It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day, but it’s important to stop ask: what’s the end goal? Knowing where you are trying to go is step one in getting there and so we’ve asked some folks we admire to tell us their end goal and where they want to be by the end of their careers.

Rocío Flores | Professional Makeup and Hair Artist

The most difficult decision I have ever had to me is start my business in the middle of pandemic It was the hardest decision I had to make, but I think it was also one of the best decisions I could have ever made. I believe that life is full of risks and if we do not take a risk to learn a way to fight in life to learn how to survive, then we will never know of what we are capable of doing. Read more>>

fabian mandujano | Storyteller

Man. I’ve been through a lot. Growing up in a home that had a lot of poverty and drugs I had to constantly make the choice to live different and think different. Another hard choice was going to therapy or ending my marriage. I know things aren’t always black-and-white but for us things got really dark and most of it was because I was living being triggered by my past. The hardest part was knowing that I had to go back and process some of the hurt that I’ve been through so that I can move forward and learn to love those that are around me. Read more>>

Damita Allen | Owner

The most difficult decision that I have ever had to make, was when I decided to step out on faith 100% to start my bakery La’Dough Sweets. I walked away from Corporate America on faith, a dream and a pray. I removed myself from a secured financial position to enter into a world of unknown possibilities. Read more>>

Nina Saunders | Fitness instructor

I sacrificed a lot of money to believe in myself. I turned down so many job opportunities. Read more>>

Tiana Spencer | Interdisciplinary Artist

The end goal is for me to have created a platform bigger than fashion that allowed those of color opportunities in the creative industry. My fear is for so much talent to be over-looked due to the amount of melanin one has in their person. At the end of my career I hope to have my own boutique agency for models, stylists, creative directors, photographers etc… Curating opportunities that’ll cause an impact that is “more than fashion.” Read more>>

Natoya Allen | Jane of Many Trades

My end goal is to have a community center in the 5th Ward/Hardy Area that provides education, skill sets and trades, financial literacy, sports, enrichment programs, and internships. I also want to form a Non-Profit that’s geared towards uplifting and assisting pregnant teens, teen moms, and young moms. I just feel like the world was against me and counted me out when I had a baby. I felt like giving up more than once just because of what people had to say. I don’t ever want anyone to have to feel like that. I want to show young moms that they can work/go to school, raise their baby, have fun, and succeed. Read more>>