Stories, Lessons & Insights

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.

Heroek | Music producer and podcast host

The idea of “success” is different from person to person, and even changes based on your industry or job. For me, I hope to attain success in the future by doing what I truly love and makes me happy, and do it at such a level that it’s my main source of income. Once I reach the point of having my music and podcast being the things supporting my lifestyle, I think I’ll really take a step back and be able to enjoy the journey at a whole other level. Read more>>

Chenghao Wen

Success for me is specific on a material level and vague on a spiritual level. Tonight, as the plane I was on passed through Shanghai I was writing this. You can clearly see the success of Shanghai compared to other cities from the expanse of the vast scattering starlight, and so, one could easily define success from the cabin seatings — tonight I got a temporary upgrade to seat 3A here on this crowded little A320. Read more>>

Mari Pratt | Business owner, Pilates Instructor and Personal Trainer

As a parent, one of the most important things I’ve done is to show my children, through my own life, that hard work, dedication, and the willingness to take risks can lead to success, regardless of where you start.I came to the United States as a female Filipino immigrant, following in the footsteps of my parents, who moved here to give their children a better life. We didn’t have much and knew no special connections. Read more>>

Len May | CEO of EndoDNA where we empower doctors to make personalized treatment recommendations to their patients using DNA

The most important thing I’ve done with my daughter is creating a safe space for honesty. That’s our main rule—lying is the only thing that gets her in trouble. As long as she’s honest, we can discuss anything, even the difficult topics that make me cringe inside. This has allowed us to have open communication, and she knows I’m here to listen, not judge. Read more>>

Darren Fishman | Entrepreneurial Creative Director

Well, that single most important decision would have to be deciding to move to the US from Australia… I had visited California and, more specifically, Palm Springs often as I have always been infatuated with retro culture – be that movies, music, television, fashion, graphic design, interiors, or architecture. So that made the area a very attractive proposition for me, but obviously moving countries is never simple with the visas and the like, as well as being an obvious huge life-change. Read more>>

Tamalani Barnett | Executive Director & Children’s Attorney

I would love for people to remember me as someone who honored God by loving those who did not feel loved and by taking risks to care for the true needs of the vulnerable. Read more>>

Dawn Gregg | Creative Lifestyle

As a creative, I believe to my core that necessity truly is the mother of all invention and that more times than not, we already have access to what we need to work out our artistry. Most creatives I know are out of the box thinkers and tap into this truth readily and organically. My faith provides the fertile ground for my creative lifestyle to flourish. I believe my artistic bent is a gift given with purpose and intentionality. Read more>>

Mounika Haftavani

Some habits that have helped me succeed are time management, a healthy lifestyle and continuous learning. Planning out my days, and time have been crucial in ensuring I allocate time for my clients, family and myself. This goes hand-in-hand with maintaining a healthy lifestyle by including exercise, a balanced diet and a positive outlook. Read more>>

Lorie Santos

To just be and to let things be. Every time I get anxious or worried about something I try and remind myself that we are just dust on a floating rock. Life doesn’t have to suck. Actually, life could be everything you want it to be. I’ve had to pivot my career many many times. I’ve heard a lot of no’s. And in those moments, I felt so lost. Read more>>

Afrogoldie (linda) | Singer-Song writer & Fashion Model

Personally, “fake it till you make it” is advice I don’t relate to. Every time I hear it, I go, “uh!”. This approach suggests that pretending to be something you’re not will eventually lead to becoming that thing. While it might build confidence in some cases, it can also lead to inauthenticity and stress. Instead, I believe in focusing on genuine self-improvement and gradually developing skills and knowledge. Authentic growth and honest effort create more lasting and fulfilling success than relying on pretense. Read more>>

Jazzie Bella

Have realistic expectations. I disagree 100000%. I’ve always thought BIG.. and dreamed even BIGGER.. and have believed in myself delusionaly and it has only been to my benefit. I get off on proving people wrong and the look of “I told you so”. The only person ever holding you back is YOU, It will never happen if you don’t believe it will Read more>>

Rebecca Mcbride | Songwriter, Artist & Violinist

My end goal is to make an income from the multiple facets of music I love. I’m currently working on growing my artist project and placing songs in film and TV shows. So far, my songs can be found on Netflix, MAX, MTV, CBS, Roku, etc. Even though writing is one of favorite things to do, I also love performing, especially with my Taylor Swift cover band “The Bettys” and with my incredibly talented friends who are artists. Read more>>

Maria Beltran

The end goal of my career is to be able to bring a smile to people’s faces when they receive one of our top quality bouquets! Hopefully in the future we will open a flower shop and maybe expand our business! One of my other goals is for my mom to leave her current job and become a full time florist, it has been a dream of hers and gain enough customers so she can create bouquets as well to live her dream as a successful florist. Read more>>

Chris Levine | Actor and Storyteller

One decision that stands out, though I’m not sure if it was the *most* difficult, it definitely brings to mind the challenges and consequences tied to it. So about ten years ago, just after moving to LA, I had produced a short film and was in the process of writing another short about bodybuilding and steroids. That short eventually evolved into my first feature-length script. I was thrilled when my acting coach loved it and offered to help me assemble a team. Read more>>