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.

Sarah Ziroll | Doula & Birth Made Mindful Birth Coach

Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness” and for me, it was the most influential book of the year. Granted, I have only read 47 books this year, and have at least 5 more to read to reach my annual goal. The impact of this book is phenomenal. Although his data is geared towards the younger generation, I learned that the older generation is also suffering from anxiety, and Jonathan Haidt reveals the (not so) secret culprit…phones. The apps on our cell phones are programmed to engage us, thus, they interrupt or notify us at least once every two minutes. Read more>> 

Ian Skor, Pe | Owner & CEO

The value that matters most to me is self-sufficiency. I believe strongly in being able to provide for oneself and live independently, whether in business or in nature. This belief extends beyond my professional life into my personal interest in survival skills and naturalism—learning how to live off the land and thrive with minimal resources. Our business of installing solar panels aligns perfectly with this mindset, as solar energy empowers people to take control of their energy needs, reducing reliance on external systems and enhancing their own resilience and independence. Read more>>

Melanie Elizabeth | Content Creator & Home Cook

It’s more than just taking pictures and videos of food. When I first started my page I often would get the comments like “Anyone can take a picture of food” And yes, that statement is absolutely true but there’s a real difference when someone is passionate about it. I think it’s always apparent when looking at a picture or video if someone really cared about whatever content they were creating. You also have to have a point of view and be genuine on your page if you want people to engage with you. So what you see on my page is 100% me 100% of the time. Read more>>

Jodie Lavoie | Owner, Sugar Rush Cakery, Castle Rock, CO

The amount of time it truly takes to create custom cakes, cookies, and specialty desserts. Some of the tv shows make it look like these amazing, elaborate cakes can be made in just a few hours, however many of the contestants are given the themes ahead of time and are even allowed to bring pre-made decor with them on the show. This unfortunately gives our customers unrealistic expectations of our pricing structure, when it really takes 5x the amount of time to execute an elaborate design like that. Read more>>

Aiyla Paulin | Artist

I don’t really see an end point. I foresee my career taking so many twists and turns, developing into something I never could have imagined at this point. All I’ve ever wanted to do is create beautiful things and share them with the world. I’ve always known I wanted to be a creative, since the time I was little I was sewing clothes for the dogs or filming reality TV shows in my backyard with that giant camcorder. Read more>>