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.

Dr. Rochelle Parks-Yancy | Professor of Human Resources; Resume Writer-Slayer; Career Coach; Books’ Author; Career Bad-ssery Expert

Throughout my career, I’ve embraced the mottos “Be Your Best Brand” and “Always Bet on Me.” There have been many times when I’ve felt insecure. But, even though I may FEEL that way, I refuse to allow those feelings to stop me from taking ACTION and going forward. I’ll share two examples: Read more>>

Marykate Stallings | Photographer

I’ve always been really interested in photography ever since I was 12 years old and I explored many different genres of it to find the right fit. From conceptual art, headshots, senior photos, couple photos, events, boudoir, I was trying it all. I never even considered for a second doing anything else rather than being a photographer, I just needed to find the right genre. When I was 19 I was focusing on portraits of women with a fine art style and at the same time was babysitting a lot in order to fund my photography education. I realized then how much fun I had working with kids and loved how carefree and silly I got to be with them. So I then considered specializing in photographing kids, and started doing some fun creative themed shoots with kids like having them dress up as fairies, wear really pretty dresses, and throw glitter in the air. I was having a blast and the shoots started to really take off! After about a year or so of doing fun creative shoots for kids, I decided to attempt this trend I saw online where people give a one year old a whole cake and photograph the process of the baby eating it, getting messy, and having fun. I thought it was so silly at first and really struggled during my first few cake smash shoots (spoiler alert, a lot of babies DON’T like the cake, and a lot of tricks are needed to keep them smiling). Eventually I got better at the shoots and my business really exploded to the point I mostly focus on cake smash, other birthdays, glitter, and Christmas photoshoots! So there was never an exact Aha moment, I just kept trying new genres until I found the one right for me! Read more>>

Sarah Lowitzer | Owner & Cake Dealer

With great risk comes great reward. It may sound cliche but it’s very true. I believe calculated risks are smart business. For me, I know I’ve taken a great deal of risks in my life, including completely starting over and moving across the country alone, with almost nothing to my name, to moving my business to a full time endeavor during economic turmoil and record inflation. I know that I am willing to hustle and put in those long hours that success often requires. I also know that if I hadn’t taken the risks I have along the way, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. Even from a very young age, I dreamed of a day that I would be fully self-employed, Finally achieving that, and the hardships I have gone through to get here, makes me fight even harder to succeed and to keep what I have. Read more>>

Antonio Castelan | Visionary Entrepreneur & Client Advocate

Upon reflecting on the journey I’ve embarked upon, the true measure of my brand’s success doesn’t align with a single defining factor; rather, it’s a symphony of several factors, each critical in its own right. The competitive spirit ingrained in me as a first-generation college student, businessman, and athlete didn’t retire in the field; it evolved, finding new breath in the business arena, challenging me to leap, sprint, and persevere through marathons of uncertainty and opposition. Read more>>

Lillian Baker | Owner and Veterinarian

I wanted to be able to create a healthy practice culture for my mental health as well as well as offer a concierge service for clients with pets that may not travel well in cars. Read more>>

Heavenly Waters | Singer & Songwriter

My end goal is to create music that will feel freeing when others hear it. My goal is to be able to get paid to cater to my passion for singing and making music. I love everything about the music writing/ recording process. Doing so is like therapy for me. Although I also want to be in the medical field, I believe that with good time management, I will be able to do both. By the end of my career, I want to be performing at various venues, releasing songs consistently, all the while managing my practice as a nurse. Read more>>

Rashawn Shephard | Shep’s Flavor Station

I would say this is not for the week. You will have good days and bad days bri the key is to always keep pushing remain humble and know that whatever you pour out will come back 10 fold Read more>>

Ayodeji (Sunshynemoh) Mohammed | Luxury Cake Artist & Accountant

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned along the way, both in my business/career is that you can do anything, absolutely anything you set your mind to, if you devote time, attention and patience to it. Read more>>

Tony Badd | Full-time musician and artist

Music was always on my fathers side of the family. My dad is a retired UPS driver and played bass on the weekends around Houston so seeing him come and go to gigs was an early influence for me. Not only that but once I learned how to play, I could extract feelings that I may not have expressed verbally as well as being able to express for other that are watching me perform. My pursuit is for universal expression and love for the beauty of creativity. Read more>>