Local Highlighter Series

Saisha Monét

My true identity- my identity found through Christ Jesus! I would still be whole, at peace, AND WHO I TRULY AM! Read more>>

Marie Brenda Barthelemy

I invite everyone to do this exercise at least once in their life — to strip away the titles, the roles, the achievements, and ask: who are you without all of it? When I did that for myself, I realized that at my core, I am a woman of integrity and creation. If I lost everything tomorrow, I would still be an artist. Read more>>

Seymond Perry

If I laid down my name, my role, and every possession I have, what would remain is the essence of who I truly am — a child of God. Titles fade, roles shift, and possessions come and go, but the identity that’s rooted in Christ never changes. Read more>>

Neha Oberoi

Breath. Presence. Truth. I’ve spent years letting go of everything that was performative — every title, every identity, every role I was taught to play. I don’t need a name to carry what I came here to do. If you took it all away, I would still build. Still witness. Still hum. Because what remains isn’t who I am. It’s what I serve. Read more>>

Leigh Matthews

If I retired tomorrow, Therapy in Barcelona would not simply “close.” A pillar of care for internationals seeking therapy across Spain and Europe would disappear. Since 2011, we have built something most people don’t even realise is rare: a stable, multicultural, ethical, culturally fluent, whole hearted, authentic therapy ecosystem designed specifically for people, both clients and therapists, living between countries, languages and identities. Read more>>

Shemica S,. Allen

If I retired tomorrow my clients would miss my determination and tenacity I use to fight for the educational rights of their children. Read more>>

Sweta Vikram

If I retired tomorrow, I think my clients would miss having a space where they could show up exactly as they are — messy, human, and real. I’ve always been their safe space, a non-judgmental zone where healing happens through honesty, laughter, and sometimes a few well-timed jokes. Read more>>

Priye David

With my background as an event host and a comedian I have learned to make people happy and laugh, I have transposited this into my career as a photographer. Read more>>

Sindhu Pillai

What do I miss? I miss lots of things but most of all, I miss the feeling of footing, if that makes sense. I immigrated to United States thirty years ago, right after college. Communication with family back in India was limited to snail mail and five minutes of phone calls during weekends as phone calls were expensive those days. Read more>>

Astrus*

I think right now i am chasing being talented, more talented than i ever been before. I want to get really good at my craft. I think if i stopped i would go back to my old habits. Read more>>

Damien Larkin

More than anything, I want to be a best-selling author. Not for fame or glory or even to be recognised in public. I would absolutely love to earn enough money per month that I could support my family and quit my job. Unfortunately, the odds are stacked against most authors. Read more>>

Diego García

Silly as it may sound, I’m currently chasing a bird called the Black-crowned night heron. This animal has evaded me for almost six years, despite being fairly common and other people (friends included) being able to successfully find individuals of the species. Finding this bird has thus become a bit of a holy grail quest for me. Read more>>

Chef Benjamin Leggitte

Im currently Chasing my dream goal of opening up my own culinary arts institute. I want to open up the first black owned culinary arts institute in the world. Read more>>

Talana Bard-Allen

What I’m chasing right now is complete obedience to God and alignment with my divine assignment. I know that I’ve been called to impact and transform lives, and if I were to stop, the people I’m called to serve would be left without what I’ve been entrusted to give them. Read more>>

Joseph Rhea

For the past 30 years, my younger brother Dave and I have been trying to create computer games and science fiction novels while pursuing our individual careers. We designed and published two computer games and half a dozen books together, but when Dave passed away from cancer in 2019, I gave up my creative pursuits entirely. Read more>>

Khalilah Morris

I am still chasing the happy ending of Afeen’s Family. The reason being is because for so many families there is no closure. That’s due to the long process of healing and having to except that your loved one may not want the help that you want them to get for themselves. That’s what keeps me writing and sharing my story. Read more>> 

Aryan Sachdeva

There are a few things I’m doing right now that probably won’t pay off for another seven to ten years but that’s intentional. I’ve never been interested in short-term gains or quick validation. I’m here for the long-term games, the kind that require patience, persistence, and quiet consistency. Read more>>

Drake Robertson

Right now, I’m investing in my future — both creatively and financially. Everything I’m building through my YouTube channel, podcast, and cookbook is part of a bigger picture. I’m not just creating content; I’m building a legacy. I’m also thinking about generational wealth, because my family doesn’t have that foundation yet. I want to be the one who changes that story. Read more>>

Elise Hanks

Being a farmer is playing the long game. Even if there are immediate harvests every season, you are also always thinking ahead…planting plants that won’t be ready to harvest from for 3 or 5 years from now. Unfortunately, making mistakes is the best way to learn in my experience… Read more>>

Kanna Laird

I’m planting seeds for a cultural shift in how Japan understands emotional eating and self-worth. For generations, conversations around food in Japan have focused on appearance, discipline, and self-control, while emotional well-being and trauma are rarely discussed openly. I know that mindset won’t change quickly — it may take 7–10 years, or even 50 to 100. But that’s okay. Read more>>

Jamé Jackson

A lot of work as an artist means knowing that you may not get your flowers for a while. You may never even see your own flowers, which is why it’s important for you to focus on the work and not the applause. For me, I’m investing in myself — not just financially, but spiritually, creatively, and emotionally with the brand. Read more>>

Michael Way

I am avoiding the scrutiny of the industry. When you are ahead of the curve and an innovator the eyes of your peers are the hardest part of the endeavor. The competitors are all claiming they have the best products even without years of field tests. The current techniques are the major competition even though they are not satisfactory. Read more>>

Elizabeth Devine

In some ways I’m avoiding diving back into the battle for human rights. I know I need to. I’ve been an active activist for decades, but after the election to push trump out of office the first time, I looked and felt like I had been hit by a train. Read more>>

Jony Tanase

Grace and forgiveness. We all think we are right. We all think we are the ones deserving of forgiveness (and sometimes we are owed that) and not the other person. When we forgive, it is an act of love. humility, and real growth. We hear a lot about wanting the world to be kinder, nicer, and more accepting. Read more>>

David Zlotky

I think what breaks the bonds between people is fear—fear of being wrong, of losing identity, of not belonging. Our current polarization only deepens that divide. The ease of publishing anything online—true or not—has blurred the line between fact and manipulation. Algorithms reward outrage, not understanding, and it’s taken a toll on how we see one another. Read more>>

Michele Howe

There are many issues which can break a bond between people but one of the most common and powerful is a lack of forgiveness. I believe we are all humans who err in our relationships either intentionally or unconsciously. When we realize we have hurt another person, our goal should be reconciliation. Some might call this process…peacemaking…but it’s often a misunderstood term. Read more>>

Anthony Carpenter

I believe disloyalty and betrayal is a way to end bonds and relationships between people. Taking accountability for your actions and owning up to your mistakes is what can repair bonds and relationships. Read more>>

Agnieszka Elliott

Distance increases when we forget each other’s humanity—when empathy and connection fade. Compassion and honesty rebuild these bonds, enabling us to truly embrace one another, flaws and all. Through art, we share beauty, vulnerability, and pain, reminding ourselves that we are part of the same story. Read more>>

Julee Balko

I love this question because broken bonds and relationships are at the heart of all my books, because it’s also at the heart of life. So many of us spend our lives figuring out how to love someone better, be a better mother, partner, or friend, or just how to be kinder to ourselves. But the truth is, what breaks bonds and what repairs them? Read more>>

Nicole Holmes

I think what breaks bonds between people is often a lack of trust, poor communication, or not feeling seen and valued. Small misunderstandings can grow when we don’t address them, and silence can create distance. What restores bonds, for me, is honesty, showing up consistently, and truly listening. Read more>>

Ayrica Avery

Honesty—or the lack of it. Dishonesty is what breaks the bond between people because any connection built on false pretenses eventually collapses. When we’re not honest—with ourselves or with others—we create relationships, partnerships, and even business agreements on unstable foundations. Read more>>

Ines Segarra

I will say your attitude. If you have a shitty attitude, that spreads around like wildfire. I hate to say it, but being in bands and being part of the scene is a people business. If you think you’re better than everyone else, people won’t take you seriously. You have to be careful about choosing band mates because those people are representing your band. Read more>>

Laniece Herron

What breaks the bonds between people is when trust is shaken—when honesty slips, when we stop listening, or when we start protecting our pride more than the connection. Distance is created in the silence, in the unspoken hurts, and in the moments when we choose being right over being real. What restores those bonds is presence. Read more>>

Hillary Hawkins

I believe I am on my divine path working on “Actors Anonymous Hotline” and spin-offs such as “Sunny Has a Dream”. I may not have millions of followers like other Nickelodeon Stars. Read more>>

Adriana Allegri

I believe there’s much more good than evil in the world. There’s also much more love than hate in the world. If you watch a lot of television or pay too much attention to social media, you likely won’t see that — you’ll see doom and a whole lot of anger. Read more>>

Beth Connolly

While physical connections and life may cease to exist, energy is ultimately transformed and relationship can be maintained after loss. Memorialization occurs both within the life of the recipient of the connection and externally in the life that is dispersed in the natural world. Read more>>

Traci Asher

Many years ago, before graduating from Full Sail University film school, a professor said, ‘It isn’t about who you know – it’s about who knows you.’ I cannot prove this to be true, but it makes sense, and it’s an unforgettable statement. Read more>>

Maki Bethea

For a while, I believed that everything happens for a reason. My earliest introduction to religion lead me to believe that god has a plan for all of us. But the one thing that I felt could never be explained with this ideology is sudden loss. I think loss of a loved one can really change the way you perceive the world. Read more>>

Kyle Arana

What I believe is true but can’t prove is that there’s something much bigger guiding us, a kind of unseen rhythm that connects everything. I’ve always had a strong intuition, an inner knowing that seems to sense things before they unfold. I notice patterns and synchronicities that feel far too aligned to be random, and I’ve learned to trust them. Read more>>

Carolyn V. Hamilton

My business is coaching Aspiring Memoir Writers, encouraging people with stories to tell from lessons they’ve learned in their life to write about it in a memoir. I see so much information on the internet on how to accomplish this, and most of it seems to be making the process of just telling your story more complicated than it needs to be. Read more>>

Kristine Ray

There are quite a few unethical and fraudulent rescues so we always attempt to be as transparent as possible. We spend a lot of time tracking down vets and trainers who are knowledgeable but also able to work within a reasonable budget so that we do not waste donations.. None of us get paid to run this rescue – it is 100% volunteer driven. Read more>>

Madeline Middleont

People often see this type of business and mistake it for coaching or motivation — but it’s so much deeper than that. Power of 3 isn’t about hype; it’s about alignment. We help leaders and organizations bring structure to their calling — merging Kingdom principles with practical strategy. Read more>>

Ashleigh Thompson

Many people think Crazy Plant Lovee is just about selling plants, but it’s so much more than that. What we really do is help people build confidence and joy through plant care. We’re not just providing greenery, we’re cultivating a lifestyle of connection, mindfulness, and creativity. Another common misconception is that you have to be a “plant expert” to enjoy our products or workshops. Read more>>

Joean Montayre

I am in the modest fashion industry, and my brand, *Iman Montayre*, represents a modest fashion line. However, there is still a great deal of misunderstanding about what “modest fashion” truly means. Read more>>

Brandon Scott

I think what’s misunderstood about the music business is that it takes a lot of work in any capacity. There’s a lot of long hours, long nights, and early mornings. Especially if you have a 9-5 and are avidly trying to make music a full time thing. Read more>>

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