Over the past decade we have had the chance to learn about so many incredible folks from a wide range of industries and backgrounds and our highlighter series is designed to give us an opportunity to go deeper into their stories with to goal of understanding them, their thought process, how their values formed and the foundations of their stories. Check out some incredible folks below – many of whom you may have read about already and a few new names as well.
Neena Newberry
When I left a successful 14-year career at Deloitte Consulting and started Newberry Solutions back in 2008, it wasn’t because someone told me to—it was because it was the right next step to pursue my passion. Read more>>
Sofiia Villeda
I see wandering as part of the path. Trying new directions is how clarity builds. Nothing is random. Every step arrives exactly on time – either moving you forward or making it clear where you no longer belong. Read more>>
Scott Molina
“That’s a great question, because for a long time in my life, I honestly felt like I was wandering. I was trying new things, questioning myself, and figuring out where I fit. But looking back now at 35, I can confidently say I’m walking my path. It took every life experience to get here every heartbreak, setback, failure, success, and new opportunity. Read more>>
Chloe Vela
Seeing and hearing my regular customers return time and time again to express their pride in me and the improvements I make each time I visit them—my new custom tent with my logo on it is a great example—is the most recent instance that has made me laugh and feel proud. Read more>>
Deb Kreimborg
Let all you do be done in love!’ Read more>>
Kleo Hannah
For me, a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ doesn’t fully answer this question. I do consider the public version of myself to be who I am, but it only represents a fraction of my story and personality. I am a multifaceted individual. Read more>>
Marcos Morales
The ‘grind’ is essential to breaking through as an artist, we’ve been conditioned to put our well being aside in order to ‘make it’. It’s important to be prepared for the right opportunity but also knowing your threshold to avoid being burnt out. Read more>>
Jen Gayden
Honestly, what I’m most proud of building are the relationships behind the scenes. I’ve had the opportunity to work with so many amazing clients and connect with fellow business owners in a really meaningful way—supporting each other, collaborating, and growing together. Those relationships are such a big part of why I love what I do. Read more>>
Aaliyah Griffin
One of the most defining wounds of my life began in college, when a professor told me I wouldn’t be successful. Those words didn’t just hurt in the moment—they settled into my mind and quietly shaped how I saw myself for a long time. Read more>>
Jonathan Marcotte
I recently got into woodworking. I thought I was getting into gardening as I was building a raised garden bed to grow some vegetables, but alas, my love of woodworking was the only thing that grew last summer. Its provided me opportunities to learn new skills, try out new tools, and use my creative and detail-oriented sides to actually make something. Read more>>
Geetha Rao
Last year I got more involved in my community, specifically the art community by volunteering and giving back. I have been volunteering and supporting VALA (Visual Arts League of Allen) , which is an arts non profit in Allen and surrounding cities. I was briefly on their board as secretary and now am a regular volunteer. Read more>>
Ashton Schaffer
I hope people say I was an incredible leader, someone who cared about growing and uplifting others. Someone who made a positive impact on people’s lives who crossed paths with mine. Read more>>
Alejandro Ramirez
I hope people say that I lived with intention that I showed up fully for what I loved, took responsibility for the paths I chose, and never stopped evolving. That I built things with care, led with integrity, and turned experience into something meaningful for others. Read more>>
KT Dang
My closest friends would say that what matters most to me is integrity, honesty, and staying true to my values. Beyond that, they know that my family’s well-being is at the center of everything I do. Read more>>
Bridget Doucette McCray
I believe that my closest friends would say that living a life that pleases the Lord really matters to me. In gratitude for what He has done in my life, by giving the Gift of His Son, Jesus, I want to follow His lead daily, which does not always feel easy to do. Read more>>
Jasmine Anderson
I’m committed to growing my social media platform and becoming one of the biggest content creators, no matter how long it takes. I believe in building something meaningful, connecting with people all around the world, and creating content that inspires, motivates, and brings a real sense of community. Read more>>
Julian Mensah
When kicking the football around with friends or hanging out with my two children. Read more>>
Hannah’s Interlude
Honestly, I saw myself clearly. I always knew I was meant to be someone special . I knew that I was made to leave my mark on this world and touch those around me . I never had a big support system. Read more>>
kellie Everhart-Maynard
My mom instilled my values, as she was an angel on earth. She was a quiet leader, until she needed to be loud; however, she led by example and always helped the less fortunate. As a single mom, my young sister and I would sometimes accompany her to work, and I marveled at the relationships she had with the other nurses. Read more>>
Cassidy Wiedman
I am definitely in a season where I’m deconstructing everything about myself and deciding what I actually like vs. what I just told myself I liked to be accepted. As a kid, I was curious, adventurous, and always outside. I enjoyed things that felt new and exciting, and I always thought I was destined for great things. I never felt ordinary. Read more>>
Amy Twomey
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was curious, sensitive, and deeply intuitive—always creative and always daydreaming about magical places. I paid attention to words, stories, and feelings more than rules or expectations. I was always making things, imagining worlds, and listening closely, especially to what couldn’t be seen or explained. Read more>>
Rebelle Flor
I feel like that’s already what I do as a growing independent artist. I give my best knowing that if I’m sincere and truly put my best foot forward, it has to be enough. I don’t believe in running myself ragged or measuring my worth by how much attention I get for doing the things I love. Read more>>
Ivy Sbaiti
If I knew I had ten years left, I would stop waiting for the perfect moment and start acting immediately. I’ve learned that clarity rarely comes before action—it comes from action. Imperfect movement almost always creates more momentum than endless planning ever could. That means I’d stop over-researching, stop polishing ideas in my head, and stop postponing things because the timing isn’t ideal. Read more>>
Tamisha Ronee’
Being Seen. Not visibility in the surface-level sense, but truly being witnessed. Being known for my voice, my perspective, my leadership, and the depth of my work. I’m comfortable creating, building, supporting, and amplifying others, but when it comes time to step fully into the spotlight myself, that’s where the resistance shows up. Being seen requires vulnerability, consistency, and the willingness to be misunderstood. Read more>>
Teresa Stewart-Meli
This is a brilliant question. Respect. A lack of respect which can manifest in a vast aray of actions such as judgment, hate, control, and rage. My true belief is that a lack of respect for an individual to exist or understand life differntly will sever their bond however long-standing. Recently, I have experienced this in a profound manner. Read more>>
Carol Parsons
I think expectations do more to break the bonds between people, God and man, husband and wife, parent and child, friends, or even employer and employee. Sometimes these are expectations of society or others, but often it’s our own expectations. These are ‘truths’ we believe about ourselves and others or how we expect life to be and treat us. Read more>>
April Young
The believe I think is love , true mad passionate love . I can’t prove it , because I’m single and have been for a few years . It’s hard to find . I’ve been let down so much and hurt . I think society and all these options, it’s taken away the old generation type of love . Read more>>
Jennifer Weiss
Most of us have areas in our lives where we are really killing it and have “big smile” praise reports. We rarely experience victory in every area of our lives and we don’t always share that part. We prefer to be strong rather than be perceived as weak. Read more>>
Nancy Watson
Everyone is struggling with some form of grief. Whether that grief is due to the death of a loved one (human or pet), an estrangement, a job loss, a divorce or other breakup, or the events of our country and world – there is no shortage of things to grieve. And many people are dealing with multiple, complex, and difficult losses. Read more>>
murad gastelum
I think the biggest misunderstanding about my legacy will be the idea that I was simply “throwing events.” People may see the parties, the crowds, the music, the lights but they won’t always see the years of building, the sacrifices, the cultural intention, or the mission behind it. What I’ve been creating isn’t nightlife. It’s a cultural infrastructure. Read more>>
Nicolette Canady
I think what people will most misunderstand about my legacy is that I’m too hard or too serious. I hear it all the time ‘you’re too hard, you don’t have enough fun.’ And that’s really not the case. I’m hard on myself because if you’re not hard on yourself, who do you think is going to be? You owe you your best self. Read more>>
Rochelle Rawls
My daily rhythm is a high-speed blend of strategy and motherhood. It begins whenever my one-year-old daughter—the real boss—decides to start her day, anywhere from 6:30 AM to a ‘lucky’ 8:00 AM. Those first hours are hers: getting her ready and sharing breakfast before I make the short walk to my home office. Once I log on, it’s an immediate dive into the deep end. Read more>>
Ponmile Oyelami
My relationship with my faith—my relationship with God—most deeply shapes how I see myself. I am many things to many people: a fiancée, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, boss, mentor, and therapist. All of these roles have influenced who I am, but from the beginning of time, God has molded me into the person I am and placed meaningful relationships in my life along the way. Read more>>
Shanice Jackson
Growing up, I often felt misunderstood, like people didn’t truly see or understand me. But as I grew older and spent more time with God on my knees in prayer, fasting, and being hidden in the secret place I came to a realization I was never misunderstood. God called me to be different. He called me from the back to the front. Read more>>
Brian Goins
The most surprising thing I’ve learned my customers is that most them have relationship issues and they use our photo shoot for therapy. Read more>>
Kirk Rogers
Today—because business never stands still. Sales channels change, marketing shifts, customer reviews evolve, and competitors move fast. There are companies now that use software to scan Amazon, identify successful products, estimate daily and weekly revenue, and then take that data to clients with a simple question: Can you make this? I know this because I’ve lived it. I have more copycats than I can count. Read more>>
Robin Fahmi
What a great question. Thank you. I am so happy and grateful, and thankful that I feel joy every day. We spend a considerable amount of time attempting to identify our passions and purpose in life. Read more>>
Patrice Dunn
The last time I felt true joy was yesterday—and it may sound simple, but it was intentional. After completing my dissertation three years ago, I made a conscious decision to practice joy daily rather than waiting for it to appear as a reward at the end of hard work. That shift has been transformative. Read more>>
Emily Norris
I think smart people sometimes get it wrong by assuming that more information, faster systems, or better tools automatically lead to better outcomes. In areas like learning, creativity, and development, efficiency isn’t always the goal. I see this a lot in education and recently, even in the corporate world. Read more>>
Sarah and Karma Hinnawi and Alsaga
yes I would hire us, because we work from our heart and love what we do. Read more>>
