Over the past few months we’ve reached out to members of the CanvasRebel community to dive deeper into their stories. We wanted to learn how they got to where they are today and we heard stories that will keep our inspiration cup full for a long time. Their stories, lessons and humor have lifted our spirits and we hope you’ll take a minute to check out the stories below.
Katarina Nolfe of Voice Academy NYC and Voice Academy ATL
Originally from Stockholm, Sweden I grew up surrounded my music and valuable lessons that shaped my future. Though my family and friends still live there, I moved to New York in my mid 20’s to pursue my passion. It was in New York that I founded Voice Academy NYC, a dream I realized just a few years after settling in the city. Recently, I expanded this vision by launching Voice Academy ATL in Atlanta. Teaching others to sing has been a passion of mine and I’ve dedicated my career to helping others discover their own voices. Alongside my works with students, I’m an accomplished singer, songwriter and performer. I also collaborate with various production companies and record labels, nurturing musical talent from children to adults. Read more>>
Michael Inge
I’m a New York City-based artist and songwriter, drawing inspiration from classic soul and R&B, infused with elements of pop and funk. My sound pays homage to iconic artists such as Al Green, Bill Withers, and Amy Winehouse. I grew up in rural Southern Virginia and was always drawn to the arts. As a teenager I fell in love with music and wanted to figure out how to write my own. I went on to study music at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. After I graduated I started to do session work as a singer and began hone my songwriting by collaborating with many different writers. As I developed my own sound and began playing shows, I discovered who I was as an artist. I then traveled to Europe and had the chance to write and work with songwriters and producers in other genres. Eventually I started to have songs recorded by other artists and had songs placed in tv and film. Read more>>
Stacy McClanahan
I always wanted to be an artist or creator of some kind, and I obtained degrees in fine art and video game animation to that end. The problem was, my hometown had no employers. So after college when a friend of mine in the gaming industry suggested I come to San Francisco and interview at a game company, I took her up on it! I landed the gig and after that company closed, worked at various game and tech start ups over the years. I’ve worked on the Pokemon franchise, Lego, Star Wars, and some interesting virtual world spaces. The last game company I worked at pivoted into strictly advertising and monetization instead of creating games in house. There wasn’t a creative direction to take, and I was ready to try something different and start a family. Read more>>
Brian Vu
I was born in Orange County, California. I started drawing as a kid, and kept at it until it was time to apply to colleges. I studied graphic and web design at the Art Institute of California. After graduating I moved to New York City and began my art career. At first, I wasn’t sure which path I wanted to take, eventually I combined my skill sets into photography. Throughout my career, I made it a point to try new things and take in inspiration everywhere I could as I was developing my own style. Read more>>
Johnny Beehner
I have always loved to be in the spotlight. I think it – actually, I KNOW it came from being the middle child of seven. I used to always tell my mom I didn’t get enough attention and that we have too many kids in the family. So I was naturally drawn to getting laughs in school and doing speech, plays, improv, whatever I could. In 1999, I lived with my oldest brother in NYC for the summer. He’s an actor and had recently dabbled in stand-up. I was so enamored with the concept of stand-up comedy and just had to try it myself. So I did. I performed at a bringer show in June of 1999 and was hooked immediately. Read more>>
Gena Bradshaw of Holistic Human Performance
My journey began at a very young age faced with a near-death experience, I was diagnosed with Leukemia at three and a half. Thankfully I grew up in a very holistic healthy fit family, which was beyond helpful along the journey. I knew at a young age I was never going to be sitting behind a desk so I decided to study Exercise Science in college and follow my parent’s footsteps with our family fitness business, Bradshaw Personal Fitness. However at age twenty, adversity struck again and I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, this route was a bit different because I knew how I wanted to go about this. I went with a doctor who said surgery would be enough, no radioactive iodine or meditation if I take care of myself (fun fact you can function on 1/3 of your thyroid and have been for 11 years cancer-free without medication). That was my first major intuitive nudge to listen to my body because I knew best for me on a deep soul level. This led me down the road of studying Eastern medicine, energy medicine, apothecary lifestyle, nontoxic living, etc., and becoming certified in specific tools and modalities that personally helped me. Read more>>
Chantel Quailey
Hello, my name is Chantel Quailey and I am the content creator behind Chantel’s Foodventures which teaches people how to make healthy plant-based meals without compromising flavor and excitement. This passion project originally started because I wanted to live a healthier lifestyle and while doing so, I realized that there are people just like me who want to live a heathier lifestyle but don’t know where to start. Chantel’s Foodventures showcases how-to cooking tutorials, easy to follow recipes, newsletters that support living a healthier lifestyle and more! Read more>>
Leni Paquet-Morante’s Story
In the fall of 2018 I became a self employed, full time artist and occasional educator, a move which was fueled by support from family and friends. My studio is close to home and I’m there nearly every day. My work now encompasses image making across media (painting, printmaking, drawing, and sculpture), selling my art at festivals, social media marketing, keeping on top of business paperwork, and engaging with opportunities to grow through residencies, grants, and exhibitions. I’m very excited to have a solo exhibition coming for 2025 at the Princeton University Art Museum’s Art@Bainbridge Gallery in Princeton, NJ. Pending a title (curators are hard at work!) it will run from July 19th to November 2nd, 2025. You can find and follow that exhibition on Instagram @princetonu_artmuseum and my Instagram @lenimakespaintings Read more>>
Samantha Beppu of Mindful Passage LLC
I started my journey as an energy worker by volunteering my time at a local metaphysical shop. They hosted a healing clinic one evening a week where people could come in and receive Reiki and other energy healing modalities by donation. I would provide Reiki and sound healing every week as a way to give to my community and also develop my skills. As time went on, I began to build a clientele and started to receive invitations from other organizations to participate in their events and fundraisers. Read more>>
Jennifer Vasquez
My music journey started from my living room when I was ten years old; listening to music on the radio and listening to my mother singing ballads at home. Then from training in different schools to working as a music teacher, working on my own music, friends music projects and more. Read more>>
Justin Heath
Wow, what a question! lol. I could go in so many different directions to answer this. I will start by saying that there was always something inside of me that pushed me to reach for more than I was presented with, no matter the circumstances. I think that’s why I am such a spiritual person because that something inside of me isn’t physical—it’s spiritual. I grew up in a small town in the small red state of South Carolina. With such a deep-rooted history in slavery and religion, the people around me had a certain mindset that never really resonated with me. I saw the world differently—bigger and more colorful. I thought everyone was as loving and curious as I was and was quickly reminded that everyone didn’t think the same. Read more>>
DONG QIU
This is an ordinary story, and everything seems to be very logical. I have loved painting since I was a child, and I have shown some extraordinary painting talents in the small town where I live. My parents were very happy and sent me to learn professional painting skills. When I was a child, I almost painted in and out of class. I also liked to read books, comics and picture books related to painting. At that time, I didn’t think painting was difficult. It felt as simple as speaking. My mind was filled with all kinds of fantasies and was about to overflow, so I decided to record them all, and naturally began my journey of painting creation. Read more>>
Christopher Lucero
I started getting into portraiture in college a little over 10 years ago. I tried all sorts of photography but ultimately ended falling in love with taking photos of people. Landscapes, food, abstract, and nature photography were fun to try out but didn’t really let me be as creative as I wanted to. In college, I made a few sugar skull portraits and decided to expand upon making more. I love the concept of Dia de los Muertos and so I made it my own with a little twist. With portraiture I loved making people look unique. I love trying to bring out emotions in people through a photo. With each sugar skull portrait I take I want to share emotions and stories. Read more>>
Gracie Stark
Since a very young age, I have always had an interest in horses. The first time I sat on a horse, I was 8 weeks old and I have been hooked ever since. I eventually saved enough money to buy my own horse at the age of 13. His name was Charlie, and he was the best first horse I could have asked for. I bought my second horse at 15 and continued to ride and show both of them. Then, after I graduated high school and started college, I started to consider the reality of life and what career I should pursue. In my mind at the time, riding horses was not a successful career. Then, I found Awake Ranch and Retreat Center as well as Megan Pugh, head trainer. I have worked with Megan now for over a year, and she readily took me under her wing and made me her Assistant Trainer. I saw that a career in training and riding horses was a possibility, as well as how happy it truly made me. Now, I have the most wonderful team and horses at my side as I continue to pursue my riding career. Read more>>
Zoë Anne Kessler
Thank you for the question. I am deeply grateful to be here, at this exciting point in my life and career. With a rich portfolio of work—including two indie-pop albums, four feature film screenplays, and a collection of Impressionistic-Pointillism paintings—I feel incredibly fortunate to now be focusing on acting, modeling, and bringing my films to life through production. Read more>>
Karen Taylor
I had so many hobbies as a kid – and I still do. We didn’t have much money when I was growing up, so I mostly made things with whatever I could find. I knitted and crocheted with scraps of wool; built things out of leftover bits of wood; and embroidered, printed, and sculpted with paper. Nothing went to waste. I‘ve been painting and drawing since I was old enough to hold a crayon. That urge to create has never left me. Although I started out as a scientist and then worked in computing, I eventually returned to my true love of making things. I had a successful jewelry business for several years, exhibiting at many prestigious venues. My work was very sculptural: I created pieces out of wire using fiber art techniques like weaving and crocheting. Read more>>
Jacobo Laya Jr of Jac&Mac Photography and My Financial Compass
My wife, Mackerrlly, and I, started Jac&Mac Photography back in 2008, as a venture that we could do together as husband and wife. I was active in the Navy, having earned my certification of professional photography from the New York Institute of Photography, was designated command photographer for four ships during my Naval career, and taking on the passion of photography from my uncle Luis, who lives in Venezuela and is a major photographer journalist of the “Nacional” newspaper in Venezuela, photography became a passion for me the moment I joined the Navy and traveled the world. Macky inspired by my drive, studied photography at Tidewater Community college and earned her associate in Applied Art, studying photography and videography. Together we started Jac&Mac Photography with a focus on wedding photography, since our marriage is our greatest venture together as One. Read more>>
Ronald Ayala
I’ve always had a deep-rooted passion for law, ever since I was a kid. I grew up watching legal shows like Law & Order and would come home from school eager to catch People’s Court or Judge Judy. Those shows sparked something in me, a curiosity and determination to understand the intricacies of the legal world. Pursuing this goal wasn’t easy. Law school was challenging, and navigating it during the peak of the pandemic added another layer of difficulty. It felt like the world was shutting down, but I knew I had to keep pushing forward. Despite the uncertainties, I focused on my studies and thankfully passed the bar exam. Read more>>
Margie Traxler
My story began in late 2003 when I started experiencing severe issues with my gallbladder. Despite no signs of gallstones, it simply stopped functioning due to toxins, leading to its removal. However, my health didn’t improve—especially on the BRAT diet. Everything seemed to make me sicker. Desperate for answers, I had to radically change my diet overnight, cutting out anything questionable. Then, in January 2004, my world turned upside down again when my 6-year-old daughter suddenly doubled over in pain. Rushing her to the emergency room, we feared her appendix had burst, but tests came back normal. My sister, studying natural nutrition, suggested food allergies might be the cause. Seeking help, we found a doctor in Longmont, Florida, who diagnosed her intolerance to wheat and sugar, which were damaging her intestines. Read more>>
Venus Johnson’s Story
I was born crack addicted. By the time I was five years old, I experienced both sexual and physical abuse. When I was about nine years old, my biological mother was deemed to be a fit parent by the courts after she had addressed her substance abuse. After a year of living with my biological mother, her boyfriend molested me. My biological mother showed up to the school questioning where I was one night, and I confessed to both her and the school counselor who child-lined the incident. This series of events led my biological mother to ship me off to Philadelphia to live with my sister. I was on the run from the Department of Human Services for about a year, until my sister fought the system for legal guardianship over me and won. When I was thirteen I asked her if I could get a tattoo, to which she declined. About a month later, I was taken to my primary care physician, and my sister informed that if I didn’t get on birth control I would be punished until I was eighteen, so I obliged. Read more>>
Notorio 718
First of all, thank you for having me. My journey began with humble beginnings in the Bronx, where I was born and raised. From an early age, I was deeply passionate about music, and this passion has been the driving force behind my career. Over the years, my path has taken me to various places, each contributing to my growth and experiences. One of the significant milestones in my journey was moving to Europe, specifically Sweden. This move opened up new opportunities and allowed me to immerse myself in a different cultural and musical landscape. Along the way, there have been numerous stops and experiences that have shaped who I am today. Read more>>
Sarah Aprea of Aprea Media
I really got started as a professional photographer after having my daughter and investing in a DSLR to really practice with my new little model! A lot of parent photographers have a similar story. I was also having a really difficult time with the offices I was working in with poor management and felt like my life was worth more than dealing with a terrible office life while missing out on the time with my child. I started taking on clients to build my portfolio and learn more about the industry while still working until I felt like I was in a more comfortable place to start contributing to our household costs. It’s all history from there! Read more>>
Pakawat Thongcharoen
Hi! I’m Pakawat Thongcharoen and I’m a videographer. I’m originally from Thailand. I started my journey as a travel content creator which was inspired by my once-in-a-lifetime trip I took with my partner after we graduated our master’s degrees in the UK back in 2013. We traveled overland from the UK back to our home in Bangkok, Thailand by trains through 13 countries in 71 days. The people we met, the culture we experienced, and the landscapes we saw inspired me to document our journey through writing, photos, and, most importantly, videos. I had been a travel content creator sharing travel stories up until the pandemic when I shifted to creating videos. And in 2021, I decided to move to the US to study cinematography at UCLA Extension before moving to Seattle, WA in 2022. Read more>>
Rodrigo Ramos
Hello, my name is Rodrigo Ramos, and I am 29 years old, currently residing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States. My journey begins in my childhood, which has greatly influenced my path today. I grew up in a Christian family in a small city called Magé in Rio de Janeiro. My parents always ensured that my siblings and I attended church, where we participated in the children’s choir and later in the youth choir. My mother and older sister, both talented singers, nurtured my love for music. As a child, I was fascinated by violins and orchestras on TV, but financial constraints made it difficult to pursue lessons. It was only after we moved to a different city that I could start taking violin classes, as they were affordable and nearby. Despite the financial strain, my parents managed to support my lessons, and my dedicated teachers never let me give up. I am deeply grateful to them for their support. Read more>>
Madeleine MacGillivray
I had a very unique upbringing, whereby my nonprofit environmental justice lawyer single mother took me starting at age 8 to meet and work with the communities that she was collaboratively working with. These communities by and large were deeply impacted by fossil fuel extraction, and in these communities there were heroes, leaders, and I had the great privilege of meeting getting to know, and in some cases, being mentored by these real life heroes. I met Larry Gibson, the son of a coal miner, who died fighting a massive mountain-top removal corporation that wanted his $65 million mountain. I met New Orleanian fishermen who shed heavy tears as I watched them clutch oil-soaked bird carcasses after the historic Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. I met Melina Laboucan-Massimo who solemnly led us through 14 kilometers of barren, bleak tar oil sands in her tribal community in Alberta, Canada. I met Chief Arvol Lookinghorse of the Lakota put out the last fire at Standing Rock. Read more>>
Kevin Korte’s Story
As with many Americans, my story begins in a different country. Growing up in Germany as a millennial, I saw the wonders of the digital revolution firsthand, from the first animated movie created with the help of a computer to cell phones, going from $1,000-dollar bricks to almost disposable pocket computers. The ubiquity of “you got mail” started my journey into the digital world, and the rise of Facebook marked the transition from my teenage years into adulthood. I certainly had an exciting time growing up. The rise of Facebook is undoubtedly one of the major inflection points in my life. In my first year at Jacobs University in Bremen, now the Constructor University Bremen, Facebook started to take hold. After joining, I realized the amount of data shared by posting things to Facebook or playing the weird games the platform offered, and the impact of being followed by “like” buttons and cookies dawned on me. Read more>>
Marisa Pearcy
My husband and I are entrepreneurs by trade and always have been. I have included him in this part of the article because without him, I wouldn’t be where I am today. We have owned and operated up to three martial arts businesses for almost 20 years. I am an artist as well, but have put it on hold due to life, a marriage, our business and raising two kids. In 2020, during the pandemic, I had a lot of time to paint. I painted all the things but loved painting views of the ocean and ocean life the most. In 2021, I discovered the Emerald coast and a year later, we purchased a condo in Destin. And then, it seemed the ocean was all that I could ever paint about. Last year, my husband came to me with the idea of launching my own personal brand, Florida Girl. It was a way that I could turn my paintings into reproductions as well as other items. We first started with coffee mugs. Then, it quickly turned into beach towels, purses, sundresses and tumblers as well! Florida Girl a great way to share my love for art and the sea with others. Read more>>
Amanda Phillips of BeWell
My journey towards creating my small business started when I was very young. It started with me living with chronic illness symptoms as long as I remember. I was the only child of 4 that constantly had stomach aches. They kept me up at night. Little did I know, I was actually experiencing anxiety. I had anxiety that I would need a bathroom when the school bus arrived, or when I had to leave for Monday night religious education, or when I was falling asleep. While I was living a life of constant stomach struggles, I always had an interest for business. I started a beaded jewelry business and remember I was so excited to make $40 one summer. My father always tried to teach us about saving money, compound interest, and investing. Fast forward to my college education. I went to school for finance/personal finance and have an MBA with a concentration in finance. Read more>>
Paul Corman-Roberts of Beast Crawl Literary Festival
I came to be a poet through a boatload of reluctance. I had always wanted to be a playwright, or a screenwriter, or a novelist; and I could never be too proud that the first poems I ever wrote were meant more to impress others I wanted to seduce. Cursed with what some might call “beginner’s luck” after a couple of years of doing this, and that the “method” didn’t always work so well, I I began wanting to write poems for myself as a short term means to relieve the need for self-expression that the long form mediums did not provide in the short term. Yet I still didn’t learn from that. I was stubborn and continued to see myself either as a screenwriter and ultimately a filmmaker. But I could not banish poetry from my life, hard as I might try. Again and again my pen and paper were continually drawn to the short form. And being stubborn I never saw myself being anything more than an artist who constantly producing art as a commodity, art as a piece of myself I was willing to put on the market thinking that it would be a path forward to fame and “independence.” Read more>>
Elyse Welles
In my work, I help people learn how to connect to land spirits and sacred places. I’m a multicultural person, with three nationalities (Greek, Egyptian, and American) and I have lived on three continents – but it’s my connection to spirits of place that keeps me grounded, and I seek to share that with everyone I work with. It’s a calling I received early in my life – when I would get home from school, I’d go outside and ask the birds for help on my math homework, or the trees for signs of what subject to write about for an English assignment. I grew up in Pennsylvania, a state known for its woodlands and nature, so I never questioned it or thought it was unusual. But when I was fourteen, my family moved to Bahrain, a desert climate with hardly any nature and destructive behavior towards the land and sea – reclaimed land, and the oil industry’s destruction of the land were all around me. It was then I realized that there’s different elements to land, and the land we live on often needs more healing than we can know. As an adult I learned there was much healing needed in PA as well, for the Native Americans who suffered on that land and the many battlefields surrounding the valley I grew up in. Read more>>
Vabyface V!lla
From just entertaining myself from singing to dancing around to just coming up with my own lyrics rhyme patterns and choruses, then I started recording myself on my phone, and after that the rest was history Read more>>
Margaret Burns Vap of Big Sky Yoga Retreats
I’m a yoga entrepreneur in Bozeman, Montana. I’m also a former city-girl fashionista transformed by yoga and motherhood into an outdoorsy Montana cowgirl who still loves a latte. I’m the founder of Big Sky Yoga Retreats and creator of Cowgirl Yoga™. Long long ago in a galaxy far far away (well, New York City), I had a corporate job and needed to slow my life down. Yoga was a much needed wake-up call. It helped me put things in perspective…and eventually became my life’s work. After 9-11, we moved from NYC to Washington DC, where I opened a yoga studio. I adored my yoga community and the shift in lifestyle I had made. Read more>>
Alexina Graham
My story really started properly through my spiritual awakening in April 2023. Three years prior to this I was going through a depression, which resulted in me trying to take my own life. I had been a skeptic all my life, I didn’t really know what I believed and I didn’t really think about it too hard. I had some strange moments as a child. I would ask questions about death and what was the point of life if we were just to die? Were people’s bodies just floating around space? How did it all work? To then, when I was 14 speaking to an angel but not really understanding why it felt so comfortable, I just thought it was a cool new friend that people couldn’t see. Read more>>
Tara Whitaker
Hi there! I’m Tara Whitaker, and I wear a lot of hats in the freelance editing world. I’m a book editor, the founder of the Freelance Editors Club, a business coach for freelance editors, and the host of The Modern Editor Podcast. I’m also a wife, mom of two, and an avid reader and Netflix connoisseur. My path to freelance editing was not a straight line, as is common for many freelancers. I graduated college with a degree in marketing and a minor in special event and meeting planning. I started my career as a meeting planner, then pivoted into a role as a web content manager when I realized the hospitality industry wasn’t the best fit for me. While writing and editing hotel content all day in the web content role, I got incredibly bored and started looking for a creative outlet. A college friend introduced me to book blogging, and I started my own young adult book blog in 2010. Read more>>
Sandy Spady
Our gatherings are more than just meetings; they affirm experiences where every woman feels valued and heard. We aim to foster a supportive community where we can acknowledge our brokenness and our need for connection. Together, we embrace our strength and community-minded spirit, creating a safe space for personal growth and empowerment. Inspiration flows freely within our group. We are driven by a shared desire to make a meaningful impact in our lives and the lives of others. By showcasing local Omaha and national businesses in our area, we support our community and drive meaningful change. Each session leaves us with a new story, a renewed self-love, and a valuable connection. Read more>>
LaToya Heron
I was a little girl with an imagination which oftentimes got me into trouble. Do I have regrets? No. Why not? Because it taught me to do the best I can with what I have. Unknowingly, this sense of resourcefulness, creativity, and gratitude prepared me for the future. It wasn’t until college that I realized I had a knack for community, entertainment, and empowerment. That’s when I leaned in and discovered a new passion – marketing. Fast forward to now, I’ve used my skills to navigate the entertainment, advertising, and technology industries in ways I couldn’t have imagined. However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. Believe it or not, I’ve taken risks that required me to uproot my life and start anew several times. Contrary to popular belief, I’ve failed more times than I’d like to admit … I bounced back, failed, redeemed myself, and failed some more. It’s funny because I don’t think we give failure enough credit for being one of our greatest teachers. Read more>>
Rob Spampinato
Music has always been a cornerstone of my life. Growing up, my dad was a drummer, and our house was frequently filled with the sounds of his band practices. At the age of five, I picked up the guitar but quickly quit because my fingers hurt. It wasn’t until I was 13, inspired by a close friend who started playing guitar that I decided to give it another try. My parents were incredibly supportive, providing me with top-notch equipment and an excellent teacher. Fast forward a decade, I went to college for music, and later had the opportunity to tour the United States and perform with several successful groups. When I turned 30, I shifted my focus to behind-the-scenes work to spend more time with my infant son. I opened a recording studio and began writing for other artists. I also formed a high-end event group that enjoyed considerable success during this period. Read more>>
Pamala Brooks
As a freelance paralegal, I am often contracted by solo attorneys to assist them with managing their cases. I have a few favorite clients, but there is one in particular, that I became great friends with. They taught me a lot about family law and I really put that new found knowledge to test with the case I’m about to discuss. To protect anonimity, I will refrain from using specific identifiers. My attorney client was retained by someone facing child custody issues where one parent began abusing the legal system to deprive the other parent access to their children. Restraining orders were involved, false statements were made on the record, and the client was facing an uphill battle. I met with my client’s client to get their side of the story, and to gather facts for their representation. Read more>>
Nick Conklin
I just got back from a 3 day ski vacation and have based my franchise territory around Colorado skiing specifically to work my hobbies into the schedule freedom that business ownership enables. Shrunk 3D is mostly weekend event work so I get to swim against the crowd and ski during weekdays while it is not as crowded. Read more>>
Torchà Berryhill
Starting my own firm was one of the most exciting and scariest decisions I’ve ever made. I began my tax career in 2013 with Jackson Hewitt, and after transitioning to another company, I realized I could bring more value by creating something of my own. I wanted to help clients and empower other tax professionals, so I stepped out on faith and started my business. In the beginning, I had no blueprint, just determination and a vision. I focused on learning everything about running a business, from licensing and taxes to marketing and operations. As a single mother, balancing family and work was challenging, but my “why” kept me going: building a legacy and creating opportunities for others. The hardest part was overcoming self doubt and learning to market myself effectively, but those challenges taught me valuable lessons! Read more>>
Alexander Manzoni
I came up with the idea for my first realized novel: The Spokane Story when I was sitting in the day room at the United Gospel Mission men’s shelter. I was writing in my journal, listening to all the crazy stories that my fellow mendicants were expressing around me. Breaking Bad had recently run its course. And I thought it would be interesting to tell a tale from the other side— the side of the junkie, the side of the dealers that sell only barely enough to maintain their habits. I had dabbled in “bathroom chemistry” for a time, before, back in New Jersey. My entrepreneurial activities back then were dubious. I first tried extracting cannabis resins and DMT. When that didn’t work (I almost set my house on fire making the former). I later tried making my own heroin with chemicals and materials off the Internet. The drug dealer in my town, was king. And I wanted not only a taste of the high life again after my father lost all of his money, but clout and power on the streets. I did not have the stomach for such business. The experiments failed. But they gave me a sense of what a cook does and what dangers can arise. Around the time the last experiment fizzled, I tricked my brother’s friend into giving up his connection. And that sealed my fate. Read more>>
Vivek Gupta
The name “VICHITRA” carries a personal significance that few can truly understand at first glance. To those who have known me for years, however, the meaning is instantly clear. The journey to naming my brand began at the age of 10, when I first started expressing myself and developing my own unique personality. From that early age, I was often labeled by others — some called me “crazy,” “weird,” “colorful,” “creative,” “strange,” and “unique.” These were the tags people would give me, often behind my back. But rather than feeling discouraged by these labels, I embraced them. When people would ask why I couldn’t be like everyone else, I would simply smile and reply, “Why be ordinary when I can be myself?” That mindset became the foundation of my brand, and eventually led me to choose the name “VICHITRA.” Read more>>
Tassia Vicentin Rezende
Our brand is more than a name, it represents what we stand for. Tre Cuori is the Italian for “Three Hearts”, representing our family: husband, wife and son, who since the beginning were the strongest link ever felt by us. The choice for an Italian gelato comes from a combination of factors, one being of the fact it is a healthier option of ice cream, compared to others, and another being a honor to part of our family ancestors, from which we inherited one of our proudest tradition, the family one. Read more>>
Elona Washington
I was attending the Traffic, Sales, and Profit (TSP) Live annual conference in Atlanta, GA, where they used the Whova app for attendee engagement. One of the attendees posted that she was traveling from Arizona and this was her first time at the conference. I responded that she didn’t have to go it alone and met her at the hotel door entrance. The attendee was Myeisha Thompson. During our lunch break, we got acquainted, and as she told me her story, I blurted out, “Why don’t you have a book!” She laughed, leaned over, and pulled out a folder full of notes. She mentioned that she’s been writing a book for years and just couldn’t find the time to finish. Read more>>
Janeen Zaio
The most important lesson I learned at a previous job is that relationship marketing can create raving fans. My first job out of college was in customer service at Saturn, the car manufacturer. Our competitive advantage was not creating exciting cars but creating excited customers. Saturn retailers often hosted events to get to know customers personally. We invited even all our customers to a free event at the factory called Homecoming. Everyone from the president to assembly line workers to customer service reps got to know customers while enjoying Tennessee BBQ and a Hootie and the Blowfish concert. When torrential rain flooded the parking lot, we bonded while pushing their beloved Saturns out of the mud. The mud got washed away, but the relationships lasted. Read more>>
AvaRose Dillon
Working as a marketing intern for Pointeworks has been an incredible and transformative experience. As a full-time college student and dancer, I was initially hesitant to take on another responsibility. However, working under the guidance of Director and CEO Sophie Williams has not only been manageable but also highly rewarding, enhancing both my education and my dance career. Sophie’s leadership is deeply inspiring. Her motivation and proactive approach to launching and completing projects have pushed me to overcome my own tendencies to procrastinate. She has shown me the value of initiative and perseverance in achieving goals. Read more>>
Rick Mayo
Alloy Personal Training distinguishes itself in the fitness industry through several key strategies that enhance its success: Targeting an Underserved Demographic: Alloy focuses on clients aged 45 to 65, a group often overlooked by other fitness centers that typically cater to younger individuals. This demographic generally possesses more discretionary income, aligning well with Alloy’s personalized training offerings. Small Group Personal Training Model: By implementing a small group training approach with a coach-to-client ratio of 1:6, Alloy makes personal training more affordable while maintaining individualized attention. This model offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional one-on-one sessions, which can be more expensive. Read more>>
Reagan Miller Kearns
I began learning the ins and outs of video editing at age 12 by watching YouTube tutorials and playing around on editing softwares. I maintained my editing skills as a hobby throughout high school and college, creating projects for friends, clubs, and my sorority, but I never considered honing the craft professionally until I filmed my first wedding in 2020. I saw so much potential in the beautiful footage I’d captured, so I wanted to push beyond the “standard” editing formula. I enrolled in an online film school called “Full Time Filmmaker,” and thus, my career began. Through this course and the mentors I meet, I continuously learn about all things videography: bookkeeping, editing softwares, camera equipment, client relationships, creative shooting techniques, audio setup, legal protection, and more! Read more>>
Payton King
How did you learn to do what you do? Funny story, I started by dating my Managers son before I started working at the Florist. I shortly became family as many do in the Floral Industry, but I really became family by marrying into it. My Mother and Grand mother in law have taught me a majority of what I know now. My grand mother in law is a Texas Master Florist, which I hope to someday follow in her footsteps. I’ve taken floral classes in person, and online as well as learn hands on from other Floral Artists in the industry, while also teaching myself new things on the daily. Read more>>
Johanna Navarro
Amid a challenging real estate market, I met a client in a dire situation. She was trying to sell her home to escape an abusive relationship and return to her home country. English wasn’t her first language, which added another layer of difficulty to her already stressful situation. Understanding her urgency, I helped her stage her home to make it more appealing to buyers. We got it listed and pretty quickly, we had a buyer. Since she didn’t have a car, I made sure to pick her up and drive her to the closing. Read more>>
Cortney McConnell
I am the daughter of a long time hair dresser and elevator inspector/repairman. Growing up I saw my parents constantly problem solving and undertaking creative projects. They aren’t artists, but they built their own home and made all repairs themselves. As a kid, I hated being dragged to Lowe’s and I dreaded when my parents would take over the television after Saturday morning cartoons to watch “This Old House”. I thought it was so boring! However, now that I am renovating my own home studio, and managing a creative career as an artist and professor, I carry a confidence in figuring out how to do new things. Read more>>
Colleen Hunter
My dad, as the owner of Hunter Building Group, showed me that building something meaningful can transform your life. His journey inspired me to take risks and follow my passion. My siblings’ encouragement and honest feedback—even when it’s hard to hear—have been key to my development, pushing me to improve. Their support isn’t just about encouragement; it’s about having a trusted space to grow and evolve. Having open conversations about creativity and business with my family, surrounded by their support and love, has been essential to my growth—both as an individual and a business owner. My parents and siblings have always provided a safe space to explore ideas, tackle challenges, and learn from failures. This openness has been crucial in navigating the ups and downs of running Colleens Captures and staying true to my vision. Read more>>
Zemeris Wallace
I think success is what you as an individual make it. For me personally, it has been a consistently changing definition throughout my years and after going through the experiences I’ve been through. In the past, I’ve thought that being successful was defined by how much money one has or their status. Now, I do believe that being successful or the feeling of being successful is finally finding joy or satisfaction in the intangible things that allows you to feel a sense of completion on a daily basis. For example, success could be when you find genuine joy & peace in being alone after going through a period of getting anxiety anytime you’re alone. I think being okay and happy with the now, the growth you achieved, and being joyful within yourself is my idea of being successful. I always assumed that success had to be having the biggest house, nicest car, etc but if that was the case, what happens after that? How many times have there been instances where individuals who’ve accomplished so many things that involved monetary gain and they ended up unhappy and unfulfilled? Is that really success? Always do what makes you happy but don’t ever get comfortable with being stagnant so be intentional in your own growth whatever you see it as. Read more>>
Alan Barr
Success, in my view, is built on a foundation of great work ethic and unwavering discipline. It’s not about innate talent or luck but rather the relentless commitment to pushing beyond comfort zones. David Goggins, a man who epitomizes discipline, once said, “Motivation comes and goes. When you’re driven, whatever’s in front of you will get destroyed.” This speaks to the idea that success isn’t about waiting for the perfect moment or feeling inspired; it’s about doing the hard work even when you don’t feel like it. Read more>>
Jorge Aguilar
Some of the biggest challenges is how competitive the photography / videography industry is. A lot of time people expect to pay really low prices for your service because they see you are a small business. I’ve gotten a lot of “Thank you for your price but we found someone that can do it cheaper”. Read more>>
Santos Ruiz
Honestly the best boss I’ve ever had has to be my mom. When I decided to follow my dreams and become a hairstylist full time, we decided to open up our own beauty salon. My mom is the owner and I am co-owner of Ziur Beauty Salon. I’m very blessed to be able to learn so much knowledge and wisdom from her. My greatest mentor in life. And I don’t take it for granted one bit! Maybe my younger days for sure we make mistakes but as I got older I definitely learn as much as I can from the og! Haha and you’d think because we are a family owned business my mom would let me slide with many things but nope, I’m grateful she’s one to call me out on all my wrongs and mistakes! She’s always pushed me to become the greatest version of myself and have confidence. To feel empowered and strong. That nothing is impossible, if we work hard and stay consistent. I’ve learned so much from my mom and I’m truly grateful to God for this blessing. Read more>>
Kareem “Reemo Meerak” Tyson
BORRRRRRRRNNNN JOURRRNEYYYYY!!!!……Greetings and Salutations!!!!!……#MeerakIsBACK Well. Well, Well….you want me to show my youthful age aggggaaaainnnnn, lol. I started out in Entertainment as an Actor, to be exact a Background Actor, and “One Liners” on major television shows, and films. Then, when “Life was Life’n” around Mid 2010 until Early 2012 I transitioned to Media. In the process, I had started out my own vlog/youtube channel called “ReemTV” where I would show the good and great parts of the hood I was from….HARRRRRRRLEMMM!!!! Read more>>