Jessica Brady
I grew up in Huntington Beach, California and always find myself coming back to the sea. I am grateful that my family was very encouraging of the arts and travel while growing up which helped establish a foundation for my future. I started in traditional illustration at a young age which quickly developed into a passion for video, photography and design. As I began to travel more, I was drawn to documenting through photography and video – capturing the beauty of locations and people, sharing authentic stories. My passion for media arts took me to Chapman Film School where I graduated with a focus in Documentary Film in 2010 (also where I met my husband). Read more>>
Kitti McMeel
I have been a musician, an engineering psychologist, a ranch manager and a small business owner, but it wasn’t until I found portrait photography that I realized my purpose in life; to create legacy portraits that will outlive me and the subject of the portrait to be cherished by generations to come. I opened my first portrait studio in January of 2015. I had been studying the art and business of portrait photography with well-known portrait photographer and educator Sue Bryce and was featured in her keynote presentation at a large photographers’ convention in March of 2016 as an example of a successful boutique portrait business. Read more>>
April MacLean
After 22 foster homes and becoming pregnant at 15, I felt very little hope for my life. I lived in my car briefly, and then worked temp jobs and eventually took a community college dance class. The love was instantaneous. I believe it was the main reason I was able to become a functional adult. It gave me a place to express and channel into that made me a better person and allowed me to feel like good things may be on the horizon. Infuse Dance Collective is that kind of home for a lot people. I see it every day. We do give sweaty, challenging, butt-kicking classes, but my co-owner Julie and I also have created a space where people find their family and color their world. Read more>>
Shar Wilkinson
In 2015, I was working as a Credit and Collections specialist, and hating every minute of it. I spent my days on the phone talking to customers about money issues, and to get through my day, I would surf dog pictures online. Then one day, I heard a report about dog walkers and I thought to myself- that is the dream job, how do I make that happen? I went home, spoke to my then boyfriend (now husband) about this crazy idea and he responded with, “write a business plan and let’s review it”. So I did. I researched, planned, and consulted with friends who have MBA’s for about 4 months and finally felt that I had a good plan in place. Read more>>
David Bishop
For the last 20+ years, I’ve been designing, manufacturing and selling direct import pottery to some of the largest distributors and retailers (Costco, Home Depot, etc.) under our Habitudes® brand. Disenchanted with large retail and a chance meeting with California designer Frank Berry of Southwinds landscaping, we subsequently began envisioning possibilities for a different kind of Landscape and Design center, a place that isn’t driven by target retails, rather aspires to inspire. After partnering with Frank, and setting in motion what would become our Nursery and Design center, we immediately began bringing in containers of pottery Nov. of last year in anticipation of a Spring launch…the same year that California would have historical amounts of much needed rainfall. Read more>>
Ralph Vazquez
Like many people, I got into photography by picking up a camera and learning that I loved taking pictures. For me this happened at the young age of 14. Back then, I was developing my own black and white film and making prints at home. By my mid 20’s, when I started having children, I enjoyed photographing them all the time. I took pictures of them just about any moment they were awake, while at play, eating, crying, on the potty… you name it. I always looked forward to covering every family event and taking our family portraits too. Eventually, the word got around and soon I was being hired to do family portraits for friends as well. Read more>>
Kent Yoshimura
During college, I was training 4-5 hours a day after school in Judo and Muay Thai, traveling frequently to fight or train overseas. Balancing my studies in neuroscience with my martial arts career became overwhelming and looking for an effective way to get energy (and trying to steer away from energy drinks and “study drugs”), I found out about nootropics. I eventually began experimenting with every nootropic online, buying them in bulk, and capsulizing them in my room. After college, I worked in film and music production, sleeping on couches, trying to make ends meet. Read more>>
Donald and Andrea Bailey
Bailey Photography is a Family owned and operated business. My wife Andrea Bailey is the Chief Photographer and the passion for the art burns deep within her soul. She has been doing photography since high school (yearbook etc..), she also worked at picture people and eventually managed picture people and Lee’s Photo Studio. She’s done countless weddings, sports events, corporate events and even more in studio shoots. Me, I’m the IT Guy literally. I bring the technological vision to the equation. There’s been a ton of obstacles from the construction nightmare of contractors ripping us off left and right to the pitfalls of non-caring employees destroying the brand with their lackadaisical approach to everything. There were times when I wanted to give up but she wouldn’t let me. Read more>>
Kevin Desjardin
I started KDigitalProductions after going to two schools. I got my Associate Degree from New England Technology in Multimedia & Video Design. I also received my Bachelors of Science in Motion Graphics & Visual Effects. While having years of experience in Video, Art, Design, Typography and Motion Graphics I decided to start KDigitalProductions. I also worked for a record label in-house producing Lyric Videos and Music Videos. I have worked with musicians such as Boys II Men, Mark Morrison, Chelsea Grin, Capture The Crown, SLAVES and many more. With years of experience I decided to start my company and to help out musicians on their visuals. Read more>>
Greg Zook
I graduated with a biology degree from University of Colorado. Realizing shortly after graduation my love was in the creative world I left for Los Angeles to explore a career as an artist. After struggling to get a start I began started working as a graphic designer in the advertising world, all the while I was taking night classes slowly improving my drawing skills. In the mid 90’s, I was hired by Maui and Sons as a surf artist in Pacific Palisades. Mostly working in the merchandise world, we mostly sketched ideas and finished airbrush work in the computer. I was approached by Warner Brothers Merchandise to use surf style attitude to do illustration for their product lines including Warner music artists. Read more>>
Toni Fountain
Cosmetology is actually a second career for me. I had been working in property management/commercial real estate for a number of years but that certain creative outlet was always missing — that’s when I jumped all in and started beauty school in 2007. Since then I’ve seen this industry shift in the wake of social media, independent educators and the wave of salon suites. I started my career as a commission employee then an independent booth renter in 2013. Currently Toni Fountain Hair is located in an all booth rental salon in Signal Hill. I knew building a clientele was going to be hard work but even more so during the 2008 recession; grass root marketing and simple referrals weren’t going to cut it. Read more>>
Stella Cheung
My mom took me to me my first yoga class–and I was actually reluctant to go! I had just moved home and started working at my first job after college…basically doing data entry for an electronic parts distributor…snorrrrrrre. It was boring and depressing having to sit in a cubicle all day. I wasn’t sleeping well, gained weight, and was seriously depressed. After I started learning yoga, I slept great, my weight automatically dropped, and I felt so much happier. My teacher periodically left to study in India and would ask me to fill in for him. I started living a double life by working through a series of jobs in corporate media during the day time and teaching yoga at night. Read more>>
Nina Zippay
Radical Cooks founder Nina Zippay’s passion for sustainable cuisine evolved at the young age of seventeen. When her father became seriously ill he was forced to cut out much of what constituted his regular diet of fried and salty faire. Nina took it upon herself to rehabilitate her family’s diet reducing salt, fat, and sugars. She began cooking seasonally and from the source. Such practices helped not only extend her father’s life but transformed her life in the process. Her goal is to share the life-sustaining changes she experienced with others in what she calls the “community kitchen,” a place of learning, growing, and help others “change at the root.” Read more>>
Rev. Lisa Phillian
It all started in 2001 when my cousin wanted to marry his partner in a domestic partnership. They came to me and asked if I would perform the service. So I sought out a church that would ordain me. I went through seminary and became a non-denominational minster. In 2008, I returned to California and began doing weddings on a more full-time basis. During the short window of time when marriage equality was permitted before proposition 8, I happily performed both gay and straight weddings and proudly displayed pictures showing happy couples. At that time, our company was known simply as the Reverend Lisa. As I look back at that time from 2008 – 2013, it was not only struggle but a fight to stay in business. Read more>>
Russell Cantorna
I started training Jiu Jitsu in 2002, mainly as a hobby. However, within a year or so Jiu Jitsu turned into more than just a hobby. The next thing I knew, I was training everyday, twice a day at times, for several years. Competed in tournaments. When I was in college, I juggled school work, competing and training Jiu Jitsu. I graduated from college with a Criminology/ Administration of Justice Degree, but realized it was Jiu Jitsu I wanted to do. Around 2007, I started assisting instructors and teaching Jiu Jitsu classes. Teaching and training are two completely different crafts. I wanted to be good at both, so I continued to teach and train at the same time. Read more>>
Robbie Dickinson
As a videographer, my style combines creativity and story telling. It started in high school when I took art as a subject and fell in love with the creative process as well as telling stories through my paintings and not just making something aesthetically pleasing. I continued to paint throughout college and I eventually picked up a camera when 2 friends wanted to start a YouTube channel with me. Once I started learning how to edit video footage, I realized that this was the medium that I wanted to work with to produce art and tell stories and I dropped my paintbrush. A few years down the road, a co-worker asked me to film her wedding. This was another turning point for me. Read more>>
Sarah Ceja
I was always into beauty, even as a little kid. I remember my grandma buying me this doll and I gave her a haircut and painted her face because I wanted to give her a makeover. I would always do things like that when I was small – like cutting my own hair and my bangs so I’d end up having crappy curly bangs for months. I also keep a ton of old beauty magazines because I would feel bad throwing them away, I thought the products and models were too pretty to throw in the trash. As I grew older, it became something deeper than just superficial beauty. I started seeing the world around me and came to the realization that women have always been suppressed into thinking that their only purpose in life is to serve and benefit men. Read more>>
Lindsay Smalley
As a little girl, I remember always playing with other people’s hair and playing in my mom’s makeup. I started learning at a young age how to cut, style and braid hair and how to apply makeup. I was always into changing my looks. There was no YouTube or social media back then, so I had to teach myself how to achieve certain looks. Being a visual person, I am able to mimic what I see and so I’d practice until I was happy with the results. Fast forward to the last quarter of 2014, when I decided to go to school to become a professional makeup artist. I graduated and became a part time freelance MUA. This was a fun time because I met and worked with some awesome people. Read more>>
Chris Bruckner
How did I get interested in acupuncture? I had been living with digestive difficulties on and off for nearly fifteen years. The doctors had one question regarding the symptoms I was describing: does he or does he not have an ulcer? After numerous GI tests and countless hours with physicians, some the best in their field, the answer was a resounding no. They said I was fine and not to worry. However, I still had the pain and discomfort. After years of special diets and popping antacids that never really worked, I decided to try acupuncture. The appointment was radically different from the sterile traditions of the physician’s office. Read more>>
Tony Arreola
What if Christmas lost its meaning? You’d probably be sad. You’d probably worry about ever being happy again. You’d probably wonder, why me? Christmas 1999, I received the strangest phone call ever. My uncle called and urged me to rush to his house. Oh, oh, I thought. My uncle was involved in, let’s just call it “extracurricular activities,” kind of like the energy drink industry, except for the drink part. Anyways, I hurried over to see a police car stationed in the driveway. Oh no, my uncle is going to the big house. But wait, he’s standing next to the police man. The officer slowly walked over to me. His boots echoed across the eerily quiet Los Angeles streets. Read more>>
David Desler
When I was thirteen, my mom enrolled me in a summer course in photography at Barnsdall Art Park on Hollywood Blvd. We learned to develop film (from the old 126 film cartridges) and make prints in the darkroom. I was hooked. At the high school, I attended they offered both a beginning and advanced photography class. It was there that I knew I wanted to be involved in photography some how some way. The teacher, Mr. Mellencamp, always told us if you wanted to make it in the photography industry it would have to become your one and only occupation. You would not be successful if you did photography as a side job. It was also during high school, I was introduced to the work of Ansel Adams. Hike in the great outdoors and take photos, I was all in. Read more>>
Yumaira Muro
My love for photography began because of my son, Ethan Noah. Capturing his smile, his precious little face and everything about him just made it so much more special to me when I took the photographs. I don’t know if you guys remember but Kmart use to have a photography studio, Olan MIlls, and that’s where I took him for his first portraits at 6 weeks old. I wasn’t a big fan of how impatient the staff seemed to be with babies and that is when I decided to start taking his pictures myself. I fell in love with capturing everything about him and for his first birthday I officially did my first real photoshoot in January of 2013. From there I began doing photoshoots for family& friends and I absolutely loved it. Then I began my Facebook page as well as my Instagram to display and show my work. Read more>>
Amber Castro
I fell in love with photography when I was in high school. Back then we still worked with film and developed film and prints in the darkroom. I loved everything about it and knew that it’s what I wanted to do when I grew up. What I didn’t know was that about a decade later, film would be obsolete and everything would go digital. I kinda panicked when that happened and hung up my dreams for a while. Computers still intimidated me and learning how to digitally develop photos sounded scary. When I turned 30 years old, I realized that I really needed to at least try to pursue photography so I didn’t have that regret weighing on me as an old lady one day. Read more>>
Pon Saradeth
My family came to the states from Laos in the late ‘70s and settled in Southern California where I was sent to high school despite not speaking a word of English. Knowing that diving in head first was the best way to learn to swim, I was a shy teenager who cowered in the back of the classroom. Eventually, I came to the surface and emerged stronger from the experience. It was in my teens that I started to snip away at hair, offering free haircuts in my garage for most anyone who would sit for me. I witnessed my uncle cutting hair for as long as I could remember and the concept just seemed to be a natural fit for me. I never once expected it to turn into a career. Read more>>
Belinda Philleo
“You have a good eye, but your photos could really use some work,” This was the response when I showed a hobbyist photographer friend a few of my photo “creations” in late 2009. For whatever reason, what he said intrigued me rather than offended me. At that point in time I knew very little about photography. I believed that amazing photos meant fancy gear and mad Photoshop skills. The concepts of aperture and shutter speed were foreign to me. So I prodded for more information, “what do you mean? What can I do better?” Soon enough I bought a DSLR, gradually learned how to manually control the settings to create images purposefully, rather than just snap them, and I fell in love with the art. Read more>>
Karolina Soltani
After earning my Masters Degree in Economics from a university abroad (Lodz, Poland), I spent eight years managing foreign student exchange programs creating opportunities for outstanding and talented individuals to gain professional and cultural experience across America. I always had passion for fitness and a healthy lifestyle and approximately three years ago made the decision to turn it into my full time career. After a year spent working for various gyms and fitness centers around LA & Orange Counties while becoming a Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor, I decided to launch my own fitness company in early 2016. Read more>>
Timothy Milton
It all started in high school. I stumbled upon taking a class in film. Its quite funny how it all played out because what I thought would not be in my interest at all became what I loved to learn. After a year and a half of taking film classes I started to look into colleges that offer media courses. I then started to notice that this was my passion and had been given my first dslr (Nikon D3100). I started shooting music videos, interviews, etc. Shortly after I have started learning photography on YouTube and was on my way to create my first production business. Read more>>
Taylor Rummell
On December 15, 2011, I became the luckiest guy in the world, when the love of my life said YES! I proposed by making a film for her and secretly renting out a Theater. The theater number, was Theater 10! Around that same time my best friends and I had just started doing wedding videography together. As we continued to hone our skills and the word of mouth began to spread about our videography, I decided I needed to name to name the business. I wanted something unique that had a personal meaning but also had to do with love and movies etc… My wife looked at me in our kitchen and said, let’s call it “Theater 10”, and that day Theater 10 was born! Each year we have seen significant growth and have continually been adding new members to the team. Read more>>
Jacqueline Spiros
Malibu West Beach Club is a private beach club that is owned by a small private neighborhood on the land side of Pacific Coast Highway. The beach is for homeowners to have a private beach while I rent out the clubhouse for events like weddings and special occasions. Recently the beach club has gone through extensive remodeling and is more beautiful, functional and special then it has ever been. We are located on arguably one of the most beautiful beaches in Southern California. Couples getting married at the beach club have the opportunity to be married on our ocean view deck with 180 degree view of the coast that includes Pt. Dume, Catalina Island and Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands. Read more>>
David Mescon
Body Rhythms was founded in 2009 in Kona, HI, by Angela and David Mescon. Angela’s passion and her avocation since the 1980s has been bodywork and massage. Having accumulated over 16,000 hours of education in the bodywork and massage fields through the years, Angela is recognized by many as one of the world’s foremost bodyworkers. She combined her passion for the two and opened the first Body Rhythms Spa in Hawaii, in 2009. She combines a wide variety of skills in a unique way, that few practicing therapists are able to offer. Angela’s passion for the overall health and wellness of others is the driving force behind what is now known as the Body Rhythms Method. Read more>>
Cassandra UySmith
A coast-to-coast childhood, a residential high school, a broken engagement, a kick-ass semester in New Zealand, a disappointing undergraduate degree, marriage, three explored career paths and then an acceptance into a revered Master’s of Architecture program. I was ecstatic. It was merely two days later I found out that I was pregnant. Then came the school deferral, the second pregnancy, and the final declination for the program. I was an educated, ambitious woman spending day in and day out with two children under two. Alas, with the will to get out of the house and stretch my creative muscle, I started FireRose Photography and Bartending. Bartending to fund the photography equipment. Obviously. Read more>>
Chance O’Neil
I think I have always been an artist, definitely shaped by life’s experiences, they have really allowed me to evolve and express myself through my artwork. Like anything, it’s worth it…. There are always late nights, early mornings & long weeks, months or years. But I’ve learned to love all the things we call struggles, because those struggles are what makes me be sure that this thing called art is what I wanna do. Chanclerz Custom Creations a licensed general contractor who can create anything… The custom “muzeo” sign is one of the largest art pieces we have been fortunate enough to be commissioned to create. Read more>>
Vivian Nguyen and Vu-Anh Tran
Vivian has had a passion for beauty industry most of her adult life. She started her career as a hair stylist more than 20 years ago, however her passion is now in eyelash extensions. She has started her eyelashes extension career 12 years ago. She attended numerous classes and brought back technical information and new trends for eyelash extension trends. After perfecting her eyelash extension techniques for couple years, Vivian created a “special technique” and has been applying this method to her clients so their real eyelashes remain healthy for years to come. Read more>>
Grace McIntire
To tell the story of how I got started in business, I have to first tell you a bit about my family. Family is everything to me, and family is ultimately how I got to where I am today…both personally and professionally. I had an extraordinarily awesome + chaotic + nontraditional upbringing. I’m a first-generation Korean-American, born to immigrants in the heart of the charming Midwest. I’m an Iowa girl, through and through. Even though I’m 100% Korean in nationality, Iowa is in my blood and in my bones. {GO HAWKEYES!} My siblings and I were immersed in the most amazingly beautiful mix of both Korean & American culture, home cooking, language, and blended traditions. Read more>>
Cindy Guzman
Our story really started back in about 2007 when a friend of mine was getting married and having trouble looking for wedding invitations. Her and I went to several places and all of them offered the same cookie cutter, Times New Roman font with traditional cursive lettering invitations. Really back then the only thing you can customize was the names on these standard invites. I asked her if she trusted me enough to design and print her invitations and she accepted and really this is where it all started for me. As the years passed I was continually asked to design custom invitations for family and friends. Read more>>
Amy Ausman
We started our shop out of love and necessity for our cat Lewis. My Husband and I were adopted by this sweet outdoor only, who became mostly indoor kitty when we moved to Fullerton. We had a nightly routine of treats when we would come home from work. Lewis would go to his cupboard and paw, I would give him a few treats and we had this routine for years. When he was 15, he was diagnosed with kidney failure. All of the commercial treats available for cats were either too high in protein, sodium or fillers, so I started researching and baking for treats for Lewis. In doing so, I met a lot of people that had pets with food allergies/sensitivities and health issues, so I expanded into treats for cats and dogs. Read more>>
Evelyn R. Avila
I am a wedding and elopement photographer based in Long Beach, CA but travel all over to document love stories. I was born in New Jersey and raised in Los Angeles, the oldest to two siblings. Proud daughter of two amazing central American parents that taught me to work hard for what I want in life. My father gave me my first 110 film camera when I was 7 and going to a field trip to the botanical gardens. All I remember is taking pictures of flowers and coming back home and asking my parents to take me to Rite-Aid to develop my film. It was so surreal to me to see something in paper that I had taken. Read more>>
Julie Farrow
When I was a senior in high school of high hopes to be a famous actress or interior designer, I had an associate ask me to decorate their office in Long Beach with interior plants since that was what I was going to be studying. The client at the time was E.F. Hutton and if you remember you listen when E.F. Hutton speaks, so I researched interior plants and sent them some design ideas and my proposal and literally this started my 36 year career as one of the most prestigious interiorscapers in today’s market in Southern California. Their neighbors loved what I did and so on and so on. Read more>>
Asha Patel
I am a natural healer. Coming from an Indian background, natural remedies are a part of my life. My passionate relationship with natural health and their remedies started when my youngest daughter was two years of age. She had developed asthma and had to use inhalers regularly. Soon after, she started having fainting spells. These were not ordinary fainting spells because they made her turn blue. After many tests and visits to several of the LA area hospitals, she was diagnosed with a rare heart condition. While it was a relief to have a diagnosis, my parental nightmare was just beginning. Read more>>
Brandy Young
I’ve always been drawn to human emotion. From the deep, darkness that can swallow us whole, to unbridled joy and gratitude that can wash over us like a sunny, warm bath, making life feel like it could never be better. My interest in humans and all that we feel in this life led me to go to school to be a therapist, and even spent a few years counseling people to try to live better lives. I ultimately found that my soul was being slowly crushed as I took on the suffering of others with my extremely sensitive nature, and had to seek out other ways to connect with people on similarly deep levels. Read more>>
Aaron M. Anderson
I’ve always been fascinated by technology. Computers, phones, tablets, TV’s… you name it. If it had circuitry, I wanted to know how it worked. As a kid, I can remember my dad bringing home a Packard Bell 486 computer that had 160MB of hard drive space, and 4MB of RAM. Keep in mind that in the 90’s that was state of the art technology. To see how far we’ve come in the past 20 years, to the point where I carry a computer in my back pocket that is orders of magnitude more powerful that than old PC my dad brought home is mind boggling. To be on the leading edge of that revolution is what got me to the point to where I wanted to create something I could call my own. Read more>>
Irwin Nhan
Nhan-Stop Photography really started organically. I never intended to go anywhere much with photography; it was just a simple joy and form of expression. I would say it really all started in high school yearbook. I found a deep enjoyment in photographing sports and shooting portraits. Yearbook became the catalyst to a lifestyle based around my camera and my photographer. I saw my photography start to permeate into all the parts of my own life. In my extracurriculars, in school, I became known as the guy who always carried his camera around. My camera literally became an extension of myself; I could not go anywhere without it. Read more>>
Margarett Duran
Our father, Gonzalo Duran Sr. learned his cobbler craft from his father, Francisco Duran back in Northern Mexico. In the early 50’s, my father came to the United States and worked as a fruit picker in Northern California, outside of San Francisco. He later traveled to downtown L.A. with some friends and found a job at a shoe factory. Because he knew English, he was promoted to foreman and supervised his crew of men at this shoe factory owned by Greek immigrant named Henry. That man was the nicest many I had ever met. Every day after work, my dad would go in the garage and tinker with leather and shoe making. Read more>>
Tessa Schutz
I was always the creative type – I started out making claymation animation for fun while in college. After college, I landed a dream job in Marketing at Visit Anaheim. I played around with video while in that position and when I asked if I could upgrade my software and purchase professional equipment, my boss said yes! I was able to teach myself how to edit and shot and brought video marketing to the company. Five years later, I quit that job and started my own company, Kranbox as a self-taught videographer/editor/photographer. Kranbox is a video production company and we do promotional videos, stop motion animation, music videos and photography. It was scary to leave a Monday-Friday job and go 100% on my own. Read more>>
Nadia Vera-Tudela
I remember always been intrigued with the power of capturing time. I’ve been pretty creative my whole life but photography has always made me feel a certain type of way. I grew up using my family and friends as my models, I eventually graduated to having real clients. My first few photo shoots where before the Internet was big, they were from good old fashion word-of-mouth. My confidence grew with my business and I began blossoming into what NadiasPOV is today. One of the personal struggles I dealt with being a photographer is just having the guts to put your work out there. Read more>>
Chad Griepentrog
I started filming underwater back around 2002. I had been working on “Survivor” and was envious of the guys who got to shoot underwater for the challenges. I immediately got my dive certification and a TRV-900 & Ikelite housing and shot as much as I could in the off season. A few seasons later, I was shooting underwater side by side with some of the most talented guys in the business. Since then, I’ve always taken a camera with me diving around the world- from Palau to the cages of Isle Mujeres to Bora Bora, etc. Working in television was a great way to have access to countless dive attractions shooting both for a variety of shows and on my days off. Read more>>
Donna Templeton
I have a passion for traveling and have been lucky to visit many exciting places: Thailand, Belize, Costa Rica, Australia, most of Europe and may other exciting places. My passion has morphed into my dream of an early retirement and a plan to live all over the world: 6 months in one location and then off to someplace new. While I am dreamer and adventurer; I also want a level of safety and security. I wondered how to get that safety and security while living abroad and discovered what I believe to be the solution and have launched ExpatriateIns.com. Read more>>
DeAndré Aubry
I’m in the middle of orientation for a job at Apple when I received a phone call. “Congratulations DeAndré, you’ve been accepted.” I was admitted into law school 2 weeks before the semester started. This is after only applying to law school to please the peer pressure committee consisting of family members and college faculty. After hours of soul searching, I decided that law school was a good route for me to attain my career goals. Once getting in, I quickly realized that this was going to be a huge commitment, and in order to get the most out of this experience, I had to excel. I am a first generation law student and had no guidance going into this. Fortunately, I was able to do really well. I finished my first semester with a 4.0 GPA and finished the first year in the top 5% of my class. Read more>>
Eddie Navarette
I found my consulting calling when my favorite rock club, the legendary Jabberjaw Café, was shut down due to its inability to meet the Fire Department regulations. As a self-proclaimed rebel who never takes no for an answer, I passionately fought to keep the club open. This sparked the inspiration to help business owners navigate the overwhelming requirements of City, County, and State agencies. It is now almost 20 years later, and I’m still here helping businesses succeed. I started in an industry of developers and design professionals at a very young age. Read more>>
Krista Driver
The first four years of my life were spent in Foster Care. My birth mother was just 15 when she had me. Despite her best efforts, she just was unable to care for a baby. I was adopted just before my 4th birthday. My family always let me dream of my future and encouraged every goal I ever set for myself. I eventually went on to earn a doctorate in Psychology and became a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. I opened my private practice in 2006 and also worked in an inpatient facility and in 2011 decided I just wanted one full time job. Read more>>
Daniel Aroche
I’ve always developed an interested in electronics. I like finding all hidden functionalities, troubleshooting when something isn’t right, and repairing them if they’re broken. I repaired my own computers and consoles as a kid growing up. I was the person that took initiative to fix technology especially my own. I became the tech guru of the circle and was the go to guy for anything. I loved to share my knowledge with everybody and would do repairs for my friends and family. Before I was employed to my first job, when I was 16, I provided a service to make house calls for those who had computer trouble. Read more>>
Alicia Arciniega
I began my business in 2013 following a career in law enforcement. Never did I imagine working in this field; however, while I was nursing a work injury, the thought of skincare school popped into my mind. From that day forward, I fell in love with the business and my passion grew quickly for skincare and lashes. It definitely was not a smooth transition, as I was embarking on a career that lacked the security if a government job. The biweekly paychecks, health insurance etc, were no longer afforded to me; however, I took a huge leap of faith and worked hard to overcome obstacles and naysayers. It took a few years but it was worth every struggle I encountered. Read more>>
Mark Peace Thomas
Mark Thomas was born in Manchester, New Hampshire, where he developed a love for music by discovering his family’s various music collections. Mark spent hours listening and learning about music ranging from Perry Como to The Beatles. He eventually started his own music library, which reached over one thousand albums by his early teens. Mark formed Double DJ Music Service at age sixteen with his twin brother Jon. Their first professional job was for their Central High School “Toga Dance”. Mark attended all his classes in full toga, with a 45 vinyl record hanging from his belt, to promote their first professional appearance. Read more>>
