CTWJ E3: Beauty Pageants, Business Owner, and Medicine

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CTWJEp3111018NatashaJohnson

Natasha Johnson
Heels with Heart
Phone#: 520-904-6326
tashacassandrajohnson@gmail.com

I began competing in pageants at the age of 12 as a hobby, but it quickly grew into a much bigger purpose. The pageant system, unlike the silly Toddlers and Tiaras concept, helps promote confidence, stage presence, awareness of culture and life and open my world to many new lifelong friends. The pageant systems in which I participated, involved young girls and women of every background, culture, size, shape and culture, to develop skills that will grow and develop them into amazing young adults and set the foundation for their educational and career futures.  

The focus is on developing the inside of a person.  The outside is just incidental.  True beauty is felt, not seen. 

My mom, Pam Henley Johnson Knox, owned and operated a woman-owned business for over 35 years, employing up to 45 people. Her focus was to help individuals with life challenges, those plagued by alcohol and drug abuse, criminal activities, behavioral issues, to get on their feet so they became contributors to society, not victims. 

Together, we are working to ensure our organization, Heels with Heart, can be a bridge for young women into a fuller and more productive life. We offer pageant coaching, makeup and wardrobe advise and are directing a state-wide pageant in December in Tempe for ages 4-24.   

Volunteering and helping others are a big part of what we do in the pageant systems and promote in our business.  You can never truly know where some else has walked until you spend some time working with those less fortunate or individuals with life challenges.  In small ways, like blessing bags where we give the homeless food, supplies and small gifts to serving meals at shelters, supporting other nonprofits, walking or running for a cause, all of these events help me to see the world from a broader perspective, not just from my point of view.

CTWJEp311718DrCaseyBoyselDr. Casey Boysel
Desert Physiatry
Musculoskeletal Medicine
2560 E. Fort Lowell
Tucson AZ  85716
(520) 795-6412

As an osteopathic physiatrist, I am often asked “What is that?”  Despite my cryptic job title, I feel fortunate to have found a career about which I am passionate.   The next question I get is how I got into the field.   After graduating with a degree in Biology from University of Colorado, Boulder, I secured a job in sales, but I felt like something was missing.  I returned to school, and at the age of 30 I began my journey in medicine.  When researching my options, I found Osteopathic Medicine’s philosophy and holistic approach to be a perfect fit.  I graduated from Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2001 and went on to specialize in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, or “Physiatry” (pronounced fizz-eye-uh-tree). Physiatry is a medical specialty that is not as well known.  However, after doing several medical school rotations in the field, I realized how important the field of rehabilitation medicine was in helping people regain mobility and function following an illness or injury.  I moved to Chicago where I did my Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency at The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.   

In 2006, I moved to Tucson, which I found to be a wonderful community that I wanted to contribute to.  I worked as a physiatrist in the inpatient rehabilitation hospital setting for a number of years where I treated patients with stroke, orthopedic injuries, brain injury and spinal cord injury.  In January of 2018, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to take over an outpatient physiatry practice for a very talented local physiatrist who was retiring.  Her philosophy and treatment style were unique and quite similar to mine.  We both felt “the stars aligned” just so.

CTWJEp311718BrianLattaBrian Latta
Owner of Chuy’s Mesquite Broiler
7101 E 22nd St
Tucson, AZ 85710
520-722-5117
Chuyskolb@gmail.com

Brian moved to Tucson in 1992 from Southern California to open the first Chuy’s with two partners in June of 1992.

Our first location was at Wilmot and Speedway which became quite successful relatively swiftly, so I set down roots. I bought out one of my partners in 1995 and took over his interest in our 22nd and Kolb where I have been ever since. He went on to open the Jerry Bob’s restaurants here locally. 

I met my wife Diane in May of 1994 and we married three years later. She too has a background in the service industry, which is important as she understands much of what I go through.  

I started in the industry back in the early 80’s as a server working my way through college in  Northern California. After leaving California to attend college at the University of Houston, I joined the management team of Jeremiah’s Prime Rib and Seafood Restaurants who were seeking qualified personnel. While working for Jeremiah’s, I transferred from Houston, to Huntington Beach, CA. to Reno, NV. and then Palm Springs, CA. Along my journey, I worked with one of the originators of Chuy’s and he eventually asked if I cared to come on board which I did in the summer of ’89.

CTWJEp3111018CaitlinKramerCaitlyn Kramer 
2018 National American Miss Arizona -
Founder of Project Happiness Arizona 
projecthappinessarizona@gmail.com

I’m 20 years old and a Junior at the University of Arizona. I’m originally from Douglas, AZ and moved to Tucson for school. I’m currently the 2018 National American Miss Arizona. I have started my own organization called Project Happiness which promotes happiness through student leadership, community service, and volunteerism.

My goal is to help students identify a need in their community and give them the tools and resources they need in order to develop and execute a plan to help their community through a service project. Personally, Project Happiness puts on a back to school drive. Last school year 1,000 supplies were donated to schools in Douglas AZ. This year project happiness donated more supplies. We collected and donated 2,802 school supplies, backpacks, and reading books to all 5 elementary schools in the Douglas Unified School District and to the Douglas Public Library.  

I also take a passion to be a motivational speaker, and plan on speaking at serval school assemblies about project happiness and have the students participate in a service project themselves.

About Your Host

JaimeOverturfheadshotJaime Overturf
Farmers Agent, Entrepreneur
2555 N Campbell Ave
Tucson, AZ 85719
(520) 293-2900
joverturf@farmersagent.com

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