It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from in and around Dallas.
Keith Jenkins Jr.
Hi my name is KeithJenkinsJr For the last 20 years, I’ve been making music. But for the past 5, I’ve finally found my lane—music and messages for the ones life tried to break. Read More>>
Daniela Santana
Since I was a little girl, I have always loved all forms of art. Whether it was painting, crafts, music, dancing, fashion, or anything that allowed me to express my creativity, I was always drawn to it. Makeup and hairstyling were no exception. I was fascinated by how they could enhance someone’s natural beauty and transform the way they felt about themselves. Read More>>
Stephanie Jensen
I got into photography after my second baby was born in 2019. At the time, we couldn’t really afford traditional family photos, and I started realizing something that honestly bothered me more than I expected — I was never in the pictures. And when I was, it was because I had to ask someone to take one, and the angle would be… not great. Read More>>
Leili Arai Tavallaei
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always straddled my creative practice with community building. I graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art with a BFA in Animation and a Minor in Printmaking. While a student, I gravitated towards the Center for Identity and Inclusion, which has since been folded into the Office of Student Engagement. Read More>>
Jonathan Mitchell
My story is one that might ring as a familiar tone. I come from a background knowing what it means to have much and what it means to have very little. During my early childhood I was reared in the home of a Pentecostal Pastor and Bishop with a devoted mother and father who provided well. Read More>>
Dr. Monica Moray
My journey to entrepreneurship has been anything but traditional. For most of my career, I worked in leadership development, organizational strategy, and human resources for large global organizations. I earned a doctorate in Organizational Leadership, an MBA, and built a successful corporate career helping organizations develop talent, build culture, and navigate change. On paper, the event industry seemed like an unlikely path for me. Read More>>
Jay ( Jeremiah ) Dalton
I grew up around construction and always knew I wanted to build things. I just didn’t know exactly how. Everything I learned, I learned from my dad. I started out doing house flipping and roofing, got my feet under me. While pursuing my degree from Tarleton State University, I interned for an Owners Rep and a large GC. Read More>>
Shajaunna Jordan
Ladies 1st Sports Agency, LLC was created by Shajaunna Jordan who is a former collegiate scholarship student athlete (basketball) from Chicago, Il. She played 3 sports for 4 years and was top 10 student athlete at Simeon High School. Read More>>
Hannah Sams
The first birdhouses were made as gifts from my mom and my grandmother. I had the idea to turn homes that meant a lot to them into tiny replicas for birds. Matt, my boyfriend at the time was handy so together we brought the idea to life. Eventually we put the photos on Etsy and started to get some interest. Read More>>
Georgia Antoniadi
My name is Georgia Antoniadi, and I am a teacher, blogger, storyteller, and mother from Cyprus. My journey began with a love for children, education, creativity, and family life. Over the years, I have always enjoyed finding ways to make learning more meaningful and joyful through stories, activities, and imagination. Read More>>
Melva Williams
“My story is one of faith, perseverance, and lifelong learning. I have spent more than 35 years as a professional hairstylist and entrepreneur, owning and managing my own salon while serving my community through mentoring and outreach. Ministry has also been a significant part of my life. Read More>>
Marie Audier DAlessandris
I founded The Selects Gallery in 2018 after spending more than two decades building global brands in the beauty, fashion, and luxury industries. Throughout my career, I worked with iconic companies including L’Oréal, Coach, and Coty, helping brands tell compelling stories and create emotional connections with consumers. Read More>>
Dominic Hardaway
This question led to a lot of internal reflection, I made it a point to think about it on my recent birthday trip so thanks for the opportunity to be vain. My story starts in my living room dancing with my mother. I’m many things, some I’m proud of and some I’m not, but I am forever my mother’s child. Read More>>
Zaira Gomez
My name is Zaira, but most people know me as Karina, or Kari for short. I became a licensed esthetician in 2018 and began working in the industry in 2019. Like many people, my journey wasn’t a straight path. Over the years, I experienced personal challenges, self doubt, and seasons of uncertainty that caused me to step away from esthetics at times. Read More>>
Ana Rodriguez
It all started on my youngest daughter’s birthday party. She had turned 3 at the time, and she asked for a Cinderella theme party,she didn’t ask for anything specific, but she loved that movie and wanted everything girly. Our budget couldn’t afford much, and I thought, how hard can it be to make a cake?… Read More>>
Brian Pham
I first started back in early 2023 as both a DJ and event promotion manager for nightlife events in Carrollton. In April 2023, I began the party brand called Abyss Entertainment (IG: @abyss.tx) with my friend and business partner Joseph Nguyen. At that time, I was driven by my love for music—specifically Hip-Hop and RnB—to create a fun lively community of events in DFW. Read More>>
Amanda Alcala
Something about working in a corporate role has always felt like I’m suffocating, and no matter the company or position, I just kept hearing this little voice asking me “What is your true purpose? What are you truly meant to be doing here?” So I tried a few side hustles, attempting to find something that would stick and truly fill my soul. Read More>>
Daphne Simmons
I’ve always been passionate about helping people, which led me into nursing and eventually psychiatric emergency services. Through both my professional and personal experiences, I saw how many people struggled to find mental health resources, support, and information—especially in growing communities like Ellis County. Being born and raised in Ellis County has given me a firsthand understanding of our community. Read More>>
Derrick Morgan Jr.
I am originally from Indianapolis, Indiana. I attended undergrad and law school at Indiana University, so a lot of my foundation was built in Indiana. After law school, I moved to Chicago. Chicago was a great experience professionally and personally, but I realized I was not built for those winters long term. Read More>>
Prachi Bhanot Sharma
I grew up believing that dreams had an expiration date. Not because anyone explicitly told me so, but because I watched generations of women quietly place their ambitions on hold for the people they loved. Success looked practical. Responsibility came first. Dreams were something you pursued when everything else was done—and for most women, everything else was never truly done. Read More>>
Raven Blackburn
My yoga journey began in 2019 when I took yoga classes while in college. After that, of course the pandemic happened, which led me to continue practicing on my own via YouTube, looking for Black yoga instructors that I could relate to and see myself in. As life went on, my practice slowed down. Read More>>
Sarah Leach
I’m a mom of two and recently made a career change after spending the last four years working as an athletic secretary for Sulphur Springs ISD. While I enjoyed working in education, I found myself drawn to the skincare industry and wanted a career where I could help people feel more confident and comfortable in their own skin. Read More>>
Golibe Nwigwe
My journey to beauty started in 2016 while preparing for my high school graduation. My mother was not in support of paying a makeup artist to get my makeup done as a 17 year old , she thought I was too young so she gave me the option of either letting her do my makeup or learning how to do makeup. Read More>>
Rheagan Wallace
My name is Rheagan Wallace, and I am a Dallas-born actor, writer, comedian, filmmaker, and activist. My journey in the entertainment industry started right there in Texas when I was just a kid; booking a Texas Lottery commercial at seven years old set everything in motion. Read More>>
Felisha Beevers
Little Camper Photo Booth began after our own wedding in 2019, when my husband Ross and I saw firsthand how much joy a photo booth could bring to an event. We wanted to create something more memorable than a standard setup, something with personality, nostalgia, and charm. Read More>>
Paige McDaniel
My passion for nutrition started in high school. I fell in love with the fitness world and I wanted to deepen my understanding of how nutrition impacts our bodies. After graduating high school, I attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and pursued a degree in Nutrition, expecting to learn how to help individuals reach ultimate ‘health’ through diet and exercise. Read More>>
Bradley Ombachi
I’m from Edmond, Oklahoma, where I lived for the first 18 years of my life. I’ve always loved music since taking piano lessons as a kid and playing in the church. I eventually started making beats on my phone with a few different apps I found, but once I got my hands on FL Studio I really started cooking. Read More>>
Yahaira Hernandez
Bonita Balloons Co. was established on July 25, 2020. What began as a simple opportunity to help a friend decorate her sister’s gender reveal quickly evolved into something much greater. We were tasked with creating a balloon garland, despite having little experience and no professional equipment. At the time, we did not even own a balloon pump, which meant inflating every balloon by mouth haha. Read More>>
Shawn Kint
I joined the Dallas Party Bike team in March 2019 as the Operations Manager. Over the next four years, I focused on improving every aspect of the business—from streamlining operations and creating more efficient processes to refining the tour experience and training our guides to deliver exceptional customer service. Read More>>
Ami Thakkar
If you had told me twenty years ago that I’d be leading The Podcast Academy, I never would have believed you. My career has been anything but linear! I grew up in Texas, studied economics and business at the University of Texas, started my career at Enron, earned my law degree from DePaul University in Chicago. Read More>>
Karol Acosta
I was born and raised in the Southside area of Fort Worth. My parents both come from San Luis Potosi, Mexico. I’ve always had the passion to create since I was young. I didn’t go to college after I graduated HS. I was pretty much going through the motions of life until my abuelo on my papa’s side passed away in Nov 2020. Read More>>
Brandon J Shaw
I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. Nothing really excited me until my high school math teacher, Mr. Butta, told me to audition for the school play. That’s when I caught the acting bug. Read More>>
Keith Chernek
I first got interested in photography as a kid. I was fascinated by this simple little Kodak camera we had and the camcorder my grandpa had, but my first real creative outlet was playing drums. I toured the country playing while going to college for engineering at the same time. Read More>>
Cedrick Batchateu
My passion for chronic disease prevention began long before I founded ChronicCare. As a pharmacist, I witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease on patients and their families. My journey began at my home congregation, the North Greece Road Church of Christ. Read More>>
Alexa Pouzar
I was born and raised in Dallas, TX. Developing a love for photography as a child, this fascination grew into questioning how a medium that captures reality can be used to explore time. Read More>>
Benjamin Davis
Originally I’m from Tulsa Oklahoma, I migrated here to Dallas in 2008. I originally wanted to be a professional basketball player my entire life. I made it all the way to college and ran out of financial aid during my second year. So I came back home. I worked for two years and then I was introduced into entrepreneurship. Read More>>
Kathy Bernal
I was raised in a musical family and received my bachelor’s and master’s degree in music education. I started my career as an assistant band director in a little town named Rosebud Lott and I taught 500 students in kindergarten to 12th. Shortly after, I became the Head Band Director at Meadowbrook Middle School in Fort Worth. Read More>>
Elizabeth Bentrup
For 30 years, I’ve worked with students from pre-schoolers to octogenarians. I’ve been blessed by working with and learning from amazing people and teams who make me a better educator and human. I love observing the way people think and connecting ideas, and I have found that in education. Read More>>
Simran Bains
Hi! My name is Simran Bains. I am 27 years old, originally from Chandigarh, Punjab, India. In 2007, my family—my mother, father, younger brother, and I—immigrated to the United States in search of new opportunities and a brighter future. Read More>>
Don Holbrook
⸻ Don Allen Holbrook: The Long Road to Becoming an Author Most successful authors begin with a dream. Don Allen Holbrook began with a collapse. Before he ever published a novel, Holbrook built a successful professional career, earning a doctorate, MBA and a undergraduate BA/BS from Wright State University and spending years studying human behavior, economics, leadership, and decision-making. Read More>>
Jo Ann M. Allen
I was reared in a life full of struggle. My mom was murdered when I was 4 and I was raised by my grandmother. This grandmother was incredibly influenced by the men who served from the pulpit. That influence means that I was governed by influences outside my home. I grew up a big city girl, Phoenix, AZ. Read More>>
Guthrie Kennard
In elementary school my friend was a drummer, and he got me playing, and I started playing bass back in the 6th grade. I’ve been playing ever since for 60 years or so. Read More>>
Pandora Pappas
I am a psychic medium, intuitive life coach, animal communicator, sound healer, author, and speaker with more than three decades of professional experience helping people navigate life’s challenges with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose. Born and raised in Chicago, my intuitive journey began long before I ever considered turning it into a career. Read More>>
Sharon Quinones
Fabuela Q Cookies started as a creative outlet during a difficult season of my life. I’ve always loved baking, but what began as making cookies for family and friends gradually turned into something people were willing to pay for—and eventually, a business. The name itself is personal. ‘Fabuela’ is a combination of fabulous and abuela, a title I wear proudly. Read More>>
Dr. J. Montana Cain
To answer this question, I have to start at the very beginning, because looking back, every moment prepared me for the next, even the ones that felt like detours. Growing up, I was convinced I was going to be a pediatrician. Then organic chemistry arrived, and a shadowing experience made something very clear: medicine was not the path for me. Read more>>
Jess Scott
Subpar Snatch started because our drummer, CeeCee Email, got tired of being told there wasn’t room for her full self in other projects. She wanted to drum in drag, and when the bands she was playing with weren’t interested in making space for that, she decided to start her own. Read more>>
