We asked some of the city’s most brilliant and creative minds to tell us about the most difficult decision they’ve had to make.

Taylor Stilson

The most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make was listening to my intuition. I grew up wanting to feel valued and respected professionally, running the gambit of academia and research. I loved the work but never felt like the institution of higher ed valued me in the ways I know I was capable of. After twelve years of hard, exhausting work I decided to free myself of the constraints of the institution and decided to work freelance. It was by far the most difficult, risky, and financially challenging decision of my life, but through that it has allowed me to express myself fully and has offered me the financial and personal freedom to enjoy my life again. Read More>>

DeAndre Ross

Without a doubt, the most difficult decision I’ve ever made was packing up my life in St. Louis and moving out to LA to start fresh. No friends out here. No family. No roadmap. Just honestly a gut feeling that there’s more waiting for me on the West Coast—something I needed to explore not just career-wise, but creatively and personally. if that makes sense Read More>>

Giri Srinivasan

One of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make was choosing to leave India again and return to the U.S. on my own to restart my journey after the pandemic. It meant stepping away from the comfort of home and starting over, but I knew it was necessary to pursue my goals. Read More>>

Sierra Sophia Mercier

The most difficult decision I ever had to make was more of a question I had to ask myself, “Do I want to be a mom, or not?” Being a father was a non-negotiable for my husband and seven years into our marriage I revealed that I didn’t know if I wanted kids or not. For years, every time he brought the subject up, I would get so defensive and tell him I didn’t even want to talk about it until I felt ready. I could feel my life erect a brick wall between us each time he mentioned starting a family.  Read More>>