Winning comes in so many different forms that it’s hard to define, but you know it when you see it. The CanvasRebel community is filled with so many incredible folks who have overcome long odds, challenged the status quo and won. Below, you’ll find stories of these winners along with much of the accumulated wisdom on what it takes to succeed.

Jen Schwytzer

My journey has taken a few unexpected turns along the way. As a Master’s Level Social Worker with nearly 20 years in the medical and mental health fields, I hit a point during the COVID-19 pandemic where I realized something was missing. I wasn’t fully happy with my work or my life I had created. So, I decided to pursue a certification in health and life coaching, which led me to launch KINDfulness Coaching. My business supported women in prioritizing their own mental and physical well-being. Learning to put myself first was tough, filled with feelings of guilt and selfishness, and I was able to take what I had learned along the way and pass it on to the amazing women I worked with. Read more>>

DANI Matthews

Growing up in Harlem, NY in the early 60’s, it came with its own set of challenges, being a “Bastard Child”, but on the outside we looked like we were all together.
By the time I was 12 years old, I had molested by 3 different close family members, and started using hard drugs..
The abyss of thàt lifestyle took off from there..

The next 12 years of my life were filled with: Anger. Resentment. Self loathing behavior. Jails. Institutions. And several near death experiences,some self inflicted, and some not, but clearly a ride nevertheless.. Read more>>

Jamie Roitman

I’m a professionally trained opera singer. It was the height of the pandemic and all of my contracts were canceled. I still needed to express myself artistically. I tried a few different things, learned I couldn’t sew and knitting wasn’t fulfilling enough. I taught myself resin art and starting posting my creations on social media for fun. People started asking if they were available for purchase and that’s when a business was born. Read more>>

Giulia Tripoli

When I was young I had an affinity for music and dance. I grew up dedicating most of my time to school and never imagined that a career in the arts was even possible. I was studying Police Technology and playing water polo when I was approached after a talent show to join a dance studio and the crew that represented it. I immediately fell in love with dance. It was all I could think about. I made the decision to apply myself fully to this new found love and left school. Since that day I have travelled the world, become a teacher, opened a studio, all stemming from the love of dance. Read more>>

Fred Scott

As the story goes, my friend was a DJ and I used to design flyers for him using Photoshop and images I would get of the Internet. One night at one of his gigs, another friend came by and took photos. I liked one of the photos so much that I used out for one of the flyers. After that, I concluded that I should just take my own photos to alter in Photoshop. So I took up a home study photography course. Read more>>

Simmy

I don’t have much a story! I had too many opinions and thoughts in my head for only the people in my life to get bombarded with. Also, I’m so unforgivably, and chronically online– most people in my real life didn’t know what on earth I was talking about. I needed a space to yap, and get creative and Youtube has always been the perfect place for that. Read more>>

Daylan West

My journey has been all about growth and learning from my experiences. I started out feeling stuck and realized my life wasn’t heading where I wanted it to go. That realization pushed me to take control and dive into personal development. Journaling and mindfulness became my go-to tools for self-reflection and building confidence. Read more>>

Stephen Burchard

My story begins with a deep-seated passion for understanding people and helping them reach their potential. I’ve always been fascinated by human behavior and the unique qualities that make each person special. This interest led me to pursue a career in real estate, where I had the opportunity to work closely with a diverse range of clients and hone my skills in communication, negotiation, and relationship-building. Read more>>

Meg LaPorte

(I live in the District of Columbia but that option was not offered in the above states to select for most relevant to me.)

I began working for associations in the D.C. area some 35 years ago, after I graduated college and finished an internship with C-SPAN. I worked for the government affairs and public policy departments for organizations that represented various groups of people, such as beer wholesalers and podiatrists. But n 2000, I landed a job with the association that represents physicians who are medical directors in nursing homes. Wow! What a revelation it was to meet so many people who cared so much for elders. Read more>>

Roberto Gonzalez

It all started with Oprah.

Roberto Gonzalez made a floral arrangement that had 250 roses in sherbet colors and the vase was made with a custom corset out of raw silk, gold grommets and silk, lace ribbon.

That was the arrangement that started it all.

Gonzalez designed Winfrey’s floral for her personal space inside Harpo Studios using about 1,800 stems every four days.

And that’s just the start of his floral fame.

He also designed the floral for President Obama’s 47th Birthday Celebration, and others. He designed the florals for the set of the movie Joyful Noise with Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah.

 Read more>>

Sage Breslin

There are so many places where I could start my story, but perhaps the easiest place to begin is in my childhood.

I knew I was different from the beginning. Other kids weren’t like me, but in some way were drawn to me. I thought differently, understood life differently, and saw things that others didn’t see. Unbeknownst to me, it was a family trait- but I didn’t learn that until my mid-30s. Read more>>

Chris Chang

I’m a video journalist who believes video journalism should be as informative as it is entertaining. That’s what I’ve been striving for since I set foot in the media industry, telling stories about minorities, social movements, and history with lenses and animated graphics. Born and raised in Taiwan, I speak English, Mandarin, and French, and have used them to cover news all over the world. Read more>>

Kim Marsh

I’ve always considered myself a writer. I’ve kept a journal since third grade, and as my ambitions grew I began dreaming of full-time writer status. I pictured myself living in a small, sparse New York City apartment, banging away on a keyboard at the window. In my mind’s eye, I’d taken up smoking and also, inexplicably, wore a beret. Whether due to imposter syndrome, external messaging or something else, I tossed the writing dream aside in my later teenage years and settled on a more serious and lucrative area of study: sociology with a concentration in gender studies…HA. Read more>>

Kennedy Rivers

We originally started by doing wildlife photography. We loved to do it together and would try and find rare birds at our local parks. When we started branching into portrait photography, we were lucky in finding the right connections right away. Our first time second shooting a wedding, we made a strong connection which allowed us to grow our business very quickly in the wedding industry. We’re passionate about portraiture and work in all kinds. Read more>>

Charlie Hunts

I began my career as a Harley-Davidson mechanic, but after a motorcycle accident left me bedbound for a year, I fell in love with reading. After going back to college, working in publishing, marketing, and later getting my MBA, it felt like the right time to return to literature. Read more>>

Quadeer Porter

I founded Brothers Building A Better Nation (BBABN) on September 10, 2020, on Cutler Street in Newark, NJ. The organization was born out of my deep desire to address the challenges facing Black and Brown youth in our community, following the tragic loss of a young man to gun violence. Initially, BBABN focused on pre-apprenticeship programs to help young men gain employment, but over time, we expanded to include mental health services to support the holistic well-being of the young men we served. Read more>>

Christopher Atamian

My background: I attended Harvard and Columbia Business School before attending the Swiss Polytechnic in Zurich on a Fulbright Fellowship and then worked for twenty years in advertising and at JP Morgan I bank as the Head of Branding Globally.

I took this experience as a writer and with brand to work as a freelance writer and started Atamian Hovsepian Curatorial Practice, with exhibition spaces galleries in New York City and Yerevan, Armenia. Read more>>

Michael Serpe

After falling in love with acting in high school, I began auditioning in New York while performing in dozens of community theater productions.

There I began my side hustle as Fight Choreographer for nearly a dozen theaters in the tri-state area.

After a decade in that realm, I began doing Improv in New York City after studying at the the Magnet Theater. Read more>>

Kimberley Menkhors

I help seasonal residents to buy and sell in Naples Florida with my 5 step Lavish Lifestyle Signature Process.

I had moved to Naples in 2007, young and independent, not knowing anyone within hundreds of miles and certainly never intending to be a Realtor. I was determined to explore the area and experience all the fun things it had to offer. Read more>>

Ruth Furman

I graduated college thinking I would be a journalist and editor for life, but fell into a corporate public relations role just before I moved to Las Vegas in 1999. Las Vegas is such an entrepreneurial city, and I caught that bug shortly after moving here to run PR campaigns for my employer. When the opportunity to go out on my own presented itself in 2001, I took it. Read more>>

Karissa Lupton

For as long as I can remember I’ve had a camera in my hand, and was an active part of the yearbook club in high school. It wasn’t until 2017 when I got my first Canon Rebel T6 that I decided I wanted to start a photography business. Since 2017 I have put in countless hours of perfecting my craft, which has led me to 2024-25 and my most successful year thus far. There have been many trials and tribulations during my photography business owner journey, but each lesson has made me stronger and resilient. Read more>>

Shakira Releford

There was a time when my life felt completely unmanageable. On the outside, I looked like I had it all together—a wife, a mother, a nonprofit professional climbing the philanthropy ladder, but deep down I was sinking. My unprocessed trauma and undiagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) bled into every part of my life, creating a cycle of chaos I couldn’t seem to break. Read more>>

Nathan Duguid

I’d say my story has always been about finding the right balance between creativity, community, and impact. I grew up in the Greater Newark, New Jersey area, surrounded by rich culture and powerful stories of resilience. That environment shaped me—not just as a person, but as an artist and advocate. And with Guyanese and Jamaican roots, I developed a deep respect for storytelling, culture, and fighting for justice. Read more>>

Kimberly Radomski

Well, briefly – I got married and moved to NC. After seeing what the area had I found a program nearby for Massage Therapy and enrolled. Glad I did because it was an amazing program. It wasn’t just about learning how to massage (I mean, obviously that was the bulk of it, lol). We learned about ourselves as well as the body, mind and spirit. It was a more in-depth program than the majority of them at the time. Read more>>

Karimah Hudda

My journey began in a small town in India, where I witnessed both abject poverty and the power of compassionate action.

My family’s commitment to serving others taught me early on that poverty and privilege aren’t birthrights, but consequences of multiple generations of chances, choices and circumstances. Read more>>

Mikaela Helane

My start as a photographer began when I was eight years old. I became very ill, and my life completely changed. Long white corridors at hospitals and the smell of antiseptic that you couldn’t wash off of you no matter how many times you showered became my new normal. Up until that point, I had always been the happy, confident girl. I was active in soccer, basketball, acting and modeling, and was an A+ student with a ton of friends. Let me tell you, being eight years old and having all of that disappear from your life, it changes you. Not just how your life looks, but how you feel about yourself, too. I was in a very dark place, and I remember one day after a recent hospital discharge my mom and I went on a walk in our neighborhood. Read more>>

Heather Cunningham

Well just over two decades ago I was just another actor working and auditioning in New York City. I was cast in a few shows in a row with a group that was doing some outdoor classics and, well, I was disheartened by the quality of the productions. One day one of the actors turned to me and said “I’m tired of making other people’s shit look good” and that is when I realized I could make my own shit look good! I have such a varied background within the theater that I was pretty sure I could create better productions than most of what was happening in off-off Broadway at the time. Read more>>

Lizzie Selle

For as long as I can remember, creativity has been my language. Whether through personal style, dance, or the rhythm of percussion, I’ve always found ways to express myself. My love for the arts was first ignited by my mother and grandmother—two women whose creativity and style left an imprint on me. That admiration soon blossomed into a deep passion for fashion, design, and art. Read more>>

Caroline Heckman

Growing up, creativity was my life. I think it’s how I understood and expressed the world around me. I grew up in a small town in Illinois (approximately 1,600 people) and there wasn’t much to do in the immediate area. We had to drive 30 minutes just to get to a nice restaurant or a large grocery store. I grew up learning to appreciate the simple things and create my own world where I could. Read more>>

Daniel Gilad

My name is Daniel Gilad, and music has always been a central part of my life. From a young age, I was captivated by the sonic landscapes created by different bands and artists, which led me to pick up a guitar in my teen years. Playing in various bands was an exhilarating experience, and it solidified my decision to dedicate my life to music. Read more>>

Dr Sam Von Reiche

I always had a deep interest in understanding human behavior, so pursuing psychology felt like a natural fit. I knew I wanted to help people in a meaningful way, but I wasn’t entirely sure how. I worked in various mental health settings, from support roles to volunteer positions, and those experiences reinforced my desire to pursue a career as a psychologist. Read more>>

LaTonya Duncan

I have always harbored a deep passion for helping others, a drive that intertwines seamlessly with my love for fashion. From a young age, I found immense joy in offering assistance and making a positive impact on the lives of those around me. This innate desire to help others has shaped my path and directed my energies towards meaningful pursuits. Simultaneously, my fascination with fashion has allowed me to explore creativity and self-expression, merging style with purpose. By combining these two passions, I aspire to not only enhance the confidence and well-being of individuals through thoughtful fashion choices but also to promote a sense of community and support. Read more>>

Yarimar Valle Andújar

I am a 36-year-old Puerto Rican woman. I grew up in a beautiful rural town, Utuado, P.R. with my parents and two of my four siblings. Since a very young age, I was a free spirit, happy and awake. I love dancing, playing sports, exploring nature, and serving among many other things. Sitting still is the last thing I like to do since I’ve been conscious. I am an animal lover, a mother of three cats, and consider myself spiritual. I identified myself as very passionate, brave, and adventurous. Strongly believe that everyone is capable of manifesting their dreams into reality, coming from a background with scarce resources and limited options. Read more>>

Batu Oz

I started making music at the age of 5 when my father encouraged me to go to rhythm and percussion classes.
After the rhythm classes, my dad took me to piano classes which led me to get accepted mimar sinan music conservatory
where I would choose classical guitar as my primary instrument. I studied classical guitar in mimar sinan for about 8 years until the age of 15. At the age of 15, I moved to the US (Los Angeles) and finished high school. Now I’m continuing my studies at Berklee College of Music. Read more>>

Plush Beauty

Plush Beauty is a Brand known for its creative and luxurious feel in cosmetics. Brand Co-Owners – Serina and Ciara – are best friends from the East Coast area in Virginia and Maryland, respectively. Plush Beauty was established in 2022 and has been thriving ever since. Previously we have had a successful 3 collections of lipglosses as well as lip masks and are currently working on releasing other products very soon; to include sugar scrubs and fragrance products. Our goal is to have a full beauty line where our customers can choose from skincare to make up and eventually hair care as well. All things Plush Beauty! Read more>>