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.

Nicole Shapiro | Cinematographer & Video Producer

What keeps me going? Continuing to experience moments that feel serendipitous with other people. A perfect example is when I walk onto set or into an industry event and I see an unexpected familiar face. It’s a reminder that I’m in the right rooms and that I’m on the right path. Moments like these sometimes feel too specific to be just a coincidence – but a sign that affirms I’m heading in the right direction. Read more>>

Dejah Gomez | Mother, Artist, Entrepreneur

The most important thing I’ve done as a parent that will impact my children for the entirety of their lives is, LOVE MYSELF and love myself FIERCELY. I was incapable of loving my children in ways I believed they were so deserving of being loved. I did not have the capacity or the knowledge of how to love them in ways I desired to and I knew I could do more harm than good, until I learned how to love myself first. I thought to myself, who can love my children better than I can at this time in my life? Who is better equipped to love them in ways I am unable to love myself? Who is my safe place, where I feel loved and cared for? Then, I delivered my babies to their grandparents and began my journey of self-discovery and self-love. Learning how to love myself required me to deliver my children to wise hands and hearts that I knew would love and protect them in ways I could not. Read more>>

Shawn Mcilhenney | Brewer and co-owner of Mcilhenney Brewing Co.

Knowledge Inspires me most. People that are knowledgeable on all aspects of the work they do, make me want to learn everything I can about all aspects of our business. Read more>>

Nicole Carmody | Artist, Designer & Owner

I want people to remember me as someone who’s not afraid to create different aspects of art. Whether it’s painting/drawing abstract, modern, pop art, realism, along with making jewelry, graphic illustration’s on t-shirts and tote bags. My motto for my brand is “I can make it happen!” Which is true. Whatever a client wants, I always make sure they are beyond satisfied with the finished product. Read more>>

Marin Griffith | Mixed Media Artist

Creativity and making art is not constant and to make good work it can’t be. We all need rest and breaks from making even if it’s the thing we love the most. Read more>>

Christina Kennedy | Singer/Songwriter, Film Director & Actress

The industry is really interesting because the only reason it exists is because of the “outsiders”. Artists quite literally need the fans to be continually invested. It’s a business at the end of the day. And just like any business, the factor I believe gets the most overlooked is the amount of work that goes into building a sustainable career and keeping the customers happy, especially as an independent artist like myself. Labels have a team of qualified and educated professionals who do all sorts of different tasks from graphic design, music production, stage coaching, content creation, brand/artist development and writing all within their label. However, independent artists mostly do all this work themselves and must learn quite literally all of these skills from the ground up. Read more>>

Jackie Corney | Founder-Moxie Tales

On September 10th of 2018, my husband and I had our first born son “gooned” in the middle of the night for a serious drug addiction. He was 17 years old at the time and we sent him to Second Nature Wilderness therapy in Utah’s Uinta Mountain Range. His addiction, which began at 14, had enveloped his life and had begun sinking the rest of us. In our minds, we had no other choice, as we had to protect our other 3 children and our marriage. Read more>>

Aventine | Songwriter & Recording Artist

I was born in Palm Springs, California and because my father was also a musician, I have always been surrounded by music. So much so that when I was born, my father actually brought a keyboard into the delivery room to ensure the first thing that I ever heard was music. Unfortunately, I lost him to a heart attack when I was 4 years old and my mom struggled with a lot of substance abuse issues, which left me moving around and battling a lot growing up. I eventually ended up with my Aunt and Uncle whom graciously took me in, but because of my background, I have always felt like a bit of an outsider. Writing songs and creating truly have remained an outlet / constant in my life, and I almost feel like it’s the way that I have have continued to feel connected to, and communicated with my father about my life. While the journey hasn’t been easy, I feel like music is the only thing that I truly know and I am grateful for every experience that has molded me into who I am today. Read more>>

 Jenny Calabro | Heart Centered Witch & Oracle

As someone who had previously worked in a major industry but now has my own small business the biggest struggle at the beginning was to find a work life balance. Before starting my business Fantasma Witch I worked as an artist in animation, the demands as an artist were quite high but there was always set hours & days for work. This gave me guidelines for when I was working vs when I turned off my computer & made time for me. But now that I have a small business, which is primarily done from my home, the lines between my time & work time quickly became blurred. It was not just the fact that I was at home which made it difficult, but it was also because I was doing work that I deeply love & enjoy. While I had loved being an artist, it was easy to switch my brain between “this drawing is for work and this drawing is just for fun”. Read more>>

Aaron Mirsky | Co-Founder

My venture capital and private equity background instilled a deep understanding of the financial needs and operational realities of businesses, particularly those in the crucial startup phase. Witnessing firsthand the challenges faced by young companies fueled my desire to contribute to a solution within the mental health space for adolescents and young adults. These skills directly translate into understanding the needs of our young clientele and crafting a sustainable model to deliver high-quality mental healthcare. Read more>>