Owner Name:Carrie Stuart Parks and Rick Parks
Year Started:1987
Email or Website:www.stuartparks.com
Number of Employees:2
In 1987, my husband decided to divorce me and leave. I didn't hold a full time job, didn't have a college degree, and our small community had 60% unemployment. I decided I'd rather work for myself rather than work for McDonalds. I started this small company that taught forensic art to law enforcement agencies.
I then finished my college degree with a double major and honors and remarried another forensic artist.
Now my husband and I travel across the US and Canada teaching forensic art-teaching people who couldn't draw how to sketch the faces of bad guys. Our students have done composite sketches that have helped identify rapists, murders, and the largest serial arsonist in US history.
Yeah, we built this business.
We created the teaching materials, wrote and illustrated five books, and offer 24/7 assistance and advice to our former students.
Yeah, we built this business. It wasn't easy. I battled stage 2 breast cancer, took care of my dying mom, and still taught classes, bald head and all.
Yeah, we built this business. The government didn't help. We paid for private health insurance--which doubled in direct response to obamacare. Thanks to obama, our unemployment insurance doubled, we gave ourselves a 20% pay cut, and we are working twice as hard to hold on.
All the work, sweat, inspiration, skill, talents, drive, abilities, and creativity are gifts from God.
Not the government.
