Security is in Her Blood: Julie Smith Nelson

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If her family had paid closer attention to the road signs along the way, they would not have expected Julie Smith Nelson to follow the example of her mother, a traditional, if somewhat feisty, stay-at-home mom. Nelson, who has always had her own ideas and the drive to carry them through, chose seven years ago […]

Giving and Getting: Mentoring at its best

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Mentoring is a notion that represents the best of human nature: people helping people. Supporting. Sharing. Connecting. Nurturing. It’s a noble act. It’s also a practical one in today’s business world. Research has shown that mentoring is an important factor in business success. Being the beneficiary of a mentor or a mentoring program does increase […]

Blind and Talented: Lisa Fittipaldi learned to paint after losing her sight

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If she is not traveling, Lisa Fittipaldi can usually be found in her studio, painting away for long hours at a time. It doesn’t matter that right now her makeshift studio is just a corner room in the house she and husband Al are renovating in the King William area. Painting is something she needs […]

Swimming with Giants: Senior animal trainer at SeaWorld has the career of her dreams

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Several of Leslie Popiel’s co-workers could be extremely intimidating: They’re much more powerful than she, favor a severe black-and-white look and crunch on ice balls for snacks. Ice balls? At the top of the food chain? “Whales like ice balls the way people like ice cream,” Popiel explains. Frozen water (in super-size portions) is a […]