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.

Yolanda Stokes | Business Owner

I most definitely have a budget. Over the years, I have learned that success with personal finances require a budget. I make lifestyle and spending decisions by saving for items that I want or creating a plan that will allow me to purchase items without creating debt. Read more>>

Kassie Simmons, MBA | Founder & CEO of New Credit & New Home New You

John C. Maxwell Quote: “Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing. That’s the Law of Consistency. It emphasizes the importance of both motivation and discipline in personal growth. Motivation serves as the initial spark, propelling you forward, but it’s the discipline that sustains and nurtures that growth over time. Consistency in your efforts, driven by discipline, becomes the key factor in achieving lasting progress and development. It’s a valuable reminder that while inspiration can ignite change, it’s the daily commitment and self-discipline that lead to continuous improvement and personal evolution. I resonate with this quote because while inspiration can start the journey, sustained growth requires steadfast discipline. Read more>>

Chai | Holistic Artisan & Creative

Chai’s Healing Corner was literally MY healing corner before I chose to share my gifts with the world. I had a personal altar set up for when I wanted to do my “work”, whether it was meditating, breathing exercises, yoga, journaling, reading my own tarot, smudging, etc. Going to “lay it on the altar” was real for me. I would have friends come over and they would compliment how good it felt in my house and specifically around my altar space. I had one to really confide in me during a very rough time in her life and she requested a tarot reading, which I obliged.. through that experience, I was able to help provide her guidance to get herself out of the rut she’d been in for a while. I experienced a loss late 2018 and I was really put to the test to “love myself back to life”, so I really delve deep into my own healing corner experience. Soon I began to realize that selfcare is not a luxury, but rather a necessity to our healing journey. I started taking a little extra care of myself in the mirror each day. The baths.. with the little extra sprinkle sprinkle… I love a good spirit cleansing bath! My friends really started to take notice to the “extra” that I was doing, how it was affecting me and took interest to know more. I would make slight natural suggestions for them to try. The baths were very big for Chai’s Healing Corner.. who wouldn’t want to splash around in a bath filled with herbs and flowers infused with the greatest intentions? I took an interest in natural skincare regimens which later lead me to taking herbalist courses and learning more about Earth’s Medicine. In September 2020 Chai’s Healing Corner was born. Read more>>

Kimberly McGlonn | CEO & Founder

I founded Grant Blvd in Philadelphia in 2017 after watching the documentary “13th” by Ava Duvernay. We’ve now the very first Black-owned B Corp in the fashion space in North America. We’re on a mission to construct bold, sustainably sourced garments & home goods produced in Philadelphia. Even better? Our team supports women who are formerly incarcerated through job training and living wages. In addition to designing directly for consumers, we also partner to design textiles for the hospitality sector to produce textiles for restaurants. We believe that if we demand more, if we think differently about not only what we buy, but who we buy from- we have the power to challenge not only the social issues exacerbated by mass incarceration, but to more meaningfully address the climate catastrophe. One way to do this? By wearing your values and by crafting partnerships with impact in mind. Read more>>

Karen Dade | Health & Wellness / Women’s Designer Ties/ Artist

I would say, definitively before even starting it, It has to be something that you are passionate about. With starting a business, there are a plethora of risks that are involved. In order to have the motivation and tenacity to continue doing it even when faced with unforeseen challenges, it has to be something that drives you. Read more>>

Thomasina Gatson | Educator, Basketball Coach, and Author

Giving up is never an option. Keeping going fuels the opportunity for more achievements. Life is a rollercoaster ride there will always be struggles, failures, missed oppurtunites, loss of friennds and loved ones, etc. Our perspective of this has to be real. It has to be understood that these things will or my happen at some point in our lives. Therfore, giving up is not necessry when one anticipates and expects those events. Preparing is necessary but understanding the processes of how to move forward from those events requires education, experience, anad the willingness to understand who is truly in control of our lives. Read more>>

J. Benjamin | Black Orville Reddenbocker, AKA employee of the month.

I work with my middle son. He’s 13 and not an event or market goes by without someone telling me how they’re so impressed with him or how he reminds him of them at that age because their parents made them work with them at that age. And I tell them all the same thing. Either he will hate working weekends and holidays and go to college for a career less physically impactful or he’s just going to be a hard working man. Either way Im ok with lol. Read more>>

James C. Mattox III | Personal Injury Lawyer

Today, I can honestly say that I’ve been able to convey to my children the significance of education, the value of entrepreneurship, and the power of perseverance. For me, being a parent means shaping my children into responsible and thriving adults within our society. It’s not just important; it’s a personal mission. I want to leave a lasting legacy for them, and that’s why I emphasize the importance of our family business. When I say “our,” I truly mean it because I intend for them to inherit it one day when they’re ready. They’ve grown up alongside me, witnessing my own growth, and understanding that success in life doesn’t come easily; it requires perseverance and unwavering commitment. Read more>>

Jerry Czubinski | Professional Santa Claus

Our inspiration is fueled by the passion and Magic of Christmas. The feeling of seeing the children’s as well as adults faces light up when they first see Santa and Mrs. Claus, a feeling hard to explain…..but you feel it in your heart, the warmth, the excitement and especially the love. There is nothing like that eye contact and the “Running towards” you for an true and overwhelming hug, a hug you can feel to your core. It’s a true feeling that moves you and inspires you Do More, Be More, and Be Santa. It’s a gift, that everyone has this opportunity in a Chapter of their lives. Read more>>

Stacy Cashiola Prinz | Owner, Sorelle Gifts

Our customers mean a lot to us. In a world of convenience, commodity, and depersonalization, we wanted to stand out. We will never be comparable to the Amazons of the world, but we provide something big box retailers can’t – personalized service. We go beyond simply having a transactional relationship; we try to create a bond that inspires trust, loyalty, and advocacy. Without a large marketing budget or staff, we strive to create a positive and memorable customer experience on a one to one basis. Each of our orders are hand wrapped and include a personal note, because we feel like your order should be handled with care and spark joy upon opening. We’ve had people email us asking for a particular item we don’t carry, or something we are out of stock on, and we’ve researched where they can find something similar or more fitting to their needs. Yes, we want to be profitable, but only with the help of our customers, not to their detriment. Read more>>

Joannah Hillebrandt | Fashion Stylist, Creative Designer and Vintage Enthusiast

I started Loved Up Vintage for many reasons, the biggest one being to bring integrity and consciousness back to how we consume goods and to do so with sustainability and minimalism in mind. Which for me and my creative journey, meant revisiting my past and reconnecting with a lighter time in life by resurrecting vintage and antiques items mostly from the 1970’s and 1980’s. I also wanted to approach my offerings from a very inclusive and diverse approach by focusing on items that are unisex or non-binary, making them super flexible which is in-keeping with my luxe minimalist approach in the clothing arena. Read more>>

Mayra Malik | Educator, Hairstylist, & Makeup Artist

What makes me happy is helping others by sharing my knowledge and life experiences. I feel very blessed to have been able to learn and continue to learn from my friends, family, and work colleges that I am always willing and ready to help others. Being successful does take a lot of dedication, motivation, knowledge, failure and most importantly the ability to learn from your mistakes and try again. I am very thankful to all those who have helped me overcome obstacles in my career and allowed me to learn from them so that I can become a better person and be successful. It is extremely important and satisfying for me to help others grow their passion and dream. There isn’t anything more rewarding than to see others grow and become who and what they want to be. Read more>>

Nicole Laforet | Psychic Medium & Green Witch

The closer I am to my true self, the happier I am – and my true self loves connecting with people on a deep, spiritual level, as well as creating beautiful magic and art out of plants I grow or forage. I believe that when we do what makes us happy, we light up – and this world needs more people who are lit up to heal our world and each other. Following my joys is one of the main motivators behind my business because I know when I’m doing what lights me up, I’m contributing to the overall healing of the world. My husband has always told me that I can find meaning in everything; I can find meaning in a random puddle on the sidewalk. I love taking the clues hiding within mine or someone’s life and finding the unique healing message that’s hiding within them for us. Whether it be through my tarot cards during a reading, through my dreams, or visits from insects to my garden, the Universe is constantly sending me messages for myself and the people it connects me to. While someone else might see nothing but random, meaningless moments and occurrences, the different pieces fall into place in my head and I can read what the Universe is trying to say. So often we feel alone and lost, left behind by the rest of the world, and so it brings me joy to be able to point out the messages other’s overlook, the little ways the Universe is always with us and guiding our path to healing and joy. Read more>>

Jenny Waldo | Filmmaker

I had the insane good fortune to spend an afternoon with the acclaimed screenwriter and author William Goldman (The Princess Bride, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) when I was just starting out as a filmmaker. Among various nuggets of advice, the one that haunted me was his edict that if you want to be a writer, you had to write 3 hours a day, every day. Even if it was garbage. Especially because most of it would be garbage! It’s a standard in the writing world to be told by writers that you have to write every day. But over 20 years later, I have yet to write 3 hours a day every day, or even just every day. But I can write 10 hours a day. I can write all day for two days on a weekend. And so much of my “writing” time is simply thinking, which I do best when I’m doing other things like driving, or showering, or cooking. I’ve managed to be quite productive as a writer, and validated as a writer through competitions etc, without heeding this edict. But it haunted me. I always felt like I was doing it wrong, this writing thing, and I was somehow a fraud. At a recent film festival, I mentioned this edict to a panel of accomplished screenwriters and one of them quipped “Didn’t Goldman also famously say that ‘Nobody knows anything’ in this business?” before agreeing that writing is personal. All that matters is getting it done. So I was finally able to let go of this conventional wisdom in the writing world! Read more>>

Kristen Merritt | Musician

I am originally from Detroit MI., and since have moved around quite a bit. My family regularly played the sounds of Motown, soul, blues and jazz, and so my musical preferences as well as inspirations are rooted in those sounds. A blaring saxophone that tells as much of its own story as do the lyrics. A melodic bass that keeps the pulse of a groove. A journey narrated through vocals – of love, loss, unbridled joy or sorrow. All of these themes and styles that I lean into have originated from the music my family exposed me to. Read more>>

Naomi B | Actress & Multifaceted Artist

From a young age, my heart was captivated by the beautiful world of art and creativity. Acting, in particular, became a steadfast companion on my journey, shaping my life for decades. The passion for this craft only deepened over time, fueling my desire to pursue a career where I could weave stories and emotions to illuminate the lives of others. Read more>>

Chance Smith | Writer and Director

Whether I knew it or not, I have always been destined for an artistic career. Not in some deterministic way, but upon reflection on my life, it seems to be true. From drawing and making music as a child to writing novels and short stories as an adult, it seems to be an innate part of my personality. Either way, I made my choice to pursue an artistic career at the end of getting my PhD in sociology. It was mid-pandemic, and the career I seemed to be working toward was in a pretty serious amount of flux. At the same time, my co-writer, and I, started working on an old project called the Tales of Jovia once again. This was previously a novel by a different title, and this time we thought it made the most sense to make it into a visual media. That moment, and the joy I felt once again in the pursuit of an artistic endeavor, is what made me want to pursue and continue pursuing an artistic career. Read more>>

Joseph Andrade | Executive chef

In the Culinary world most of chefs want to be very successful, but sometimes the blind eye doesn’t see what we go thru . Hours upon hours of cooking, thinking, creating and execution. When we leave from work we constantly are thinking how can I do it better which means our sleep time is very important. Read more>>