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.

Kali Sudbrook | Remodeling Contractor & Designer for Fitness Spaces & Gyms

As a remodeling contractor, making the decision to niche down into solely providing health and fitness spaces has been a game changer for me. When I left my 15 year long career as a fitness director and professor of Kinesiology to become a contractor I thought I had to leave my old identity as a fitness professional behind and create a whole new identity as a business owner and contractor. It wasn’t until I designed and built home gyms for 3 different fitness colleagues that the light bulb went off and I thought, hey, I could make this my specialty! But then fear set in and I thought if I only went after the fitness jobs, then I would lose out on income and a means to make a living because the subset of people who would want a home gym would be so few and far between. However, I had a pivotal meeting with my business coach halfway into my second year of business and my coach said that “a confused mind doesn’t buy.” Essentially if people don’t know what I offer…(is it bathrooms, is it fitness spaces…what the heck is it?), that essentially they wouldn’t buy my services. It was a scary leap of faith, but the second I made that decision, changed my website and marketing to specialize, I’ve been more profitable and way more energized with the type of work that I’m doing! My clients have been perfect too, and they are all aligning with my ideal client demographic. Funny how that works out! Read more>>

David Royce | Co-Owner Bicycle Glass

Bicycle Glass makes hand blown pendant lights and lighting products from locally sourced post consumer recycled glass. This is unique in the industry, challenging to do and has a really nice impact on the environment. When we started the business we were acutely aware that melting glass, while glass is an inherently recyclable product, does have a larger carbon footprint. To offset this we’ve purchase renewable energy from our inception. By using 100% post consumer recycled glass as a base product the glass is kept in the community and does not have a need to be shipped around the world, melts at a reduced temperature rather than making brand new glass and also has the added benefit of not losing weight to volitalization during the melting process. Read more>>

Latoya mckelvin | Movement Matters Collective Founder, Movement Specialist and Pilates Instructor

Movement Matters Collective (MMC) goes beyond being a fitness studio – we’re a community hub dedicated to making well-being accessible and transformative. Read more>>

Louis Supan | The Unorthodox Chef

As a self-taught chef with a passion for fusion cooking, who later received classical French training and learned from my grandmother at a young age, I’m inspired by the endless possibilities that arise from blending different culinary traditions and techniques. I find inspiration in the creativity of combining diverse flavors, textures, and ingredients to create unique and exciting dishes. My background has taught me to appreciate the depth of flavor and precision of French cuisine, while also valuing the innovation and experimentation of fusion cooking. I’m inspired by the rich tapestry of flavors, techniques, and cultural influences that shape modern cuisine. I find inspiration in blending diverse culinary traditions, experimenting with unexpected ingredient combinations, and paying homage to the foundations of French gastronomy. My grandmother’s teachings imbued me with a respect for tradition and a curiosity to innovate, guiding me to create dishes that reflect both heritage and innovation. My grandmother’s influence continues to guide me, reminding me to infuse every dish with love, tradition, and a touch of personal flair. Read more>>

Stu Weintraub | Founder & CEO, Waves of Love International & The Center for Child-Safe Divorce

My personal mission is to inspire minds, heal hearts and awaken souls. I do this by writing, speaking, coaching and and facilitating exclusive and experiential Waves of Love Healing retreats for individuals, couples, families and corporate teams. As a multi-faceted stereotypical sagittarius and a Human Design of Manifesting Generator, I have a wide variety of passions and interests, and was put on earth to start new projects. A lot of them! And that’s what I love to do. I am obsessed with ideas that make things better, social impact events that help people improve their lives, and offering transformational healing, coaching and retreats that facilitate positive change in people’s lives. Because I’m an intuitive and creative visionary, I have no shortage of things that are exciting and interesting for me, but when it comes to legacy, what matters most is this: I made a difference. I left an impact. The social impact work I did, the words I wrote and spoke, and the events I facilitated moved people’s hearts and minds and expanded their souls. The day of my funeral, I hope there are many people who cared enough about me to actually take time off of work to show up. I hope there are many people who tell my son stories about who I was and what I did that helped them. I hope I am remembered for who I was, not just what I accomplished. I hope my “Love Before Law” and “Waves of Love” work lives on for 7 generations. I hope my son is proud of me and that he tells stories about me to his children and grand-children. In short, I was a man who overcame many obstacles, never quit on his visions and dreams, made a difference in the lives of millions of people, and in short, lived a life that mattered. Read more>>

Tudor Montague | Founder/Head Roaster, Spirit Mountain Roasting Co. & The Coffee Shop

One of the main reasons I have followed the path that I have, is because I wanted to be able to make a positive impact in the community that I grew up in. Coming from a rural reservation here in southeastern CA, I experienced first hand, many of the difficulties faced by communities like mine. High unemployment due to lack of opportunities, lack of access to healthy and diverse food options for example, often have significant negative impacts on the population of these communities. Read more>>

Claudia de la Mora | Painter

I am happy spending quality time with my loved ones and my cat Luna. Going for walks on the weekends, sunny days, exercising, drinking coffee, and eating pasta. They are everyday actions that bring me a lot of mental peace and help in my creative process. Read more>>

Sevahna Anderson | Creator of Wolfe + Juniper

“You have to have a plan” As someone who comes up with ideas on a whim, having a plan just doesn’t pan out. There can be a big idea, a goal. But to actually make a plan is like knowing what the universe is going to throw at you. And we don’t. Every decision we make creates a new goal. Read more>>

kristopher garcia | Photography

I want to be in a place where my hobbies can help subsidize for my living. Id love to be in a position where my passion for photography can bring in some income in addition to my career. More than making money, i want to be recognized for creating unique and moving work. Ultimately the goal is to have both recognition and some monetary gain. Read more>>

Aiden Keltner | Filmmaker

I think the most important and most difficult decision I have had to make was whether I would choose to go to college, and specifically to film school. I come from a family of academics, my mother has a Master’s and my father has a PhD and MD. Since I was 8 I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker, the question was how I would go about doing it and would I follow in their tracks through college. Read more>>

Tricia Battani | Multi-Platinum, #1 Billboard Songwriter & Singer

I was born into an extremely talented musical family with both parents inducted into the Iowa Music Hall of Fame and two performing older siblings. My dad was a Jazz drummer and celebrated college/high school/middle school marching band director, and my mom was a Christian singer, recording artist, piano and voice coach. Growing up in Austin, I was immersed in Jazz, Christian and country music, but I personally gravitated toward R&B and Top 40. I found my own love for singing and dancing when I was three and never looked back. I would record myself on my karaoke machine in my closet every day after school; doubling my voice and perfecting my vocal stacking skills as a preteen. I took hiphop dance class once a week starting at age 10 and performed often for my school. I’d use all of my allowance money every Sunday to record cover songs at the mall recording studio. I knew from a very young age that singing was what I was meant to do with my life, simply because of the way it made me feel. There wasn’t anything else ever on my mind but music. Read more>>

Susan Wos | Salon Business Broker

As a veteran Cosmetologist, creating and getting results was in my blood! Transitioning my passion for connecting people and serving them by finding the right opportunities for those in need was a different kind of creative approach. Read more>>