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.

Jeff Kraus

I have a tattoo of a fish jumping out of a fish bowl that’s inspired by a quote from my mom, “never be a big fish in a small pond.” Her quote reminds me to stay hungry, to stay humble, and to keep striving for more. It’s a mindset that motivates me to show up everyday willing and ready to be better, to give more, and that there’s more to do. Read More>>

Shirin Aghdaie

To me, success is staying true to my creative voice while connecting deeply with others through my art.
It’s not just about recognition or sales — although those are meaningful — it’s about creating honest work that speaks to the inner experiences of others, especially women. When someone tells me they felt seen or understood through one of my paintings, that’s real success. It also means continuing to grow, take risks, and evolve — both artistically and personally. Read More>>

Rebekah Meredith

I think the most important thing I’ve done is redefine what it means to live a life with purpose.

A lot of us grow up thinking purpose is about following rules or routines—and while those have their place, they don’t show you how to live with purpose. My son sees me every day building a business from scratch, learning to keep promises to myself (which, let’s be real, I’m often the first to break), and pushing forward even when it’s hard. Read More>>

Angela Ryberg

The single most important decisions that contributed to my success, is to make a change to my mindset. At first, my only goal when leaving my full time job to go out on my own was to replace my paycheck. But I quickly realized this was bigger than me. I stopped thinking of it as my business and started thinking about why I was doing it. I shifted my “why” to focus on community—creating a business that allowed others to thrive alongside me. Read More>>

Angela, Flora, & Jasmine

Because we are moms, we want our kids (aka our legacy) to remember that success doesn’t come without hard work and that success isn’t just one path, that it is theirs to build. We built The Graze Collective based on our belief in the power of connection, particularly through food and sharing an experience together. We strive to ensure that our clients and their guests experience something magical when we bring our charcuterie bar to their event. Read More>>

Daneyel Walker

The most important lesson my business has taught me is that service starts with intention, not transaction. Building a community-centered business has shown me that impact goes far beyond sales; it’s about how people feel when they leave your space. I’ve learned that consistency, compassion, and authenticity create trust, and trust is what keeps a community coming back. Read More>>

Kasia Skorynkiewicz

I was born in Poland and immigrated to the U.S. at the age of four. Growing up as a Polish American deeply shaped who I am. We didn’t have much as our clothes came from thrift stores, toys were knock-offs, and we often found furniture and other items off the street, which I still do today. While many people quietly take curbside finds, I’ve always embraced it since it taught me to see potential where others see waste. Read More>>

Kaleen

I chose to pursue a creative career because nothing else felt fulfilling. I am a very passionate person; I feel very deeply, and with that, I have to let emotion flow through me through creation. I did the 9 to 5 corporate job for many years and very quickly felt my light fading away. But when I have the opportunity to create, I feel invigorated, energized, and unstoppable. Read More>>