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 Medoff

As a parent, the most important thing I hope I’ve done, aside from show my kids how to do their own laundry and cook me gluten free brownies, is to model how to identify and reach for what lights them up. There were a lot of people along my path who thought I might be a starving artist, or who believed a design degree to be impractical. But I believed my creative, nurturing personality would thrive in this field. I hope they have learned to listen when their heart talks, risk when opportunity strikes and believe in what they want to share with the world. Hard work when following a dream breaks ceilings – and no one has to believe it but them. Read More>>

Tyler Bogart

Taking risks in life is the single most difficult but life alter decision you can make. If you always stay in your comfort zone, you’ll never really know what could’ve been, what you might’ve achieved, or who you could’ve become. Taking risks forces you to step up and test yourself, especially when your back’s against the wall. That’s when you really find out what you’re made of, mentally and emotionally. I always told myself and others that id rather fail trying than live a life full of “what ifs.” Read More>>

Jennifer Gray

Taking risks has been the golden thread throughout my life and career. I’ve always had a passion for learning and experiencing new adventures. Personally, I have enjoyed travel, art classes, upcycling projects, construction, and even farming. Professionally, I feel challenged by taking a new idea, developing a step by step plan, and seeing an idea come to life.  Read More>>

Tara Skubella

Earth Tantra invites people to slow down, reconnect, and remember. As we feel rushed, overstimulated, and disconnected, I help people come home to their bodies, breath, and the rhythms of nature. Practices weave together ancient tantric principles, earth-based wisdom (and learning to become intimate with nature – beyond a connecting, and somatic techniques to guide individuals on a journey of deep self-discovery, healing, and embodiment. Read More>>

Candice Mohr

We have always thought of the winery as a part of our community or more accurately communities. We try to be a good neighbor in Estes Park by providing good jobs, supporting local non-profits, providing a venue for local artists and a gathering place for friends, families and strangers to meet and spend quality time together. We try to support our business community by carrying products from other small businesses, joining business organizations, promoting other local businesses and collaborating to help us all rise,  Read More>>

Shominic Nguyen

Hard work, consistency, dedication, and sacrifice are values I hold very deeply, both in my creative work and in the way I approach Ti Cafe as a business. It’s easy to feel inspired at the start of a new venture, especially during the excitement of launching a brand or opening a shop, but I’ve learned that the real work begins after that initial spark, the moment when sustaining momentum becomes more challenging than starting. Read More>>

Chase Wooten

I’m not sure if this is considered “conventional,” but I often hear people say to stay away from situations that make you uncomfortable. I’m not talking about anything dangerous—more so things like social events or new environments.

I used to be a pretty anti-social person. I’d steer clear of large crowds, tell myself I was just an anxious person, and turn down opportunities out of fear. There was a lot of self-sabotage during that time. Read More>>

Nicole Haas

The most important lesson I’ve learned from running my business is to trust and believe in the people I’ve hired to do their jobs. Most people want to do their best and it’s up to me to let them! Mistakes and learning are happening all the time, I have found that if I give my employees the space to develop they usually surprise me and end up doing far better than I had hoped and perhaps better than what I could do within my own skill set. I believe in collaboration and communication and this job has taught me that! Read More>>

Jon Riley

Learning the hard way.

I was awarded a grant a few years ago to design/build a rammed earth dwelling on my property near the Great Sand Dunes. The San Luis Valley is gorgeous. If you don’t get blown away from the wind you can watch the sky all day and night. The project was on 35 acres, wide open to the surrounding farms/desert. The work I was doing on the property began getting vandalized as I couldn’t be on the property full time. I was also having trouble obtaining the rest of the financing needed for the project and I realized securing the property was impossible.  Read More>>

Ninoska Mallory

My balance has changed overtime because I like to be a perfectionist and have control over all aspects of my business. but as I grew I had to let go of the control and trust that the people that I hire are capable of performing the job just as good as I like them like 90% and that gave me the flexibility to be more present in with my family and spend more time with my husband and children. Read More>>

Bailey Barnes

I used to think that making lots of money would make me happy, but I have realized that what I need to be happy is simpler than I thought. I want to do the work I care about – singing and teaching singing – and live a simple but comfortable life where I have time to do the things I want like spend time with my family, go for long walks, garden. For me the truth about having a music career is that I need to live simply and be resourceful so that I can do the work I want to do. I don’t go on expensive vacations, eat out very often, or even buy myself coffee more than a couple times a month. Read More>>