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.

Koa Kuroda-mccormick

It really started when I went to my first Hawaii Walls festival as a volunteer in 2023. On the second day of volunteering, we had to do the standard of buffing walls (paint prep), and some other task. I ended up following my friend Jesse to Farrington High to help setup projectors for the artist. Only thing was, some of the projectors were back at the hotel. I made myself available, and took the artist that needed to go back so they were able to project their designs. The rest of that week onward I was just in so many places, helping with walls, making sure artists got their lunches and helping where there was need.  Read more>>

Jieun Cheon

I have been doing art since when I was a middle school student. Originally, I was heavily influenced by Japanese anime like Studio Ghibli’s works, and I wanted to be an animator. My parents respected the things I wanted to do and supported me to apply for an art high school in Korea. However, after getting into the art high school, teachers taught me about the contemporary art which was very new for me at that time. Also, they asked my classmates and I to try different ways of artmaking from the academic drawing and watercolor painting. Through my education, I realized that there were some indescribable experiences in my life, and I could enjoy creating artworks by reinterpreting these experiences. Also, I felt that I have more talent on making fine artwork than creating animation. Therefore, I decided to be an artist and major in sculpture because I can deal with more diverse materials and formats in the sculpture department. Read more>>

Rhee Andrews of Communal Sole Club

Communal Sole Club is a sneaker and community sustainability program that bridges the gap between small/local businesses and communities through a series of Sneaker and Wellness programming. What once started as a giveback brunch has transitioned to an invite only club that welcomes community through sole (soul) enriching experiences. Read more>>

Jeffrey Leiser’s Story

I’ve been composing music since I was 15, so 25 years in total. For me, music has always been the short path to encounter with God via the indwelling Holy Spirit. I was encouraged by my family to practice this gift and it naturally led to writing scores for my brother Eric’s films. Eventually, I decided to pursue full-length concert music and from the fruit of this labor I’ve been blessed to celebrate both a symphony, ‘The Summit’, and an opera, ‘Freydís and Gudrid’. Read more>>

Kendrick Holmes

I actually got my first start as an extra in a short film called “ Dog Walker” , which led to “Empire” ( FOX ) , “ Big Leap ( FOX ) also was featured in “ THE CHI “ ( Showtime ) . But always praising director Marcus Carothers for casting me as “Money” in City of Vultures 2 & City Of Vultures 3 it gave me that local notoriety. Read more>>

Rane Rose of ResolutionX.io

I come from humble beginnings as an only child raised in a family where both academic excellence and the arts were emphasized. My mother, an accountant, played a dual role as my mentor and the one who introduced me to the world of creativity. She nurtured both my love for music, dance, and performance, while also instilling a deep sense of discipline and commitment to education. From a young age, I balanced my time between academic rigor and the performing arts. I took lessons in singing, piano, and ballet, while also excelling in school. My upbringing was structured in such a way that I was encouraged to develop resilience, which has proven invaluable in my career. Read more>>

Dwarmis Concepcion’s Story

My journey into fashion started back when I was a child in the Dominican Republic. I grew up surrounded by art, fabrics, and music—my father was an avid art collector, and my mother, who was always effortlessly stylish, became my first fashion icon. I spent my childhood exploring fabrics and watching my father run his fabric business, which gave me an intimate understanding of textiles. My aunt, who founded the first female merengue band in Latin America, also influenced me through her bold expression of style and culture. Fashion, for me, was always about storytelling, about combining heritage and craft. Read more>>

Lia Mueller And Reagan Verdi of Living Kaywell

My sister and I started our pivot to the holistic health space in 2022 after losing our mom earlier in the year. We chose and completed complementary certification programs with the idea that this would allow us to provide even more value to our clients in the future. After completing our programs, we started a business at the end of 2023. We started out in the women’s hormone health space, and niched even further the last few months as part of an intensive business coaching program. Today, we have established a health coaching practice that helps support women with PCOS. Read more>>

Dennis Connors

Ever since I was young I knew that art was going to be a constant in my life. Growing up I would watch a lot of cartoons on Cartoon Network and would be enamored with the shows that would come on. The art and the styles that I saw made me realize very early that art was something I wanted to do. I wanted to crate for these shows. I wanted to design characters. I would find myself drawing every day. Copying what I saw and creating my own characters. This persisted for a number of years until I turned 16. This was a pivot point to how I would approach the way I created. Read more>>

Thaddeus Varness’s Story

I started my animation journey with sticky note flip-book animations. I would draw bouncing balls on every page and then flip through them with my thumb and watch as the drawings turned into motion. That was the cornerstone for me. Through high school and into college I continued to animate, discovering and throwing myself fully into stop-motion. To me it was the purist form of character animation. There was nothing between you and the performance, not a pencil, a computer, or a program. Going into college I animated on as many projects as I possibly could. I learned so much from collaborating with other people and working with different directors, visions, and styles. Recently I had a stop-motion animation internship in Oregon, learning from some of the best animators in the world and getting phenomenal feedback. It’s always been important for me to grow and expand my abilities. Read more>>

Michael Thompson of Thompson 31Fifty Wines

I was born in Central Texas in an area called the Brazos Valley on the banks of the Brazos River. After obtaining a BA in Marketing and MBA in Finance from Texas A&M University, I went into corporate America with goals of becoming a CEO of a publicly traded company. S I worked my way up the corporate ladder of Oil & Gas corporations I moved into the Electronics Manufacturing Services Industry. I went on to have senior management positions in multiple companies. In my final years I was VP of Sales for a company which led me to put together large manufacturing contracts. While hosting client dinners at very upscale restaurants I was handed the wine list night after night with thousands of bottles to select from. I had little or no knowledge of wine and began too travel the world to learn about wine and food. That led to a passion and love of wine around the world. After my company was acquired, I turned down a position which required moving my family and decided to retire at 47 and move to the Emerald Coast of Florida. Read more>>

Guan Ellerbe of Leading Light Behavioral Health and Leading Light Mental Health Clinic, Inc

My journey to where I am today began in my childhood. I am a third-generation project kid, following in the footsteps of my mother and grandmother. I grew up in the Mission Hill Project, located in the Roxbury section of Massachusetts, as the oldest of five children in a large family. Navigating my adolescence in the 1980s and 1990s was particularly challenging. I experienced environmental, systemic, domestic, sexual, historical, and generational trauma. During this time, my community was grappling with the devastating impacts of the crack/cocaine and heroin epidemics, HIV/AIDS, and street violence. Despite living through these experiences, I didn’t recognize them as traumatic until much later in life. Read more>>

Mafalda Johannsen of UpCloud

Named after a cartoon (“Mafalda” from Quino), I’ve been working in sales for quite some time now. My first ever sales job was a 100% commission one (“scary” some people would say) back in Florida (USA) and, from there, I also worked in sales in Belgium and in Germany, B2C and B2B, for different industries (media, tourism, tech, SaaS). Currently, I work as a Head of Business Development for UpCloud – a truly European and GDPR-compliant cloud. I have two sales podcasts that might be helpful for you: one about sales training mistakes (access it here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqfzUqYWJtq47RnqaRvEiq2t-AM5X3ixw) and the other one where I interview Buyer Personas (access it here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqfzUqYWJtq4OZRr20PC9FRI-7ewx8EpC). I’m also writing a sales book in Portuguese – stay tuned! On my free time, I’m in charge of the PR & Marketing of a jazz fusion music band called Plasticine (check them out on Instagram: plasticine.band.pt), and I’m also a speaker and moderator in conferences and events. Read more>>

Osei Boateng of OKB Hope Foundation

I was born and raised in Ghana, and growing up in rural areas, I experienced the harsh reality of healthcare disparities that affected my community. Access to basic medical care was a constant struggle. Many people, including my own family, were forced to travel long distances with no guarantee of receiving the care they desperately needed. The loss of both my grandmother and aunt due to these healthcare delays was a heart-wrenching turning point for me. It was a painful reminder of how broken the system was, and from that moment, I made a personal vow: I would dedicate my life to changing it. Read more>>

Bobby Trendz

My story began in 1988 in Inglewood, California. Although many people find it hard to believe that I was born in California, my parents moved there about a year before I was born and stayed there for about a year after I was born before relocating back to New York. Both of my parents are immigrants who came to the United States in their teens, met each other in their teens, and got married in their teens. I’ve watched them become incredibly successful through their dedication to hard work, consistency, vision, and strong faith. They have been a great inspiration for me to never give up. I didn’t have to look far for motivation because my parents have been my greatest inspiration. They have been my driving force throughout my career, which started at H&M as a visual and has evolved into me being the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of my creative agency, The BT Collective. Read more>>

Maria Param Sukh Pensavalle of Maria Param Sukh

Well, where do I start? My journey has been nothing short of a blend of mystic dives, deep healing work, and—yes—a lot of laughter and cries along the way! I started out on a pretty “traditional” path in medicine, which gave me a solid foundation in the science of healing. But as life has a way of doing, it threw me a few curveballs—especially in relationships. Navigating through those challenges sparked a realization: healing is so much more than the physical; it’s about the soul. Read more>>

Patti Tutalo of Patti Tutalo Consulting, LLC

My journey began back in 2003 when I was a young officer at the Naval Academy Preparatory School, assigned as a company officer. I oversaw a company of about 100 midshipmen and cadet candidates. They were at prep school for 10 months before moving on to the Naval Academy, Coast Guard Academy, or Merchant Marine Academy. Most of the students were fresh out of high school, though there were some enlisted members as well. They were young and vulnerable and needed someone to advocate for them. It was there that I found my voice and, for the first time, stood up to authority figures who were not doing the right thing. This became the foundation of my work. Read more>>

Butterr Improv

In 2023, Abby, Chelsea, Janet, Jenn, and Peterr all took a leap into Improv 101 at the Boomerang Comedy Theater, with Angi as our instructor. We each joined for different reasons—some to sharpen public speaking, others to crack up their comedy game or just meet new people. Despite coming from all different walks of life, we stuck with it, moving from 101 all the way through to 501. That’s when Butterr was born—and let’s just say, things have been on a roll ever since! Now, we perform monthly at the Boomerang, plus we’ve added shows in Lafayette and New Orleans to our mix. Read more>>

Maud Maciak of GoWhee

Born and raised in the suburbs of Paris, France from a lower-class family, I was always a go-getter. At age 6, I started my first business by negotiating a space at a local farmer’s market and selling crafts I made during the week after school. I was hooked by the thrill of entrepreneurship and I’ve been in business of making businesses ever since. What drives me is the hunt for problems to solve, and the love for learning how to create solutions and how to turn them into viable businesses. Read more>>

 

Corey Caballero

I moved to San Francisco from New Orleans in 2000 and met my design partner and now husband Randy in 2003. With my academic degrees in psychology and healthcare, I was working as a psychotherapist and trauma RN, but had longed to pursue my passion for art and design. Randy was working as an architect with a firm in Marin specializing in commercial design and he had a desire to do more residential interior design. Randy and I married in 2008 and that same year started our boutique interior design business Bancroft + Caballero Design Studio. In 2010, we moved from San Francisco to Marin and have lived in San Rafael with a design studio in our home since that time. Read more>>

Robert Max Twitty

My story started in St Louis, Missouri. I grew up with my core family, Grandmother, Mother and Uncle. We are all very close, and they are the individuals who have always supported, influenced, and guided me throughout life. I moved to NYC around 13, stay with my father. I’ve lived here ever since. New York taught me a lot, mainly about people, street smarts, navigating personalities, and it helped me develop my sense of fashion. I finished college here, which was why I started my website, GentsAmongMen.com. Read more>>

Karinn Gartmann of Ember Aesthetics

Having been a nurse since 2016, getting married, having 2 kids, and working in a toxic environment – I was craving more. I think COVID made most healthcare professionals asking themselves if there was no way out. I learned about the world of aesthetics and saw a place where I could do what I love – take care of people – while having the flexibility and possibility of making my dreams come true while being there for my family. Starting this business from the ground up has not been easy. There have been many highs and lows. But I am really proud of the adversity that I have overcome and the promise of the future. Read more>>

Anlin Macmillan of Little Treat

I discovered my love for baking in grades 7–12 while attending cooking and baking classes at my boarding school in Thailand. Although I stepped away from it during university, my passion reignited after moving to the U.S. I started baking for friends and family, and their encouragement pushed me to explore more creative desserts. One day, I came across cake pops on YouTube and was inspired by the idea of bite-sized treats that could be both delicious and beautifully designed. I began experimenting with simple designs, and soon friends started placing orders for events. This eventually led me to create my own brand, “Little Treat,” where I combine flavor and artistry to make desserts that bring joy to others. Read more>>

Evan Levitt of Alexios Security Solutions

My family’s upbringing heavily influenced me. My mother and grandparents escaped Nazi Germany during WW2 and immigrated through Ellis Island to NYC. My father was born and raised in NYC, eventually meeting my mother. My grandfather ran a factory in the garment district, and my father served in the U.S. Army and returned to NYC. My entire family was raised in New York, including older brothers and uncles, all in business careers. So, this cultural, first-generation upbringing built the foundation for a path leading to hard work, determination, and business ownership. The moment that truly changed my life was a motorcycle accident in 2005′; during a group ride, a friend went down and was severely injured. I had no first aid or training, and I remember how helpless I felt. I swore to myself that I would never be in that situation again, and I signed up for the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-B) certification the next day. Six months later, I was licensed and volunteered as an EMT on weekends in Central Park. I fell in love with being a service member, and the rest, as they say, is history. My career took a complete 180. Read more>>

Taylor Frost

My artistic journey began early in my childhood, as I was raised between two diverse worlds—half in America and half in Europe. Growing up in such a rich cultural environment exposed me to a wide variety of art forms and perspectives, sparking my passion for creativity and visual storytelling. I was deeply influenced by the art and history around me, and it was during these formative years that my love for photography began to take shape. At 15, my father gifted me my first camera, which became a tool for me to capture the world around me and explore my growing artistic voice. Throughout high school, I entered art programs and competitions, which further fueled my desire to pursue a career in the arts. Read more>>

Lee K. Whetstone of Leading with Lee

Eleven years ago I created Leading with Lee, a magazine and media company that promotes and features aspiring and established creators, entrepreneurs, and artists. I wanted to give a voice to those who were unrecognized in their industry as well as motivate our readers to become inspired by the success stories we produced. I’m also a Purpose and Brand Marketing Coach where I teach BIPOC women how to turn their businesses into purpose-driven brands. I am where I am today because of discipline, faith, purpose, and collaboration. Read more>>

Zeliha

I’ve always been surrounded by music, but it wasn’t always the plan to turn it into a career. Growing up, my house was filled with all kinds of music, especially vinyl. I remember hearing songs from legends like Ray Charles that made me want to sing along, and I started to connect deeply with music at a very young age. I’m mostly self-taught. I would record myself, listen back, and pick apart my mistakes until I got it right. It was a process of trial and error. I didn’t have the luxury of formal lessons at first, so a lot of my learning came from pure experimentation and persistence. Read more>>

Jaye “letta J” Watts of Coexist Gaming

Music, gaming and tech…my cross-sections existed in all of these worlds and I was actually searching for ways to coexist with myself. Very rarely are the things that are part of one person’s journey, not in some way, connected to others. I am creative and technical, and I was really tired of choosing which box I was supposed to fit in. Gaming uniquely affects more than 3 billion people across the planet. I knew I wasn’t the only multifaceted, neurodivergent person, yearning for meaningful, significant connections. It was important to me to build a world where others would not have to choose a box or diminish their dopeness. We live in a society where (seemingly) those with many facets are (often) deemed unfocused and don’t always feel like they have a place to belong. I wanted uniqueness to be celebrated so I was compelled to build a world where it could be. Read more>>

Nathan Cole

As a child, I was fascinated with wildlife. I would watch them in nature, draw them, and read everything I could about them. I even read a two-volume encyclopedia of mammals out of my own interest. So I knew from a very young age I wanted to be a wildlife park ranger or an environmental artist. When it came time to go to post-secondary school, I chose the fine art route with the goal of becoming an artist as a career. College and university are incredible in that you learn critical thinking, tackle huge projects, study a wide variety of subjects about the world, and have a chance to find out who you are as a person and what brings you happiness. However, one drawback is it doesn’t always prepare a path for you to apply these ideas and accomplishments for existing in a capitalistic society. Read more>>

Daveron Rhenā

My journey began on stages, singing and dancing across the country, and grew into a lifelong pursuit of creativity, connection, and entrepreneurship. At two years old, my mother placed me on a grand piano, handed me a microphone, and declared this my purpose. By four, I was training in dance, and by five, I was performing regularly. By ten, I was choreographing routines, self-publishing my first book with my mother’s help, and earning national recognition for my poetry. Read more>>

Eli Wachs of Footprint

I was born in Philadelphia. From a young age, I loved learning about how the world works, or worked. History was my favorite subject in school. As I got older, I began to think technology was how the history of tomorrow was created. In 9th grade, I read Abundance, by the founder of XPrize Peter Diamandis. Some emails later I started High School HeroesX, where we took the concept of XPrize and launched incentivized competitions for high school students to solve local issues. These included the education gap in Philadelphia, food safety in Beijing, and safety of AV algorithms in the US. Read more>>

Elian Monjack

Clothing has always been my favorite way to express myself authentically I was a super shy person and got a lot in my head when I was around people, I lacked confidence in myself but when it came to my outfits I was the loudest that could be, All my insecurities magically vanished and visually being myself was so effortless. From a young age, I have loved fashion and have always valued designer clothes. The quality of the fabric, The patterns, the colors, it’s an art. Read more>>

Lou Nylander of Wildflowers of London

My journey into marketing began quite traditionally – I started as an online planner buyer at Zenith back in 2006. But what’s really shaped my approach is how each role taught me something crucial about effective marketing and business growth. Working with major brands like GSK and VW at Havas taught me the foundations of strategic planning. Then at AOL/Huffington Post, I learned to craft compelling narratives that actually connect with audiences. By the time I became Global Marketing Director at Unruly, I was leading teams across different markets, which really opened my eyes to how marketing needs to adapt across cultures. Read more>>

Adam Shelby

To say it was easy is an understatement lol. As a kid I always heard numerous times that God would use me to do great things one day. And over the years I had work hard and hustle, I call it my in-between time. During that time I suffered mentally, emotionally and physically. I went through many ups and downs. I’ve dealt with rejection issues, feeling abandoned because I was adopted, not good at having friendships because I was emotionally damaged, weight issues etc. But the one thing in all of those experiences that never changed was my faith in God. That is the ultimate reason why I am where I am today. The older I became, I realized that in order for me to grow and flourish I needed to be healed and made whole, so that one day I could be effective and not affected. I understood that this would take time and effort on my part and I had to be willing to have hard conversations and confront those areas in my life that were broken. Over that last two years I have been doing my work and an my life is on the right path of healing and wholeness. I would encourage anyone who has felt broken in life to take courage that what you won’t always be in that place. One day you will experience the Goodness of God in your life. Read more>>

Andres Carbajal of Buho Candle Company

I was recovering from a dark period when I decided to find a new adventure in my spare time. I got back into painting and being creative, learning how to make things at home to further my creativity. I found candle-making on YouTube. It looked like a great way to gift my loved ones with something I made. I purchased a small candle-making kit and began my journey into candle-making. With a lot of troubleshooting, time, testing, and patience I made a candle formula that worked perfectly! With all the positive feedback my gifts became orders. So I took it to the next step and started my small business selling online. Our Mexican style candles have become a hit selling out at local farmer markets and online. Reaching our 3 year in business we have grown substantially and have bigger plans for our company next year. What started as a hobby to give handmade gifts, now is full time career. Read more>>

Westley Smith

I grew up poor in a small Pennsylvania town. I struggled in school because I was dyslexic, though no one knew that at the time, and most people (family and friends) wrote me off as a dumb kid who had a future in factory work. At a young age, I helped take care of both of my parents, who were sick. My father went blind when I was four because of diabetes, and he continued to struggle with the disease for the rest of his life, losing both of his legs. He passed when I was twelve. He was forty-five.  Read more>>

Jake Ross of Build You Marketing

Starting a YouTube channel in my college dorm room was a game-changer. What began as a casual hobby turned into a thriving community of over 11,500 subscribers who shared my passion for sports trading cards. Every morning, I’d go live on YouTube, engaging with more than 3,000 fellow collectors as we eagerly anticipated Target’s latest sports card releases. Together, we opened packs, played games, and bonded over our shared enthusiasm as the clock approached 9 a.m., marking the arrival of new card boxes. Read more>>

Jory Neff’s Story

I grew up in a working class household in south Arkansas. I graduated in 2003 and pursued “The Milennial Dream” of going to college and landing a big paying job. By 2009, I obtained a masters degree in History and began exploring employment opportunities. The Great Recession of 2008 made it difficult for me to find work. Furthermore, nothing felt as fulfilling to me as teaching, so I returned to college to pursue teaching certifications in Spanish and social studies. I began teaching in 2013, acquired a PhD. in Education in 2021, and I am still working as an educator. Read more>>

Deepika Phakke of Nama Water

My journey began in Hyderabad, a city in South India. At 19, I had to decide between becoming a model or taking a job at Google—despite knowing almost nothing about tech I chose Google, and that single decision shaped the next decade of my life. I worked my way up from an entry-level role job at Google that paid ~$4k / year in their customer service department to a couple years later working in Silicon Valley HQ, managing global projects, and helping scale Google’s $30 billion video ads business. I was constantly chasing growth, moving from Hyderabad to San Francisco and then to New York, taking on bigger challenges with each step. Read more>>

Johnny Ketchup’s Story

Let me begin by Thanking Bold Journeys Magazine and its Readers for welcoming me back for a Sophomore Interview. I absolutely love what you are doing . Lets take a walk through the Struggles and Conquests of my journey through Personal Loss, Addiction, Heartbreak, Therapy and Rock and Roll. Mine is a story of many ups and downs. An Emotional and Mental Rollercoaster that at times ,I didn’t believe I would survive. Even this very day, I consider throwing in the towel on all of this nonsense. I ask myself , ” Why do you put yourself through all of this ” ? Read more>>

Karl H Jones

“I vividly recall being a leader in several clubs throughout my early years around my neighborhood and school.. This experience ignited a lifelong passion for fostering growth and development within groups. The desire to learn and uplift others has been a constant in my life.” This innate drive to lead and inspire others has been a constant compass guiding my professional journey. I am particularly drawn to roles that allow me to mentor, coach, and empower others to reach their full potential. Read more>>

Flavia Santia

I am Flavia, I am 30 years old and I am from Rome. My story begins with “Home Stories,” a tiny, self-made newspaper that I would slide under my parents’ door every Sunday morning. It was a modest publication, filled with tales of significant societal events: the loss of my sister’s tooth, complete with a photo of the tooth itself, or the day our Russian nanny shared the story of the matryoshka dolls were all front-page news. These stories, while trivial of course, were my way of connecting with my parents, keeping them in the loop of everything they missed during their busy days. Even back then, I realized the power of storytelling—the ability to make others feel included in moments they hadn’t witnessed firsthand. This desire to share stories, to make people aware of what’s happening around them and to draw them into something larger, became the driving force of my next life choices. Read more>>

Nick Thomas

I first moved to New York City to be a chef and worked here for a few years at the iconic Gramercy Tavern. Whilst there I started studying and performing improv at the Peoples Improv Theater(The PIT). I fell in love with performing which led me to walk away from my culinary career and start full time at acting school HB Studios. After years of training and studying and auditions and failures and successes I find myself as a working actor and writer in New York. Read more>>

Gita Jacobson

home renovation project I decided to switch careers! I started my business while working a full time job. It wasn’t easy but I was excited to work on something that I was passionate about. I spent a lot of time interviewing people in the renovation and construction fields to learn as much as I could before taking on a client. I was fortunate to find a contractor and architect who were awesome and taught me the ropes. The contractor had been in business for 30 years and he told me that he stills learns something new with every project. It’s one of the reasons I love construction and design. With each project I learn something new. Read more>>

Alessia Falvo

My story began in a theatre at the age of 3, when my parents decided to bring me to see Romeo and Juliet at the Opera. My parents told me that was the moment in which they understood what my road was going to be! I was so engaged with the music, the movements of the dancers, that I didn’t cry or disturb for the entire duration of the show. Later on I started taking classes in classic dance. But within few years, that after school activity became way bigger than that. During my time in High School, I finally understood that theatre is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. To me it was like my happy place, in which I felt listened and accepted. It is a place in which my creativity can express itself with no restrictions. Read more>>

Jim Cooper

Jim Cooper is a former radio DJ, newspaper boy, retail expert in a department store paint section, a men’s clothing shop and record store, a commercial real estate broker, residential home builder, movie critic, IT programmer and project leader; IT consulting firm owner, home baker, current owner of Jim Cooper VO, narrating audiobooks of all types, and Faceplant Books LLC. Read more>>

Corey O’brien

Simple story, really: Started drawing when I was two and, through fanatical commitment and a stubbornness that borders on psychosis, was able to turn it into a career decades later. Read more>>

Lori Soard

Stories surrounded me my whole life. I come from a rich, Appalachian background. My mom and her family were from West Virginia. I remember gathering with them and listening to stories, singing songs that were mini stories and sharing laughter and love. At home, my dad would make up little bedtime stories about a lovable but clumsy giraffe and have me add to them with my ideas. He’d pull word lists out of Reader’s Digest and we’d study words and their meanings. Once I learned to read and write, that is all I did most of every day. I’ve loved the written word since seemingly when I was in the womb. I truly believe God created me to be a communicator. Read more>>

Alerian Photography of Alerian Photography

A Journey Through the Lens: My Story My passion for photography began in childhood when my grandparents gifted me a small digital camera for my birthday. It was 2009, and I was just 14—a teenager with big dreams and a hope that one day, I could create something meaningful through photography. Like many, I initially tried to follow a conventional path. I juggled different jobs, attended college, and navigated the rhythms of everyday life. But deep down, I knew my heart belonged elsewhere. In 2016, I made the life-changing decision to fully commit to what I had always been meant to do: photography. Read more>>

Nandini Sankara’s Story

I was born in Bangalore and my childhood into my teenage years were in Bombay now known as Mumbai. I was very fortunate to be born to progressive thinking, parents, who highly valued education and pursuing a career for women. My sister and I were strongly encouraged to follow our dreams, find our voice, and believe in ourselves from a very young age. I have my parents to thank for this in my formative years, and instilling the core values of giving back, showing kindness, and embracing acceptance every single day. Read more>>

Ulla Gaudin

My journey as a makeup artist and wig master for film and TV began when I was just a toddler, around 2 or 3 years old. Even at that young age, I was captivated by the magic of transformation. Growing up in Finland, I faced skepticism and discouragement about my dream of working in the film industry. Many told me it wasn’t a real profession and that I’d never make money pursuing it. Read more>>

Andi Cross of WILDPALM & Edges of Earth

It all began at the Baltimore Aquarium in the early ’90s when I first discovered my fascination with the ocean. I became captivated by beluga whales and other Arctic marine animals, and that fascination quickly grew into an obsession. I carried around a whale encyclopedia and memorized random facts about my favorite creatures—annoying most people with my fact oversharing. My curiosity led me on “expeditions” through my backyard and into a nearby rock quarry, searching for salamanders, turtles—anything wild I could observe in its natural habitat. Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I dreamed of one day becoming a true ocean explorer, and I used those small, land-based adventures to keep my passion alive. Read more>>

Malachi Jean’s Story

I began my journey as an insecure and mentally immature young man, unsure of my identity and potential. However, I recognized my talents in modeling and DJing, which sparked a passion within me that I had yet to fully understand. At first, these hobbies were just ways to express myself, but they quickly evolved into deeper pursuits. Through modeling, I learned about self-confidence, presence, and the importance of embracing my unique qualities. DJing, on the other hand, allowed me to connect with others through music and create experiences that resonated with people. Read more>>

Araceli Soriano

My parents and I came to this country as immigrants when I was 6 months old on a 4th of July. I grew up and was raised like many traditional Mexican families raised their children in Mexico, only we lived in the US. I was only allowed to speak and read in Spanish, mainly because my parents did not know how to speak English. There was a bit of a culture shock for me in school trying to assimilate with the rest of my peers. It was a rough start not knowing the English language, but I picked it up quick and was able to mingle with them in no time. I appreciate this choice in parenting now, because I am able to fluently read, write, and speak in Spanish. It is very rare to see that these days. Read more>>

Manic Honey

Manic Honey’s first songs were crafted by vocalist and lyricist Melody Wilson, who was back home in Reno, NV during the Covid lockdown. Once moving back to NYC, they reconnected with friend and drummer Peter Ferraiolo, who had been playing with bassist Keith Dolega and guitarist Matt Rosenthal and were in need of a singer. After the four of them played their first concert, they brought in Melody’s friend Moni Bell on keyboard and the five have been together ever since. Read more>>

Evadne Bryan Perkins

I was born in Massachusetts. My Mom was an activist, casual artist and professional gift wrapper. My Dad was a lieutenant and Helicopter mechanic in the Army. He changed posts every 2 years, so we moved around the U.S. & overseas most of my younger years. I think that’s what solidified my love of travel. We settled in Maine when my father retired. I fell in love with music & theater during High School and was heavily involved in Musical theater & variety shows. I got a job singing at a cafe on Sundays at the age of 14. After High School I traveled a bit and then returned to Maine & attended a Performance Studies School. During and after college I started getting work in commercials and also joined an 8 piece band that toured through Maine & other parts of New England. I met my husband through this band and we later broke off from the band to do our own work. This also freed up time for me to go back to acting , working in productions of classic plays like “Hair” and “The Wiz”. Film beckoned so I resumed work in commercials, student films and extras work in major the motion pictures’ “The Langoliers, “Man Without a Face”. “The Preachers Wife and others. I also went back to College to learn ASL. Read more>>

Berlyn Hayes

I’ll be honest; when I was in elementary school, I wasn’t a fan of reading. But my mom made my sisters and I read for half an hour every night before bed. I used to dread that time, desiring to do anything BUT read because I thought it was the most boring thing in the world. I’d rather have been outside playing sports or climbing trees in our orchard. Read more>>

Joey Babylon

I truly got started around the ages of 9-10 singing with my older sister. My father played music since he was a young teenager as well. I picked up guitar and taught by my father. I then started taking piano lessons and join a choir at my school. Anyways I grew up going to church, singing hymns, writing my own music from a young age. My brothers and I moved in with a family who became our legal guardians and the mom was a piano teacher. Read more>>

Brent Nowak

I spent nearly two decades battling addiction, a struggle that took a toll on every aspect of my life—my relationships, self-esteem, and sense of purpose. Hitting rock bottom was my wake-up call, and I made the decision to get sober. It wasn’t easy, but it was the most important choice I’ve ever made. Along the way, I was fortunate enough to meet a group of individuals who believed in me and saw potential I couldn’t yet see in myself. They gave me the opportunity to work in treatment, and that’s where everything changed. Read more>>

Bushra Gill

I am an artist working mostly in painting and printmaking, although I have yet to meet a medium I didn’t want to explore. In my work, I use recognizable images of trees, flowers, or people, along with Islamic geometric patterns. I am interested in the layers in relationships and how they shift and rearrange. I want to share those stories and connect them to growth and connections made in the natural world. Read more>>

Ryan Stana of RWS Global

From a young age, I had two big dreams: to be a teacher and a performer. My parents supported me in making those dreams a reality, even building me a little schoolhouse. Their encouragement taught me that, with hard work, anything I dreamed was possible. After earning my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts from Point Park, I moved to New York to focus on production work. I quickly landed a job as an associate producer with a company that produced corporate and retail events across the U.S. While it was a good job, I knew I would approach things differently. Read more>>

Shyheim Lawson

Detailing has always been apart of my life I guess you can say it makes me the young man I am today. I was originally showed how to detail by my grandfather and my father, so you can get a better understanding as a kid I never loved detailing as much as I do now. Read more>>

Alex Peña

I was born and raised in Mexico City, though much of my childhood was spent in San Miguel de Allende. Growing up in these visually distinct places sparked my fascination with both architecture and film. I even remember witnessing film shoots in San Miguel, which was a really appealing world to me. I always found myself drawn to stories where the worlds looked nothing like reality. Sci-fi and horror, in particular, captivated me. I didn’t know it then, but my interest in the visuals of these films—the spaces, the set designs—was a passion for production design in the making. Read more>>

Michael Nguyen

Michael got his start as a community organizer and activist through the GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA), an all volunteer organization working to build a powerful Queer and Transgender Asian and Pacific Islander (QTAPI) community in the Bay Area for over 35 years. Michael has a proven track record of delivering results for our community and is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of San Franciscans. Read more>>

Jillian Vitko’s Story

Almost eleven years ago, I moved to New York City. I had been living in Pittsburgh, PA, where I went to college at the University of Pittsburgh. There, I’d been getting my feet wet as a theatre professional. I did dozens of musicals and plays, including some dream roles like Sweet Charity (Charity), Aida (Amneris), Crimes of the Heart (Babe), Winnifred (Once Upon a Mattress), plus lots of new works, such as the immersive production STRATA (Best Play of the Year 2012). I also jumped into the film world, working on my first short film as well as creating my first recurring character on a web series (The Baristas). I decided to move to New York to expand my career, like many do, so in the Spring of 2014, I left a theatre community I knew to hopefully discover a new one. Read more>>

Shozab Raza

I’ve always found myself in a state of ambiguity, particularly when it came to my career choices. I was born in Sialkot, an industrial town in Pakistan, where pursuing art as a career was rarely considered an option. I initially studied pre-engineering but soon realized that my childhood passion for drawing was pulling me toward art school. This led me to Lahore, where I earned my BFA in Design from the National College of Arts. Read more>>

Janie Havemeyer

I am a children’s book author. I began my career as a museum educator. I switched from teaching in museum settings to elementary schools. My students were first through third graders. While I enjoyed teaching most subjects, history was my passion. All year my students learned about history by doing things. We made a model of a Coast Miwok village. We made adobe bricks in the classroom while studying the California missions. That was a big messy experiment. We recreated a Gold Rush era tent town and invited other classrooms to visit. After teaching for a decade, I began to write stories for young readers in my free time. I gravitated to non-fiction. Read more>>

Chas Martin

I studied Visual Communication at Pratt Institute. It became an incredibly valuable skill. My path was ad agency art director, to creative director, to agency owner, to multimedia producer, to marketing director, to fine artist. I created print ads, TV commercials, package designs, stage designs, interpretive exhibits, educational courses, online entertainment, conference experiences, presentations for executives, designed toys, designed products, produced interactive games, and more. I have worked with startups, national leaders, international corporate leaders and academics. Read more>>

Sean Love

I’m from a really rough upbringing. From fighting at school, violence on the streets, and general lack of quality life around me my mom and dad kept me in college programs through highschool. After dropping out of college, I launched a production company with a friend that had its ups and downs. After closing up shop I decided to climb the ranks in doing tech missions while consulting. It’s been working out so far! Read more>>

Wenran Zhao

I got interested in filmmaking and documentary during my high school years and therefore went to Hong Kong to study new media art. In my college years, I was introduced to digital and new media arts, which led to my current creative practices. I engaged with the digital world during college: coding, electronics, 3D and 2D graphics, digital fabrication, etc. It was there that I realized that in the digital world, armed with the right skills and technology, one could ‘play god’, as “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” (Arthur C. Clarke) Read more>>

Chris Swan of My NYC Music Lessons

I’ve always loved music, ever since I was a little kid. I started taking piano lessons when I was 5, but it was learning how to play songs I heard on the radio by ear that really made it fun for me. Then I start writing my own songs and soon I was out playing gigs by the age of 12. I haven’t really looked back since. I am so thankful because I knew from a young age what I wanted to do with my life, and I know it’s not that easy for everyone. As I have pursued a career in music, I have learned and grown a lot. It didn’t always turn out the way I planned, but it turned out exactly the way it was supposed to. And the story is not over yet! I have had the chance to play music all over the world. Now I get to play music in the greatest city in the world, NYC, while also teaching music to others. It’s a great life and one big adventure! Read more>>

Cristy Cali

My story begins with a deep connection to two vibrant cultures: Guatemala and New Orleans. I was born into a family of entrepreneurs who ran a jewelry business in the French Quarter, which gave me early exposure to the world of retail and design. My family had originally been involved in exporting handmade Guatemalan goods, and much of their inventory adorned the shelves of our French Quarter shop. Growing up in that environment, I had the privilege of traveling with my family on sourcing trips around the world. These experiences were invaluable, as they introduced me to artisan jewelry, the art of craftsmanship, and the personal stories behind each piece. Read more>>

Kelli Brown-dugger

I’d never had a massage before applying for massage therapy school. I had no idea what to expect. You can imagine my surprise when we learned we’d be undressing down to nothing, with just a sheet to cover us while we practiced on each other. As a 21-year-old with a history of body issues, I was wildly unprepared for this. As someone who has lived her entire life in a larger body, I tried to stick with like bodied partners as we practiced, but–surprise! We had to learn on everyone. I knew my body would be silently judged by those I was paired with each week. Some not too silently. Read more>>

Oxana Americana

In 2011 I started off with makeup courses, a little after realized how important it is to be able to create full looks on clients and models so studied hairstyling. One of my first jobs was at MAC Cosmetics, where I gained a lot of experience and opportunities to work at fashion shows. Later I started working at one of Moscow’s top beauty salons. In the free time I was building my portfolio at photoshoots which most of them were just for the idea, creativity, so unpaid. Back than I knew how important it was to build a good portfolio as well to meet photographers to get my name out there. Read more>>

Sierra Coleman

Hiii! Yesss! I honestly can’t pinpoint where my story even starts but I can say I went through many battles in life that led me to jail, into depression and suicidal attempts, drug abuse, rehab, gang affiliations, strip clubs, sex work , you name it I’ve probably experienced it or been around it. I overcome all that set out to destroy me through my unwavering faith and my belief in God. I have found a way to use my struggles to help other people who may have similar battles. Read more>>

Atlas Creed

As an early creative, I started my journey with ambitious ideas in the throes of raging hormones during High School. I was a fanatic for creative storytelling and sought it mostly in movies, tv shows, and video games, neglecting books as many do because the required school reading left me with books that didn’t catch or hold my interest, making reading feel like a chore. That didn’t stop me from bleeding ink to page with ideas of my own. I conceptualized characters and worlds (primarily worlds as my early characters were objects to move a story and not truly fleshed out). Being ambitious, as I said, and impatient, I took a half finished product and began researching what the publishing process looks like. Which led me to a company called Xlibris, a vanity press, who was happy to take a few thousand dollars from me, a naive fresh out of high school wannabe author, to edit my half-finished book concept (poorly) and promised to edit the remainder when finished. That never happened though. I stopped writing and didn’t put words to a page with any passion until after I was married and decided to write a short story for my wife for our one-year anniversary. Read more>>

Willie Bell

I got started in the mental health field by simple making a decision to not wait on others to decide whether they wanted me or not. I enrolled in college with a major that was a joint agreement with another university in town. The agreement was that once you finish at the college that I was enrolled in, your transferred to the other college. There was a waiting list. The caveat to the story is that even being on the waiting list with a higher GPA that the college with the agreement, the college would take their own students first regardless of the agreement or GPA, standing with the university that I was transferring from. So, I took matters into my own hands and review the college that I was enrolled in catalog and sought a major that would allow me to graduate in a timely manner. Psychology was that major and I have benefitted from that decision immensely. Read more>>

Dedra Weiss

My journey I literally started with a pile of loose beads, a spool of thread, and a vision. As a teenager, I made seed beaded bracelets, belts, and hair accessories on a loom. My mother gave me a sack of seed beads she’d saved from a worn vintage purse. I used those beads to recreate a purse, building upon the bead weaving techniques I’d been using. The purse was simple, but sweet. I gave it to my mother; she still has it hanging, framed, in her house decades later. Read more>>

E.d. Hackett

My name is E.D. (“Ee-dee”) Hackett and I am a fiction author. My journey to become a writer started as soon as I could pick up a pencil and write my name. I grew up in a single parent household, which was tormented by alcohol, drugs, and men. I learned early on that the safest thing for me to do was stay in my room with the door closed. If I didn’t draw attention to myself, then it was likely I’d be forgotten, and being forgotten would keep me safe from the grown-up things happening outside my door. Read more>>

Mario Durán Araujo’s Story

I began my career at a young age, very inspired with fantasy and action movies as well as dramatic and thoughtful ones. Over the course of six years I’ve worked in many independent movies, and have received international acclaim for my work on live action and stop motion films. Most recently I got the World Class Creator Award at the Barroco International Museum at Puebla, Mexico. Read more>>

Khalid Nazim

Ever since I was a child, I’ve been fascinated by the art of filmmaking. I remember the first time I watched Jurassic Park—those two iconic scenes where we see the park in its full glory and the scene where the T-Rex makes its grand entrance left me absolutely spellbound. The incredible blend of visuals and storytelling sparked a deep curiosity within me and ignited a lifelong passion for filmmaking. Read more>>

Christyn Hawthorne

Two and a half years ago I was a fulltime stay at home mom of a two year old. I also was babysitting my 2 year old nephew, and worked at night. I loved being able to be home during the day with my son and nephew, but I missed having something just for me. I missed being creative. I wanted to find a new creative hobby I could do around all the busy toddler to dos and shenanigans. I first dabbled in macrame, and then found macrame rainbows! I just fell in love immediately. I soon had rainbows all over my living room and knew if I was going to continue this new found hobby, I had to be able to sell them. Read more>>

Bobbi Petersen’s Story

Photography has always been a part of my life. I was the yearbook photographer in high school and freelanced throughout college while earning my degree in criminal justice and psychology. What started as a creative outlet quickly turned into a passion and, eventually, a thriving career. Read more>>

Shonta Burton

I am a recent graduate of Full Sail University, where I earned my Bachelor’s of Science in Digital Cinematography. My passion for storytelling through visual media has led me to explore new opportunities in the film industry, Right now, I’m working on an exciting project . combining my skills in cinematography with innovative tools to develop engaging content. I also have a strong commitment to community involvement, which led me to organize events at Legacy Garden, formerly known as the Tupac Amaru Shakur Arts Center. My focus is on creating impactful stories that resonate with audiences while pushing the boundaries of creativity and technology. Read more>>

Eugene & Bernadette Barnes’s Story

We have always been performing artists. Whether it’s singing, acting, comedy, we have both always loved entertaining. We didn’t always know how we could make money doing what we love. Bernadette – Eugene worked at a well known coffee company for 8 years. He worked his way up to assistant manager, he was miserable! Long hours and bad bosses. He finally got out and got a job managing are retail store. After less than a year, that retail chain filed for bankruptcy and closed all it’s stores. I was pregnant with our second child at the time. Read more>>

Kristi Lauria

I was always a beauty girl – hair and makeup was my jam! Way back, when I was in high school, I was lucky enough to have Cosmetology courses offered at my school and you best believe I jumped on the chance to take it! One day in class, I found out that my local Shoppers Drug Mart was hiring part time employees to work their cosmetics department. Now this was back before we had Sephora in Canada or before Shoppers Drug Mart had the big beauty boutiques we know today, but for me, as a teenager who loved makeup, this was the dream! Read more>>

John Akande

My story is quite similar to what young aspired artist, who are yet to discover themself fully are currently facing, which is 80 percent of Nigerian/African parents don’t encourage their children when it comes to art and before I could outgrow that experience it took me a lot of stubbornness, my Dad torn my sketchpad years ago, but i kept on doing this for passion, they agree with me a little later, so i started my journey by practicing learning from masters, with that i was still doing it for passion not knowing this is what i would take as profession, year after year i began to discover my self more and more until i became good at it, Read more>>

Faust Ruggiero

I was the second of four children born to Italian Catholic parents. My father was a Civil engineer employed by the Department of Highways in Pennsylvania, and my mother was a secretary who worked at the Pentagon before starting our family. At an early age, I knew my purpose would be to help others. This started in my formative years and became quite apparent in my mid-teens. Read more>>

Sam Borowski

This is my second interview with Bold Journey, so I’ll do my best to not be repetitive. I got into this business to tell stories. Going to the movies was my favorite thing to do as a child. Still is! ;) When I was young, my mom Joan Borowski – GOD Rest Her Soul – used to take my sisters and I to the Lane Theater in Staten Island during the Summer to see Disney matinees and I loved it! It clearly had an impact on me. I knew that I had to do this! That same passion about the movies from childhood has carried with me throughout my life and career. Read more>>

Matthew Sparacino

I’m an actor, theatre artist, educator, writer and activist with over a decade of experience creating art in Washington, DC. I grew up in Germantown, Maryland and attended the University of Maryland in College Park, where I earned a BA in Theatre before moving to the District and beginning my career. Since then I’ve had the fortune to play on many of the area’s finest stages, including roles at the Folger Theatre, the Kennedy Center, Woolly Mammoth, the Keegan Theatre, Studio Theatre and 1st Stage, among others. Read more>>