Our bi-annual Women-Owned Businesses feature gives us the wonderful opportunity to highlight female leaders in our community and inspire other women with entrepreneurial ambitions. As a women-owned and run business ourselves, there is a certain pride we take in seeing so many other women leaders emerging in Lincoln. When women rally behind each other, amazing things happen. All women are powerful—stay-at-home moms and business owners alike. So please join us in celebrating the following woman powerhouses in Lincoln. Read their story, support their work, and do business with them. Who knows, one of them might even become your future mentor! If you are a women-owned business and want to be included in the next feature, please contact us.
Shannon Schultz-Hammerschmidt is the owner and founder of Nebraska LTC Pharmacy (www.neltcpharmacy.com). Shannon has spent her entire life in Nebraska and has worked in many different pharmacy settings before settling into her passion here at Nebraska LTC Pharmacy.
“Here at Nebraska LTC Pharmacy, everything is about YOU,” said Shannon. “We are a locally owned ‘concierge’ pharmacy that specializes in compliance and adherence as well as simplifying the medication process from start to finish. Our attention to every little detail decreases hospitalizations while prolonging our patients’ independence by keeping them at home. We offer a free in home consultation, free blister packaging of medications, and free delivery. We accept all insurance plans, so what is not to love about our program!”
Nebraska LTC Pharmacy is off to a great start this year as they approach their 10-year anniversary this spring! There is no better time to join the Nebraska LTC Pharmacy family than now. Learn more online at www.neltcpharmacy.com or call the Lincoln office at (402) 328-0231.
Farmers Union Midwest Agency (www.fumafinancial.com) provides insurance protection to individuals and business of all sizes across the Midwest. They strive to build better communities by protecting where you work, where you live, what you own, and the ones you love. It is their individual and organizational goal to provide quality products and the highest level of customer service to not just meet their customer’s expectations, but to exceed them!
Jennifer Larabee joined Farmer’s Union Midwest Agency in August of 2018. Her insurance career originally started in 2005 at Assurity Life Insurance where she worked in multiple positions for 12 years and then with State Farm for nearly two years. When she was given the opportunity to start an agency at Farmer’s Union Midwest Agency, she knew this was the right fit.
“I have always been passionate about insurance,” said Jennifer. “I enjoy helping people find the best coverage that fits their needs and I want to be there for my clients by helping them understand their insurance benefits.”
Whether you need help with your individual life or health related needs or need assistance with your employee group benefits, Jennifer is happy to help! She can be reached at (402) 560-0047 or visit www.fumafinancial.com to learn more.
“Artistry, teamwork, and a little bit of hairspray” is the tagline for The Barnes Group (www.barnesgroupne.com), which consists of Cost Cutters, Supercuts, and SmartStyle hair salons. The Barnes Group was established by Doug and Liz Barnes in 1979 and has grown to 45 locations. Their daughter Jess Cottingham joined the family business in 2013 alongside her brother Rich. Jess enjoys being involved in all areas of the family business to continually strengthen the amazing team that makes up the Barnes Group.
“To be part of an industry that is largely made up of women is encouraging,” said Jess. “It is such a pleasure to not only see our talented stylists work hard each day to provide the best hair care services to their guests, but to also watch them grow professionally is even more amazing.”
The Barnes Group prides themselves on providing ongoing advancement opportunities to their stylists. Since they are a family-owned business, they work hard to spread that family feeling across all of their salons and stylists. This helps create a culture that can’t be duplicated or found in any other salon. To learn more, visit www.barnesgroupne.com. Jess can be reached at (402) 423-9599.
Jamie Peters MSN, APRN founded Health at Home Consultants, LLC (healthathomeconsultants.com) in 2009 as the first Nurse Practitioner owned house-call practice in the state of Nebraska. The Health at Home Consultants team has found a perfect business niche in homecare. They can perform and interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x-rays, flu shots, pneumonia vaccines, and all other injections; diagnose and treat acute and chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, infections, and injuries; prescribe medications and other treatments; and manage a patient’s care while maintaining continual communication with the primary care physician. Residents best served by house calls are the elderly, chronically ill, people with disabilities, and psychiatric conditions. When you work with Jamie and her team at Health at Home Consultants, you can count on compassionate, coordinated, and cost-effective care, and they are available to see patients wherever they call home including assisted living, memory care, and skilled facilities.
Jamie is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, American Academy of Home Care Physicians, and the Nebraska Nurse Practitioners. She is described by her peers as fun-loving and caring—she has the ability to make families feel at ease as she looks after their loved ones. When Jamie is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children.
The goal of Health at Home Consultants, LLC is to provide home care medicine in one of the most rapidly expanding areas of healthcare. To learn more, visit healthathomeconsultants.com or contact Jamie at (402) 875-2500 / jpeters@healthathomeconsultants.com.
Megan Leikam took over ownership and the executive director role at Associates in Counseling & Treatment (actnebraska.org) in January 2020. Megan has her alcohol and drug license, provisional certified gambling license, and is certified as a domestic violence counselor. Alongside her duties as executive director, she serves the Lincoln community by conducting substance abuse evaluations, facilitating group, individual and family counseling sessions, and strives to resolve the mental health and substance use issues that affect our community in a caring, compassionate, and confidential manner. She believes that good mental health is essential for the well-being of individuals of all ages.
“Modern life can provide a variety of stresses that can have a negative impact on people. Problems can arise at any stage and our therapists can assist with helping you and your family with mental health and substance abuse,” said Megan.
Megan has worked hard to maintain much needed services in the Lincoln community and hopes that every individual that struggles with addiction, mental health, or domestic violence issues has an opportunity to get the help they need to recovery. To learn more about Associates In Counseling & Treatment, go online to actnebraska.org or contact (402) 261-6667 / information@actnebraska.org.
Ali Evans and Meg Stice will be finishing out their second season as co-owners/directors of Elements Dance Concept (elementsdanceconcept.com) this June with their spring dance recital. Ali and Meg met while teaching dance together and realized how well they worked as a team.
Ali has danced recreationally since age three and competitively since age seven. She graduated from Concordia University where she danced for four years, was captain for two years, and then went on to be assistant coach for three years. Ali is also a photographer and loves mixing her love of dance with photography.
Meg has danced recreationally and competitively since she was five years old. She earned her bachelor’s in dance in 2015 from UNL, and then her associate’s degree in graphic design from SCC in 2017. Though owning her own dance studio once seemed like a pipe dream, her love for the art motivated her to teach it to others—and her students walk away having learned much more than just dance techniques.
Located in Milford, Elements Dance Concept is an award-winning dance studio that offers high-quality dance classes for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds who are looking for creative self-expression, exercise, and social opportunities through dance. Summer classes begin June 15 and registration opens online April 17. A Summer Open House will be held May 2. Visit elementsdanceconcept.com for the schedule and more information.
Founded by Becky Rea in 2016, Fritz + Lloyd Interiors (www.fritzandlloyd.com) is a Nebraska-based interior design studio specializing in high-end, full-service residential interior design. They are THE Lincoln design studio that truly partners with you to make your home beautifully unique. How, you might ask? With their crazy organized systems, NCIDQ certified designers, and tons of great product sources to fit your style.
Big news! Fritz + Lloyd will be moving into their new studio soon and launching their newly expanded retail boutique—F+L Modern Home—the Midwest’s only source for quality modern furnishings, art, and accessories for your home! Fritz + Lloyd is a local boutique for those loving a livable modern style, as they call it “Midwest Modern”. Follow on Instagram (@fritzandlloyd) for updates and upcoming sales! If you have any questions about services, please contact (402) 261-3616 or visit www.fritzandlloyd.com. Visit the mini-boutique before the move, open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Emmy Gorman is the owner of Blush Bridal Boutique in Lincoln (www.blushbridalne.com). Alongside being a business owner, Emmy is also a mother, a wife, and a pro-women powerhouse. She opened the doors of Blush in 2012 and has since changed the lives of thousands of women by providing them an unparalleled shopping experience.
Emmy has 11 employees at her boutique, all of whom are women. She leads the team as not just a boss, but also as a mentor and guide through the world of bridal and business. She provides her staff with in-depth hands-on training to make sure every bride gets the best care possible.
The wedding dress shopping experience is unlike any other, and when asked why she wanted to start Blush, Emmy said, “This boutique has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl and its flame was fanned in 2006 when my own wedding dress shopping experience fell flat.”
Due to her own lackluster search for her wedding gown, Emmy wants to make sure every single bride leaves Blush with not only their dream dress, but also memories to last a lifetime.
Emmy and her employees pride themselves on the care they show their brides. With hundreds of positive reviews online, dozens of awards, and thousands of brides served, it is no question that Emmy and her team define women empowerment. They showcase what women in business can do. Emmy can be reached at (402) 261-5615 or emmy@blushbridalne.com.
For more information on Blush Bridal Boutique, please visit www.blushbridalne.com.
John Henry’s Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning (JHLincoln.com) was started by John Henry (Jack) Zohner and his wife Deb Zohner. In August 2019, their daughter Lindsey Reinke took over as one of the owners. Lindsey has been working at John Henry’s for 19 years in different areas to fully understand how the business runs.
“John Henry’s has always been my passion. It was started out of our family home, which my husband and I purchased 12 years ago, and I still see my parents working on the business in spaces that we have made our own,” said Lindsey. “Owning a company in a predominantly male industry encourages me to grow it with the same family values that were instilled in me from day one of John Henry’s. Our slogan is ‘Our Family Serving Yours’, because that is what we want you to feel every time you call us!”
Learn more about the John Henry’s family at JHLincoln.com! You can also reach Lindsey at (402) 435-5555 or LReinke@jhlincoln.com.
“Respect for EVERYBODY”…Kellie Johnson and Payton Springer, a mother-daughter team, had a vision for a clothing boutique that empowers women and offers inclusivity for EVERYbody.
Kellie has always had a love for fashion. After working in the mental health profession for over 20 years, she decided to create a safe shopping space, to empower women of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities. She’s been able to combine her eye for fashion with her love of helping others.
Payton’s background in business and marketing was the perfect addition for their partnership. She identified a great need for a boutique that catered to EVERYbody. This completed the vision for BeKá Boutique (bekaboutiqueclothing.com).
BeKá Boutique, 4702 Prescott Ave., opened in College View in November 2017. The boutique offers unique styles from business professional to very edgy clothing, along with personal styling, Private Ladies Shopping Nights and beer and wine while you shop! They cater to sizes Small through Women’s 3X and receive new merchandise weekly. BeKá Boutique is a destination and an experience! Learn more online at www.bekaboutiqueclothing.com or visit their Instagram (@bekaboutiqueclothing).
Discover the difference…Crystal Collins is 100% owner/operator of Oak Electric, Inc. (oakelectriccompany.com), a premium contractor with a tradition of exemplary service. According to the National Electrical Contractors Association, less than 10% of electrical contractors nationally are owned by a woman. As the leader of Oak Electric, Crystal’s top priority is to ensure everyone on the team has what they need to be successful—anything from a new tool in the field to skills and safety training to administrative support.
“Train people well enough so they can leave; treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” – Richard Branson. What sets Oak Electric apart from other contractors is not only the belief, but the initiative that if you take care of your employees, the employees will take care of your business. Their team of experienced electricians not only care about precision and craftsmanship, they also value the real relationships that come with working with their customers.
Oak Electric, Inc. prides themselves on delivering quality customer service on every single job and finding the best solution by tackling every problem with creativity and experience. Learn more at oakelectriccompany.com or call (402) 440-5969.
“Life is an adventure…enjoy the ride!” This is a favorite motto of Mary Jo Cassner, owner of Transworld Business Advisors of Lincoln (Transworld.com/Lincoln). She and her team of brokers and staff have been helping buyers and sellers of businesses connect since 2014. Since this is such a male-dominated business, Mary Jo chose to use her initials “MJ” in the workplace.
MJ previously was the owner and director of LearningRx of Lincoln and Norfolk, NE for nearly a decade. When she sold her own businesses, she realized how important having a business broker to assist in the process was. MJ received training from the Transworld Franchise Headquarters in West Palm Beach, FL and has trained brokers under her and sold nearly 100 businesses in Lincoln and the surrounding communities.
She has a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, and is certified to sell franchises as well as businesses. She enjoys assisting and educating people on the benefits of owning a business.
“My faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is truly my anchor for success,” said MJ. “I believe ethical standards and compassionate care for people in a vitally transitional time in their lives is crucial for success.”
MJ’s passion for excellence in business is evident in her company’s success and contributions to the Lincoln community. MJ can be reached at (402) 413-1095 / mjcassner@tworld.com. If you have considered selling your business or would like to own your own, find out more about available businesses at Transworld.com/Lincoln.