We were lucky to catch up with Treva Kay recently and have shared our conversation below.

Treva, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I’ve never really been someone who sat down and said, “This is the one business I’m going to build.” My journey has been more organic than that. I’ve always been creative, and I’ve been fortunate that whenever I’ve found something I truly loved, I’ve been able to turn it into a business.

Photography was my first love. I’ve been a photographer for more than twenty years, and that taught me one of the most important lessons of entrepreneurship: if you love what you do, you’ll naturally put in the work. You’ll keep learning, improving, promoting yourself, and showing up even when it’s hard.

Living on Galveston Island eventually opened the door to another passion. Through real estate photography, I found myself helping stage vacation rentals and Airbnb’s. I saw the potential and thought, “I could do this.” So I took courses, sought out training, and combined that education with what I already felt was a natural gift for design. That eventually grew into my interior design business.

My art journey has been the most surprising of all. I’ve been making art since I was a little girl, but like many people, I drifted away from it for a while. When I finally gave myself permission to fall in love with it again, something unexpected happened. The work started pouring out of me effortlessly, and people started buying it. I never planned for that. It was simply a matter of reconnecting with something that had always been part of who I was.

Looking back, I realize there was never one dramatic launch moment. There were many small moments of curiosity followed by action. I’d discover something I loved, learn everything I could about it, work hard, and trust that if I stayed aligned with what felt meaningful, opportunities would follow.

I believe we all have God-given talents, and when we align our work with those gifts, success becomes less about chasing and more about creating. Entrepreneurship has given me the freedom to build a life that reflects my values. I make my own hours. I have time for slow mornings with coffee, for travel, for friendships, for creativity, and for the things that remind me life is meant to be lived, not just worked through.

For me, business has never been about building companies. It’s been about building a life I love and inviting others to be part of it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

At my core, I’m a creative, a storyteller, and someone who believes deeply in the transformative power of beauty.

Over the years, I’ve built several businesses that may seem different on the surface. I’m a photographer with more than twenty years of experience, an interior designer, an artist, and now an author. But when I look at my work as a whole, I realize it’s all connected by one purpose: helping people see themselves, their homes, and their lives in a more meaningful way.

Photography taught me to capture moments that matter. Interior design showed me how our environments shape how we feel and live. My artwork became a way to express emotion, wonder, and spirituality. And my writing, particularly my upcoming book The Art of Being, is an invitation for people to slow down, reconnect with themselves, and remember that their life is meant to be lived with intention and joy.

One of the creative offerings I’m most passionate about is my Deva Portrait series. These are intuitive watercolor portraits that blend symbolism, storytelling, and personal reflection. Each piece is created to honor a person’s essence, their journey, and the things that make them uniquely themselves. It’s been incredibly moving to witness how deeply people connect with seeing themselves reflected through art.

I also create intuitive artwork, fine art prints, coastal-inspired photography, and interior design experiences that help transform spaces into places that feel beautiful, personal, and alive. Whether I’m designing a room, painting a portrait, or writing a chapter, my hope is always the same: that the work evokes emotion and reminds people to embrace who they are.

What I’m most proud of isn’t any one business or accomplishment, it’s that I’ve built a life around the things I genuinely love. I’ve learned that success isn’t about fitting into a single box, it’s about having the courage to honor your gifts, follow your curiosity, and trust the path that unfolds.

If there’s one thing I hope people take away from my work, it’s this: we all have unique gifts and a purpose that is entirely our own. I want to encourage others to seek their truth, love themselves more deeply, notice the beauty that surrounds them, and create a life that feels authentic and fulfilling.

My work, whether through art, design, photography, or writing, is ultimately an invitation: to slow down, to awaken to beauty, and to embrace the art of being fully yourself.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

In 2017, I made one of the biggest and scariest decisions of my life. I packed up my established photography business and moved to Galveston, Texas.

At the time, it didn’t make a lot of sense on paper. I already had a successful business and a loyal client base where I was living. Starting over in a new city meant leaving behind years of hard work and stepping into uncertainty. But I had always felt a deep connection to the beach, and there was something about Galveston that kept calling to me. I finally decided to trust that feeling.

That leap of faith turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Within six months of relocating, my photography business had tripled. More importantly, moving to Galveston opened doors I never even knew existed. Through my photography work, I found my way into interior design. Living near the ocean reignited my passion for art, and I began creating and selling original pieces. It also gave me the space and inspiration to begin writing my book, The Art of Being.

Looking back, I realize the greatest lesson wasn’t about business at all. It was about learning to trust myself. Sometimes resilience isn’t pushing through a difficult season. Sometimes it’s having the courage to leave behind what is comfortable and choose the life that is calling you.

Galveston became more than a place for me. It became home. It became the environment that nurtured my creativity, expanded my businesses, and reminded me that when we align ourselves with what truly lights us up, incredible things can happen.

That experience taught me that growth often begins with a leap of faith. The path may not always be clear, but if you listen closely to your heart and are willing to do the work, life has a beautiful way of meeting you halfway.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Yes, there are many books, and teachings that have influenced my thinking over the years, though not necessarily in the traditional sense of teaching me how to run a business. I’ve always been drawn to books that encourage people to live authentically, to find their purpose, and to trust the path that feels most aligned with who they are.

I believe success exists on many levels. To me, success isn’t simply measured by money, titles, or achievements, it’s being able to do what you love, make a living from it, and still have the time and space to enjoy life—to travel, spend time with family and friends, appreciate beauty, have slow mornings, breathe deeply, and not be so busy that you miss out on what truly matters.

Many of the books that have stayed with me focus on creativity, spirituality, and managing the expectations and pressures we place on ourselves. A few that have had a meaningful impact are Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, The Way of the Spiritual Entrepreneur by Pauline Nguyen, and The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein. These books reminded me that our work is most fulfilling when it comes from a place of joy, intuition, and purpose.

I also believe we live in a world that places enormous value on formal education, degrees, and external validation. While education certainly has its place, my own life has taught me that we are not defined by a piece of paper. We are all born with unique gifts, talents, and abilities that are meant to be shared with the world. Those gifts can be nurtured and refined, but their essence comes from within.

For me, entrepreneurship—and life itself—is about discovering and embracing those gifts. Success is not just a dollar amount or a diploma. It is your livelihood, your joy, your passion, your life’s dharma, your life’s work, and ultimately your legacy. Those things cannot be handed to you by external sources. They come from listening to yourself, trusting your intuition, and having the courage to become who you were always meant to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.planitinkstyle.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trevakay_author_artist/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/planitink
• Other: https://www.planitinkphotographygalveston.com/
  https://www.instagram.com/planitink_photography_galv/
  https://www.instagram.com/planitink_style/
  https://www.trevakay.com/

Image Credits

Plan-it ink Photography