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.

Ron Lajune | Actor/producer/Husband

When it comes to acting, I have to think of what’s the best decision I can make to further skills in life rather it being my regular 9 to 5 job, my acting career or even my relationship with my wife and family. It all ties into one another, and every decision has a domino effect, but when you have the best support system behind you and backing you up every inch of the way it definitely helps with making those decisions. I wouldn’t be able to do it without them. Read more>>

Angel Maze | CEO of Angel’s Devine Touch Corp. Career School/ MSN, RN

When I think of my expectations of my legacy I get chills. I want my legacy to be passed on to my children, grandchildren, and all those that come behind them. I would like to be known as an entrepreneur who had all the odds against her but still found a way to overcome adversity and the resilience to create a legacy that provides the opportunity to everyone who feels the odds have been against them to obtain their goal of stepping into the nursing field. I want to be known for providing the foundations of forming careers for students and assisting with job placement. I expect my legacy to become the staple to the community that provides hope. Read more>>

Shreya Ramesh | Soap Maker & Dance Fitness Instructor & Project Manager

As a small business soap maker, I take pride in staying authentically creative. From the beginning, I’ve been committed to creating products that reflect my values while meeting my customers’ needs. My soaps are designed to look good, feel good, and tell a story. Creativity is at the heart of Create With Shrey, with many products inspired by personal stories or inspirations that resonate with my customers, adding a deeper connection to each item. Read more>>

Claudia Bridges | Real Estate Agent & Faith-Driven Bilingual Educator, Entrepreneur, and Mom

The most difficult decision I’ve made was choosing to stop homeschooling my three children to pursue a career as a real estate agent. As a dedicated homeschool mom, accepting that I wasn’t able to provide everything my children needed was incredibly challenging. The thought of sacrificing the precious time I spent with them to focus on studying for the real estate exam and being apart from them because of work weighed heavily on my heart. Read more>>

Madd Hatta | Husband, Father, Philantropist and Radio Host/Curator

I walked away from radio after more than 30 years of non stop, day in and day out dedication. Radio and my career was all I had known from my late teens to my adult years and I ultimately realized that my life was completely out of balance. I needed a break to gain perspective and necessary time to reconnect with the man behind the mic. They say you can’t pour from an empty cup; my cup was bone dry. I gave everything to my career but when that dry cup disintegrated it was an epiphany that my mental health, wellbeing and overall happiness needed to be my number one priority. As a man, I was committed to taking care of everyone and everything around me but was doing a terrible job of cultivating my own peace. Read more>>

Sandra Zimmer | Executive speech coach, Creator of the Sandra Zimmer Method and author

My business career has taught me the importance of being present with clients. Rather than trying to convince or persuade them to become my clients, learning to stay relaxed and be present is the best way to sell my coaching services. I’ve learned to ask a lot of questions and listen to find out what’s really important to them, what they want to do or be, and what is holding them back from achieving their life vision. Read more>>

Kathryn Way | Founder, Lowborn Goods

Something I’ve always known about myself is that I have to be very interested in what I’m doing to do it well and often. This all made sense when I got diagnosed with autism in 2022, but even before then, I was always creating a little scaffolding in my life that made it easier to accommodate the way my brain functions. I started working for myself in 2015 and I knew that the best way for me to produce work sustainably was to follow my special interests and essentially, find a way to get paid to play creatively. Creative work doesn’t drain me the way a lot of other careers do and working for myself allows for flexibility in my hours. Having an artistic career isn’t much of a choice for me—it’s the best environment for my brain. Read more>>