Ashley Hahs, owner of BLAST! Event & Party Bus and Paws Pet Taxi

When Ashley Hahs was a little girl, her father told her this: "I don't care what you do with your life, but do it to the best of your abilities. I don't care if you are a garbage collector -- you be the best garbage collector there is."

Hahs didn't turn out to be a garbage collector after all, but she's applied her father's advice to all aspects of her life.

After graduating from Southeast Missouri State University with a degree in mass communications, she worked for 18 years as a pharmaceutical sales representative. In 2010, she launched her first business, Zoomin' Groomer Mobile Dog Salon, which she sold to Busch Pet Products in 2013.

This fall, she launched two new businesses: BLAST! Event & Party Bus and Paws Pet Taxi. The party bus provides transportation for up to 14 people for everything from bachelorette and birthday parties to Cardinals games and Christmas light tours. Meanwhile, Paws Pet Taxi provides transportation for pets' grooming, vet, boarding and other appointments.

"What I have always loved about any work I have done, whether sales or my recent/current endeavors, has been how I can combine the business at hand with making sure I am reaching the customer on a personal level," says Hahs. "I believe society has lost a lot of the basic care of doing a job to the best of your ability and making customers feel like they matter; paying attention and going out of your way for customers and the inherent reward for doing your job passionately. My hope is that my customers always know I genuinely care about them, and not just because they are my paycheck."

Hahs says she's motivated by fearless passion, and inspired by others who find a way to give back to the world.

"There is no such thing as a passion that is too small to explore," she says. "We are here for such a short time. Do not dismiss even the smallest of ideas. Do your research. Do searches on other geographical areas and similar businesses, and apply their ideas and concepts to your own. Do a business plan. Even the simplest plan will help keep your ideas organized and give more accountability to your plans. Get your goals down on record and check back often to make sure you are following your road map."

Also important? A positive and determined attitude, and not being afraid to laugh at yourself.

"And you know what?" says Hahs. "If a business idea doesn't perform enough to support you, no one is going to take your birthday away."