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.

KRISTINA MOSELEY

One of our largest orders for printed marshmallows I actually thought was a scam at first. We got an email asking about pricing for bulk orders, something that happens frequently, and then saw it was for ten thousand. I read the email a few times noting that they weren’t giving me a lot of details but decided to respond and see. Read more>>

Alejandro Sanoja

Being an immigrant and introvert in a country that values extroversion as one of the top professional traits is like playing a video game in “hard mode.” When I moved to the US to attend an MBA program, it wasn’t because I had always planned to attend graduate school. I was a below-average student for most of my life. Read more>>

Leena Chitnis

Oh…I have so much to say about this. If you’re making a complex product, finding a manufacturer is going to be HARD. This isn’t to discourage you, but to let you know that you need to lock in and put on your determination and faith cap… Finding a vendor was an extraordinary challenge and hardship for me. Read more>>

Jiannuo Hu

Finding the right manufacturers was one of the hardest parts of building Cave Canem, and honestly, the process taught me more about business than anything else. I started with zero manufacturing background, so I did what any first-time founder does: learned industry jargon through online research and figured it out as I went. Read more>>

Justin Watanabe

The first time I made money as a creative was when I got paid to perform in Tampa, Florida. The client was at a spot called The Shuffle. I was connected to this opportunity by another music artist. I had other guest artists perform with me, and we put on a show. It was very fulfilling because the audience knew the words to my songs. Read more>>

William Trotti

It was a fantastic moment the day I sold my first cutting board that I had created. Having created it getting all the supplies and doing all the work and putting a labor of love into it, it became a part of me when it was time to give it away. Read more>>

Caitlyn Witek

One story that has really stayed with me involves a combat veteran I worked with who had served multiple tours in war zones over the course of a long military career. By the time they came to see me, they had been living with severe complex trauma symptoms for many years. Read more>>

Ibbie Aromolaran

My first job in the field was at an eating disorder treatment facility, and even now, it stands out as one of the most formative experiences of my career. After graduating and finishing my internship, I was in that uncertain phase, applying to roles online, hoping to find something that felt aligned, but not entirely sure what that would look like. Read more>>

Tess Palma-Martinez

Sound Healing came into my life at the start of 2022. I was working in a completely unrelated field, and was struggling with health issues that landed me in the emergency department. The next day I saw my first singing bowl and with every cell in my body I knew this was my new path. Read more>>

Joshua Bennett

I worked in advertising and sales for 5.5 years at professional companies while I was working on developing a feature film idea that would be affordably filmable, and it helped me learn about the marketing and budgeting aspects of making a feature-length movie. Read more>>

Paul Magege Jr,

The most important lesson I gained from a job experience that helped me as a business owner was that my role as a community center assistant was during my undergraduate studies. This is a front desk position in a dorm housing and residence facility, and I held this job for almost three years. It taught me about helping people, diversity, and community. Read more>>

Sebastián Gálvez

I do—I’m fortunate to have a team of agents across several markets. In Los Angeles, I’m represented commercially by JS Represents. I was introduced to Jon (without the H) by my friend Karola Sanchez back in 2016, and we’ve been working together ever since. He consistently brings me in for top commercial auditions, and through that partnership I’ve booked several national SAG-AFTRA campaigns. Read more>>