Letter From The Publisher
Dear Ocala,
This issue could have easily been filled with hundreds of amazing women! Our community is bursting with movers and shakers, mommies, and women of strength. The stories, this month, are just a small sampling of what our city has to offer.
I am in complete awe of all the women interviewed. Several of the women didn’t believe they had stories to tell. Is it because women don’t always believe we have something to offer, or is it because we simply want to hold someone else up to the spotlight and see them shine?
The women who stand up and say “I have a story” are just as fascinating to me as those who think their story is unimportant, because we are so much more than the box we’re regularly put in. Esmirna Caraballo, for example, came to Ocala and decided to fill a hole in the community by opening the Hispanic Business Council (HBC). Find her story on page 26. Becky Sinn is following her dream of being a full-time musician, Kara Mangum took her grief and turned it on its head by helping other women who have experienced miscarriage, and Jackie Korpela has found love through raising her children with her husband and her girlfriend. These are just a few examples of the strength women have to carve out a beautiful life. From moms to trainers, musicians to entrepreneurs, these women’s stories will knock your socks off!
Most Sincerely, Lisa Anderson