We are so thrilled to be able to connect with some of the brightest and most inspiring entrepreneurs and creatives from across the city and beyond and this series in particular gives us the honor of introducing these folks to you in a unique way – we go beyond the story of how they got to where they are today by asking them to reflect on a variety of deeper questions that we hope will help you better connect with them, their stories and their brands.  Ultimately, our hope is that more of us will spend more of our money with independent artists, creatives and small businesses and we think getting to know one another at a deeper level is step one.

Kailyin Perry & Thomas Davis

Creator speaks to me , I can tell when someone or something is wholesome and raw. A “fad” is a trend, and trends, tho they are catchy, they are also fleeting. Now a foundational shift, can not only be seen but it is also felt. You can feel when you’re in alignment, even when those around are in alignment. Read More>>

UMAR HAKIM DEY

This organization was founded with a clear intention: to enhance the personal and professional space of purpose-driven individuals and organizations. Success has no shortcuts—many popular trends demand financial investment in books, workshops, or lessons that often lack alignment with your unique vision. True transformation begins when your intentions take shape, rooted in your own blueprint and entrepreneurial creativity. Read More>>

Lain Freefall

In tattooing, I think the difference between a fad and a real shift comes down to longevity and depth. Fads tend to explode on social media, dominate for a short while, and then fade, usually because they’re driven by novelty rather than substance. Read More>>

Michelle Dee

What breaks bonds between people is often a mix of miscommunication, unspoken hurt, and the walls we build when we feel unseen or unheard. Sometimes it is pride, sometimes it is fear, and sometimes it is simply growing in different directions without realizing it. I have learned that isolation and assuming the worst about someone’s intentions can turn small cracks into deep divides. Read More>>

Nicole de la Cruz

What breaks the bond between people is a lack of trust. Whether that be trust that they aren’t going to steal your wallet, or trust that they will be there for you during hard times– whatever trust you had between each other is what continues that bond. Read More>>

Jingwen Felix Qiang

Bonds between people are sustained by trust, mutual respect, and shared understanding. Dishonesty—whether through lies, hidden motives, or betrayal—undermines these foundations. When someone is dishonest, it creates uncertainty and doubt, making it difficult for others to feel secure or valued in the relationship. The rupture grows as trust erodes, and communication breaks down, leaving people isolated or at odds. However, these bonds can be restored. Read More>>

Monet Berger

What often breaks the bonds between people is a lack of presence, when we stop listening, stop showing up, or let our ego speak louder than empathy. It’s rarely one big thing; it’s the small moments of disconnection that slowly unravel trust. In both business and life, I’ve seen how important it is to stay rooted in honesty, humility, and honest communication. Read More>>

Ruthie Odom

What breaks the bonds between people is dishonesty. Dishonesty to yourself or to others, no matter how small, creates separation. Every lie plants a crack in the relationship. That crack becomes a place where negative energy hides, where assumptions grow, and where distance builds. The gap created by a lie is often filled with illusions and misunderstandings that drive people farther apart. Read More>>

Rocio G Montiel

I believe many people are silently struggling with loneliness, depression, and feeling overwhelmed. We live in a society that constantly pushes us to be more, do more, and have more, a culture driven by productivity, comparison, and the pressure to always appear ‘fine.’ It’s almost as if there’s no space to admit you’re not okay, because showing vulnerability can be seen as weakness or failure. Read More>>

Chad Gerber

Social starvation. I think the majority of people are starving for actual connections to other people. Not curated social media images and posts, or ‘picture opportunity’ events, but just a raw interaction where nobody fears being posted online or canceled for being vulnerable in their walk through life trying to figure things out. Read More>>

Dr. Christina Jerger

In today’s dating landscape, many singles secretly struggle with the emotional emptiness that comes with swipe culture, but they rarely say it out loud. They feel easily disposable, constantly compared, and exhausted by surface-level conversations that go nowhere. There’s a quiet shame in wanting real connection but being met with silence, ghosting and frustration with using dating apps. Read More>>

oliver wilcox

Right now, ‘normal’ is anything but. Since we last spoke, I’ve made some dramatic changes. Pre-COVID, my brand, Maybe Today, was my full-time hustle—designing, printing, shooting photos, shipping orders. But when the pandemic wrecked the supply chain and my biggest distributor in Hong Kong went under, I had to pivot. Read More>>

Dr. Sep Pouresa

A normal day for me usually starts with a morning gym session — it’s a great way to clear my mind and set the tone for the day. After that, I head into the clinic, where I focus on providing the best care for my dental patients. I enjoy the mix of precision and personal connection that dentistry brings. Read More>>

Ruben Castro

A normal day for me right now usually starts with checking emails first thing in the morning—making sure I’m on top of anything coming in from artists, managers, or labels. Then I hit the gym to get my mind and body right. Read More>>

A’Noelle Jackson

A foundational truth I stand on is the fact that my ancestors truly root for me. I bring them into every room I enter. I fully believe that their essence lives within me, and every time I accomplish a goal, they, too, accomplish it with me because they are part of me. I am forever grateful to them. Read More>>

Ed Carreon

There is no difference between the public version and the private version of me. My public version is merely an aspect of who I am. Understanding is waking up to the fact that we are not our stories, the largely unconscious and imaginary narratives we create to define ourselves and the world. Read More>>

Joshwayy

One of the core truths I live by — even if I don’t always put it into words — is that every single person deserves to feel seen, heard, and loved. That belief is foundational to how I treat people, how I move through spaces, and why I do what I do. Read More>>

Alex Garcia

I regret nothing, I have failed a thousand of times and took the wrong decision over and over again and without hesitation I would do it again in order to be in the same place where I’m right now, it might sound cheesy but is the truth, I love the process that brought me here and I know anything that’s coming would be for good because there’s always light at the end of the tunnel Read More>>

Seung Yon Lee

I think one of my biggest regrets would be not giving back to the creative community that helped shape who I am. When I was starting out as a 3D artist, I relied so much on the generosity of others — artists who shared their workflows, gave feedback, answered my questions, or simply inspired me through their work. Read More>>

Melody Law

Without a doubt — pursuing an acting career. If I had let that dream slip away, I know it would’ve been my biggest regret. Acting is more than a career to me; it’s a calling, a part of who I am. Choosing to follow it, even later than I originally planned, has been one of the most meaningful decisions of my life. Read More>>

Priinceton Cromartie

I never regret helping people. Even when it’s not returned, I know my heart is in the right place — and that always brings a bigger blessing. What I give, God multiplies. Read More>>

Aiqi Zhang

I used to be very focused on the idea of “ownership” — who owns the project and who is responsible for it. I often measured my value by how much responsibility or role I took on. But after a conversation with my mentor, Miles Mazzie, I began to see ownership differently. Read More>>

Kao Miyamoto

I used to think working really hard was all it took to get what you want. I still believe in that, but I’ve realized it’s not the whole picture. Luck, timing, and connections matter too. And honestly, being nice to everyone is essential, because the way you treat people often opens doors hard work alone can’t. Read More>>

Risto Miettinen

I think the whole ‘work hard’ is a myth. Everyone I know works hard. But that doesn’t always guarantee success. I’d say in all areas of life, from relationships to film composing. It’s figuring out the right moves that’s the hard thing and most important. In film composing and library music for example having up to date sounds (synths & samples) is very important. Read More>>

Kristi Adkins

A cultural value I protect at all costs is integrity. To me, integrity means being honest, dependable, and consistent in how I show up—whether that’s with my family, my team, or the guests and clients I work with. I believe trust is the foundation of any relationship, and protecting that trust is non-negotiable. Read More>>

Varnika Bhat & Maanvi Dhadoti

One cultural value that we cherish and respect is the guru-shishya parampara, the deep life-long bond between a student and their teacher. In kathak and all Indian classical art forms, your guru is your biggest supporter no matter what and guides you not just in your art, but in your whole life. Read More>>

Evan Moses

A cultural value I cherish every day is to never close off in the face of a unique vision or movement happening in subcultures and youth cultures. So, for example, I’ve been documenting a scene here in Southern California of bands reviving Myspace metalcore, deathcore, and real screamo. Read More>>

Giselle Shah

The cultural value I protect at all costs is love—real, heart-centered love that unites, uplifts, and includes. I deeply value community, unity, and service. I believe we’re all here to support one another, to share what we’ve learned, and to help others rise. Love is the thread that weaves all of that together. Read More>>

Cathy J. Hood

Like many entrepreneurs, I have faced my share of failures while building my business. One of the hardest lessons — and the most transformative — was learning the value of patience. Early on, I believed that success had to be fast, visible, and constant. When things didn’t go as planned, I felt like I was falling behind. Read More>>

Sam Harding

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from failure is accepting how often it’s going to happen — way more than I ever imagined when I started in the film industry. When I first moved to LA, I had this mix of ignorance and confidence that, in its own way, was a superpower. It carried me through a lot of low points. Read More>>

Dmitrii Jn. Chernikov

Oh, I’ve had my fair share of faceplant moments. There was this one competition where I thought I had everything figured out, and then—bam! I got caught in a move I definitely should’ve seen coming. I ended up on the mat faster than a pizza disappearing at a sleepover. After that, I realized I had to stop being so cocky. Read More>>

Molly Swing

I had a retail store specializing in luxury designer resale, and I was deeply impacted by a major 2 year construction project in Pacific Palisades followed closely by the onset of Covid. That one-two punch forced me to shut down the business — and it became a turning point. Read More>>

Helen Tootsi

Things happen for a reason! Failure isn’t always a bad thing. It’s a valuable lesson you should learn from. Take agency in what you did, your approach, and get comfortable with the parts of yourself that scare you the most. The things you want to hide and hope nobody ever sees them. Analyze, be fair, but kind to yourself. Read More>>

Natália Spadini

For me, true joy lives in the everyday moments with my daughter, watching her grow, discover, and uncover the wonders of the world for the first time. Each laugh, each question, each little milestone feels like a gift, and in those moments, I feel the purest happiness. Read More>>

Myriam Ali

On stage or on camera. It is when I am acting that I experience the purest of joy forms. I feel whole. I feel connected. I feel one with myself and with the Universe. Read More>>

Holly Chavez

I can answer this with an actual date and time! June 6, 2025 at 5:30pm. I was overwhelmed with joy as I watched my husband Darrick escort our daughter Lauryn down the aisle, then place her hand into her now husband TJ’s hand as we were surrounded by so many people we love. As wedding planner, this was a dream. My own daughters turn! Read More>>

Bill Marmor

Who am I learning from now? AI. In the past, my mentors were people—seasoned experts, researchers, filmmakers, and historians. They were my go-to sources for knowledge and insight. But today, that role is rapidly shifting. Now, it’s AI. With AI, I can get detailed answers in seconds, explore complex concepts, and have deep, interactive conversations that sharpen my skills. It’s not just about finding information. Read More>>

Marko Danial

Right now, I’m honestly learning the most from myself. Every project I take on, whether it’s engineering, content creation, or building my brands, teaches me something new. I’ve been reflecting a lot on past successes and mistakes, and using those lessons to make better decisions moving forward. It’s a constant process of experimenting, adjusting, and pushing myself to grow. Read More>>

Xiomara M Arciniega R

Learning is a privilege it’s knowledge and wisdom that God provides through his word. Aside of it I believe he puts the right people in your corner to help you understand a better alignment towards your future and what you want to attract and become. Read More>>