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.

Alicia Elatassi | Bold Realtor and Podcaster

‘An idea is just a dream until you make it happen. Execution is where you turn those dreams into reality.
You could say that I’m the queen of execution. I’ve executed on opening a retail business, writing a book, and publishing 170 episodes of my podcast. I know a thing or two. Your dreams remain just that—dreams—unless you take action. You can attend countless classes, listen to all the podcasts, and hire all the coaches in the world, but without execution, your goals will stay out of reach. Read more>>

David Harmon | Practicing Potter

I had the privilege of studying under James Watkins, Vernon Funk and Sara Waters while at Texas Tech. James Watkins once said, ” Pottery is not about perfect forms, but about connection–connection to the earth, to the process, and to each other. Read more>>

Dr.quianna Glapion | Professor, Writer, and Entrepreneur

First and foremost, my trajectory is fueled by faith and intrinsic motivation. In addition, I know that I needed to make my spiritual gift of encouragement to work for me. In other words, I asked myself: “How can I make an income while being impactful?” As a result, I decided to put encouraging words to apparel. Read more>>

Stacy Johnson | Founder & CEO

The idea for Central Texas Table of Grace came from a deeply personal place. As a former foster child, I experienced firsthand the challenges of growing up in the system. I knew what it felt like to long for stability, guidance, and a sense of belonging. Those experiences shaped me, and as I grew older, I felt a calling to do something meaningful to give back and create a positive impact for children facing similar struggles. Read more>>

Earnest Diaz | Fashion Designer / Author / Screenwriter / Composer

Not giving up on myself is the most important decision I have ever made. Some people will do everything in their power to sabotage your light, the more they perceive what shines within you. This happens when said people want their light to shine brighter than yours. They don’t realize the main factor in preventing their light from shining is the diminishment of the light of others. Read more>>

Justin Cutburth | Filmmaker

Risk is a unique thing in that it is both scary, and exciting. It can ruin you, or breathe new life into your career. When I started darkabyss back in 2018, I was frustrated with current projects seemingly spinning their wheels, but never taking off in a direction. Companies and studios I applied to seemed to always respond back with the same “Thank you for your interest, but…”. I decided to take a risk, and venture out on my own. Read more>>

Emma Batte | model and budtender

I want to be known as the fiery crazy fun redheaded girl who is full of passion and wisdom. I want everyone to remember me and my legacy anytime they have fun and laugh. Read more>>

Miracle Bey | Chef & Owner

The most important factor behind the success of Luxurious Floating Miracles is our unwavering commitment to creating unforgettable, one-of-a-kind experiences for our clients. From the very beginning, our mission has been to go beyond providing a service—we aim to craft memories that people will cherish forever. Read more>>

Haley Easy | Cake Artist

One thing many people don’t realize about the baking industry—especially when it comes to custom cakes—is how much time and effort goes into bringing these creations to life. It’s not just about mixing batter and frosting; a lot of work happens behind the scenes. Read more>>

Chi Nzepuome | Fashion influencer & Digital Creator

Well the end goal is to become a full time Fashion influencer/ content creator, Entrepreneur. With careful curation in the future I plan to start my own fashion brand; I want the brand to be a reflection of me and all the “avante garde”-ness it comes with. I want to be able to make an imprint in fashion and in the content creation world in general. I consider myself to be a creative and I believe in giving time for a skill to blossom into a career. Read more>>

Erick Oluoch | Dj/Entertainer

So quick story, I had just quit my day to day job at Walmart back in late 2019 and started Dj’ing full time right then Covid hit like everything shut down so had no stream of in-come besides my Video edits and Dj remixes, not going to lie the money from the gigs was really good that reflected on my end of year taxes.
Before the shut down I had gigs Monday to Monday, I was in a good space but at some point too much of something as they say is dangerous so I had reduce the number of days that I worked at clubs and do private events, I had to back peddle and find a good work life balance so I ended up going back to Walmart during the days that I didn’t have events, I had this question in my head if the back and forth was really worth it but turns out it was and now I run my own LLC and really proud of the growth. Read more>>

Silver Olmeda | Eyelash Technician & Makeup Artist

I am from Southeast Houston, Tx, and ever since I was a little girl I loved playing with makeup or anything to do with makeup. I was introduced to makeup by my Mom and Aunt Lily. My Aunt Lily has been doing hair and makeup since she was 19 and I was always so fascinated by what she could do. I started wearing makeup in intermediate and high school, and would get so excited when I was able to start buying my own makeup products. I would always practice hair and makeup looks on my younger sister and the girls on my color guard team whenever I had the chance. After high school, I had the opportunity to go to cosmetology school, which helped me further my education in the beauty field and helped me get all the practice I could. Read more>>

Armourie | Entrepreneur & Media Connoisseur

From a young age, I felt a deep connection to the creativity that flowed within me. As I watched my favorite shows on the old-school box TV, I often found myself daydreaming, sensing that there were untapped creative gems hidden deep within. There was always this quiet knowing that I was meant to express myself through my creativity and share the visions that stirred in my soul.
As I reflect on my journey as a creative, I am reminded of my own words: “As a creative, I am able to express myself in a myriad of ways that translates to treasure.” — Armourie. Read more>>

Richie Deegan | Austin, Texas artist

I look at it as a calling from God. My aim is to make the best paintings I can to the best of my ability as an offering to God and as a reaction to the calling he has placed upon my life. I believe that in the way I discovered Vincent van Gogh’s art first then found out he was a man of faith, fans of my art will do the same and see that my faith drives it all and will find peace themselves. Whether that happens now or 100 years from now is not up to me. But I’m blessed to be part of this journey and plan. Read more>>

Zoe Gunter | Fiber Artist

As an artist, my work has never felt like work. It’s fun and brings joy to my daily life. Work life balance is hard to accomplish, but I feel like having friends who are also artists is really helpful to create that balance. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize when you’ve been in this mindset where all you’ve been doing is working, and you need people to pull you out of it. Being an artist doesn’t limit the amount of time you’re working, it gives you the freedom to work whenever you want, but it also means that you’re probably going to be up all night finishing those last details of a project. A lot of people are afraid of having a flexible schedule, but I’ve learned to embrace it. Read more>>