Highlighting Local Gems

Over the past decade we have had the chance to learn about so many incredible folks from a wide range of industries and backgrounds Over the past decade we have had the chance to learn about so many incredible folks from a wide range of industries and backgrounds and our highlighter series is designed to give us an opportunity to go deeper into their stories with to goal of understanding them, their thought process, how their values formed and the foundations of their stories. Check out some incredible folks below – many of whom you may have read about already and a few new names as well.

Scott Walker

Earlier this year, I had to hit pause on writing fiction. Writing no longer provided joy, and I found it increasingly unappealing. Six years of full-time writing got switched off almost overnight, leaving me to figure out my next career chapter. This triggered an existential crisis. If I could no longer write, I could no longer call myself a writer. Read more>>

Tyler Martina

We have had the highest rated most reviewed tattoo and piercing shop in Southern California for about 8 years now. We have created something great in our community for our artists and our clients. Read more>>

Golsa Sadreameli

My work, connection, business. People always see results, then they might call you lucky, but no one see’s the hardship one put into achieving their goals, the endless hours of research, emails, self marketing, and most importantly not losing hope and not giving up. I’m proud of every step I took forward, back, and failure. Read more>>

Anna Shipulina

As a child I had the feeling that I wasn’t good with my hands. I wasn’t good at art classes. I couldn’t draw realistically, and everything I made looked primitive and embarrassing. We also had girls’ classes where we were taught to sew, which was a disaster too. Read more>>

Phoebe Dawson

I like to wake up early take my dog for a walk, and have time to sit on the couch and have some coffee and set an intention for the day, then take my time to shower and do my makeup if im working, maybe listen to a good podcast. I think its important to have personal moments everyday to slow down and be present. Read more>>

Kelly Elsas

Thank you so much for having me! The first 90 minutes of my morning are a little different lately. Over the summer, I rescued a puppy. She’s a nine month old German Shepherd named Willow. I’m obsessed with her! Right now, Willow wakes me up between 5am and 6am. Read more>>

Raylene Espitia

I understand deeply that nothing we do exists in isolation. Our energy and our choices create ripple effects, whether we’re aware of them or not. Every single decision creates a chain reaction. How we treat our bodies, how we speak to others, what we tolerate, what we avoid, and what we choose to confront all influence the people around us. Read more>>

Michelle Carlen

That all anyone wants in this life is to be acknowledge, appreciated, respected, cared for and treated kindly. Read more>>

Greg Collister

“LEGACY” is a word that holds such massive power! It’s how people remember you. What did you spend your time doing on earth? What are you known for? This first really came to my attention when a good friend and bandmate of mine shared a phrase with me about legacy. Read more>>

Taylor Gamble

I hope people say I was a woman who found herself — not by chasing perfection or becoming an idol, but by weaving all of her experiences into wholeness. My life was less about proving I was the best, and more about discovering what was truly mine, piece by piece, until the bigger picture came into focus. Read more>>

Jennifer Gable

Writing. I love writing so much. It’s truly the best drug. I can get lost for hours at the WGA lounge or library just writing my scripts. I get lost in the stories. It’s so much fun. It’s like watching an interactive movie in my brain that I can control. It’s a great way to escape, and much better than doom scrolling on social media. Read more>>

Max Beasley

The part of me that has served its purpose and now needs to be released is putting others before myself. I now know I need to center myself and my own needs first, because no one else will. Oxygen mask on yourself before, others, etc. That doesn’t mean I can’t still care about and help others! Read more>>

Emily Zuzik

The part of me that needed to be a touring rock star. I have lived a lot of lives as a performing songwriter. I’ve been on planes, trains, my trusty RAV4, subways, etc. I’ve seen a lot of the world and met great people in odd places. The desire to do that continually has left me. I’ve felt tired and underinspired lately. Read more>>

Sophia Rybicki

My bestie would say that what matters most to me is being able to tell people’s stories. That’s always been a fundamental core of my brand. Read more>>

Nicolette Noble

They’d probably say that maintaining a mindset of curiosity really matters to me. I believe that never becoming stagnant and staying engaged is crucial; when we lose interest, life can become quite dull. By that, I mean being interested in anything—whether it’s meeting new people, discovering new places, reading a book, exploring philosophy, science, art, or picking up a new hobby. Read more>>

Isa Lillard

Integrity absolutely. Intelligence is relative, energy shifts but Integrity is constant. Read more>>

Ron Epstein

Integrity, that’s easy. It’s also difficult to find. Smart people are everywhere. Energetic people are easy to spot. People with integrity are who I want. Read more>>

Louis Thomass

My parents realized my passion for music very early on and always supported me right from the get go. They never once questioned my career path! Read more>>

Kenzie Hensen

Definitely Dr Sandy Vancise she saw saw my potential at 11 years old that nobody else saw and fought for me even when I didnt realize that’s what she was doing. Read more>>

Christian Anderson

Yeah, I remember a time when someone truly listened to me. It wasn’t a specific conversation. It was all of them. It was about 17 years ago. I was living in New York, happy professionally, my personal life upside down in a lot of ways, when I met the most incredible woman. So beautiful. Read more>>

James Castle Stevens

I usually know I’m out of my depth when I feel that familiar jolt of fear, the sense that I may have taken on more than I can reasonably manage. It’s unsettling, and I won’t pretend otherwise. But I’ve also learned that those moments, the ones that make me question my own capacity, are often the ones that lead to the most growth. Read more>>

Kieran Dotti

I think I have a pretty good grasp on what I am and am not capable of. If there are tons of terms being thrown around and topics I don’t know, I speak up. I see myself out of that space and look to the next place where I can be of use. Read more>>

Domina Mara

I would honestly keep everything the same, but amp up My travels, connections with people, and really go for it. I’m already living life to as full as I can manage while still maintaining a healthy mental, emotional, and physical outlook. Read more>>

Richea Jonrs

I would stop overextending myself and carrying what isn’t mine to hold. I’d stop saying yes out of guilt, urgency, or survival, and stop shrinking my needs to make others comfortable. I’d let go of perfection, of explaining myself to people committed to misunderstanding me, and focus on what makes me happy. Read more>>

Loki Rara

If I had to strip everything of this human world that identifies me, I would just be a person with a soul who has a light and the ability to spread it to light other people up. Read more>>

Sakshi Chopra

Pieces of my soul I’ve left inside every song. Each one is like a musical horcrux, carrying a fragment of who I was at that moment, immortalized in sound. Read more>>

Nancy Mueller

I don’t see myself in a ‘job’ therefore there is no desire to retire! I love what I do, I feel blessed to have the knowledge and experience to share with others who are looking for a way to love their life and I can’t imagine ever wanting to stop doing that! Read more>>

Dan Moran

The personal relationships we’ve built. We aren’t “friendly” with our clients – we’re friends! I care about these people, and I’d like to think they care about me as well. Read more>>

Ben Shahon

I don’t entirely know that ‘retiring’ from literature in a traditional sense is something I’ll ever be able to do, because I’m just not the type to stop writing, trying to publish, working with other writers. Read more>>

Szilvia Gogh

I spent decades chasing the next achievement—the next dive certification, the next Hollywood stunt, the next country to explore. I thought if I could just accomplish enough, I’d finally feel complete. The irony is that I achieved extraordinary things: I became a PADI Course Director, worked on 27 Hollywood productions including Avatar, traveled to 57 countries, got inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame. Read more>>

Christian Goodie

I’m chasing alchemy, the kind God hides in different places on earth, the kind you have to travel through life to find. In those places, in those communities, you find art, purpose, wisdom, inspiration, God. I’m Chasing humanity. Read more>>

Sumire Kudo

The art world is saturated with competition and financial battle. I wouldn’t say I’m deliberately avoiding these, but I do find myself maintaining a certain distance from them. When creative decisions are driven by social-media conversions or market performance, the work inevitably drifts toward the average, shaped by the preferences of the majority. Read more>>

Lisa Brounstein-Gaffney

Life doesn’t usually give you a heads-up when it’s about to rearrange everything you know. Of all the ‘ice breaker’ questions, this one is the one that spoke to me. I don’t know that I am avoiding a battle, per se. I feel more like I am in the middle of one. Read more>>

Jarvis ‘Jeb’ Barnes

Ego breaks bonds. Silence breaks bonds. And unspoken expectations break bonds. Most relationships don’t fall apart because of one big betrayal. They erode because people stop telling the truth early, stop listening fully, or start keeping score. Pride makes people protect their image instead of the relationship, and that’s usually the beginning of the end. What restores bonds is accountability and respect. Read more>>