• #37 The Dairy Farmer

    #37 The Dairy Farmer

      The woman: Amelia Sweethardt, second-generation owner of Pure Luck Farm & Dairy. The mission: Make a happy home for 72 dairy goats, and craft artisan cheese for all of Hill Country. The commitment: “This farm was my mother’s dream. It’s our home.” Top 3 ways she’ll change your life:…

  • #38 The Ice Cream Entrepreneur

    #38 The Ice Cream Entrepreneur

    The woman: Amy Simmons, founder of Amy’s Ice Creams – which, if you’re from Austin, needs no introduction. The mission: Make your day. The commitment: “People have very different ideas of success. Ours is to educate and elevate our employees.” Top 3 ways she’ll change your life: Indulge in Austin’s original…

  • #39 The Horse Healer

    #39 The Horse Healer

    The woman: Shelley Hill Smith (at far left), associate at Spirit Reins, an Austin nonprofit specializing in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. The mission: Improve the emotional and behavioral health of children and families with the help of horses. The commitment: “Parents tell us that they feel like they have their kids back.…

  • #40 The Vodka Bootstrapper

    #40 The Vodka Bootstrapper

    The man: Tito Beveridge, founder of Tito’s Handmade Vodka. The mission: Make the best vodka in the world, to the tune of one of the greatest underdog stories you’ve ever heard. The commitment: “I racked up 19 credit cards to about $88,000. And I got carpal tunnel.” Top 3 ways he’ll change…

  • Every family has secrets. The Lammes' involves pralines.

    #41 The Candy Maker

    The woman: Pam Teich, fifth-generation owner of Lammes Candies, Austin’s hometown candy shop since 1885. The mission: Keep Austin sweet. The commitment: “My siblings and I grew up in this shop.” Top 3 ways she’ll change your life: Savor the rich history of Austin, one confection at a time. No…

  • A bourbon with mettle (and medals). Photo courtesy of StickneyPhotography.com.

    #44 The Artisan Distiller

    The man: Dan Garrison, founder of Garrison Brothers Distillery, the first legal whiskey distillery in Texas. The mission: Create the only 100% Texan bourbon, made with Texas crops, distilled with Hill Country rain, and aged in Lone Star sunshine. The commitment: “I sleep at the distillery five nights a week.…

  • #52 The Pit Boss

    #52 The Pit Boss

    The man: Wayne Mueller, pit boss and third-generation owner of Louie Mueller Barbecue, Taylor, Tx. The mission: Wake at oh-dark-hundred, slave all day over a hot pit, and honor a tradition as big as Texas. The commitment: “After spending six to 12 hours on a single brisket, if something goes…