Anita Marcus. Photo by Cucoloris (CucolorisLLC.com).
Anita Marcus
Cover star Anita Marcus is the medical aesthetician behind the business LaserGirl Skincare. She grew up in Oregon, moved to Hawaii for three years and ended up in Sedona in 1995. “I have raised two children in this wonderful town and absolutely love being part of this amazing place,” she says. Prior to her current career, she had been involved with a religion she was born and raised in. “Higher education was not afforded me, and I spent years proselytizing at my own expense,” she says. But a rim-to-rim hike of the Grand Canyon in 2013 changed her life for good. After the hike, she ended up with a chest sunburn and wanted to heal. “In my research to resolve my sun damage issue, I fell in love with the transformative power of lasers. After resolving my own problem, it became important to me to help others with their skin conditions and concerns,” she says. She started her esthetician career in 2015. She’s trained in both traditional esthetics and medical grade modalities. Her LaserGirl business now has three locations in Northern Arizona: Sedona, Flagstaff and Prescott. In 2020, Anita even took home the Business of the Year 2020 Yavapai County from Small Business Development Center at Yavapai College.
Anita Marcus. Photo by Cucoloris (CucolorisLLC.com).
“As for supporting other women, this is a very meaningful thing to me. I received a scholarship from The Sedona Women’s group (the Helen Wolfe scholarship) and now that I am a laser training school, I am able to accept that same scholarship for future graduates,” she says. “In addition to training, certifying other laser technicians, I am sponsoring women with machines to the end that they can earn enough to come to school and get set up with a full arsenal of equipment. Also, I love helping women and men look and feel their very best.” She spends her free time hiking, kayaking and exploring the Grand Canyon state. She has two grown children, Eli and Samantha, that she visits as often as she can. Eli is a two-year Marine who will be deploying soon to Australia. Samantha is a graduate of Arizona State University with degrees in psychology and neuroscience.
Anita Marcus.
“As a single income earner, my pride in them and all of our achievements is tremendous. I was able to give them both their vehicles this last year,” she says. “I believe that what sets me apart is my passion for learning, for custom curating treatments, and establishing meaningful relationships with my clients and friends,” says Anita. She also recently filmed a reality show called “Blox.” “Blox” is slated to air on Amazon Prime and is about entrepreneurs.
Holli Ploog. Photo by Gary Glenn.
Holli Ploog
Holli Ploog currently serves as the vice mayor of Sedona and is a true pillar of the community. She’s lived here since 2013 and has made great strides during her decade in town. She tells us she became an activist due to her mother’s teachings. She has served as past president of the Sedona Arts Center, The Rotary Club of Sedona and the Northern Arizona Human Trafficking Coalition and has served as a board member of The Sedona Women and the League of Women Voters. She also received the 2018 Spirit of Sedona Volunteer of the Year and was recently appointed by Governor Katie Hobbs to the Arizona Civil Rights Advisory Board. Her professional background has made her many roles a natural fit. Holli is a retired attorney. She has a background in information technology, transformation and government coalition building. Holli has worked with local, state, federal, tribal and international agencies. “Implementing change in a bureaucracy, whether large or small, requires community engagement and a great deal of collaboration between stakeholders. This is one of my particular strengths. The more complex the problem, the more it becomes my challenge to solve,” she says.
When she first started her career, there were so few women she could look up to. She has worked to remedy that. “Having experienced the isolation of being the only woman in a high-level corporate position for a number of years, I became passionate about serving as a mentor to other women both in government and the private sector. It has been one of the greatest pleasures and most rewarding experiences of my life,” she says. Like most women, she has had her struggles. “My first job after college was as an editorial assistant at a magazine publishing company. After a couple of months, I learned my male colleague who began at precisely the same time as me with the same undergraduate degree (and no prior work experience) was earning 25 percent more than I was. When I spoke to the editor about equal pay, he suggested I resign rather than rectify the situation. I did just that and never was paid less than my peers again,” she says. After working at a magazine publishing company, she landed a job at Marvel Comics. She worked there for four years until she went to law school. Here’s a fun fact about Holli: “Among my many achievements in the comic book world, I was (allegedly) the vision for a character named She Hulk,” she says. A fitting title, we must say.
“I love being a woman in all ways. I am strong, fearless and confident while also working at being nurturing, compassionate and kind. I also love my friendships with other women who are supportive and vulnerable with each other,” she says. In 1993, her and her husband took a trip to the Grand Canyon and stopped in Sedona on their way back to Phoenix. Twenty years later, they bought a home here and the rest is history. She’s lived on both coasts and internationally but says she feels most at home in Sedona. “We fell in love with the natural beauty of Sedona’s landscape and the people of Sedona who were welcoming, hospitable and demonstrated a strong sense of community,” she says. “Northern Arizona is the best part of Arizona, in my opinion. First, the scenery is spectacular and the higher altitude keeps us cooler than in other parts of the state and allows us to enjoy outdoor activities (hiking, biking, rafting, star gazing and general exploring) for more months of the year. Our small towns are charming, the red rocks are magical, and historical sites are quirky, unique and iconic. I feel a greater sense of peace and well being living here than anywhere else I have been.”
Debra A. Shinn. Photo by Gary Glenn.
Debra A. Shinn
Debra A. Shinn has an impressive background in the hospitality industry. Her main focus is on her consulting company, Shinn Hospitality Consulting, where she serves as the principal consultant. She’s also the vice president of the Sedona Lodging Council. In her spare time, she’s a sales associate at the Sedona Arts Center. And her professional resume is impressive. The Ohio native moved to Los Angeles originally to pursue, you guessed it, acting. She took a job as hostess in the Hotel Bel Air’s dining room that would lead her to her eventual career path. “I knew all the who’s who in the film industry had ‘power meetings’ there, and I thought I could get ‘discovered’ by someone. Well, I was discovered, but by the hotel’s food and beverage director who said I was natural for the hotel industry,” she says. She worked at the Hotel Bel Air for five years and honed her hospitality skills.
Debra A. Shinn.
Next, she served as the general manager of the Beverly Hills Inn for five years. During that time, she was appointed by the Beverly Hills Visitors Bureau council as vice president. In that position, she revamped the city’s holiday event, the Beverly Hills Parade of Lights, and created Beverly Hills on Ice. The team built an ice-skating rink on Rodeo Drive, recruited professional and Olympic skaters and had a big gala around the rink. She’s also worked for several high profile luxury hotel owners. People like Merv Griffin, Fess Parker, Ty Warner and Steve Wynn. She’s also worked at hotels like the Beverly Hilton, Fess Parker’s Wine Country Inn and Spa (Los Olivos, California) San Ysidro Ranch (Montecito, California) and Wynn Las Vegas. When she was rooms division manager of the Peninsula Beverly Hills, she oversaw the renovation of the spa and suites and met the former owner of Sedona’s L’Auberge de Sedona, Amara Resort & Spa and Orchards Inn. This relationship ended up being key to her professional life and is what brought her to town. “This is a pivotal time in the Sedona tourism industry, and I am excited to find new ways of marketing Sedona and bringing the right guests to our many and diversified hotel and lodging choices. I have always believed that hospitality is intrinsic. And I definitely knew I had that gene. It gives me great satisfaction to assist guests in making memories,” she says. She’s also served some famous guests like Anthony Hopkin, three of The Beatles, Tina Turner and Lee Radziwill. “I’m driven to creating warm, inviting environments that give my guests a respite from their everyday lives. I especially enjoy mentoring young hoteliers and have had the incredible opportunity to do so over the decades,” she says. When she’s not helping hospitality professionals thrive, she’s likely improving her closet. “I’m drawn to everything fashion and glamour. Perhaps spending so many years in Beverly Hills with access to the very best of everything, I became a collector of shoes, clothes, jewelry, make up, trinkets and art,” she says.
Debra A. Shinn.
Debra has traveled throughout the world making memories in places like Havana, Paris, London, Barcelona, Moscow and Istanbul. Debra is also a fur baby mama to her Shih Tzu, Savannah. She is thankful for everything in her life. “My motto in life is ‘Never say I wish I had …’ I am so very fortunate to have worked in some of the best hotels in the world, experience a once in a lifetime opportunity, such as attending the 66th Oscars and Governor’s Ball thanks to actress Emma Thompson, who gave me her extra tickets,” she says. “Most of all, I am eternally grateful for my Mom and Dad, who raised me to reach for the stars and to not let anyone tell you that you can’t do something!”
Helen Jarnes.
Helen Jarnes
Helen Jarnes is in the real estate industry and is the president of The Sedona Women, a local nonprofit – making her absolutely worthy of a feature in this cover story. She has been the CEO/President of her real estate investment company, HTC Properties, Inc., for 25 years. She founded the company in California to manage her real estate residential and commercial investments. Giving back has always been important to her. “I’ve always been passionate about doing volunteer work. I could name countless organization I have supported over the years since my 20s. Everything from United Way, Pikes Peak Trails Coalition, Women’s Homeless Shelter in downtown San Diego to our local food bank, Habitat for Humanity, Homeless Alliance and The Sedona Women,” she says.
Helen Jarnes pictured with The Sedona Women.
In her role as president of The Sedona Women, she convenes and conducts monthly meetings. She also hosts the annual Halloween party and other social gatherings. Money raised by the organization from fund raising, donations or grants is used to award grants to women returning to college or vocational school after their education was interrupted or who finally have a chance to further their education. The nonprofit awards about $17,000 in grants each year. The organization’s members (they’re about 180 strong) also participate in community volunteer work including cooking meals for St. Andrews Community supper, volunteering to hand out the Thanksgiving meals at the Old Town Mission, the Oak Creek Watershed cleanup, food and coat drives for the food bank and pet food for the Humane Society of Sedona. Helen has been a part of The Sedona Women for over 20 years. “I have always been an advocate for women both in my career and whenever the opportunity arises to empower women. I strongly believe we can’t move up in the corporate world without bringing other women with us,” she says. Helen has lived this truth out. “As the first woman construction project manager/facilities engineer for a Fortune 500 company, Qualcomm, I had to prove myself to gain the respect needed to get the job done. One of my bosses said to me when walking my construction project site ‘There’s only one thing wrong with you Helen … you’re making the guys look bad.’ It can be a challenge being a woman in the workplace because we often are the minority. We are often underestimated. Despite the progress we have made in our lifetime, we still have a long way to go. But personally, I love a challenge,” she says.
Helen Jarnes pictured with former Mayor of Sedona, Sandy Moriarty.
Her personal life is just as vibrant as her professional one. Up until very recently, her and her husband rode matching Harleys. The pair have two married adult children and four grandchildren. Her mother, sister and brother all live in Camp Verde. She enjoys glamping, hosting parties and cooking international foods. International travel is another passion of hers. She recently took a 15-day international cruise around Japan. “Japan has always fascinated me, and I speak enough to get by. I enjoy learning foreign languages. I know the basics of four languages and am currently learning Norwegian,” she says. Although she has a deep passion for travel, she also loves the place she calls home. “Northern Arizona has endless beauty. Whether you’re driving or flying the terrain changes from area to area. Our favorite these days is summers up in the forest of the Mogollon Rim. Between endless ponderosa forest and numerous lakes, we enjoy taking our truck and travel trailer and fishing, glamping and hiking around the lakes,” she says. “We also enjoy taking our small plane up to the mountains and view the beautiful vistas from the air, which gives you a whole new perspective. You really don’t know how vast Arizona is until you have seen all the mountains, deserts and valleys from the air.”
Julie Rasmussen. Photo by Cucoloris (CucolorisLLC.com).
Julie Rasmussen
Founder and CEO of Sedona’s Good Juju Lifestyle Boutique, Julie Rasmussen, has a long history of working in the fashion industry. The Fullerton, California native got her start when she was just 19 years old. She sold hand painted earrings she handcrafted out of broken record pieces and sold them to retailers. Her business’s name? Music to Your Ears. She eventually started working at Nordstrom, where she learned how to work a variety of jobs. Julie climbed her way up the corporate ladder and eventually became the junior division buyer for the Orange County region and oversaw six total stores. After seven years in the corporate world, she opened up her very own boutique in Fullerton. She operated that business for 28 years until the property was sold to a developer. After nearly three decades of running her own business, she decided she needed to reset. Julie was searching for a new home for her business. When she was visiting her sister in Sedona, she found an ideal space in Hozho Distinctive Shops & Galleries and opened up the Good Juju Lifestyle Boutique.
Good Juju Lifestyle Boutique. Photo by Cucoloris (CucolorisLLC.com).
“In a way, Sedona called me,” she says. “I absolutely love the grounding and peaceful energy that Sedona offers and the mystery and wonder of the landscape never ceases to amaze me.” She says she enjoys curating a creative collection of art, clothing and accessories. She delights in seeing her clients getting excited over her inventory. Julie is often inspired by nature and unique designs. “I love to offer my customers an amazing shopping experience with plenty of visual stimulation, unique finds and a quality selection. I hope the eclectic and creative curation of fun and whimsical items will keep them coming back for more,” she says. “It truly is a beautiful synergy of art and fashion and seeing my customers appreciate this makes me happy.” Like many entrepreneurs, she sometimes struggles with balancing her personal and professional lives.
Julie Rasmussen at Good Juju Lifestyle Boutique. Photo by Cucoloris (CucolorisLLC.com).
“I’m constantly working on improving the quality of my personal life by carving out time for meditation walks, hikes and date night with my fiancé,” she says. “Making the time to do the things I love sometimes needs to be scheduled in or else it’s easy as an entrepreneur to put your business first and yourself second. But, I’m finding that the more I make time for self care and the things I love, the more energy I have for my business.” As a long-time woman business owner, she makes a point of supporting other women business owners. Her message of resilience: Never give up. “I love the feminine aspect of being a woman,” she says. “I surround myself with pretty things, but there’s a warrior inside of me too. And I encourage other women to stand in their strength and own their power. ‘Don’t ever let anyone tell you that women are the weaker vessel. We usher souls into this world for God’s sake!’” Julie is also a certified health and life coach and a reiki master. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, yoga and spending time with her musical family. There’s always someone playing the piano or the guitar.
