We asked insiders and experts from various industries to tell us something they think outsiders are unaware of and we’ve shared a few of those responses below.

Raudys C Cambet | Producer, Director, Underwater Photography

After actively dedicating myself to Judo and practicing this martial art from the age of 8 until 25, life took an unexpected turn. An unfortunate twist marked the end of my career in Judo, but instead of giving up, I decided to explore a new passion. That’s how I immersed myself in the fascinating world of underwater photography. Read more>>

Paul Fuentes | Fine Art Photographer

– What was your thought process behind starting your own business? In 2015, I created my Instagram account, @paulfuentes_design, and quickly noticed the popularity of food photography on the platform. Taking a leap of faith, I started sharing my unique minimalist mashup creations, hoping for some feedback. Read more>>

Avari Copp | Small batch jewelry maker

One thing that I want to bring more awareness to through my business is the environmental impact of fast fashion. Before transitioning into full time small business owner, I worked as a apparel manager for a large corporation and saw first hand how much waste was produced from just one store. Shopping small not only allows independent artists to succeed in a competitive marketplace but also encourages shoppers to invest in work that will last generations and be passed down with love. Read more>>

Michael Zalle | Founder & CEO

The combination of industry experience, consistent regulation and policy changes, education, human psychology, and business acumen is what makes for a qualified ‘safety’ person. It’s very different than any other professional occupation I’ve seen. Read more>>

Kim Tarnopolski | Chief Community Builder of 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun

Giving circles are kickstarting a new era of philanthropy and having an impact on who gets funding.

A giving circle brings a group of people with shared values together to collectively discuss and decide where to make a pooled gift. Giving circles support with their dollars, but also build awareness of needs in the community. Participants go on to volunteer, become board members and more. Individuals multiply their impact and knowledge, have fun, and connect with their local community. Read more>>

Darious Lyles | Aka D. Lylez Grammy Nominated vocalist

The amount of hard work and understanding that it’s still a business and most of the time to win big you have to pay big money Read more>>

Janice Bogy | Contemporary Wildlife Artist

The amount of time and effort it takes to be a professional artist. Creating art is only the tip of the iceberg. Honing artistic skills is a lifetime process. As a wildlife artist, it means hours out in the field observing behaviors, understanding the animal in its environment and collecting photos for reference. Hours spent combining reference photos and working out composition. All of that before any work on the actual piece takes place. I work primarily in scratchboard. It is a slow medium requiring millions of tiny scratches to remove the black ink to create the image. Most professional artists I know are also their own marketing staff, framing staff, etc. It’s a one-person business. Read more>>