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.

Erin Foster | Psychoanalyst

” When you want something, all the universe will conspire to give it to you.” from Paulo Coelho’s novel, “The Alchemist.” Entrepreneurship is defined by obstacles, setbacks, and moments of doubt—not just internally but also sometimes from those in our closest circle. For me, the idea creates psychological containment that builds resilience, persistence, and a positive outlook. Read more>>

Nancy East | Writer and Outdoor Educator

I wasn’t actively looking for a business idea, but one began to take shape organically through my involvement with an all-volunteer, western North Carolina-based search and rescue team. In 2018, my team helped search for a missing mother, Susan Clements, in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Seven days after the search effort began, Susan’s body was found about three-quarters of a mile from the Appalachian Trail. She had succumbed to exposure, or more specifically hypothermia. Read more>>

Monica Faucheux | Artist and Designer

I think that as long as something gives you joy, it’s worth pursuing. There are plenty of times that things are hard or don’t make sense, but it doesn’t mean you should quit. If it were easy, everyone would do it. It can also be difficult to keep going when there is someone around every corner doing what you do, too. Find your joy, put your spin on what you do, and truck along. You got this. Read more>>

Karla Gallarza | Esthetician & Owner at Serene Esthetics

Definitely moving to Denver! I am originally from a small town in Northeastern CO, and as much as it was a good place to grow up in, it just never felt like the right place for me. Moving to Denver helped me figure out what I really wanted in life and ultimately gave me the push I needed to just go for it and go back to school. Read more>>

Shannon Jungerman | Special needs and Family Master Certified Life Coach

As a parent of a teen with special needs, I realized that there was really nobody to be there for me when she was initially diagnosed in 2012. Throughout the years, my husband and I have navigated the unknown world of therapies, State waivers, Medicaid as well as parenting a child that there is no instruction book for. What I have discovered is there are birth and end of life doulas. What is not available, is anything in between. Read more>>

Lucas Smith | Independent Pharmacy Owner / Pharmacist

As a independent community pharmacy my business has a significant impact on the community. Our motto is “Our Family for You” which means that our staff will go above and beyond to treat each and every person that comes into our store like they are family. We try to care for them and offer the services they need. I am proud that my business adds services that meet the needs of our community. Some of those services include oxygen concentrator rentals, hearing screenings, diabetes management education, immunizations, patient specific compounding, and more. One of the most recent services we have added is point of care testing and treatment for common illnesses such as COVID, Flu, Strep, UTIs and more. By offering this service we provide easier access to care in a rural setting where it might be difficult to access a doctor or medical professional quickly. Along with education and testing we help our patients remember to take their medications by offering adherence packaging so their daily meds are sorted for morning, noon, and evening when they pick them up. Read more>>

Teri Washington | Activist, Outreach for the Homeless

Activists, I want people to remember me as Helping the Homeless. And passing bills to accommodate there needs. Read more>>

Aparna Harris | Development Director at Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence

I want people to rememeber my loyalty to family and friends and trying to make this world a better place. Most importantly, for my children, I would like to leave the legacy of giving back to the community, which I am able to do with my work at SPAN, helping survivors of Domestic violence and their families. I would love for my legacy to shrouded in positivity and light, and also with strength and resilience. I want to represent being brave and compassionate. Read more>>

Joey Commons | Creative Digital Agency Owner

The top 3 habits that has helped me get one step closer where I want to be are:

Always learning: I love learning new things, which keeps my business fresh and innovative. It helps me stay ahead of the curve and make informed decisions. I read about 2-3 business books and have some great podcasts that have helped me. Read more>>

Melissa Brewer Tolson | Licensed Nail Artist

Respect. Respect is one of the most important values to me. I expect clients to value my time and in return I make sure to give the same back. I live by— It’s more than ‘JUST’ nails. Read more>>

Clint Hall | Author, speaker, and podcast host

This answer has changed drastically for me over the past few years. The simple answer is that I want to earn enough income as an author, speaker, and podcast host to support my family. Read more>>

Rossi Dimitrova | Deliberate Mind Design, Artist, Creative

Being completely honest with myself. We humans tend to see what we want to see. Based on our conditioning and the Karma we arrived with we often look for evidence to reconfirm our sense of insufficiency. During my 1st Yoga teacher training my teacher asked me” Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy?” At that moment I realized that I am more committed to being right about my shortcomings than being free. I always believed that I was an authentic person until I realized I was working really hard to hide my perceived flaws, and what I really thought of vulnerability was that it was a weakness. At that moment I decided to be radically honest with myself. Not mean, but really question all my actions and reactions, so I can regain my power and live the life I truly wanted. Turned out that Vulnerability is a superpower. Read more>>