Portraits of Phoenix

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 Phoenix.

Britt Kidd

I am an entrepreneur. I’ve had businesses in multiple industries doing a wide variety of things including an online smoke shop, event coordination, food truck owner, photographer, videographer, and graphic designer. Read more>>

Significant Others

Clayton: Things really started back in college when I (Clayton) met Mike in class. If I remember correctly, he made the first move and from there the idea of starting a band blossomed. We started out just jamming in the closet of my apartment, where I had already lived with David. He assumed the role of bass and then we just needed a drummer. Read more>>

Joy Clifford

Joy and Ben Photography started pretty simply. We both loved photography, and over time, we started taking it more seriously and photographing more people. Eventually, that led us into weddings, and we realized pretty quickly that this was something we really loved doing together. In the beginning, we honestly learned a lot as we went. Read more>>

Park Howell

Here is my complete origin story: https://businessofstory.com/about/ I started my advertising career in Phoenix, AZ, working for my first 10 years for agencies and then as creative director at Quorum International, an electronics products manufacturer and distributor. I started my ad agency, Park&Co, in Phoenix in 1995, and ran it for 20 years. Read more>>

Sam Gundling

I started my journey in 2016. I was in an abusive relationship where I was told I was too fat or too ugly to cosplay whoever I wanted and I was only good enough to cosplay the characters who were fat and ugly. Read more>>

Katelyn Castonguay

When I was 15 I got into a car accident. I grew up in a small town so going off roading was our favorite thing to do. One of the guys I knew offered to drive me up the mountain. Read more>>

Rosanna Lantigua

I’ve been painting since I was a child, so art has always been part of who I am. I’m 42 now, and in 2019 I decided to turn that lifelong passion into an art business. Before becoming a full-time artist, I worked as a nurse beginning in 2007. While I’m no longer in the profession, nursing had a meaningful impact on my journey. Read more>>

Tari Fields

My name is Tari Fields I am a photographer with Qween Tea Photography. I started Photography because I was injured and I couldn’t do the sport that I wanted to anymore so I started taking action shots so I could feel like I was still a part of the sport without actually being able to do it.. Read more>>

Speedy Nutz

Becoming a musician and music educator seems like it was destined for me. It’s funny looking back; music was such an integral part of my life that I never seriously considered it for a career path. I started piano lessons at six, percussion in fourth grade, learned guitar in high school, and continued learning new instruments to today. Read more>>

Jacqui Ridley

When I sold my bakery cafe business, I decided it was time to return to my first passion. I was drawn to mosaics and immersed myself in learning the craft, teaching myself through books, experimentation, and countless hours in the studio. Read more>>

Erin Newman

My paper art journey began in 2016 when my husband and I hit the road in an RV. I needed something creative that was portable, mess-free, and didn’t require a dedicated studio. I discovered paper quilling almost by accident, and I was hooked immediately. I sold my very first piece for $35 — and that was it. I knew this was more than a hobby. Read more>>

Melissa Mercilliott

I’m an artist and former art teacher. In 2020 I left teaching and started selling my watercolor art, cards, and stickers at craft fairs. That quickly expanded into a wholesale business, Two Deserts and from there it evolved into Libra & Thorn. My vision for Libra & Thorn was to create a place where where people could do more than just shop. Read more>>

Jacque Shipman

I sort of fell into Photography. I began modeling years ago, and became obsessed with that. It was truly so special to be able to remember parts of my life through images, now looking back as I approach 30 I have even more value in photos. Read more>>

ALAN ABEYTA

I first got into picture framing during college as a way to help pay for art and design school. Back then, I imagined I’d graduate and land a job at a graphic design firm, building a career as a designer. Life had other plans. After graduation, I worked at a few small design firms, mostly as ‘a guy’ in the production department. Read more>>

Deborah Butler Carol Deed

Generations 4 Change was founded from a place of personal experience, passion, and a genuine commitment to giving back to the communities that have shaped us. Growing up, we witnessed firsthand the impact that alcohol and substance abuse, limited access to resources, and a lack of prevention education can have on Native and minority families. Read more>>

Ameer Sweiss

I founded ASPRO with a simple belief: lighting has the power to shape our story & how we experience the world around us. It influences mood, brings architecture to life, and transforms ordinary spaces into extraordinary memories! That philosophy has become the foundation of our company. We specialize in permanent residential and commercial lighting installations that enhance the atmosphere, energy, and character of a space. Read more>>

Whitney Donohue, ND, PAK, CNET

Everything started when I was younger. I love playing sports and growing up in a small town, we traveled every weekend to play competitive sports like volleyball and basketball all across the state. Through the years, I threw everything I had into being the best athlete I could and with that came a lot of injuries. Read more>>

Kayla Marie Vandel

I’ve spent nearly two decades in the beauty industry and had the opportunity to co-found Third Eye Beauty Lounge alongside my mother, Donna, and my older sister, Katrina. We created our salon with a mission to provide elevated, results-driven beauty services in a safe, welcoming environment where every client feels seen, respected, and empowered. Read more>>

Mollie Aelene

My name is Mollie Aelene (previously known as Mollie Leivars). I began my acting career at the age of 12, before I moved behind the camera at 15, writing and directing my first short film. I spent a few years working with local police forces, creating short films that highlighted youth issues and taking them around schools and colleges. Read more>>

Irene Gutierrez Calderilla

Growing up, my mom was always the crafty one. She taught me how to make all kinds of things—from headbands to hair bows—and she loved creating faux flower arrangements. I always enjoyed sitting beside her, watching, learning, and helping whenever I could. Looking back, that’s where my love for creating beautiful things first began. Read more>>

Brianna Stratton

As long as I can remember, I have always been one to enjoy making art. After high school I really got into oil paintings, which led me to where I am now. I now make larger scale paintings, have leaned into more realism, I take on more commissions, host art pop up events, and I have even started doing murals. Read more>>

Tim Estenson

My story did not begin with success. It began with struggle. At a young age, I found myself caught in addiction because I was trying to cope with challenges I did not know how to face. For a long time, I believed there was no way out, but eventually I realized I had a choice. Read more>>

Olivier & Emily Dubois-Cherrier & Gray

When I bought this piece of land in 2017, says Olivier, I didn’t fully know what it would become. My main goal was simple: settle in a beautiful location, open to the vastness of the desert, and build an outdoor art studio where I could eventually live. Coming from the French Caribbean, I felt a deep, unexpected connection between the desert and the ocean. Read more>>

Diana Palm

My journey began long before I ever realized it would become my life’s work. As a child, I naturally experienced communication with the spirit world, but I didn’t understand what was happening or have anyone to guide me. Those early experiences eventually led me on a lifelong search to understand consciousness, life after death, and our soul’s journey. Read more>>

Cysen Ai

Just a few years ago, I was running my tattoo studios. Today, I’m a full-time jewelry artist. Looking back, what seems like a dramatic career change was actually a gradual evolution. I spent more than thirteen years building my career in tattooing, and I’ll always be grateful for everything that chapter taught me. Read more>>

Amy Crockett

After seven years in commercial interior design, I found myself hitting a wall. Designing endless rows of corporate cubicles was draining my creativity, and I began to fear that my love for interior design was slipping away. To reclaim my passion, my husband (Chad) and I launched an Etsy shop on the side, selling unique vintage treasures found at weekend estate sales. Read more>>

Shvonne Craig

My story with web design started long before Glass Web Services became a business. I first learned how to build websites when I was in high school, the summer before my junior year, through a program called BridgeNet. I had always loved computers since I was a little girl but that experience opened my eyes to what technology could do for people and businesses. Read more>>

Carrie Green-Zinn

The journey to my life as a travel blogger primarily began when I was a newly empty-nester, and was nearing retirement from a long career as a therapist and school psychologist. As a lifelong dancer, traveler, writer, and photographer, I decided to keep my creativity alive in the form of a blog. Read more>>

Simona Vivi H

Picture this: You’ve just had a conversation with your older teen that spiraled into tension, pushback, or silence. You walk away feeling frustrated and replaying the conversation in your head, wondering what you could have said or done differently. Before I became a trained coach, I was the friend people called for a listening ear or some advice after situations like that. Read more>>

Zavier Hamilton

Definitely not, I’ve had my fair share of rooms full of absolutely no one and totally failing sets, I don’t think anyone really has a smooth road whether they talk about it or not, there’s definitely a lot that goes own behind the scenes of most artist and it’s really adds to alot of the art out there, in terms of where I’ve struggled myself I could list a million reasons, but the only thing that really matters is that you don’t quit what you love Read more>>

Pamela Karpelenia

Theatre has always been about more than entertainment for me. It’s about bringing people together, creating unforgettable experiences, and giving others the confidence to step into something they never thought they could do. My journey didn’t begin with a large theatre company or a big budget. It began with a simple belief that Casa Grande deserved more opportunities to experience live, interactive theatre. Read more>>

Emily White

For as long as I can remember, I have always said “When I grow up, I want to own my own business.” The business idea changed frequently, from a coffee shop, to tee shirts, to jewelry, and honestly, I had the name way before I knew what I was going to sell. I first launched [la vida. Read more>>

Lillea Hartwell

My story really begins when I got the chickenpox from my babysitter’s grandchildren when I was 7 months old, it nearly killed me. When I was 3 years old, I developed a serious infection that caused doctors to place me on three rounds of antibiotics. Read more>>

Myrtis Hooks

My journey has been shaped by faith, resilience, and an unwavering desire to serve others. After losing my daughter in 1999 when she was nearly seven months old, and later overcoming one of the most difficult seasons of my life, including a painful divorce, I made the decision to rewrite my story instead of allowing my circumstances to define it. Read more>>

BryAnna Ingram

I’ve always been passionate about creativity, branding, and the way great content can tell a story. After earning my MFA in Luxury and Brand Management from SCAD, I decided to combine my education with my love for social media and launched The Finery Edit, a boutique creative studio specializing in social media management, content creation, and brand storytelling. Read more>>

Ashleigh Carpenter

Hiya! Sure thing! I’d like to start by introducing myself. Many know me as The Rebel Photographer – or ‘Rebel’ for short. Well, I’ve had interest in photography since around the age of 10, and have been a fan of music for as long as I can remember. Read more>>

Already Broken

We started playing together in 2023 and writing songs, but we formed as a band in January 2024. We’ve all have extensive backgrounds playing in bands growing up and learning as much music and as many instruments as possible so we were able to feel comfortable and on the same ground for writing music. Read more>>

Gemm

Gemm has been making loud, in-your-face rock music since 2021 through honest lyrics, passionate vocal melodies, driving guitars, thunderous bass lines, and power behind the kit. Read more>>

Mandy Valadez

In 2018, I walked away from the only world I had ever known—a deeply restrictive religious community. I had no roadmap for what came next, only the certainty that I had to begin again. What I couldn’t have imagined then was that the very experiences that caused so much pain would eventually become the foundation of the work I now share with others. Read more>>

Jessie Geroux

For years we were the go to couple in our circle for travel advice. Read more>>

Kelly Pryor

My story has always centered around children. I grew up in New Zealand and began working in early childhood education and development over twelve years ago. Throughout that time, I’ve had the privilege of experiencing many different sides of childcare — working as an early childhood teacher, supporting families as a nanny, and eventually experiencing childhood through a new perspective as a mother myself. Read more>>

Meggie W

I’m from Tucson where time moves differently. When I got out of high school in 2017, I started playing around on Garageband, as we all do at some point in our lives. Read more>>

Monica Joy

I studied Film and Art History throughout my higher education. I networked like my life depended on it as a teen, showed up daily at the BBC until they hired me, worked a dozen, grueling internships, and eventually moved from England to the States to climb, rung by rung, the exhaustingly glorious entertainment ladder. Read more>>

Scott Bodily

When I was very young, my mother was a singer. She trained Opera however she became an elementary teacher. She was my 3rd grade math and music teacher. I’ve always had a passion for music and dance. I was involved with all the musicals and show choirs from Jr High through High School. I received a music scholarship to Utah State University. Read more>>

AImee Combs

My artistic journey took shape in college, where I managed the ceramic department and curated art shows during my work study job. That’s when art started to feel less like a quiet hobby and more like something real, something I was actually good at and could build a life around. Read more>>

Alexis Stetler

I’ve always been drawn to building things. I studied journalism and business marketing, which gave me a foundation in storytelling and branding, but my career really took shape when I launched my first company, The Advocacy Agency. For over a decade, I’ve helped luxury brands, real estate professionals, and entrepreneurs develop thoughtful marketing strategies and build businesses that feel authentic to who they are. Read more>>