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 the Valley.
Amalia Khachikian
I was born in Bandar Pahlavi, a breathtaking city along the Caspian Sea in northern Iran. As an Armenian born and raised in Iran, I had the rare gift of growing up in two vibrant cultures. My heart beats with the rhythm of Armenian traditions, but it also holds deep love and connection to Iranian roots, the warmth of its people, the poetry in its language, and the beauty of its land. That rich blend has always been part of who I am. Read more>>
Jesua Olvera Jaramillo
My mom, a hairdresser, took me to a beauty convention where she saw a booth for a makeup school. She told me, “You have to talk to them.” That school turned out to be the Westmore Academy of Cosmetic Arts and that moment sparked everything. I took a few detours along the way, but in 2015 I moved back to Los Angeles to fully commit to my path in makeup. Since then, I’ve worked on a popular podcast and across various productions, but my true passion is doing makeup for film. Read more>>
Louisa Foong
It all started with a love for music from childhood. I began piano at age four, went through Yamaha’s musical program for kids, and later studied at the International College of Music in Malaysia before transferring to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where I graduated Summa Cum Laude in Contemporary Writing and Production. Music has always been the thread running through my life, whether in performance, composing, producing, or teaching. Read more>>
Robert Zorlu
Our community has grown into a family. Friendships are build during drills, and yes, the occasional torn ligament becomes a badge of honor. And while we take martial arts seriously, we never take ourselves too seriously.. Playfulness at Tao of Jiu of Jitsu and laughter is as important as learning. Read more>>
Brandon Rogers
I’ve been making videos since high school, before YouTube was even a thing. I’d make them with my friends, then we’d all sit down at lunch and I’d screen them off a TV. There wasn’t a platform to post them on yet—I was just making stuff so my family and friends could watch. Read more>>
Steve Grigdesby
Part one was an active duty enlistment in the United States Air Force, part two was finishing my bachelor’s degree, and part three was graduate film school. By the time those 10 years were up, I’d been paid to write my first screenplay and had plenty of other below-the-line production experience on big movies and TV shows. Post-strikes, I’ve pivoted to a more stable day job, but I’m writing more than I ever have before. My creative work these days is from a place of pure passion and discovery–just like when I was a kid–which is incredibly freeing. Read more>>
Robert Fabiani
He’s an older actor, but I really admire the guy because he’s constantly working, and able to keep his privacy!! That’s what I want!! My dream is to be constantly working as an actor, but to, also, be able to walk down the street without anyone recognizing me!! There’s a lot more to my story, but that’s basically the sum of it. At the end i’d like to say that I’m blessed to have such a wonderful wife, and 2 amazing kids! 1 of them is an actor as well, he was just on Matlock! Thanks for reading my story. Read more>>
Danny Plotner
Growing up I was drawn to super heroes, action/sci-fi stars and horror movies all the while realizing that my sexuality was different than my friend group. Being raised catholic and going to private school for twelve years of my life I didn’t have the opportunity or resources to understand who I was. As well as not having a very diverse group of friends that were interested in the same type of strange media that I enjoyed. Read more>>
Daniel Tal
My journey to this industry started when I was very young, however it didn’t begin with animation, but with video games. At an early age I fell in love with games, notably Role playing games, and MMOs. I would get so immersed in the worlds and spend countless hours playing with the friends I had made. I loved games so much that I had decided I wanted my career to be making art for video games, as I thought that it would be a way I can have an impact on all these amazing worlds and stories I grew up playing. Read more>>
Phukrit (MAX) Udomdethtakul
I was born and raised in the south of Thailand, where I spent every summer break with my grandma. Her morning routine was to wake up early and go to the local market to buy ingredients for cooking. She loved to prepare authentic Thai dishes for me. Over time, I didn’t realize that I loved cooking until my childhood memories flashback , 2009 when I’m here in the States. My first job in the food industrial was at a Thai and Japanese restaurant as server, which was my first experience getting to know Japanese cuisine. Read more>>
Apoorv Arora
My story really begins with curiosity, a desire to understand people and tell stories that feel both personal and universal. I didn’t grow up with the luxury of a ready-made path into film, but I had a relentless drive to create. That drive pushed me to start producing independent projects — from music videos to short films, where every set became my classroom and every challenge became part of my training. Read more>>
Janet Goliger
Immediately it was praised by students, teachers and parents and had already saved the lives of 2 students. Within 2 years the C.L.A.S.S. Self Defense program was being taught within physical education classes in 3 of the elementary schools. In 2002, my district asked me to train all elementary and middle school physical education teachers so they could incorporate my program within their curriculums. Read more>>
Tracy Cook
“I actually started my career in the fitness industry—I was a personal trainer for about eight years. What I realized during that time was that I really loved the sales process. I enjoyed not just helping clients one-on-one, but also understanding why people make decisions and how to connect with them on a bigger scale. Read more>>
Jill Gelardi
As word spread, more requests came in. Soon, I realized this was more than a side passion it was a calling. I wanted to offer a service that went beyond the basics. Too often, I saw pet care in our area treated casually, without the professionalism or dedication pets deserve. I envisioned something different: a team built on love, reliability, and high standards. That’s when Fur-Priority, LLC was born. Read more>>
Nisa Marckese
Nails by Nisa started about 5 years ago as a complete risk and adventure. I was feeling stagnant and incomplete in my life at the time. I needed change and more fulfillment. I was tired of working as an employee and wanted to be a self-made entrepreneur. I dug deep into all my passions and dreams then asked myself out of those what can I turn into a career. I have always loved getting my nails done. It’s been the easiest way to express myself in a creative way. I decided that’s where I’ll start. I saw on Instagram a nail artist (@designsbydanni) that I had been following for some time was hosting a nail class for all skill levels that included a nail kit. I signed up even though I knew I had very little experience but wanted to learn more. Read more>>
Natasha MADARIAN
Our story really began with David’s lifelong passion for cars. He grew up fascinated by how things worked under the hood, which led him to pursue an AA degree in automotive studies and eventually earn all eight ASE certifications, becoming a Master Technician. After years of working in both body and mechanical repair, he opened Concierge Autoworks with a focus on integrity, quality, and community. Read more>>
Alex Steric
In 2012, I graduated from USC with my Master’s in Social Work, a degree that set the foundation for the work I do today. Over the past decade, I’ve poured my energy into supporting mothers and families, and in 2021, my husband and I moved with our two daughters to Ventura, where we’ve built our family life. Read more>>
Craig Watkinson
An educator friend said she thought I’d make a really good teacher and recommended I go back to college for my teaching degree and credentials. I took her advice. I started off doing sub work in both the LAUSD and Burbank USD before landing at the Westmark School in Encino. Their population of students was composed of really bright, highly motivated kids who had all had some sort of learning difference: dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, executive functioning challenges, etc. I immediately found the work wonderfully challenging and incredibly rewarding. Read more>>
Julian Perez
Honestly no, there’s typical struggles such as limits to what I can achieve as an independent artist but also something I’ve struggled a lot with recently is self identity and mental health. A lot of the times the best way I get to express myself to the listeners of our music is lyrically. On stage a switch goes on and I’m a performer but behind the scenes I find myself dealing with real deep issues that I find myself confessing about through songs. Read more>>
Zachary Tupaz
I drove out to Venice Beach to meet my friend by the tennis courts on my birthday I gave one haircut to a guy on the street because he asked to look like Lil Boosie, my friend is really famous and made a professional video of me to upload on social media, his foundation and products have been a huge part of my skill set, I became to passionate about the art of barbering and cosmetology I got two tattoo’s 1 straight razor and 1 scissor/palmtree to represent where I started the Scissors for the styling side, Palm Trees represent southern california and the straight razor for shaving the best clients in the world and that is Robert Downey Jr. Read more>>
Rev Leslie Peters RN
I’ve been a leader all my life, my authenticity naturally leads by example – inspiring some, infuriating some. Because I feel safe with me, I don’t need to lead from a pedestal. I find more fulfillment leading by walk beside people — guiding them out of the complexity and frustration of doing the game and back into the sacred simplicity and joy of being free to find their own game. Read more>>
Laura Krupp
I’ve always had a thing for making stuff—give me wood, paint, and an idea, and I’ll happily disappear into my workshop for hours. What started as little décor projects for my own home (and the occasional “can you make me one too?” from friends) slowly snowballed. People weren’t just liking what I made—they wanted more. That’s when I realized this hobby of mine might actually have legs. Read more>>
Gianna Cavarozzi
On our very first day of filming, we casually posted a behind-the-scenes TikTok, the very first video on our account, and it went insanely viral, reaching over twenty million views across social media. It was completely unexpected. By the next day on set, the energy had shifted entirely. Overnight, thousands of strangers on the internet had become invested in our story and our characters. What started as a small student production had suddenly grown into something much bigger than us. Read more>>
Jason Crow
After college, I interned in management, production, and casting, searching for where I truly fit in the entertainment industry. In 2012, I landed in casting and immediately fell in love with the process of discovering talent and helping actors grow. At the same time, my recording journey kept evolving. What began as a bedroom studio became a backhouse studio in Koreatown, where I branched into podcasts, voiceover, ADR for independent films and whatever else anyone needed to record. Read more>>
Brit Baltazar
Everything changed when my father died the summer after my HS sophomore year, while I was working at that internship… My dad was abusive to me and my mom my whole life. He was an asshole. Violent, racist, homophobic – His death added a whole new layer of trauma to my life. Then one of my best friends, the same age as me, died as well. Their deaths changed the trajectory of my whole life. I realized how short it could be. Read more>>
Candy Straight
As a USC graduate majoring in Sociology, people were always my favorite subject! I was also highly interested in different cultures and in studying social patterns. I’ve always had a heart the size of the ocean when it comes to humanity. Call me an idealist, but from a young age, I always wanted to make a HUGE difference in the world! I didn’t know how but I believed I could. I was also resolved to help find solutions to age-old problems in the world as a whole! Read more>>
Sherry Vine
I started performing in drag quite by accident, 35 years ago. I performed a drga character in college just for fun and to do something I’d never done before and something clicked. I always say, “I started drag as a joke and it turned into a career”. Now, 35 years later, I still lvoe it as much as I did in the beginning. I get to travel all over the world performing my comedy show. I created the character in LA, moved to NYC, lived in Berlin for 3 years, moved back to NYC and then in 2019 back to LA – FULL CIRCLE! Read more>>
Vic Gasser
I’ve always had a love for animals, but not people… not at first. I got into dog training as a teenager because I found it fascinating to communicate with another species, and wanted to be someone who helped them be better understood (and I didn’t want to work with people!). I didn’t even realize you could have a career as a dog trainer until I saw some famous dog trainers on TV. That opened up a whole new world to me. I thought if I just did what I saw the ‘pros’ do then I’d be fine, but my mom made me go to college and it’s there I really learned about dogs, and that what I was fan-girling over from TV was not what it seemed. Read more>>
Jessica Gould
After volunteering in the Intellectual developmental disability. world space by serving on state and federal boards ranging from the Department of Developmental Services to regional centers. We opened our doors in 2019 when we independently got approached by a organization serving the population Running as a nonprofit organization known as a service provider, asking us to train them on complex issues ranging from legislative engagement to systematic issues. Read more>>
Cindy Tansin
My career began in banking, where I started as a branch manager and eventually rose to senior management. I was fortunate to achieve a high level of success, but I also realized the role came with significant stress and limited flexibility. That’s when I made the decision to shift into loan production — a space where I could have more control, creativity, and direct impact on clients. Read more>>
King David
I also faced doubts from others and moments where people underestimated me because I wasn’t born into fashion circles. But those struggles became fuel. They pushed me to expand into Sherman Oaks Galleria, source fabrics directly from Milan, and create suits that now appear at weddings, in courtrooms, and even on the Emmy Awards red carpet. Read more>>
Aldrin Hartunian
I first experimented with adult websites, but soon joined forces with my brother, who was running a pre-employment verification business. As technology advanced, I continued to teach myself and master multiple programming languages including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, ASP, and MySQL. This foundation allowed me to build not only websites but also custom web-driven applications that helped businesses operate more efficiently. Read more>>
Nora Bice
I specialize in online individual therapy for women struggling with relationship challenges of all kinds. Whether it’s issues with communication in a romantic relationship, challenges navigating the dating world, difficulties setting boundaries with family members, struggles with parenting, or issues connecting with friends or coworkers, I help women lower their anxiety and increase their confidence about identifying and asking for what they want and need. Read more>>
Cesario Lamas
I started SVG in the BayArea during Covid and that did very well with my reputation but unfortunately I ended up having a fall out with my business partner who had a different agenda then I did. I moved to LA short after which led to The Auto Lounge which I started with Eric. Me and Eric actually worked at the same Mercedes Benz dealer for a few years and always talked about opening a shop prior to any. My family started in SoCal Oxnard CA to be exact as immigrants from Mexico and worked the fields in the late 50’s to 60’s. Read more>>
Omar Limon
Providing a sweet treat for all families, uniting different generations on different Latin countries. It reminds our customers of their home and their childhood and it’s beautiful to see the children share the same snowcones parents grew up with in their own respective hometown. Read more>>
Lori Allen
As a new mom, I only worked a handful of hours a week, and I specialized in working with kids with anxiety. I quickly realized that the fastest way to help the kids I was seeing, was to work with the parents, equipping them with skills to help their child in the moment. When I began to work with in this model, the business grew larger than I could handle on my own. In 2018, I expanded and opened Village Wellness Family Counseling. I hired a team of amazing clinicians and we are now able to serve families in the Conejo Valley in the way I always envisioned. Read more>>
Zach Tupaz
Visualization is key I’ve had the opportunity to meet with A-List talent and Directors who offered to pay me up front for my work. I’ve traveled to various locations at different times and worked on commercials, photoshoots and social media gigs. One day I was on the news for helping the homeless I got the chance to donate my time to help people in need on skid row at the LA Mission the company there has been supportive and once a year for my birthday I’ll volunteer at the local children’s hospital or nursing home. Read more>>
Rummer
A few years later, people went their separate ways, but in 2019 I linked with my cousin Kion. He helped me put together my Stop Playin project and the Misunderstood EP. Even though there were times I wanted to quit, I’ve got family and friends who kept reminding me that I’m meant for this, I just have to stay consistent. Read more>>
Ashley Randall
Through my work, my goal has been to help people not feel broken, feel seen and understood on deeper levels. We’re often conditioned to not approach the “taboo”, much less speak it aloud in the most significant relationships in our lives, because we may be rejected at different levels or worse, have it weaponized against us. I like to joke that at my first job at Hot Topic, I lead people into “the dark side” or something they felt called to. I think it’s funny because it definitely tracks with what I do today. Read more>>
Raisa Cipriano
My fiancé—who, funnily enough, is a physical therapist—and I currently live in Burbank but are planning to move closer to the Woodland Hills community. Our shared dream is for him to eventually join the practice so that together we can provide a truly holistic approach to care, blending chiropractic and physical therapy to better serve our patients. Read more>>
Heather Blair
Not at all. My most recent role at a major corporation was one of the toughest chapters of my career. I was brought in for my experience and contacts in cinema and esports, but their position was that while very connected in those markets my relationships weren’t transactional. I struggled professionally and personally. I really wanted to prove them wrong, but they consolidated two departments and my position was terminated. Read more>>
Merridith Gonzalez
I spent over 20 years building a career in medical sales, a space where I thrived on knowledge, problem-solving, and helping others. In 2020, that journey was abruptly altered when a corporate restructure forced a pivot I hadn’t anticipated. Suddenly, I found myself navigating a new path in the finance world as a long-term care specialist. On the surface, it seemed like a smooth transition. I was still helping families plan for the future, but I hadn’t given myself the time to mourn the identity I had in the medical field. That part of me, the woman who had dedicated decades to her career, deserved acknowledgment and reflection. Read more>>
Maimuna Venzant
At some point my passion grew for the arts and I found myself drawing all the time, and I made new friends in middle and high school who loved drawing as well. But at some point I felt I needed to focus on getting a job, which for me was a doctor, so I pretty much stopped drawing to focus on school. But whenever there was an assignment that involved some kind of drawing, I just went all out. I really should have figured out my feelings then. But after high school, off I went to Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in 2012 to pursue a career in Medicine. Read more>>
Shakina Rawlings
I grew up with the reality of not just one absent parent, but two. My mother and father were not present in my life until much later, and from birth my grandparents stepped in to raise me. That absence left me wrestling with feelings of rejection and abandonment at an early age. It is one thing to grow up missing the support of one parent, but to long for both left a void that was hard to carry. Read more>>
Courtney Nord
My journey takes a turn after my first album where I started jumping into the realm of music licensing (with no immediate signings or success till 3 years later). Sync was exciting and I was mesmerized that I had this type of opportunity that independent artists had. There is a common misconception that we need labels, education, or connections to succeed in music. Thats not true. You don’t even need “talent” you just need passion. This journey with sync took me on a path back to school with aspirations of eventually studying law. Read more>>
Danica Lio
What started as simply sharing photos on Instagram became a platform for connection and storytelling. That’s how The Memoirs of a Mommy was born. For me, it’s more than just sharing family life—it’s a space where women and mothers can connect on a deeper level and be reminded that there’s more to us beyond motherhood. My hope is to show that motherhood can feel “doable,” even in different seasons of life. I like to consider myself your #momlife bestie in your digital village. Read more>>
Ryan Letts
There are a couple of kinks in my narrative, which relate to being an effeminate, queer child in a deeply religious and sportsmanlike family. We can skip over all the trauma dumping, but suffice it to say it took me awhile to find my niche as a young human. I joined show choir my sophomore year and was exposed to teenagers as gay and energetic (if not more) than me and everything slowly fell into place. Read more>>
Frida Karsberg
Growing up, horses were always part of my life. When I moved to LA, I felt myself drawn back to them, riding again at t riding school in Topanga. What struck me was not just the freedom of being on a horse, but their deep intuition. Horses have this extraordinary ability to see us as we are. They can heal and mend whats broken on the inside simply by how they meet us. I knew then that I wanted to share this with others – to teach humans how to heal with the help of horses. Read more>>
Shelley Acker
I began my career in 2003, fresh out of FIDM with a degree in design, still exploring where I wanted to focus my energy. At the time, I was leaning toward hospitality design, but an unexpected opportunity at the high-end Italian brand Boffi shifted everything. From the moment I walked into the showroom, I was drawn in by the precision, functionality, and elegance of the work and it sparked a deep and lasting love for kitchen and bath design. Read more>>
Ariel Tama
For many years in Israel, I also taught hip-hop in studios and community centers, helping shape young dancers and watching them grow not only in skill but also in confidence. Teaching has always been a huge passion of mine, and here in Los Angeles I aim to continue sharing my knowledge and eventually create a space where dancers feel inspired and supported. Read more>>
Madison Kaminsky
Music has been the main focus of my life since day 1. My dad, who is also a pianist, would sit me on his lap and pretend to make me play just like him. Throughout my childhood, I tried a variety of sports like softball and karate, I even tried out acting for a while when I took classes under Sara Wood. No matter what I wanted to venture out and try in my life, music has always been a constant. Read more>>
Carli Haney & Cara Chambrello
BACE really came out of the intersection of our different strengths and passions. Both of us have been indoor cycling instructors for over a decade, and we’ve seen the industry from every angle: teaching, managing studios, training other instructors, and even opening new locations. Read more>>
Guy Ziv
All my designers contractors and whoever need our services are more than welcome to reach out for a free estimate to get some kind of an indication about the way that we handle business from the initial appointments, taking your calls and treating you right to the final part which is the installation making sure that everything is exactly as we promised. All we need is more people to be aware about us Annoying that to work with us means that you cannot go wrong if you’re not happy, I’ll give you your money back. Read more>>
Jonathan Saeidian
I started out fascinated by how digital marketing could give brands an edge—especially when done with strategy and creativity instead of just following the same playbook. Early on, I saw that most agencies were focused on volume and surface-level tactics, but very few were thinking about how to truly connect growth with performance, creative, and technology in one seamless system. Read more>>
Stephanie Lee
It felt so frustrating to see countless doctors, specialists, functional medicine practitioners, and more who were able to give me a diagnosis or a pill but ultimately could not help me feel better. The prescribed medications and supplements, which cost a small fortune, in the end did not provide the lasting relief I so desperately needed. Read more>>
Paula Migliaccio
In addition, I’m a UCLA Peers Certified Social Skills provider plus I help with Independent Life Skills training/tutoring for adults with needs/disabilities wanting to learn life skills math (time, money, budgeting). I also help parents wanting to have their adult with needs/disabilities placed into a job situation that would be more meaningful to them than just “pushing carts at Vons.” I give a 1hr free consult/talk to those who contact me and will refer out to resources/providers I know and trust will help them if I can’t give them the help they need. Read more>>
Amy Karamyan
In late 2018 I hired licensed Phycologists to care for the patients that had started coming in from nearby hospitals and Insurance Companies, I was still in school at that time. To keep it short PACC Mental Health care has doctorate level clinicians ( over 35 at the moment) and over 5000 patients. One of our top referrals are the VAs, but also from all insurances including Medicare. I can say that PACC Mental health is only a few Mental Health Care centers that has Doctorate Degree providers. Read more>>
Terry Neven
Out struggles were primarily learning the politics of the public education system to help families navigate between the public and private schooling systems. We faced many learning opportunities as we developed a schooling system to support families who wanted to teach their own children at home. We served typical families and began to help students of politicians, lawyers, educators, children with special needs, rich and poor families. Families for every ethnicity and economic strata. Read more>>
Sophie Steele
I knew very little about anything upon moving out here (do not recommend haha) but I expected to be told ‘no’ a lot. What I didn’t expect was not getting the opportunity to even be told no. That’s a struggle where you can at least tell yourself you tried but not getting to try suckssssss. Read more>>
Albert Chernogorov
We are known for creating photographs that feel both editorial and heartfelt, blending an artistic eye with a natural, relaxed approach that helps couples feel at ease in front of the camera. Our work has been featured by Vogue, Brides, Style Me Pretty, and many other leading lifestyle and wedding publications – a reflection of the artistry and consistency we bring to every celebration. What sets us apart is the way we merge our European heritage with a modern perspective, ensuring each wedding story is captured with intention, beauty, and authenticity. Brand-wise, we are most proud of the trust our couples place in us and the legacy we help create for them through images that will remain meaningful for generations. Read more>>
Charles Wade
Ironically, my great grandfather Henry Cannon was a master barber in Cleveland Ohio. Owned multiple shops and businesses over 40 plus years. A true hustler and businessman to say the least. The reason I say ironically is because without even one visitation growing up I ended up becoming a barber myself. My grandfather whom I was named after Charles Richard Cannon. Read more>>
Andrew Cardenas
The hardest part of our business is finding good people to employ. I’ve been able to build this business through quality of work, always answering my phone even when I don’t have the answers or or when I don’t want to have those tough conversations. We strive to educate our clients on the investments into their homes and businesses, we prefer quality over quantity. Today and every day it’s a hustle that you have to be built for, I always admire people who look like they have it all figured out, I love to see people do good. It’s my motivation. I always tell people that own businesses we have to be psychotically optimistic Read more>>
Kathryn Tate
I moved out to California after getting sober in 2009. I was 20 years old and recovering from an 8 year addiction. I began working at a treatment center as a residential tech and quickly moved my way up into case management, then admissions. Hypnotherapy was a powerful tool that helped me through my own journey. I completed my CADC, then completed my hypnotherapy certification and started my private practice where I heal others. Read more>>
Ryan Bantu
My mother was preparing to move closer, ready to spend more time with me in Los Angeles and with her three grandchildren. She was a radiant, grounded soul—the kind of person whose presence made the room brighter. When her cancer diagnosis came, we were devastated but determined to fight. Nine months later, she was gone. Losing her didn’t just break my heart—it shattered my sense of direction. My world stopped, and I had to ask myself: what now? Read more>>
Bruce Clay
Started on my dining room table in 1996, early in the spread of search and the internet. Had a focus on SEO, even getting credit for coining that term. Recognized by many as the father of SEO. 3 books, 300+ conference speaking sessions, and offices in Japan, Australia, Asia, all over Europe and India. The real deal. Read more>>
Trish Rave
I became a salon owner and educator after years of experience. It’s taken dedication ..resilience and passion to continue to thrive in sometimes not the best economic climate for small business owners. I do what I do with love ! I’m commited to bringing my clients the best experience at rave beauty bar. I also started my own podcast called tea with trishhhh you can watch every Tuesday at 7 on you tube ! We touch on all subject matters . I’m having a great time trying new things and enjoying the love that surrounds me. Read more>>
Francene Selkirk
There were many times as a casting director and as an actress that I could barely pay my rent. I had to supplement with waitress jobs at The Improv, and working at an answering service, and I assisted directors, and producers …I did their food shopping, picked up their kids from school in addition to occasionally helping with production work..etc. Read more>>
Karla Barrera
I started as a Newborn Care Specialist and Postpartum Doula, providing hands-on support for new parents, helping them navigate feeding, sleep, and the tender adjustments of welcoming a baby. Along the way, I pursued additional certifications—lactation education, infant massage, holistic postpartum practices, and more—because I believe every family deserves both evidence-based care and nurturing rooted in tradition. Read more>>
Rod
A perfect example of risk-taking would fall on my investments into this music. The time, the efforts, the resources, it’s all part of the risk. Read more>>
Lisa Orman
As a new mom 31 years ago, overwhelmed by all the choices to make for my children from strollers to books to playthings, I focused my company on helping entrepreneurial family-focused brands (like I was choosing) to build awareness and loyalty among parents for their products. With a starkly different business model allowing all team members to perform their best skills for all agency clients rather than the typical account exec format, I pioneered a remote workplace before there was an internet or email. Things have changed so much! Read more>>
Morgan Englund
I was the son of a famous actress. She was rarely at home when i was growing up and I learned to be very independent. I never wanted to follow in her footsteps of acting because I wanted to know that I’d earned what I got. Yet, I got into acting in College, transferred to Theater in the Square Theater School in NYC. I did a bunch of theater, but was best known for a role I played in a soap opera called guiding light. The character was named Dylan Lewis. Read more>>
Ariana Hardie
Hi, I’m Ariana! I grew up in a small town near Edinburgh, spending most of my childhood on stage at our local theatre school. While I loved performing, I was just as fascinated by what went on behind the scenes — the lights, the cameras, the sound. My friends and I even made our own short films at the community centre, which really sparked my love for storytelling in all its forms. Read more>>
Josephine Rivera
My current status as an artist is truly only possible because of my luck, my own efforts in pushing the right buttons, the hard work of my parents, and the guidance of the far and few between teachers who’ve encouraged me along the way. Oh and the whims of the job market of course. Read more>>
