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Four Entrepreneurs Share How They Turned Their Hobbies Into Successful Careers By: Ashley Miller, Top of Virginia Regional Chamber Twenty Four Seventeen. Many people, like these four small business owners have found a way to turn their hobbies and passions into a successful career. “This is why I’m so passionate about walking the journey of business life with entrepreneurs,” Smith said. “Life is short and every moment we’re gifted is precious.” Hancock’s passion for design began at 11, when she visited a Baltimore news station and saw a graphic designer working on a project. “I was intrigued,” Hancock said. As a military wife after college, she had the opportunity to move around the country. “Being stationed in Beaufort, SC I worked at a daily newspaper and also volunteered with the United Way on media kits, the local community theatre with set design and poster design.
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Matt Parrill, WinTech.
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In February 2011 Meredith Hancock took a leap of faith and left her full time-job as Design Supervisor with Times Community Media and began a new venture with her own graphic design business out of her home office. Hancock Media was born. After becoming a Certified Network Engineer, Matt Parrill, found himself in a situation where he was running a 24X7 IT Support organization within a Fortune 500 company. The changes he made there became his business model at WinTech. Business is Crystel Smith’s passion. Improving lives is her purpose. In 2015 Smith knew her calling was to become a small business owner and she founded Crystel Clear Business Strategies. John Doleman enables small businesses and non-profit organizations to build and mange apps across operating systems and devices through his business Apps
Meredith Hancock, Hancock Media. Photo courtesy of Aliyah Dastour | Alimondy Photography).
