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.

Jennifer Buchanan | Reiki Master and Certified Emotion Code and Body Code Practitioner and chiropractic office assistant

Using mantras and affirmations is a powerful way to match and enhance your energy – with what you are moving towards or what you are currently expressing. I find that when I connect with a quote, it is usually because the energy of those words resonate with me at that time. That being said, there are quite a few that I do love – Read more>>

Yung Q | Artist & CEO of God Family Cash

Well originally, I was just a producer making beats and rapping/singing on the side just to add hooks to some beats before I sold them. When I was a teenager, my beats caught some attention at Def Jam, and they offered me a record deal worth 1.2 million as a producer/artist in 2005. then I started to rap more and one day in studio I was with Bizarre of D12, and he played some of the songs I recorded for Marshall and Dr. Dre, and they loved them. So, they bought me out of my contract with Island of Def Jam and signed me to Shady Records in 2007. I began producing a lot of songs and giving reference ideas for Hooks and verses. Eminem was the biggest rapper even till this day and he mentored me to be better as an artist and producer. So basically Marshall “Eminem” taught me more of the business side and gave me advice how to grow as an artist and to understand that its more business than art. Which led me to start working on my first studio album The Quesada LP 2018 and the first single on that album was called Voices in My Head which was heavily inspired by Eminem and was a record originally going to be on Marshall’s album. He wanted me to use it for mine. Keep in mind I made this record in 2014. After we shot the video, I had a meeting with Dre and Eminem for my future as an artist and they asked me if I wanted to continue to grow with Shady Records or if I wanted to go Independent. So, I decided to take everything I learned and start my own label. After a few mixtapes I made Failure Meet Success 2012, and God Forgives I Don’t 2013. I linked up with a childhood friend Ty Killa and we started making music together. After we finished our debut joint album The Psychopath Vs. The Killer 2015 we were talking about a group name we can make for ourselves. GFC Gang was first mentioned by Ty Killa on the song Trust Issues featuring JR Writer 2014- And one-day Ty Killa came to the studio with another artist KG and said they got the label name God Family Cash GFC Gang that they like a lot. At first, I needed to make sure we can use this name for business and also on the street level as it was linked to some pretty heavy gang related people. We sat down and decided if this what we are going do, we are going all in and its GFC Gang God Family Cash till the end. So that’s how the label was created in 2014. Ty Killa introduced me to some OG’s from GFC Gang which was big in the prison systems, and I had a sit down to discuss the use of name and branding and what our intentions was for music. All the respect I already had from the streets and where we came from, they said they loved the idea and believe that Ty Killa, KG and I are incredible artist and can make this name blow up and granted me full rights to the name. I made sure I told them I plan to take GFC Global. To this day I managed to grow over 60 million streams worldwide with new artist and famous artist and tons of fans promoting the name GFC Gang “God Family Cash” Read more>>

Annie Jameson | Eden International Founder and President

In 2017, I traveled to Guatemala and became friends with a local Guatemalan (Rodolfo) who shared my dream to create opportunities for employment and socialization for disabled adults. During my career as a special education teacher, I had become passionate about post-education opportunities for young adults with disabilities, many of whom struggle with isolation and depression. In Guatemala, this problem is especially serious because many people with disabilities live without leaving their houses due to lack of access to transportation or buildings, lack of governmental support, lack of education, and lack of job opportunities. So, my partner and I decided to launch a business that would allow disabled people to work according to their own skills and timelines, by making organic wellness products. We wanted to create entrepreneurial work for disabled adults, rather than trying to find jobs that would require them to assimilate to neurotypical norms. Now, we sell the Eden products on behalf of the workers, and we’re able to ensure that they are earning far more than the local minimum wage. We dreamed of running a center in Guatemala that would educate people with disabilities and their families, provide sustainable and flexible work opportunities, and foster regular socialization in the community! We’re still on the way towards our original dreams, but it’s been a beautiful ride so far! Read more>>

Eugene Tapahe | Multi-Discipline/Media Artist and Photographer

Ten years ago, I made a life-altering decision to quit my full-time job and pursue my passion for landscape photography. With this, I became my own boss invested in my first digital camera, and started this new journey. The first few months were filled with frustration, mishaps, and errors with camera settings and unpredictable natural conditions. It was a whole new venture. I spent most of my time wandering and experimenting to get the ultimate “money shot.” After all, I did leave a paying job with benefits. One night, I was sitting in front of my computer monitor, reviewing my latest photographs— another unsuccessful photo shoot— tears ran down my face. I explained my frustration to my wife and wanted to give up. She told me, “You are trying too hard to get the money shot. You need to just shoot from your heart.” From that moment everything changed. Read more>>

Brittany Walker | Founder, Professional Dancer & Choreographer

Connection! I love connecting with people and creating dance performance that just makes people feel. I get inspired by concepts that are relatable and that can reach all types of audiences. I whole heartedly believe that people need to feel connected even if that connection is non verbal. Read more>>

Alex Krebs | Conservationist, GIS Analyst, Beekeeper and Photographer

In photography, I value honesty and being true to yourself. In the era of Ai generation, honesty is going to become harder and harder to come by in photography. I do often think about picking up film photography again in an effort to reclaim some of that honesty in photos, at least for myself. Maybe one day I will do that. I also think it is important to be true to your style as a photographer. In times when I have felt style-less, I felt lost. It took me a long time to develop a style and I am still working on it. Read more>>

Sara O. Bledsoe | Artist and Writer

The old saw that there are no jobs in art and one will starve to death need to be put to bed. If you replace “art” with “design” , it becomes clear that we live in a designed world from stamps to clothes to house to home furnishings to cars and on and on. None of the above can be picked off a tree. The woman who designed emojies for the internet is not a household name, but emojies have worldwide recognition.
To be successful in art and creative endeavors, you must also be entrepreneurial and acquire bookkeeping and marketing skills. Read more>>

Agustina Mistretta | Director at Hexton Gallery

Oftentimes art is perceived as an exclusive world meant for the insiders, and that can be intimidating. But in reality, it doesn’t have to be that way. We advocate for a more inclusive approach, one that invites people in. The living room layout of our gallery space builds a setting that is intended to make you feel welcome. We are always making an effort to tell the story behind a work of art, and every artist comes with its own story too, so there’s always a way of connecting with what you see that runs deeper than the surface level. Educating visitors and allowing them to truly experience what they see from their own perspective is a big portion of what we do. Read more>>

Monica E Young | Author & Speaker on Aging Parent Topics — with two self-published books

Thinking outside the box. Introducing new ideas. Presenting only accurate information in an informal way. Speaking with a relatable voice.
For example, I’ve rewritten the response to this question at least four times, trying to get it to accurately convey feelings behind my writing concepts. Read more>>

Tanner Steed | Oil Painter

I want to be undeniable. By the end of my career, I need to have a body of work that so undeniably contributes to the greater world of Fine Art. I may never know if I arrive, as it is not for me to decide. For an artist, your career ends when you can not pick up a paintbrush. So, until then, I will just keep working every single day. Read more>>

Joshua Maxon | Wire Artisan & Artist

The most important lesson my career has taught me is actually 2-pronged. Adaptability and honesty. I’ve built my business & my brand on these 2 things. There are a million wire wrappers out there, so why choose Me? Read more>>

Lisa Russell | Cryptid Comforts creator.

The biggest thing that my business has taught me is that having a great support system is so valuable. I’m so lucky to have so much support surrounding me. From my teens to my early 40’s I worked many jobs. Occasionally I was trying to pursue a career, like when I worked as a portrait photographer for Moto Photo, or teaching at Portland Jewish Academy, but mostly my jobs were in coffee shops, or other aspects of food service or retail. I worked various positions from Hostess to Manager in many various states and places. Read more>>

Evelyn Gottschall Baker | Kiln-Formed Glass Artist

A work-life balance is something I’ve struggled with my entire professional life: first as a test engineer for government contracts, then as a small business owner, and now as a professional glass artist. I have always thrown myself into the task at hand, often at the expense of relationships with family and friends. While I’ve made sure to take vacations and holidays, as well as to exercise to maintain my health, I’ve still invested most of my time in my work. Perhaps I’ve been fortunate to always have jobs that I love, rather than jobs that were merely a means to support and contribute to my family life. As I near retirement, I find this balance foremost on my mind. I absolutely love what I do as a glass artist and teacher. Once I make it into my studio in the morning, it’s hard to leave. This past year, I was selected to be a featured artist in an international magazine article and wanted to use that opportunity to create new work. The result was that I spent many long (12-16 hour) days in my studio and was often stressed as failure after failure revealed itself each time I opened the kiln. Once the material was submitted, I purposely took time away from my studio, having become burned out from the pressure I’d put on myself to create new and innovative art. After a couple of months of spending less time in my studio, I’m finding renewed enthusiasm to experiment and create new work that I will be able to share with other glass artists. Read more>>

Kira Goff | Brand + Family Photographer and owner of KINDLE Photo Studio & Event Space

From the moment I fell in love with photography, I’ve busted my butt to learn everything I can and grow this business. But after I had my first kiddo, my work-life balance definitely had to shift more towards the LIFE side of things as I dedicated time to raise him. Thankfully, I was able to figure out how to still do what I love in the midst of it, but it has taken a lot more schedule management. I have a nanny 2.5 days a week and do as much as I can for my businesses on the other days and during his naps. I actually have another little one on the way so I’ll have to re-evaulate balance yet again once he is born this fall! But I’m looking forward to the challenge of raising both babies and both of my businesses at the same time since I adore both so much! Read more>>

Zeona McIntyre | Real Estate Investment Consultant & Agent

I use my knowledge of personal finance and over 10 years of investing in and managing properties, to consult my clients on how to find their unique path towards financial independence. This is through one-on-one consulting, working with them as a real estate agent, and online classes. I focus on some unique real estate strategies to get clients to their goals faster like creative financing, house hacking, short-term and mid-term rentals. In 2022, I released the best selling book, “30 Day Stay. The Real Estate Investors Guide to Mastering the Medium-term rental.” to help more people realize their dream of financial independence and freedom to travel the world, through investing in furnished rentals. Read more>>