We asked some of the city’s most brilliant and creative minds to tell us about the most difficult decision they’ve had to make.

Leandro Comrie | Artist

Being an artist was always a balance between my artistic career and my “day job”. My day job would, sometimes, take a little more that it should from my artistic life. However, I always managed to keep a good balance between the two. For many years I worked for a translation company that would assigned me to projects across the US. In 2014 they offered me a position in sunny San Diego, CA. The new position offered good money, paid lodging and car, a hefty stipend, plus perfect weather, beaches, friends and all the goodness southern California has to offer. But keeping the balance between my artistic life and my job as a translator was no longer working. My new position demanded other duties that were encroaching on my artist life and I was not happy with that. Leaving the position was a tough decision because it offered what seem to be an ideal life. Coming back to my “old life” was unnerving. I spent the next few months petrified, riddle with anxiety and not knowing what to do next. Read more>>

Brandon Drake | Functional Nutrition Coach & Therapeutic Chef

Quitting my stable job to reinvest in my new career through education. People thought I was crazy to quit a stable and good paying job to restart my career. But I only have one life and I want to make it count by doing something that is rewarding and meaningful. I attended holistic nutrition & culinary arts school then functional nutrition school and then in digital marketing school. I had to start all over again, sacrifice relationships, sacrifice days going out to socialize, sacrifice my passion for travel because all my finances were going to my new career that was now my top priority. It worked out in the end because it made me re-prioritize the more important things in life to invest in, which is food and health because without that how can I create long-lasting relations for the important people in my life?. Read more>>

Loy Hernandez | Fashion Enthusiast

I went to college in Dominican Republic and right after I graduated, I needed to take the decision to either stay in my country where I had family and friends or go back to United States. I ended up choosing to go back to USA where I had more opportunities but I had to step out of my comfort zone leaving my entire life behind and starting from zero in a different country. Read more>>

Camilo Rodriguez | Musician

The most difficult decision I have had to make has been to leave my comfort zone in my country, and come to a country (United States) where competition in the music market is high worldwide, and be aware that in order to live of music, you must be 100% committed in order to get positive results. Read more>>