We were fortunate to catch up with some brilliant artists, creatives and entrepreneurs from throughout the Houston area and they share the wisdom with us below.

Remington Lyman | Real Estate Brokerage Owner and Realtor

I don’t have a specific budget, but I’ve always believed in living well below my means. When I was working a 9 to 5 job at JP Morgan after college, I saved as much money as possible and invested it in the stock market. I also bought retro video games off of Craigslist and resold them on eBay. Being frugal and aggressive with saving allowed me to start investing in real estate. Read more>>

Tonya Kelly, ,M.Ed | CEO/ Executive Director

Empower our Youth Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit anti-bullying organization based in Columbus, OH. We play a crucial role in fostering a safer, more inclusive society by: Impact on Individuals. Empowering victims: Providing support, resources, and coping mechanisms to help individuals overcome the trauma of bullying. Read more>>

Sam Antics | Creator and Beauty Business Educator

“You are the vessel for your own biggest dreams”. The legacy I want to leave is not simply “believe in yourself” but that if you have a dream, a desire, a goal – you owe it to yourself to create the path that will take you there. You are capable and worthy. Read more>>

Alec Shellabarger | Vice President

Relationships. Focusing on building, maintaining, and nurturing internal and external relationships has been a large reason for the significant growth we have seen over the past few years. Read more>>

Emily Hitchcock | Book Publisher

Book publishing doesn’t have to take place in a big city. Small presses and independent publishers are producing some of the best, most daring books in the industry right now, and many of those publishing companies are staffed by talented editors and book designers in big and small corners of the Midwest. Read more>>

Marlena Dowell | Lace specialist

The most difficult decision I had to make in regards to my business is having to leave my old life behind. I’m still 17 & it did take a lot for me to settle down and commit and be consistent. Read more>>

Kelsey Kerr | Arts & Marketing

I am originally from Orlando, Florida, but I have deep family ties to Ohio where I’ve lived now since late 2011. I think that coming from such a big city, with so much cultural diversity and tourism, I was provided with a foundation of seeing how vast the world can be and how much is out there that anyone can be a part of. Read more>>

Marla “Rae” O’Neal | Fashion Editorial Photographer

It took me a long time to take the leap and pursue an artistic career, but I knew I would hate myself if I didn’t make the attempt. Everyone has their own gifts and mine happens to be photography – something I am grateful for. Read more>>