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.

Kayla Allen

I feel like the main thing that sets me apart from others is the fact that I leave my supporters on a cliff hanger . For example it’s like waiting for your favorite show to come back on ! So every time I post there just surprised and excited.

One thing most people don’t know , is that I am a self taught photographer. I took a beginner & advanced photography class in high school and they really didn’t help teach . I had to teach myself Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom which was a fun experience. It was some hard times , but its all a learning process with everything. Read More>>

Katharine Ryalls

I have always approached significant decisions by deliberately selecting the option that terrifies me the most. I believe that if a choice or risk causes fear, it often represents the necessary challenge and opportunity for growth. Reflecting on the past 20 years, I’ve categorized my decisions into those where I embraced the “scary” path and those where I chose safety. I consistently find the most satisfaction and pride in the moments when I took the leap into the unknown and faced my fears. Read More>>

Jeanette Leake

The decision to pursue a career as an artist is always a risk. However, I strongly feel that it is a risk worth taking. When I was in college as a fine arts major at a liberal arts university, I consistently had people ask mw why I would spend this much money and take out loans to get a degree in art. “What can you do with that? How will you support yourself?  Read More>>

Jona Jones

I want my legacy to be that I brought people together with food and community. Bringing people together with a dinner and an amazing meal rooted history. At my first farm to fork dinner, one of my guest said that the meal reminded him of his grandmother and I was on the verge of tears. That was it for me. That was the highest praise. Coming out to a farm and sitting together as family fosters community. It is honoring a simpler time when the world moved a bit slower and family was everything that we needed. We could gather over a meal to feel nourished and loved. Read More>>

Emily Sgambato

I’ve always loved coffee, but I love the community that surrounds it most of all. Ever since I was in high school, I thought “Oh if I ever make enough money, I hope I can open a coffee shop on the side of [insert whatever dream career I had at the time].” Flash forward to my junior year of college, I had been unhappy in most every internship within my major’s field, and felt like I’d lost direction of what I wanted to do. I’ll try to keep this brief, but coming from a background of faith, I felt led very early on in life to pursue something around missional work, Read More>>

Mary McIntire

Aikido is a martial art without competition. Everyone helps everyone else learn and improve. By helping each other, and not competing, we all improve.

In Aikido you don’t meet force with force. The defender blends with the attack and redirects the energy so as not to be harmed. Being large or strong does not necessarily give you an advantage. This is a different mindset than most martial arts and many people find that these principles are very advantageous in dealing with every day life. Read More>>

Debonair Le’Flair

One thing outsiders don’t realize is how much of this industry is strategy, discipline, and mental toughness — not just talent. If you’re someone who doesn’t like being perceived or critiqued, music and content creation might not be for you. Everyone has an opinion, no matter how pure your intent is. You have to be thick-skinned, locked in on your purpose, and rooted in your faith. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will. And beyond all that, most people have no idea how many hours go into production — the planning, shooting, editing, revising, and doing it all over again. It’s a grind, but if you love it, it’s worth it. Read More>>

FREE

I pursued a creative career because creativity has always been at the core of who I am. From a young age, I gravitated toward visual arts—drawing, designing, and even creating my first comic book back in the fourth grade. In high school, I had the opportunity to study under both a muralist and an automotive engineer/architect, which really expanded the way I thought about design and structure. At the same time, my love for anime, comics, and animation kept fueling my imagination and storytelling. Read More>>