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.

Denisse Olivas | Makeup Artist

To be honest I never thought my life will take this career path, I wasn’t passionate about wearing makeup up until I was 18 years old. When I finished high school, I wanted to be nurse, so I applied to go to college and I was accepted, but then I got married and moved here to the US from Chihuahua.
When I had my first son, I was having trouble adapting to my new life since all my family stayed back at Mexico. I decided to start a Mary Kay business. This was around 2015-2017. Basically, this Mary Kay job consisted of going door to door offering catalog skin care products, so it was pretty fun, back in the day a lot of people liked this brand, and I had a lot of clients. I remember going to my client houses and doing a demonstration of the products, it was pretty fun, and I had the opportunity to meet a lot of women (I guess that’s one of the things I love about my job up until this day). Read more>>

Piper Mavro | Book & Beer Connoisseur

I got a degree in Brewing Sciences in college and loved being apart of the beer world. My mother was really worried that I wouldn’t be able to find a job since I kept posting beer on my personal instagram so I started a new one! Really funny to think about how LagersLipstickLiterature has helped me pursue so many dreams in the beer industry and it all started because my mom was worried about me finding a job! So shoutout to Mama Mav for the push to start it! Read more>>

Gabrielle Greeves | Former Executive Director

Risk-taking is an essential aspect of both my personal and professional growth. It involves me stepping outside of my comfort zone and embracing uncertainty in pursuit of potential rewards. In my perspective, risk can be viewed as a necessary component of innovation, resiliency and progress I have desired to make 35 years of projects/ideas form to their potential. Read more>>

Betsy Lay | Co-Founder and Owner

The Lady Justice Brewing Company was founded in 2014 to brew beer to make the world a better place. We dedicate time, space, and money to nonprofits and community partners that support and empower women, girls, and non-binary folks in the state of Colorado. That means every Lady Justice beer you enjoy is changing a life. We do this through sales of our annual mug club memberships and through a dedicated draft line in our taproom that donates $1 per pour of that beer. We’ve donated over $60,000 since 2016. Read more>>

Katherine (katey) Griffin | Owner & Baker

The most important factor behind my success is using quality ingredients. Using unbleached flour, cane sugar, organic and fresh ingredients help with flavor and nutrition. Read more>>

Angela Elizabeth | Hair and Makeup Artist, and Owner of Angela Elizabeth Cosmetology

Communication is truly everything! Having clear and quick communication with your clients, as well as thorough consultations so that everyone feels confident and comfortable going into a service is so important. Read more>>

Tammi Williams | Polymer Clay artist and instructor

Being retired makes me very happy. I used to dread going to work, even when I worked from home. Now I look forward to getting up in the morning as I almost always have something interesting to do.
Many days I will work on a project in my studio, (there are usually 3 or 4 going at a time), or attend a workshop at the library, or go for a bicycle ride. I am so thankful to have time to enjoy things now. Read more>>

Justienne Savaiano | Artist, Marketer, & Dog Nanny

The value that matters most to me is transparency, particularly when it comes to pricing and ethical practices. I believe that everyone deserves access to essential services, regardless of their income level. Transparency in pricing builds trust and allows people to make informed decisions without fear of hidden costs or surprises. By ensuring our services are accessible to all, we create opportunities for inclusion and equity. Ethical practices tie this all together—when we operate with integrity, we honor the people we serve and set a standard that prioritizes fairness over profit. For me, it’s about creating a system where everyone has a chance to thrive, and that starts with honesty, accessibility, and doing what’s right. Read more>>

Megan Pham | Family Nurse Practitioner, Aesthetic Medicine

It’s difficult for me to choose just one value/principle; but if I had to choose it would have to be integrity and safety. As an injector, ensuring patient safety while delivering the best results is of the utmost importance to me. Being someone who has went to school for years to educate herself and change the lives of others, I find great happiness and satisfaction when seeing my patients leave my chair feeling more confident. Furthermore, just knowing that they came in with a certain standard of expectations and leaving with those expectations exceeded because of my integrity as an injector brings great satisfaction. Read more>>

Jenny Lee | Nature Inspired Artist

There is a quote from Georgia O’Keeffe that perfectly encapsulates how I view my artwork: “My painting is what I have to give back to the world for what the world gives to me.” I paint for the trees, the critters, the mountains; my artwork is my way of giving thanks towards Mother Earth. I practice yoga regularly, and something we do before practice begins is sing the invocation to “Om.” This song recognizes and honors the divine self, the greater universe, and brings balance and peace to the nervous system and mind. This humbleness towards the earth, the universe, and a “greater power” brings a recognition that we are small, yet big. It honors the yin and the yang within ourselves, within the bigger picture of the world, and every level in between. Read more>>

Ann Allsopp | Writer, Director, & Producer, OR: Writer & Filmmaker

I can’t think of anything better than getting to collaborate with other creatives to tell a story. There’s a kind of magic that happens when a bunch of weirdos get together, share a vision, and make something. Being on the set of my most recent film, Heartless, was one of the most magical experiences of my life. Read more>>