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 Dallas.

Nasya XO

I’m originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, where I grew up dancing, singing in church, performing in theater, and participating in choir. After moving to Texas, I was introduced to recording music for the first time, and it inspired me to take my artistry to the next level. Read more>>

Deran Wright

There is no real stage of my life I can point to and say, ‘that’s where I became an artist’. My mom says I was drawing as soon as I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I was always drawing, I was never without a sketchbook, and I was also fascinated by sculpture. Read more>>

Lavondria Williams

I began my journey in birth work over six years ago as a doula. Through supporting families during pregnancy and birth, I saw just how meaningful it is for women—especially Black women—to feel heard, respected, informed, and genuinely cared for. That experience sparked a desire to offer families more comprehensive support and ultimately led me to pursue midwifery. Read more>>

Courtney Lamb

Hi! I’m Courtney, an ER nurse with over 12 years of experience, including the last 7 years as a travel nurse. Nursing has always been more than just a career for me, it’s given me the opportunity to care for people during some of the hardest moments of their lives while also opening doors to incredible experiences around the world. Read more>>

Nicole Solis

My story has really been about learning how to pivot, trust myself, and create new opportunities when life did not go according to plan. For several years, I built my career in healthcare administration and donor recovery, where I developed strong skills in organization, communication, leadership, and working under pressure. Read more>>

Ashley Baltz

I soft launched Red Oak studios in 2024 selling flowers on the side of the road with my first Valentine’s Day collection. But this wouldn’t be the start of the journey in reality it started but 4 years prior I just didn’t know it yet. Read more>>

Michael Dillard

Mike’s Shoe Shop started from a simple idea: to make quality, stylish footwear more accessible while creating a shopping experience that feels personal and community-driven. What began as a vision to provide customers with unique shoes at affordable prices grew into a business built around customer service, trust, and a genuine love for fashion and footwear. Read more>>

Riley Rogers

Hello! My name is Riley, an art-maker and picture-taker. My passion for art goes back as long as I can remember, which is what moved me to pursue my degree in Fine Arts. During my formal training in university, I discovered the empowering experience of photography, and I was hooked! Read more>>

Roberto Alvisi

I started playing drums at 7 years old due to my mother’s boyfriend. First of all I studied with his teacher and after that I attended the conservatory, the Modern Music Academy of Milan, the Cpm of Milan and the Drummer’s Collective of New York. I had also some private lessons with drummers based in Milan and New York. Read more>>

Kandy Robertson

I’m a first-generation Cambodian American whose family survived the Khmer Rouge genocide before immigrating to the United States as refugees. I was born in Maryland, and my story has always been one of resilience, reinvention, and refusing to let my circumstances define my future. My career has taken many unexpected turns. Read more>>

Dr. Bukki Adebiyi

I grew up in a Nigerian household where faith, education, and hard work were just part of everyday life. My dad is a pediatrician and entrepreneur, and my mom is an accountant and entrepreneur, so I was constantly surrounded by people who were building businesses while serving others. Looking back, I realize how much that shaped the way I see purpose and success. Read more>>

Luke Mergerson

I grew up in Duncanville, Texas, and athletics was just part of who my family was. All three of my siblings played Division I basketball, and I ended up walking that same path, playing at Texas State. Basketball was my first education in what structure and mentorship can do for a kid, and that’s stuck with me my whole career. Read more>>

Amanda Miner

I’ve always believed that the spaces we live in have the power to influence how we feel. Long before Kay & Co. Designs existed, I found myself constantly envisioning how a room could be transformed not just to look beautiful, but to function better and create an experience for the people living in it. That passion eventually became Kay & Co. Designs. Read more>>

Chadae Sauls

My name is Chadae Sauls, and I am the owner of **Elevated Events & Designs** and **House of Added Glamor**. Entrepreneurship has always been about more than owning businesses for me it’s about creating meaningful experiences and helping people feel confident, celebrated, and seen. My journey began with a passion for creativity and serving others. Read more>>

Francisco Maia

I first ventured into conducting at the age of 16 in my native Portugal. Moving to the US helped me find the people and the tools that allow me to continue to pursue that dream and strive towards it. Read more>>

Judge 2Heavy

My journey started with a passion for music, creativity, and the desire to make an impact in my community. I began by learning, growing, and finding my place in the world of entertainment and media, using every chance to build my skills and develop my own style. Over time, that grew into something much bigger. Read more>>

Jay Maggio

Honestly it has been a career of ‘last resort’. Read more>>

Javier Cazares

I got into photography during eighth grade after I got injured and suddenly had a lot of free time. I picked up a camera and started taking photos of my school’s soccer team just to stay involved, and that’s where everything began. What started as something casual turned into a real passion. Read more>>

Leen Abdallah

I’ve always been a creative at heart. Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, I was drawn to anything that allowed me to express myself, whether that was through music, beauty, fashion, or entrepreneurship. I always felt like I was meant to build something of my own and create a life centered around creativity. Read more>>

Sarah Black

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that your career doesn’t have to follow a perfectly mapped-out path to become meaningful. I was born in San Antonio, Texas, but grew up between the U.S. and Ecuador. Living between two cultures taught me to adapt quickly, see different perspectives, and connect with people from all walks of life. Read more>>

Kat Knutsen

I’m the first person in my family to attend college and pursue a master’s degree. I earned my MFA with the goal of becoming a foundations art professor, helping others develop their visual language as a meaningful form of communication, self-understanding, and connection. Shortly after graduate school, I began teaching at a community college in the same city where I studied. Read more>>

Kaffys Kitchen

My journey started with a simple love for food and hospitality. Growing up, food was always more than just a meal to me. It was comfort, community, culture, and a way to bring people together. What began as cooking for family and friends eventually turned into Kaffy’s Kitchen, a brand built on passion, creativity, and creating memorable experiences through food. Read more>>

Brianna Bradshaw-Willis

It all started like a lot of others during COVID. I was mostly active on Instagram but began to lean into TikTok. I felt weird being in my 30s posting content on social media almost childish dislike and I just had to overcome that fear. I started with restaurant and coffee shop reviews. Read more>>

Chelsi Weaver

My story began in November 2020, when I introduced Decor Me by Chelsi to the world with one simple intention: to turn gift‑giving into heartfelt moments people could hold onto forever. What started as a small passion project quickly became a creative home for handmade keepsakes crafted with love. I launched with shadow boxes—each one designed to capture a memory, a feeling, or a milestone. Read more>>

Anna Anthony

What started simply as a creative outlet has become something I’m genuinely proud of. I’ve been able to document so many memories with my family over the years, and seeing that passion begin to turn into opportunities through brand partnerships this year has been incredibly rewarding. I had never made money through social media before, so experiencing that for the first time has been both exciting and validating. It reminds me that something I created simply because I loved it can also grow into something meaningful. Read more>>

Marianna Bravo

I was born and raised in Mexico City, where my mother—an accomplished oil painter—became my first teacher. All I wanted was to paint the way she did. At eighteen I moved to Texas to study software development, and life carried me in a new direction. I met my husband, David, and chose to build my career here, setting my art aside for a while. Read more>>

Asia Jay

After eight years in the Navy, during which God miraculously kept me safe through numerous life-threatening situations on the flight deck, I used a season of fasting and prayer to discern my next chapter. God presented me with options, but the path that promised abundance was full-time barbering. Read more>>

Dr. Temisan and Dr. Imaobong Smart (THE SMART COUPLE)

We began our journey almost 2 decades years ago through our own marriage, with a shared passion for building a strong, God-centered relationship and helping others do the same. Our own experiences, growth, and challenges as a couple have shaped the work we do today. Over the years, we’ve invested in learning, coaching, and walking alongside individuals and couples as they navigate real-life relationship challenges. Read more>>

Chad Demchuk

I began my career before graduating high school. Just three days before graduating, I started cosmetology school in Central Massachusetts. At the time, I wasn’t entirely sure this was the career path I was meant for—I simply knew I enjoyed it and wanted to see where it could take me. Read more>>

Jeffrey Proctor

I graduated from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas, and started my career working in psychiatric hospitals and a few different agencies. In June 2022, I opened my own private practice, where I focus on two groups of clients: people with ADHD, and Third Culture Kids. Read more>>

JD Miller

Art and music have shaped my life for as long as I can remember. Creativity has always been at the center of who I am. I studied art throughout my life and, while in college, focused on ceramics. That experience fundamentally changed the way I thought about form, texture, and dimension. Read more>>

Sameer Ahmed

Honestly, it started with a pretty simple belief: that the most valuable thing you can build isn’t one company — it’s the ability to build many. I got my start on the operating floor, learning how real businesses actually run in clinical research administration and hospitality. Read more>>

Jeremy Smith

My story started just after getting out of the US Navy in 2000. By that time I was married and a father of 1. I had been hired at a small business as a warehouse worker and delivery driver. My son was of age to play T Ball so I decided I would coach his team since baseball was in my blood. Read more>>

Pedro Martinez

we ask her to rest on those days but she refuses to do, we felt her deeply since she was the only one that push us to her stuff, she pass away last year in November, we are connecting with other designers we have been bless with the ones that like our work, we will continue with our way to do our work and keep looking for the designers that appreciate the way we made our furniture, Read more>>

Towana Phillip

To’sha wasn’t part of some grand business plan. It started by accident. I’ve always loved fashion, and while I was living in New York and working full-time in visual merchandising, I made a handbag for myself because I couldn’t find one that felt like me. I wanted something bold, unique, and different from what everyone else was carrying. Read more>>

Sara Cauble

Growing up, college and career were two words that I didn’t hear. My parents were blue collar workers who built their own business off of sweat equity. They were married right after high school and raised me to think that I would do the same. Read more>>

Amber Tolbert

My name is Amber Tolbert, and I’m the creator behind Charmingly Cancer, a social media brand that began as a simple creative outlet and has grown into a thriving community. I’ve always loved creating content that makes people feel seen, especially those who resonate with the Cancer zodiac. Read more>>

Brandon Quincy

I started my creative journey in 2018 when I founded Third Eye Visuals, a brand built around creating cinematic, “out of this world” visuals that helped artists bring their stories to life. What began as a passion for filmmaking quickly turned into opportunities to work with artists across the Dallas music scene. Read more>>

Q Prodigal

I started by writing poetry in my AP Literature class. My teacher noticed I had great potential and encouraged me to keep writing. I wrote a bunch to a girl I had a crush on and then just never stopped writing. A friend of mine at the time who makes music read some of them and encouraged me to try writing songs. Read more>>

Daniel Serrano

I was born in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. When I was 14 yrs old, our family moved to New Mexico. Going through high school, it was a bit of a challenge because of the language and cultural differences, even among other Latinos; plus, most of my youth I have been an introvert, and some personal insecurities made it a bit more difficult. Read more>>

Kristy Triggs

If someone had told me a few years ago that I’d one day own a cookie business, I probably wouldn’t have believed them. Pink’d Sugar was born during a season when I needed hope the most. After having my second child, I struggled with postpartum depression. Around the same time, I lost my job during COVID, and everything seemed to unravel at once. Read more>>

Alisa Tillman-Franklin

I began my real estate journey nearly six years ago, but my interest in real estate started long before I ever earned my license. Growing up, I watched my grandmother, my aunt, and my father purchase properties; some for our family and others as long-term investments. Read more>>

Crystal Cartwright

I spent fifteen years inside some of the biggest brands in the world, including Apple, Nike, and LTK. My whole career has been about one thing: closing the gap between vision and execution. I was the person leadership handed the messy, ambitious ideas to, and my job was to turn them into something that ran. Read more>>

Tia Jones

I started my journey because I realized that working a traditional 9-to-5 was taking too much time away from my children and their needs. I wanted a career that gave me more flexibility while allowing me to do something I genuinely enjoyed. Read more>>

Emelee Field

I got my real estate license in 2020, and I wish I could tell you I hit the ground running. I didn’t. I had moved to Dallas-Fort Worth from out of state. I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t have a database. I didn’t have a huge sphere of people ready to buy and sell homes with me. I was starting from zero. Read more>>

Jada June Totten

Growing up, I always loved animals, the outdoors, and finding creative ways to express myself. Horses became a huge part of my life at a young age and taught me discipline, resilience, and the importance of hard work. Those experiences helped shape the person I am today and gave me the confidence to chase opportunities that push me to grow. Read more>>

Nick Quintero

I’ve always been a creative person from the start but I started making music when I was a teenager. When I started making my own merch, I had to teach myself the design programs and learned the ins and outs of creating the right kind of files they needed. Read more>>

Matthew Harris

HercSupps started from a genuine passion for fitness and helping people. Before there was ever a storefront, I was the guy friends and family came to with questions about supplements, training, and nutrition. I realized there was a need for a place where people could get honest advice without feeling pressured into buying products they didn’t need. Read more>>