Faith

Consumer Stories

Faith Friday: Therapist uses a prayerful yet playful approach to holistic health and wellness

LaSaundria Walker, M.Ed., LPCA, is a woman of faith. Yet when God told her to leave a job she adored, she didn’t listen. After all, she thought she would become director of the mental health agency where she was employed and retire there. That was 2018 and her disobedience came with a cost. “It eventually got to the point where my job, that place that was once one of peace and purpose, became unbearable,” Walker, an Augusta native, said. “I knew that His plan didn’t include going to another agency

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Consumer Stories

Faith Friday: Lights, Camera…Faith and one man’s mission to honor his family, his community, and his God

“I want to see Augusta at its best.  Not just vibrant with shops, restaurants, activities and cool vibes, but to see it become the model of unity in diversity.” That’s not usually a quote you might hear from a video editor who specializes in producing videos for a myriad of clients.  However, a closer conversation with Phillip Stanley, owner of Brightworx Media, and you can understand where his heart is through his work: people. “I produce all sorts of videos for all sorts of clients,” said the 33-year-old native Augustan.

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Consumer Stories

When God Allows U-turns

When Kimberly Gordon began working at the Georgia Department of Driver Services, it was to pay her bills as a single mother to two children. She couldn’t understand why she was placed in the Commercial Drivers License (CDL) area. Furthermore, she was mandated to become a licensed driver instructor and licensed CDL driver. She had just graduated from Augusta Technical College with a business degree and no clear path to success just yet. However, within a short time, it all began to make sense. “As a young girl, I had

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B2B Stories

Faith Friday: Twin beauty duo says God rewards their faith doubly

They answer to Jocelyn or Jasmyn, depending on which one you’re attempting to talk to. They’ve become accustomed to answering “Hey, Twin!” Even their husbands’ names, Bryan and Ryan, rhyme, though they’re not brothers. However, the title Jasmyn Wright and Jocelyn Budgett are most proud of and prefer is “business owner.” It’s a blessing they say came only from God, with a little inspiration from some faithful clients early in their business. “We actually started in college,” said Jasmyn. “Jocelyn was already taking clients and I had started playing in

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Consumer Stories

Faith Friday: Realtor accepts the challenge of a stronger seller’s market by activating stronger faith

Helping people create generational wealth through homeownership motivates realtor Tonya Tillman to get out of bed each day. The divorced mother of two knows what it’s like to have a house that does not actually feel like home after her family structure went from four to three. And when a career in the United States Air Force came to an end, she knew she had to make a way for her and her children to thrive. Real estate became the answer God provided. “After feeling like I was at the

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B2B Stories

Faith Friday: Sending gifts from Augusta businesses with help from above

Randall and Janice Williams truly believe the part of scripture in James 1:17 that says, “Every good and perfect gift comes from above….”  They prove it daily through their shared labor of love, Augusta Gift Baskets, a home-based e-commerce business founded in January 2021. He’s a former restaurateur. She’s a retired nurse. They not only blended their families (five children and 10 grandchildren) when they married three years ago but also their love for serving others. “It is our job to deliver easy, thoughtful gifts and ensure our customers are

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B2B Stories

Faith Friday: Local man driven by faith, works to get vehicles driving again

If a name indicates anything about a person, the same could be said about a business. For Matthew Jones, calling his mechanic shop Heavenly Touch Automotive, LLC, just felt right. He knew his steady, years-long rise from high school graduate to eventually becoming a local store manager for a nationwide auto and tire repair company wasn’t just because he’s skilled, talented and Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)-certified. It’s because of his faith. “As the company where I worked was starting to change, I wanted to be able to provide a fair,

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B2B Stories

Faith Friday: Developing through the negatives: Pandemic pivot produces profitable photography business

In her 40’s, Crystal Smith Miller found herself in the same position as many others amid a global crisis that crippled a nation for the past two years. The question she asked herself repeatedly before deciding to pivot from a previous career was, “What’s going to happen now?” Her answer: Pick up a camera and help others make unforgettable moments. “I started in May 2020 because I was afraid that I would be furloughed due to the pandemic,” she recalls. “I have never thought about doing photography in my entire

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Consumer Stories

Faith Friday: Bicycle tour business pedaled through pandemic on faith

An adage referring to something you know how to do but haven’t done in a while is “It’s like riding a bike.” That phrase takes on new meaning when mounting an actual bicycle at a local business in downtown Augusta. It’s probably not at all what you have in mind as your journey on two or three wheels begins. That’s exactly what owners and operators of Bike Bike Baby, LLC, Alvin, and Christina Watson, want. “We noticed that there wasn’t much to do in Augusta, so we decided to give

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B2B Stories

Aiken company spreads AHH little sunshine with promotional products

What started as a hobby 30 years ago for Jim Hanna, grew into a successful business. He used to play in slow-pitch softball leagues, more than 300 games a year, which led to unique sales opportunities. “I started selling bats out of the back of my car and suddenly everyone wanted one,” he explained. Those sales were a catalyst for the promotional product business that he started. Over time, it grew from bats to banners, signs, T-shirts, vehicle wraps, and everything in between. If you can put a logo on

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