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.

Laura Serrano | Makeup artist

Since I was a little girl I always watched my mom putting on her makeup . She was my first inspiration to love makeup . I would sit there and watch her do it. In my head I was like “I want to do that “ I can’t wait to be old enough to use all this stuff . When I turned 15 ,after getting my makeup done for the first time for my Quinceñera,I fell in love with makeup and glamorous looks .. I said ,one day “I’m going to do this for other girls “.The beauty industry is something that it’s been growing since I can remember . I knew I had passion for makeup and that I wanted to pursue my dream as a makeup artist . That’s how everything started for me . Read more>>

Anna Dawson | Makeup Artist & Content Creator

Growing up, I was that girl who, on snow days or weekends, would grab a magazine and my mom’s makeup, attempting to recreate the looks I admired. How many times did I struggle with winged eyeliner… I probably resembled Amy Winehouse half the time! Fast forward to adulthood, where I worked in various administrative roles, juggling schedules, books, and travel arrangements for others. It was during this time that I had an epiphany—I had been busy building the dreams of others, neglecting my own. I knew that nothing would be handed to me, no surprise there. Yet, if I didn’t try, I wouldn’t know what I could create on on own. So, I jumped! Read more>>

Edmund (Eddy) Addai | CEO & Executive Chef

Our mission is to provide southern inspired homestyle cuisine to the New England region and beyond! And do so through the creation of sustainable careers for disadvantaged communities. There is a great disparity between businesses owned by people of color and the number of people in which they employ. As we continue to grow our company through job creation we hope to actively reduce the disparity that exist within the North East and bettering the communities in which we operate. The restaurant industry is known for high employee turnover and we would like to build a culture where individuals can see themselves long term, know their efforts are valued, and feel a part of the companies success. At Stack House we look to empower our employees to be bold and creative with opportunities for personal and career advancement. Read more>>

Sarah Herrin | Co-founder & EIC of Beyond The Veil Press

The main goal of our poetry press is to bring awareness to mental health issues and to remind people that they’re not alone. We publish poetry and art anthologies and donate as much as we can to nonprofits that focus on mental health. Building a local community as well as virtual is important to us as creatives ourselves. Read more>>

Irene Quevedo | CEO & Life and Business Coach

I don’t care to move in circles that seek comfort! So my first natural habit & routine is to take advice only from those more successful than me OR from those who’ve tried and failed and have learned from the journey of trying, not the journey of opinion without action. To me, real success comes from growing, stretching, and becoming a better version of ourselves year after year, and that isn’t done from one’s comfort zone. In my career and business pursuits, ambition has been a driving force. I love the hunger and drive to achieve, even though I understand the relentless chasing of improvement isn’t for everyone. It is, however, for me. With that understanding in mind, I’ve always pushed myself with three particular skill sets: urgency, entrepreneurial grit, and a fierce consistency to achieve a level of success that beats my personal best year over year. It’s never been about competing with other women, but instead competing with myself. I lead myself, my husband, my children, and successful organizations. As such, I have found so much magic in servant leadership (wanting others to grow so we all grow). This brings me to a final habit: I only stay for a short time in places and spaces that may stifle personal growth. This might be toxic work environments or relationships. When I see mediocre mindsets or a lack of goals that may hold me up, I remove myself from such influences that would only become a race to the bottom instead of raising the TOP! Read more>>

Brian Westpoint | Co Founder & Sales Leader

In navigating the intricate paths of my career, especially within sectors deeply intertwined with climate justice and community resilience, one resounding lesson has always stood out—valuing people. This isn’t just about recognizing individual contributions; it’s about understanding and appreciating the immense impact that each team member, partner, and community participant has on our collective success. Read more>>

Rome Thorpe | Photographer

Since I was young the world of creativity has been something I always grasped onto in some form or fashion. As I became older and saw the possibilities of what you could do within the different avenues of creating, it was what I gravitated towards. Having an Uncle who was a painter growing up allowed me to see visually what could be done which sparked my interest. Being that I have always been in a environment that allowed me openly express myself I think back and can see how it was a lane that was paved for me from the start. From then to now the process has been a lot of trial an error but a love that has grown within for creating and self expression. Read more>>

Maria Cortes-Graham | Coach, Yoga Instructor and Owner of One Mind 22

I like this topic and question because I do not believe in “work/life balance.” As a coach with a Master’s in languages and linguistics, I learned how language can shape our thinking. When we use the word “balance,” we often imagine a scale or a see-saw with two sides, one representing work and the other representing life. However, this is not accurate. Work is essential to our lives, constantly exchanging emotions, thoughts, challenges, obstacles, and more. If your child is sick, worrying about them at work is natural. Similarly, if you’ve had a bad day at work, it’s easy to bring that negative energy home. We’ve always been told to strive for balance, but the truth is that the idea of achieving perfect balance is unrealistic and often promoted by corporations. The real solution is to learn how to create boundaries between your personal and professional life. For instance, I work from home, and when I step out of my office, I leave work behind me. This helps me maintain a healthy balance between my work and personal life. If I could draw my idea, it would be a big circle representing LIFE. Inside of it would be smaller circles representing different aspects of my life, with work being one of them. Each person’s LIFE circle and internal circles would probably have different sizes. Read more>>