Featured in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Can You Build Me a Healthy Home?” - Step Beyond Green to Healthy Featured in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A Milestone Moment for Our Mission

At Step Beyond Green to Healthy, our mission has always been simple yet powerful: to help homeowners and contractors create healthier living environments. This mission was highlighted in a major way when the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel featured our story.

How One Question Sparked a Movement

The story begins with a life-changing question from homeowner Angela Cummings:

“Can you build me a healthy home?”

Angela, who was suffering from chronic sinus infections and chemical sensitivities, had been searching for answers when she met Milwaukee-area contractor Jonathan Synovic. That conversation turned into a partnership, and ultimately, the foundation for Step Beyond Green to Healthy.

A New Understanding of What “Healthy” Means at Home

Through Angela and Jonathan’s work, they discovered that many common building materials, such as carpets, paints, and adhesives, emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can significantly impact indoor air quality and health. With limited awareness of these issues in the construction world, they saw a need for change.

Their journey led to healthier material choices, like tile and hardwood flooring, low-VOC paints, and an improved air duct system, which significantly improved Angela’s and her son's health.

As member David Kallie of Dimension Inc. put it:

“We're just now starting to understand that our home environments are not necessarily as healthy as we think. We need to do better.”

Small Steps, Big Impact

We understand that the idea of remodeling or building a completely healthy home can be overwhelming. That’s why we encourage taking it one step at a time, just like Jonathan did with his own family. Even simple changes, like removing carpeting, can drastically improve air quality and comfort.

Our goal for the future is clear: We want Step Beyond Green to Healthy to be the trusted partner for both homeowners and contractors in creating healthier indoor environments. Through our podcast, ongoing trainings, and growing community, we’re here to raise awareness and help families breathe easier, literally and figuratively.

"I want people to say, 'I've heard of Step Beyond Green,'" said Synovic, "and start asking every contractor questions about healthy materials."

We’re honored to have our story featured in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. If you haven’t read it yet, you can read the full article here.