We were fortunate to catch up with some brilliant artists, creatives and entrepreneurs from throughout the Houston area and they share the wisdom with us below.

Deirdra Massey | BeautiNU Brand Story

The vision behind starting Beautinu came from a deeply personal and practical place. Initially, my partner, Niesha Branch, and I began selling body oils, driven by a passion for providing high-quality, affordable products that people could trust. The journey evolved when I saw an opportunity to create all-natural beard products, inspired by my brother’s needs—because self-care should look and feel great for men too. Read more>>

Ëli Hills | Musician, Journalist, Videographer

I’ll say unfortunately I’ve been a risk taker my whole life. It’s been the biggest downfall & blessing for me in every situation. I’m not scared to fail & try something new that sparked in my mind. It’s either you end right back where you were before starting or see the ultimate outcome/benefit from it. Even when I had something to lose I bet on myself because I had no other choice. Read more>>

Chris Adkins | BBQ Pit Master, Hunter, Fisherman, Conservationist

I am inspired by a combination of freedom and creativity. Freedom represents the ability to explore new opportunities, whether that’s in the outdoors, in business, or in personal growth. For me, it’s about the freedom to step outside the conventional boundaries, to take risks, and to create something meaningful. Read more>>

Erica Miller | NEAT Method Memphis Owner and Professional Organizer

I recently read a book entitled Atomic Habits by author, James Clear. It’s essentially a “how-to” on implementing small changes to transform your everyday life for the better. I found this informational read to be both encouraging and inspiring to me, specifically, as a first time business owner. It offers such solid, practical advice surrounding habit formation proven to yield successful results overtime. I would advise everyone to read this book for the simple fact that it’s applicable for achieving goals in business, our personal lives, our health, even our relationships. Essentially the secret lies in adhering to 4 main rules for building good habits and/or breaking bad ones. Read more>>

Brian Elder | Christian Artist & Songwriter

The most important factor behind any success I have had, small or big? My short answer would be God. Because I know that without Him and apart from Him, I can do nothing. I gave up music for a while and I really had no desire to do anything with it again. Years later I felt like God led me back to music and restored my desire to do it again. I’ve tried making my own way with music and every time I do, I don’t see a lot of fruit come from it. But it seems like every time I just leave it in God’s hands and take it one step at a time, doing what He wants me to do and trusting His plan, that’s when more doors open. So I know it’s not anything that I’m doing. I just have to trust Him and let Him lead me. Read more>>

Emmanuel Legrair | Founder, The Commonwealth

I actually started blogging after I competed graduate school at Vanderbilt University. I achieved great success and was invited to so many amazing events! While I met great people, learned a great deal, I wanted to create experiences with the men’s fashion aficionado at the forefront – so I started planning events and eventually began calling it ‘The Commonwealth.’ Read more>>

Aleksandra Chojnacka | Founder of Detox House, Functional Nutrition Guide, and Breathwork Facilitator

One piece of conventional advice I challenge is the idea that health and wellness depend primarily on external factors, like supplements, gadgets, or even constant reliance on experts. While these can be invaluable (and critical) in times of crisis or when addressing complex health issues, they often reinforce the belief that the answers lie outside of us. Read more>>

Amanda Bauch | Writer, Editor & Writing Coach

“Never work for free.” During my career, I’ve heard variations of this guidance. Yet when I mentor people who are either starting their career or trying to pivot and into an industry different from their current line of work, I encourage them not to be afraid to give away their goods and/or services. Read more>>

Cassis Pitman | Sculptor

Be brave enough to let failure propel you forward. As a ceramic and sculpture artist, experiments and failures are an integral part of working with this medium. I have been working with clay for over a decade, and yet there’s still so much I don’t know about. Starting my residency at The Clay Lady’s Campus three years ago provided me with more freedom to explore and create than I’ve ever had before. In those three years, I’ve made a lot of “losers”-sculptures I affectionately display at home rather than in my studio. Even though I’ve learned so much from them, they don’t quite fit into my body of work. Read more>>

Alice Sullivan | Bestselling Ghostwriter and Collaborator

In the early days of my career, I had no concept of balance. I was primarily focused on work, climbing the ladder, and making more money. At age 24, I had personal goals I wanted to achieve, such as buying my first home and beginning to save for retirement. So, I said yes to a corporate position and to freelance work on nights and weekends, allowing for more income, but very little time off. I was checking off all the boxes of what I thought a successful person should do. Read more>>