Winning often looks like a long trail of losses that were too weak to keep you down. We are beyond inspired by the stories below. Resilience cannot capture the true nature of what so many of these entrepreneurs, artists and creatives possess and there is so much to learn from the folks highlighted below.
Porsche Kemp of Let’s Book It! W/ Porsche Kemp
I am a seasoned actress with twelve years of experience, boasting a diverse portfolio encompassing stage and film productions. In addition to my performances, I dedicate time to mentoring fellow actors, imparting valuable insights to assist them in securing roles. Read more>>
Mary Moretti
Everything started because I needed un outlet where I could be fearless. I experienced Bullying since early age but somehow I knew I was good at dancing and when I was up there performing no one could tell me anything. At the beginning I could not understand why people felt the need to be mean with me. I was only 6 years old when it started, what could possibly have done to those people. Read more>>
Dan Gober
Growing up I always had a very creative imagination. Over the course of my career I’ve learned to explore the images and sounds in my mind and use that to write songs. My songwriting journey continues to be about experimenting. With any art it takes time to hone your skills, find your voice, and your style. Read more>>
Simone Muschett of Resilient Young Minds Incorporated
90’s baby. Brooklyn born. Raised from West Indian culture. First generation college student. First in my family to pursue and secure a career. A holder of 3 degrees and a current doctoral student. One would never guess that I also struggled with mental health. The 3rd grade was the first time I self-injured. I had already begun the narrative that no one really cares about me. Being a child who felt unseen and unheard I basked in the positive affirmations from my teachers and mentors along the way. School was my escape from the depressive and anxious thoughts I often felt growing up when I was at home. Read more>>
Mike Moran
In my mid-to late twenties I had kind of quarter life crisis. I had been sober since I was 21 and life was pretty good. But I hadn’t scratched the surface on becoming the artist I knew I was supposed to be. I had coasted for years on the fact that I was doing so much better in life that when I was younger, and on paper things looked fine: right girlfriend, back in school, great relationship with family, steady employment, etc. All the things a young guy in recovery is supposed to do. Read more>>
Cindy Cisneros’s Story
As an artist, I grew up with many rules and expectations that smothered my authenticity, leaving me profoundly unhappy. Blind to my own creative personality, I sought support from the mental health system, which ultimately also failed me. I was never seen for the creative person I was. Later, in Graduate School, I wrote a thesis on the relationship between mental health and creativity. Through research, I was awakened to the commonalities shared by creative personalities: their strength, power, need to make meaning, and desire to live authentically. I also discovered that the more creative people were, the more they needed to create to be well. These insights became foundational to my work, leading me to build my own career as a therapist and coach for artists and creative people. Read more>>
Lisa Madsen
This question is hard to answer. Like many people, my life has been more zigzag, circular, and crisscross than linear. My story is probably best summed up by the stereotype of the academically gifted, driven, oldest daughter who spends adulthood working through depression and anxiety before finally being diagnosed with ADHD in midlife and embarking on a spiritual healing journey. Read more>>
Kat Araujo of Afternoon Culture
My story starts in Washington Heights, an uptown NYC neighborhood where two Dominican immigrants raised me. My parents, who were both creative and entrepreneurial by necessity, inspired me to work hard and dream big. As a wildly imaginative child, I immersed myself in photography, writing, and storytelling. When it was time for college, I left the hood to attend Johns Hopkins University, earning dual degrees in Political Science and Art History on a full scholarship. Read more>>
Shojuan Spence’s Story
I started my business in the peak of covid, being at home wondering how i could make my dreams come true. I spent time watching one of my closest friends take his leap of faith and listening to him tell me i could do it, made me believe and get to work. And here we are ! Read more>>
Vicki Harrison And Brigitte Carucci of Two Girls Media
Vicki: We started a friendship that grew into a business, which was guided by our abilities to connect with business owners and our love to learn their stories. Our first venture together was a reimagined diner placemat followed by advertising coasters and coffee sleeves and then our town guide magazines. We’re big believers in figuring out a system that works and then employing it again and again to great effect. We have devised a tried-and-true method to launch a series of local magazines for 7 different towns in our community—we could write a handbook about each step that’s required. Lately we’ve determined that we really love pulling off big festivals, and are launching 3 this year. The first new festival we launched this year was a Garlic Festival, new for our town, and we lost count at 3500 attendees. It will be back next year, and we already have tweaks for it. I don’t want to say we get bored with doing the same thing, but we definitely like to inject new thoughts and ideas into everything we do. Read more>>
Jakyrannee Phillips
My journey started with a t-shirt stating “See It, Write It, Believe It, Proverbs 18:16.” I live by this statement daily and believe that whenever God gives you a vision, you see it, write it down in a journal, believe it to happen, and trust that your gift will make room for you. Following, I self published my first book “Broken The Underdog.” The book discussed my childhood perspective on life and how I handle and overcame obstacles. I learned that becoming a published author can open many doors to create different streams of income. I began traveling talking about my book, doing transformation speaking and workshops. Also, I was a full-time college student which expand my network and allowed me to create more products that went along with my business. I grew to love entrepreneurship and assisting others by sharing value resources and information along the way. Having a bachelors in Mass Communications and soon to be Masters in December 2024; I’m able to apply my expertise knowledge to assist companies in scaling their brand. By remaining consistent has allowed me to build a trustable and honest brand that still driving successfully by the grace of God. Read more>>
Ellie Whalen of Sprayology
I consider myself an unexpected entrepreneur. I was a very good employee with a great career. I worked for large well know companies in the accessory field throughout the 80’s and 90’s. I loved my jobs and I worked very hard. I also played hard, believing I could do it all and my body decided to make me listen. I was an asthmatic, allergic to everything, sick all the time and on a lot of medicines. I was in my 30’s, married with 2 young sons and I felt worn out and sickly. Each time I ended at the doctor, was given more medicines, but I was not feeling better. Read more>>
Sarah Amaro’s Story
Hello! I’m Sarah Amaro, an illustrator and writer from the Dominican Republic currently based in New York City. I recently graduated from Parsons School of Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. I came to my dream school as a transfer student from Chavon, the School of Design in Santo Domingo, where I got a scholarship that led me to this city. Since then, I haven’t stopped writing and designing books for myself and my clients. Currently I am illustrating an exciting picture book about the life of Rhina Espallait, written by my dear colleague Elizabeth Balaguer. Read more>>
Alexus Davis
I’ve found a passion for food and music, as they bring so much joy and happiness to people’s lives. I started cooking small meals for myself after leaving my parents’ home, which eventually led to catering gigs for co-workers, birthdays, holidays, and other celebrations. I realized I had a business on my hands and began networking on social media in 2018. I did a promotional ad with a well-known influencer in my city and held my first pop-up on my birthday, 12/21/2018. From there, I kept growing, from selling dinners to becoming a pop-up vendor, traveling to cater events, offering meal prep services, and even launching my own line of seasonings. All of this has been so rewarding, and I’m excited to see where it takes me next! The joy and smiles of the people who enjoy my food have really inspired me to keep growing and thriving with my brands. Read more>>
Joshua Diliberto
I started making chainmaille after watching the movie “Braveheart” when I was 17 yearls old. I was so inspired by the chainmaille armor in that movie that I knew immediately this was what I wanted to do in life. I studied how to make chainmaille by looking in books at my local library. I built a jig in my parents garage to coil wire. Back then, I cut the rings with a jeweler’s hand saw. Now, I have very expensive machines that cut the rings for me. Along my chainmaille art journey, I had to quit three times; I wasn’t making enough money to live off of. I kept coming back to it; finally made enough money to support myself. Read more>>
Abby Taoj of Taoj Hair Studios
During the pandemic, I prayed asking God to align me with a purpose. At the time I felt depleted of all motivation. The Pandemic was a time that caused me to sit and think of how I wanted to move forward in life. I started with my natural talent of creating. The question continued to arise in me of what exactly I wanted to create. I felt great at many things but the overall objective was to be a master of one. Overtime, I eliminated all creative projects through self-questioning and the one passion that remained was HAIR. Read more>>
Brittany Veney
Hello there! I’m Brittany Veney, the founder and creative director of B. Real Creative Studio. My journey into the world of brand and website design began during a pivotal time in my life. As a stay-at-home mom navigating the transition to single motherhood while pursuing my master’s degree, I discovered a deep passion for design and storytelling that would reshape my career path. Fueled by this newfound passion, I started B. Real Creative Studio, focusing on creating compelling brand identities and dynamic websites. What began as a personal endeavor soon evolved into a thriving business. Our mission is to help brands authentically connect with their audiences and make a significant impact in a crowded digital landscape. Read more>>
Shjae’ Le Vanquer
I originally had no plans on being the CEO of a hair care and cosmetic brand. I am merely an inventor who constantly sees things differently than others. For example, if you and I are looking at the same chair… often times my brain will manufacture multiple scenarios of how that chair can be improved or made to be multifunctional. This subconscious and innate way of thinking is what led to the creation of my first product. Read more>>
Michelle Weihman
I started my career as a nurse, dedicating 30 years to the profession, mostly in leadership roles. Nursing has always been my passion, and I found immense fulfillment in caring for patients and guiding my fellow healthcare professionals. Over the years, I realized that my impact could extend beyond the confines of traditional healthcare. This led me to explore life coaching, nurse coaching, and patient advocacy. I wanted to empower people not just in their physical health but in their overall well-being and personal growth. This aspect of my work is incredibly rewarding, as it allows me to give back to the profession that has given me so much. In these roles, I can help even more people by providing guidance and support that extends beyond the hospital walls. Read more>>
Michelle Navajas
Five years ago, I embarked on a journey that would define my career and purpose as a writer. It all began with a deeply personal experience that ignited a passion within me to raise awareness about abuse and violence. At that time, I felt compelled to share my insights to help others navigate similar challenges and educate society. My first book, an advocacy piece on creating awareness about abuse and violence, was both a cathartic release and a bold step into the world of publishing. It was not an easy path initially; breaking into an industry known for its challenges and uncertainties required perseverance and dedication. However, driven by my mission and fueled by the support of early readers and advocates, I found my voice gaining momentum. Read more>>
Titus Walker of Ultimate Endgamers League
The Ultimate Endgamers League (UEL) was born from a vision to create an inclusive, competitive esports platform that could cater to gamers of all skill levels and backgrounds. My journey started in 2019, when I saw a gap in the esports industry—a space dominated by a focus on only the top 1% of elite players. I wanted to build something different, a league where everyone could compete, regardless of their skill level, and feel like they belonged. Starting UEL was not easy. We faced challenges with securing locations and investors, and many people didn’t initially believe in the concept. However, I held onto the belief that this dream could become a reality, driven by a mission that went beyond just the games. It was about community, diversity, and creating opportunities for all gamers. Read more>>
Sharon Balsamo’s Story
I started out with severe anxiety and depression when I was 13. My family was going through a lot of transition that we didn’t necessarily have the tools to handle effectively, particularly not having a deep understanding of trauma and how this affects an entire family system (this was the 90s, after all!). I started therapy around the age of 15, when I started getting daily migraines due to all the stress I was navigating. More than individual talk therapy, the two things that helped me the most during this time was seeing an energy healer, who helped so much with my migraines (therapy kept me in my head, and I really needed to be in my body to truly heal); and participating in a girls’ group, facilitated by my therapist and a local artist, where we just talked and processed about our struggles, practiced different coping skills and did art together. Feeling connected to others in this way was completely new for me, and something I wanted more of! I was also exposed to different career paths and options for my life that I hadn’t previously considered, which gave me hope and inspiration for what was possible for my future. Read more>>
Andrew M. Edwards
This is the fourth of these impersonal, content-driven, algorithmically-derived interviews that I’ve done, and I am now completely exhausted of them. Not to be ungrateful, but none of these have been about me – they’ve been about crafting another nickel to shove into the ever-hungry slot of the attention economy slot machine. An interview should be an organic conversation between two people in reality, hopefully engaging in some insightful and useful exchanges. Sitting here on my laptop typing this is giving me pandemic flashbacks. We couldn’t Zoom for half an hour? Read more>>
Michalis Papakalodoukas’s Story
I’m a self-taught artist, New York based painter, Michalis Papakalododoukas; and I was born in the capital of the Dodecanese, Rhodes, Greece in 1963, where I’ve lived most of my adult life. My art is inspired by nature, man and fictional worlds. Art books are my main and constant source of artistic education. I have been a multifarious entrepreneur for many years, working in the hospitality and tourism industries back home, and the past nine years I moved with my family to New York and have worked as a chef while simultaneously working on my art. Read more>>
Koku Gonza
I am a singer-songwriter and guitarist originally from the U.S., but my heart is always in Tanzania, where my family is from. I began my musical journey as a child, influenced by my parents’ love for music. I started with voice and piano, singing and playing in various ensemble settings. During college at Indiana University, I finally had the opportunity to learn my dream instrument, the guitar. After taking a semester of basic guitar lessons, I dove into it passionately. Shortly after graduating, I played a series of gigs in Chicago that taught me lessons beyond what school and church could offer. I realized that the life of a musician demands everything that a full-time profession requires and more. The belief in oneself became the strongest superpower I developed as an artist. While in Chicago, I created several projects in the Afro Soul genre, drawing inspiration from my favorite artists. Read more>>
Omar Gomet
Art has always been a big part of my life and starting at the Academy is where I felt I really blossomed into the artist that I am. Through my academic journey, I’ve learned many traditional art forms that helped me navigate towards my main goal of character design. Majoring in visual development gave me the overall idea of how art can be applied in animation. I got to learn about story, environment, props, but most of all, I was intrigued by the way character design allowed you to push reality in a fun and exciting way to play on your imagination. While at the Academy, I found different ways to network with successful creatives and get the perspective of how their journey was in the industry. Through all the experiences, I’ve been fortunate enough to get opportunities to work with a bunch of great people and companies. The most notable was working with Marvel Studios, which has always been my dream job as a kid who grew up reading comics. Since then, I’ve ventured into working with indie films to continue following my dreams as a character designer. Read more>>
Therese Myers of Yes Girls Create Inc.
Yes Girls Create was birthed from my desire to want to ensure my daughters and girls in our community have the opportunity and access to women leaders who can inspire them to dream and achieve bold dreams. Read more>>
James Baybayan of primepaw
It all started at the SF SPCA, where I embarked on an internship that would lay the foundation for my future. My experience there was focused on positive reinforcement dog training and community engagement. While at the SF SPCA, I spearheaded a ‘Pitbull’ program, achieving a 300% increase in adoptions in my first year. I extended my work to the Community Cares Team where I helped provide free dog training to underserved communities in San Francisco. This approach not only enhanced the lives of dogs and their families but also strengthened community bonds. This work with the SF SPCA eventually led to a full-time position as a behavior specialist and fueled my desire to make a difference in the lives of dogs and their owners. This passion, advocacy, and commitment to care drove me to establish primepaw about nine years ago, with a singular mission: to provide the highest quality positive reinforcement care for dogs and to enhance the human-animal bond through positive reinforcement training. Read more>>
Richard Lyntton’s Story
As a child, I was very optimistic – so much so, that some used to think I was being sarcastic when I was just being cheerful and adventurous. Raised by a single mother and being an only child allowed me to use my imagination and sense of optimism and adventure to believe that anything was possible. Read more>>
Hannah Pintar
I grew up a Navy kid, so before I moved to Wisconsin I hadn’t lived anywhere longer than 3 years. When my dad chose Wisconsin as his place to retire, I was initially disappointed because I had only lived on coasts before. I thought I was going to hate it because it didn’t have the ocean! When we arrived I was shocked by the ridiculously humid summers, and then bewildered again by the sub-zero winters. Over the years I have grown to love my little slice of heaven in Wisconsin. It is green and gorgeous with lovely, kind people and with an abundance of care for small businesses. Read more>>
Anyea’ Thompson
I began my graphic design journey four years ago as a hobby for my first business, FramedU, which specialized in sunglasses. Initially, I created quick flyers for my own business, but soon realized I had a creative vision and a natural talent for graphic design, despite not being formally educated in the field. As my work gained attention, other entrepreneur friends began requesting flyers, leading me to pursue graphic design full-time. When COVID-19 hit and I was working in childcare, I decided to take a leap of faith and fully commit to this passion. Four years later, my venture has evolved into TheBrandARTist Studios, servicing businesses worldwide with over 500 clients. Our brand is dedicated to cohesive branding, encapsulated by our motto, “1 Way Flight To Cohesive Branding.” Read more>>
Annalisa Summea of Date With The Muse
I was originally published at the age of 9 when I won a statewide poetry competition and read my poem on the state house lawn. I published multiple times from that point on and people came to me wanting to know more about how they could get published too. I began my journey in the world of writing due to a strong desire to help people tell their stories effectively. Observing that many aspiring writers struggled with the nonlinear nature of the creative process, I aimed to address this issue. This inspired me to write my book, Storytelling for Pantsers: How to Write and Revise Your Novel without an Outline. My goal was to guide writers through the often murky and frustrating stages of writing and help them achieve success. Read more>>
Janet Fagan’s Story
I am a painter and printmaker living in Mazama, Washington. My path as a professional studio artist began early – creating and imagining at the encouragement of my mother, who was a career studio artist. I attended art school through graduate school focusing on painting and have worked hard to sustain a viable studio practice, gallery relationships and collector base throughout my professional life. I can not imagine being anything other than what I am – a dedicated full-time working artist. Read more>>
Sheryl Green of Sheryl Green Speaks
As a goth teenager obsessed with serial killers, I planned to be an FBI profiler when I grew up. I did my undergrad in Psychology and Anthropology, and then earned my Master’s in Forensic Psychology. Thankfully, the universe had a different plan for me. When I didn’t make it into the FBI, I was devastated. I bounced from job to job, learning a lot about what I DIDN’T WANT to do, but not much about what I DID want to do. It would take a marriage, a divorce, a clinical depression, a major car accident and a near mental breakdown to find my purpose on this earth. But let me back up a minute. Read more>>
Jan Huling’s Story
Being an artist has always been a given in my life since I was very small. My mother was artistic so an interest in the arts was always encouraged. By the time I was applying to art schools I decided that commercial art was the direction I wanted to take and so, after graduating from the Kansas City Art Institute I spent 5 very formative years working at Hallmark Cards before moving to NYC to peruse a freelance career. For many years I enjoyed success as a designer of everything from home textiles to dinnerware, holiday decor to plush toys. It was a lot of fun, pretty easy and I met tons of wonderful people and even got to travel to some very interesting places. Read more>>