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.

Rudy Kovach | Glizzy Man

One day in quarantine I’m playing Fortnite with a random person and I’m wearing a hotdog skin in the game and the random person goes that’s a nice glizzy skin. So I googled what is a glizzy and it’s a nick name for hotdog. My old business was working on houses and that work dried up really quick when Covid came so all I did was play video game to kill time. I wanted to get into a food business because they stayed open during Covid lockdowns. Once that person said glizzy a light bulb went off in my head and said that would be a great name for a hotdog business and that is how I came up with my next business plan. Read more>>

Adama Diallo | Personal Shopper & Stylist

My journey began a few years ago when I started working at a secondhand retail store. This experience allowed me to shop affordably and experiment with my style while exposing me to the vibrant world of thrifting and reselling. Read more>>

Brent Webb | Mind Power Expert

Today, more than ever….we live our lives as slaves to our minds. I started out as a kid magician, and one day I went to the library to take out my weekly stack of magic books…and mixed on the shelf by accident was a copy of “The Magic Of Believing” by Claude Bristol. Even at 10 years old, I knew this book opened a doorway that could transform my life. It was all about the incredible power of mindset and belief, and it changed everything for me. Since then, I’ve toured the world and met Presidents, Celebrities, Pro Athletes, and millions of people have been in my audiences over the years. Read more>>

Susan Nash | Artist, Seeker and Nature lover

I am inspired by nature and the world around me. A walk in the woods or fields of south east Ohio allows my mind to quiet and I become more aware of the beautiful intricacies of the natural world. Here I find much inspiration.
I am also inspired by other artists and by a trip to a museum or gallery. Viewing the work of others helps me to ask myself questions like, “how did they accomplish that?’, or ‘I love that color combo’. Read more>>

Bridget Vanzandt | Digital Creator

I am inspired by the mostly small businesses I use to feature in my content on my social channels. I realize that by creating my content, I am making art, but they are the spark behind my ingenuity. To see someone start their own skincare or jewelry brand from the ground up is really inspiring. Read more>>

Bob Szuter | Co-owner – Wolf’s Ridge Brewing

As many business owners will tell you, there’s so much learning and growth that happens when starting and operating a business. For a lot of us, we don’t start with the important leadership abilities. One of the first things I learned along the way was the importance of giving my team the authority and responsibility to make decisions. Not only did this boost their confidence but also allowed for me to continue to make steps out of the day-to-day and focus on the overall business. In-line with empowering staff was the delegation and recognizing that I can’t do everything myself and, more importantly, that I don’t need to know how to do everything. I can and should ask my team for help. Read more>>

Faith Pearl Autumn | Serial Entrepreneur, Boutique Owner, Travel Influencer, Braider, Investor, Model

The key to a boutique’s success often lies in creating a unique and memorable customer experience. We achieve this by being resilient, aligning with our vision and mission, and maintaining moral integrity. Read more>>

Seth Clark | Tattoo artist

The most important factor behind my success and the success of my brand is the people. My clients, family, friends—anyone who has ever supported me or pushed me to keep going—are the foundation of everything I’ve built. I truly couldn’t do it without them, and their belief in me is what drives me forward every day. If I had to get specific I’d say my mentor Dennis Boseman has helped me most with business and life skills as well as pushing me to be greater. Read more>>

Slink Love | Master Artist

There’s this sentiment that I think stems from the concept of “the survival of the fittest” and it’s created this back-breaking hustle mentality. I do not believe that’s success or useful or even survival. An equal part of survival is rest and repair not just flight or fight. It is made evident throughout the whole of nature, from the animal kingdom to plants and fungi that “rugged individualism” is detrimental to not just the species but the entire ecosystem. We get nowhere alone nor do we heal in isolation. Read more>>

Paul Smock | Singer/Songwriter

My end goal is to have quality content out in the world that is available for anyone who would enjoy it. I think making music is very motivating in the way that this art will live longer than I ever possibly could. By the end of my career, I would like to be a musician that has albums of songs that express the way I feel and believe to leave behind for friends, family, and future generations. I don’t mean to sound cheesy but I truly believe music lives on forever and that main statement is what originally brought me to the conclusion that this is what I wanted to invest myself into. Read more>>

Lindsey Augusta Mercer | Multi-Hyphenate Theatre Artist

I grew up in a rural area an hour outside of Cleveland where sports or 4H were really the only options for hobbies, but I was always a very arts oriented little weirdo. I loved to draw and eventually started stapling together printer paper to make my own “books” of stories I wrote and illustrated with crayons. I was always singing and staging elaborate living room performances to my favorite country albums. And it was only a matter of time before I got my hands on the family camcorder… Read more>>

Yorckh Jacome | Visual Artist & Graphic Designer

I just followed my talent. I never stopped drawing since childhood, so I wanted to do what I love. I decided to study graphic design because it allowed me to keep drawing, and during that time, I also became passionate about design. Read more>>

Stacey Ash | Newborn Photographer and Trainer

This has changed dramatically since first launching my business. Like many others, I would take every session that came my way, when I first started. It didn’t matter that I was undercharging. It didn’t matter what day of the week or time of day. I was just excited that people wanted me to be their photographer. That was short-lived, though. Burnout soon set in. It got to the point where I had to have a serious talk with my husband about whether or not the juice was worth the squeeze. Read more>>