Business

SOLON– When you first meet designer and artist Debra Sutherland, she simply oozes optimism.
She will excitedly show you her latest fabric designs, gush about her newest garment creations, and wax poetic about where her inspiration comes from. When you ask her about what she’s going to do next, the answer is clear.
Everything.
And the thing is, you will instantly believe her.
She exudes confidence as she talks about her prints becoming everything from dresses, to wall hangings, to dinnerware.

NORTH LIBERTY– For Phoebe Roberson, dry cleaning is about more than just caring for the clothes; it’s also about creating comfortable relationships.
She recalled a recent SonShine Dry Cleaners customer who struck up a conversation while dropping off a few items. Among other things, he mentioned that it was his wife’s birthday. When he returned for his order, Roberson remembered the familiar face and asked him how the birthday went.

JOHNSON COUNTY– Becky Schmooke gives new meaning to the term “food for thought.”
In fact, the proprietor of Becky’s Mindful Kitchen Cookery School loves to teach everyone new ways to think about their food.
Schmooke is a personal food consultant with the mission of raising awareness about the foods we consume, where they come from, how they are processed, and how they affect our overall well-being.
Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 24, Schmooke said she had always eaten well and exercised, but the auto-immune disorder in her body took her by surprise.

SOLON- Rich Currie recounts the best round of golf he’d ever played.
Almost.
After going out for a friendly game with a friend, Rich decided to call it quits at the 16th hole. The game had become too drawn out, too time consuming for him to continue; so with two holes left, the two threw in the towel. Afterward, Rich’s friend tallied up their scores, then looked at him in astonishment.
“He said ‘Dude, if you had finished, you probably would have broke 80!’” Rich said. “I could not believe it. I couldn’t believe I didn’t stay.”

NORTH LIBERTY– Serendipitous.
It’s a word Molly’s Cupcake’s owner Jamie Smith uses quite a bit when she talks about her journey with the bakery.
When the Manchester native first left her career in real estate, Smith applied for jobs at five different bakeries in Chicago. Molly’s was the only one who returned her phone calls. It was simply meant to be.
“It worked out great. They’re the best,” she said. “I absolutely love them.”