Sometimes you have the good fortune of working with a brand or a professional that exceeds expectations so much that it redefines your view of what’s possible.  We asked members of the community to share their experiences and anecdotes of the people and brands that went above and beyond for them and have shared some of those stories below.

Ivan Shatrov

I was born in Perm, a city in the Ural region, in an ordinary family. From an early age, I was passionate about music and dreamed of becoming a professional musician. I played the piano and guitar, but in my hometown, the music scene was underdeveloped. For a long time, music remained my beloved hobby. After high school, I enrolled in a construction college, where I joined a student band. It was there that I learned to play the drums, the instrument I truly wanted to master. Read more>>

Jania Kelly

Originally, my aspiration was to become a nurse practitioner and eventually open my own healthcare clinic and rehabilitation center for cosmetic surgery. However, I soon realized that God had a different plan for my life. During my first year of nursing school, I found myself at a crossroads—continue pursuing nursing or fully commit to my growing hair business. I chose the latter, which began as a side venture thanks to my best friend who walking me through and helped create JW Hair Imports as you know it today. Little did I know, this small endeavor would gain momentum and eventually lead me down an entirely new path. Read more>>

John Morrongiello

Slap That Ass Exotics is a legacy come legal. I was one of the last cases to go through Riker’s Island for the distribution of concentrated cannabinoids and now I’m licensed in two states, New York and California, to distribute cannabinoids. We’ve really only been out to market for 3 months and we did a little over $100,00 last month. We’ve been in the streets forever so it was easy to convert our customers from the illicit market to the legal market. Read more>>

Emma Barnafo

I’ve always felt like an outsider. Yes, I had friends, but I never truly felt like I belonged. I’ve always been socially awkward and rather uncomfortable in large groups. Smaller, close-knit circles have always felt safer to me.

I’m originally from Ghana, but my earliest memories are from my childhood in the UK. To the best of my recollection, those years were rather pleasant, or maybe I was just blissfully unaware as a child. When my family moved back to Ghana during my teenage years, it was a real eye-opener – I felt different. I spoke with a British accent when no one else did, and I was timid and socially awkward. Read more>>

Sharon Cash

I am the product of two amazing parents. I proclaimed that, even though both my parents were alcoholics. As a result, I found myself at the age of 12 being a full-blown alcoholic as well. I share often that Oprah couldn’t do me in one show that I would be a miniseries. Had my only child at the age of 14 even though I was a scholar would be considered a scholar in school and graduated out of a class of 436. I graduated at the age of 16. My life spiraled after that into a world of Addiction, and all that goes along with it . I found myself in a drug treatment center as a result of suicide attempts. I got sober at the age of 34. As a result of getting sober, I was blessed to complete my undergrad degree in psychology at Christian Brothers University. I obtain my masters or should I say my first masters in psychology as well then I proceeded to obtain a second leadership with an emphasis in behavioral health. I have been in the field of Therapy for the last 30 years I was blessed to create programs for women and children Suffering from mental health issues, domestic violence, and substance abuse. I retired from the Salvation Army After developing a comprehensive program for women and children in a long-term environment. I retired in 22. Read more>>

Jami Viengkham

I have been working my way up through the restaurant industry since I was able to work on paper. Love the field, it paid for my college tuition and I kept with it after graduation while pursuing my career in education. I love everything health & wellness related. I have always loved nature and it’s beauty and natural powers. Read more>>

Danella Sparks

My childhood dream was birthed during COVID-19, I call this part of my life “beauty in chaos.” The school where I was working as an assistant director closed due to COVID. I needed to maintain and the only thing I know is childcare. So, I took $500 and bought a bunch of kids’ materials to set up the first level of my then home. I handed out flyers and posted in mom groups, and before you knew it, I started getting calls tours, etc. The demand kept increasing and I knew at that point I couldn’t turn away from following my dreams. Read more>>

Jasmine Thompson

My journey in fashion started 9th grade in highschool, where I first learned how to sew. I really didn’t know what I wanted my career to be. I decided to take a fashion class. Loved that I could take my Personalities and design it into a outfit. Creating became a safe place for me to speak without having to say anything. I ended up getting a certificate and now have started my own business creating personalities through fashion. Read more>>

Corienne Delgado

I truly believe that one thing in your life leads you to another. I spent many years living in The Florida Keys where I worked with marine animals that had been harmed by pollution and human disregard for nature. After seeing first hand the harm we have done to the earth and its creatures, I made a conscious effort to always think about reusing or repurposing items in all aspects of my life. My jewelry line is no different. I love the search and rescue that occurs when I am putting a piece together. No one piece is alike, they all have their own past, present and future. Read more>>

Rela Martine

I am a union makeup artist in local 706. Emmy®️ Nominated CSI NY
I’ve been in the business for over 30 years. Started out in SF, doing editorial and traveled all over Europe. Which took me to LA and the film industry. My journey is still unfolding. I consider myself a creative mind. Read more>>

Erin Robinson

Horses have been in my periphery for the majority of my life. I grew up in Denver, Colorado, one of the original cowboy towns, where my family always had horses around. When I was young, my parents gifted me my first horse. We worked with trainers in a local barn where we trusted they would guide us in our inaugural role as horse guardians. However, we soon realized that we were not values-aligned. The trainers focused on performance and flashy moves, and we disagreed with their methodology to achieve particular outcomes. Given this, we made the decision to step away from that environment. Read more>>

Carlo Marcucci

When I graduated from college I was set to follow a graphic and signage design career. Art was a part ime hobby, even though it was a natural skill of mine. I worked for a few graphic design firms creating logos, brochures, signage systems and large sculptural signage for companies, apartment complexes, commercial developments. When I relocated to Los Angeles, I worked as an independent contractor at Disney Imagineering in Burbank doing the same work, but in a more creative and whimsical way (for the EuroDisney theme park in France). During this time I was painting in the living room of an apartment in Mid-Wilshire and was applying to open calls for exhibition opportunities around Southern California. I had my first solo exhibition at the Betsy Lueke Creative Arts Center in Burbank in 1992. When my Disney Imagineering contract expired, I decided to give my art career a try. Read more>>

Latoya Strong

I was born and raised in Akron, Ohio by a very Strong single mother. Although she worked lots of hours, she always made time to keep me involved in extra curricular activities and programs. My mom encouraged me to always do by my best and to strive for excellence and everything that you do. The opportunity to be exposed to several activities and programs created lots of confidence and fun memories for my childhood. This included ballet, tap, jazz, track, cheerleading, girl scouts, student government and other leadership positions at local camps. Garage sales, lemonade stands, event planning and top seller for all fundraisers was a desire of mine since elementary age. It is no surprise that my work experience to date all involves some capacity of sales and relationship building. Read more>>

Cheryl Fowlkes

I spent over 25 years in corporate America and was tired of working under someone else’s values and being pushed to not live under my own.. See I prefer to tell the truth, it’s too hard to keep up with things if you don’t. I enjoy helping people and love seeing beautiful properties so I went into real estate.. I spent many years in rural WA after getting married and enjoyed it so learning as much as I could about ranch properties was fun, that’s why I focus on homes and ranches. I have built my business primarily around referrals and repeat business over the last 19 + years.. love seeing the joy it brings to the families and helping people learn more about home and land ownership.. I worked for different brokerages for several years then started my own and ran it for several years before moving it under the eXp Realty brand. I’m not getting any younger and I wanted to protect my agents if something happened to me. I love their business model and enjoy mentoring agents and helping them grow.. For the last several years I have been working with a real estate coach and I am learning so much and growing personally and professionally from this, times are changing and so is the way we have to do real estate.. Read more>>