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.

Meredith Fontana | Landscape Photographer, Naturalist & Educator

I define success as the ability to spend my days immersed in what I love, free to chase the passions that ignite my soul and make me feel truly alive. To me, success is a feeling of alignment with who I truly am at my core; a state of being that I don’t believe can be found through external sources of validation like money, degrees, or accolades. I’ve learned over the years that success is rarely achieved by chasing it, and that it’s something you must cultivate within yourself first. True success begins with the hard work of inner growth, self-awareness, and deciding to choose a path in life that reflects your authentic desires – not the desires of others or what you are told is the “safe” thing to do. Read more>>

Sara Knoch | Florist and Bloomtique Owner

How to know when to keep going or give up…. This is a perfect question for me at this time of my career. We recently decided to move on from my 20 year old business in Denver and move to Grand Junction to follow a dream. I have always wanted to live in a smaller town and have a floral boutique but still do weddings. The opportunity came and we took it. Read more>>

D’onna Manning | Pilates & Fitness Coach

Other than deciding to work for myself, the most critical decision that led me to this journey was to stop depending on others and step out of my comfort zone. That is the only reason I am where I am right now and why I will continue to succeed in the future. Nothing good ever comes from being “comfortable.” Read more>>

Adam Harvey | Constellation Facilitator & End-of-Life Doula

Through Awakening Ancestry, I’m honored to help people through their deep, and sometimes difficult transitions in life – whether it’s helping them resolve long-standing intergenerational (ancestral) trauma patterns, supporting clients in moments that feel like (and sometimes are) matters of life and death, or helping parents clear their own emotional material so they don’t pass them on to their children. Read more>>

Dr. Allecia Maine | The Animal Heeler- Master Animal Communicator, Holistic Dog Trainer, PhD in Energy Medicine, Natural Animal Behavior and Consciousness Researcher with Animals

Being in nature and with my animals is what makes me the happiest. I grew up just outside of a New York City. I thought that making money, having lots of stuff and being popular were the achievements I was striving for to feel happy and successful. I chased many dreams and made them come true. I was always surprised when the happiness and sense of accomplishment faded so quickly. Read more>>

Evan Simmons | Owner and CEO of Panoramic Pro Painting, LLC

The most important lesson I’ve learned from my entrepreneurial journey is the true nature of risk. For a long time, I saw risk as a gamble—a high-stakes game with odds stacked against you, something to avoid unless success was guaranteed. I’ve never been drawn to casinos or card games because the idea of losing hard-earned money in a situation where the odds weren’t in my favor didn’t make sense to me. Read more>>

Haley Lucero | Hairstylist

I knew growing up that I always wanted to have art involved with my career. I had never been successful sitting at my desk doing work, and over time realized that creativity is one of my strong suits and wanted to have a career for myself that gave me the freedom to create that also gave me a steady income. It wasn’t until my cousin became a hairstylist where I realized I could go into a field and use my creativity to help people feel like themselves visually with hair. Read more>>

Karen Gonzalez Aguilar | Actress, Singer & Producer

Art is such a key part of our everyday lives, and it is in my opinion one of, if not the most impactful way to share a message with the word. There is a specific feeling that we have all experienced when a piece of art affects us emotionally, whether its a happy or a sad feeling, its such a reminder of just how alive we are. I think as artists we are just looking for ways to make sense and therefore express how complex, heartbreaking, and beautiful the human experience can be. I feel as if art provides the space to connect with our souls in such a unique way. Read more>>

Trina | Tattoo Apprentice (or Tattoo Artist?)

It has become more of an imbalance than a balance due to the dedication it takes to be an apprentice and having to work other jobs on the side to be able to support myself. There was one point in time when I worked for two and a half months straight without having a single day off. You sacrifice a lot of the “life” balance as an apprentice but that just proves how bad you want it. I’ve worked service industry jobs since I was 16 and didn’t start my apprenticeship until I was 23, so after spending years of just working to get by to now working to learn a craft I’m passionate about has naturally incentivized me to make work a priority above anything else. Read more>>