![(Shutterstock)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0819_blog_mlm_shutterstock.jpg?1577874530)
Multilevel Marketing Might Offer Some Lessons in Entrepreneurship — but There Are Better Ways to Learn
I consider myself a typical entrepreneur. Authentically growing an audience for my business consultancy — which develops custom business systems solutions — and pivoting when something doesn’t work out and serving clients day-to-day isn’t always easy, but it is rewarding.
![LPAS Architecture + Design won Best in Show and Crowd Favorite for this design at the Merge Fashion Show. Modeled by interior designer Isabel Ramirez, this cocktail dress made from interior design materials includes a detachable skirt that transforms into a peacock-like frill.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0819_dept_sustainability_debbiecunningham_lead_cropped.jpg?1577874530)
Designing the Future
Sacramento designers transform architectural materials into future-forward fashion at the International Interior Design Association Northern California Chapter Merge Fashion Show
Outside the Hyatt Regency in downtown Sacramento, tower cranes rise above the skyline, harbingers of the city’s burgeoning building boom. Inside, the designers who are determining the new face of our city took to the runway to envision our future through fashion.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0819_dept_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1577874530)
Startup of the Month: AppA11y
Software developer creates games for visually impaired players
Before 2012, Nick Barbato was a software developer working in a cubicle, and he was miserable. He wanted more control over his life, so he left that job to start a company called Pangia Games. Not long after he and his cofounder, Lee Hobbs, released their first game, he received an email in 2013 from someone who played it.
![(Illustration by Marissa Lewis)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0819_dept_buzzwords_marissalewis.png?1577874530)
Buzzwords: Talent Brand
An employer’s public-facing identity that reflects what it’s like to work at the company
Although companies may try to appear glossy and appealing on that platform, it can still be informative to gauge the company’s values, perks and just how genuine the smiles on employees’ faces may be.
![The Railyards, 244 acres of mostly undeveloped land north of the Sacramento Valley Station, features eight brick buildings from the 1860s. It’s also expected to be home to a Major League Soccer stadium, Kaiser Permanente medical center, Sacramento Superior Court building and up to 10,000 housing units. (Photo by Hector Amezcua)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0819_blog_development_railyards_lead_hectoramezcua.jpg?1577874530)
At The Railyards, it’s Full Steam Ahead
Backed by the expected arrival of a Major League Soccer team, development is stirring at the long-dormant Railyards in downtown Sacramento
There’s a word that comes to mind for Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg regarding the largest infill project in his city, The Railyards. “The one word I would use to describe the state of where we’re at is ‘breakthrough,’” Steinberg says.
![(Composite image by Marissa Lewis, illustrations by Shutterstock)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0819_dept_realestate_designml_elementsss.png?1577874530)
After Torrential Wildfires, Insurance Woes for Homeowners
The Camp Fire has made it more expensive to own a home in rural areas
The most striking effect from the Camp Fire is rising fire insurance costs for residents in areas where wildfire risk is high. Some traditional insurance companies are declining to offer services in these locations.
![Jerad Friedline tackles the climbing wall at Sacramento Pipeworks. While the club is best known for its massive wall, it also has one of the area’s largest CrossFit gyms.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0819_feat_healthfitness_fredgreaves.jpg?1577874530)
Filling a Niche
Boutique gyms are helping satisfy the growing demand for unique workouts with activities such as rock-wall climbing and mixed martial arts
Thirty years ago, muscle gyms like Gold’s Gym were the norm and the aerobics craze started by Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons was in full swing. Now, the trend has turned full circle, back to boutique centers.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0819_dept_itm_01lead_fredgreaves.jpg?1577874530)
In the Making: Wall Weavings
Jessica Filip’s favorite weaving projects are the large commissions that take several weeks to complete, such as her 6-foot-by-6-foot wall hanging displayed in South, a restaurant in Sacramento, or an 8-foot-by-12-foot piece for a client’s cabin in Montana. Her larger commissions range from $1,600 to $4,000.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0719_dept_itm_01_fredgreaves.jpg?1577874530)
In the Making: One-of-a-Kind Sound Machines
Vintage suitcases, canteens, metal carrying cases and wooden boxes of varying colors and sizes occupy nearly every inch of a ceiling-scratching shelf in Kaden Hill’s suburban Sacramento garage workshop.
![Rain, a Beatles tribute band, rocks the Harris Center’s 851-seat main stage in June. In the past year, the center has held more than 400 events, attracting about 75,000 people.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0719_blog_photoessayrockin_05.jpg?1577874530)
Photos: Rockin’ the Suburbs
There’s a nice payoff for music fans willing to explore outside the city of Sacramento — and it doesn’t have to be a long trek. Photojournalist Steve Martarano takes us inside suburban entertainment gems in the Capital Region.