Over the years as we connected with incredible from folks from almost every imaginable industry we realized that every nook and cranny of our economy is full of small business owners, artists and creatives who live and breathe what they do – and their stories are nothing short of heroic. It’s the immigrant parents who overcame the odds and kept their small business alive for decades allowing their next generation to thrive and the artisans who pour their passion into every piece and refuse to let even the most common items remain mundane that make our communities come alive. The stories below will inspire you and we hope you’ll take the time to read and connect with these incredible folks.

Hannah Cole

I think as someone who’s obsessed with all things fashion & beauty, travel, and fitness … it may come as a shock to some people that I struggle anxiety and sometimes find myself in periods of depression. Read More>>

Jean Velems Altidor

My best investment was when i removed myself from what society put around me. Communities love to put people they’re protecting around me so they can dig up information about me. You know, start fights , arguments , just personal issues in general. Read More>>

Monica Guirguis

As a pharmacist practicing functional medicine, I focus on the root cause of why someone is feeling the way they do. What I find to be a common root cause problem (especially among women) is dysregulated hormones. One of the things I take a lot of time to explain and show a woman sitting with me are the different phases in her menstrual cycle. Read More>>

Sat Purkh

The best advice I give to everyone is to trust your intuition. It might be scary at first, but its important to learn how to trust yourself, even when your mind, other people, society says something different. Read More>>

Nikayla Bautista

My business started with just me and a dream. When I first was deciding on my business name and registering it I landed on Nikayla & Co. My husband asked if the ‘& Co.’ was him because I didn’t have any employees haha. Read More>>

Ryan Nicholas

About 10 years ago, when Simply Clean earned its first client, I was elated. We created a nice website, a payment portal and had a vision for a well-branded, professional, quality-first local cleaning service. I urgently visited Craigslist and hired a nice young lady with experience. The first time I met her, we were in front of the home we were about to clean. Read More>>

Jerry ‘ Cubby’ Czubinski

Finding the right fit takes time, patience, research—and a solid meeting. The right partner doesn’t just show up for the wins; they’re there for the brainstorming, the messy middle, the launch, and the lessons learned when things don’t go as planned. A true creative partner brings that extra percent of energy when you’re stuck, tired, or doubting the idea. Read More>>

Wendee Mann

As a designer who sub contracts it is necessary for me to have a core group of key partners to bring my designs to life. A design plan is merely pen on paper without having key partners from nursery vendors for products to the crews that install all facets of the design project. Without their partnerships, implementation of Read More>>

Sky Crystal

I was cast in the Testicuzzi commercial back in 2019. Very small pay for what the product turned into, but it got my face on national television as the product was showcased on Shark Tank, and made Mark Cuban laugh, so it was definitely worth it. Read More>>

Carli Robe

The first dollar that I earned performing comedy was with my former job. I was asked to perform comedy for The Cleveland Clinic Rehabilitation Department’s Holiday Party. It took place on December 5, 2014. I had only been performing comedy professionally for a month. Read More>>

Aicha Soumaoro

 

I got my first job offer during the pandemic. 2020 was a hard time to find a job especially in the automotive world. I went through six different interviews and all decline. Everyone loved my resume and saw my potential, but never gave me the opportunity to show my potential till one day one of my mentor. Read More>>

Katie Altuz

When I was first introduced to POUND® back in October 2016 I instantly fell in love with the format and felt like this workout was designed for me. I loved the energy in the room, the sound of the Ripstix®, and the musicality of it all as well as the variety of music genres that played throughout the class. Read More>>

Larry Ferguson

After finishing my degree at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute, I had the opportunity to complete my internship at a five-star resort. Walking into that kitchen for the first time was both intimidating and inspiring — the precision, the pace, the standards of excellence were unlike anything I had experienced before. Read More>>

Kari Breed

I completed a three-year textiles apprenticeship learning under the talented fiber artist Ed Johnetta Miller. Ed Johnetta taught me to take risks and challenge myself in my weaving. After I had gotten comfortable with the basics, working mostly with cotton and rayon, I decided to try my hand with wool. Read More>>

Johanna Mirpuri

When I first started in the insurance industry back in 2018, I joined an FMO as a brand-new licensed agent. At that time, I was completely new to the business and wanted to immerse myself in an environment where I could learn the fundamentals—everything from prospecting and client education to policy structure and compliance. Read More>>

Trey Porter

 

Coming out of law school, I joined the firm where I clerked while in law school. For me, starting my own law firm was never a consideration at that point — I was just happy to have a job! Looking back, I definitely think it was the right choice. Read More>>

Era Bayrak

“I don’t have an agent or a team helping me secure opportunities or compensation right now. Honestly, I’ve been a bit cautious about working with agencies because I haven’t always felt that I could fully trust them. Most of the time, I prefer to work independently and put in the effort myself, even if that means working for free or on my own terms. Read More>>

Micah Dawanyi

I have representation for my speaking gigs, but interestingly, I’ve yet to sign with a literary agent for my novels. When I first started writing, I was both curious and a little paranoid. Curious in the sense that I genuinely wanted to understand every aspect of the writing and publishing world, and paranoid because I wasn’t sure who I could trust with my ideas. Read More>>

Yael Emano

My kids are my greatest leaders. They support me, challenge me and remind me every day why I do what I love. Their belief in me fuels my growth, their curiosity sparks my creativity and their strength keeps me grounded. They’ve taught me that true leadership is rooted in love, patience and leading by example. Read More>>

Ben Lytle

In the last few years, I launched two initiatives that have become the most meaningful work of my life. The Potentialist book series emerged as I appreciated the profound and rapid changes underway in how we learn, work, live, and evolve, and how few others recognized it. I was shocked that most judge the future pessimistically and fearfully, while the evidence suggests pragmatic optimism. Read More>>