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.

Melissa Echevarria

I do!! For many years I maintained a blooming Butterfly garden in my South Florida home. Knowing all about the butterflies and their host plants and nectar plants, their life cycles from egg to catepillar and then Butterfly fascinated me as it does many others. I used to think how sad that many Butterfly species have just a short amount of time to live and yet they mate, lay more eggs and keep their population going. Until I came across this poem.. and everything changed.
“The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough. Read More>>

Felix Montano

Hm…well, I have always prided myself in not being delusional. I think I have a pretty good radar and intuitively know when I’m right for something or when I am not. I usually follow that instinct and it’s been right. I think? Well, no. I know, because I believe what’s meant for us will come to us, and if we listen to the soul we will know. When I was younger, my answer to this question was, I’ll never know, because you don’t really ever get ‘there’, do you? When anything stops making you happy, that’s when you ‘give’ up, or really just ‘choose’ something different. I think that’s what ‘give up’ really means. Read More>>

Joanna Ariel

Jubitana’s Apothecary & Holistic Creations Scrapbook & Spiritual Outreach Inc. helps the community and the world by serving as a bridge between spiritual wellness, cultural education, and social impact. Our organization provides accessible tools for healing and growth through holistic remedies, foundational learning materials, spiritual mentorship, and creative expression. Whether it is through our astrology workbooks designed with national and international standards or our wellness products inspired by ancestral traditions, our mission is to guide individuals toward empowerment, clarity, and transformation. Read More>>

Angela Mallett

As a wedding photographer, my answer comes straight from the heart.

My greatest hope is for my legacy to be about the immense joy and lasting love I helped preserve. I want people to remember me as someone who truly loved making others remember and cherish their most precious moments for a lifetime. Read More>>

Winston Brown

“I want my legacy to be joy. I want people to remember that I brought happiness, rhythm, and movement into their lives. That a song like El Meneaíto could make generations dance, smile, and feel connected, no matter where they were from.

But more than a song, I want to be remembered as someone who stayed true to their culture, who believed in the power of music to unite people, and who never gave up—despite the industry, despite time, despite obstacles. Read More>>

Angela Tejeda

As a single mother of a child with autism, work-life balance has always been less about finding a perfect “balance” and more about learning how to adapt. Early on, it felt nearly impossible—between therapy appointments, school meetings, meltdowns, and trying to maintain a job, I constantly felt like I was choosing between being a good mother and being a reliable employee. Read More>>

Michael Vessicchio

My work-life balance has definitely evolved as my career has grown and shifted. In the beginning, as a pharmacist, the demands were intense — long shifts, fast-paced decisions, and little flexibility. It taught me discipline, but it also pushed me to recognize the early signs of burnout.

Later, when I began teaching as a professor, the rhythm changed. I had more structure, but the work didn’t necessarily slow down — it just followed me home in the form of grading, mentoring, and preparation. Read More>>