Zen Bears

Busting prostitutes and other criminals on the streets of London was Deb Canham's first career. It was a singular passion.

But after eight years, Canham concluded a police officer's life was both too dangerous and came with too little pay for someone with two young children. So one night in 1987 Canham launched her second career while she sat at her kitchen table.

That epiphany eventually led Canham to move to Sarasota, where she has since built up one of the more unique businesses on the Gulf Coast, if not all of Florida: miniature collectible stuffed animals. In addition to a second career, the experience delivered Canham a lifetime's worth of business lessons.