Through the work we do we are incredibly fortunate to find and learn about so many incredible local artists, creatives and entrepreneurs. Their stories, the lessons that they’ve learned and the legacies they are building inspire us beyond words. Below, we have highlighted a few of those amazing folks and we hope you’ll check out their stories and their responses to some of the fundamental questions the help form the foundation of our lives and careers.
Shenee Randolph
I think people may misunderstand my legacy as being just about hair. While hair is my craft, my true legacy is about community, empowerment, and creating opportunities for others. The braids, wigs, and styles will fade, but the confidence, education, and spaces I build for people—especially those often overlooked—are what I want to be remembered for. Read more>>
Lacey Walker
I think I have a truly deep understanding for compassion. Being on each end of the spectrum at times in my life. Poor, wealthy. Sick, healthy. Happy, depressed. I can related to anyone, or at least find a way to connect with anyone. I guess being intuitive comes hand in hand with being empathetic. And Empathy is something I have way too much of. Read more>>
Varol Ozkaner
A normal day for me tends to be a blend of structure and creative flow. I usually start the morning with coffee and a quick moment of reflection. I find that setting my mindset early helps me stay grounded when I’m shifting between different creative hats throughout the day. Read more>>
Carol Steinberg
It’s always changing but I try to include art making and exercise during the day…and watching something fun with my partner over a good meal in the evening. Read more>>
Lawrence Thunell
A normal day for me right now is a schedule flipped upside down. I work my ‘day job’ at night. I work as an Online Assist on the Bachelor series 7pm-6am and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This allows me to work as an actor/vo artist during the day. Currently, I’m recording an audiobook and trying to get back into a workout routine. Read more>>
Tiana DeNicola
A typical day for me starts with a quiet moment—having morning tea with my wife—before diving into a fast-paced workday. Most of my time is spent booking talent for our video series, directing on set, and interviewing celebrities. Since I’m on set or producing content Monday through Friday, my days are fully immersed in the creative world of video production. Read more>>
Lydia Mong-Yi Wu
One new thing that I tried over the last couple of months was learning to play the pipe organ. My main instrument is the piano. Playing the pipe organ requires a LOT more coordination than I currently am able. Both feet have to play 32 pedals, arranged like piano keys. So in effect, its as if organists play with 4 hands! It’s mind-blowing. Read more>>
Danilo Kawasaki
Undoubtedly, my mom is my biggest inspiration. She has taught me so many valuable lessons, mostly around good values and positive beliefs that even though she is no longer with us, these lessons continue to be my guide and true north. Read more>>
Maci Montes
i think the first time i publicly told my mental health story was like a part of me was finally released. i was very secretive about it at first, i mean of course, i was a pre teen, i was terrified of what was happening in my little brain & i wore huge black hoodies even in 100 degree weather. Read more>>
Jessica Sonnenthal
When I was 17 I had just finished one of my biggest most challenging pieces at the time. It was of an ocean when the sun is just about to go down. The light hit the waves in the most magnificent colors. I didn’t want to show anyone the piece until it was completely finished. Read more>>
Tanja
I’ll set the scene: I’m in third grade at my very first concert-Hilary Duff. I was (and still am) her biggest fan. Watching her on stage, hearing the crowd scream every lyric back to her, it just lit something in me. I’d always wanted to be a pop star, but in that moment it shifted from a dream into a kind of conviction. Read more>>
Etienne Monsaingeon
My earliest memory of feeling truly powerful was the moment I realized I wanted to devote my life to music. I had just transitioned from the discipline of classical study to the freedom of jazz and improvisation. Until then, music had been a solitary pursuit, something I played only for myself. Read more>>
Chris Lam
This is a bit embarrassing, but I would take my favorite scenes from Sailor Moon and try to reenact them to a T. Even though it was animation, I would try to match the timing of the unrealistic physicalities and every intonation of the English dub, including the transformation sequences. Read more>>
Kimberly Aguilar
My earliest memory of feeling powerful was when my parents told me I would need to pay for my own beauty school tuition. They didn’t just question my choice—they looked down on me for pursuing this career path. But instead of letting that discourage me, I became determined to prove to myself that I could make it work. Read more>>
Jenny Huynh
This was sometime in 4th grade, there was this easel in the classroom and everybody must have been on break or something because I was surrounded by a couple of classmates. I was sitting in the easel, wooden panels meeting at a point above me like a little house. Read more>>
Reewa (Reevs) Rathod
My earliest memory of feeling truly powerful was when I composed my very first song. I must have been quite young at the time, but the experience left a profound and lasting impression on me. There was something utterly transformative about sitting down, entirely on my own, and creating something that hadn’t existed before. Something born purely of imagination, emotion, and intuition. Read more>>
Emilia Mendieta Córdova
I like to live my life as regret-free as possible. And by that I mean I’d rather try and fail than live with the regret of having never tried at all. It might take me a hot second to build up the courage to try something, but ultimately I do it. Read more>>
Yagiz Oral
If there’s one thing I would regret not doing, it’s continuing to explore the world and embrace new experiences. Traveling and discovering new places not only provide me with inspiration and motivation, but they also give me a profound sense of being alive. Experiencing the world fully is essential to how I connect with life, and missing out on that would be a true regret. Read more>>
Jess Dang
They’d probably say I care most about faith, growth, community, and doing good in the world, often through creative work. And if they were teasing me, they’d add that I’m particular, an overthinker, and a bit more introverted than people might assume, more private than I seem, even though my Instagram is full of food and travel photos. Read more>>
Lenka Padysakova
Professionalism, loyalty, honesty and reliability. Read more>>
Apoorva Sankar
A moment that really shaped how I see the world was when I first began exploring the intersection of AI and creativity. As an editor, I’ve always relied on storytelling instincts and technical precision, but seeing how AI and advanced editing software can expand those possibilities changed my perspective. Read more>>
Clare Margaret Donovan
In our current world, it is extremely hard to function whilst being a witness to the horrific occurrences that come each day, nor should we. We cannot ignore these things or become desensitized. However, it’s also important to realize that we have to take care of ourselves in order to ultimately be able to help, especially as an artist. Read more>>
Nancy Goodman Lawrence
Based on recent experience and the ages of my friends and me, I am making a conscious effort to follow my instinct about checking in with people on a regular basis – with no standing on ceremony and an acknowledgment that people have a lot going on in their lives and have good intentions about staying in touch but too often let time go by. Read more>>
Tim Trusss
I stopped hiding my pain and began using it as power when I would write. A huge influence on me was reading Tupac a rose that grew from the concrete and music just hearing so many songs analyzing different lyrics. Read more>>
Johnny Metro
Oh I feel true joy anytime I walk into a theme park – that’s exactly why I got into content creation to begin with. I think a lot of people can relate and resonate with me when I say the parks spark an endless amount of joy for me. Read more>>
Lo Artiz
The last time I felt true joy was at my last performance at The Troubadour in Los Angeles. I didn’t know it yet but in a year’s time I would injure my voice and not be able to perform for some time. When I’m performing, it feels like home. Like the cosmos and the entire universe are conspiring for me. Read more>>
Piran Zarifian
The last time I felt true joy was with my children. Since becoming a father, I’ve found myself rediscovering the world through their eyes. My oldest son, in particular, has taught me to slow down and notice the simple things, like how fascinating a butterfly is, how magical a puddle can be, how every moment holds the potential for laughter and wonder. Read more>>
Roamy
When I complete a song it really brings me the most joy. Read more>>
Chloe Temtchine
Currently, as I answer these interview questions, I’m so grateful that I’m not in pain, that I can breathe, and that the people I love are happy and healthy. That’s true joy to me. Read more>>
Robin Finn
Smart people are getting it wrong when it comes to writing. People who want to write but don’t will blame it on their lack of time, their job, their kids, their travel schedule, their energy level — anything they can think of — for why they haven’t written. But none of these things are the real problem. Read more>>
Eli Gabrieloff
I see that a lot of smart people think the agenda should always be about siding with the weak against the strong. But I believe they’re aiming at the wrong target—it should be about siding with the moral against the immoral. Strength and weakness shift with time, but morality is the compass that actually keeps us on course. Read more>>
Austen Jux-Chandler
That more data/research/science will convince people of the truth. People need human stories and a means to connect to what the data means and how it actually impacts them. Numbers are meaningless if they don’t have context. Storytelling is what shifts power. Read more>>
Emily Barth Isler
Last week, we hosted a meetup for our volunteers– the book lovers and readers who are going to help make the Burbank Book Festival happen! We’d been having some zoom meetings and lots of emails, and a few people mentioned that part of the reason they wanted to volunteer for the festival is because they want community. Read more>>
Diamond Allen
I’m learning from all the actors and filmmakers that havecome before me. I’m studying their work truly studying taking the best parts of them. To learn from and strengthen my own craft. Read more>>
Natasha Rivero
I am learning from someone that I didn’t expect to be in my life at the moment. They teach me how it is to show up for yourself, even in moments where you may be embarrassed or it’s difficult because you’re counting yourself out. Read more>>
Chris Battle
Probably my parents — They could see that I was a seriously driven childhood artist (prone to obsessively attempting to draw the PERFECT Snoopy and not resting until I had achieved some semblance of that artistic perfection) and encouraged & nurtured my interests and pursuit of a career in the arts. Read more>>
