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.

Fallon Peper | Artist

What does success mean to you?” This was a question asked at the Miss Chesnee High School pageant back in the early 2000s. It was not MY question and I was so glad as I had no heartfelt answer at the time. Fast forward to today… Here I sit in a coffee shop in Charlotte, NC in 2024 instead of confined to 4 classroom walls in North Charleston all day as I was 2010-2015,
Unfortunately, the majority of my students had no real models or encouragers of success at home. Read more>>

Natalie Bodie | Realtor and founder of Modern & Main Group with Real Broker

Risk has led me to a fast track of success of selling $16M in my first 16 months.. I strongly disagree with doing everything conventionally. I once heard Richard Branson say his philosophy was “ screw it, let’s do it” Take risks and stand out from the crowd. As an entrepreneur I wasn’t afraid of doing things differently and I thought there was a better way to do Real Estate. If I was bored and not WOWED from an outsiders prospective, then I had to differentiate my approach. I may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I was willing to take the risk to cast the net to the avatar/ audience I was after. The best ideas I believe come out of frustrations, so … Read more>>

Andrea Tassoni | Holistic health and nutrition coach

Educating, supporting, and guiding my clients as they change their diet and lifestyle so they can live a longer more productive life impacts not only them but has an amazing trickle down effect on their families, friends, and loved ones. Nothing is more valuable then our health, and when I am able to teach someone about food and the importance of why eating real, whole food over processed and packaged has a huge impact on chronic disease, inflammation, gut health, hormones, and the scale that often produces healthier meals cooked at home and better food choices put in school lunches and packed for the office. It becomes a shift not only for their family and extended family, but also for their friends and coworkers. Read more>>

Olivia Beaudry | Hairstylist | Artist

One of the most rewarding aspects about being behind the chair is the ability to make people smile. When we look our best, we often tend to feel our best. Hearing my clients tell me that they feel most beautiful after their hair appointment makes me the happiest. Having a career that gives me the ability to not only make people feel beautiful, but to also create a safe space to laugh, cry, talk, or even sit in silence is such a blessing and is something I will be forever grateful for. Read more>>

Toan Dao | President – Charleston Black Cab Co.

“You got to work really really hard to make a business succeed”. There’s a difference between working smart and working hard. You don’t have to break your back to succeed. Read more>>

Georgia Woodard | Owner and Licensed Esthetician

That you’re somehow failing if you don’t pick a career path immediately out of high school or college and stick with it forever. Life happens and people grow and change – learning to be well rounded, flexible, and able to make a changes when they’re needed is a skill that can be incredibly helpful later in life. Read more>>