we opened the The Gagasphere because Gaga Ball presented an alternative for kids and parents. Gaga is a “playground equalizer”: all children participate and get the benefits of socialization and exercise.

What’s your business best known for and how has it evolved? Kids know us as the official Gaga Ball facility. Parents know us as a mom-owned business. The facility is clean and bright and birthday parties run seamlessly due to the attention given to each party. We are flexible and treat each event as if it was for our own child, and customers always notice. The Gagasphere started with Gaga birthday parties, Disco Gaga and 9 Square. Now we offer a STEM and Gaga field trip for grades two through six which incorporates mind and body. We also bring Gaga pits to local after school programs as well as block parties, barbecues and recreation camps.

What inspired you to start your business? I started my residency in surgery with a desire to ultimately train as an OB/GYN. This gave me a particular interest in women’s health and cardiovascular surgery. What do you love most about what you do? The process of diagnosis, when someone comes in, is a very interesting part of my practice, like Sherlock Holmes tying the clues together. This keeps me engaged with the patient until I have solved the problem and helped them with what they came to me for. What is your business best known for? My business is best known for the personal care we render to each individual. Our mission statement is 1) “Love your legs again” and 2) “Beauty Inside Out.” We try to achieve this by examining a patient in whole, to make sure that her inner health and outer health achieve the ideal of “Total Health.” Why do you think it’s so important to support small businesses? While the future of healthcare is evolving into large corporate entities, physicians need to keep a balance and not lose sight of the needs of their patients as their primary focus.

Vorona Massage Therapy & Holistic Wellness, LLC

SARAH R. WIKANDER, LMT, CR voronamassagetherapy.com

What sets your business and brand apart? I decided to dedicate my attention to therapeutic services that would allow people in the community help in finding a solution to live a more pain-free life. What do you love most about what you do? The joy I receive in providing to others is something that’s deeply uplifting for my soul. I find great blessings in being involved personally with those on a day-to-day basis. How is your business involved in your local community? It’s important to remember the aspect of giving back and bringing overall betterment to others on a larger scale. Why do you think it’s so important to support small business in general? Small businesses are generally cultivated by dreams and visions women have about providing an area of expertise, talent and work ethic to their fellow members of the community. Supporting small business ventures provides a valuable systematic flow and a good example for our younger generations willing to go beyond a corporate level of dependency.

SHOP SMALL. SUPPORT LOCAL The extraordinary women-owned businesses in this issue need your support now more than ever! Go to njfamily.com/womenowned and help spread the word about their products and services.