After growing up the daughter of a cotton farmer, Anna Yeager Brakefield’s plans involved anything but returning to the family farm. Upon graduation from Auburn University with a degree in graphic design, she got a job with an advertising agency in New York City, where she put her love of art and design to work. A few […]

In 2012, John McElrath decided it was time to take a leap. He looked at his wife, who was holding their newborn baby, and said, “I think it’s time for me to quit my job and really do this.” He was talking about jumping full time into State Traditions, a state-themed apparel and accessory line that […]

It’s been 35 years since Brian Harsany got his first job in the restaurant industry, and he never looked back. Brian started busing tables and washing dishes in 1983 while in high school, and later went on to major in hotel and restaurant management at Florida State University. His degree and experience took him into management […]

Baseball is what first brought Paul Seitz to Alabama. In fact, he owns a special piece of Birmingham’s baseball history. A native of Ohio, he was a pitcher for Ohio State University before coming down South to play professionally. In the early 1960s, he moved to Birmingham to pitch for the Barons, and Seitz was […]

As the owner of Decatur’s Morgan Price Candy Company, Nancy Curl is a self-proclaimed chocoholic. “We are all very much addicted to chocolate,” Curl said as she motioned toward the beautifully wrapped gourmet candies on the table next to her. Curl shares another connection to the confection on which she’s built her business – an […]