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.
Allyson Fronk
I honestly think that a part of me was born to create, and my business is definitely an amazing outlet for my creativity. Having a creative business was not ever something I envisioned for myself as a career when I was younger, but in this season of life, it’s something I’m really passionate about. Read more>>
Nicki Sage
I’m definitely walking a path—but it’s a path I discovered through years of wandering, exploring, and saying yes to every creative opportunity that came my way. I spent a long time touring across the U.S. and basing myself in major cities like Los Angeles and Chicago, learning who I was as an artist and what kind of impact I wanted to make. Read more>>
Michael ‘Knoetic’ Bell
I try to always be my true self. I’m a little quiet at times. I open up more when people get to know me, but I am who I am. Not to sound like Popeye, but I am who I am. I don’t try to have an alternate personality. I don’t know that I could actually pull that off, but I represent my true self. Read more>>
Charli Terry
Yes. I just turned thirty this year. While most people dread thirty I figured that it was a year of a renaissance. A turning point. I found myself trying to forge my next steps: Do I keep pursuing this dream of mine or do I settle into life? This year hasn’t been my most productive, and I’ve hit a lot of personal goals for sure. Read more>>
Malik (STVR) Levingston
NEVER get comfortable. Honestly if I never went through the trial and error part of business I can almost guarantee that I would’ve never found the success I’ve had over the years. Read more>>
Maurandis Berger
I understand that everything is temporary, success, pain, even people. So you have to stay true to yourself through it all, because that’s the only thing that lasts. Read more>>
Sian Bitner-Kearney
I hope that when I’m gone, people will say I made an impact. That impact may look different for each person. For some, it might be deeply personal. For others, it may be connected to my work with Rock Your Beauty. And for others, it could be simply how I showed up to support them when no one else would. Read more>>
No Era Design
Stillness. I lose track of time when I slow down enough to really sit with something, whether it is joy, frustration, or curiosity. It happens in endurance practices like Yin yoga, on long meditative bike rides, or when I am creating performance art videos, anything that pulls me into a trance where time fades and my mind drifts freely. Read more>>
Katie Greenleaf
Wow, what a powerful question. The part of me that has served its purpose and that I’m releasing is the “I’ll take the hit so no one else has to” version of me. Read more>>
Olivia Chapman
The part of me that served its purpose is striving for who I think I SHOULD be. I feel like I’m reaching a point where I can be content and comfortable with where I’m at, trusting God to guide my life. Whatever comes, I know that He is with me. Read more>>
Maverick Peters
About two years ago, I lost both of my grandfathers just a month apart. In that short window, I realized how fragile life is and how quickly everything can change. I was very close with both of them, and I’m proud to say I had an adult relationship with each—something many people wish they could have with their grandparents. Read more>>
Arianna Urban
I’ve lost several friends to suicide and have struggled with my mental health for the majority of my life. When I lost my best friend Josh I was angry for a long time and felt so guilty for not seeing that he was struggling. I started sharing more after his death because I knew there were other’s that had experienced similar pain. Read more>>
Matt Campbell
I feel most at peace the moment I step into a creek and the outside world finally falls away. It’s like slipping into a trance—where the noise, the stress, the endless grind of a broken world just dissolves. Read more>>
Rosita Murrillo
Like many people, I’d have to say my mom. She saw me clearly long before I fully saw myself. She always took the time to understand who I was and made sure I was in environments where my talents could grow. I remember starting my first year of college convinced I was going to be a computer engineer like my uncle. Read more>>
Gina Jokilehto
I have never subscribed to what the world told me I had to be. Born in 1980, I feel really privileged to be a Gen X’er and to have come of age in a time where artists like Janet Jackson and Madonna were sending the message to girls of control of your life and expressing yourself fully. Read more>>
Adrian Jones
If I retire tomorrow my customers will miss my personality and genuine passion for baking and creating for them. Also I believe they will miss the personal connections we have built over the years. Its not just about the cakes. It’s about the experience I strive to create. Read more>>
Rayna Moore
People get caught up in the day to day. We complete all those little things that add up to take away from our time, but don’t really move the needle and what do we get from it all? A sense of busyness, like Sisyphus, we are constantly pushing and working, but getting nowhere. Read more>>
D’Arcy Smith
Most days are full of a mix of pre-production, directing projects, or watching and giving editing notes. Running a studio means that everything is happening at once. Even while I’m directing a current project, I’m preparing for the next shoot, or editing and finalizing the previous one. Time management is key, but sometimes it’s just better to pivot and find a new way of working. Read more>>
Alisha Hayter
The relationship that has shaped how I see myself the most is the one I’ve built with myself. I’ve shared before that I struggled with an eating disorder starting in my early teenage years. I spent a long time hating my reflection, picking myself apart, and feeling incredibly self-conscious. As I got older and went through years of therapy, I began rebuilding that relationship. Read more>>
Angela Brown
One foundational truth in my life is that purpose always outweighs circumstance. I don’t always say it out loud, but it’s the principle that guides every decision I make. No matter where you start, what you’ve survived, or who counted you out, purpose has the final say. I move with confidence because I know I’m here on assignment. Read more>>
Nina Battaglia
Cooking. For me, it’s a way of staying connected; to nature, to my family, to memory. Whether I’m preparing a meal alone or sharing the kitchen with others, everything I make carries a lineage. Sometimes it’s in the ingredients themselves, other times it’s in the inherited knowledge of how a dish comes together. Read more>>
Christa Franklin
Honestly, I felt most loved when I was with my ex fiancé. Not only did he go above, and beyond to spoil me, but he prayed daily for me. His close relationship with God made me chase after God even more. Did I deserve that love? I honestly didn’t think I did. Read more>>
