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.

Evie Felts

This is silly, but in 2020 I did a house plant give away. It had absolutely nothing to do with photography but I did silly self portraits of myself with the houseplant I was giving away and the people really loved it. Read More>>

Natalie Corzo

NMC Jewels is my Florida-based accessories brand where I design and create small-batch jewelry, custom hats, and host interactive charm bar experiences that are all about making people feel special, celebrated, and stylish. What started as a jewelry line has grown into something so much bigger, a place where accessories meet connection. Read More>>

X’Zandria Weil

I’ve often been misunderstood, especially around my quiet nature. Starting in 5th grade, I was told over and over that I needed to talk more, push myself out there, and be more extroverted to succeed. I tried to force myself into that lane, but it was not authentic to who I was. I ended up people pleasing, insecure, and drained from pretending to be someone I was not. Read More>>

Mariah O’Brien

One of the most outstanding experiences I’ve had in reimagining a client’s home, that was particularly personal and successful for both myself and the client. It was especially meaningful with the client’s home being in the neighborhood I grew up in. At the initial meeting with the clients, one of the biggest challenges was they really needed a space where the family could gather and share meals. Read More>>

Chris Garibay

One of my favorite customer success stories involves a client with a Nissan 370Z that had been sitting untouched in their driveway for over a year. The car had collected dust, the paint had lost its shine, the engine bay was grimy, and the headlights were yellowed and cloudy. On top of that, the client was preparing to sell the car, so presentation and condition were going to directly impact how much value they could get from it. Read More>>

Austin Morris

When I was in 4th grade, I started my creative entrepreneurship in my mom’s closet, where she kept our family desktop computer. I googled a bunch of cartoon characters (which took forever on our dial-up internet) and used the light from the screen to trace the characters onto computer paper. I took the tracings to school and sold them as coloring book pages. I didn’t make much money because I gave most of them away to girls that I thought were cute, but it definitely was the origin to me pursuing art. Read More>>

Jack Maher

I have to point to the man who is the focus of my first book, “Poppy: A Novel About A Colorful Colorado Life.” Author, curator, renowned world authority on Native American Art, Eric Douglas was a museologist for the ages. Known as “Poppy” by his family, he revolutionized display methods at The Denver Art Museum, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Indian Court at the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition and many others. Read More>>

Natalya Borakowski

I’ve worked in the aesthetic space for nearly 20 years—beginning as an esthetician, opening my own skincare clinic, and, six years ago, completing my naturopathic medical training. From the start at Desert Bloom, I treated skin as a window to systemic health. While the broader industry often reacted to symptoms at the surface, my practice asked a different question: What’s driving this—hormones, stress, inflammation, nutrition, or lifestyle? My approach has always been lifestyle-first, procedure-second; injectables can be useful, but they’re not a substitute for health. Read More>>

Tanja Spitzer

I had wanted to work in the intercultural field since I first was thrown into it more or less by accident. I attended a summer school program in Germany on the topic. Having lived abroad both as a child and an adult I figured there wouldn‘t be much to learn, but I was dead wrong. My mind was blown by what I learned and I wanted to share it with everyone. Read More>>

Megan Sullivan

When I started in real estate, I chose not to join a team. I knew myself—I prefer to work independently, even though it meant a much steeper learning curve. Those early years were tough. I had to learn not only real estate, but also marketing, taxes, technology, and sales. As an introvert, the thought of cold calls and networking made me sick to my stomach. I pushed myself to try one new thing each day, even if it meant walking into a networking event and turning right back around and going home. It was a step. Read More>>

Michelle Costello

Honestly, in the business of home remodeling, the best way to show clients you appreciate them is by making sure they feel truly listened to. Remodeling can be one of the most stressful experiences a homeowner goes through—not just because of the financial investment, but also because of the disruption to their daily lives, especially if they’re living in the space while work is happening. Read More>>

David Sears

For approx. 10 years starting in 1980, I worked for Nibble magazine (for the Apple II computer). For a few years there, I reported to Diane Carhart (she later took the role of COO at Stonyfield Farms). I’ll never forget the day Diane surprisingly asked me to oversee a huge, year-long project that would impact the whole company. Read More>>

Crystale Boisvert

I Asked him once, how he got be such good manager and he said to me; ” There’s a difference between a boss and a leader; the boss bosses people around and the leader asks for support and help. I show you how much you are appreciated and needed when I request your help. I am just as much as part of the team as you are therefore I show up with humbleness, respect and kindness. You are more likely to want to help me when I am kind. I feel good and you feel good. Read More>>

Christopher Joy

Pets Plus always has been a story of family.

In the early 90’s, we like so many others, had a dog that had allergies and we discovered that the solution was a premium pet food. After feeding our family pet this amazing food and seeing the results, we started to tell our close friends and family about it, and we found that we were not the only ones with a dog that had sensitivities, needed better results, and food that could be fed less so their pet could flourish. Read More>>

Gemma Isaacson

I was 10 years old and living in small-town Wisconsin when the intense desire to pursue a career as a ballet dancer (and eventually become a principal dancer in a ballet company) overtook me. For the next eight years, I lived and breathed ballet as much as I could within financial and geographic constraints. Every action I took in every area of my life was centered around achieving my goal – most importantly moving away from home at the age of 15 to a place where I could receive the full-time training I needed in order to achieve my goal. Read More>>

Louis Newsom

When I was a young musician, I just wanted to play. I didn’t care how much I was getting paid. I didn’t care where I played and I was too young to know when someone wasn’t treating me respectfully but thanks to my father who taught me how to not just be a musician, but Communicate with a business mindset, and to make my presence known and mean what I say it prepared me for those uncomfortable conversations. I may have to have with different clients that request my services. Read More>>

Resshma Chandiramani

With more people heading back to the office post-COVID, dressing up is making a comeback. But this time, we’re noticing a shift—our customers aren’t sticking to the same old traditional suits. They’re leaning toward a more personalized look, choosing pieces that reflect their personality and individual style. Read More>>

Em Baker

Right now, I believe that AI poses the biggest challenge to audio professionals, but especially to composers. It’s an awesome new tool that is really exciting to use, I’ve used it myself and I can share firsthand what a slippery slope it is. I’m reminded of when autotune became a huge thing back in the late 90’s, and how many music producers and industry professionals balked at it, and now as we’ve all seen it has become the norm. I see a big shift coming in the music industry, with AI being put at the helm of a massive amount of music production, mixing, mastering, and everything in between. Read More>>

DaVaughn Coley

The biggest challenge with profitability is continuously finding the new client in different fields that isn’t already populated by a bigger brand with the marketing and experience. Cold calling/emailing feels as if it’s a dead end at the end of the day hoping that your email doesn’t get sent to spam or hoping that when talking to someone they’ll even listen for a moment to hear what you can do and how that’d even help their business. Yet, all it takes is one to get you in the door to building rapport for referrals or just building your portfolio to expand your clientele. Read More>>

Enrique Manon

I used to have heroes. Now, sincerely, I have people who inspire me.
A person who inspires me is David Lynch. Lynch’s work is a product of different variables, one of which is innovative. Read More>>