Through our work we have had the good fortune of seeing firsthand how success comes in every shape, size, color, faith, and orientation. More importantly we’ve learned that success is often the result of people embracing their unique backgrounds and so we’ve asked the community to tell us about their background and how it has impacted where they are today.

Greg Dye | Professional Oil Painter

I was born in Texas, but we weren’t there for long, as my dad was a career Air Force Colonel. Our family moved around the US as well as living in England twice. We were transferred to Denver in the mid 70’s and I have been here ever since. None of my relatives were artists so I was on my own discovering my talents. My mom could see there was some talent, so encouraged me to get a commercial art degree. I began working as a graphic designer and after work, on nights and on weekends, I worked on my own art and illustration skills. I took the plunge to become a professional freelance illustrator which I did for many years, working on a local and national level. I began oil painting landscapes around nine years ago and have been a professional oil painter ever since. Read more>>

Andrew Pielage | Architecture and Travel Photographer

Well, I was tactically born in Ohio but my family moved out to Phoenix when I was real young so I consider myself from Arizona. I was raised exploring the beautiful desert southwest every weekend. We would all pile into our Ford bronco and travel around to every corner of Arizona exploring, camping and hiking. This upbringing really grounded me in my love for the natural world and in landscape photography. Today, I continue that outdoor tradition by mounting my own expeditions, with camera in hand, into the desert. Read more>>

Bruce Wilson II | Visual Artist and Photographer

I was born and raised in Arizona. Specifically in Mesa, which is one of the cities in the valley surrounding Phoenix, AZ. My family was pretty big. Out of five kids, I was right in the middle with an older sister and brother proceeding me and a younger sister and brother following me. The five of us are all very close in age too. Despite that, each one of us has vastly different personalities. I’m sure that didn’t make things easy for my parents. Interesting maybe, but not easy. As a kid, I loved being a part of a large family. With my brothers and sisters being so close to my age, I had my crew everywhere I went. We looked out for each other. Still, because we all are so different, sometimes we would clash. A lot at first, when we were young. As we grew older, the clashes became infrequent. Read more>>

Cecilia Berkley | Ceo & Founder of Corazon Organic Beauty and Cecilia Holistic Spa. Licensed Esthetician and Certified Holistic Wellness Practitioner

As a young child growing up in Mexico the odds were against me. I grew up in poverty, I was abandoned by my father and I as a child I was even abused. Growing up, I saw and went through things that no child should ever have to go through. Despite this, I dreamed and persevered. Because I did not have the opportunities others may have had growing up, I constantly struggled to get beyond my past. This was a giant hurdle for me when I first started my businesses. As much as I did not want to look back, those things from my past seemed to get in the way. I overcame language barriers, I had to overcome emotional pain and really embraced self reflection while never ever losing my passion for my dreams. Looking back, those life experiences made me stronger. I have learned not to let fear paralyze me. Read more>>

Eleonore Rowe | Graphic Designer and Illustrator

I’m from Germany and Grimm’s fairy tales are a big part of my childhood and cultural background. Fairy tales do communicate a sense of wonder. A fairy tale doesn’t always have a happy ending, in fact some endings are sad, brutal and showcase the merciless world we’re living in. There are dangers, monsters, but also we do have the power to outgrow our challenges. This sense of wonder, moral, and appreciation for a good story is what inspired me to tell stories with my creative work. When I create I ask myself what is the story I do want to tell. How can I communicate values, represent the world in an authentic way, and bring inspiration for dialogue. Read more>>