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.
Lynda Carouthers
I am walking a path guided by faith. I trust that God orders my steps even when the direction is not always clear to me. While I have goals and purpose, I remain open to where He leads because some of the greatest growth in my life has come through moments of uncertainty. Read more>>
Cait Feltman
Yes. A recent review from a couple I photographed for both their engagement and wedding truly made me laugh and feel incredibly proud. They shared how calm and supported they felt throughout the entire experience, especially on the wedding day when unexpected weather rolled in. Read more>>
Vicente Cammarano
Yes, the public version of me is the real me. I’m naturally kind, approachable, and respectful, and I carry those same values into my personal life and my work as a business owner. I believe you don’t have to be aggressive or transactional to be effective in business. You can lead with integrity, empathy, and consistency and still be strong and decisive. Read more>>
Author Poet Birdman 313
Yes, there have been many times in the past that I wanted to give up writing. My failure to get my poems accepted for lyrics by top music companies were a lot of my disappointments. I tried to write articles, short stories, and plays which were also a failure. Read more>>
Sherron Elise
One of the biggest lies the literary industry tells itself is that there’s only one “right” path to success. The idea that validation only comes through traditional publishing, a single genre, or a perfectly linear career overlooks how many meaningful, impactful stories are being created outside those boundaries. Another common misconception is that good writing alone guarantees visibility. Read more>>
Uriah Ortiz
What I’m most proud of isn’t just the locks, safes, cameras, or access control systems people see when we finish a job — it’s the invisible foundation behind Guardian Safe & Lock LLC and the ecosystem we’ve built around it. Read more>>
Delila Castro
Suffering taught me lessons that success never could, especially about timing, surrender, and trust. I went through one of the hardest pruning seasons of my life at the exact same time I started my business. At the time, it felt like the worst possible timing. Read more>>
Paloma Schell
Suffering taught me what success never could. It taught me humility. Not a performative humility, but the kind that emerges when all layers of external validation fall away and only what truly matters remains. In moments of pain, titles, recognition, applause, and visible achievements lose their meaning. What matters is who stays. Who can sit with silence. Read more>>
Subduer Dre
Creativity. Read more>>
Rickey Chavez
If you asked my closest friends what really matters to me, they’d probably laugh before they answered. Someone would shake their head and say, “Rickey’s got a guy.” And if that person couldn’t help, another friend would jump in and add, “Or a girl. He’s always got a guy or a girl.” That joke didn’t come from nowhere. Read more>>
Immanie Rogers
What they would say matters to me the most is my family as well as always standing up for myself even if that means I’m doing it alone. They would also say I push them to speak up for themselves and making others laugh and feel comfortable in the same space I am holds a lot of importance to me. Read more>>
Walter Barreda
At the ReUp Movement we know that community service is more than just giving items, cleaning streets, and creating opportunities. We know that the work we do helps individuals find out why they are on earth. We know energy can’t be created or destroyed, only changed in form or moved between systems. Read more>>
Travis Prokop
Representation of queer people in the South is limited. Evidence can be found in media, such as the 1932 film Hell’s Highway. However, after the Hays Production Code, the film industry strengthened the gender binary through Westerns. Read more>>
Ligia Moreira
A moment that truly shaped how I see the world was realizing that my culture, my voice, and my story deserved space in fashion. For a long time, I didn’t see people who looked like me or shared my background represented on major platforms. Instead of seeing that as a limitation, it became my motivation. Read more>>
Mark Thimmig
I learned the most about work from Wayne Huizenga and Steve Berrard during my time at AutoNation. Being part of the team that helped grow the company from roughly $250 million to over $20 billion in just three years was a masterclass in discipline, execution, and accountability at scale. Read more>>
Amy Marie Lewandowski
In our society and the world today, there’s definitely a lot of pressure around doing something well enough to be praised for it, to receive awards and accolades, and (especially in a small business) to get good reviews. For me, the whole point of doing my best is that I should *always* be doing my best. Read more>>
Farzam Afshar
Yes, I remember a time when someone truly listened to me, and it changed how I understood both health and care. It was during a period when I was struggling with psoriasis and eczema that affected not only my skin, but my confidence and sense of ease in my own body. Alongside that came persistent anxiety and ongoing gut issues. Read more>>
Derrell Harrion
I’m chasing a legacy. I’m changing the narrative so that everyone who comes after me lives a great life mentally, spiritually, and emotionally equipped to handle whatever life brings. If I stop, that cycle stays unbroken. And that’s not an option. Read more>>
Adela Andea
When I met artist Ultra Violet (Isabelle Collin Dufresne), a superstar in the Andy Warhol world, she was walking through the art fair in Houston, pointing to many artworks and kept saying “copy, copy, copy…” She was referring to a stylistic repetition of the 60s and 70s.. and so on. She stopped at my work and said, “Hmmm…. Read more>>
Evan Glover
When I was the star of my first movie “FightBoy”! I felt like I can conquer the possibilities of anything! Read more>>
Lisa Brat Martinez
Right now, I’m learning from people who live their values out loud and with intention. Along the journey with Buddhist monks during their Walk for Peace—particularly learning from Aloka—has deeply impacted me. Their discipline, humility, and commitment to presence has taught me that true strength doesn’t need to be loud. Read more>>
