ATX, TX May 2026

THE LADIES' ISSUE

STYLE + BEAUTY

WHERE GOLF MEETS MODERN LIFESTYLE: DANIELLA ROSA’S AIEA GOLF IS DESIGNED FOR WOMEN ON AND OFF THE COURSE

At RichesArt Gallery, we don’t believe in ordinary team building— we create unforgettable, immersive experiences designed to energize, inspire, and connect your team in meaningful ways.

Whether you’re planning a full-scale corporate event or an intimate creative workshop, we offer the flexibility to host your experience at our vibrant gallery space or bring the activation directly to your corporate office. Wherever it happens, we transform the environment into a dynamic creative hub where art, culture, and collaboration collide.

From fully curated events featuring live bands, DJs, art battles, live portrait artists, curated bars, and elevated happy hours—to hands-on creative sessions like graffiti experiences and live painting battles, printmaking classes, watercolor workshops, custom sneaker design, and collage creation—every offering is built to spark creativity and strengthen team bonds.

Our signature experiences encourage teams to step outside their comfort zones, collaborate in new ways, and leave with something tangible—whether it’s a piece of art, a shared memory, or a renewed sense of connection. Imagine your team going head-to-head in a live graffiti battle, designing custom sneakers together, or creating collaborative artwork that lives on in your office as a lasting symbol of your culture.

Perfect for companies of all sizes, our programs are fully customizable to match your goals—whether that’s boosting morale, celebrating milestones, fostering innovation, or simply bringing your people together in a fresh, inspiring way.

At RichesArt Gallery, we turn team building into a cultural experience— whether at our gallery or your workplace—one your team will talk about long after the paint dries.

The Power of Women, Together

I was recently on a media trip surrounded entirely by women — different backgrounds, different stories, but similar goals. What stood out wasn’t just the work we were there to do, but how naturally we showed up for each other, taking time to connect, listen, and lift one another up in ways that felt both effortless and meaningful.

That sense of support carries through this issue.

Our May Ladies’ Issue is anchored by women who are building, leading, and shaping Austin in ways both visible and behind-the-scenes. From our cover feature on Daniella Rosa, whose AIEA Golf brand is redefining how women show up in the sport, to Shelby Sorrel’s influence in telling Austin’s stories authentically, these women are creating impact in real time. Stacy Berg, whose photography has helped define the visual identity of this magazine, turns the lens on her own journey, while Barbara Shallue reminds us that reinvention is always within reach.

We also highlight the women behind Bes Builder, where leadership and collaboration are reshaping the construction experience, and explore spaces designed for restoration, like Lake Austin Spa Resort, where stepping away becomes its own kind of strength. Our Mother’s Day gift guide, curated by Domain NORTHSIDE, offers thoughtful ways to celebrate the women who show up for us every day, while national spotlight Becky Hillyard brings a broader perspective on style, entrepreneurship, and evolving identity.

Individually, these stories are compelling. Together, they reflect something bigger.

This issue isn’t just about celebrating women. It’s about recognizing the power of community, the quiet encouragement, and the shared understanding that helps move all of us forward. Because when women support women, the ripple effect is undeniable.

And if that media trip reminded me of anything, it’s this: there’s room for all of us at the table, and we’re better when we make space for one another.

JULIE ROYCE, MANAGING EDITOR @ATXCITYLIFESTYLE

May 2026

PUBLISHER

Zack Fogelman | zack.fogelman@citylifestyle.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Julie Royce | julie.royce@citylifestyle.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Grace Dupuy, Red Door Photography, L&C Media

Corporate Team

CEO Steven Schowengerdt

President Matthew Perry

COO David Stetler

CRO Jamie Pentz

CoS Janeane Thompson

AD DESIGNER Evan Deuvall

LAYOUT DESIGNER Amanda Schilling

QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Megan Cagle

Spring to Bot t le!

city scene

WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN

1: Orville Peck performs at SXSW's Rivian’s 800 Congress pop-up. 2: Subpar Snatch at the 13th Floor during SXSW 2026. 3: Questlove spins at Proper Presents during SXSW. 4: Fans of DJs Electric Guest and Mild Minds enjoying their sets. 5: Electric Guest spins at Proper Presents during SXSW in partnership with Gold Sky Productions and Maniball Tequila. 6: Austin-based electronic duo Almost Heaven brought out a choir of kids at the SXSW Marshall showcase. 7: Questlove fans enjoying SXSW.

business monthly

Violet Crown Festival returns to Brentwood Park May 2nd

The Violet Crown Festival returns Saturday, May 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Brentwood Park, bringing a full day of live music, local food vendors, artisan goods, and family-friendly activities. Hosted by the nonprofit Violet Crown Community Works, the annual spring event celebrates neighborhood connection while supporting community projects across Brentwood and Crestview.

Scan to read more

Domain NORTHSIDE partners with Austin FC

Domain NORTHSIDE has partnered with Austin FC, uniting one of Austin’s premier lifestyle destinations with the city’s Major League Soccer club. The collaboration connects retail, dining, and entertainment with Austin’s passionate sports culture, strengthening community engagement and elevating North Austin as a hub for both fans and local businesses.

Bes Builder's Steve Adams named Project Manager of the Year

Bes Builder’s own Steve Adams has been named NARI Project Manager of the Year, recognized for his hands-on leadership, integrity, and commitment to quality. Known as a true “boots-on-the-ground” professional, Steve keeps projects on track while delivering exceptional craftsmanship and client satisfaction at every stage. Visit www.besbuilder.com today to schedule a consultation. Scan to read more Scan to read more

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Discover how gentle acupuncture can help balance and restore your comfort.

Menopause is often misunderstood. From the beginning of perimenopause, which can occur as early as a decade before menopause, hormones affect every part of a woman’s life. For many women, it’s not just about hormonal shifts, it’s about being dismissed, minimized, or told the suffering is just part of aging. Symptoms like weight gain, mood swings, fatigue, hot flashes, night sweats, low libido, and brain fog are brushed off as inevitable.

“In Chinese medicine, we look at the years before menopause as foundational,” explains Dr. Lucas Brown, DAOM, LAc of Rosedale Acupuncture and Wellness Center in the Rosdale area of Austin, Texas.

“If a woman has spent decades burning the candle at both ends, putting everyone else first or living in chronic stress, that shows up in how her body navigates this shift and the intensity of the symptoms. But the good news is, it’s never too late to course-correct. With proper support and care that honors the whole person, not just the hormone levels, this transition can be empowering, comfortable and deeply restorative.”

“Hormone replacement therapy has been a common conventional approach to menopause. While it may provide relief, many women don’t know is that there’s another option: root-focused, integrative care that supports the body’s natural rhythms without forcing it into something artificial.”

Dr. Brown continues, “In TCM, we look for patterns of disharmony and how they’re connected. The body is wise and it creates these patterns as coping mechanisms to adapt to stress, depletion or imbalance. Overtime, this causes disharmony and imbalance.”

Dr. Brown looks for how different aspects of the body and mind interact, how patterns in one area are influencing another, and where support is needed to help the whole system come back into balance. A consultation meeting is required for customized treatment plan.

Are you ready to feel like yourself again? Call Rosedale Acupuncture and Wellness to meet with Dr. Brown for a consultation on your pathway to balance. Call 512-623-1996 today.

ARTICLE BY JULIE ROYCE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRACE DUPUY

AUSTIN THROUGH A Native Lens

SHELBY SORREL TURNS STORYTELLING INTO STRATEGY, HELPING AUSTIN BRANDS GROW WHILE STAYING TRUE TO HER ROOTS

Long before she was documenting and sharing Austin-related content, Shelby Sorrel was growing up right here in the capital city.

A born-and-raised Austinite, Sorrel has spent more than a decade documenting the city’s evolution through food, design, and culture. What began as a creative outlet for photography has grown into a full-scale business in which she operates as both a content creator and a social media strategist for some of Austin’s top culinary and retail brands.

Her work sits at the intersection of storytelling and strategy. Through her agency, Sorrel Creative , she develops paid social campaigns designed to drive engagement, web traffic, and measurable growth for her clients. At the same time, her personal platform continues to serve as a curated guide to the city she knows intimately.

“I believe the most effective marketing doesn’t feel like marketing,” she said. “It feels like a conversation.”

“Austin is such a unique market. People here really value authenticity, and that shapes everything I create.”

That mindset has shaped the way she approaches both sides of her business. While many influencers prioritize rapid growth, Sorrel has built her brand on trust. She partners with businesses that align with her voice and focuses on creating content that feels organic to her audience.

Her connection to Austin plays a central role in that authenticity. Having watched the city expand, she has also grown alongside it, documenting new restaurants, evolving neighborhoods, and the people who define its culture.

“This city is quite literally the reason my brand exists,” she said.

That perspective gives her an edge in a competitive market. She understands not only what performs online, but what resonates locally. Her work blends data with instinct, analyzing engagement trends while staying grounded in the real experiences that make Austin unique.

For Sorrel, it's never been just about the numbers. Whether she's helping a restaurant gain visibility or guiding followers to a new favorite spot, her goal is all about making a connection.

“I absolutely love helping people find the perfect spots to make memories,” she said.

The influencer landscape has shifted significantly since she began posting in college. Audiences are more discerning, and brands are more intentional about partnerships. Sorrel sees this evolution as a positive change that rewards authenticity over volume.

For those looking to follow a similar path, her advice is straightforward. Focus on consistency, stay true to your voice, and build something sustainable rather than chasing quick wins.

With her eye on the future, Sorrel is continuing to expand her work with local brands while remaining committed to the community that shaped her. As our city grows and changes, this native voice continues to do what she has always done — spotlight the places, people, and moments that make the city feel like home.

A Second Career Built on Service

For Barbara Shallue , a successful real estate career wasn’t part of an early-life plan. Instead, it emerged after decades of work, raising children, and exploring different professional paths.

Today, 13 years into her career as an Austinarea realtor with Keller Williams, Shallue has built a business steeped in service, patience, and authenticity.

Her path to real estate was anything but conventional. Early in life, she pursued a career in chemical engineering, then left college to work at a chemical plant while raising

a family. Later, after years as a stay-at-home mother and pursuing writing projects, she found herself searching for a stable career.

Encouraged by her husband and sister-in-law, Shallue reluctantly enrolled in real estate courses, fully expecting the work to feel dull. Instead, she discovered a profession that suited her personality.

“I realized I loved it,” Shallue said. “It’s the best of both worlds because I’m my own boss and I’m constantly learning.”

Starting a new career later in life came with challenges. Shallue remembers battling imposter syndrome early on, particularly while competing with younger agents and learning the complexities of the business. Over time, however, she reframed her role.

Rather than seeing herself as a salesperson, she views real estate as a service-driven profession.

“I look at it as advising,” she said. “We’re helping people make decisions, but they’re the ones who decide what’s right for them.”

Shallue believes her life experience has become one of her greatest professional strengths. Years of parenting, volunteering, and navigating family transitions have shaped the way she works with clients.

“Listening to people and really understanding what they need — that’s the most important part,” she said.

She also frequently works with older clients navigating major life transitions, an experience she brings with empathy, having guided her own parents through later-life changes.

For women considering a career pivot later in life, Shallue’s advice is simple: don’t overthink it.

“Just quit overthinking and do the thing,” she said.

Realtor Barbara Shallue proves that reinvention later in life can lead to purpose and success

ROYCE

The story of Tarrytown Roofing started in the saddle. Founder James Wolfgang Kuntz began as a cowboy where long days and unpredictable challenges taught resilience, discipline, and integrity. Those same values shape Tarrytown Roofing’s forward-thinking, relationship-driven culture.

The result: a better kind of roofing company that blends rugged work ethic with a community-first mindset, bringing Texans reliable roofs built with pride and personal accountability. Tarrytown Roofing offers a neighborly approach, where every roof is a promise, every handshake a guarantee.

DESIGNED for Women WHO PLAY Life Differently

Daniella Rosa on founding AIEA Golf, embracing risk, and finding a home in Austin

ARTICLE

BY JULIE ROYCE | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

“I wish I had bought that shirt,” Daniella Rosa says, laughing now, years later. “If it had been in my size, I would’ve bought ten.” The shirt in question — tie-dyed, mesh-sleeved, pulled from the little girls’ rack of a Colorado pro shop — was never hers. But the idea it sparked was.

That instant became the beginning of AIEA Golf, a women’s golf apparel brand built not from trend forecasts or focus groups, but from lived experience and a refusal to accept the status quo.

Rosa didn’t come to entrepreneurship lightly. Before AIEA, she spent a decade in the rarefied world of vintage watch auctions in New York — hyper-niche, male-dominated, and exacting. It was a career she loved, one she assumed would last forever. But burnout has a way of sharpening clarity.

After ten years, she stepped away, not with a neat backup plan, but with a deep instinct that something else was waiting. Golf, which had been part of her life for more than two decades, offered that opening. She had played competitively as a teenager, shopped the pro shops, and worn the boxy polos and ill-fitting skirts. She knew the gap because she had lived inside it.

What she saw missing wasn’t just better design — it was permission. Permission for women to show up to golf as they actually are. Social golfers. Stylish women. People who might play nine holes and then grab coffee, without wanting to change outfits in between.

“I don’t like ‘golfy-looking’ golf clothes,” she says plainly. “I never did.”

So she built what she had been searching for: structured, flattering silhouettes; thicker, technical fabrics that hold the body rather than fight it; pieces that perform on the course and feel at home everywhere else.

Launching AIEA was anything but effortless. Rosa quit her job in late 2021 and spent the next two years teaching herself the mechanics of fashion from the ground up, tech packs, sourcing, fit, and manufacturing. She officially launched in January 2024, fully self-funded, without a team. The learning curve was steep, but the personal transformation was steeper.

“Starting a business pulls you apart,” she says. “You shed versions of yourself you didn’t even know you were carrying.” What surprised her most was her own resilience. The ability to pivot daily, absorb emotional hits, and keep showing up anyway.

That insistence on showing up extends beyond fashion into technology. From the beginning, Rosa envisioned AIEA as more than apparel. She’s weaving fashion tech into the brand through NFC-enabled garments that unlock a digital ecosystem. An ecosystem designed to build community, reward loyalty, and invite customers into the creative process. It’s ambitious, forward-thinking, and intentionally a little ahead of the curve.

“I’m building it even if people don’t fully understand it yet,” she says. “Eventually, they will.”

Austin plays a central role in that confidence. Rosa moved here on instinct after a friend’s bachelorette weekend. What she found was balance: entrepreneurial energy without relentless pressure; creativity without posturing; trails and trees alongside ambition.

“My heart rate finally calmed down,” she says. In Austin, she found a city full of builders — people willing to figure things out as they go. It’s where she incubated AIEA, refined her voice as a founder, and began imagining what the brand could become.

Today, that brand represents a new kind of golf culture. One that values style, inclusivity, and self-expression as much as performance. Rosa isn’t interested in forcing her brand into every pro shop or pleasing the most traditional gatekeepers. She’s building slowly, intentionally, and on her own terms, seeking partners who align with her vision rather than dilute it.

Five years from now, she doesn’t just see clothes on racks. She sees a lifestyle brand rooted in community, confidence, and access. But most importantly, a brand that invites women into golf without asking them to change who they are first. And if the next spark comes the way the first one did — unexpected, undeniable, and perfectly timed — she’ll be ready.

The Woman Behind the Brand

• Favorite Restaurant : Nomade — Despite not being gluten-free, Daniella loves the light, Yucatán-inspired dishes. "The entire dining experience feels very NYC.”

• Off-the-Clock Rituals: Yoga, exploring new coffee shops and bars around town, and diving into sci-fi novels.

• Favorite Clothing Line (Beyond AIEA): Anine Bing — The clean, elevated staples align with her minimalist aesthetic.

• Biggest Austin Surprise: The constant flow of visitors from around the world, thanks to the city’s festivals and events.

• Favorite Golf Course: Club Pelican Bay in Naples, Florida. "It's where I play golf with my mom."

A waterfront spa resort known for calm, consistency, and tranquility

AUSTIN’S QUIETEST LUXURY DESTINATION

ARTICLE BY ZACK FOGELMAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAKE AUSTIN SPA RESORT

Long before “wellness retreat” became a search term — before cold plunges and sound baths filled Instagram feeds and boutique hotels rebranded as sanctuaries — there was a quiet stretch of shoreline on Lake Austin where people came to slow down. They still do.

Lake Austin Spa Resort has long been one of Austin’s best-kept secrets — a place generations return to, not because it’s trendy, but because it’s genuinely restorative. It holds the distinction of being ranked the #1 Destination Spa in the United States — a recognition that feels less like a headline and more like a long-overdue acknowledgment of something quietly exceptional.

What makes it rare isn’t just the accolades. It’s the only destination spa resort in the country set directly on the water’s edge. The lake isn’t a backdrop — it’s part of the experience from the moment you arrive, whether by road or water taxi from anywhere along Lake Austin. That transition from city pace to still water and cypress trees is the beginning of something.

For Central Austin families, that something gets passed down. Mothers who first came in their thirties now bring their daughters. Couples who celebrated anniversaries here return for milestone birthdays and long weekends when they need to exhale. It’s the kind of place that earns a permanent spot in someone’s life — not because of a rebrand, but because it delivers what people are actually looking for: the feeling of being a world away without leaving home.

Spa treatments are personalized, wellness programming moves at your pace, and the culinary experience is built around nourishment that feels good. Every detail is considered. Nothing feels rushed.

In a city that moves as fast as Austin does, that stillness is rare — and guests feel it. As one returning visitor put it simply: “It’s a place to rest, recenter, and return to.”

Lake Austin Spa Resort has always known how to hold onto that — and it’s right in our backyard.

MOTHER’S DAY Gift Guide

Domain NORTHSIDE, home to the Rock Rose Entertainment District, is Austin’s favorite spot for shopping, dining, and one-of-a-kind experiences, and this Mother’s Day, your place to find the perfect present. The picturesque center in North Austin is home to national favorites like Nordstrom, Apple, Warby Parker, Reformation, Rails, TAG Heuer, OMEGA, Mejuri, gorjana, Abercrombie & Fitch, and PAIGE. Local gems include Nina Berenato Jewelry, Barkin’ Creek Dog Kitchen & Bath, Tecovas, and YETI. If a dinner out is on your

Mother’s Day weekend agenda, NORTHSIDE boasts a premier restaurant lineup, including the newly opened Ema, from Lettuce Entertain You, Haywire, Loro Asian Smokehouse, Culinary Dropout, and Jinya Ramen Bar. Known as Austin’s second downtown and as unique as the city itself, Domain NORTHSIDE seamlessly fuses Austin’s best homegrown brands with national mainstays. With gift options for every type of woman in your life, fashion, beauty, dining, and nightlife are the pulse of Domain NORTHSIDE.

Look no further than Domain NORTHSIDE for all of your Mother's Day shopping

ARTICLE BY DOMAIN NORTHSIDE | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

DYPTIQUE CANDLE:

When a candle just isn’t a candle, you know you’re at Diptyque. Marrying the art of fragrance and the art of living, a unique olfactory experience awaits.

For the women who give us everything, Mother’s Day is more than a date on the calendar; it’s the perfect time to celebrate the women in your life who shape it in the most loving and powerful of ways. Making extraordinary efforts look truly effortless, Domain NORTHSIDE is here to help you find a gift to honor every type of mom – new moms, grandmothers, mentors, stepmoms, aunts, and your chosen family –and remind them that they mean the world to you.

CHANEL PERFUME:

From light, sparkling florals to mysterious, feminine eau de toilettes, her signature scent awaits at CHANEL Fragrance & Beauty.

REFORMATION BAG:

An organically grown, sustainable bag that will keep all her essentials close, Reformation has colors and shapes for every kind of style.

OMEGA WATCH:

Whether she loves a classic

OLIVE PEOPLES SUNGLASSES:

Mixing chic design, premium lenses, and perfect sun protection, a pair of Oliver Peoples sunnies perfects her modern look.

MERJURI SAPPHIRE HOOPS:

A perfectly sized set of sparklers, these lab-grown sapphire hoops from Mejuri make a shiny statement.

ARTICLE BY KALI KASORZYK

PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

BECKY HILLYARD

From Side Hustle to Style Empire

The power of taste, trust, and the courage to “just start.”

She didn’t have a business plan, a media budget, or even a name anyone could pronounce. What Becky Hillyard had was taste, a young family, and the instinct to just start. Today, her lifestyle brand Cella Jane commands an audience the size of Vogue’s, she’s nine collections strong with Splendid, and she’s built it all while raising three kids — refusing to sacrifice one for the other. In an exclusive conversation for the Share the Lifestyle podcast, Becky shares what it really takes to build a brand, a career, and a life you love. Read the highlights below, then scan the QR code for the full conversation.

Q: WHEN DID YOU KNOW CELLA JANE WAS MORE THAN A HOBBY?

A: Two moments. Women started emailing me saying they bought something I recommended and felt amazing — asking me to help them find a dress for a wedding. That felt incredible. Then I looked at my affiliate numbers for one month and realized I could cover our mortgage. I thought, I can actually do this. I never set out to build a business. I started it because I genuinely loved it.

Q: WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST RISK YOU EVER TOOK WITH THE BRAND?

A: Designing my own collection. It’s easy to point at items on a website and say I love these. But to create something from scratch, put your name on it, and wait to see if people connect with it — that’s terrifying. I had an incredible partner in Splendid, and women loved the pieces. It was the biggest risk and the biggest accomplishment.

Q: HOW HAS INFLUENCER MARKETING CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED?

A: When I started, brands didn’t know whether to take it seriously. Now it’s a legitimate line item in their marketing budgets — sometimes bigger than TV. Because what we’ve built is trust. People trust a real recommendation from someone they follow far more than a commercial. There’s no question about it now.

Q: YOU’RE A MOM OF THREE RUNNING A FULL BRAND. WHAT DOES YOUR DAY ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE?

A: I try to get up at five and not hit snooze — that first hour before the house wakes up is the most productive, most peaceful hour of my day. Then it’s all hands on deck with the kids and school drop-off. After that I work — planning content, connecting with my team, editing. After pickup, the day shifts completely and it’s all about them. I’ve learned to protect both halves fiercely, because both matter.

Q: WHAT WOULD YOU TELL SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BUILD SOMETHING OF THEIR OWN BUT KEEPS WAITING?

A: Don’t wait. Don’t wait for the perfect camera, the right strategy, or enough followers. We find every excuse to stay comfortable. Just start, be consistent, and be authentically yourself. The right people will find you — and they’ll stay.

This conversation is just the beginning. Becky goes deeper on the risks that almost stopped her, the design process behind her latest Splendid collection, and what she’d tell her 2012 self today. Scan the QR code for the full, exclusive City Lifestyle interview on the Share the Lifestyle Podcast.

“Trust is the only metric that actually compounds.”

— Becky Hillyard

Not

Building Homes, Earning Trust

Women-led Austin firm brings transparency, organization, and empathy to an often misunderstood construction process

Home renovations have a way of revealing just how complicated construction really is. What starts as a simple idea quickly becomes a web of decisions, timelines, and moving parts.

That’s where Bes Builder comes in.

Co-founders Lisa Doris and Kristy Cloud did not set out to simply build homes. They set out to build a better process.

Lisa’s path into construction began far from Austin, starting with a landscaping business in Colorado before transitioning into excavation and working alongside builders. After relocating to Texas, she spent years working for other construction companies before deciding to do things differently.

Kristy’s entry into the industry followed a different path. She began in faux finishing before moving into project management for a custom home builder. Early on, she recognized a gap not just in how projects were run, but in how people were managed in the field.

“I believe in partnerships, as long as everyone has their distinct role,” Lisa said. That philosophy became the foundation of Bes Builder, where she focuses on business operations and client relationships, while Kristy leads production and project execution.

Together, they launched the company with a clear vision: bring organization, transparency, and empathy to an industry that often lacks all three.

ARTICLE BY JULIE ROYCE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BES BUILDER

The name reflects that mission. Lisa chose “Bes” after learning about a mythological protector of households — symbolizing safety, care, and home protection — mirroring the company's approach to its work.

At its core, Bes Builder functions as a full-service project management firm, coordinating architects, designers, subcontractors, and vendors to bring a client’s vision to life. Rather than “swinging hammers,” as Lisa puts it, the team manages the complexity behind the scenes.

Kristy has been instrumental in shaping how projects run day to day. Instead of a traditional environment driven by pressure or hierarchy, she built a system centered on clarity, respect, and accountability.

That approach extends to relationships with trades and vendors, many of whom have followed Lisa and Kristy to Bes Builder, drawn to a culture built on collaboration rather than conflict. Clear expectations and shared ownership define how projects move forward.

From the first phone call, Lisa prioritizes understanding not just the scope of a project, but the people behind it. Family dynamics, timelines, and long-term goals all factor into the guidance they provide.

“We’re taking the client’s dream and helping them understand the reality of time and money,” she said.

Bes Builder provides detailed estimates, clear timelines, and fixed-cost models whenever possible, eliminating uncertainty. Clients know what they are signing off on and why.

“We’re going to tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly,” Lisa said, noting that honest conversations early on lead to smoother projects.

While construction remains a maledominated industry, Lisa approaches it without focusing on barriers. Many clients are drawn to the company because it is women-owned.

Clients often cite organization, communication, and a collaborative approach as reasons they choose Bes Builder. Lisa believes those qualities — attention to detail, empathy, and the ability to multitask — benefit both the process and the final result.

That mindset shapes the company’s long-term vision. The founders are focused on building a reputation rooted in integrity, quality, and consistency.

After seven years in business, that approach is paying off. Repeat clients and referrals now drive much of their work, a rarity in an industry where many homeowners only renovate once.

For Lisa, that trust is the ultimate measure of success.

“It means everything when someone comes back to you for a second or third project,” she said. “That tells you you’re doing something right.”

THE ART OF INSTINCTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY

by Stacy Berg

Her bold, intuitive approach to capturing people, purpose, and the moments that matter most

ARTICLE BY JULIE ROYCE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY STACY BERG

Many of our most memorable covers share one thing in common: the instinctive, expressive lens of photographer Stacy Berg. Here, she shares more.

Q. For readers discovering you for the first time, how would you describe the kind of photography you specialize in and what draws you to those subjects?

A. I specialize in creativity more than anything. While many photographers define themselves by a niche, I’ve always been drawn to the full range of what photography can be. I love moving between styles, subjects, and environments, bringing a creative approach to all of it. At the core, I specialize in seeing possibilities where others might not. What draws me in is the ability to take any

you stop trying to appeal to everyone, the right people find you. That’s where my work lives.

Q. What makes a strong photograph today, especially in a world where everyone has a camera?

A. It’s not access to a camera, it’s perspective. A strong photograph makes you feel something before you even understand it. It has intention behind it, with light, composition, and emotion all working together. In a world where everything’s instant, what stands out is depth. The kind of image you don’t just scroll past, but actually sit with.

Q. When a client hires you, what can they expect from the experience beyond the final images?

A. A darn good time, always. At some point, they’re going to laugh. I create an environment where there’s ease and trust, so they don’t have to overthink anything. I guide the process, keep it natural, and make it feel more like an experience than a photoshoot. By the time we’re done, people usually forget they were ever nervous, and that’s when the best images happen.

moment, person, or setting and turn it into something expressive, thoughtful, and visually compelling.

Q. Your work has a very distinct feel. How would you describe your visual style, and how has it evolved over time?

A. My style didn’t start this way. In the beginning, I focused on what I thought people expected: clean, traditional portraits that felt safe. At a certain point, I stopped trying to meet expectations and started trusting my instinct. That’s when everything shifted. My work became bolder, more layered, and a little more unpredictable, something you feel, not just see. When

Q. Many of your subjects seem incredibly comfortable in front of your lens. How do you build that trust so quickly?

A. I show up as myself and meet each client with genuine curiosity. I move fast and don’t overthink it. If something’s overplanned, it can feel stiff. I prefer to step into a space, meet the person, feel their energy, and let that guide everything. Within minutes, I know how I want to shoot them. I photograph people as I experience them, not as something preconstructed. That’s where the magic comes from.

Q. What types of clients or projects energize you most right now?

A. I’m most inspired by people who are deeply passionate about what they do, artists, builders, business owners, anyone creating something with purpose. Those are the stories I love to tell. My goal is to capture not just what they do, but why they do it. When that passion’s real, it comes through in every image.

Q. What still excites you about photography today?

A. Everything. It’s the unpredictability, the freedom, the ability to turn nothing into something powerful. No two moments are the same, and that keeps me locked in. There’s always another story, another angle, another way to see it. That chase is what keeps me going.

Visit www.fotohogg.com to view Stacy's portfolio.

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