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.
Greg Hansen Sr
When I walked into SCHEELS sporting goods, and saw that Benchmade knife (2025 Limited Edition MINI ADIRA for the water collection) it was pretty overwhelming. Seeing our product on Knives at retail places, and at knife shows; those things make me feel proud. Read More>>
Dominique Moreno-Baltierra
Something I’m proud of: Over the course of a week I put together a song, although it took 8 years to bring it to that point. The poem that the lyrics are based on was written about 8 years ago. The song is called Gibraltar (Rosie) and the backing track & instrumentals were remixed by Derealise (my friend Edwin Fry). Read More>>
Edith Ponciano
Integrity is the most important to me, both personally and professionally. As the founder of EP Atelier and the creator of *Mastering Hospitality Interior Design (MHID)*, integrity is the foundation of everything I do. In the interior design world, and especially in hospitality, it’s not just about having great ideas or boundless energy. Read More>>
Adam Schwartz
I don’t think one outweighs the others. If you lean too hard on any single trait, you lose the balance that makes the others work. They’ve got to move together, each complimenting the next. Integrity gives your intelligence a moral compass. Intelligence gives your integrity direction. And energy gives them both teeth to get shit done. Read More>>
Erin Kandoll
Heck yes, I’m tap dancing to work, EVERY SINGLE DAY!—even if my tap shoes are eternally soggy from the twenty steps between my front door and the shipping container studio. Rainforest living, you know? But I’m dancing anyway, even if that means dancing in the rain. I always knew I wanted to be my own boss, but I never imagined it would look like this. Read More>>
Brigitte Rentiers
BRIGITTE: Of course its great to be noticed when you do something, but that is not my drive. I work, live, and love because I want to. The bigger picture is being thankful to ‘get to do’ things rather than ‘have to.’ Praising is nice, but not a necessary motivating tool for me to continue. My higher power is the source for me to model. Read More>>
Stacia Crawford
Absolutely. I’ve always believed that excellence isn’t about who’s watching; it’s about who you are when no one’s around. Back when I was a TV producer, millions of people saw the finished story on air, but nobody saw the early mornings, the long nights, tight deadlines, or last-minute chaos behind the scenes. But that never bothered me. Read More>>
Va’rai Unique
I already do. I give my best consistently, even when the recognition is silent or never comes at all. There have been so many moments (in fact, more often than not), when the effort, energy, and thought I put in went unseen or unacknowledged, at least on the surface. But I’ve come to realize that not all praise is loud. Read More>>
Anna Koukouli Born
I believe strongly in something called work ethic. And I will say this: It’s rare these days. The practice of doing things fully and wholly, without supervision. The feeling that you know what you’re doing and that you trust yourself, and you get satisfaction from the outcome. Read More>>
Stefan Dr. Harzen
Of course. I don’t believe in awards and have not accepted a nomination for any awards. Because it is not about me. It is about the work I do. The work I have been doing. My dedication to science, conservation, making things better for future generations, and the truth. It is about inspiring others to do something of value. Read More>>
Schuyler M.
I already am. Read More>>
Ariel Bullion Ecklund
This topic is the subject of conversations I’ve had recently with friends of mine. “Insatiable” is the term that comes to mind. As an adult, I’ve grown to understand that most of my desires and wants are completely insatiable. Once a goal has been reached, I might feel proud to have achieved it, but I’m already considering my next move. Read More>>
Abriana Terrell
I stood for my happiness and my life purpose in exchange for my financial status, comfort zone, and reputation in my family’s opinion. When God calls you to do something, you answer. God doesn’t always give you the whole plan, but he teaches you to trust him during uncertain times. Read More>>
Jayda Abello
It definitely gets easier as you get older. When you’re young, you just don’t have enough years under your belt to have seen cultural patterns play out and watched the cycles complete. Age gives you the authority and wisdom that you need to operate your internal bullshit detector. Read More>>
Yee Ley Lau
For me, the difference between a fad and a foundational shift comes down to depth and embodiment. A fad tends to stay at the surface – it’s often driven by trends, quick fixes, or collective excitement that fades once the novelty wears off. A real foundational shift, on the other hand, is felt deeply in the body and lived through experience. Read More>>
Gabriela Lages Veloso
If immortality were real, I would read every book ever written and every book yet to be written. I would travel to every corner of the world, walk every road, climb every mountain, and swim in every river, lake, and sea. In addition, I would devote myself to all types of art and try every profession in existence. Read More>>
Vlad Bazgă
I would definitely make a video of me building a huge sculpture in the shape of a little hunchback man crying, holding towards the video camera a photo of me painting the end of a road that leads to a cliff. I think what I expressed here might be my Magnum opus. If i would be immortal, I would have time to make this happen. Read More>>
Hannah Herpin
I think a lot of the answers I’ve given today have reflected some shifts I’ve made in my life since my dad died in 2019. That experience taught me about what really matters and gave me a visceral understanding of time. So, beyond speaking up more and living authentically, my husband and I have really centered experiences in our lives. Read More>>
Mary Kathryn Medlock
I would absolutely 100% stop negative self -talk, negative views about the current state of the world… I end any type of dread I faced at the mundane chores of life. I’d try, if humanly possible, to live everyday with immense gratitude and revel in the absolute splendor of being human on this planet earth in this thing we call life. Read More>>
Sai Charan Paloju
If I laid down my name, role, and possessions, what would remain is the impact of my conversations and the connections I’ve built through *Smart Cherrys Thoughts*. The ideas shared, the inspiration sparked, and the bridges formed between people from different parts of the world would still exist. What would remain is curiosity — the drive to understand and to connect. Read More>>
Tanya Sciarra
Long after the last Dolce Shortbread cookie goes out to the final client, I hope that all of the incredible connections and friendships that were made along the way remain intact. Read More>>
Christian Johnson
If I retired tomorrow, what my clients would miss most is the strategic guide—the person who insisted on looking past the closing date. And I really think that’s an industry-wide problem, not just specific to me. Frankly, the transactional-focused side of this business is going to be replaced by online platforms and AI. Read More>>
Nisha Inalsingh
I am by nature a Type A personality and I’ve always been competitive, striving to do better and become successful with whatever I set out to do. As I’ve gotten older I realize that success has many different meanings – you may not achieve your original goal, but along the way learned some critical things for your next venture. Read More>>
Jose Juan Montes
Fundraising Initiative to Purchase Our Tour Land I am pursuing a way to purchase the land where we have been conducting our tours for the past 12 years. It is the only path to save and preserve this beautiful place of caves with millions of years of formations and crystal-clear waters that host underground cenotes of unparalleled beauty. Read More>>
Sydne Horton
Thanks for having me! Ultimately, I’m chasing creating stories that bring visibility and nuance to characters who are often othered or misunderstood. As someone who was adopted later in life and came into my queerness over time, I know how powerful and necessary it is to see yourself reflected with complexity and authenticity on screen. Read More>>
Diego Diaz-Cooper
What I am chasing is something ‘Greater’ for myself. Taking each and every single day, day by day, and building towards a better tomorrow and a promising future. Learning new skills and growing and different aspects of life to better myself as a person, to serve as a resource for my community. Read More>>
larry moore
I’d like to reframe the question as, ‘Do you operate on long-term gains or short-term?’ And my answer is both. I have the benefit of 55 years of life experience and art-making. So, I can now see how things I did or learned long ago are now paying off in my life and my work. Read More>>
Claudia Robin Gunn
Writing a song everyday. I don’t know which songs will make their mark, or most accurately capture the feeling of a day in a way that elevates others in the way that I hope to, so I just keep trying to uncover them one by one. Read More>>
Sarah Rangel
Currently I am battling an intense creative burnout. It’s easy to avoid because as an artist, it’s expected for you to always be creating something, whether it’s for a deadline or yourself. After awhile there may come a time when art may not bring you joy anymore, and I am presently avoiding that truth for myself. Read More>>
ChosenEyes
Great question: I’m at a place in my journey where I don’t feel the need to ‘battle’ at all. I’m confident in my abilities, know my limits/boundaries, and refuse to argue or fight. What’s for me in this life, I fully trust will ALWAYS find me. I’m no longer in a space where I value ‘the good fight’; rather, I prioritize peace and health. Read More>>
Jalin Hill
What breaks the bonds between people are those without integrity, people who say one thing and do another, or twist the story depending on who’s listening. Some people change their truth faster than they change their tone. Trust doesn’t usually explode; it fades in small moments when honesty slips and words lose their weight. What restores those bonds? That’s the hard part. Read More>>
Carla Keaton
I believe that once one stops fighting who they are at the core, even if it may not fall in line with the ‘American Dream’, opportunities will naturally fall in place that will help them towards their journey of purpose. Read More>>
Lisa Braithwaite
I believe that everyone has the capacity to change for the better. People who’ve done terrible things can change. People whose beliefs cause them to hurt others can change. I can’t prove it, but I’ve seen enough of it to keep believing it. Read More>>
Sebastian Hadl
A lot of people think mixing is just about making things sound “clean” or “loud.” But to me, it’s far more psychological and emotional than technical. Every decision, EQ move, compression choice, reverb tail, is really about storytelling. My job isn’t just to balance frequencies, it’s to translate emotion, to make someone feel what the artist felt when they wrote that song. Read More>>
Jeffrey Everett
I teach a ‘finishing’ class for graphic design at a massive university. The students are all majors in graphic design and will shortly – within months – being released into the world to work in their chosen profession and it astounded me how little they regarded the true work of design which is connection and concept. Read More>>
Siva Taswell-Woods
Something that’s often misunderstood about my yoga business is the idea that yoga has to look or feel a certain way. Many people assume it’s only for those who are flexible or experienced. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. My classes are designed for real people to unwind, breathe, and reconnect, not only with themselves but also with others. Read More>>
Alicia Blair
One of the biggest misconceptions about HerSol Beauty is that our products are only made for Black women. Because our logo features a Black woman, people often assume the brand is exclusive to us. While I definitely create with us in mind—formulating for the needs of melanin-rich skin and textured hair—our products are made for anyone who has hair or skin. Read More>>
Kiarra Galvez
I think one big misconception surrounding doulas and birth work is the idea that doulas are only useful for the act of birth itself when in reality, a doula is not simply a ‘birth specialist’, but rather a ‘women’s specialist’. Read More>>
Ron Hanks
I think that most people believe there is a path you can follow to success. That there is a solid career ladder you can follow up up up. But over the years I have seen so many people I know just climbing ladders to nowhere. Or maybe better put, climbing ladders that lead right to the middle. Read More>>
Sean Oromo
“I believe the most misunderstood part about credit restoration is the idea that it’s an overnight magic pill. The truth is, most of us have faced a lifetime of challenges that are reflected on our reports, and it takes time and effort to get back to square one. Be wary of quick fixes and empty promises.” Read More>>
