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.
Katy Whitt
I feel most at peace in the quiet five minutes after an event ends—the music fades, candles are out, and the room exhales. Vendors are checked out on time, the timeline is landed, gifts are secured, and my team is loading the last bin. Read more>>
Jenna Geueke
Without a doubt, my best friend. I’m lucky enough to have two amazing best friends, and all three of us have matching tattoos. One I’ve known since we were both three, so while she’s been an ever-present force of good and love and curiosity about the world in my life for longer than I can remember, I doubt she knew me before I did. Read more>>
Graziela Ferrarese Montes
Both of my parents taught me the true meaning of responsibility and work ethic. My dad was a first-generation Italian born in Brazil—an Army Lieutenant General and a veterinarian—raised by hardworking Italian immigrants. In southern Brazil, there’s an old saying: “Move rocks around when you rest.” It came from those early settlers who never stopped working the land, even in their downtime. Read more>>
Sheridan Reed
I don’t think I ever thought to do anything else – it was unconventional but I knew I was going to be doing music. I didn’t know the path to get there, and stumbled along the way, but I’m happy where I’ve ended up, not only having music as a career but passion as well. Read more>>
Tina Karagulian
Given I have always been given a gift of hearing spiritual guidance in my individual sessions with others, I have had many wonderful moments again and again that have felt like such an honor. Read more>>
Kristy Angelee
Absolutely. What I do isn’t for the applause of people — it’s for the approval of God. If I can make Him rise to His feet and shout my name in heaven, and that echo reaches the earth, that kind of praise is everlasting, genuine, and deeply rewarding. Read more>>
Maria Forsythe
For me, Connection and Community have become my foundational pillars in both life and career. I am constantly shifting and evolving, but in a world currently driven by ease of access and the quickest way to a check, it is helpful to have these pillars for reference as you evolve. Read more>>
Javier Vargas
The truth is, I don’t have much to lay down. I don’t have luxuries. I don’t have fancy cars or homes. I don’t have anything to my name, really. And maybe that’s the point. All that would be left is the essence of what I’ve always been—and that’s never been tied to what I own or what I’ve accumulated. Read more>>
imani Ogunro
The laughs I was able to provide to them! Read more>>
Kelsey Flanagan
Well, the long game is something I’m very familiar with. As a manager to an alternative rock band, we have been chipping away at goals together for 4 years now and growing more and more each year. There have been immeasurable amounts of ground work laid and we work hard to strengthen their presence within the industry. Read more>>
Jeanie Whatley
A thriving, successful, and lasting business that brings joy, fun, warmth, and happiness for all. Read more>>
G R X Y
I feel like it’s harder for people to grasp an idea of the direction I’m aiming for, not really just on a one dimensional scale. Read more>>
Jenne Mundy
Most people don’t realize that you can do behavior work with cats. Cats get such a bad rap, like they don’t care about their owners or they choose to act out of spite. ‘Cats are jerks’ is something I see over and over, and it’s the worst kind of propaganda; it’s not true. Read more>>
Pamela Benson Owens
People may one day look back and misread the stillness of this season in my life. They might think I stepped back, slowed down, or somehow stopped contributing because I wasn’t filling the room with my voice, my title, or my résumé. What they won’t always see is that I’ve shifted from making an impression to making room. Read more>>
Miriam Hejazi Miriam Bridal Makeup Co.
I genuinely believe that hair and makeup artists are one of the most important vendors on your wedding day. We’re there from the very beginning, often before anyone else, and we spend nearly half the day with you. Setting the tone for everything that follows. The energy we bring helps shape how you feel during some of the most meaningful hours of your life. Read more>>
G OZZY
It’s a lot of relationships that I had growing up that shaped me. A lot of death and loss really. Dealing with death, pain and not seeing those people that believed in you can slow you down. I’ve been seeing death since I was 5 or 6 when my baby brother Malcolm passed away. Read more>>
Luis Bosch
My earliest memory of feeling powerful goes back to my teenage years in high school, when I decided to try powerlifting for the first time. I wasn’t the biggest kid, but I wanted to learn how to lift the biggest weights in the room. I remember my first meet — feeling small in the 114-pound weight class and awkward in that required singlet. Read more>>
Marshall Anderson
I was looking west at the sunset from the treehouse in our backyard. It wasn’t really a ‘tree’ house, but a fort on 4 tall beams, with a long staircase. It was tall enough to ascend over the backyard fence, and beyond the highway I gazed into the fading sunset and that mysterious, awe-filled feeling known as destiny crept over me. Read more>>
Nicole Peebles
I think I would regret not trying. There are creative ideas and projects that feel meaningful to me, even if they come with uncertainty or the chance of failure. I’ve come to believe that you can’t really fail if you try—the act of doing itself is worthwhile. And that’s with anything. Read more>>
Maria Alejandra Giraldo Arredondo
What I would regret the most is not asking the questions that matter, not following my intentions, and not having the courage to knock on the doors that could lead to something greater. Life has taught me that sometimes opportunities, connections, and growth come from a simple act of courage from daring to ask, to seek, or to take the first step. Read more>>
Alejandro Mendoza
Straight answer: Explode into a million pieces of color and come back together again as a new me! Let me explain. So many things come to mind with this question, but there’s something in particular that keeps bothering me. I feel like my inner creativity has been hiding and hasn’t fully emerged in my photography career. Read more>>
Anuradha Naimpally
I am at the point in my life and career where most likely I have had more years behind me than ahead. At this vantage point it is easier to see all the decisions and actions that were taken over the years as well as ones that weren’t. Read more>>
Rush Hemphill
I can recall severall instances when I have changed my mind, because the science in health and performance keeps evolving. A few things that stand out recently: First, the old “no pain, no gain” mindset. The research on pain science and recovery has made it clear that pain isn’t a measure of effort — it’s feedback. Read more>>
Alexandra Robinson
New things and the unknown are scary. I know that in the doing I am most comfortable, so I just have to start but often the starting is the hardest part. We moved a lot as a kid, we wouldn’t know where and we often started a new school in the middle of a school year. Read more>>
Caroline Robert
Yes, without hesitation. I bring a balance of calm confidence, deep experience, and emotional intelligence that makes people feel instantly at ease in front of the camera. I have a strong sense of timing, both in knowing when to step in and when to step back. My work is grounded in storytelling, not just aesthetics, and I’m endlessly curious about the people I photograph. Read more>>
