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.

Coach B | Coach B The Confidence Coach

For years I owned clothing boutiques n women used to come in and ask me questions about opening up boutiques or just life questions in general.. My love for wanting to see women win n empower them made me to decide I wanted to become a confidence coach Read more>>

Andrea Serrano | Wardrobe Stylist, Producer, Content Creator, Host

Success is measured by living a fulfilled life and having a career that gives you purpose. Read more>>

Liz Pritchard | Pyrography Artist

It’s easy to give up. The phrase “starving artist” rings just as true now as it ever has. My business is art-based and there have been countless times over the last 3 years I’ve considered throwing in the towel. I put in a lot of hours planning, prepping, creating, and advertising my pieces and time after time, they “fail”. Social media is an ever-changing mystery; when I share a new piece I’m incredibly proud of and get 5 likes, it’s easy to think I should just quit. I take dozens of photographs and list them in my shop only to have crickets and zero sales. I see fellow artists sharing their beautiful pieces and see thousands of “likes” and comments; I compare my art to others and see how much better or different theirs is. It’s so easy to give up. Read more>>

Troyeshi Gladden | Wedding Officiant| Day of Coordinator & Tax Strategist

Does it make you happy? Do you find joy in your business? If so, I would say keep going. There’s always ups and Downs in business. They are some great months. They’re some so much and there’s some months that you may not sell or have a booking. When you lose those things it maybe time to find a new career. Read more>>

Isis Spann | Educator & consultant

One of the most important things that I have done for my children is to always be honest with them. I have seen how holding the truth from a child can do more harm than good. I pride myself on always being truthful with my children even if it may hurt them or cause them to have questions. I am teaching my children to honor and expect honesty not just from me but from everyone. Read more>>

Morris Sally | Curator of SCLofi. A beat culture event in South Carolina.

Overall, SCLofi plays a role in cultivating a supportive and creative environment, making a positive impact on the cultural and social fabric of the community. Read more>>

Hannah Robinson | Your Lady Carpenter

When a large legacy tree falls during a storm, I am one of the only people that will save it to make furniture or art from it. To move, mill, dry and finish these massive trees requires a great deal of knowledge about a dead trade and very expensive equipment. The equipment alone is hundreds of thousands of dollars, which deters most tree companies from saving the trees. All of our trees are dumped in ‘recycling centers’ where they are mulched. When I saw city blocks filled with our trees being tossed aside so callously, I decided to do something about it. I had no money. No resources. No tools. No space. Thinking back, I cannot believe that I literally started my first projects in my apartment living room. Read more>>

Ian Russell | British Actor and Voice Actor

They say that necessity is the mother of invention and that rings true for me. I had worked in the banking/wealth management industry in the UK for almost 30 years but the financial crisis had led to many roles being cut. Late in 2013 I raised my hand and ‘volunteered as tribute’ for the latest round of layoffs which led to my family and I moving to the USA in 2014. I had no job but my wife had given me a Christmas gift of a Voiceover Workshop in 2012 and I had taken some workshops over the next year or so and I decided that I would try to make my way in the Voiceover industry. My thought process was to give myself a year to make progress and I set goals to hit. Read more>>

Haley Maness | Clinical Herbalist and Owner of Roots and Leaves and Aiken Wellness Spa

Starting Roots and Leaves was inititally an accident. I was healing from Chronic Lyme disease and utilizing my own products to support my healing based on herbs known to boost immune functioning. A local store down the street caught wind of my story and asked if I would like to sell my elderberry tonic in their store. I honestly had not thought about turning it into a business, but as soon as she posed that question to me I realized these products that had helped me heal so much could help others as well. That is when the fire was sparked and I began to sell my eldeberry tonic, herbal teas, magnesium body butter and teaching others how to support their bodies in a holistic way. Read more>>

Corey Brausch Hurley | CEO & Social Media Strategist

“You need to wake up before the sun and hustle!” I have found that blossoming business owners are often told they need to wake up at 4 am and grind through the night in order to make their business grow. Granted, this advice CAN be motivating and can work for some people, but I find it contributes to burnout of the entrepreneurial spirit. The majority of the time, people want to build a business so they can work for themselves and take their time back. Time is one resource we are unable to get back once it is gone. I have found that slow and steady, matched with potent bursts of energy is the key to successful business growth. Read more>>

Janeva Tyree | Artist & Owner

Pursuing a career in the arts is not for the faint-hearted, but the rewards are immeasurable and fulfilling. The artistic pathway provides a platform to be creative, innovative, and embrace mistakes on the journey to discovery, both inward and outward. It requires a deep connection to self and others, and I’ve made a commitment to this journey. In the pursuit of artistic success, resilience is an essential quality. As an artist, I have learned invaluable lessons about tenacity, determination, and relentlessness. While there have been moments where I considered giving up, I’ve learned to laugh at the idea and remove it from the realm of possibilities. I firmly believe that success requires perseverance, and never giving up is the key to achieving your dreams. Read more>>

Allison and Jamie Nadeau | co-owners, INK MEETS PAPER

When we first started INK MEETS PAPER, we operated out of our home. It was great because it allowed us to grow slowly (and learn the craft of letterpress printing), and we were really able to be immersed in our work. Being surrounded by our work was really helpful in these early stages. Everything was new, and there was so much to learn! From sourcing supplies (paper, ink, envelopes, random parts for a press from 1923!) to building internal businesses processes (to ensure consistency across products and customer experience), we were very much in the starting stages, and everything just took time. As partners in business and in life, it was our primary topic of conversation too! Read more>>

Baba Amin Ojuok | Education Activist & Master Teacher

On this journey, I’m STILL learning how to balance my personal and professional life, even as a husband and father of 8 children. I can be obsessive about my work. I’m also determined to be an active father and husband. Well, when you’re committed to your work, and also committed to spending quality time with your family, there is one person that usually gets neglected…yourself. Long hours, limited sleep, eating unhealthy, processed, and/or fast food out of convenience. Add to that, a chosen endeavor that requires constant communication with others on a very personal level because you’re engaging them regarding their child’s education. On top of that, the service that we are offering, Afrikan-centered/Empowerment-based education, is very uncommon, at the time, where we are from. Read more>>