Meet Our Entrepreneurs
Honey Simmons
WORLD OF REPTIGURL
Our Academy Alumna, Honey Simmons, has created quite a unique mobile business: a reptile and insect petting zoo! World of ReptiGurl started as a passion project and after much encouragement from friends and family, Honey enrolled in The Academy and took her love of animals and children and turned it into a successful business!
So what does the World of ReptiGurl actually do?
“We bridge the gap between the natural world and urban world by teaching about reptiles and insects and how they are vital to our ecosystem and life. We have shows, animal encounters, and community outreach opportunities everywhere we go.”
Honey absolutely adores sharing her animals and vast knowledge with those around her. She offers private event bookings for things like birthday parties, and also does pop ups throughout the community. She loves to see people’s reactions when she does her thing, and when they get to meet her animals.
Since turning her passion into a consistently growing business, Honey has learned and experienced a lot. “The Academy taught me not to sell myself or my business short, to see the worth in it and believe in it. Without The Academy, I wouldn’t be where I am now in my business, nor would my business be as successful as it is today.”
To support the growth of unique and valuable businesses like Honey’s, consider investing in Corner to Corner.
Follow Honey’s story
Grace Kelly
THE PEACOCK APOTHECARY
Grace Kelly loves to help people heal. As a nurse of 20+ years, she has dedicated her career and life to helping others. But at home, she saw her daughter and husband suffer ongoing skin irritation, and the store-bought stuff just wasn’t helping. After she read the ingredients in the products they were using, Grace decided to ditch the chemicals and start making all-natural skincare products to heal her family. Along the way, a business was born!
Grace says starting The Peacock Apothecary was like “answering an inner calling I have felt for a long time, and I was tired of working in corporate America. I didn’t want to get old and regret never taking the chance.”
In order to take her business to the next level, though, she needed some help. That’s where The Academy stepped in. “The Academy broke down the behind-the-scenes processes that are necessary when owning a business, such as a business plan and how to define my target audience. It also connected me with other business owners, many of whom I am still working with today.”
With a growing list of clients and AMAZING products, she most recently launched her storefront in Murfreesboro. In addition to Grace’s holistic products and natural remedies, she also hosts eight other small local businesses by providing them a space in the storefront to house and sell their products.
Follow Grace’s story
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