We were fortunate to catch up with some brilliant artists, creatives and entrepreneurs from throughout the Houston area and they share the wisdom with us below.

Alixen Pham | Soul / Human Being / Philosopher / Artist / Poet / Writer / Adventurer

I was very young when I read Plato’s Parable of the Cave. Even though I didn’t understand everything, the ideas about self and reality resonated with me. It stuck with me as I grew into adulthood. As such, I’ve studied various Eastern philosophies and spiritual traditions to try and understand these concepts. Through meditation, my experiences and knowledge have grown and deepen such that they greatly influenced my writings and perception of life, of who we are, the purpose and meanings of our lives, and brought about a greater appreciation of life all around us. I also realized the power of such stories regardless of time, space, age, gender, language, ethnicity, etc.. Plato lived over two thousand years ago and his ideas survived the fall of empires, the changes and migrations of people and places, war, drought, famine, and countless deaths. This is the power of ideas translated into words written on papyrus or animal skins or on paper. It’s one of the reasons I love books. Read more>>

Luke Boston | Head Coach & BJJ Black Belt

I believe there is a difference between actual risk and perceived risk.

Actual risk involves situations that could lead to death. Brain surgery or space travel is risky because you may not survive. Yet, there are risky things we do regularly without hesitation, such as driving on the highway. Some of us add more risk by texting or not wearing seat belts. Read more>>

Quita Jackson | Nature Lover, Mom of 2 sons, Wife, Producer, Storyteller and Educator

In short, I’d say our business, GreenDesert.org, truly changes people’s lives by empowering them to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. Because of the sustainable lifestyle that we promote, people are consuming less, saving more money, eating healthier, and ultimately feeling better both physically and mentally. We create school gardens, have hands-on gardening workshops, show people how to grow their own food, which in itself helps tackle food deserts head-on. We share our GMO-FREE across the world seeds and show simple ways to conserve precious resources like water. We built off-grid shipping container homes, mimicking nature and showing how to strive toward a zero-waste lifestyle. Read more>>

Kerrington Vaughn | Fashion Stylist, Model, & Content Creator

I would say how much hard work you have to put in! I work in the fashion industry, so most times people only see the “glamor and flashing lights”. But one mentor told me “there’s always a team and effort behind whatever you do”. I truly believe that! Read more>>

Sonal Haerter, MD | Creighton University School of Medicine-Phoenix

The most difficult decision I’ve ever made was to move to the United States in my early 20s. I left my family behind in India to pursue my dreams and it was the hardest decision of my life. Read more>>

Courtney Babilya | Women’s Fitness Nurse

Work-life balance always has its challenges, and those challenges have just shifted over time. When I was working as an ER nurse, I struggled with mom guilt because I was leaving my children for long shifts. Now, as an entrepreneur and mom of two, I am juggling meeting the ever-changing needs of my toddlers with the demands of running an online business. I’ve realized that strict schedules don’t suit me well, so I’ve implemented simple systems for my work flow to be more efficient. My old perfectionistic tendencies no longer serve my lifestyle, so embracing simplicity and flexibility has been essential. Coming from a health background, I also make sure that my self-care needs are met before I dive into serving others. It’s easy to have a mindset of, “I don’t have time to exercise or prepare meals because I have so much to do,” but a re-frame that I’ve embraced is “I will be able to tackle my to-do list more effectively if I am pouring from an empty cup.” When my body and mind are taken care of, then everyone wins: my self, my family, and my business. Read more>>