We asked some of the city’s most brilliant and creative minds to tell us about the most difficult decision they’ve had to make.

Courtney Nowlin | Photographer

In the past seven years the hardest decision I had to make would definitely be packing up my life in my small town and moving to the city. Little did I know it was everything I needed for myself, my marriage, and my business. When my wife received the call that she had gotten a new job and we had to move in less than a week, we had no time to think about it. In reality I think not having time to think was the best thing for us. All I knew my entire life was what was around me, This was a town where everyone knew everyone, but it was home and leaving it was terrifying. Moving to Houston was bittersweet for me. I felt like I was leaving everything and everyone I loved, but I also knew that I needed this move more than anything. Read more>>

Lauren Ashley | Wedding & Interior Designer

The most difficult decision I ever made was quitting my corporate job at the United States Postal Service and pursuing my dreams with my business full time. Ironically, I quit right before COVID-19, but it has been the best decision. I quit a few days shy of my 10 year anniversary and this decision didn’t come easy. I prayed and honestly I feel I was giving the green light long before I forced to make the decision, but I couldn’t be happier. The saying is ABSOLUTELY true when you love what you do it doesn’t feel like work. Read more>>

Naomi Kealy | Professional Organizer

The most difficult business decision I’ve made, by far, was to quit my full time job in the middle of a pandemic and focus solely on my business. Talk about risk taking! I’m normally pretty risk averse, but I had been planning to make this transition for the better part of a year. I just didn’t know when I’d make the jump. At some point, I started to realize that I was the thing slowing down the growth of the business. I simply didn’t have time to devote to the projects that would move my business forward, nor did I have the time to onboard and train new team members. If I wanted to continue to grow, I had to devote my full attention to Charming Spaces. Read more>>

Anshwa Lewis | Cardio-aholic | Corporate Event & Wedding Planner

The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do was take a break from my business. It lasted for about 18months. I’d just given birth to my second child and officially became a mother of 2 children under 2yrs old. My newborn would require medical attention for the first 12wks of her life which meant frequent trips to the Medical Center. Between making sure I spent time with my husband and tending to a newborn toddler – it was time to take something off of my plate. SwaLaRue became that something. I needed that time to get my footing and rethink what it meant to have balance in my life. Read more>>

Kayla Ashleigh | Entrepreneur/ Creator

I think what sets my brand apart from others is the way i Present my new styles, i like to display my new style of frames through a showcase event but not just a fashion show but a networking event for not only my brand but for others to expand their brand as well and for models to showcase their talent. I love to be able to give people networking opportunities to meet new people and also make money while doing it, it makes me feel trustworthy of being a creator when people reach out and want to be apart of networking opportunities created by me… Read more>>