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.

Shuntavia Gray-Baines

For awhile now, my favorite quote has been “Everything happens for a reason”. As a little black girl from a small city of Alexandria, La, HBCU graduate, wife and mom of 3, I’ve seen and been through a lot. When going through things it’s so easy to take a lot of things as a personal attack on your life. You start to think like “alright God what’s going on, why me” etc. But if only we thought about this quote every time life hits us w/something, then we’ll realize that everything literally does happen for a reason, good or bad.  Read More>>

Virginia Logan

Success comes in many different forms. The most obvious as a yoga teacher, would be hearing from your students that the class felt good to their body and they are walking out the studio door feeling better than they arrived. In my eyes the greater successes are when they use what they learned in class off of their mat. When students come back to class and share stories of how they used something I spoke towards in class during a hard moment, and they were successful at shifting the perspective, finding their breath and calming their mind.  Read More>>

Ms Pillow

The most important decision I have ever made was giving Jesus Christ my YES! Initially I started my business from a place of need. My sons father at the time and I had a very disheartening relationship that ended and I had no idea how I was going to provide for my child and myself as my salary from my 9-5 was not enough in no shape or form. Giving Jesus my yes has healed me so much from my past and has led to giving me extreme vision on the success and navigation of my business.  Read More>>

Derek Riley

The most important factor behind Zoo Health Club’s success is our customization-first mindset. We don’t believe in cookie-cutter gyms — we believe in creating the right gym for the right market. Every Zoo location is built around the needs of the community it serves. That means different sizes, different layouts, different amenities — but all under the same strong brand and operational framework. Read More>>

Lil Lucci

The most difficult decision I ever had to make was picking myself over everyone else in order to be in a position to help everyone else. A wise person once told me self preservation isn’t easy but it’s necessary at times. Focusing on my music and being apart from family to not being able to maintain a stable love life are things I chose to sacrifice for my dreams. Read More>>

Francisco Ramo

I’ve always been an artist, I just needed to come to terms with that within myself, especially coming from public school where they really push for STEM careers. In high school and university, I thought I wanted to go into software engineering because I was fascinated with coding and the idea that you can build anything with the right language. I came to terms that STEM wasn’t for me after finishing my university math courses with poor grades, and I decided to find space in myself to let my artistic side really flourish. Read More>>

Tiffany Lam

I’ve always believed that a true artist’s work reflects not just technique, but a personal story – and makeup has been my canvas since my teens. Growing up with eczema and acne, I experienced firsthand how transformative and healing makeup can be. It wasn’t just about covering flaws; it was about rediscovering confidence when I felt most vulnerable. Read More>>

Luis Bosch

Being a small business owner is demanding enough on its own. Add being a husband and father to five kids—ranging from 22 years old down to just 7—and it becomes a constant juggling act. That’s my reality today. Read More>>