Houston’s Most Inspiring Stories

Every neighborhood in Houston has its own vibe, style, culture and history, but what consistently amazes us is not what differentiates the various neighborhoods but rather what they all have in common.  From the Fourth Ward to Sugar Land (and everywhere in between) we’ve been blown away by how many creative and talented people call Houston home.  Check out some of the inspiring stories we’ve discovered throughout the city.

Yocairys Diaz

It hasn’t always been easy stepping outside my comfort zone and moving away from the security of a steady 9-to-5 job. There were challenges and moments when people didn’t understand my vision or my work ethic. However, I had faith and a strong work ethic that kept me going. Even when others doubted or didn’t see what I saw, I remained committed to my calling. Now, as they see the impact and success, the vision is clearer to them. Remember, people won’t always understand what God has uniquely blessed you to do, but staying true to your purpose and working diligently can lead to great things. Read More>>

Isaac Owolabi

We started as a college promotion group that specialized in small intimate events amongst friends. We did a few events that never picked up before venturing into party buses. We did a couple of party bus events that mainly consisted of friends & friends of friends as well as a few outsiders but these buses contained no more than 50 people. The afronation came into Miami then the birth of afrostrip happened in 2023. Read More>>

Jillian Hackett

At just 19 years old, while still a college student, I took a leap of faith and launched my own brand, Lillian Jenae Designs. Starting a business as a student wasn’t easy—I had to balance coursework, designing collections, and learning the ins and outs of running a business. I quickly realized that being a designer is only one part of the equation; I had to teach myself about branding, marketing, customer outreach, and navigating the logistical side of production. Each step, though challenging, taught me invaluable lessons and pushed me to grow not only as a creative but also as an entrepreneur. Read More>>

Gabriela Westbrook

I decided to pursue a second master’s degree in Social Work with the initial goal of helping vulnerable populations. Along the way, I discovered that I could also become a therapist specializing in mental health—a revelation that changed everything. After graduation, I began working as a therapist at a mental health behavioral hospital to complete my clinical hours for licensure. It was there, as a group therapist in a higher level of care program, that I truly came to understand the complexities of mental health. Read More>>

C’note (Charles Thomas)

From booking and content creation to budgeting, talent scouting, performing, networking, event hosting, artist development—and let’s not forget navigating Houston traffic daily—it’s a whirlwind of creativity, strategy, and hustle. Every day brings something new, and that’s what keeps it exciting! Read More>>

Ariahjanae Ford

I blew up a year ago in August 2023 overnight off my first YouTube video titled “GRWM: For The First Day of Highschool at a New School! Freshmen Year + Vlog (I got on the wrong bus)” I woke up to 20,000 views the first night I posted and my views just went up from there. I have a huge personality that automatically attracts people to my channel and makes them interested in to keep watching, I also include creative skills and editing into my videos making them entertaining and funny to watch! I’ve always been a girl with a big personality and that what makes me who I am today!! Read More>>

Mikaela Herrera

From a young age, I was deeply in touch with my emotions, and honestly had a tendency to overthink things. Acting provided the perfect outlet to channel that energy. It’s more than just playing an emotion or pretending to be a character; it’s about creating genuine realities, understanding human behavior, and utilizing your imagination to bring stories to life. Through acting, I’ve gained confidence, honed my communication skills, and uncovered a deeper understanding of myself. Today I’m honored to be represented by Page Parkes and excited to officially embark on my acting journey. Read More>>

Jordyn Lessing

My business’ come-up has been quite quick and it’s sure been a whirlwind to say the least. With learning how to run a business and turn it into a prosperous career, I am constantly learning and growing, but it is something I wouldn’t trade for the world. I’ve worked countless hours behind the scenes perfecting my editing skills, handling client experience, and building my brand socially and for the web; I actually worked for over 10 hours straight overnight when I was building my website just because of how excited I was to have an official site and place where people could book with me. I learned that I genuinely love getting to capture everyone’s special moments and it always feels like such an honor to be the one chosen to play a part in them. Read More>>

Makayla Hoover

Bayou City Hangouts began in June 2024, founded by college friends Amanda DeVaul and MaKayla Hoover. Before starting the business, they loved hosting parties and events like wine nights for their friends, which inspired them to take their passion to a professional level for others to enjoy. What began as a crazy idea quickly grew into something much bigger than they ever imagined. Read More>>

Bailey Mier-Nava

I learned so much of it from being raised by my father, who has always been an entrepreneur and thankfully has taught me SO MUCH about the grit that it takes to be able to navigate this part of the business world. It is intense, and he taught me how to endure it. We are both what Gino Wickman and Mark Winters of the book “Rocket Fuel” describe as “Visionaries.” So along my own journey, I’ve started several businesses throughout the years and learned a great deal about the nuances of startups and business in general. Read More>>

Dylan Kleinberger

I grew up in Dayton, Ohio. I moved to Houston area around 2013. Shortly after, I started out tattooing for several years in Katy, TX. It was a fairly busy walk-in shop that was located in, at the time, probably the seediest plaza Katy had to offer. Not that that’s really saying a lot, since Cinco Ranch was only a few miles away and overall the city is fairly nice. But it shared its space with a bar, illegal game rooms, smoke shops, and some spas that got busted for prostitution. So, you could imagine the wide range of clientele we would get and the types of tattoos we would do in that area. I was able to gain a lot of experience there. Read More>>

Russ Daniels

After 30 years in various roles supporting the oil and gas industry and surfing the waves of mergers and acquisitions of what tends to be a very cyclical market, I decided I’d rather put my skills and experience to use in something that more directly influences the quality of life for the people I serve. What influences your quality of life more than the place you live? What’s one of the largest financial decisions most families ever make? And, what is the biggest stepping stone parents can take toward creating generational wealth? The purchase of a home. Read More>>

Sade Beaulieu

I have sat at tables with other seasoned professionals, colleagues, and friends who I thought shared the same vision as myself, nevertheless; I was shown how they could only see how they could easily benefit from me. Even with those shortcomings, I realized that I needed to create my own opportunities. Once I realized that my future was in my hands, I decided to seek out my own path and worked harder to hone on my skills and build the practice that I have today. From those experiences, I learned that you have to prioritize yourself, set your non-negotiables and work from there. This journey is everlasting, but I am ready for the ride as I know it’s not how you start, but how you end. Read More>>

Glenys Yevi

Despite studying the subject academically and exploring it in depth there were two forms of art I could never quite grasp, and that was fashion and photography. I thought back then that they were so complex, combining all forms of art in a single medium. I still find this to be true to this day, but I also knew that it offered endless opportunities for inspiring art. I craved to understand them from the inside out. If years of art schooling had taught me one thing, is that the canvas is the center of the art. Because of this in 2023, I took a leap of faith and decided to become a model, to be the canvas. Read More>>

Nathan Boldt

It has not always been smooth. Shutting down through COVID was rough on us, one year after opening. And the transient nature of how many of our families has moved away has been unexpected. Especially since we developed deep relationships with them. So much has good good, but to say it’s all been easy would not be accurate. Read More>>

Stacie Davis

In 2022, I took my first microblading class, and Haus of Luxe Studios was born. I started learning new skills like Brazilian waxing, lash lifts, brow lamination, tinting, and shaping. While still working my 9-5, I’d take clients in the evenings and weekends, supported by my husband—because let’s be real, mom guilt is real, especially with three kids! Eventually, I left my 9-5 to focus full-time on my business. Now, I get to help women feel beautiful and give them a little “me time”. I couldn’t be more excited to continue doing what I love. Read More>>

Genesis Garcia

I remember one day I was sitting on my couch and decided to google search different things I could create. It was during one of those searches that I discovered candle making. A friend from my hometown who owns her own candle company is very inspirational, and she also encouraged me to take up candle making. In January 2023, I made the conscious decision of starting Genesis Candles by registering the business as an LLC to begin selling my products. I launched Genesis Candles & Co in July 2023, and I am excited to continue growing and serving the community through my candles with love and care. Read More>>

Shajuna Fisher

Originally, my vision was to launch a fitness apparel line. But as I kept showing up, people noticed my dedication, my results, and my passion for fitness. The compliments and encouragement I received sparked something bigger—I realized I could do more than just sell clothes. I could help transform lives. Read More>>