Over the past decade we have had the chance to learn about so many incredible folks from a wide range of industries and backgrounds and our highlighter series is designed to give us an opportunity to go deeper into their stories with to goal of understanding them, their thought process, how their values formed and the foundations of their stories. Check out some incredible folks below – many of whom you may have read about already and a few new names as well.
Jessica Lugo Melendez
That is a deep question. The greatest regret I could ever have is living without intentionality. In every season of my life, whether as a mother, wife, daughter, pastor, educator, colleague, or simply as a citizen of the world, I strive to show up with purpose and to offer my very best. Not perfection, but excellence grounded in integrity and authenticity. Read more>>
Ashley Flete
I know I would regret not living life to the fullest. I never want to look back and realize I played it safe, held myself back, or let fear write the story for me. I’d regret not following through on the moments that were meant to stretch me, elevate me, or introduce me to a better version of myself. Read more>>
Mel Smothers
Nothing. It’s all been part of the journey that has brought me to a satisfying productive life in visual art and music. Read more>>
Tonya Blessing
My husband told me about a people group that he and my brother met in Namibia. The community was extremely remote. The adults made charcoal. Put together houses of cardboard and tin were covered in black smoke and filth. The shoeless children’s smiles seemed to light the sky, and their laughtered diminished the languish of poverty. There were no schools. Read more>>
Angelino Beaubrun
My biggest regret would be dying with the ‘what ifs’ and ‘I should’ve’s’ thorough my life rather than trying to see the outcomes. I want to be a comic artist. I want to tell stories that make others think and laugh. Read more>>
Alondra Taveras
i’m in the beginning stages of writing a book and redirecting my niche audience to Queer, Dominican/Caribbean, Millennials, Femmes/Women of the Diapora who identify as the black cats of the family carrying the weight of ending pillar ancestral patterns. this book will come with not just my story but others that relate plus self help tips to support the reader. Read more>>
Rachael Reese
Illustrating a cookbook. It’s so intimidating but I know I must do it! I especially love cookbooks like ‘My Pantry’ by Alice Waters – so thoughtful and informative. I’d be especially proud to create a book that had the same feeling. Read more>>
Young Thunder (Tylen Fowlkes)
I used to place a lot of value on money and material things, but over time I realized money is just a tool. When you use it wisely, it doesn’t compromise your character or your values. It’s about being strategic, putting it into things that grow in value, and building structure without sacrificing who you are. Read more>>
Dania Denise
As an actor, I used to subscribe to the belief that acting is a great way to disappear and ‘pretend to be someone else.’ But after working with Howard Fine, he completely turned that concept on its head. By bringing a piece of ourselves to every character/role, it allows for an authenticity that doesn’t require pretending. Read more>>
Megan Gardner
I used to think that in order to be accepted by the people around me, I had to be the absolute best I could at all times. I had a deep desire to present myself as always having it together. Read more>>
Ashutosh Rokade
I used to believe that success followed a straight path, that if I worked hard and made the right choices, everything would unfold exactly as planned. Over time, I’ve learned that creative careers rarely follow a linear route. Detours and unexpected turns often lead to the most rewarding opportunities. Now, I see uncertainty not as failure but as an essential part of growth and discovery. Read more>>
Ann Anaebere-Aneke
One idea that comes to mind is regarding “experience as the best teacher.” I wouldn’t say I have changed my mind about the fact that experience can be a powerful teacher, but I would say that I have refined that principle for myself a bit. Read more>>
Sheila Renee
A cultural value I hold in the highest regard is integrity. I believe in doing everything with excellence, honesty, and intention, whether anyone is watching or not. My work carries my name, my story, and my reputation, so I protect the culture of showing up fully, keeping my word, and creating with purpose. Read more>>
Anthony Scarzafava
Social justice is of prime importance to us. It is the wall we are willing to die on. The values we would “go to the mattresses” on include equality, freedom of speech and self expression, respecting diversity, self-determination and opposing oppression in all its forms. Read more>>
Jonny Violet
Empathy.Read more>>
Nicholas Jackson
The punk rock DIY world that taught me to to roll my sleeves us and make my own path while having integrity. This should be protected at all costs. And I see it dyeing more and more each day. Ok, here is how I see this. Punk Rock is far more a way of thinking than music. Read more>>
Giganta Smalls
With the rise of generative AI, clinging on to our knowledge and creativity are more important than ever. Encouraging people to explore art and the creative process is more important than ever. The arts explore the truth of humanity in a way that mathematics and science could never. Read more>>
Katya Leonovich
I truly believe that fine arts will be always the top of my priority. I will never permit plagiarism in my gallery. Or the so called “hotel arts”. The quality of my art series will be carefully selected as well as other projects. Read more>>
Alison Midollo
Failure has taught me more than success ever has. It’s in falling down, getting back up again (and again) and doing things differently where I learned who I am, what I want and what I am capable of. My resilience comes from my mistakes and hard seasons have helped me rebuild my life in ways I never thought were possible. Read more>>
Corey Croft
It might not get better. Life may not have a happy ending. It may not even offer you daisies on the path. It may be a cold, brutal and ultimately pointless exercise that devours your youth and slices away all optimism and hope, aging you quicker than sunlight and jade you in the process. Read more>>
Rick Mayo
The most surprising thing I’ve learned is how much people crave clarity and structure. The more we simplify, the faster they succeed. What’s interesting is that it’s true for both franchisees and members. When we take out the guesswork and give people a clear plan, their results skyrocket. People thrive when they know exactly what to do and why it works. Read more>>
Jordan Dani
The most surprising thing I’ve learned about my customers is how much they connect to the person behind the brand just as much as the product. Whether they’re engaging with my modeling, my jewelry line, or my content, they consistently tell me they feel inspired and represented. That showed me that authenticity is not only welcomed — it’s what builds true loyalty. Read more>>
Fatima
First of all, I am SO grateful to my clients and customers. What I can say is that my clients, especially my repeat clients, have taught me so much about myself through their own journeys. They are mirrors reflecting parts of myself that need attention and to hear some of those same messages from Spirit too. Read more>>
Monk Turner
I used to think I had to make everything sound perfect, believing that flawless execution was the goal. I’ve learned that letting go of perfection often makes the music more soulful. When I allow mistakes, spontaneity, and imperfection to shine, the songs feel alive and honest. I’m especially proud of my latest release, Holiday Party! Read more>>
Preston Lewin
The last time I changed my mind about something important was after doing a collaborative PC drop with Hassan Alaw and V1 Tech. I realized that being a part of V1 Tech could be a far bigger vehicle for growth—not just financially, but in terms of knowledge, development, and building meaningful connections. Read more>>
Dexter Eroen
On February 21st, 2025, at 4:06 p.m., I became a dad. My baby girl, River, is now almost eight months old, and flowing through milestone after milestone. She’s got two tiny teeth poking through her gums, she just started crawling last week, and every day she’s trying out new foods with the kind of curiosity only a baby can have. Read more>>
Kelly Ryan
When I first went full time with Kelab it was the year after COVID. I had been laid off from my corporate event planning job, and was working as an executive assistant at a financial lending firm. I wasn’t happy in the role and I quit with no back up plan. I hadn’t even created the LLC for Kelab yet. Read more>>
Brandy Trieu
I felt true joy every day. I am beyond blessed to be in a position to converse with our wonderful community. We proudly say every day, how we genuinely have the greatest batch of customers, they are wonderful in every way. We are able to see beautiful faces that enters our shop, felt comfortable enough to share with us a snippet of their daily lives. Read more>>
Jocelyn Krodman
I did an in person show recently (a rarity for me these days) and I was reminded of how delightful it is to be out in the world, sharing my work. As much as I love the daily process of creating things, sometimes I don’t realize the toll that the isolation takes on me. Read more>>
Rae Lashea
I leaned in. I leaned into the pain or the fear. I have a saying about being happily miserable. Sometimes we have to embrace in order to face. When I was seven years old, I was scared of the dark. I was often awake late at night while everyone else was asleep. Read more>>
Peggy Li
Although I achieved academically, what really was my escape as a child was my creative side. Curiosity and fulfilling that curiosity brought meaning and stability when sometimes the world didn’t seem that stable. This could be finding books in the library about French cooking or building home made ant farms or it was writing stories about my favorite TV characters. Read more>>
Mark Misiano
I see some incredibly smart people who think they’re doing so much better because they’re letting AI replace them. ‘I saved so much time having ChatGPT write my résumé!’ But the résumé is terrible. ‘I had Claude write this marketing email campaign for me!’ But it’s lost the human voice and sounds like a bot. Read more>>
Rachel Ngayan
It often starts at the core of the word ‘smart’ and what society generally defines it to be. I was told my entire life by teachers, family, and friends that school and college were the only path to success. Unfortunately for me, I was diagnosed with ADHD and test anxiety, and struggled far more than the average student. Read more>>
Amber Lee
I see a lot of smart people get the way that love happens wrong. They think that they can optimize for love and spend time analyzing and dissecting potential matches without ever getting in front of people in real life. The truth is that love happens in your heart, not in your head! There is so much about connection that cannot be explained. Read more>>
Jaime Bugbee
I think a lot of really smart, well-intentioned people — especially from older generations — are still holding onto the idea that success only comes from taking the traditional path: go to college, get the “safe” job, and stay there until retirement. That mindset made sense years ago, but the world has changed so much. Read more>>
Vanessa LeMaistre
I would say smart people often get one thing totally wrong: the belief that everything must be scientifically proven to hold weight or be valid. This becomes especially limiting when it comes to spirituality or anything that exists beyond the scope of traditional measurement. I believe all things spiritual are scientific, and all things scientific are spiritual. Read more>>
Teamjohnhill
They’re brilliant at solving problems that can be measured and optimized — and disastrously tone-deaf to the things that can’t. We’ve become masters of speed, metrics, and scaling; we still fumble when it comes to meaning, vulnerability, and the quiet work of being human. Smart people mistake efficiency for wisdom. They streamline processes, cut friction, automate feeling — and then wonder why culture goes numb. Read more>>
Camille Todaro
That a 9-5 is a secure means of income. I think there’s nothing riskier than putting all your eggs in one basket. For me, it’s about control; I don’t want to be at the mercy of some company. I’ve never bought into that ‘family’ feeling at a job. A company is only concerned about their bottom line, and you are disposable. Read more>>
Nico ‘NNIL’ Pires
I’m intentionally learning more from my previous ‘self’ than I have before. If there’s one thing that self-awareness and healthy isolation has shown me, it’s been the echoes of events throughout my life; the patterns that lead to my personal suffering have made themselves abundantly clear, and I’m in a season where the echo is returning. Read more>>
SOUFSIDE KATHLEEN
I have been trying to put myself in a more of a student position, so I’m learning from a few people based on certain things in my life that needs more attention or consistent development. When it comes to craft, I’m learning from Stephen King, Guillermo Del Toro, Mike Flanagan, Kendrick Lamar. Read more>>
Cam Ezra
Recently its been giving away control lyrically, your words, phrasing and how you articulate is going to be interpreted in a variety of ways. Read more>>
Lindsay Carraway
Everyone. I am watching my family grow up and grow older and I am actively aware of how much they mean to me in this moment, so I am trying to absorb that abundance of knowledge that they all have right now. The energy and the life, and the lessons and the stories. Read more>>
Kristina Bozanich
I am currently implementing an advanced knowledge architecture inspired by the ‘Building a Second Brain’ methodology by Tiago Forte, and Nick Milo who is also part of that personal knowledge management community. Some of my focus has been on the technical execution of this system, where I’m applying recent coding and programming skills to customize and automate the connections between my notes and resources. Read more>>
Nicole Albani
I am learning the most in life from my 4 year old daughter. Becoming a mother has forced me to learn, and relearn so many things about myself. I am fighting to give her things I never has as a child, and reparent myself to be the best role model possible for her. My daughter is the most amazing person. Read more>>
Marc Spencer Tejada
Having come off a couple of productions that’s been going on and off for a month and half straight, plus traveling in between the work days, I’m in a really big homebody season right now so alot of my lessons are coming from my own reflections of the past year but as for someone I’m learning from; I’ve been really diving deep into podcasts from cinematographers that I look up to. Read more>>
Aviv Kuan
I AM LEARNING FROM MYSELF. Read more>>
Eric Hagan
The artists who put their dreams on the shelf to take care of the people they love. The people who go to work, do what they need to do, because others depend on them. Those who prioritize the wellbeing of others over the longing of their soul. ‘The Greats’ of art history are often just people who chose themselves. Read more>>
John Grenn
My (much younger) mentor, Kamil R., from the great Polish EDM act Diviner’s, He provides valuable feedback on my mixes and production that really helps elevate my final sound. It is difficult to remain fully objective through the process, and you can miss things, sometimes fairly glaring things. Read more>>
Phyllis Pollema-Cahill
There are many artists, both living and dead, that I admire and continue to learn from. Jewelry artists, fine artists, graphic artists, illustrators… all have something to offer. Art is art, regardless of medium. Read more>>
Amanda Indeyevid
Yes, I would hire me. I’m stubborn in the best way, meaning I don’t give up easily and I don’t let people stop me from doing what I know I can do. I’m extremely collaborative, always willing to learn, and I never look at competition as a threat. I see it as inspiration. Read more>>
Latricia Powell
Heavens “yes”! I’m full of integrity, responsibility, accountability, trustworthiness and most of all loyalty. I work my heart and soul into everything I do. I never quit or give up on anyone or anything I wholeheartedly believe in. God works in mysterious ways and I’m Sherlock Holmes!!! I only take on things with 100% conviction. Anything I do is everything I do. Read more>>
Nina Clapperton
When I had my first $100k month, and then the second, and then the third. I always thought I’d feel happy when I had money – even like $5k a month. But it didn’t come. So I assumed I needed more to hit that like ‘eek!’ feeling. Then I’d hit a new benchmark, and feel nothing. Read more>>
Miles Perry
yeah, actually….that’s a good icebreaker for sure… I spoke up and used my platform speaking up for Palestinians and inequality everywhere. The owner of a professional sports team, called me and said because of my posts, they will not be working with me going forward. Also, had some collectors block and silence me. Read more>>
ACTORISM
I have. I stood for myself, my truth, even when it meant walking away from security, comfort, and everything the world promised. The outer world can never be completed. It keeps moving, always changing, always a few steps ahead while you chase. The exhaustion of it, always trying to prove you’re deserving. Of success, recognition, everything. Everything becomes a competition. Read more>>
Zé Otavio
For me, the difference becomes clear through practice. I’ve always stayed very close to my own way of working , my expression, my vision, even when someone is art directing me. I’ve never really chased trends. In Brazil, especially in advertising, I’ve seen so many visual tendencies come and go. Read more>>
Amy Lee
One of the things I love most about my team is how we face challenges. If we feel unsure we don’t quit. We go back to the drawing board, dig in deeper and find a work-around. Failure is not an option for us, period. Often when we are called in families are at their wits end and they feel we are their last hope. Read more>>
Hudson Boyce
On the lacrosse side, we’re working on all the little things people don’t notice; footwork, strength, vision, and being a smarter defender. None of that pays off right away. But in 7–10 years, that’s the stuff that decides whether we can play at a really high level. I’m building habits now that future-me will depend on. Read more>>
Dominick Sparacino
I’m intentionally rejecting the ‘get rich quick’ mentality that’s become so common among young entrepreneurs. Gavin and I are focused on building the product and the message the right way, not chasing immediate profit. Our goal is to create a company with longevity and real substance, and we understand that building something meaningful takes time. Read more>>
Mougleta
The battle I’m actively avoiding? Honestly, all of them. It’s such an old cliché, but it rings true: it takes a moment to make an enemy, but it takes time and real effort to make a friend. I’d much rather pour all my energy into finding those connections, that common ground, and those friendships—in my life and in my music. Read more>>
