It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from in and around KC.
Dustin Lopez
For as long as I can remember I’ve always drawn and been that creative type. After moving to Phoenix for the second time in 2012 I made it a goal to network and meet fellow artists and designers. Before that I often found myself marveling at other people’s work, so I decided to try. Plus I found a need for mentors in some of the spaces I was involved in. From there everything just started to skyrocket after building my network and having the courage to enter competitions or help out with events and programs dedicated to the youth. That’s when things started to change for me because I discovered a lot of fulfillment and doing that kind of work. Read more>>
Diana
Sharing our love for Jesus with you! We handpick and design* all of our looks & goods, here in sunny Gilbert, Arizona. God has completely changed our lives, mindset, and the reason we do what we do. We’ve turned our passion for design into glorifying God. Oh, how sweet is that… To be able to use this platform as a form of ministry is a blessing! We hope you love our collection and we are honored to share it with you. God is good always, & we’re making it known. Born of immigrant parents & first-generation college graduate>> was once a corporate kid>> with a degree in art >> which resulted in designing during my spare time as a self-proclaimed designer>> & am currently here, as a firm Lover of Jesus and a full-time designer. Radically declaring love for ALL. Read more>>
Randy Philliips
I started Think Pro Graphics & Printing Solutions in 2007. I originally curated a magazine but made the shift to printing as a strategic business pivot. The switch took grit, sweat, and imagination. But I got to work asking all of his current clients if they would be willing to work with me in the context of printing. Through quality relationships and networking -Think Pro was born. Now in 2022, Think is the #1 Rated design studio in Arizona. Having helped thousands of brands design, scale, and improve their businesses. Read more>>
Murray Bolesta
My early start with art photography was in my teens. I was misdirected away from that path by an irrational concern about having a conventional business career. Much later an opportunity arose to relocate to Arizona, a place where I could set free my artistic ambitions. Nature and colorful culture inspire my pictures, and Arizona has plenty of that. I began selling my images in 2004 via notecards and there was an immediate demand for them. I was pleased to start making modest inroads from the beginning. I also published and moved into print sales. As time went on, I reached somewhat higher plateaus. The constant struggle has always been to climb steeply to much higher elevations. Read more>>
Mecca Wagner-Brown
As a child, I experienced a lot of trauma and was shy, intelligent, and observant. A student-athlete in high school while writing poetry and gaining recognition, I was known to be well-rounded. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Kinesiology at Northern Arizona University and met my daughter’s father. I pushed off future education in my interests, worked 2 jobs for 2 years, got married, moved back to Phoenix, obtained a couple of jobs for a couple more years, found my way into large corporations, and gave birth to my daughter. I was married with a child, a house, two cars, and a well-paying job. Why was I not happy? This is the societal expectation of the dream, isn’t it? Read more>>
Madelyn Ellis
Thank you so much for reaching out! This dream started when I was pregnant with my first daughter in 2016. After Googling all the advice possible on what to do before having your first baby, one recurring theme in nearly every blog article was to prepare freezer meals to eat after delivery. I have always loved cooking and have my degree from ASU in Nutrition with concentrations in dietetics and nutrition management, as well as a certification in child nutrition. As I was cooking I thought about how much I would love to do this for others, and it would be my dream job to grocery shop and prepare meals for new moms. Read more>>
Nicole Moan
20+ years of experience creating art, including wearable ceramic corsets, 3-dimensional wall sculptures incorporating mixed media, innovative up-cycled displays, and applications. Specialist in wearable art in the form of ceramics and fabric. She used education in mechanics and welding to generate a unique creative process for both her art and in the mentoring of young artists and contemporaries. Learned to a lot along the way. Learn to protect yourself and your art from all kinds of things. Copyright so on. Not to be so hard on me. Read more>>
Chris Tinard
I’m a big risk taker. I started my business by taking a second mortgage on my house and jumping into an industry I knew nothing about. I first provided video services to attorneys, through a court reporting firm, it was consistent, and played well, but lacked the creativity and variety I was looking for. After 3 years the firm decided to use a different provider and I lost 99% of my business overnight. I had built a strong relationship with another video professional name Eric Legnon. Eric’s clients were more on the marketing/broadcasting side of the industry and he offered to let me move into his office without charging me rent until I could land on my feet. Read more>>
Alexis Petersen
Ink Oil, LLC, was created by a very cool, tattooed mom and her daughter. The day I turned 18 I got my first tattoo. I quickly recognized that getting a tattoo, or even removing a tattoo, can be seriously uncomfortable. My mom was using essential oils in many aspects of our lives. I recognized the therapeutic effects of pure essential oils in a unique blend that could provide a product that can reduce discomfort, speed healing, and keep skin healthy and vibrant while getting tattooed. With the help of my pharmacist brother, cool tattooed essential oil using mom, and the sacrifice of most of my body for tattoo oil testing, we got Ink Oil up and running successfully. Read more>>
Martia Hunt
My journey to becoming a professional organizer started during the pandemic. I started getting rid of clutter around my home and preparing for my new baby. I started taking before and after photos and eventually started helping family and friends get organized. My professional title as a pharmacist has helped me to be organized, think analytically and problem-solve. Professional organizing came naturally to me. The struggles I have encountered along the way have been balancing being a mom, working a full-time job, and starting my small business. It’s all about time management and having a healthy work-life balance. Read more>>
Sheldon Cooper
Hello, my name is Sheldon Cooper. The founder of the Arizona Cannabis Awards Music Festival. It all started in Las Vegas. Started throwing the Nevada Cannabis Awards Music Festival. We had such a great response from our show we started expanding to California, Arizona, and Oklahoma. Now we throw one of the biggest cannabis awards shows in Arizona. It wasn’t a smooth road. Every year as cannabis activists we had to fight to throw these events. Our first show started in 2019. This was a truly remarkable experience at the Hard Rock Cafe located on the Las Vegas strip. Then covid started so it was a challenge. We never gave up and kept on fighting for the people. Read more>>
Lisa Gates
As a little girl, I watched my dad run his publishing and writing business. It was very interesting to me. My dad used to tell me, “always have a business on the side. And if you are blessed, your side business will become your main source of income.” An entrepreneurial spirit blossomed in me, and the creative wheels started turning. I managed a paper route at 12 years of age. Pitched a potential business idea to Circle K when I was 13. Held my first corporate job at 15. As an adult, I owned a children’s entertainment business for 20+ years and a fresh floral business for 6 years. Business is certainly in my blood! Read more>>
Ryan & Stephanie Bloom
We are Stephanie and Ryan Bloom, a husband and wife team that loves working together. Stephanie handles the Photography and Ryan takes care of the Videography, but we each know just enough of each other’s business to lend a hand when needed. In what little spare time he had, Ryan started filming weddings a little over 10 years ago. After Stephanie experienced working at a wedding, she had the itch to pursue the Photography side. And we’ve been working together ever since. The two of us strive to bring composure and a light-hearted attitude to every wedding we work at. Our ultimate goal is to display the personalities of our bride and groom. Read more>>
Esteban Santana
California was born and raised with my family in the Printing Industry. From offset printing to digital printing. Grew up in Huntington Park. I graduated High school in 1995. Youngest of 13, and my brothers and parents gave me the best to become something in the future. Keeping me off gangs and streets they invested in computer and graphic programs back in 1991 to help the family business. Powered with an Apple Macintosh Quadra 700 and a small Roland vinyl cutter, I made Party and Rave flyers with stickers back in those days. Read more>>
Kizzy Reece
Hello, my name is Kizzy Reece and I am born and raised in Randolph, Arizona which is about 5 miles for Coolidge Arizona. I grew up in a small town where everyone knows everybody and everyone is pretty much related. Growing up my parents were strict, I couldn’t do a lot of the things that the other kids I grew up with did. I am the youngest of 3 kids. My sister and brother were older than me so I pretty much didn’t have my brother and sister around much at all. So I would always tag along with my oldest nephew and he was cutting hair at a young age at that moment just being around him and seeing how passionate he was about cutting hair inspired me a lot. So I decided to make shirts for my town so that people can represent where their form which is Randolph. Read more>>
Eli Medina
I’ve always been a creative person even when I was a little one growing up in Norman, Oklahoma I was constantly painting, drawing (not well) coloring whatever I could get my hands on very much to my mom’s chagrin. She used to say in her sweet southern tone ” Baby I don’t know where you get all this artsy fartsy business from ” Fast forward I’m getting close to high school graduation and I wanted to break into Fashion Design but I knew in Oklahoma of all places wouldn’t do to well then I thought ” What else ties into fashion …… Hair and Makeup” Little did I know how much I would hate doing hair! Read more>>
Imani & Iman Lee of Lee
Our picnic business was passed down to us from Erica Toatley, owner of Tiny Blessings Salon, Spa, & Celebrations. In the beginning, it started with us just trying to lay the groundwork by buying a sketch pad and telling each other to get creative and whatever we put down on paper is what we would bring to life as far as different picnic packages. After doing that for a while we started getting acknowledged by people around us in Arizona for being more than just your average luxury picnic business. That’s when we knew we had to keep building our brand, and decided to add slumber parties to our resumé and shortly after that, we complemented those with yard greetings. That is how we became, Lee’s Luxury Outings! Read more>>
Ashley Olson
I was paralyzed in a car accident when I was fourteen. I was on my way to getting a basketball scholarship to Stanford, which I worked for since like the 2nd grade. I died twice from the accident and doctors told my mother I wasn’t going to make it. My father was killed in the accident, my mother’s legs were crushed under the dashboard, my little sister had broken bones, and my older sister wasn’t in the car. The car was on the board of Utah and Nevada when a monsoon hit and our car hydroplaned after a sheet of water came across the road and we rolled into a ravine. Read more>>
Haley Austin
In my senior year of high school, 2004, I answered an ad at school for an afterschool job at Thunderbird Artists. I decided to apply since the ad stated they only needed someone to work a few hours per week. I called and had an interview set up for the following week. When I arrived I was greeted by barking dogs and sat down at a kitchen table. They explained they were a small, family-owned business operating out of their home and needed someone a couple of hours a day to handle filling, mailings, and other office-related tasks. I got a call back a few days later and was offered the position. Read more>>
Marci Hernandez
Keepers Commercial Cleaning is known for being a local Arizona family-owned business that provides exceptional cleaning services to our customers. Our purpose is to serve people so they can do what they love. We truly care about everyone from customers, to staff, to cleaning crews and strive to make everyone feel appreciated. All our efforts are to help better the lives of those around us. In 2008 Carlos and Marci Hernandez started Keepers. At that time Carlos was a commercial insurance broker who sold primarily to construction companies. But due to the recession, most construction businesses were closing their doors fast. The income for the Hernandez family was quickly shrinking. Read more>>
LuxGive
As co-founders of LuxGive, we spent our professional careers building some of the world’s most successful luxury villa rental companies. We believed in the life-changing experience of travel and shared a vision of leveraging our industry expertise to do good. LuxGive was launched as a way to achieve that vision, by helping nonprofits raise more funds at auctions through once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences. Our trips inspire generous donations by inspiring guests’ imaginations, and that has allowed us to empower thousands of worthy causes worldwide. Read more>>
Brianna Stratton
My art has taken many shapes and forms as I have grown. I started as a child loving anything hands-on or art related. As I grew I found my niche in oil and acrylic painting as well as automotive photography. Each year my direction for my art takes new forms but each has its own unique set of skills that come along with it. Art has not been a smooth road for me. Starting as an artist is always difficult and finding places to show the art is just as hard. Some struggle that I have seen in this field is the lack of support and money that comes with it. I have had many companies lose paintings of mine. Read more>>
Moriah Boone
One thing I can say for certain is that when I started this journey, I did not anticipate getting this far. I grew up in a household that prioritized reason and rationality which meant the big dreams were often workshopped into smaller, more “realistic” endeavors. Needless to say, my childhood dreams of making it to Hollywood were immediately shut down and my love of acting and all things creative laid dormant for nearly six years. Now, writing to you as a working actress and model who just bought her first home with those earnings, I can say with absolute certainty that if you want something and don’t allow others to dictate how much…the sky is the limit. Read more>>
Amaris & Adrian
About four years ago we decided to take a road trip covering most of the western United States. After visiting Yosemite earlier that year we were inspired to visit other national parks and explore the outdoors. To capture this all we decided to buy a camera and found a deal on a used Sony a6300 after researching what would be a good camera to start with. From Sacramento, California we drove along the coast up through to Vancouver and across Canada to visit Banff National Park and specifically get to see Moraine Lake. We instantly fell in love with the scenery there and it made us want to see more of what the world has to offer. Read more>>
Mitchell Hanson
And Tom Whitten had put on a small glow-in-the-dark golf tournament for fun to raise some money for Foundation for Blind Children in 2018. While planning the 2019 tournament COVID hit and we had to cancel. With the extra time, we decided we could make this idea much bigger and we decided to create Young Visionaries Board, Inc. a 501c3 recognized organization. We have (2) events every year to fundraise for our beneficiary, Foundation for Blind Children. A March Madness-style cornhole event and our original, One Club Classic which is a glow-in-the-dark night golf tournament where each player only gets to use one single club to navigate the golf course. Read more>>
Hailey Ostrom
I grew up playing golf in Bend, Oregon with my dad. I was one of the very few girls who played the game at the time. I continued to play through high school and received a scholarship to play for George Fox University. At the time I wasn’t good enough to even make the lineup. I worked very hard on my game and started to show drastic growth. By my senior year, I helped lead my team to Nationals, became an All-American, and had four collegiate wins. Once I graduated I knew my golf journey wasn’t over. I packed up my car and moved to Scottsdale with no money, no job and I knew no one. I began playing in Cactus Tour events and eventually turned professional. Read more>>
Erin Troyk
I’ve always loved fashion and freedom, so I started making an effort to learn the skills needed for this industry when they were offered to me years ago. Even though I never thought I’d end up in this field and did not pursue it in college, I realized three things. First, I loved socializing and looking at sharp-dressed men and women. I admired the confidence boost it gives you. Secondly, this type of business would allow me to create my schedule and give me the flexibility to travel and do business out of state. Read more>>
Josh Simmons
I started my career as an academic. After earning my Ph.D. from the University of California Irvine, I was burned out on teaching and research so I entered the private sector as a software developer. Once I had paid my dues and started to branch out into more niche roles, I realized how related software engineering and my work at UCI were. I am a naturally creative person and was starting to feel stifled by the 9-5 environment. I began moonlighting as a photographer (a passion for me that predates my interest in computers) and essayist. My photography and my essays aim to capture my subjective view of the world as raw as possible. Read more>>
Taylor Maldonado
About 5 years ago I started designing jewelry for myself. I would wear the pieces I created every day and my close friends and family all wanted me to make pieces for them. All the moms at my kid’s school and family members loved my designs and always asked me to help create pieces for them. So I started designing jewelry for other people. I slowly started meeting new bench jewelers and learning more and more about the industry. Years later I started my own business and it grew into this amazing business. My inspiration has always been my children. being a busy mom of 3 kids I never wanted to wear huge diamonds that were flashy. I wanted dainty, everyday jewelry that would also be sparkly and beautiful. Read more>>
Sarah Roberts
I first fell in love with art in high school. At my rural high school, the two elective choices available to me were art class or FFA. On a coin flip, I chose art class and quickly discovered a new passion. But I didn’t think anyone could make a living doing art, so for years, I worked traditional full-time jobs as an engineer, data analyst, and geophysicist until a recent move for my husband’s job allowed me to start my own small business. I’ve always loved flowers, so it was natural to combine my love for art and flowers into a business idea and Flower Girl Paintings was born. Read more>>
Ivan Niebla
I am a first-generation Mexican-American from a traditional Mexican family; my mother is from Guadalajara and my father is from Culiacan. In my childhood, being creative was praised, but being artistic was seen as trivial. In my community, escaping poverty was the primary goal. In college, I began woodworking for utility. Slowly it became a creative expression, and eventually, I allowed myself to see the art. Woodworking helped me to understand how craftsmanship and the arts are essential to life. I witnessed my hometown of Paramount, California become revitalized through art and thoughtful design. Read more>>
Nahomi Vazquez
Growing up, my household always had a family camera and video recorder for all of our special events. We captured family vacations, family parties, ceremonies, etc. One of my very close friends also had a video cam in which we would record vlogs and episodes. We would record our little concerts whenever she would babysit me. I grew up in that environment always wanting to capture memories. One day I was talking to one of my close cousins about not knowing what I wanted to pursue in college. He had mentioned he was doing photography, and that I should as well since my sister and I love to take pictures. Read more>>
Isaac Ford
For a long time, creating a music project like The Remedy had been a dream of mine. A band that gave freedom to express the thoughts and emotions of each member including myself. However, this didn’t come to fruition until about one year ago when I first met the current drummer of The Remedy, Jamison Parker. The two of us started brainstorming ideas for a new band that could encompass a wide range of genres in a unique package. It wasn’t long until we brought on our talented lead guitarist, Jesse Espinoza, and later additional members including Zoe Ford and Seth Gonzales. Read more>>
Anh-Thuy Nguyen
I came to the USA as an international student. I studied photography at Pima Community College in Tucson, finished my BFA in Photography at the University of Arizona, and received my MFA in Photography/Video at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. I have been creating work related to lens-based media, installation, and performance art since I left graduate school. To sustain my creative practice, I teach in high education. I spent five years teaching and developing the photography program at Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma. In 2018, I moved back to Tucson to become the head of the photography program at Pima Community College. Read more>>
Kylier Marshall
I have always been interested in art, my imagination is full of new ideas, drawings, and things I want to build. This creative gene runs throughout my family. My first wood burning was a couple of bears climbing in a tree back in high school for a senior art project. I never thought I would turn this into a profitable business. First, it was friends and family asking me to make their custom signs. When I saw how great a reaction people had to my work, I started teaching myself new techniques and taking on more pieces and my small business was eventually created. I continued making them throughout college, and even now post-graduation with a full-time job. Read more>>
Sydney Carstens
I graduated college from the University of Iowa in December then moved to Arizona! Throughout college, I was always the girl that had the best closet so my friends would come to me when they wanted something to wear. I grew up always loving fashion from a young age. In my senior year of college, I was inspired by my friends and family to start my online store since they always loved my fashion taste. I always wanted to create my online store but never had the time. I finally decided to start Golden Coast Kouture in March of 2022. I started out selling trendy bodysuits, tops, pants, etc, for women. Read more>>
Noah Strykes
I started with photography and videography when I was 12 years old. I uploaded vlogs and various video projects to YouTube. About five years into YouTube, I decided it was time to rediscover the passion for music I had as a young child. Over the past three years, I have taught myself digital music production, mixing, and mastering. I have incorporated my photo/video skills with my music to make projects come as close as possible to my creative visions. Through these projects and ideas, I have formed a team of close friends who have individual talents and creative perspectives. We work together on almost every new idea and we have developed efficient formulas for doing so. Read more>>
Tiffany Myles
Tiffany Myles is an Ohio native, born and raised in Shaker Heights, and currently resides in Phoenix, AZ. After graduating from Kent State University and obtaining a degree in Applied Science and General Studies, Tiffany began working in the Behavioral and Mental health field. Tiffany initially became a notary due to the need for general notary work in her area; however, as the demand for notary work grew she became involved in various lines of work where she was able to utilize her notary experience in multiple ways. Read more>>
Sissy Van Den Handel
I was born and raised in Germany and didn’t come to the US until I was 17. I participated in a high school exchange year and went to college afterward. I got my degree in Photography in 2005. Eventually, I joined the Army National Guard, and now I am a mom. I have always loved photography; going to school to learn to be a portrait photographer was an amazing experience. Now I stay home with my daughter and take people’s portraits. Sometimes I venture into landscape photography or work with models. Read more>>
Igor Shrayer
I’ve been drawing since I was a kid, and I’ve always been passionate about art for as long as I can remember. After finishing high school, I studied computer programming at University and became a software programmer. When I was interested in photography, I used my experience and my ability to combine art with computer knowledge to create an innovative take on art. Choosing an artistic career wasn’t a matter of choice for me – It was my natural calling and a way for me to express myself clearly since I always loved art and wanted to create from the heart. It’s very important to me that people like my art and that it resonates with them. This drives me to be even more creative in reaching an ever-expanding audience. This is my ultimate goal. Read more>>
Jilian Rose Mua
I was born and raised in the suburbs outside of Chicago, Illinois. Growing up, I always had a passion and interest for makeup; I would raid my Mom and Grandma’s makeup drawers, look at all of their products, and play with a ton of them. At a young age, I started acting and getting more into the performance world, which gave me more of an inside scoop of the special effects world. When I was 15 years old, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which was extremely scary as a child. I was in constant pain and I had no idea what to do. Read more>>
Joseph Perez
My story began as an overseas student in Bavaria, Germany. I am not sure how to describe it, but I was always drawn to business. At the age of six, I would go to each of my neighbor’s houses and offer to take out the trash and recycle to the common receptacle area down the street for .50 cents. I would go to every door, even if I didn’t speak the same language. As I got older, I found more ways that I could earn and did some of the same things in college until I graduated from my undergraduate degree and became an active duty soldier, a second lieutenant, in the United States Army. Read more>>
James Jenkins
My story is a complicated one, to say the least. I was born in Panama and moved frequently as a child. I joined the Army in 1987 and got out in 1991. After working as a radar technician I got degrees in broadcasting and business management. I’ve worked in the restaurant business, fitness industry, and call centers to earn enough to support my creative work. “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey” I try to remember… The road has not been smooth. The destination changes based on many factors. Health, jobs, money, and family are all factors. I’ve struggled with balancing the need to create art and the need to support my family. Read more>>
Tessa Karrys
Hi! My name is Tessa Karrys and I’m a singer-songwriter and performer in the Phoenix area. I grew up with a love of music that began with childhood piano lessons, a lot of creative free play and being a daughter in a long line of artists. While I was always a lover of music, I stopped playing music completely for several years after moving from outside of Chicago, IL to rural Arizona in middle school. I didn’t know quite how much I missed it until I was able to borrow my brother’s guitar and start taking lessons when I was 16. It felt like a dream come true. Immediately, songwriting became synonymous with learning how to play guitar. I was able to share and process feelings and experiences through songs that I hadn’t been able to in any other way. Read more>>
Chandra Chriswisser
I have been a hairdresser at heart ever since I can remember. I think around 10 years old I started using my younger siblings as practice models by always giving them makeovers and messing with their hair. In high school, I started doing all my friend’s hair playing around with coloring and even cutting I am sure it never came out great but we always thought it looked good. As the oldest of four, I was always tasked with the constant babysitting duty. Both my parents worked a lot so we were on our own quite a bit. Having so much responsibility at such a young age pushed me to want to get going and start my life. I tend to be overly determined sometimes and was able to graduate from high school 2 years early. Read more>>
Kelcy Valletta
I never planned on starting a business. Back in 2019 I launched my podcast, Find Your Sexy. It was through conversations with the women on my podcast that I saw a need for support around building self-love and confidence. I had fought through my struggles with this, including a dangerous eating disorder, an abusive relationship, and a career change from Hollywood that left me feeling like a complete failure. I knew I wanted to use the tools and resources that I learned, to help other women step into their authentic confidence. Now 3 years later, I get to help women feel sexy and confident in their skin every single day! Read more>>
