Through the work we do we are incredibly fortunate to find and learn about so many incredible local artists, creatives and entrepreneurs. Their stories, the lessons that they’ve learned and the legacies they are building inspire us beyond words. Below, we have highlighted a few of those amazing folks and we hope you’ll check out their stories and their responses to some of the fundamental questions the help form the foundation of our lives and careers.
Luke Ring
When asked about recent moments that have made 21-year-old director Luke Ring feel proud, attention naturally turns to Xela, the sci fi drama that marks a significant shift in his artistic journey. Though Luke has directed numerous films, Xela was the first project where he stepped away from operating the camera and focused solely on directing. That change alone reshaped the experience. Read more>>
Sequia Nicole
I would tell her, “Know who you are and never doubt the power you possess to create your reality.” Everything you dream of is already inside you — you just have to trust your divine timing and believe you’re worthy of it. Read more>>
Rodd Evans
It is, but there are so many layers that I’ve hidden. So it’s the real me, but it’s not all of me. I’m excited to share more of the real me. I had to accept the real me first though and trust that I could just be me. What I mean is, I’m not just one thing. I have layers, like a character has layers. Read more>>
Jaclyn Krizanic
Yes, there absolutely was a time I almost gave up. And what’s funny is that just a week later, the craziest and most exciting thing happened! The struggle was real. I was starting to get annoyed with all the work and effort of posting to social media and seeing minimal views or engagement—only a few hundred views and scattered likes here and there. Read more>>
Kazo*
In 2023 before the release of Kino Der Toten I was in the roughest position of my life. I lost everything. My back was against the wall and all I had was my laptop and a suitcase. I thought that was it for me. I thought this was the point where every artists get to and they retire. Read more>>
Mimi Brock
One of the things I’m most proud of is that even at my age, I stay consistent and I never forget why God gave me these gifts. Behind the scenes, I’m always working, even when people don’t see it, and I’m thankful I get to build something. I work really hard at my modeling, acting, writing, and being an entrepreneur. Read more>>
Jonnie Morris
Great question. It showed me who’s truly by my side when I have nothing and can offer no one anything, and that was undoubtedly my family, easy. To never take family for granted, and those that truly love you at your worst in general. Read more>>
Julia Kepler
There was a day like any other and I was cleaning off the kitchen table after dinner. I asked a clarifying question about something that was asked of me and then the next thing I knew I was fighting for my life with everything I had. Read more>>
Loui$ Automatic
Heartbreak. Losing the woman you love, losing friends, lost opportunities etc all of these things can drag a person down if you allow it. I had to look deep inside of myself to find my true power. It wasn.t external or something anyone else could give me. I had to draw it from within myself. Read more>>
Susan Grant
This year I set a goal to read 100 books, and I’m currently on number 63. I’m not sure if I’ll reach the goal, but it’s been a lot of fun. I’m always stopping by the library to see what’s new and checking the bestseller lists. I’ve been trying to branch out with different authors and genres, and following Ann Patchett’s reels has been inspiring. Read more>>
Bianca Guess
I hope people say that I made their lives better simply by being myself. I hope the story they tell is that I lived with intention, lifted others as I climbed, and that I treated people with respect and compassion, no matter who they were or where we crossed paths. Read more>>
Leslie Summerville
I want people to say that I was the woman who didn’t just build a business, I built something that turned into a multimillion dollar legacy. A business that created opportunities, changed lives, and showed other women that they could do the same. Read more>>
Sierra Boone
People pleasing…100%. For most of my teens and twenties, I made myself small to make other people comfortable. I dimmed my light, bent myself into shapes I didn’t fit, and overextended until my nervous system was running on fumes. It affected everything; my relationships, my health, my capacity to create and more. Read more>>
Michael Davis-Thomas
If you asked my closest friends what really matters to me, they’d probably say faith, truth, purpose, and people. They know I don’t measure success by accolades or appearances — I measure it by impact, by the lives touched, and by whether my actions align with the values I preach. I care deeply about integrity and the sacred responsibility of leadership. Read more>>
Damon Bradley
Losing my parents completely changed how i saw the world. I lost my mother to cancer in 2013. Losing your mother is literally like losing your connection to the world. I lost my father in 2019. He was my anchor. The strongest man i knew. Felt like he had the answer for everything. Read more>>
Jessica Cardenas Boutique Owner
: When I think about where my work ethic comes from, the answer is easy — my parents. They taught me, not through words, but through their daily actions and the way they carried themselves. My dad served in the Army, and from him I learned discipline, sharpness, and the importance of showing up prepared. Read more>>
Brandy Jackson
This question actually is in reverse for me, I was who I thought I was supposed to be before I was who I am meant to be. Read more>>
Dena Halim
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was a creative soul with big dreams and a fearless heart. Ever since I was a child, I’ve always dreamed big and had a love for the finer things in life—not just material things, but the idea of living beautifully, purposefully, and successfully. Read more>>
Kelly Brown
To God be the glory! I stood up to generational curses that have been hindering my family bloodline from generation to generation, which is causing the separation from the true inheritance that we deserve. I spoke back to fear, betrayal, mental health issues, sickness, dis-ease, division, separation, unhealthy cycles, poverty mindsets and more. With-in doing so it cost losing everything but my TRUTH. Read more>>
Dele Nguyen
What breaks the bonds between people is often fear, ego, or the mindset of competition-thinking someone else’s success diminishes your own. What restores them is collaboration, openness, and the willingness to create together. Read more>>
Shane Atkinson
I believe that writing down your goals changes your reality, even if I cannot technically prove it. There is something powerful that happens when you take an idea from your mind and put it on paper. It creates polarity. You are either moving toward it or away from it. There is no more floating in the middle, no more someday thinking. It becomes real. Read more>>
Lee Kitzis
Peoples Sexiest Man Alive 1987. It was Harry Hamlin. Keep your mouth shut. Read more>>
Emily Malek
I strive to protect empathy at all costs. Ever since I started this website, I’ve read books that I never would have looked at. They have taught me so much about experiences I never would have imagined. There’s a reason why books are seen as windows into other people’s lives. When we protect books, we safeguard empathy. Read more>>
Nicole Anton
Every single person who thinks of others before they think of themselves. To be truly powerful you have to be selfless in my eyes. Read more>>
