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.

David Critzman | Owner at Jack Hill

“Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but un-conquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee.” Read more>>

Breylon Jones | Husband& Father & Chief Operating Officer & Co Founder & Videographer

If you’re still breathing keep going. You may have to pause pray and prepare. But keep going. Read more>>

Joi Donaldson | Creative Director & Filmmaker

The decision I made to “go”. I held myself back for years out of fear of being judged and looked at with both wonder and animosity. I chose the road less traveled in my bloodline and a special set of obstacles comes with that. I turned to see the odds I had been running from were only made bigger by me not facing them. Once I faced them, they shrank and I began to grow into my most authentic self. From there, I only needed to go with my flow and whip up the magic I always had inside me. Read more>>

Julia Deckman | Color Focused Visual Artist

I decided that no matter what, I will always make art. I will always work on my creative process and seek professional art opportunities. Regardless of what my “success” might be or look like, I will continue to pursue my career. Read more>>

Erika DeRoberts | Creative Entrepreneur: Painter, Muralist & Illustrator

At the end of 2020, I left my 20 year corporate career to pursue a life as a full-time artist. I had been preparing to make this big life change by downsizing my home, saving money and paying off debt. But the lessons from Covid and the sudden reminder of life’s brevity, served as a motivating force to pursue this dream more quickly. Read more>>

Moriah Chavis | Author

Anything worth doing has some type of risk involved. It’s deciding if the risk is worth the reward. When it comes to writing, there is a lot of risk and sometimes very little reward. The reward can be a simple as having one person love your book or as large as getting a major book deal. There are people who have both, and there are people who never finish their book. The risk of not being able to share the stories in my heart is greater to me than the small and big rewards. Writing is a dream and passion of mine, and the risk of disappointing myself always threatens. So I keep writing. The most rewarding part is saying I have finished something and created a project I love. Read more>>

Brittany Perez | Business Owner & Artist

I feel like Glazed helps the community in several different ways. We are definitely a great place for friends or family to meet up. It’s also a cool opportunity to bond over something they either have in common, like a love for art or on the other side of that, something out of their comfort zone. We offer team bonding events, work parties, and birthday parties as well. Painting is definitely a stress reliever and I think it’s a great way to do something different while catching up with a friend. Read more>>

Dewey Vandenende | Entrepreneur

In the quiet moments of reflection, I find myself deeply inspired by the extraordinary individuals who navigate this world with an unwavering sense of purpose and an indomitable spirit. These are the thinkers, the dreamers, the doers – those rare souls who use their intellect and bravery to forge paths less traveled and illuminate the lives of others. Their stories, marked by resilience and a relentless pursuit of excellence, are what drive me to seek out my own version of greatness. Read more>>

Jose Cedeno | Contact Center Operational Supervisor

With over 15 years in higher education, I can confirm that my passion for service has been the most important factor behind my success. As a former financial aid college advisor, I witnessed first-year college students come into the financial aid office with a severe need for assistance and little to no guidance on paying for college. After gaining an understanding of how federal student aid works, I was able to provide that information to other students like myself who saw education as a way to further their professional aspirations. Read more>>

Alison Hall | Artist

I was born an artist. I’ve been creative my entire life. My mother was a decorator, and worked at home. Her office was filled with loads of colorful fabric samples, patterned wallpapers, trims & tassles. Great inspirations! I was always creating: Painting, drawing, building, crafting something. In high school, I became immersed in printmaking: Silkscreen, Etching, Intaglio. I setup a printmaking studio in my house, and sold my prints at art fairs. I continued my artistic pursuits in art school, attending Rhode Island School of Design. I focused on Graphic Design, Printmaking, Photography, Paper-making and Fashion Design. Read more>>

Kevin Holliday | B&W Fine Art Photographer | Graphic Designer | Educator

I think most any creative will answer this the same way… we create because we MUST create. It is both what I am and who I am as an individual. The art I create—whether it be fine art black and white photography or graphic design—is an extension of my inner being. Seeking a career in my craft not only made sense, but it was simply something I had to do in order to remain happy and feel a sense of purpose. Read more>>

Jessica Saultz | Co-Founder of DINO BARS

I do believe that most of us business owners struggle with a work life balance. I was a mom of 2 at the time we started DINO BARS. We had moved from Germany to America and I was worried that if I would go back to my old carrier, I would have to work a 9-5 job. With that I would barely see my kids. For me that was not an option. So the only way out of that was starting my own business. What I learned the first year was that yes I could spend time with my kids whenever I wanted, but that meant I had to play catch up until late at night. The first year we worked every weekend and barely had any time to spend out of kids and DINO BARS. The more employees we hired the more we got our weekends back. That was the start of us setting boundaries and finding a balance between work and life. Now DINO BARS is set up as a business for moms. We do not work the conventional hours, our business is only open from 8am to 2:30pm. Wondering why? That is because this way we can drop our kids off for school/daycare and then pick them up again. I started this business because I wanted to spend time with my kids, so now I have a business that allows us moms to do that. I will spend my morning working and my afternoons with my family. That is what I call a work life balance! Read more>>