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.

Kristina Yarmolich

My favorite quote is: “What is it all works out?.” I believe that if you put in the effort and trust the universe, things will align for you. It’s a positive affirmation I remind myself of when times get tough. In the end, you’re exactly where you need to be, learning exactly what you need to learn. There’s a reason people say that one day you’ll look back and realize everything happened for a reason—and for the better. If you do the work and approach life with kindness, there’s no way you won’t be rewarded. And the moment you let go of expectations, things begin to fall into place. It always works out. Read More>>

Erikka Watts

In 2015, I started my accounting business as a side hustle. I was a single woman in a new city just trying to save for a nice vacation and a new purse. Seven years later, I was blessed to accumulate a solid client base, become fully self-employed, establish an LLC, and hire my first employee. When I became a mother four years ago, my priorities shifted. My new goal became generational wealth. I take my profession very seriously and invested in high quality computers and software.  Read More>>

TIffany McKnight

Being a full-time artist is not for the weak. There is a lot of time spent managing your free time, navigating opportunities, and networking. All of those things can drain your energy or put you on the path to burnout if you’re not careful. For me, the most critical decision I could make for myself and my career was addressing my mental health and seeking therapy. Therapy helped me manage my emotions, develop boundaries, and generally get deeper in touch with myself and my relationships with friends, family, and clients. It also helped me balance work and play, and be at peace with alignment. Read More>>

Hanna Shykind

I like to think about risk taking as doing something that pushes you out of your comfort zone and into a place of growth and exploration! Recently, I wrote and performed a one woman cabaret called “How To Be Yourself”, about chasing personal authenticity where ever you go. This felt like a huge risk for me – I had written a one cabaret before in college, but it was shorter and in a much smaller setting. “How To Be Yourself” felt so much bigger and more personal because the show is all about me and my struggles to find personal authenticity in audition rooms, and I was going to perform it out in the real world, in New York City! Read More>>

Alex Verdugo Jr.

In my opinion, risk is necessary to advance yourself to a higher level. Whether it be business or personal. If you don’t take action and push for you want in life, you’ll never know if it could have been for you. Read More>>

Nuria Haro-Lopez

Sister League of San Diego has been providing safe, supportive housing for women in need since 1942. What started out as a mission to help the women and children of our city during World War II has developed into decades of compassion and care. It’s easy to look at our mission and think of course this is beneficial to our community and thus the world but there is an even simpler way to see how it is so. Giving women a place to land after they have struggled with their mental health and have grappled with the reality so many in our world face of not having a home requires a lot. We are lucky to have the homes that house 30 women at any time, the supporters who donate their time and money, and all the professionals who help these women until they find our program. The simplicity of our organization is what helps our community. Read More>>

Rachel Quinto

The most important factor behind the success of AVO Brows and Beauty has been my willingness to fail forward. As a permanent makeup artist, trainer, and business owner in San Diego, I’ve learned that success doesn’t come from perfection—it comes from resilience. Every mistake, every slow season, every hard lesson was actually an opportunity to grow stronger, sharper, and more aligned with my purpose. Read More>>

Kevin Popović

The most important factor behind my recent success as The Idea Guy® is the philosophy of amplifying human intelligence with artificial intelligence. Most people think AI is about automation. I think it’s about augmentation. My goal has always been to help people think better, not just faster—and that’s where my work lives. Read More>>

Christine Young

Compassion and kindness are my guiding principles. People and puppies thrive when they feel safe and supported, especially in the early, messy stages of learning. My goal is to help families raise confident dogs. I want clients to feel empowered, not judged, as they navigate the biting phase, potty accidents, and big adolescent emotions. Read More>>

Yana Barducov

My ultimate goal is to build a strong community and help ordinary women create successful careers on Instagram. I want to empower them to believe in themselves, unlock their potential, and feel confident about pursuing their dreams. By the end of my career, I see myself as a mentor and leader who has inspired thousands of women around the world to be bold, independent, and successful Read More>>

Angel Self

As with any small business, the goal is to expand! The goal for the end of 2025 is to be in a larger kitchen space of my own to be able to create more amazing baked goods and really take my bread to the next level. Being a small micro bakery limits my creativity to a certain extent to the prospect of being able to create freely and expand my menu is my driving force to keep pushing now. By the end of my career owning a bakery I hope to leave a lasting mark on the local food scene. I also hope to have my bakery expand to multiple locations and create a generational business that my family can operate and be successful through for years to come! Read More>>

Katherine Evans

First I find it important to acknowledge that a perfect work life balance isn’t realistic, and to aim for it will set you up for failure. Creating systems, workflows, and boundaries both in work and in personal life are critical for putting work down, and being truly present with the people in your life who matter most, who it’s all for. Read More>>