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.

Amy Green | Online Fitness and Nutrition Coach

This probably not the best to start off with, however, I like the saying ” but, did you you die?” Because not only did it most likely not happen, but we completed another day that has made us show up for ourselves, and feel better, emotionally, mentally, and, physically. A lot of times we don’t start or do things because of fear. Yet often times, that’s what we actually need to do. Read more>>

John Moody | Owner / Operator

With 15 years of experience as a mortician and funeral home manager, I’ve seen how options like aquamation provide families with a more sustainable, natural way to honor their loved ones. Recognizing the need for that same level of care and eco-friendly approach for pets, I started Water Bridge Aquamation to offer pet owners a gentle, environmentally conscious alternative to flame cremation for our pet family members. Read more>>

Justin Johnson

Coming from an athletic background and competing in sports up until and through college, I always knew sports would follow me even after I was the player. The idea for Lightning Factory started during my first year of being a teacher all the way in Idaho. I had a few amazing student athletes that were super dedicated to getting faster and running track, but it was not track season yet, and because there was no club track teams or training facilities within 30 minutes, we decided to start our own program from scratch. Read more>>

Amanda Snyder | Fine Art Painter

As a creative, it’s important to stay in touch with your intuition. If you aren’t inspired any more by what you are making then it is probably time to move on. Less about giving up and more about finding the next chapter. For example, I started my creative career by opening a letterpress business. Loved it for many years, but over time and with life changes found myself drawn more to my original training in fine art. So made the decision to put the letterpress business on pause and focus solely on my paintings, where my passion was the strongest. Read more>>

Marni Pogachefsky

What a fabulous question! I’m super passionate these days about 6 pillars of leadership I personally live by and deepen into every day. For me, leadership is anchored in these core pillars: integrity, responsibility, and possibility, urgency, risk, and vision. The three that I’m deepening into these days are Responsibility, Possibility, and Integrity! Read more>>

Kristina Le

I think when you choose to go solo or become self-employed, many people don’t realize how demanding it can be. There’s so much happening behind the scenes that often goes unnoticed. Read more>>

Jacalyn Forléo | Sr. Mortgage Loan Originator

I think the most important lesson I’ve learned in my career is that I get to decide ‘how’ I work. That applies to ‘who’ a work with, ‘how’ I’ll do my work. And that might mean that I don’t work with some people. The reality is, and this is an old saying, that you better like your work because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. I learned many years ago that there are some people in my industry that do not align with what I value, and therefore not the right people to work with. That’s a hard pill to swallow when you don’t have a lot of business coming in and need to make a difficult decision for your bank account that better supports your mindset. Read more>>

Kelli Schow | Mental Health Therapist

I often feel so grateful for my career because it has taught me how to approach life with more curiosity and less judgement. One of the most meaningful parts of being a therapist is the ability to bear witness to people’s full stories and experiences in their most vulnerable moments. I have learned that being a human is incredibly complicated. We often have the urge to label people or experiences as “good” or bad”. I have learned that we all have healthier parts of ourselves, and parts that might be making less productive choices as a way to cope in the best way we know how. Read more>>

Beth Erlander

The question-where are you from could be taken in a few ways. First thought-I’m from Colorado, yet was born in Southern California. I moved to Colorado when I was 3 so I consider myself a native Coloradoan. But I also go larger with that question-my ancestral roots come from Northern Europe, specifically Sweden and Germany. My German ancestors were from Russia-they emigrated during Katherine the Great’s rule back in the 18th century. They were some of the most perseverant people I know and I feel that within my own bones. Read more>>

David Lowe | Music Producer & Real Estate Agent

I was lucky enough to be born into a musical household (my Dad was a great pianist so I always heard his music in the house when I was a kid growing up). I then got into a few bands when I was in my teens & learned guitar. When I saw how many people played guitar, I started learning the bass & drums so I could get in bands more easily. Then I started playing Latin percussion in order to play alongside DJs in clubs. When I moved to Austin, Texas I was the lead singer, songwriter & guitarist for a band there. After being in bands, I was tired of being out of control so wanted to be able to create the entire songs & perform myself. So I taught myself how to program electronic music then taught myself how to DJ. Read more>>

Jessica Lloyd | Tattoo Artist

Growing up with an innate love for art, I always sought creative outlets. Drawing and painting became essential to my identity. Tattooing offered a unique opportunity to apply my skills in a new, permanent medium. Now, I’m privileged to create lasting art pieces on clients’ skin. Read more>>