“If you stand for nothing, you fall for everything”

We asked the community to tell us about the values and principles that guide their lives and businesses.

Tori H. | Rowan’s Pet Parent & Social Media Manager

The value that matters most to me is educating others about pet behavior, enrichment, and safety, with a particular focus on rescue animals. I am passionate about showing people how rescue pets can be just as amazing, healthy, and joyful as any pedigree breed. Rowan is a rescue whom I adopted from the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region in the summer of 2023. He’s learned how to adventure and model in just over a year, proving that with the right care and training, rescue pets can thrive in any environment. I’ve been training rescue cats since childhood, and through this experience, I’ve seen firsthand how they can blossom into wonderful companions when given proper guidance, enrichment and safety. I want to inspire others to recognize the incredible potential of rescue animals and the positive impact they can have in people’s lives. I do my best to incorporate this into everything we do. Read more>>

Kirsten Von Pechmann | Realtor

I feel that clients these days don’t see the value of our job as a realtor and I like to educate my clients to let them understand and appreciate everything I do. I am the boots on the ground everyday and see what is changing in the housing market. I always want the best for my clients and with education them they get to see the value I put in. I have worked with my others that don’t take care of their clients and it shows why they think we have no value. This is the largest purchase they will be making. I never wanted them to not know what’s going on or feel like they’re not getting what they are paying for. Read more>>

Maryanne Talbott | Founder & Publisher

A reliable source of local information is the bedrock of a democracy. It’s what sews a community together. One of the founding principles of our nation is a free and fair press. It may sound corny but it’s what we believe. Media is the only business whose operations are specifically protected by the Constitution. We understand that responsibility. Read more>>

Sydney Scott | Contemporary Romance Author

Authenticity matters most to me, not only in what I write, but how I present my work to the public. I write contemporary romance, and while the stories are fictional, they are also grounded in reality. Using past experiences and research have helped me create characters that feel like someone you would actually know and give an accurate window into what they do. I also really enjoy interviewing and speaking with members of the local community to get my information. Anyone can Google “what’s it like to work on a farm?” but actually speaking with farmers or someone in whatever profession I happen to be writing about garners so much rich information that you would never find on the Internet. In that vein, I also present my books to potential readers as clearly as possible. With each book release, I outline tropes included and give enough background information so they get a real feel for whether or not they would enjoy the story. Read more>>