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.
Krishane Lee
I had been working on sets in various capacities for t.v. shows and films in the area. One of those jobs being tons of extra work on “One Tree Hill” which connected me with some actors who later became my clients. I had reached out to the management company of an actor/rapper that I was a fan of via Myspace (Aubrey Graham), before he really took off and landed a job as the Assistant to the Owner and Drake’s manager Terral Slack aka “T. Slack”. That influential time in my life and career holds a special place in my heart. Read more>>
Frances Kiradjian
That realization became the spark for founding the **Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association (BLLA)** over 16 years ago. At the time, “boutique” wasn’t even a common term in hospitality, but I saw its potential to redefine travel through creativity, authenticity, and personal connection. I wanted to give a voice and platform to the independent hotel owners, visionaries, and entrepreneurs who were shaping culture through their properties and businesses. Read more>>
Alison Goldberg
I went back to school to earn a master’s degree in counseling with a specialization in career counseling, allowing me to blend my love for teaching with my commitment to guiding people through career transitions. I began working as a job developer and career counselor at a treatment center and eventually became the Director of Career Services. Over more than six years, I built out comprehensive career programming, administering Strong and MBTI assessments, creating workshops and internship programs, facilitating groups, and helping hundreds of people find meaningful jobs or educational paths. Read more>>
Michelle Gertz
That’s what led me to Professional Coaching, Group facilitation and Creating Workshops. Today, I lead programs and conversations that help people — especially parents and those in midlife transitions — reconnect with themselves, their purpose, and their growth. My approach blends the storytelling and human insight from my casting background with the tools of personal development. It’s about helping people rewrite their inner script, move through change with intention, and rediscover what fulfillment looks like now. Read more>>
Alexandra Sasha Tarakanov
When my family immigrated to Israel after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the socialist regime, I was fifteen years old and found myself immersed in a society that revered religion, where spiritual dogma was deeply woven into politics and daily life. For fifteen years, I lived within this opposite paradigm, absorbing both its gifts and its limits. Read more>>
Gracee Weinrieb
While still running trails and roads. I fell in love with Crossfit. Before my 5am Crossfit class, I would run 3-5 miles. I created a run club geared specifically for working mom and dads, new moms and post partum moms. Eventually, kids, dads and all types of runners filled the space I created! It is beautiful. I would say, my son, Caleb is the driving force and I dedicated my passion. From coaching, Into running and leading incredible athletes… it’s a beautiful time! Read more>>
EL Sports Bra Guy” Sanders”
My life’s journey began in fashion, I modeled from age 3 to 22 and continued on through athletics, playing football from high school to college and eventually attending an NFL mini-camp. I earned my Sociology degree from California State University, Northridge (Class of 1994), and I’m a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., in which my name is etched on the organization’s Commemorative Stone at Howard University – a lifetime honor that I deeply cherish. Read more>>
John James Santangelo PhD
John’s BIOGRAPHY… Meet John James Santangelo PhD. His Infectious spirit, his sense of balance, and his ability to entertain while teaching will offer all participants an exciting and enriching experience. Read more>>
Paula Tiberius
I’m a writer, director and musician who loves to create – and my shiny new business is called Death or Story. With my partner Dominique Buda, we’re off and running with a series of screenwriting workshops teaching our signature method of dissecting a screenplay two ways at once. Read more>>
Mirit Adler
My journey into natural healing began in 2012, when I became a mother. Motherhood opened my eyes to the incredible wisdom of the human body. I became deeply curious — I wanted to understand how the body works, why diseases appear, how it cleanses itself, and what makes true healing possible. Read more>>
Leigh Ann Stewart
My name is Leigh Ann Stewart, Owner and operator of Noah’s Nosh. We are a local meal delivery service and caterer. We are based in Burbank and just celebrated our 10th year serving our community and areas throughout Northeast LA. I cooked professionally and ran kitchens for other chefs for over a decade prior to having my first son (Noah!). Read more>>
Pranav Kulkarni
Our story started with a simple belief: if high school students are mentored to do real, peer‑reviewed research at a postgraduate level, they can unlock the same doors that open for top scholars. Echelon Scholars was founded by researchers from Stanford, Harvard, and UC Berkeley to make that belief practical. Read more>>
Ashley Konzmann
I am an artist and a yoga studio co-owner. I was always drawn to visual arts since childhood. This passion led to me studying art and eventually pursue an MFA in Sculpture, which I will complete at the end of this year. My primary medium is clay, though I have extensive experience in painting, drawing, and printing. Read more>>
Hedda Jason
Thank you again for reaching out to me to update my story. As the previous article noted I had a successful staging business for the past twelve years. JuxtapositionLA. My life as a creative allowed me to express myself in many different ways. I started down that path earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute. Read more>>
Cameron Dutra
I’ve always been an artist. As a kid, I spent hours drawing and knew early on that I wanted to do something creative for a living. In high school, I fell in love with photography and started filming skateboarding and surfing as my friends’ skills outpaced mine. I realized I was more comfortable capturing the action than throwing myself down a ten-stair. Read more>>
Dr. Barbara Morris Jensen
As a young teen I knew I wanted to be a psychologist, however due to trauma I repeatedly experienced within a very dysfunctional family, and repeated bullying throughout my school years, I had lost sense of myself. The result was a long journey to organize my thoughts, untangle my emotions, and find a path forward that was in service of myself and others. Read more>>
Steven Munoz
Break Room LA began with a simple vision of two high school friends to shake up the entertainment scene and give guests something completely new to experience. When most people think of LA, they picture Hollywood Boulevard and the endless list of tourist attractions. Read more>>
Lorensa
onestly my journey has been a mix of magic and madness. I started making music because it was the only thing that really made sense to me. When I moved to LA I didn’t know anyone or have any real connections, I just knew I had something I needed to say. The path hasn’t been easy at all. Read more>>
Eric Sherman
CI Wear was born from personal experience and a deep desire to help my son do the things he enjoys while still being able to hear. Our journey began with our son, who has bilateral cochlear implants. We loved watching him swim. It was his favorite thing in the world. Read more>>
Sean Hargreaves
I was born in Blackpool,UK. and moved to the U.S. when I was young. I came to Pasadena, California in 1986 to attend the Art Center College of Design to study car design, known as Transportation Design. I graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree and was hired by General Motors Advanced Concepts Center to design concept cars. Read more>>
Laws Charlotte
I am a recovering debutante. I grew up in high-society Atlanta, unimpressed with the country club parties and finger-sandwich luncheons. My adoptive parents believed that whoever died with the most stuff won. They were biased against minorities, owned cattle as a sideline investment, and had no interest in philosophy or current events. Luckily, I was adopted so my genes were different. Read more>>
Jon Sosis
A few years into Warner Music Group, I began managing my first artist and when the pandemic hit, I accepted a job in Los Angeles launching and running a full service production studio, record label and podcast network where I was entirely hands on with talent and production. Producing a handful of comedy specials and helping get some amazing projects off the ground like Adam Ray’s “Dr. Phil LIVE” really amped up my desire to make talent and project development my career path. Read more>>
Lissi Kaplan
I’m Lissi Kaplan, a Los Angeles–based artist and author who has always believed that art is a way of seeing — of noticing beauty in the quiet places most people overlook. My creative journey began in fine art, where I specialized in hand-painted porcelain. Read more>>
SARZ
I grew up fast, taking on the role of a caretaker before I even understood who I was. For a long time, that weight turned inward and showed up as silence and heaviness. Over time, I realized that the same energy that once wore me down could also become my fuel. I started creating, first with painting, then with drawing, tattooing, modeling, and makeup. Read more>>
Amanda Mikhail
I grew up in New York and have always wanted to be an actress. Much to the dismay of Puerto Rican and Egyptian parents, I begged to apply to LaGuardia High School and failed the Stuyvesant placement test. In an attempt to abide by their wishes, I double majored in Psychology and Art History with plans to pursue the former professionally. Read more>>
Erica Sadeghani
My connection to film started when I was young. Movies were where I found comfort, diverse perspectives, and a sense of belonging. I didn’t grow up around anyone who worked in entertainment, so I never saw it as something I could realistically pursue. That changed during a middle school field trip to NBC Studios, now known as The Burbank Studios. Read more>>
Rahne Keith
As a kid, I was always drawn to performance and storytelling. But, like most adults, life eventually pulled me further away from those playful childhood dreams. I built a career in healthcare as a project manager — the job was predictable, the pay was steady, and life was relentlessly boring — and I was fine with that. Read more>>
Terrance Hunter
I’ve always said I’m a west coast kid stuck in a midwest boys body. I was actually born here in Riverside, CA where my mother lived while my dad was in the navy. Read more>>
Mark Stewart
Born in ’74 in Alameda County. Moved to Ventura in ’77. BA in Linguistics from CSUN. Work at Drum Workshop for 24 years. Married with children. I think the two most interesting things about me right now are my music and Venchura. I play bass and sing in fun bands like Power Chicken, Those Darn Amigos, and Professional Americans. Read more>>
Michael Novas
Back in 2010, what started as a kid in middle school having a random day where he was messing around freestyling with friends would unlock a creative hobby that he didn’t know he was passionate about at the time. That’s an extreme simplification of the events that actually happened, as we can have an entire interview on origin stories, but I’ll keep that part short. Read more>>
Tomas Costanza
“I didn’t come from a music industry family or anything. My dad was an NYPD cop and my mom drove a school bus. I just fell in love with music at very early age, learned guitar, and chased it hard enough to get into the High School of Performing Arts and later Berklee. Read more>>
Alex Juneja
Coming from a myriad of different disciplines and experiences, I wanted to ‘be the change I wanted to see in the world’. Growing up, my relationship with education–especially math–was filled with distrust at best. I felt like I was always struggling to meet expectations, and that took a toll both on my grades and my own emotional well-being. Read more>>
dina braverman
In June 2010, after 30 years of working in the legal industry, I decided that it was time to start my own business. I left my career as a Legal Assistant, Paralegal and Office Manager of a West Side Law Firm and started Organizing Concepts and Designs aka OCD. Read more>>
Jasper Bickers
Yeah—I was born in Tokyo, Japan and grew up just outside of Chicago, Illinois. My parents are both music and theater lovers, so they often took me out to go see concerts and shows. That led me to having many creative pursuits as a child. Read more>>
Lyndsay Soprano
The Aftermath: Giving Pain Purpose When the Headlines Fade I’m a creative to the core—a storyteller, strategist, and survivor who’s built a life and career out of turning pain into power. For more than two decades, I’ve led Bound-by Marketing, my boutique agency known for branding that bleeds honesty, grit, and soul. Read more>>
Healing Justice Santa Barbara
Healing Justice Santa Barbara started from a place of grief and mourning over the continued loss of Black lives, locally and nationally in the midst of 2020. Further, Santa Barbara can be an isolating place for Black people who are often targeted while simultaneously erased. Our work took many forms including healing circles, artivism, advocacy around community safety and intergenerational connections. Read more>>
Zach Bellissimo
For the animation industry I’m a storyboard artist and director. For myself I’m a creator, illustrator, animator, and maestro of whatever silly things come to my mind. I like wearing many different hats, and my forehead is definitely big enough for it. I’m originally from Long Island, New York. Read more>>
J.N. Gould
It’s a story, going from welding in my dad’s shop to being an attorney for heavy industrial clients, to where I am now as an award winning actor, writer, and producer. When I look back, I can just say its been a lot of fun. Read more>>
Katrina Soelter
My path into finance wasn’t exactly what you’d expect—I actually started out as an elementary school teacher after college, where I studied philosophy and German. But even then, I was really curious about how money connects to the way we live and the decisions we make every day. That curiosity initially started for me during a personal finance class I took in college. Read more>>
Laura Garcia
JUUCA was born from love and necessity. When our Labrador, Mia, was a puppy, she suffered from allergies that made her skin red, itchy, and uncomfortable. After months of vet visits and medications that never seemed to help, I started searching for another way. I wanted something gentle, something pure, something that actually worked. That search led me into the world of handmade skincare. Read more>>
Jane Poole
I am the Artistic Director of Faith Presbyterian Church of Valley Village. I am also a professional singer in the entertainment business of 25 years in LA. Read more>>
Samantha Gonzales
I began my career as a Behavior Interventionist, working in the homes of children with autism using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). It was my first real job. At the time, I had never even heard of ABA—I just knew I wanted to help people. ABA uses the science of behavior to teach new skills and reduce behaviors that may be harmful or disruptive. Read more>>
Tiffany Oglesby
I grew up in College Park, Georgia just minutes away from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and home to many notable athletes and artists including: Cam Newton, Jermaine Dupri, Monica, and 2 Chainz. My interest in acting started at the age of fourteen when I was preparing to make the transition from middle to high school. Read more>>
Nicole Hintz
There was a time in my life when everything looked fine on the outside, but inside I was breaking. I carried years of trauma, abuse, and disappointment… cycles that had run through my bloodline for generations. I was a single mom doing my best to keep my head above water, but silently drowning under the weight of pain I didn’t know how to heal. Read more>>
Matt Reed
Justin Ballard founded Just Hope Healing Center after surviving a life-threatening illness that baffled top physicians, leading him to discover and refine frequency-based healing technologies. A scientist, inventor, and former Fortune 500 analytics expert, Justin Ballard transitioned from high-level tech innovation to holistic healing after his own health crisis in 2013. Read more>>
Juls Hoover
Hi! My name is Juls Hoover, I am a Southern California native. I attended undergrad at San Diego State University where I studied Psychology and Theatre Arts. The summer before graduating I attended the British American Drama Academy’s midsummer program in Oxford. Last year, I completed my masters in clinical psychology at Antioch University with the specialization in Addiction and Recovery. Read more>>
Patience Victoria
I can’t remember a time when music wasn’t part of my life. My mom would sing to me when I was a baby and my parents often took us to see shows: musicals, orchestral concerts, ballets, etc. It wasn’t until I started school in-person (I was homeschooled until seventh grade) that I learned I could be up there on stage as well! Read more>>
Stefanie Flenoy-Tidwell
I am a single mother. I am a big family person and adventurer. I love nature and the outdoors. When I was younger I was in motor cross. I was just having fun not knowing what I wanted to be. Life was carefree and fun. Fast forward I have been working the most complex employment position for the last 8 years. Read more>>
Julia Monteon
I was raised in Ukraine by my wonderfully creative grandmother, who introduced me to great playwrights, music, and dance at a very young age. At fifteen, I performed in my first musical, and by sixteen, I had written one of my own, which received high acclaim. Read more>>
Kyle & Teresa Tucker
Our story really began when we were just 15 and we’ve been together ever since! Teresa liked to sing and play piano, and Kyle—wanting to impress her—picked up the bass. Before long, Teresa learned guitar, and we started a band together. We played all through college, where Teresa studied Marketing and Kyle attended the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in Arizona. Read more>>
The Wesley School
Wesley was founded in 1999 by a group of parents after the closing of St. Michael’s in Studio City. This unit of concerned families decided to move the school, and began by finding a home on the property of the First United Methodist Church in North Hollywood. Read more>>
Amy Kaplan
I’ve always been drawn to the legal field, though I never felt compelled to pursue the path of becoming an attorney. After studying law in college, I began my career as a paralegal; and before I knew it, more than a decade had flown by. Read more>>
Benjamin Ting
Hello! My name is Benjamin Paul Ting; I was born in Paris, France, as a second generation to Chinese immigrants who arrived shortly after the Cultural Revolution in the 60s. Growing up, I was an expat (due to my father’s work) in Shanghai and then Hong Kong, where I spent twelve years and really, the place I call home. Read more>>
Dr. Yelena Matevosyan
While my story begins around 2004, when we immigrated to the United States, my real life journey truly began when I was 18. I was a voracious reader, often staying up all night immersed in books and other worlds, which turned me into a hopeless romantic. Read more>>
Morgana Film Festival
Morgana Film Festival was born from an idea envisioned in 2021 by Federica Alice Carlino, an award winning director, casting director and author from Milan, Italy, now based in Los Angeles. Morgana Film Festival was created to be a space where filmmakers could be seen, heard and celebrated. Read more>>
Donna McDaniel
I started my business 25 years ago in my home kitchen testing out cake and dessert recipes where my friends were getting chubbier taste testing my many trials and errors. I was also catering with my friend and fellow singer many of our friends parties and I knew I loved to coordinate and plan events of all kinds. Read more>>
Jorge De Los Rios
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and have been passionate about the entertainment industry since my teenage years. This passion motivated me to study communications and engage in various independent projects throughout college. At the age of 24, I made the bold decision to move to Los Angeles, California, in pursuit of opportunities in the world of entertainment, business and technology. Read more>>
Harris Breyfogle
My story is simple; I was raised in small-town Virginia on a strict diet of blues, roots & rock ‘n’ roll. My father & mother were extremely artistic in their taste of all things. There were delicate paintings around the house, choice albums & southern comfort food on the table, so there was creation in every square inch of my childhood. Read more>>
Erica Spiegelman
My entire career is built on one radical act: choosing to live. After changing my life 17 years ago, I went back to school at UCLA, becoming an addiction counselor and working in Los Angeles and Malibu treatment centers. Read more>>
Yalittza Pulgarin
Well my name is Yalittza, (yah-lee-tt-zuh) I am 33 years old, born in east LA and lived in so cal my whole life. Well my name is Yalittza, (yah-lee-tt-zuh) I am 33 years old, born in east LA and lived in so cal my whole life. Read more>>
Brooke Hendrickson
I used to work as a film producer at an advertising agency before having my two daughters. After they were born, I was lucky to be able to stay home with them, but I still needed a creative outlet, something just for myself that wasn’t tied to motherhood or family life. Read more>>
Camille Moore
California has always been home. Raised in the central valley and just before turning twenty-five, I relocated to Pasadena. The move to Pasadena was at first temporary. I began cutting hair as a cosmetologist in 2015 and by 2017 decided I wanted to be a barber. Not just to cut short hair but to only cut hair. I love cutting hair. It’s a fun job! Read more>>
Patrick ‘Guitarboy’ Hayes
My name is Patrick “Guitarboy’ Hayes and life is truly an adventure. I am a music producer and song composer. I come from rich talented roots. My journey began in a small, rural Mississippi town called Mendenhall. Learning guitar captivated me from an early age. Church was one of my main stages to perform on. My family helped to mold and shape my craft. Read more>>
Jazmin Valdivia
I’ve always had a deep love for travel — even as a child, I dreamed of living and working abroad. After college, I began my career in the marketing division of an airline company, a role that perfectly blended my passions for travel and storytelling. Read more>>
Jana Short
What began as a personal journey through illness became a global movement for holistic transformation. When I founded Best Holistic Life Magazine, my mission was simple: to give hope a platform. I wanted to connect real people and experts who were changing lives through wellness, mindset, and authentic storytelling. Read more>>
Adam Carr
Adam Carr hails from Cleveland Ohio and studied Acting at UCLA. His dreams of leaving college early to pursue a multi-cam sitcom were dashed when he graduated from UCLA’s School Of Theater, Film, and Television on time. As a child, Adam was in numerous productions at both Cain Park in Cleveland Heights, and Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland. Read more>>
Omar Madrid
My journey really began with a passion for helping people—especially first-generation students —access opportunities that could change their lives. Over the past 14 years, I’ve had the privilege of working across education, workforce development, and community-based programs to help individuals build pathways toward economic stability. I started out in youth development and college access, helping students navigate the transition to higher education. Read more>>
Bernadette Hernandez
I spent over two decades working as a physical therapist in the corporate world, serving in various management and leadership roles. I was proud of my work ethic and the results I achieved, but over time I realized that being a high performer often felt like a curse. Read more>>
Lydia Floyd
My name is Lydia Floyd. I am CEO and Founder of Hands4Hope LA and Simple Data Nonprofit Consulting. Hands4Hope LA was founded to help single and/or low income parents and their children. We are here to serve their families with after school programs for the kids and resources and support for their parents. My mother had EPILEPSY and 4 children to raise alone. Read more>>
Landon Schobert
When I started the 6th grade, I didn’t know I was going to find my career path, but I’m so lucky that I did. My teacher founded a rescue ranch with horses, goats, chickens, and dogs that also provided equine-assisted therapy for kids with mental health needs and special needs. There were volunteer hours throughout the week. After one volunteer shift I was hooked. Read more>>
Michael Tauzin
Hello! Mike Tauzin (DM Tauzy) here. I’ve been a dungeon master for the better part of 30 years, playing mostly Pathfinder with countless friends, but always dipping back into D&D eventually. When Covid hit, there were obviously a lot of people at home with a little bit of free time, so I decided to go professional with my craft and I created DM Tauzy Presents. Read more>>
Alaska Jackson
Don’t compromise yourself. You’re all you’ve got.’ – Janis Joplin Hi. I am Alaska from Alaska….I lived a quick couple years in Vegas and ended up in Los Angeles to study acting at a performing arts academy. Like most artists, the journey has been crayyy….it’s opened up in unexpected ways. Some great, some brutal. Read more>>
Nico Lugo Echeverri
Hi! Thanks for taking the time to chat with me today. My name is Nico and I am a Colombian artist based in NYC, I would like to share a bit of my story with, since I can recall my passion for the performing arts was ignited by the music I grew up listening to as well as the movies I watched as a kid. Read more>>
Pia Beramendi
We were the new place in town and also the first and only Peruvian restaurant in Simi Valley. This meant we had to educate the community on what Peruvian food is and what we are trying to represent with our dishes. We were bullied by other Peruvian restaurant owners in the area and received many negative comments claiming that our food was not authentic Peruvian food. All of this made us more resilient and made us want to do better every day. We have not completed our dream, we are still working towards it. Read more>>
Nalubega Aidah Bukenya
My journey in the beauty and entertainment industries has been guided by a simple belief: that transformation both personal and creative is a powerful force. For nearly a decade, I have been building bridges between beauty, business, and storytelling, creating a path that reflects my vision for a more inclusive and expressive world. Read more>>
