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.
Kate Folb
I always say I have the best job in the world. Read more>>
Jay Janicki
There’s been so many exciting moments of my career that it’s hard to narrow it down. It happens in waves – I’ll have a breakthrough moment with a client I’ve been seeing for 5 years and it’s beautiful. I’ve had consultation calls where we just click instantly, the rapport is strong from jump. Read more>>
Jacklyn Romano
Yes, recently I started hosting large women based fitness events in my community and I have never felt more alive. Bringing hundred of women together to wear my activewear brand, workout, & meet other women in our community has brought new passion to my life and business. Read more>>
Rainbow City Park
The past few months we’ve had many sit-downs to discuss our approach for next year. We took a deep look at all the things that make this band go, both musical and operational. Through this process, we’ve become a more collaborative unit and this may be the most excited we’ve ever been. Read more>>
R Clay Williams
My wife’s and my company for three years now, Elite Enhancement of East Texas, that we see clients on Fridays and some Saturdays, is by far one of the times that I am literally tap dancing the moment we arrive at our Dallas apartment, McKenzie, in the Knox Henderson area. Every Thursday evening when we open the apartment door, I feel so relaxed—so sublime. Read more>>
Ayem Walters
I know I have made it in life when I genuinely feel excited and pumped to go to work, so happy to the point where I don’t even consider it ‘work’. And I am that level of proud when working on set. Read more>>
Meta Jo Riseling
When I first went to a workshop with Nourish Colorado. I learned so much and saw what our store could do for the future. I was bouncing in my seat and talking so fast due to excitement to tell the board what I had learned and how it could really help our store. The Shareholder meeting was the same month. Read more>>
Coco Martinez
I actually kind of grade myself at the end of every day to make sure I did my best in each facet of my life- and used my time well. I don’t expect praise, it’s a matter of setting standards for myself. Read more>>
Anna Papoutsakis
I often say my love language is recognition, aka, words of affirmation. A simple thank you or acknowledgement goes a long way with me. It is not my only motivator, though, so I could still give everything my best because ultimately I have to answer to myself. Read more>>
Simlev
Absolutely, that’s exactly what’s happening with Krokmitën. Krokmitën is a niche entity; most people simply don’t get it. I fully accept that it will never be commercially successful or widely praised by the metal community. I do things radically differently than anyone else out there. Read more>>
Adin Thiemann
Yes definitely! A large part of photography and art in general is working hard with very little recognition in the beginning because it takes a while to build a brand. Luckily I learned to love my work from the beginning no matter how many people saw it, and it has allowed me to critique and define my own work into what it is today! Read more>>
Jojo Alderson
Yes, I always give it my everything. I would like to think that it is for me rather than for someone else. In my art I have been working towards making my art for me first. Since I am coming from a design background I have spent a lot of time figuring out what people might want. Looking at trends etc. Read more>>
Danielle Radin
Yes, because praise has never been what drives meaningful work for me. Even money, which in many ways is just another form of praise, has never been my motivation. I have always felt an urge to do work that I would be doing for free anyway because it is purposeful on its own. Read more>>
Jordan Heyd
Absolutely. I’ve learned that the real reward is in the work itself; the craft, the care, and the impact it has on people, even if they never say a word about it. In hospitality especially, so much of what we do goes unseen: the early mornings, the late nights, the little details that make an experience feel special. Read more>>
Carl Grauer
I think I’ve learned to. Growing up in a place where being different wasn’t celebrated or even accepted, taught me early on that external validation couldn’t be the thing that kept me going. I had to find my own reasons to create, to keep showing up. Painting became that reason. It’s a practice that asks for honesty, not applause. Of course, praise feels good. Read more>>
Don Hoffa
Ive been doing that my whole career didn’t look for praise i did it for purpose praise came with it Read more>>
Vincent Manzullo
That’s what I do every single time I make a new record or write a new piece of material. I do not need anyone to validate my art. I give everything I have in context to the art that I can create. I do not need validation but I deserve it. I deserve it so that others have a reference point to believe in. Read more>>
Kara Adamopoulos
When I was in art school, I had already graduated with one degree in science. In my senior year at the Savannah College of Art and Design, I had become burnt out. I was taking three studio courses within the same 10 week semester. I felt tired, and I started running out of ideas for my art projects. Read more>>
Lynn Slaughter
I do! I was in therapy during a painful time in my life when I was making a decision to divorce my husband. I’d grown up in a family where everyone felt free to instruct me on how I should feel and what I should do. When my therapist asked me, ‘What do you want?’ I was shocked! Read more>>
Yung Zan
Yes, there have definitely been moments when I’ve been grateful that I didn’t rush, and one of the clearest examples comes from working on a song. There was a time when I could’ve wrapped up a track quickly and called it finished, but something told me to slow down and really listen to what the song needed. Read more>>
Shasta McBride
In the case of writing fiction, the answer is yes. The story I am currently finishing, a novel called Night Surfing, has taken many years, numerous iterations, and a personal growth process to bring it to the page. Even then, as writers know, it’s never truly finished, but rather laid to rest or abandoned. Read more>>
Christina Faith
A few years ago, shortly after launching The Grindhouse Inc., a significant opportunity landed in my lap. I was connected with a well-regarded producer and pitched them one of our key projects. They absolutely loved it, promising they could get it to major platforms, including Netflix. The initial excitement was immense. However, the reality set in when I received the contract. Read more>>
Max Reid
I actually believe we’re not that far from some form of “immortality” — give AI another 10–20 years and we might unlock something very close to it. And if time were no longer a limit, I’d love to explore entirely new industries. Read more>>
Roman Fischer
If immortality were real, I would build a utopia, or at least the closest version of it, for myself and everyone else. I would ensure the environment is clean and safe, prioritize global health and fitness by addressing obesity and preventable diseases, and fund advanced medical research to help people live longer, healthier lives. Read more>>
Debbie Arambula
If immortality were real, I would build a worldwide Heart Movement — a cultural shift where art isn’t decoration, but a force that heals, unites, and reawakens the human spirit. I would create Heart Centers in every major city… hubs of creativity, color, and emotional connection where people could return to themselves and to each other. Read more>>
Daniel Montano
An empire of healthy, all natural, all organic beverage alternatives for the entire world. Read more>>
Phil Warder
The trick answer to this is that immortality is real on a soul level. Our bodies die and decompose but our eternal spirit will live on forever. Not on this Earth likely but in another dimension beyond this conscious plane. I’m a big believer that our souls choose to come back into another lifetime to learn lessons or to teach others voluntarily. Read more>>
Deejay Saint
I’d stop stressing over things I can’t control and focus on the people and moments that matter. Read more>>
Ojo Francis
I will stop using condoms 😂😂 Read more>>
Cole Koeberer
I wouldn’t stop doing anything. I would start doing a whole lot more. Read more>>
Poppito
Wasting words wasting energy worrying about tomorrow, living for others, peas, and others arguing fighting disagreeing anything negative really Read more>>
Kimberley Moore -Wilson
Rushing to get home, I would call my husband and say Big Daddy, let’s go for a long ride to nowhere every day we can. I would spend as much time with the boys, my siblings, and close friends. I would live life how I want to and never be in a rush again. Read more>>
Gretchen Holmes
I would work less and play more. I would laugh more and spend more time with family and friends. I would try harder to help more people reconnect with themselves to understand how truly amazing they are. I would teach the world that when they stumble or fall, that’s the time to love themselves more, not less. Read more>>
Khutso Gololo
Haha nope I would continue living the life i m living and double up on it, I m not afraid of death I just want to die on my own terms Read more>>
Stefania Nistoreanu
I’d stop worrying so much. I’d stop trying not to disappoint, trying to please. I wouldn’t live even for a moment as a reflection of others. I’d pack lightly and set out to discover the world, myself, the truth, our purpose. Or maybe I’d simply enjoy the time I have left on this planet, and in that process, who knows, perhaps I’d discover immortality. Read more>>
Viktoria Marchev
The funny/scary thing is recently I have been thinking a lot that there was much less time left than 10 years, and it gives me a certain urgency and focus. But let’s try it with 10 years. I wouldn’t stop those of my bad habits that sometimes help or improve my mood, like drinking too much coffee or eating sweets. Read more>>
Heather Bradbury
What would remain would be my intention, my heart and my character. The way I love people, the way I show up, the way I make others feel. Titles fade things come and go who you are in your core is what truly remains. Read more>>
Ruth Pauline Plummer
If I laid down my name, my role, and every possession, what would remain is the part of me that can’t be taken away: my calling. I would still be committed to creating a platform where the next generation can step into their space and purpose in digital media. Read more>>
Nicola Di Liegro
tutto è impermanente, viviamo costantemente in uno stato di impermanenza, nulla è definitivo, l’importante è essere corretti e coerenti con se stessi e con gli altri. Read more>>
Michael Gips
My impact on family, friends, community, and the security profession. As well as evidence of my thought leadership–books, articles, reports, podcasts, webinars, presentations, etc. Read more>>
Uchenna Emenaha Miles, PhD
If I laid down my name, my titles, and everything I own, what would remain is my deep belief in connection; in the power of community and the beauty of diverse perspectives. Read more>>
Lizbeth Sinaí Rodríguez
What would remain is my curiosity, my rigor, and my determination to create opportunities where none exist. The girl who wrote her feelings to survive difficult moments, who found peace in nature, and who taught herself to dream beyond the limits of her environment. What would remain is my desire to serve. Read more>>
Francesca Virginia Coppola
I think that what would remain is the part of me I already build my work from: my bare presence, what I call ”creating from existence as the only tool”. My practice has taught me that my strongest medium is myself. Not in a self-referential way, but in the sense that the work begins in the simple act of being here. Read more>>
Lysa Allman-Baldwin
If I laid down my name, role, and possessions, what would remain is my empathy, kindness, spirituality, adventurous spirit, radiant smile, sense of humor, generosity, and my natural ability to connect with others in a way that helps them feel truly seen, heard, valued, and loved. Read more>>
Robert Mason Sandifer
I think the music and the love of it would remain. If you were to strip away the titles, the commissioned projects, or the platforms, then what’s left is the part of me that can hear a melody in silence, the part of me that knows the rhythm in emotion, and the part of me that reaches for harmony when words fall short. Read more>>
Jamie Steinberg
Not our customers…but the connections we have made with publicists, managers and talent agents. Our publication prides itself on asking questions to the celebrities we interview in a well-researched and personable capacity. We make sure to ask questions that are not redundant and in a way that gets the individual to open up more. Read more>>
Chelsea Brown, MBA
If I retired tomorrow, my clients would miss my jokes the most. Okay let me stop playing. With EVERY client I treat them and show up as if they are my only client, at the time. I think they would miss that. Read more>>
Yiwen Qian
I miss the feeling of creating purely for the sake of curiosity, without deadlines or expectations. Before producing became my career, I had moments where I could explore ideas just because they excited me, not because they needed to be delivered or managed. Read more>>
Shawon James
There is a part of my story that many don’t fully see. They may sense it, they may notice it in the quiet spaces between my strength and my smile — but they do not know the depth of it. They do not understand the ache. Read more>>
Le’Moon Ford
My Day ones I grew up with, sadly most are dead. My sister kayci my brother angelus “lil Nino”. Times I had with my dad mom and family back then. I miss the days where Miss odessa was my grandma in my life and Vinny was like a grandpops I felted loved and protected . Read more>>
Joni Johnson
I miss the world before everything sped up. I miss the quiet—when presence didn’t have to be protected or scheduled, when we didn’t have to peel through so many layers just to find ourselves again. I often grieve the present while I am still in it, because I am aware of how fragile it all is—people, seasons, moments of connection. Read more>>
Irma Parone
I miss dancing! A long time ago, I taught ballroom dancing as a little side job — which, like most of my “little ideas,” quickly got out of hand. It led to performing for the Jim Moran Institute, and when that ended, I somehow decided to open a studio so we could keep dancing. Read more>>
Samantha. Puckett
I’m chasing momentum in my photography business, my confidence and self direction. I’m trying to grow, be seen and improve my craft and finally feel like I’m ‘there’. A version of myself that feels accomplished and in control. If I stopped chasing, It would be for nothing. I have put to much time, energy and love into this passion. Read more>>
Prince Bey
What i am chasing is legacy. This lifetime only offers us 100 years to live that the majority of us will never live to see. So it is very important for me to fulfill my mission and purpose in life before the little bit of time that i have here on this planet expires. Read more>>
Bassam AL NAHARI
I’m chasing meaningful innovation, the kind of progress that serves humanity rather than turning technology into a purely industrial or consumerist tool. Guided by this conviction, I strive to transform ideas into tangible, sustainable solutions, evolving every day through research and experimentation. This continuous pursuit of growth gives my work its true meaning, far more than the exhausting chase for perfection ever could. Read more>>
