Through our work we have had the good fortune of seeing firsthand how success comes in every shape, size, color, faith, and orientation. More importantly we’ve learned that success is often the result of people embracing their unique backgrounds and so we’ve asked the community to tell us about their background and how it has impacted where they are today.

Sam Toundaian | Ceramic Artist

I grew up in metro Detroit, in Oakland County. As I spent my 18 years here, I truly hated almost every minute of it. The lack of outdoor activities, the social status needed to “fit in”, and the general energy of the city never fueled me and made me feel welcome. Read more>>

Allie Gill | Instagram Influencer

I was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri. I grew up and still attend a Church of Christ here in Springfield. My background of being raised in a Christian family has created who I am today. I have created a great relationship with Christ and I love spending time with him outdoors. Read more>>

Shelby Stratton | Fitness Specialist and Women’s Health Coach

So I’m a lucky one and I was born and raised in Fort Collins, CO and grew up in a health and wellness conscious family. My Mom worked out before getting us out of the house for school and dad worked out after work. We always had home cooked meals and had some sort of activity of movement growing up. Read more>>

Lisa Bick | Encaustic and mixed media artist

I grew up in Washington, D.C. and my mother would routinely drop me off at the National Gallery of Art to spend a Saturday wandering the galleries or taking classes. I saw every gallery and art museum in the area and then went on to get a BFA at Indiana University. I concentrated in textiles and later became a high school art teacher in Indianapolis. Read more>>

Sarah Doyle | Knitwear Designer

I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, which is where my passion for fiber art began. I wanted to knit my own pure wool hat to stay warm over the winter months, and that first project was what got me into creating my own hand knit clothing. Over time, my skills branched out into more and more difficult projects, including mittens, socks and sweaters. Read more>>