We are so thrilled to be able to connect with some of the brightest and most inspiring entrepreneurs and creatives from across the city and beyond and this series in particular gives us the honor of introducing these folks to you in a unique way – we go beyond the story of how they got to where they are today by asking them to reflect on a variety of deeper questions that we hope will help you better connect with them, their stories and their brands. Ultimately, our hope is that more of us will spend more of our money with independent artists, creatives and small businesses and we think getting to know one another at a deeper level is step one.
Marion Piper
The meaning of words and their magical powers. People are starting to outsource their writing and communication to AI and this is going to rob them of critical thinking and their manifestations. Words carry vibrations and they’re the bridge between our thoughts/desires and what comes to fruition in reality. Write down on PAPER what you want and watch it come true. Read More>>
Laura Wyman
I fully understand the pain and exhilaration of rebuilding from absolutely nothing. I know what it’s like to not have a place to live, not be able to buy socks, and have to borrow a car to get to job interviews. Read More>>
Nakia Dillard
Through my coaching and personal development work, I often use five common fears as a framework, for myself and my clients to identify where we may be feeling stuck. Those fears are: fear of failure, fear of success, fear of the unknown, fear of imperfection, and fear of being seen. Read More>>
Monaye Marcia
Rejection has been the defining wound of my life—not the dramatic, one-moment kind, but the quiet, cumulative kind that teaches you to overperform for belonging. I learned early how to be exceptional, helpful, insightful, and emotionally available, because somewhere along the way my nervous system decided that love had to be earned. Read More>>
Benny Villanueva
People have disagreed with my need to eradicate this racist and classist behavior. I am making it my mission in the business world to eradicate this behavior wherever I encounter it. Not through noise. Not through performative outrage. But through excellence, as a documentarian, and by the rule of law. Read More>>
Yash Patel
One important truth I hold on that very few people initially agree with is that ‘Security and Success are not about being exceptional, they’re about being consistent’. A lot of people believe impact comes from rare brilliance, nonstop hustle, or dramatic breakthroughs. Read More>>
Sarah Ikerd
These days I’m making my days as creative as possible within reason, given my work is in the arts with my company Studio Shangri-La Multimedia & Octaves Music. It works best if that feels like play! Including self care is also important to try and avoid fatigue or burnout. Read More>>
Andrei Rychkov
As an early-stage founder and CTO, I don’t really have weekends. I work every day until I’m fully exhausted, then take a day off to reset. I know it sounds intense, but I don’t really think of it as a job. It feels more like a lifestyle. Every morning starts the same way. Read More>>
Andrea Peay
The Joy Of Friendship. I have a bestfriend & a few acquaintances, but a true friendship in which came out the blue has grown over the years definitely keeps me grounded. The conversations, the laughter, even in the intense moments i wouldn’t trade it for anything. Read More>>
Adaobi Chiemelụ
Music makes me lose track of time. When I’m listening, creating, or even just humming along, I slip into a space where everything feels clearer. It’s the one place where I simultaneously drift away and return to myself. Music quiets the noise and amplifies my inner voice. It reminds me who I am, where i am, and where I’m from.Read More>>
Royal Liedecke
I feel myself the most when I am building something, creating and taking on a project that I know will have an impact. That’s what gets me into a flow state, where time doesn’t matter. The process is stressful but is when I feel like I’m who I’m supposed to be. Read More>>
Stefani Beckerman
I would say neediness — the part of me that needed any type of validation or approval from outside myself is no longer with us…RIP. That part needed so much attention to feel enough. And, when I didn’t get what I ‘thought’ I needed from others to confirm my enoughness, I made it mean something about my worthiness. Read More>>
Chelsea Brooks
My mentor when I started the business, Jennifer Murray. Her empowering words and advice as an entrepreneur herself were invaluable. At the time, it felt like most entrepreneurs were waiting to see if I succeed or fail without giving me advice and help; rather withholding as though I needed to go through the same hardships and learning on my own. Read More>>
Danielle Sheree Brown
My relationship with God. Not in a performative way—but in a personal, refining one. It taught me that my worth isn’t tied to productivity, approval, or outcomes. That I can be called capable and still human. That leadership starts with heart posture, not position. That relationship shaped how I lead, how I build, and how I see myself—rooted, accountable, and free. Read More>>
Barbara Tosto
My friends would say that genuine experiences are important to me, being transparent in words and in everyday actions, because there’s nothing worse than putting on a mask and trying to be someone else. Read More>>
Joshua Bennett
I believe that there are two ways to view people: that we are all people with similar universal needs, and we are all people raised in environments we didn’t choose that shape us. Read More>>
Dr Josephine Harris
A cultural value I protect at all costs is integrity rooted in faith and wholeness—being the same person in private that I am in public. In a culture that rewards hustle, image, and constant productivity, I’m intentional about protecting emotional honesty, ethical leadership, and spiritual alignment. I don’t believe success is worth it if it costs peace, relationships, or mental health. Read More>>
Sherika Duncan
After failing hard, I changed my mind about what failure actually means. Because I used to think it was proof that I wasn’t prepared or capable, but the truth is, it was just proof that I had the endurance and tenacity to try before everything was all the way figured out certainly. Read More>>
Seseley Paige
Something I’ve experienced that seems to be a phenomenon, is that often times the design i’m most unsure about gets the best reaction. The piece that i’m not even sure if it should be included in the final collection is the one that gets the most positive feedback, views on selling platforms and photographed the most at runway shows. Read More>>
Amy Kessler
It happened over three decades— a series of moments that forced me to confront difficult truths about myself, my people, and our unending claims to victimhood. I was raised to be a Zionist, a patriotic Jew, whose identity was partly but powerfully rooted in our history of oppression in Europe. Read More>>
Dale Brooks
Daily. As an entrepreneur you take risk and you’re the company you bet on. I learned that if I am going to bet on someone – why not bet on myself? I know how hard working and driven I am. Read More>>
Max Cattana
On the balcony, early morning, sun rising of Bondi. Damn…I must’ve been good in a past life! Read More>>
Amanda Davis
As mentioned above, my dad died when I was young and I didn’t know how to deal with it. I don’t remember many people talking about it or offering me resources to help process. Life sort of just went on. Creativity became my happy place. I would write poems and draw to escape and to feel better. Read More>>
Maila Noor
Smart people are overvaluing the push and undervaluing the pull. We’ve become exceptionally good at striving, building, optimizing, creating, planning, connecting, and chasing the next milestone. Intelligence is often equated with productivity, momentum, and constant forward motion. What gets overlooked is the equally essential role of pulling back: resting, recovering, reflecting, and allowing space for insight to emerge. Read More>>
Sarah Wright
Many people were shaped in their earliest years by a parent, I am no exception. My Mom was always a believer of all contributing to the household, even as a young child. Cleaning and chores of household and needs of others was instilled as a child. Doing a job completely and to your best ability was the daily standard. Read More>>
Tamika Johnson
Whose ideas I rely on the most that aren’t mine is the late and great Dr. Myles Munroe. Dr. Myles Munroe’s core philosophy was his teaching on ‘dying empty’ which emphasized the importance of one fulfilling their God-given purpose and potential during their lifetime, so that they leave nothing unused when they die. Read More>>
