Megan Swaney: Military life grooms her for business career

There were a few family dogs through the years, but none that Megan Swaney could call her own.

“I had been wanting my own dog since I was 6,” she said. “It wasn’t until I was 23 that I finally got one.”

Now, Swayze the Australian Shepherd is her constant companion.

Megan Swaney, with her trusted sidekick, Swayze.

Megan, 27, doesn’t have to wait for Take Your Dog to Work Day for them to be together. They are joined at the hip, sometimes up to 14 hours a day.

They put in those long hours on the Dirty Paws mobile dog grooming bus. And they have plenty of company, as 10-20 dogs a day come aboard to have their shaggy appearances transformed into best-of-show looks.

Megan has come a long way from a childhood of helping an aunt with her horses and dreaming of being a vet, to running her own business.

After graduating from La Porte High School in 2008, Megan knew college wasn’t for her. But she wasn’t quite sure which direction to follow. So she opted for adventure and joined the U.S. Coast Guard.

“I always wanted to travel, and I sure got that opportunity with the Coast Guard,” she said.

For four years, Megan enjoyed the sights in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. She also spent time in Florida, helping with cleanup efforts for the BP oil spill disaster.

Along the way, she gained several attributes that have helped her become a successful small business owner. Tops among them are a willingness to work hard and attention to detail.

“When you’re in the military, you can’t wake up and say, ‘Oh, I don’t feel like doing this today.’ You have a list of things to do every day and you are expected to complete them,” she said.

When she left the Coast Guard, a suggestion from a friend led Megan to begin learning the grooming trade at a shop in Spring. It didn’t hurt that she loved dogs.

While gaining additional experience with a groomer in Richmond, she began to retrofit an old church bus and made plans to launch a mobile grooming service.

“It’s been big in Houston for a while, but there really wasn’t much out this way,” said Megan, who lives in Beach City. “Still, it was scary at first, wondering if it would catch on, if I would do a good job, if people would like my work.”

There are no such worries today. About four years into the business, Megan has several employees, and they all keep busy.

Swayze's image is on a new grooming vehicle.

She drives to customers’ homes in Baytown and the surrounding area. Her helpers wash and blow-dry the dogs, and Megan takes care of the clipping and styling.

Some owners have multiple dogs. “One time I did about 10 dogs at a person’s house. It took about five hours,” said Megan, who also provides pet sitting and dog walking services.

You name a dog breed, and she has probably groomed it. Standard poodles and goldendoodles (golden retriever-poodle mix) are among the most challenging because of the detailed work involved.

“Dogs are like members of your family, so people are pretty particular about how they want them to look,” Megan said.

To keep pace with her business growth, she is putting the finishing touches on a second grooming bus.

“My ultimate dream is to build kennels so I can board dogs,” Megan said. “That’s why I’m working so hard now, so I can achieve that one day.”

Hayman family: Embracing togetherness in their tiny house

Tamlyn and Toby Hayman, with four of their six children.

When it comes to family togetherness, Tamlyn and Toby Hayman are experts.

It’s a benefit of living with their six children — four girls and two boys — in a home that measures only 32 feet long by 12 feet wide.

“Our first house was two stories and 2,400 square feet. Many times I’d be in the kitchen, she’d be in the living room and our kids would be upstairs. So while we were all under one roof, we were kind of just acquaintances in our own home,” Toby said.

“Here, we spend so much more time together in the same actual space. The main area serves as our living room, play room, dining room, you name it. And if we go more than a week without having family night — with pillows, blankets and a kid show — somebody is having heart failure.”

So why give up what Toby described as his “American dream” cul-de-sac home for a building with just 584 square feet of living space?

Financial freedom calls
Fans of the TV program, “Tiny House Nation,” the Haymans were attracted by the prospect of financial freedom and doing more with less.

“When I was young, we were poor. None of the houses we lived in were finished. So when she and I got together, I told her I wanted a concrete driveway and a finished house. I wanted the new vehicles. I wanted what I thought was the American dream,” Toby said.

“Then all of a sudden I woke up one day and it was like, yeah, we have everything but we’re up to our ears in debt. It was kind of an uncomfortable place to be.”

Facing a 30-year mortgage and two vehicle payments — plus the challenge of clothing and feeding a growing family — the young couple were considering their options.

Having lived in the house for eight years, they decided to place it on the market. There were no early takers when Toby went on a three-week mission trip to China and Vietnam with Living Hope Church in Baytown.

What he saw there really opened his eyes.

“In Vietnam, there were some very poverty-stricken places. Kids were running around naked in these villages. What they were eating and their living quarters, it was all very humbling,” Toby said. “You kind of got this feeling like, man, how wasteful are we, at everything?”

When he returned from the trip, the real estate agent called to say that somebody had offered the full listing price for their home. But the family would need to move out within a week.

“Which was great, other than the fact that we had this two-story home full of stuff we had accumulated,” Toby said. “We didn’t realize how much stuff we had until we had to think about moving it all.”

The Haymans and their three children at the time moved in with Tamlyn’s parents, Tammy and Bobby Retzer of Baytown, before deciding on their next step.

The Hayman family

Time to downsize
“We loved watching ‘Tiny House Nation’ to see how people were transforming these little spaces,” Tamlyn said.

“They would build these tiny homes and move them to some property. They had no mortgage, so the freedom they got was crazy,” Toby said.

“We were watching that show one day when her dad, who is a home builder, said, ‘Why don’t we just build one? Y’all can have that little spot on the side of our house. Then if you ever buy a piece of property you can move it there, and you’ll be mortgage free,'” Toby recalled.

Construction began in February, and the home on John Martin Road was ready for move-in by June.

Tamlyn’s father donated the wood flooring that came from a church he renovated. The windows used to be in a home he had worked on.

“All together, with labor costs and the appliances we bought, we put about $25,000 into this building. We were able to pay for it from the profit we made on selling the other house,” Toby said.

Tamlyn was pregnant with their fourth child when they moved in. About a year after he was born, twins entered the picture.

“They were our little surprise blessings,” she said.

The layout
The house features a main living space where they all can hang out, watch TV and eat their meals. The ground floor also includes the kitchen, an area for the washer and dryer and for storing everyone’s clothes, a bathroom with a shower, and a bedroom with bunk beds for the two boys and a crib for the twin girls.

Stairs lead to a bedroom for Tamlyn and Toby on the second level, which isn’t tall enough for them to fully stand. A tree house-style ladder in the kitchen connects to a shared sleeping space for their two older daughters.

“We will have been here two years in June. Overall, I love it,” Tamlyn said. “Toby struggles with it more because he’s bigger and needs a little more room.”

While Toby is at work as a plumber and Talyn (11) and Talee (8) attend school, Tamlyn stays at home taking care of sons Tripp (4) and Tee (21 months), and twins Tinlee and Teal (7 months). Two days a week, mom gets a little break when she drops off the children at daycare.

For Tamlyn, being mostly debt-free and getting to spend quality time raising her young children is a good trade-off for living in a very small space.

When the kids are at home, they spend a lot of time outdoors. They can play in the yard, ride bikes and scooters in their grandparents’ driveway, or spend time in the horse stalls on the 7 acres that Tamlyn’s parents own.

As youth pastors at their church, Toby and Tamlyn enjoy their roles teaching and mentoring teens.

“It’s kind of like being their second set of parents, complete with the text messages and calls,” Toby said.

“I can definitely say that living in our tiny house with six kids has taught us a lot about patience. I think that’s why the kids at church love us. It doesn’t matter what they do or what they tell us, nothing really gets us riled up or uncomfortable.”

George Jones: Playing Santa Claus can be serious business

George “Santa Claus” Jones, with a friend's dog.

It was two years ago at a private function.

Like 40-plus similar occasions during the busy holiday season, George Jones was decked out in red and white. As usual, he was the star of the show.

Kids are excited to sit on Santa Claus’ lap and tell him what tops their Christmas wish lists. But not every young boy or girl is focused on the latest toys or tech devices.

“I was approached by a young girl who said she was being abused by her dad. I asked if her mom and dad were there, and she said they were. So I sat down and talked with them, and I found out that the dad had an alcoholism problem,” George said. “I told him, ‘By the Santa creed that I took, I have to turn you in to authorities.’ He looked at me and said, ‘But you can’t do this.’ I said, ‘I have to, one way or another.’

“As things turned out, the dad has gotten help and is recovering. He calls every once in a while and says, ‘Hey, thanks for opening my eyes.’ And the daughter is back with them and doing great in school now. I would never have thought that I’d be put in that type of situation. But it is really good to know that there are kids out there who still believe in Santa Claus and feel safe telling him anything.”

After 20 years doing Santa gigs for mostly non-profit organizations in Baytown and the surrounding area, George never tires of it. His outgoing personality and desire to make children happy continues to drive him.

In the beginning
George’s own childhood got off to a rocky start. Born in 1955 with a breathing condition, he relied on round-the-clock efforts by his father, Dr. W.T. Jones, to keep him breathing the first 48 hours.

When he was 6 years old, George learned that he would never be able to father children. It wasn’t until years later that it really sank in.

He has filled the void by doting on 32 nieces, nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews, and by making a difference in the lives of thousands of kids he has entertained as Santa Claus.

George doesn’t need to advertise. The bulk of his events — private parties, fundraisers, parades and festivals — are by word of mouth because of his reputation built through experience and formal training.

“I’m a graduate of two professional Santa Claus schools, one in Colorado and one in Michigan. And I attend the annual Santa convention, where there are roughly 2,500 Santas from all over the world,” George said. “Some Santas are in law enforcement. Some are firefighters. You see people from all walks of life.”

He also is a member of Lone Star Santas, based in The Woodlands. The non-profit organization, which includes members who portray Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, elves and helpers, holds toy drives for kids and helps families throughout the year.

“I’ve learned a lot through all of this. The most important thing is that you have to enjoy being around kids,” George said.

George reminds kids of Santa throughout the year.

He also has learned to own more than one Santa Claus outfit.

“I have five. From the Friday after Thanksgiving until the 25th day of December, I dress as Santa every day. It may be Santa casual, which is red bibs and Christmas shirt, to tux and tails,” George said.

“I have kids come up to me, even when I’m in plain clothes, saying, ‘Mama, mama, there’s Santa. Can I go talk to him?’ It just happens. I really get a kick out of it.”

When he’s not dressing up as Santa or volunteering with a number of area civic organizations, George enjoys spending time with his wife, Tammy, and his father. One of the founding physicians of Gulf Coast Hospital in Baytown, Dr. Jones is now 96. (Note: Dr. Willis Thomas Jones died on March 13, 2017.)

George also has a long list of hobbies that includes collecting “stuff” (slot machines are his favorite), attending auctions and monster truck events, and traveling.

“But my favorite hobby comes six weeks out of the year, and that’s being Santa Claus for all of these kids,” he said.

Zach Zellars: Determined to follow his artistic dream

While his older brother and cousins were outside playing football, Zach Zellars sat in the house drawing and watching cartoons on TV.

Later, he would learn to love the sport that helped him earn a college scholarship. But art is what really captured his heart.

Zach Zellars

Zach’s path to making a living as an artist, which these days requires digital expertise to go along with natural talent, has taken a few unexpected turns. At age 25, though, he remains focused on that goal.

“My interest in art started when I was very young. I would always draw and stuff,” Zach said.

“My dad was a really big fan of movies. One of the films he had me watch was ‘Princess Mononoke’ by Hayao Miyazaki. It just blew me away that someone could draw something and make it look like that. It was awesome. That’s when I really knew that I wanted to draw.”

Zach took art classes in school, including at Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown. That’s also where his interest in playing football took off, placing his art on the back burner.

“I had never really played football before that. I was a defensive end and nose tackle, and I got a scholarship to play at Incarnate Word in San Antonio. It was their first year having a football team, so I thought that was kind of cool,” said Zach, who as a freshman started at defensive end. He also was a shot put and discus competitor for the track and field team.

Unfortunately, the injury bug derailed his football career. After rebounding from a slipped disk during his senior year at Lee, he sustained a torn hamstring during his first season at University of the Incarnate Word.

Frustrated by those setbacks, Zach decided to leave San Antonio and take classes at The Art Institute of Houston. He continued for about a year before financial challenges steered him back to the football field.

“I returned to Incarnate Word, and then I tore my Achilles. After that, I just felt like I was done with football. I didn’t want to keep dealing with all those injuries,” Zach said.

While at The Art Institute he met Jon Hughes, who was trying to create his own comic book company. He offered to help Zach get his feet wet in the business.

“He said, ‘Why don’t you come and help me out? I’ll teach you how to draw, and you can see what it’s like to be in the industry,’” Zach said.

As Hughes was getting Overground Comics started, Zach gained some valuable experience.

Colors by Zach. Line art by Jon Hughes.

When he returned to school last year, through the Academy of Art University’s online program, Zach got a chance to intern with Hughes as his company was taking off.

“When I was younger, I always thought about getting into video game design. I wanted to design characters and do environmental design and visual development. That’s what I’m going to school for now, visual development,” Zach said.

“I would like to end up some place where I could flex my creativity and my imagination. I would love to work in an animation department or in the video game or movie industries doing character design and stuff like that.”

Along the way, Zach has dealt with his share of personal challenges. There was a failed relationship. A business venture fell through. And his car was repossessed.

“I had no money. I was on depression medication and going through withdrawals. It was like, whoa,” he recalled.

Zach credits his renewed connection with God for putting him back on the right path.

“I realized that I just wasn’t living right, and everything was taken from me,” he said.

Zach said he now spends most of his time studying the Bible, praying and drawing.

He also has learned to venture forth on his own more confidently, after following others’ directions for years.

“I’m a guy who always responded well to taking orders. My dad was a Marine. So as a kid growing up, there was a lot of, ‘Do this. Make sure you do that.’ I always had directions, a list of things to do. And I didn’t mind being told what to do,” Zach said.

“When I started playing football, I fell right in line. You tell me where to go, what to do on the football field, and I’d go do it. But as I got older and was on my own in the real world, I discovered that if I didn't have those orders or that direction I’d be like, ‘What do I do now?' At times, it’s been hard for me to just be still and wait for opportunities to happen. So I’ve been trying to take some initiative.”

Charcoal portrait for one of Zach's classes.

That includes staying on track to complete his art school courses and drawing every day to improve his skills.

“I compare a lot of things in life to working out and playing football. If you do it every day, in the end doors will open and you’ll be running that 40-yard dash like you want to. You’ll get that opportunity to make it as an artist,” Zach said. “So I’m just trying to take those small steps that I know will lead to big steps.”

One of his dreams is to work on a project like “The Action Bible,” which features comic book-style illustrations that help tell classic Bible stories.

“There’s a lot of action and life in those stories” Zach said. “I would love to be able to depict those in a way that is visually stunning and interesting.”

Check out some of Zach’s work.

Ken Pridgeon: On a mission to honor the fallen

Any time an 81-year-old takes a nasty fall, visions of broken hips dance in your head.

While Ken Pridgeon managed to dodge that bullet during a recent tumble, his right hand didn’t fare so well. And that is a scary thing for a lifelong painter whose artistic efforts are counted on by hundreds of families of fallen service men and women across the country.

But there’s little that can slow down Ken when it comes to completing his mission of capturing on canvas the stories of all those who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not even eight stitches on his middle finger and swelling in the hand that holds his brush, to say nothing of the bruised ribs, cut to his head and black eye he suffered.

Since starting the project in 2010 at age 75, Ken has painted more than 300 portraits. It began with Texans and has expanded to others across the U.S. who have fallen.

Most of the originals, on 3-by-4 foot canvas, hang in the Portrait of a Warrior Memorial Art Gallery, 308 W. Texas Ave. in Baytown. Ken donates an 18-by-24 inch print to each of the families to help honor their loved ones.

“I didn’t do anything great when I served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. I was just a communications technician. I never considered myself a hero, and most of these guys didn’t think of themselves as heroes, either,” Ken said.

“I had no real connection to them before I started painting their stories. But when you’re sitting there doing it, you cry real tears. When you hand the portrait to that family, it’s the nearest thing to him being there that there is.”

Each of the portraits features the service member, the flag and an eagle. In the background are scenes that represent aspects of the person’s life.

“I consider myself a poor man’s Norman Rockwell. I always loved him. I always wanted to tell stories in my paintings like he did,” Ken said.

He finds out all he can about service members by reading their obituaries, watching their funerals on YouTube, and gleaning information and photographs from the families.

“Each one of them has a different story, which I try to convey in the portraits,” said Ken, who made a career painting billboards in Houston after leaving the military in 1963.

When people ask Ken about his favorite painting, he tells them, “This one right here. The one I’m working on right now is the greatest.”

Because his gallery in Baytown can no longer accommodate all of the portraits, Ken is working with the nearby City of La Porte on plans for a new, expanded facility. It’s one of the things that keeps him motivated to continue his quest.

“It’s a pretty big deal for an old sign painter like me,” he said.

Ken, who will turn 82 in May, plans to keep painting as long as he can hold a brush. Even if his fingers are stitched and his hand is swollen.