Men at work

Men at Work

Meet some of the area's most successful male entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs are not your average business people. They are always in pursuit of an opportunity, and throughout history, they have risen to the top of business success. Passion, resourcefulness and resiliency are all common traits of thriving entrepreneurs, along with a willingness to take risks and a comfort with failure. But as you will see from the 11 men we have highlighted here, all with different backgrounds and unique experiences, many of the entrepreneurs in our city share a common path towards making this community a better place.

Owning and operating a successful business involves a lot of minutia, from business plans to finances to daily operations. A true entrepreneur will look well beyond all that, trailblazing toward progress without focusing solely on perfection. Success doesn’t happen overnight, as all of the businessmen here will attest, and it doesn’t happen alone. With the help of family, friends, employees and clients, each man here continues to map out a strategy to succeed and is a driving force in his industry. Read on to see how they got where they are, and what keeps them moving forward.

Gary Nance / Gary Nance Design

“I was once told I needed to slow down and smell the roses. It’s true—you can go through life a mile a minute, and then all of the sudden the years are gone. You need to take time to see the person next to you. You have to pull back and find a balance.”

From his earliest memories, Gary Nance knew he wanted to pursue his passion of art and design. He grew up sketching houses, studying home planning guides and working with a homebuilder. His passion became purpose when he began studying architecture at Ball State University, where he exceled in the art, but struggled with engineering and math due to then undetected dyslexia. Despite the setback, Nance was driven to a career in architectural design, and stuck with the program, eventually graduating and taking a job with a major architectural firm in downtown Chicago.

Nance has since made a name for himself in Indianapolis and around the country designing state of the art luxury homes and lake cottages. Gary attributes much of his success to his family, especially his wife Nancy who has stuck by his side through the highs and lows, and his children Nick and Taylor. Today, his daughter Taylor is a key factor in his business, facilitating daily operations. “I am blessed to have that relationship with my daughter,” he says.

Last year, Nance miraculously survived COVID-19. He spent 18 days on a ventilator and couldn’t even hold a pencil afterwards. The ordeal gave him a chance to look at life differently, and he credits the Carmel Fire Department and Emergency Services who arrived at his home in minutes and St. Vincent Hospital for saving his life. The Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana (RHI) brought his mobility back, and he now sits on their Board of Directors. “They helped save my life and get me back on my feet through rehab,” says Gary.

Gary Nance Design is located in the Indiana Design Center at 200 S. Rangeline Road, Suite 214 in Carmel. You can visit garynancedesign.com online or follow @garynancedesign on Instagram.

Rob Klein / Conceptual Kitchens & Millwork

“Always listen and don't think about what you are going to say next. An uncomfortable pause is easier to explain than not listening to your client.”

As a classically trained artist, Rob Klein took his eye for design to the next level with Conceptual Kitchens & Millwork, the design firm he started in 2001. After studying economics and fine art at Kenyon College in Ohio, the Carmel native went to work for his father, a builder and developer with a relentless drive to offer the best design and products available. That concept spilled over into what Klein does now. With a clear understanding of proportions, along with a belief that each project should be specifically tailored to each client’s individual needs, Klein has garnered success in an industry he loves. “The amount of raw talent that is in the design industry is what is really keeping me passionate about what we do,” he says. “We also have great clients that will trust us with the most complex designs.” 

In 2012, designer Amy Kreutz joined the company, and Klein says they continue to push one another, elevating their business, design and implementation. He believes that in order to be a successful entrepreneur you need to understand what you are good at and be willing to hire someone better than you in other areas.

Beyond work, there’s what Klein calls his “second full-time job,” at home as a parent, where he and his wife are raising three polite and productive children. When he needs a break, though, he takes to the skies. This summer, Klein will reach a milestone of 4,000 skydiving jumps, which he considers to be a kind of fear management. “In design, we take all kinds of risks, and it’s really stressful,” he says. “Jumping out of a plane is a totally different kind of relaxation for me.”

Conceptual Kitchens & Millwork is located in the Indiana Design Center at 200 S. Rangeline Road, Suite 116 in Carmel. You can find them online at conceptualkitchens.com or follow @ckandm and @rob_klein_design on Instagram.

Dan Moyer / Moyer Fine Jewelers

“Learn everything you can about your subject and work, and be open to learning regardless of the number of years you've been in business. Don't be afraid to take risks—in fact, I encourage it.”

Dan Moyer has been in the jewelry business since he was a kid, when he began selling wholesale jewelry for a family friend while in high school. He continued the trend through college, selling to beauty salons and sorority houses at Purdue and then Indiana University, where he earned a degree in Finance. His success in college led him to the decision to make a career out of selling jewelry. Although his first storefront was inside one of the beauty salons he originally sold to, Moyer Fine Jewelers has been at their current location at “the top of the town” in Carmel since 1993.

Moyer believes that simple, yet sincere values like working hard and being considerate are what can really a business apart. After more than 40 years in the industry, he says the most rewarding part of his work is succeeding at giving clients excellent service and an unparalleled experience. His team works hard every day to stay ahead of the trends and continue to impress their clients.

In addition to his ambitions as an entrepreneur, Moyer has spent much of his career as a philanthropist. The Moyer Open Pro-Am Golf Tournament benefiting St. Mary’s Child Center at Crooked Stick Golf Club has raised over $1M since Moyer began organizing the event over 35 years ago. Moyer Fine Jewelers contributes to numerous local and national charitable organizations including the Human Society of Hamilton County and the Indy Honor Flight, among others. “It's very important to me personally to give back to the community,” says Moyer, adding that he encourages members of his staff to do the same.

Moyer Fine Jewelers is located at 14727 Thatcher Lane in Carmel. You can find them online at moyerfinejewelers.com or follow @moyerfinejewelers on Instagram.

Paul Aréchiga / Verde Flavors of Mexico

“If you have the slightest inclination of starting something—just go for it. There will be obstacles and setbacks, but in the end, your accomplishments are the best reward you will receive.”

Paul Aréchiga comes from a business-minded family, and says he inherited an interest in establishing his own business when he was very young. Aréchiga opened the Verde Flavors of Mexico restaurants with his parents and brothers, who he counts as his mentors from the beginning. Now, with three Verde locations in the area, Aréchiga grabs inspiration from all the people that surround him, including friends and even customers. “Our guests are definitely the fuel that keeps me motivated,” he says. 

Verde Flavors of Mexico is an upscale Mexican restaurant chain that focuses on a contemporary interpretation of authentic Mexican food and beverages, and the concept is part of a bigger restaurant group that reaches throughout the Indianapolis metropolitan area as well as the Chicago west suburbs. To Aréchiga, seeing the impact each of his team members has on the operation as a whole is very rewarding, saying, “From the person who greets our guests and directs them to a table, to our amazing servers, bartenders, bussers, cooks and everyone else, we are all part of a “big machine” and no job is too small. We all play in important part.”

Aréchiga hopes to establish a business that elevates the concept of Mexican food in the area. “I’m proud of what we present and the experiences we provide for our guests. More than that, we are also very proud of representing the Carmel community and the high standards for food, beverage and entertainment our amazing town has.”

Visit Verde Flavors of Mexico at 2727 E. 86th Street at Ironworks in Indianapolis, at 11680 Commercial Drive in Fishers, or at 1111 W. Main Street in Carmel. You can also find them online at verdeflavorsofmexico.com or follow verde_flavorsofmexico , verdeflavorsofmexico_carmel and verde_flavorsofmexicofishers on Instagram.

Jimmy Dulin / RE/MAX Ability Plus

“Establish a mission for your life and build a business that fulfills your mission. Mine is to inspire people, create opportunities, and support dreams.”

Real estate is what Jimmy Dulin is known for around Indianapolis. He operates the successful RE/MAX Ability Plus firm, but, comprised of eight overlapping companies including TruBlue Total House Care and White Truck Getaways vacation rentals, RE/MAX Ability Plus is more than your average agency. Dulin, whose role focuses on strategic growth and building the organization, loves the diversity of running several entities that support one another. Dulin is keen at seeing a problem, figuring out a solution, and creating an opportunity. “I like putting the pieces together—figuring out a way to solve needs and continue to serve our customers over time,” he explains.

Dulin looks forward to going to the office each morning. With over 200 employees (and growing), he says RE/MAX Ability Plus feels big, especially since he started from nowhere, but it is still a small business. Dulin says he is proud to have created something that can provide for his family, and his entire family is involved. His Mom is a Real Estate agent, and his father the company courier. His wife is the training coordinator and has filled many roles at different times as new entities launch, as have both of his children.

Since becoming excited about real estate in the early 1990s, growing his business and building a successful leadership team, Dulin has always made charitable donation a priority. To date, RE/MAX Ability Plus has raised nearly $2M in donations to Riley Hospital for Children, and as a licensed auctioneer, Dulin donates his time to many charity auctions in the area.

RE/MAX Ability Plus is located in the Indiana Design Center at 200 S. Rangeline Road, Suite 129 in Carmel or online at jimmydulin.com. Dulin’s book, I Want More (released in 2019) is available on amazon.com.

Chad Bruick / Outdoor Environments Group

“In 2007 I saw a [Tony Robbins] quote and a light bulb went off. ‘Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.’ That is what made me take the step in starting OEG, and I am thrilled I did.”

The great outdoors has always been a significant part of Chad Bruick’s life. As a child he spent a lot of time outside with his father, and continues the tradition with his own family today. Melded with his two other passions: business and design, Bruick has found a niche with his company, Outdoor Environments Group, building, designing and nurturing outdoor living spaces. “From the pursuit of landscaping, I have been able to pursue all of my passions at one time,” he says. Since starting the company almost 15 years ago, Bruick is an engaged and hands-on owner who remains very involved in the design and construction aspects of each project.

Although he has had many influences throughout his life, Bruick credits his entrepreneurial drive to his grandfather who was also a business owner. Today he stays passionate about his industry because of the challenges it offers and the creative and unique projects his team is able to tackle. The primary focus of OEG is creating outdoor spaces that place high value on the human experience, in residential, commercial and nonprofit settings.

For Bruick, building a team and creating opportunities for them to grow and develop and build valuable skills is a gratifying part of being a business owner. “I also love the end result of what we create,” says Bruick, adding that completing a project is just the beginning in most cases. “Families get to enjoy that space and make memories because of what we created.”

Outdoor Environments Group is located at 4929 Robinson Road in Indianapolis. You can find them online at oeggroup.com or follow @oeggroup on Facebook.

Ed Cheikh / Houseworks

“The key is to start. It’s easier to steer a car in motion than one that is parked. Surround yourself with good people and success will come from pure perseverance.”

Ed Cheikh has always had an appreciation for good design and architecture. Traveling the world as a senior trade executive for an international marketing firm, he was cognizant of the styles in Europe and abroad, but when he moved to Indianapolis in the early 1980s and set out to furnish his home with what he loved, he was hard-pressed to find anything interesting here in the way of modern furniture. That void, along with the desire to get off the road and stay home with his growing family, turned into a business plan, and Cheikh opened the first Houseworks store in Castleton in 1985.

In the beginning, Indianapolis was not quite ready for modern, but Cheikh stuck with it, building on the lessons and work ethic he had learned from his immigrant father, who owned several businesses including a hotel and clothing company during Cheikh’s childhood in Chicago. As Houseworks has evolved, so has Indianapolis, growing into an international community that has come to embrace the clean lines and timeless appeal that classic modern furniture offers.

Cheikh loves the independence that comes with being a business owner. It allows him to pursue his passion while empowering people. He counts on his Houseworks “family,” many of which have been with the company for 15 plus years, as one of the most rewarding aspects of the business. They have each contributed in some way to the success of Houseworks.

Houseworks is located at 4905 E. 82nd Street in Indianapolis. You can find them online at houseworks.biz or follow @indyhouseworks on Instagram.

Ben Diallo / J. Benzal Menswear

“Passion is great, but there is no substitute for hard work. When you have a vision, you have to be committed to seeing it through. There are no short cuts to success—you just have to put in the work and persevere.”

A problem solver at heart, Ben Diallo describes himself as a serial entrepreneur. “I love finding business solutions to everyday problems,” says the native of Guinea, West Africa. “Most of my businesses were born out of trying to solve some problem.” A graduate of Butler University, Ben and family returned to Indianapolis after several years in New York City—where he fell in love with fashion. He launched J. Benzal Menswear in 2009, a private label menswear boutique specializing in Italian suiting, and has since expanded his product line to include all aspects of a man’s wardrobe and fashion accessories.

In addition to J. Benzal, this past spring Diallo opened L.A. Tacos (a north side restaurant pushing the boundaries of street and specialty tacos), and is the co-founder of tech startup CashSwap (a peer-to-peer currency exchange app that connects travelers to safely exchange currency). Diallo says being an entrepreneur and executing his visions brings out the best in him, and he finds being a job creator to be a rewarding part of the role. He believes that if you take care of your employees, they will take care of the business like it is their own. “Great people are the heart of any successful business,” he says.

Diallo calls Indianapolis home and is a committed community member, serving on several board for downtown business owners. He is using his problem solving skills to work through the challenges of the pandemic and think about what different businesses in the city need to rebuild.

J.Benzal Menswear has locations at 22 E. Washington Street in downtown Indianapolis and in the Fashion Mall. You can find them online at jbenzal.com or follow @jbenzal on Instagram.

L.A. Tacos is located at 3367 E. 86th Street in the Keystone Shoppes and online at latacosrestaurants.com. You can find out more about Diallo’s tech company CashSwap at cashswapapp.com.

Robert Haecker / TRIPhase Technologies

“Invest in your people and your team, and treat them the way you would want to be treated. Do the right thing and it will come back to you tenfold. We have always done that and after 25 years we are very blessed to be where we are.”

An entrepreneur from an early age, Robert Haecker has come a long way since he started his first business Trixx Skate Shop at age 14. The skateboard and apparel shop, which first rented space inside a mini-mall toy store and eventually grew into a free standing building, had a regional following in the days before the Internet, and solidified Haecker’s desire to become a business owner.

When he entered the Ball State Entrepreneurship Program, Haecker parted ways with the skate shop and took a side job at an audio-visual retail store. He began to offer personal delivery and installation as part of his sales pitch, and the idea for TRIPhase was born. He wrote the business plan while attending Ball State, and initially opened the business in Cicero, renting a small building with an office below and a showroom above. To make ends meet, Haecker slept in the showroom theatre on a pull out sofa, and his wife Shanna, who was still attending Ball State at the time, drove back and forth to handle the office. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without Shanna,” Haecker says, adding that she has been an integral part of TRIPhase since the beginning.

Haecker loves the ever-changing world of the technology industry, and has carved a niche with TRIPhase, offering turnkey, white glove, concierge style services for complete home automation and design. He remains involved with the Ball State Entrepreneurship Program as a mentor and board member, and in 2022 TRIPhase will host the program’s Evaluation Day and alumni reception.

TRIPhase Technologies is located at 10960 Bennett Parkway in Zionsville. You can find them online at triphase-tech.com or follow @TRIPhaseTechnologies on Facebook and triphasetech on Instagram.

Anthony Lazarra / Anthony's Chophouse and 3UP Rooftop Lounge

“Culture is everything. Surround yourself with a great team because you are only as strong as the person next to you.”

Anthony Lazzara grew up in the hospitality industry and has been surrounded by restaurateurs his entire life, so it’s not hard to believe that he began writing his business plan for what would become Anthony’s Chophouse while still in high school. After working for his father and uncles at their various Carmel establishments as a young adult and graduating from the Ball State Entrepreneurship Program, Lazzara finalized his vision and opened Anthony’s Chophouse and 3UP Rooftop Lounge in 2018. With sweeping views of the town he has always called home, Lazzara seeks to create meaningful, lasting experiences for his guests with an exceptional atmosphere and the highest quality food and service.

The guests are what keep Lazzara passionate about the restaurant, and he loves that there is no monotony. “Every day is different with new stories and new faces,” says the hands-on owner, who can often be found on the floor, in the kitchen, or behind the bar assisting wherever he is needed. Lazzara counts his exceptional staff as the backbone of the business and one of the most rewarding aspects of work, always seeking to create a culture of family and mutual respect within the team.

When he isn’t at work, Anthony can usually be found enjoying time with his wife Kayla and two young sons, Vinny and Gianni. He enjoys golfing and cooking, and makes a point to give back to the community of Carmel through organizations like Hero’s Club and Discovering Broadway, saying, “We are here because of our community.”

Anthony’s Chophouse and 3UP Rooftop Lounge are located at 201 W. Main Street in Carmel. You can find them online at anthonyschophouse.com and 3uprooftop.com or follow @anthonyschophouse and @3uprooftopbar on Instagram.

Barry Lantz / A. Lantz Design | Barry Lantz Art

“My mother always said, ‘Walk like you know where you are going.’”

Indiana native Barry Lantz began his career in design selling furniture for the compensation of $2.00 an hour. With a passion for art and design, he has since made a name for himself as an interior designer in the Hoosier state and across the country. “I have experienced every design and color trend since 1973,” he says. “And hopefully in my later career I have set trends of my own.” Influenced by his grandmother Goldie, his art teachers, and a family of business owners, Barry started his own design firm in the early 1980s, and his daughter Amanda took over as President of A. Lantz Design in 2015. Today he remains very active with the design side the business, but with Amanda now at the helm his role has significantly changed. “I love watching what Amanda is doing with the business. Her younger thoughtfulness and fresh ideas are great and it is rewarding to see her implement how own plans and watch them become real.”

The shift has given Barry time to feed his artistic passion as a painter. Barry Lantz Art has become a business of its own. That, along with the creation of a fabric collection with Kravet, allows him to layer his design experience with other forms of expression and creative interests. His passions and hobbies all revolve around his profession as an artist and designer. Barry says he would like to think he has brought some style and artistic influence to many of the people he has worked with, and that he has awakened the artist in some and the lifestyle in many.

A. Lantz Design is located in the Carmel City Center at 800 S. Rangeline Road, Veterans Way Suite 250. You can find them online at alantzdesign.com or follow @lantzcollective on Instagram. To see Barry’s paintings visit barrylantzart.com.