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.

Noah Leone | DJ & Behavior Technician

“Do what you can with what you have and you will always win” – anonymous

This quote always resonated with me. There have been multiple times in my life where I followed this advice by, for example, instead of longing for the most expensive and advanced DJ equipment and procrastinating on developing my craft, I made the most of the crappy equipment that I had and really learned how to use it to its full capabilities. If you can do a good job using mediocre tools then you will be pleasantly suprised and set up for success once you finally upgrade those tools. This quote doesnt just relate to tools but also gigs and opportunities. If the only gig you have is a small dive bar with an avaerage attendance of 7 people, play that gig as best as you possibly can. Then when you find yourself DJing in front of 300 people not only will you experience massive gratitude for that moment but that gratitude will propel you to perform to the best of your ability. Its all about preparing yourself for the bigger moments because if you keep at it, those bigger moments will surely come. Read more>>

Cindy Maxwell | Executive Director, Cups Cafe Inc

Cups has the privilege of serving hope to our community one cup at a time. That means, we offer a safe, welcoming space for anyone and everyone to visit. We offer a hot meal for free, every day. We provide listening ears and smiling faces. We help make your tough days a little easier and your good days even better. We do this all through serving a generous God – who has provided all our needs for over 16 years. The community has been a huge support and allows us to do all that we do on 100% donations. Read more>>

Riya Kurian | CEO & Founder

Passion. It’s so cliché and to be honest, I never really believed it. But let me tell you, passion is a force to be reckoned with. It’s an unparalleled source of energy and motivation. I can’t explain how I managed to juggle a demanding job as a law firm associate while simultaneously growing my business, except to say that it was fueled by sheer passion. Money wasn’t the driving force, nor was it boredom. Being an attorney demands an incredible amount of time and mental energy, especially in a big law firm setting. So, the fact that I willingly dedicated my evenings and weekends to nurturing my business might seem incomprehensible to many. But it was my passion that kept me going, fueling me with a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Read more>>

RAY CARR | Radio host, DJ, emcee and public address announcer.

I feel putting my best effort into everything I do is the most important principle. Give 100% all the time, be on time, prepared and knowledgeable. I feel it’s imperative to me to gather as much information on a guest that I interview, because success Is the residue of preparation and it show respect to all my guests. Read more>>

Marchel’e Perkins | Celebrity Stylist

As a woman entrepreneur I have heard many pieces of advice. Some conventional advice I agree with, and a few I disagree with. But, the #1 piece of advice I have heard along the way is to quit your 9-5 and work your business full-time with no steady income coming in. If you have bills; car note, mortgage, rent, childcare, medical bills the bills will come every month even if you only had one customer that month. I totally disagree with this statement because as a business owner one will need working capital for the lofty expenses that will incur. Read more>>

Anna Hopkins | Licensed Massage Therapist, Licensed Nail Technician, & Shareholder

My work life balance has changed so much over time. When I first began working at Bellezza Avanti, it was one of four jobs I had at the time. As my clientele grew, I started to leave my other jobs as Bellezza Avanti was my career. I was young and wanted to work as much as I could as who doesn’t like money? As I’ve grown older, it has become more apparent that it is essential to take time for yourself. I am so thankful that I have an amazing clientele that allows for me to work 3/4 days a week so that I have time to relax and recharge. If I don’t take care of myself, I can’t take care of my clients. The younger generation’s work life balance is one thing that I admire about them and it makes me happy that they are starting their careers already knowing how important it is to care for yourself. Read more>>

Clarissa Brown | Fashion Photographer

I am from Adamsville, Ohio. My background being from there was constantly being surrounded by hateful bigots, as it’s a very small rural farm village; along with all of the amish surrounding me. It also has a very small population of only 138 people. Everyone knew everyone else, so I was always a black sheep, which is cliche, but I was very obviously flamboyant and queer. Being from Adamsville definitely had its impact on me, it taught me not to give a fuck about what others think. It made me proud of being an opening transgender lesbian. Read more>>

Christopher Cropper | Artist

It’s something I’ve been doing my whole life and it’s the one constant thing that keeps me going and that I’m good at. Read more>>

Indu Sastri | Clinical therapist/Geneticist/Artist

I pursued an artistic or creative career because I am deeply passionate about self-expression having a creative outlet for all the ideas that I have. The process of creating a piece of art lets me think outside the box, push my boundaries and explore different art forms. I have a passion for all art but I am partial to practicing ethnic Indian folk art (there are so many). It allows me to explore the rich tapestry of the culture that I come from. Read more>>