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.

Daverine Myers

I have always had a love for art , food decor and luxurious experiences. My background is rooted in Hospitality and Tourism . During my studies I noticed how peaceful and content I felt doing event decor and cooking. As a born and raised Jamaican I can say growing up I wasn’t far from my kitchen at all. I was that child that kid who wanted to be around my grandmother and cousins in the kitchen. After completing my studies in 2016 I gained more experience from working in restaurants, hotels , aviation etc. Over the last 5 years I began focusing more on my journey as an entrepreneur , primarily crafting and catering. Here I am today creating my own legacy and building my own foundation for my family. Read more>>

Doug Lawrence of TalentC – People Services Inc.

I am a Saskatchewan, Canada born farm boy. I lived on a farm for the first 18 years of my life.I left the farm in 1972 to work as a security officer at a shopping mall in Saskatoon, Sask. I always had an admiration for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police(RCMP) so joined them in 1974. I actually had two options, join the RCMP or the Prince Albert City Police and chose the RCMP. My first posting with the RCMP was to Prince Rupert, British Columbia. I ended up being posted to 11 different locations. Some of my postings were locations where I was the only police officer and had to rely on back-up that was 30 minutes away – sometimes by air. Read more>>

Carles Marsal

I’m Carles Marsal, a Visual Artist, Art Director and Instructor living and working in Barcelona, Spain. I studied Audiovisual Arts and specialized in Graphic Design & Visual Communication. In 2004, right after graduating, I started working as a freelancer at the same time as teaching, specially in Concept Art and Matte Painting. Currently I work for a wide variety of clients all over the world just like National Geographic, Netflix, Neom, The Dubai Expo 2020, Mercedes-Benz among others, doing all kind of creative projects, visual development and art direction. I also share my techniques in online courses, alongside some resources just like brushes, textures, and more to help people start in this amazing industry. Read more>>

Clementina Busayo of Gloriouswills Ushering Services GWUS

The vivid memory in my head as I write this is of the young man to whom my Pastor had handed the microphone that Sunday morning. He said a lot of things. However, remember was, „God wants to bless you. What is in your hands? ‟ I couldn’t get those words out of my mind. My mind travelled between when I was a sales representative for a consumer goods company. I also remember serving in the ushering and decorating unit of my fellowship. So, what can I do with all these? It was later that evening the Aha! moment happened, Start An Ushering Business! This event was the beginning of the journey of the business Gloriouswills Ushering Services (GWUS). Read more>>

Ronna Larsen of Dreams and Wishes Travel, Inc

I’ve always enjoyed keeping up with what’s new and exciting in many travel destinations, especially Disney. So, I became the person my friends and family would call to help plan their trips. Today, I work one-on-one with clients who are looking for cherished travel memories that last a lifetime. Read more>>

Raphael Stark

As a homeschooled teenager with a stutter, I wanted to speak with others who had also been bullied and teased for their communication differences. When looking for a support group for teens like me within my community, I discovered no such organization in my state of Hawaii. I live in the most isolated populated landmass in the world and the nearest support group was over 2,500 miles away. That was the deciding factor that propelled me to create a nonprofit dedicated to helping teens like me called CHATS:

Alicia Reisinger

Where It All Started Wax Buffalo’s story started in 2014 in our founder’s kitchen. Alicia Reisinger had a passion for creating beautifully imperfect pure soy candles for her family and would do this late at night with a whiskey in hand, or a very nice glass of wine. As Alicia’s passion grew, so did the world of hand-poured candles throughout America, and t only made sense to set up shop and start selling the beauties locally. Read more>>

Caroline Guntur

My career path has been long and circular, and I’m sure it still will be for some time. I started out as a music lover, wanting to get into the entertainment industry, and I went to school for that and got two degrees. Employment wasn’t for me, but it’s also a tough industry to enter as a solopreneur, so when it came time to start my business, I went with something more practical: professional organizing. I was good at that and saw the need. I worked as a residential organizer for some time, helping clients get their kitchens, closets, and basements in order. Eventually, I pivoted to remote digital organizing only because of my travel needs. Read more>>

Royale

I realized I wanted to pursue a career in the performing arts as early as 4 years old. I took every opportunity that entailed performing in front of people and ran with it, whether that was a talent show, a play, choir, a dance team, I did it all, My journey through all those experiences has led me to write and record my own original music. Read more>>

Phil Velikan of VIG Velikan Illustration/Graphics

I have always been a “maker”. I was a child of the “monster years” back when aurora had monster model kits in all the stores, Barnabas Collins and the Night Stalker were on tv, the movie of the week was something creepy. All stuff that made me interested in weird things. These things spurred my creativity. I needed more monsters than were available to me. So I started making and selling stuff to like minded people. Years later, I tabled at a convention of creatives called the “INDYpendent show”. After that I was hooked. Meeting people and seeing the joy when they discovered my work was rewarding and self affirming! It’s nice to see people that “GET” what you’re doing and want to be a part of your journey. Read more>>

The Cupidos

Our love for all things adventure especially hiking and camping started when we first started dating in 2014. It became something we just did all the time and continued when we got married and had our kids. We had our son in 2021 and have been told by others that ‘your life will stop when you have a kid.’ With something as simple as that statement, it made us want to prove to people that you can do all your hobbies and interests even when you have a baby. So instead of giving up on our adventures, we included our boy on all our travels, road trips, hikes, camps and rafting, and that is how it all started.  Read more>>

Montez Brown-mobley

Getting started on this journey of mine took a lot of trial and error. Being in the music industry as a recording artist, finding my sound was really a thing. It’s hard when starting out trying to find your sound and trying not to sound like anyone else. Putting in the hours is how you truly find your sound. Making song after song after song until it finally clicks. Read more>>

Hannah Hutter

I was raised in a small town in Upstate, NY and I moved to Dallas just over two years ago. I started my business back in 2016 and Ive been a photographer for over 8 years now. Whenever someone asks me how I got into photography, I like to say I didn’t find photography but it found me (which is a story in and of itself). Wedding photography, specifically, is something that fell into my lap. Throughout high school, I spent weekends with friends doing seasonal photoshoots on my iPhone, but I didn’t know anything about photo other than that. My journey really began during my freshman year of college. Read more>>

Ramona Meghdadi

The journey of RM KANDY Jewelry is deeply personal and reflects my diverse passions. My background in accounting and finance taught me precision and attention to detail, while my experience in the banking and finance industry provided a solid foundation in business. My years devoted to my family’s business further enriched my entrepreneurial insights and understanding of various industries. Read more>>

 Johnson Eze

Sure, I’d be happy to share . Currently I am a Student and am pursuing a National Diploma in Business Administration and Management under the school of Business and Management Technology and also a Hospitality Staff Working with a Hotel as a Room Attendant with the passion for rendering an Exceptional Service and keeping a healthy environment . Read more>>

Jeffrey Hunter

I started as a pre-PA biology graduate from the University of North Texas. I then transitioned to screenwriting after I had my life literally turned upside down by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. I’m now one year out from having graduated with my MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage from Northwestern University. Since then, I’ve been the narrative designer for “Pour Decisions”, a narrative driven game, soon to go up on itch.io at the end of this summer. And I’m currently producing and writing an audio drama series titled “O.R.I.O.N.” for a Spring 2025 release. Read more>>

Hannah Josselyn of Reverie Coffee House

I grew up in a ski resort town in Vermont. From an early working age I always had 2 or 3 jobs so I felt that my work ethic was strong. I also grew up watching my parents run my dads contracting company out of our house so I got to see first hand how running a successful business wasn’t just a 9-5! Even through college I never felt like I was being pulled in any one direction. I was always known in my family as the “free spirit” and I think even into my late 20’s and 30’s that showed. Doing random jobs, never staying more than a year in one place. Read more>>

Sierra & Sherry Brown

One day during Covid in spring of 2021 we were out on the water in West Falmouth Harbor located on Cape Cod. I was thinking, ‘I can imagine an ice cream [truck] song playing and coming around the corner,’ and I thought we must have an ice cream boat. With the help of my business partner and mother-in-law, Sherry Brown, that is exactly what we did. We turned the family boat into an ice cream boat. Read more>>

Christopher White

My artistic practice finds its roots in my life as a performing musician. As a saxophonist, I have performed with musicians on stages around the world, including Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Billy Ocean, Paul Anka, Taj Mahal, Noel Gallagher, George Benson, Gregory Porter, Michael Bublé, Bobby Womack, Mavis Staples, and Maceo Parker. From 2010 to 2024, I toured with Van Morrison as a performer and arranger, recording six albums with him. Read more>>

Kerri Lewis of Kerri Lewis Coaching

Growing up as one of six children in a household where our parents battled with mental health issues, attention was scarce. This led to feelings of loneliness and being unseen, often resulting in being yelled at and getting into trouble. I internalized these experiences, believing that I was inherently bad and unworthy of love. Read more>>

Jennifer & Joe Mackey

Haha, where do we begin? Like a lot of folks out there, we were both relatively fresh out of college just starting out in our careers. At the time Jenny was a high school teacher and I was a counselor. We fast forward a few years into our careers, middle management was getting old quick for me, and Jenny actually got laid off from teaching, which was crazy because that was a career path we always thought was in demand. Throughout these beginning years as full time working adults, we started the side hustle for a photography business. This is something Jenny always had a passion for and had been doing personally since she was young. Read more>>

Christie Ayers

My story is a tough one, but I will do my best to tell it in as little words as I can. I was raised in a broken home. I initially lived with my mother and step-stepfather. My step-father was very abusive and at 14 I finally won the battle to go live with my father. After moving there I met a man,Brian, who was 20 years old and he and I began dating. My father, at this time, had also become abusive and neglectful. I leaned on Brian for everything. Read more>>

Andrea Jones of A.Lynn, LLC dba Nothing Bundt Cakes

My journey into owning Nothing Bundt Cakes franchises started with a mix of my love for business and a serious sweet tooth. I’ve always had a passion for baking because of my grandmother, so when I came across Nothing Bundt Cakes, it felt like the perfect fit. Starting with the first bakery, it was a bit of a whirlwind. There were definitely challenges, but seeing the smiles on customers’ faces when they tried our cakes made it all worth it. I wanted to create a place for my guests and employees where they could come in and feel like they were treating themselves to something special. Read more>>

Kirsten Kirk

As with everyone, it’s a whole tale, but the run-on sentence of it is: I was a huge theatre kid in middle and high school, applied to a bunch of (genuinely like 40) schools for musical theatre and about 8 for classical voice via zoom when I was 18, got rejected from nearly all of them, and was recommended by Boston Conservatory at Berklee to apply for Berklee College of Music (which I did). I ended up deciding between 2 schools for BFAs in musical theatre, one for a BFA in acting, and Berklee for a Bachelor’s of Music. When I realized that Berklee had programs that would allow me to be in control of my career rather than in an audition room (which is excellent for some people but not where I do my best work!) I chose Berklee and contemporary music over theatre. Read more>>

Cazarán

When I was in school, I faced racism head-on and I received cruel remarks for my afro and indigenous roots. All the pain and anguish caused me to want to fight for social causes, particularly those that promote representation, inclusion and diversity. In order to make changes, I always knew that I needed to start from within. By getting us involved in big industries that have a significant impact, such as fashion, I think that can be possible and that’s the reason why I chose to become a model. My physical features have contributed to my success, but my purpose and conviction are what have driven me to where I am today. Read more>>

Yen Linh Thai

My public art adventure began in 2019 when I was a mentee on a project in Mississauga –my hometown. Before that, I studied animal biology and studio art in school; loving the arts but thinking I’d be a veterinarian! In between graduating and discovering public art I taught art workshops and summer camp for a few years. Since that first baby mural in 2019, I’ve had the opportunity to create artwork for walls, banners, windows and all sorts of surfaces, growing my community-engaged practice and learning lots as I go. Read more>>

George Moss

I began my creative journey by drawing at the age of 6 years old, I enjoyed creating cartoon art and realistic art through my elementary and high school years. After I graduated college, I landed my first corporate job working as a technical illustrator at Perry Ellis International where I started my career in the fashion industry. While working at several different fashion companies, I learned how to work with a team, technically design fashion & accessories, communicate with factories, and manage many responsibilities at the same time. These experiences improved my creative skills, allowed me to form life-long friendships, and developed character of learning how to love people regardless of how I was treated. Read more>>

Nancy Tupper Ling

Hello! I’m a children’s author, poet, book seller and librarian. Basically, I surround myself with books! Occasionally, I create a few of my own, including my latest, Bless the Earth: A Collection of Poetry for Children to Celebrate and Care for Our World (Convergent/Penguin Random House) and One Perfect Plan: The Bible’s Big Story In Tiny Poems (WaterBrook / Penguin Random House) I’ve always loved to write, even as a young child, but I’ve spent years honing my skills. Truly, there have been lots of ups and downs on this journey to publication, but there have been some amazing surprises as well, like most recently winning the Florida Authors and Publishers Association Award and being a Golden Scroll Book Award Finalist. Often, I draw my inspiration from the multicultural background of my family. Read more>>

Kimeka Charles of Kimeka Mia

My first interaction with makeup was through the cheap children’s makeup that was bought for me around Christmas time. This initial exposure did not spark a passion but rather an interest in the art of makeup because my dream was always to become a doctor. At a later age I decided to take an interest in makeup, my plan was to complete one class. One class led to another, as I continued to expand my knowledge and expertise in the field of makeup artistry. Read more>>

Orazie Cook of Praline’s Backyard Foundation

My journey began with a passion for animals and a deep empathy for survivors of domestic violence. I spent significant time volunteering at a domestic violence shelter, where I witnessed firsthand the heartbreaking decisions survivors had to make. Many returned to their abusers out of concern for their pets’ safety or for the comfort their pets provided. This experience profoundly impacted me. Read more>>

Lydia Camp of B. Carter Clothing

I was born in Iowa but I like to call Memphis, Tennessee my since I was there a larger part of my life. I honesty give all credit to God. I use to try to look back and see where my ambition, dreams, and visions came from but truly they gave from God. With God, I used my talents and discipline to make goals and reach them. Truly, I was always a motivated child and knew what I wanted my life to look like. I ran into obstacles and struggles yet my ambition was key to me never giving up. Read more>>

Diana Motta’s Story

Born in 1985 in São Paulo, Brazil, I earned my BA from the Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing (the Higher School of Advertising and Marketing) in 2007, a Master’s degree in Interactive Telecommunications from New York University in 2010, and has just earned my Master of Fine Arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I’ve most recently exhibited my works alongside art mogul Marina Abramovich and with some of the greatest Brazilian artist of all time, like Portinari, Di Cavalcanti, Leonilson, Beatriz Milhazes, Volpi and many others at the emblematic cultural center Farol Santander in São Paulo. Read more>>

Laura Darja Wolf

I’ve always wanted to pursue a creative career, but I wasn’t sure which field to choose. After some time, I decided to focus on creating art for video games. During a local trade fair in my home city Vienna, I discovered the SAE Institute Vienna. I enrolled there in September 2021 and completed the Game Art and 3D Animation Course in March 2023. Right after that, in April 2023, I enrolled in the Environment Art Track at Vertex School to specialize in 3D Game Environment Art. I completed this course in December 2023. I needed some extra time to finish my portfolio and then started searching for jobs as a 3D artist. Read more>>

Marco Perciavalle

Since childhood, I have been passionate about the spiritual traditions of the world, movies, music, and martial arts, all of which have shaped my personal approach to life and mental coaching. Among the various events that have guided my career path, perhaps the most significant, albeit somber, was Heath Ledger’s death due to psychotropic drug abuse. This event sparked in me profound questions about the world of entertainment and acting techniques. Are the actors we see on the big screen, whom we perceive as successful individuals earning millions of dollars, truly happy? Are they really who we think they are? What happens in the minds and unconscious of actors? These questions led me to study the psychology of the entertainment industry and the challenges it can bring both in private and public life. Read more>>

Sarah King

When I was in 5th grade I joined my school’s band as a saxophone player. I loved it. I continued to play in band until my 7th grade year, where I quit. During that year off, I had a friend come to me and say that he was going to start a petition to get me to join band again. He said, “How many signatures would it take for you to join band in 8th grade?” I said, “30.” In my head, there was no way he was going to get 30 people to sign that piece of paper. Well, guess what? He later handed me a piece of paper with 30 signatures on it. I was shocked. Pretty soon 8th grade rolled around and I joined band again. I ended up having the best time and never looked back. I’ve been a band kid ever since. I also still have that petition hanging on my wall. Read more>>

Rockwood Productions

I was 14 years old when I first learned the art of beat making and audio recording. Since then, 30 years later I am currently a recording studio owner and an LLC. I have made music and production for some big names in the music industry and continue to do so. The process and journey has not been easy but has been very rewarding through the trials and tribulations over the years. Read more>>

Kaitlyn Hill

My story has been one full of ups and downs. I started in photography in 2019 but took a break in 2023 to focus on my writing career. During my photography break, I published two novellas and one novel. However, I couldn’t stay away from photography for long and restarted my business early in 2024. Both my photography and writing career started spontaneously out of the need to create. I have stories to tell. Both through stories and visual art. I’ve always been drawn to the magic of love stories. So photographing elopements and couples, and writing fantasy romances, came naturally to me. It’s difficult to describe how I started in both of my creative careers because it came out of a need during the most unexpected time of my life. Read more>>

Claire Click of Claire Click VA

I was a healthcare worker during the pandemic, and a work from home job sounded like a DREAM. I began to investigate freelancing at that point. I have a Communications degree, but I never used it much – until I discovered what it meant to be a Virtual Assistant. It was the perfect way to take my education, customer service, and PR experience and bring it into the age of platforms like social media and email marketing. Along the way, I discovered VA’s can do even more, and leaned into my organizational skills (or, my Virgo nature, if you’re an astrology person!) to help clients with admin tasks like Inbox and Calendar management as well. Read more>>

Ernie Barrera

My name is Ernie Barrera and I am currently the President and a co-founder of Cheer Austin. Cheer Austin is part of the Pride Cheerleading Association (PCA). PCA is an affiliation of member teams that raise spirits, awareness, and funds for causes in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. We have teams in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle (to name a few). I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas and moved to Chicago for grad school. While living in Chicago, I became a performing member and President of the Chicago Spirit Brigade. I moved back to Austin in 2017 to be closer to family. I was sad that there was no PCA team in Austin or in all of Texas. Read more>>

Kristi Pearce

My journey started when I was nine years old, and my grandmother taught me now to crochet. I fell in love, and have been crocheting for two decades. I love making small plushies and figurines, and that opened the door for me to start my 3D printing business. I had been selling my crochet items at vendor events, so I started bringing 3D prints as well. They turned out to be very successful, so I pivoted to specializing in 3D prints. Now I have my Fantasy Pet Store, where I dress as a fairy and sell 3D printed dragons and creatures, educating others in the 3D printing process, and bringing a little bit of fantasy into everyday life. Read more>>

Dr. Kerrie Carter-walker of Abundantly Anchored Ministries

I was born and raised in the small town of Cuero, TX, where everyone knows everybody and nothing goes unnoticed. As the middle child with two sisters, I faced significant challenges starting at the age of six. From ages six to ten, I endured molestation, which left me struggling with insecurity, low self-esteem, a confused identity, and suicidal ideation. On the outside, I appeared to have it all together, but inside, I carried the weight of shame, guilt, and sadness from my childhood trauma. Read more>>

Diane Bator

I’ve always been a daydreamer and writer. Every summer or bit of spare time, I’d be laying on the floor of my bedroom or out on our back porch creating something. As my kids got older, I’d spend whatever time I had to spare – usually in the waiting room at dentists or doctors, at karate classes, on breaks at work – writing whatever came to mind. Joining a writing group when I lived in Ontario was the impetus to actually finishing my first novel, The Bookstore Lady, and trying to get a publisher. When I got a stack of rejections, I turned to an online friend for an edit and advice. She made a series of corrections and told me to send it to the late Dawn Dowdle. I had no idea she was a reader for an agent at the time! Read more>>

Shelly Leal

Everything started when I was a little girl growing up in the warm city of Rio de Janeiro. I loved building paper cities with my brother and dreaming of creating big machines. In Brazil, we learned to value career stability as part of our safety, which led me to the path of the military. My older sister joined the Military School of Rio de Janeiro, and I admired her as she marched and led other students with her firm voice. I wanted to be strong and smart like her. Read more>>

Taimi Lawlor of A Stretch Beyond Yoga, LLC

In my early 20’s, I was living as complete perfectionist who was plagued by panic attacks, sleepless nights, severe constipation, & excessive exercise. You could label me as a high functioning anxious person who did not know how to rest or relax, all the while trying to prove that I was “good enough.” Instead of spinning in my never ending symptoms, I directed all my energy into getting to the root cause of the anxiety to improve my physical and mental health. And it worked. Read more>>

Doorae Shin of Hawaii Impact Collaborative

I’m a second generation Korean-American. My parents immigrated from South Korea to the U.S. when they were in their teens and twenties and I was born near Philadelphia, PA. While I was growing up, my parents were involved in a group called Young Koreans United, where they were part of a national network of activists advocating for Asian-American issues. From this experience, I was exposed to the power of activism to empower communities and create real change. Read more>>

Hyde of Bloodthirstea

My journey in the world of creativity and entrepreneurship began in 2016 after I completed cosmetology school. I started a photography business with the goal of creating captivating and lasting memories for people. Photography became my medium to help individuals tell their unique stories through powerful visuals. However, in 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought my photography business to a halt. Faced with this unexpected challenge, I turned to the internet to share my passions for vampire aesthetics, cosmetology, photography, and music. This pivot allowed me to build an online audience and connect with people who shared similar interests. Read more>>

Stacey Laviolette’s Story

I’m Stacey Laviolette, a mom on a mission from Ontario, Canada! My journey began with my daughter, Piper. At age three, she faced tooth decay and countless dental procedures. Each dentist visit was filled with fear and tears. But I knew there had to be a brighter way to teach kids about dental health! Now, with My Friend Toothy®, brushing and flossing is fun! I’m here to spread smiles and make dental hygiene an adventure for kids everywhere! Let’s make healthy habits fun together! Read more>>

Sarah Edelman

Devon and I started NEAT Method Atlanta with just the two of us. We really put in the sweat equity to grow our business through marketing, partnerships, customer service, and all of the other things you can think! The business started to take root, and we were able to add to our team which allowed us to shift our focus to establishing NEAT Method Atlanta as the go-to home organizers for the Atlanta area. Read more>>

Adanna Asson of CREATIVA MEDIA PR

The brief version is that as a child, I loved reading, writing and speaking, and I was the chatterbug of the family. As I entered my teenage years and began looking at career choices, I sincerely had no idea who I wanted to be. The years progressed, and my love for music and interest in the stories behind the songs I enjoyed and those performing them grew. In my early 20s, I started an entertainment website that focused on sharing the stories of Caribbean creatives in the entertainment industry, which did really well. A short time before the creation of that platform, I found myself interested in Public Relations. While running an entertainment website, I became even more curious. Read more>>