Excelsior Springs native and entrepreneur Serena Kotalik is continuing a family tradition. Watching her parent open their own business inspired Kotalik to one day work for herself. “You could say entrepreneurship runs in my blood,” she said. Kotalik’s entrepreneurial career began with selling online on the platform Etsy. Then, in 2016, she started a Facebook wholesale group, which has grown to 5,000-plus retailers. In mid-2017, she began focusing on wholesaling. Five years later, her business ventures include owning one business, Hustle and Heart; and co-owning two others with Ciara Oehring, the Dapper Paw and Route 50 Blanks. “It was definitely a snowball effect after many years of working. If you think about it, I started right after college in 2011. … It really took over a decade to build and form this business (into) what it is today,” she said. Hustle and Heart is a wholesaler that customizes “drinkware (mugs a...