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.

Lisa Hammonds

Full Leaf Tea Company’s background is one of very humble beginning. With only one-hundred dollars and a twenty-five-hundred-dollar line of credit my husband and myself started FullLeafTeaCompany.com. Neither one of us had a background in e-commerce, design, marketing, product development or photography. We had to get creative! Our first product photos were taken with an old digital camera, and our lighting source was our side table lamp. Flash forward to 2024, Full Leaf celebrated its tenth birthday. What started as my husband and myself has now grown to a team of 29. Read more>>

Lauren Schutz

Hi everyone! My name is Lauren and I’m 28 year old software engineer, “therapist-friend”, and Certified Life Coach who focuses on building authenticity and fulfillment in your relationships, career, and life. After a life-changing quarter-life crisis and receiving an ICF-accredited certification from the Coach Training Alliance, I began my own coaching practice to help other young adults become active participants in their own lives and answer big questions like “What do I want out of life?” or “How can I start monetizing my passion project(s)?” Read more>>

Sara Woznicki of Woz Here Co.

It’s difficult to pinpoint where this story starts — perhaps the day I was born, perhaps a little over a year ago. For the sake of brevity, let’s go with last year. I have a full time job, but have always loved having a side hustle. Something that I feel like I can own, direct and be creative. My sister is more creative in a literal sense in that she can draw. I kept telling her I wanted a side hustle, and then one day she saw someone post on Instagram that they made six figures selling stickers online. She said, “Sara, I can draw better than that.” So I challenged her to do it. I know how to build a website, sell products online, create social media content. If she can make designs, I can get it out into the world. Read more>>

Mary Mastren-williams

The short version of my story: My freshman year of high school I walked into an art classroom and I’ve been walking into art classrooms ever since. Over 25 years later, I’m still going strong. It’s been quite a journey.” Read more>>

Heather Pilder Olson’s Story

I am a writer and producer working on independent film and TV projects in Seattle. I started writing as a kid, and used to invent funny commercials and sketches with my brother when we were growing up. We’d record them on a tape recorder and play them for friends and family. After many years in other kinds of jobs like marketing, event planning and social work, I came back to doing what I truly loved: creating things for an audience. And especially making people laugh! Most recently I wrote and produced a TV comedy pilot called A Broad Abroad. It’s a show about the making of a travel show. It’s Rick Steves’ Europe meets Waiting for Guffman, and it will definitely make you laugh. We filmed it in Italy in 2023, and have spent a lot of 2024 traveling to film festivals where it’s screened and won awards! We won two Best Pilot Awards this year: in the Studio City Film Festival in LA, and in the Seattle Film Summit here at home. Our goal is to turn it into an episodic series. Read more>>

Patricia Sutterfield

The whole reason I got into jewelry was truly due to the lack of shopping in my home town. I wanted a necklace that I couldn’t find in our local stores. After a day of going store to store, I decided I could just make it myself, I brought some wire, chain and glue and made my own necklace. To my surprise during a night out I received so many compliments. One friend asked if I could make her one which turned into 3 friends and so on. From there it snowballed into a full hobby for a few years. I dabbled in wire wrapping, copper electroforming and silversmithing before eventually getting into goldsmithing. Not only was I falling in love with goldsmithing but I really enjoyed owning a business. I loved all aspects, designing the piece, getting to know clients, marketing, taking photos, even the admin side. Read more>>

Dan Carusi of Red Paint Consulting LLC

Typically, I start my story mid-career as a husband & father during a period of time when outdoor scouting adventures changed the trajectory of my life both personally and professionally. However, reflecting back it started as a cross country and track long distance runner for Moravian College. The Head Coach knew how to build a High Performing Team by recruiting a diverse collection of athletes who collectively scored points versus winning races. The combined efforts of working as one team around a common goal resulted in numerous titles, a Division III National ranking and an induction into the Moravian College Sports Hall of Fame. Read more>>

Sierra Houk

I grew up in Ashland, Oregon where I did a lot to theatre tech in my teen years. That, on top of always just being a creative and crafty kid, I felt pretty naturally drawn to the visual arts. When it came to choosing a career path, I decided to go to college in Seattle and ended up at Seattle University for digital design. Read more>>

Craig Higgins

My writing career as such began during the COVID crisis. Stuck at home with little to do beyond experimenting with ways to create the perfect peanut butter-and-chocolate quesadilla, I yearned for a way to express myself. That expression came in the form of developing ideas for YA science fiction and fantasy novels which explore both my personal history as a native of the American Deep South (the city of New Orleans being my hometown) with body-horror and brain-blasting comics concepts that are a big part of my first novel, ‘Artichoke Stars and Chicken Fried Shark’. It took a while to gel but now I’m hooked on writing and am committed to following through on my vision of what challenging and bold fiction should read, look, taste and breathe like. Read more>>

Paul Stagg

After earning my MBA,I spent two decades in the corporate world, my last , excelling in strategic roles that required precision and long-term planning. As rewarding as that career was, I realized I wanted something more personal—work that allowed me to directly impact people’s lives. Real estate became the perfect fit. Over the last decade, I’ve cultivated a reputation for meticulous market analysis and personalized service, first in Baltimore and now in Naples, Florida. My focus has always been on helping clients achieve their dreams while fostering long-term relationships. This isn’t just about buying or selling homes; it’s about creating seamless, meaningful experiences that align with each client’s vision. Read more>>

Sherise Dsouza

I started by singing for Church as a Gospel singer. Soon, I joined professional choirs in my city and began consistently attending vocal practices and picking up various types of vocal pieces – Both Classical and Non-Classical. Later, I decided to start my own band. It was a fabulous experience as I had the experience of performing all across India, as well as Germany, France, London, and Ireland. I gained a greater understanding of the planning and execution that’s required to make a large scale performance or tour possible. It was also great to learn how to adapt to different personalities and be part of a collective sound. Read more>>

Lia Lamela of Sparky Life Solutions LLC

​​After a decade in Medical Aesthetics, as a Skin Care Director, and Aesthetician, I took a risk when meeting my soon- to- be- fiance, and built a Specialty Rod & Rig business for the Commercial Fishing Industry. I invested $10,000 into this business, which produced profits of $75,000 in less than a year. This was living the American Dream; I was about to be married, and growing a profitable business. But that’s all it was; a dream that quickly crumbled into a nightmare. I lost everything. My business, my possessions, and with no money, I had to flee, fearing for my life. I ended up in a women’s shelter, with my beloved pets, and the clothes on my back. I am a survivor of domestic violence. Read more>>

Shakerra Horn

Growing up, I was always a creative person. I loved art, dance, fashion design—you name it. I took countless classes both in and out of school to nurture my creativity. After graduating, I moved to Philadelphia to pursue a dance career, but life had other plans. I found myself transitioning into creative directing for musicians, which felt like a natural evolution of my artistic passions. Around my second year in Philadelphia, I discovered I was pregnant with my daughter. That moment was a turning point for me. I immediately reevaluated my life, moved back home to Maryland, and decided to start over. I wanted to be the best mom I could be while still pursuing a creative career, and entrepreneurship felt like the best route to achieve that balance. Read more>>

Deja A. Ross

I like to think that I’ve been acting since the time I could walk and talk. I would perform skits for my family and run around the house doing impressions of characters I’ve seen on TV. Eventually, my mom would enroll me in performance arts classes, and I would go on to pursue it in high school and college. I really grinded it out to figure out a way to get in front of an audience. I did wardrobe and worked as a PA. My first time on a professional TV set in front of a camera was as an extra, and then as a stand-in for Taraji P. Henson for the TV show Empire before eventually landing my first speaking role on Chicago Fire. Read more>>

Jess Cottongim’s Story

In 2014, I had recently graduated from Purdue University and was pretty lost. My future husband and I were starting our life together and I needed an income. Reclaim and Rethread started out of necessity in the beginning. As I became increasingly aware of the environmental impact of fast fashion and the staggering amount of textile waste that ends up in landfills, my small business quickly became not only a passion project but also a full time job. When I started, my projects were small. I mostly was upcycling tshirts and flannels (which I still do today). Over the years, I have branched out to more advanced pieces that I am very proud of. Each piece I create honors the life the materials already lived and gives them a new purpose. Read more>>

Gouri Dixit’s Story

I’m a Content Strategist and SEO for brands, i.e., I create content to help them gain visibility and business. The journey to being a content strategist started from being a content writer. My story is similar to that of the shepherd in “The Alchemist.” I was searching for my treasure elsewhere and found it very unexpectedly in a different place altogether. I have always loved writing since childhood but never considered it a profession. It was while studying computer science engineering that the seed of writing as a profession planted itself. While in college, I joined the Toastmasters International organization, which started me on my writing path. Writing speeches during my time in the organization made me realize that writing was my calling all along. In 2020, I came across the term “freelancing” while preparing for a speech, and a new avenue opened for me! Read more>>

Solia Sam

I’ve been drawn to fashion since I was a young girl growing up in Iran, even though fashion itself was considered illegal and heavily restricted. My first glimpse into the world of style and creativity came through an illegal satellite TV channel when I was about 11 or 12, where I watched runway shows without fully understanding the industry—just mesmerized by the art and expression I saw on screen. For a long time, I believed my dreams were unattainable. I worked at a company for 7 years, playing it safe and meeting my responsibilities, but something inside me kept whispering that I could do more. After I finally gained the independence to move out on my own, I made the decision at 33 to pursue what I truly loved. With limited resources, virtually no fashion infrastructure, and having to operate underground, I launched my brand, Enki, in Iran. The name and concept reflected a belief in creativity, individuality, and the idea that we all have a kind of inner divinity. Read more>>

Elissa Wolf

How I got to where I am today, well I’ve always really been interested in stories. I loved listening to bedtime stories when I was younger, and I would imagine intricate storylines when playing with my Barbies. Even in elementary school my sister and I somehow convinced our mom to let us host plays on the patio in our front yard during the summers. We would invite our neighbors over and they would be our audience. Looking back sharing stories was just something I did. I believe I mentioned this the last time we spoke, but I just think my parents saw my love for performing and wanted to support that interest. I guess I always knew theatre and acting made me happy and I didn’t want to let that go. Read more>>

Paul Kobylensky of The New Rockstar LLC

I started playing guitar when I was 13 years old and had a one-track mind ever since. I even went to college for journalism with the goal of ne day writing for guitar magazines. Once I graduated, I went right to work in the guitar industry and have never left the music world. In 2015, I was hired as a copywriter at the largest online music retailer out there. While I was there, I noticed that many of the brands we worked with struggled to market themselves. It was either an afterthought, or they went with generalized marketing agencies that have no idea how to communicate with the musical community. Read more>>

Emily Lauren Dick

I’m a creative marketer with over 10 years of experience in various roles, including freelance copywriting and content creation, design, and running my own photography studio. I also spent a decade working full-time as a marketing manager for a local franchise. I also wrote and photographed a book called Body Positive, which was published in 2021. I gained such valuable experience throughout this process, bootstrapping my efforts every step of the way. I took charge of my public relations, built my online platform, launched a podcast, and became a speaker and workshop provider for online and in-person events. Read more>>

Ovide Van Der Vlist

I have been doing acting all my life, but I just never realized that is what I was doing when I would pretend I was a dog for the hundredth time. Or when I would play for hours on end my Playmobil family was having a fight and it would end in one member standing on the roof and the others kissing in the bathroom (I had always loved scandalous dramas). This was all acting. When I was eleven years old, I decided to get out of the comfort zone of my own bedroom and act with other kids who also liked overly dramatic family dynamics. I joined the Amsterdam Youth Theaterschool and took dance lessons at Lucia Marthas. I continued to do so throughout high school. After graduating, I took a gap year to travel, but what I really did, is give myself a year to admit that I really do wanted to become an actor professionally. Read more>>

Cody Bowman

I was born with Spina Bifida, a birth defect. So I use a manual wheelchair to get around. However, I was raised to be extremely independent. Luckily, my parents were very supportive & believed in me and my abilities. I would not be where I am today if it were not for how I was raised. They pushed me to do my best. I am the first in my family to earn a college degree…I now have 2 under my belt! Read more>>

Allen Ofir Dearie of Güero y Maria

My journey is a blend of entrepreneurship, culture, and creativity. In the early 2000s, my family and I moved from San Diego to Quincy, Washington, where we opened a Mexican market together. It was there that we developed our brand, *Guero y Maria,* inspired by the rich culinary traditions shared with us by Mexican field workers. I learned firsthand about ingredients and cooking styles from regions like Oaxaca and Jalisco, and I gained a deeper appreciation for Mexican culture—ironically, while living in the U.S. Read more>>

Vivienne Yang of VillageOneArt

My journey has been a mix of different passions coming together. I spent 16 years as a journalist and news anchor at Phoenix TV, telling stories about people and moments that really mattered. I absolutely loved my job—it gave me a chance to dive into so many layers of humanity and explore what connects us. Art came into my life almost unexpectedly, but looking back, it feels like it was meant to be. I’ve always been drawn to exploring humanity, and art gave me a new way to do that. In 2018, I founded VillageOneArt, and my partner Christy joined me. It’s been an incredible journey ever since. Read more>>

Aisha Murphy

My career has been a journey of highs, lows, and meaningful pivots. I started with a passion for storytelling and journalism, publishing my first work as a teen. Over the years, I’ve embraced roles in technical writing, public relations, digital media, and strategic communications, each adding layers to my expertise. While navigating challenges and transitions, I realized that every experience—whether a high point or a setback—prepared me for where I am today. Currently, I find myself drawing from a diverse well of experiences, merging creativity, strategy, and resilience. This reflection has reconnected me with my roots, inspiring me to reach back, align with my purpose, and create meaningful work that uplifts others. My path, though winding, has proven purposeful, enabling me to approach my work with clarity, intention, and a deep understanding of the value of growth through every stage. Read more>>

Jessica Graham of Jessica Graham Brand Studio

So since I was in my 20s, I had been actively looking for a career path that felt really meaningful and purposeful. I had graduated from University with a History degree not knowing what I’d ever do with it. And when I had the opportunity to start teaching, I felt like I had potentially found my calling. The bonus to pursuing this new career was that the opportunity was overseas. So I got to have the experience that I had always dreamed of, which was traveling the world and exploring new places. However, three years into teaching primary school, I realized that this was not the forever career path for me. It didn’t feel aligned. I felt drained at the end of the day, and I knew I wasn’t really using all of my gifts.  Read more>>

Maya Enriquez

I always dreamed of becoming a doctor. Since the age of 12, it was all I could think about. I spent my free time reading, watching, and learning everything I could about becoming an Obstetrician-Gynecologist. My future was carefully mapped out. Everything seemed to be on track during my first year of college. I excelled academically, earned great grades, and even received letters of recommendation for a study-abroad program in London, England. It was an incredible experience! But during my second year, things took a turn. I went from being a top student to struggling, failing my classes, and feeling completely discouraged. Despite hours of studying—alone and with classmates—I couldn’t grasp the math and science concepts well enough to succeed. Read more>>

Adalgisa Mullano Fernández

My career path began during my time at university, where I studied fashion design. While I initially envisioned a future in design, I became increasingly fascinated with the marketing side of the industry—specifically, understanding how and why certain fashion brands achieve success. This curiosity led me to launch my own fashion brand, a project I was deeply passionate about. Unfortunately, like many others, my business faced challenges during the pandemic, which led me to pivot my career. That’s when I started working in marketing for various companies. This transition sparked an even greater interest in branding and strategy, eventually leading me to my current role as CMO at Olympus Marketing. Read more>>

Benny Bassett

I have always loved music. It took me a couple different careers, and about 10 years as lawyer to finally realize my dream. I started playing music professionally with my band Vintage Blue in Chicago. We won the opportunity to play on a rock and roll music cruise, and met people around the world. Upon returning home we decided to break up, and I used that as an opportunity to finally launch my own solo entertainer career. Since then I have released three albums, played over 1,000 concerts in 46 U.S. States and 8 countries, and driven over 600,000 miles. I love what I do, and I am lucky to have so many people that support me on my journey. Read more>>

Jay Janicki

For those that know me, I am what you may call a professional yapper, so I will try to summarize my lore/origin story and where I’m at now as best as I can! As a child, I was a very sensitive soul – I had a lot of feelings and no way to name them. My family is extremely close and small, and I feel very fortunate to say confidently that I grew up with two parents and a younger sister who love me very much. I watched my parents both battle chronic illness my whole life, my dad being in and out of the hospital for years that seemed endless. I went to Catholic school for 13 years and didn’t know an ounce of what the world was actually like until I went to college. I even watched my sister struggle in her own way. We experienced trauma as a family and individually, and I don’t think any of us really knew how to name it — we were just surviving. A lot of life was just that – surviving. Read more>>

Iv Mercedes

My story starts with trial and error. To quote the great Maya Angelou: “You do what you know , but now that you know better you do better.’ For a long time I felt I had no control over my life. My sister and I moved around alot when we were young. My mom moved to the United States when I was 5 my sister was 10. We moved around from family member to family member in Spain and for one year to Africa before moving to United States 5 years later. I remember telling myself not to get attached to places or friends wherever i moved after leaving Africa. I kind of lived my early adult years running from bonds, responsibility, accountability. Eventhough, I was working, living independently, mentally i detached and moved around to different jobs, living arrangements and relationships. Becoming the best version of myself , took reflection, accountability and courage. I wouldn’t change anything my past. My childhood was preparing me for my abundant destiny of travel, meaningful relationships personal and professional, opening a girl’s camp, becoming a catalog model to and be the hero of my own life. I am learning to trust the process in all areas of my life. Read more>>

John Richards’s Story

I grew up in the small town of Adams, MA. Subsequently. I received a B.A in Physics and an M.A. in Education from North Adams State College, now named the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts; I was married and moved to Williamstown, MA where we lived for 47 years. I taught High School Physics at Drury High School for 35 years, retiring in 2004; it was then that I started my art career in earnest. I developed a website and started selling paintings. (Up until then I had dabbled in art but nothing very serious.) Ultimately my wife suggested that I take lessons from accomplished artists and I started workshops through the Southern Vermont Art Center in Manchester, VT. It was there that I met Andrew Orr and Christopher Pierce, two of the best oil painters in the country. As time went on I became good friends with both of them and have learned about oil painting from them. During that period, I also studied with Leah Lopez, another excellent artist who has an atelier in New York City. These encounters all led me to practicing the techniques that brought me to where I am today; I own the studio/gallery, “Art on the Run” in Lamoine, ME (Near Acadia National Park) and practice my trade/sell paintings. My paintings are owned by collectors all over the United States and in Europe. Read more>>

Jess Wagner of Sagebrush Collaborative

My name is Jess, and my life has taken quite a different turn than I ever imagined. I grew up in Buffalo, New York, never even having seen a snow capped mountain until I moved out West when I was 21. After years of seasonal work, from Wyoming to Alaska, Arizona to Oregon, working coffee bars to farms in Alaska, I found myself in Idaho. In 2019 I started selling my art after an incredibly hard personal year, with a lot more success than I ever dreamed of. In early 2020, much like everyone else, my life turned completely upside down and I found myself in Nampa, Idaho, a place I had never been before, with a falling apart $700 car, a puppy, and a few totes of belongings. Read more>>

Kristin Luckie of Kristin Luckie Communications

Following a corporate restructuring in February, I became an independent practitioner and the owner of Kristin Luckie Communications. In this role, I’ve doubled-down on my support of small businesses and nonprofit organizations, having recently worked with clients across education, history and the arts to provide strategic PR support and communications counsel. My background, however, is incredibly varied and my experience spans brands big and small. Some might say this is a weakness, but I think being somewhat of a Swiss Army knife makes me a better partner and a more nuanced storyteller. Read more>>

Brioné Lathrop of Rhodium Business Solutions, LLC

Before I embarked on my journey of traveling and living abroad, I ran three companies across distinctly different industries: record production, video production, and wellness and beauty. My life revolved around 60 to 80-hour work weeks, where I was an owner-operator, trading my time for money. While I couldn’t articulate it at the time, I reached a critical moment when I realized that if I didn’t start checking off the goals on my bucket list, I risked getting stuck in a cycle that would prevent me from pursuing my dreams. Read more>>

Grier Spry

My journey into branding and multidisciplinary design began with a passion for creativity and storytelling. While studying advertising with a minor in graphic design at Howard University, I discovered my love for crafting strategic visuals that truly resonate with people. After graduating, I balanced a 9-to-5 job with freelancing, exploring various aspects of the industry and experimenting with styles to uncover what inspired me most. Read more>>

Giulia Hartz

I was born and raised in a tiny town on the shores of Lake Garda in Italy, where my passion for design started to take root. After high school, I moved to Milan, inspired by legends like Ettore Sottsass, to study Product Design at the Politecnico di Milano. However, my path to a full-time creative career wasn’t a straight line. In 2016, I moved to Berlin to pursue a Master’s in Strategic Design, and it was during this time that I discovered my love for visual thinking and illustration. Read more>>

Minju Witte of Empower Etiquette, LLC

I was born in South Korea and raised in Indiana, where I began my journey as a pianist. My passion for music led me to The Juilliard School for my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, followed by a doctorate in Piano Performance from SUNY-Stony Brook. For over 15 years, I worked as a college professor and performed internationally, dedicating myself to teaching and sharing music. Read more>>

Vanessa Jo Bahr

I discovered printmaking during freshman year of my undergraduate career in Denver, Colorado at Regis University. During the 1st week of classes, I met the printmaking professor in the art gallery on campus. They mentioned they needed a TA (teacher’s aid) for their class. I had no idea what printmaking was but they glanced at my sketchbook and told me, “I think you’re going to like it.” They allowed me to received credit for the Intro. course while getting paid as a work study employee. I remained the TA for all levels of the printmaking courses and the studio monitor for the remainder of my 4 years there. Read more>>

Billy Blanken

Sure! I grew up in a very small town in Ohio. Springfield was the kind of place where everyone knew everyone, and nothing really changed. I never fit it and wanted much more with my life, but didn’t really know what that was. As a child, I fell in love with the arts: music, choir, plays, opera and especially musicals. I got involved with a local organization called the Muse Machine that completely changed the trajectory of my life. It was there that I found my community of artists, worked with amazing professionals and saw the true beauty in community. That’s when I started taking class. Read more>>

Salenna Green

I started my journey of healing and wellness in the nonprofit sector many years ago. I was 21 years old, had just graduated college and was hired to work for the nonprofit I did my senior internship with. That all now feels a lifetime ago even though it’s only been 10 years. I spent the years creating and facilitating holistic homelessness prevention programming for our communities’ most At-Risk youth. During this time I learned about the struggles and glory of grassroots organizing and the strengthening of community. Next I moved to being a social worker for a state disability program. I also started my own healing and wellness business. All the while I am also a creative and artist on the side. I have always been an entrepreneur in my adult life. Entrepreneurship has offered me a way to make a living in a capitalist society that demands that you pay to live, and still engage with what feeds my soul: community and art. Read more>>

Zipporah Sowell of Rooted Vybz Botanica

I began my studies of herbalism during my senior year of high school. I decided to take a horticulture course as an elective and that’s when I found my passion at first sight. I learned plant identification, leaf arrangements, and all of the plant basics. Towards the end of the course, I was required to complete a final project and I decided to grow oregano, lavender, chamomile, and other herbs that sparked my interest. The pivotal point of my interest in herbalism came about when one day I came home from track practice and I was lying on the couch as normal. A little later that evening, I got up and had the worst headache of my life. That headache was followed by a fever, cough, and congestion. I was almost certain I had the flu or some version of it. Fortunately, I was introduced to this wonderful medicinal plant by the name of Elderberry. I consumed an Elderberry decoction at least twice a day, engaged in intermittent fasting, and rested. Read more>>

Nadia Sirninger Rankin

I have always been immersed in the creative arts. My mum is a painter, and my dad is an illustrator. Growing up, I spent countless hours doodling in the margins of my school workbooks. My Grade 6 teacher, Mr. Hall, recognized my artistic inclinations early on. He often looked the other way when I was drawing during math lessons and he later initiated an after-school drama program, which sparked my love for theatre. In Year 12, I was the only student in my cohort to undertake all creative folio subjects, and when graduating, I received the Diedre Cross Award for my dedication to the arts. It was during this time that I discovered oil paint portraiture—a medium that has since become central to my practice. Following high school, I pursued a Bachelor of Creative Arts, majoring in Drama, at Deakin University. Read more>>

Brian Mchugh’s Story

I have been a digital storyteller for 25 years. My work as a Videographer and Video editor for documentary film and national and local broadcast news outlets have given me the experience to master the tools to effectively tell a story in digital media. However, my love for the simplicity for telling a story through a single image has steered me towards photography. I work in Broadcast news to pay the bills but embrace still photography as a creative outlet. The only tools required to create is my Fujifilm XT3 and a Fujifilm 35mm prime lens. Light, shadows and composition are the same skills I use in photography as I use in videography. However, shooting images on the street require an attention to my surroundings and the ability to foresee a story unfolding. Both mediums inform the other but the ability to tell a story without a crew and minimal gear is freeing.  Read more>>

S.j. Carson

I’ve been a writer since I was about five years old. Words, particularly color words, have always fascinated me–lavender, periwinkle, cerulean. In kindergarten and first grade, I began writing little stories and illustrating them, giving them as presents to my mom. As I got older, I began keeping journals and writing short stories. When I was about fifteen, my best friend showed me her notebook where she wrote poetry. Around the same time, we were studying the Romantic poets (Keats, Wordsworth, etc.) in English class. I thought, “I can do that!” and began writing poetry in a notebook of my own. This notebook was very early 2000s–covered in magazine cutouts, clip art, and stickers. Read more>>

Alexey Boyko

I am a native of Russia whose passion for tattoo emerged at a very young age. The first tattoo I created was graphic for one of my friends and the result was so astonishing that i started working on developing my skills and equipment to create high-quality tattoos within minimal time. Throughout the years, I developed my own Tattoo style. I was inspired by northern folklore and traditions, Yakut and Norwegian motifs prevail. And at the moment there are no masters who can repeat the specifics and ideas, so my tattoos and art in general can be called unique. I call my style “ornamental”. Read more>>

Dana Powell Smith

After being a closet creator for decades, happenings during the pandemic in 2020 is what got me going. Growing up in an art family, art was just a part of life for us. I always had supply’s at my fingertips for whenever the spirit hit me. However after I started a family and a near fatal accident a few years later, I was thrown completely off course. In 2020 with the unrest, the Marches and the Police killings of Black men, I was at my whits end! I was angry, frustrated, uncertain, you name it. After two long weeks of hearing the voice in my head “YOU HAVE TO PAINT” I finally acquiesced. Propelled to my garage by the voice I began painting. I have painted daily ever since. Read more>>

Erick Mertz

I’ve been a writer from the beginning. When I say “the beginning” I mean, since I was seven or eight years old and nagged my father, an engineer, to bring notebooks home from work to write my stories in. I always knew that writing and storytelling was something I wanted to do. After college, I was always on the prowl for a way to break into writing. Being something of an unconventional person, however, I eschewed the “easy” route of getting a Masters Degree. Instead, I started out case managing for adults with developmental disabilities. It was a steady job that fed my need for connection with people, but my eye was always firmly set on a creative career. My role as a ghostwriter, I think, springs out of a combination of the two. I found my natural storytelling abilities helped me work with people in need and, as a result, I got really comfortable in the position of listening and helping people’s truths come through. Read more>>

Datboykcold Aka Dbk

Let’s take this to the beginning, I was born August 1st 1997 , born and raised in Indiana Indianapolis .Also known as Naptown . Growing up it was ruff , my dad was in and out of jail a lot but I still went to go see him here and there . I grew up in sorta of a single parent household, my mom had a husband at first , life was good untill it wasn’t. I wrote my first song after me getting in trouble one day , it was weird because I didn’t even know what I was doing . I always tell myself I was writing a poem . So you know what I did . I joined poetry club in middle , I was only there for like 2 weeks because we ended up doing an activity , and I remember the teacher explained all the ways that you can express poetry and that was through music. Till that day I considered all my poems, raps . And it just went from there , all That was 7th grade. By 8th grade I was hanging around other students that always did music, they had a group called “New Gen” . Read more>>

Katie Hoffpauir

It all started in playing with makeup. I have always been the designated makeup artist for my friends, family, and now my clients. I am fascinated by the power that makeup holds. It can be subtle or so transformative. This is what led me to cosmetic tattooing. For me, it’s about creating balance and harmony not only on the surface, but in my client’s everyday lives. Read more>>

Miranda Malone

My journey to becoming a holistic grief therapist started long before I officially entered the field. I lost my mom when I was just 5 months old, an experience that profoundly shaped my sense of self and my passion for helping others. Growing up, I navigated the complexities of grief, identity, and belonging without a clear map, which inspired me to become the kind of support I wish I had during those times. Read more>>

Lauren E. Peters

Working for a number of years in self-portraiture is something that makes complete sense in hindsight, but a world I entered with no intentions of it lasting as long as it has. After falling in love with oil paint in college, all I wanted to do was paint but I could not find an idea that I could dig into and eventually stopped altogether. My thesis exhibit in college was a series of pieces drawing inspiration from a cast of the Venus de Milo. I had never used oil paint before college, so a lot of that work was a continuing exploration of materials and themes. My best piece in that show was a black and white painting with a larger-than-life Venus and a checkerboard background. One night, nearing the opening of the exhibit, I cut off her head by painting over it and leaving a smooth ellipse atop her neck. So not only did she not have any arms, but I took her other senses, and took away her ability to speak. That was the painting that meant the most to me. Themes of the show swirled around the complicated relationship of walking through the world in a female body and attempts to communicate my feelings on the subject. In the “lost years” when I wasn’t painting, I looked for another female figure/object on which to project the issues I wanted to discuss. Having grown up within a family business that was a specialized, high-end dry cleaner, I also found myself working there again after college. During this time I began filling hours with costuming at a local theater and began to absorb further, intimate knowledge of how clothing communicates our sense of identity to the world. You can also safely inject a love of clothing, fashion, and a previous dabbling in theater into this story.  Read more>>

Darrell Watts

I am still in the building process. I started taking photography seriously in 2023, but I been a photographer since 2005 during my junior year in high school. When I started to take photography seriously, it was my brother Darren that attracted the idea to me that ‘photography is your thing! What are you doing with these photos? Show the world and quit leaving them in a stash to collect dust!’ Ever since then, I started to form social media to post my photos and a website to attract attention. It has been hit and miss. I was unemployed from May 2023 to October of 2024, that was one and a half years of thinking of my next move. I had instantly started attracting people on social media with. my photos I did. Everything is falling right into place, hoping that it will continue to fall into place. The plans I have developed has worked in my favor so far. It’s all about consistency, perspective and hard work. Believing in myself was the only idea at the time I had, and it hasn’t let me down. Read more>>

Jan Mitchell of She Moves Forward Inc.

Hello, my name is Jan Mitchell. My journey began when I became a widow at the age of 38 after just five years of marriage. My late husband, Steve, and I shared a blended family of four daughters—two from my previous relationship, one from his, and one we had together. Steve’s passing was sudden and devastating, caused by nursing home-acquired sepsis (neglect) following a spinal cord injury. Navigating the complexities of the healthcare system during his illness and the aftermath of his death became a pivotal moment for me. Read more>>

Aminna Taylor of Twenty-Eight Minna

I started my dream job in 2018; unexpectedly became pregnant with my first son in 2019 and had my second shortly after and; got married somewhere in-between. Slowly, as I started taking on more roles and adding more “titles”, I began to lose what it meant to be me. Before I was a career scientist, “mom” or “Mrs. Taylor”, I was Aminna “Minna” – someone with a lot of confidence, high self-esteem, and who had their own personality and style. Read more>>

Debra Fernandez

Long life, long story: I was in my early twenties and living on the island of Corfou in Greece and hanging out with an Italian filmmaker, his mother and his sister. One night we were out at a restaurant/bar on the water and the music started playing. I started dancing and improvising up a storm. I must have had some good moves because the filmmaker’s mother who was an elegant and educated woman from Brussels told me I should become a dancer. At this point, I was on a break from college and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. After a dramatic summer which I won’t go into (ha ha) I returned home to Tampa, Florida. Her words echoed in my head and I enrolled at the University of South Florida and decided to take my first dance class. It changed the course of my life! My path became clear to me even if it seemed like a crazy goal given that I started training so late. I pursued it with passion and followed my heart. Fast forward 50 years: I retired as a full professor and Chair of the dance department at Skidmore College and was blessed to have spent my work years doing the things I love; dancing, choreographing and educating young students. Once I retired and took a break for a few years I began to feel the creative itch again and I turned my love of form, pattern and color to the visual arts creating collages and works on paper. I have been at this now for about a year and three months and the work has progressed in ways I am very satisfied with. It is inextricably linked to my choreography and my love of the physical form and composition and fulfills that part of me. Read more>>

Bounce Cruz’s Story

I started my musical journey at the age of 14. It was the best outlet to have at that age. Cause, it kept me out of a lot of street stuff. Gave me something to do besides chaos. I can say music literally saved my life;) Read more>>

Ali Feeney’s Story

I have been working in glass for the past 12 years and it has been a unique experience to follow. I have been taken across the world pursuing learning more and improving my glassblowing techniques. I started at Alfred University (2015) and then went on to get my Masters of Fine Arts at the University of Texas at Arlington (2020). I have landed in New York City working as a glassblowing assistant, studio technician, art handler, and as a production manager. I have focused on my glassware production company called Mizar and Alcor Glassware where we create color palettes that resemble the color patterns of horses in cups. I am enjoying making pieces for people who have glass dreams and making hand blown glasses for people to take and incorporate into their homes. Read more>>

Grant Clark of Hidden Warrior Wellness

I began my journey as an artist, painting large canvases. This passion led me to a simple, yet profound goal: to take my paintings on and off the wall without hurting my back. As I delved deeper into understanding the mechanics of the human body, I realized the importance of movement and mindfulness in every facet of life. My personal experiences with chronic pain, inflammation, and digestive issues further fueled my desire to help others. Today, I’m committed to empowering individuals to achieve their daily activity goals, no matter their limitations. Through a holistic approach that combines strength training, yoga therapy, Qi Gong, and nutritional guidance, I help people reclaim their health and vitality. Read more>>

Daniel Bereza

In the beginning, I worked on small projects, building websites for friends, local businesses, and nonprofits. Each project gave me a chance to refine my skills, and I began delving deeper into advanced topics like PHP, JavaScript, custom post types, and integrating APIs. Along the way, I expanded my expertise to include platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and Wix, which allowed me to serve a wider variety of clients. A pivotal moment in my career was starting my own business, where I combined my technical skills with my love for creativity. Whether it’s crafting e-commerce stores, optimizing websites for speed and SEO, or building entirely custom solutions, I’ve always strived to deliver work that is not only functional but also impactful. Read more>>

Venus Sol

I’ve always had a natural love for all forms of art as I grew up in an artist household. With the support of creative friends, family, and God, I’m taking my interest and embarking on a career in music. Read more>>

Andrea Malloni’s Story

Tapping into storytelling as an art has been something I’ve pursued since early childhood. There is a certain power in being able to shine a light on a person, subject or journey that illuminates things for all of us in a larger sense that appeals to me. Telling a story or allowing someone to give testimony from a completely different or original angle is a puzzle and a joy. I began writing as a daily practice in my early teens. In university I sought out different ways to publish on campus and joined the League of Canadian poets. Read more>>

Sara Azadi of Tushbaby

I grew up in Modesto, California, in a family that celebrated hard work, tenacity, and diversity. My father immigrated from Iran in the 1960s, and my mother came from a working-class Irish-American family. Being an Iranian-Irish American was unusual to say the least, but it shaped my empathy and compassion for the diverse experiences that make up America. Everyone has a story, and my fascination with the human experience—exploring who we are and who we can become—sparked my creativity. Read more>>

Titilayo Olurin’s Story

I started my business, That Awesome Brand, in 2022. It started as this feeling I had of being awesome. At that time, I was feeling really awful about myself and thought of myself as unloved, unattractive, unskilled, even unintelligent, because of some things I had gone through and was going through. But then, one day, I just started to feel awesome and this feeling developed into a great idea that I was going to do something awesome for women. So it was that my loungewear business, That Awesome Brand, was birthed. My pieces are designed to make women look and feel awesome. That Awesome Brand is much more than loungewear, though, as you’ll soon discover. Read more>>

Kae Pea

My story in a nutshell, My name is Kristen Powers. My friends call me Kae Pea. I am an artist, maker and entrepreneur. My studio is, The Moon and The Maker – my home studio and the home of ArtFoamies® What’s an ArtFoamies® you ask? We are foam-art stamp company. We make stamps from my own original art plus we collaborate with a long list of other artists too. We have hundreds of designs from over twenty contributing artists. Plus, we offer custom designs and host a variety of pop up shops, online, throughout the year. Read more>>

Rachel Parrish of Rae Christine Agency

I began my career in marketing and PR for global brands like the NBA, WNBA, NBC Sports, and State Farm, honing my skills in audience engagement, storytelling, and strategic communications. Eventually, I realized these corporate strategies could help individuals stand out too, so I launched my “What a Publicist Thinks” series on TikTok—offering bite-sized, actionable branding insights. Read more>>

Dylon Thomas Burns

I was lucky to grow up in a time and place that encouraged creativity and exploration. My family and community were incredibly supportive, and the absence of the internet gave me the space to experience life directly and fully. As a child, I was surrounded by art—paintings that adorned the walls of my home and other great walls and minds. Although I lived in a different time than the artists I admired, I felt as though their work was part of a conversation—one I could hear and, more importantly, one I wanted to join. I saw their art not as relics of fame or history, but as an ongoing dialogue that I could add to. That’s where it all started for me. I realized that creating wasn’t just about expression; it was about becoming part of something larger, continuing the stories they left off on. Read more>>

Alyssa Bette of Mindfull Mode

My journey has been shaped by overcoming challenges, especially in my childhood, which taught me resilience from a young age. As I grew older, I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Learning to manage my mental health became a priority. It wasn’t easy but it’s been one of the most rewarding parts of my life. Read more>>

Vicki Johnson

I was born and raised into the arts or medicine and currently have three active professions. One is a Senior Publicist and a BMI Songwriter with Published works, then a IATSE 600 Senior Publicist and IATSE 478 Set Medic in the Film Industry. I have developed certain skill sets in my life time that have granted me the ability to work as a seasoned professional. My tenure spans 30+ years, and I worked my way up from obtaining my education to becoming a part of the entertainment business to date. I have been a Feature Editor, a Press Writer, Co-Producer of Events, Set Medic, Personal Publicist, Co-Songwriter, Lyricist, Music Production, etc. I also represent Recording Artists from Nashville, TN and Birmingham, AL. I develop Press Kits for my artists, and I cover the shows when needed. I attribute my humble beginnings and success to a praying grandmother who was a noted Texas Poet with accolades. Having her prayers and upbringing, coupled with my faith and hard work, has mostly been a blessed journey for me. Even with the pain and struggles in life that every human being endures at some point, there is always something to keep us grateful. Read more>>

Scotty Gaine$

My love for music started from the earliest age I can remember. Even as a young kid I would sing along to all my favorite songs on the radio and know them word for word. At age 7 I began taking piano lessons and by 13 i began experimenting with writing my own rap songs in class. As I got older I started taking music more seriously and trying to replicate the sounds of my favorite artists in my own unique fashion. In 2022 I bought a Akai MPC Live 2 which changed the way I make music forever. I started sampling a lot of my favorite records, chopping them up, and rearranging the. music how I hear it in my head. This has opened up a whole new side of creativity within me. I also started incorporating the piano in a lot of my productions and learning to play covers of my own songs. My live shows have evolved over the past years with my acquisitions of new instruments and musical abilities. Read more>>

Megan Henderson of Southern Scribble

My story begins with a little girl who loved art. I grew up doodling at my craft table in my childhood home’s sunroom, finding joy in creating, and dreaming of big things. Fast forward to my mid-20s, life was anything but certain. I was newly married, with just $6 in my bank account, and unsure of where to begin my own dreams while working full-time. But I did know one thing: I wanted a life where creativity wasn’t just a passion but a purpose. Read more>>

Natasha Garcia

Natasha Garcia, a native of Albuquerque, NM, has transformed her life from years of struggling with addiction to becoming a dedicated nonprofit executive. With a deep passion for giving back, Natasha now leads efforts to support reentry programs in New Mexico, helping justice-involved individuals successfully transition back into their communities. Her personal journey fuels her commitment to making a positive impact and providing others with the opportunities and support they need to rebuild their lives. Read more>>

Nayli Russo of Russo Leadership

My story starts in Los Teques, Venezuela, where I grew up in a close-knit family. From a young age, I was taught the value of hard work and resilience. A pivotal moment for me came at six years old when I was labeled as “too shy” to audition for a role. That moment sparked a fire in me, driving a commitment to never let anyone else define my potential. It was the first step in a lifelong journey of self-discovery and pushing beyond limits. Read more>>

Alicia Cook

My name is Alicia Cook and I have known I’ve wanted to make a career out of writing since I was about eight years old. I never once changed course, and here I am 30 years later, a bestselling and award-winning author, essayist, and speaker. But how I got here was not in a flash. It was definitely a slow burn, filled with major milestones, trauma and heartbreak, and the sting of rejection. While I was beginning to post poetry on Instagram in the mid 2010s, I also published essays on whatever platform would accept my pitches. The essays focused on the mental health impact drug addiction has on entire families. I had first-hand knowledge of this indescribable pain, as my cousin Jessica died from a heroin overdose in 2006.  Read more>>