There are so many factors that affect how our lives turn out, but one of the most interesting is how our backgrounds give us unique strengths and perspectives that affect who we are as adults. We asked rising stars from the community to tell us about their background and upbringing and how they feel it’s impacted who they are today.

Ryan Adams | Entrepreneur, Teacher, Lyricist, & DJ

I was born in Colorado Springs, CO, and moved to Upton, WY before I turned 1 years old. I was raised in a Christian home with a lot of emphasis on education and the value of being a lifelong learner. This greatly impacts who I am today as I not only own my own entertainment business, but I work as a fine arts teacher for K-5 in Phoenix. In these classes, I am able to teach kids about the things that I do professionally, whether that be music production, live sound/studio engineering, social media management, content creation, etc. and give them real life examples of how these classes translate into actual careers. Read more>>

Dylan James Seeman

Without my heritage, I wouldn’t be who I am, yet with it I often feel out of step from the world, and often out of step with even myself. It shapes the foundations of my thought, and I hope my work show’s it. I was born in Arizona, yet I’ve never felt that “from” part. As if Arizona was my origin, people so quickly forget that throughout all of history, humans have been migratory and that beats deep down in my chest. A wanderer at heart. My mom’s great, great grandparents fled Ireland/Scotland during the famine to North Dakota. After a generation the dust bowl hit my grandparents moved down to Az. Read more>>

Devan Skaggs | Music Producer and Composer

An empty cup can’t fill another. Life lived fills my cup and makes my work better. At the very least it makes the work more gratifying. Read more>>

Danielle Demi | Virtual Assistant Mentor

I’ve heard that work-life balance is impossible, and I disagree entirely. Balance isn’t the product or outcome; it’s the feeling you get when you’re present in all of life’s sectors. How does that happen? Organization and habits!
There are so many methods and tools for creating structure around daily and weekly commitments. To create balance in your life, take inventory of how you spend your time and rework a schedule and lifestyle that promotes peace. Read more>>

Nicole Nicolas | Muralist & Owner of Poetic Design Co

Work-life balance has been a whole new game since becoming a mom! Finding personal time can feel like a miracle—usually either at 2 a.m. or for a quick 20 minutes. It’s definitely all about the balance, though. I’ve learned to wake up earlier, speed through the small stuff, and break up big tasks so I don’t get overwhelmed. Asking for help isn’t easy for me, but I’m finally seeing that delegating is essential, whether it’s for work or home. And honestly, organized lists are now my secret weapon for making it all happen! Read more>>