It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from in and around Atlanta.
QP
It has definitely not been a smooth road. The road has been overloaded with bumps, hills and potholes. Financial issues, personal life issues, bad partnerships, technical difficulties, lack of support and haters. Read more>>
Rebel Nkem
This is where I immediately immersed myself into the creative scene. I began by working closely within creative environments using my many disciplines to get me in the door whether I was djing, media team, booking talent, and throwing events it didn’t matter I wanted to create and grow. I decided to spread my wings and move to Atlanta in 2021 and have been based here since. These experiences have allowed me to learn not only how moments come together, but why certain experiences linger long after they’re over. Read more>>
Hayley Reed
My journey with music began, when I was just three years old in San Angelo, TX. I was hearing and learning vocal parts while riding in the car or listening to the record player. When my family moved to Florence, AL, I was fortunate to be placed in an environment where my gift could grow. At First Missionary Baptist Church, of Florence, AL, I began singing in the mass choir at age eight. I was incredibly blessed to be mentored by our choir director, the late Butch McGhee. Read more>>
Noelle Larson
Being a non-profit, it relied on volunteers to support it’s mission with their time, financial donations, and a very comprehensive collection of industry experts that were willing to share their knowledge and support the efforts of the organization. It inspired me to witness others working together with a shared purpose. I realized that this is when real community is created and when that happens, it’s contagious and encourages others to step in, get involved, and give back. Read more>>
BreOnna Cole
I discovered my love for hair in high school, learning how to braid at just 13 years old from my aunt Trina. After graduating, I received a full scholarship to The Hair School in Decatur, Georgia, and became the only person from my graduating class to become licensed in the state. Read more>>
Mario Reid
Hi Im Mario, I am a Graphics Designer, a long time gamer and VR enthusiast. through the years I have supported the Atlanta competitive Fighting game scene whether it be competing, doing graphic design for streams/products, supporting through cosplay or helping to get Atlantas competitive players on TBS for ELEAGUE. But I have always had a passion for the VR industry. Read more>>
Erika Valentine
I started in the hair industry as a child with my grandmother who worked in Hollywood and Los Angeles and inspired me to pick up the brush and cut things on anyone. I could get my hands on professionally. It’s been about 16 years. I started as a make up artist and quickly got into French hairdressing Read more>>
Carletta Youngs
James and I had both experienced the pain and impact of divorce. Although we had been close friends before any romantic involvement, our fir year of marriage was uncomfortably challenged. So we sought God’s design for marriage and pursued every resource, tool, and piece of wisdom we could find to strengthen our marriage and family. We wanted our relationship to be healthy and happy. Read more>>
Vishwa Patel
My story is one of identity exploration. I’ve lived in seven cities across three countries and often felt like an outsider, but in a good way. That in-between feeling taught me how to observe people, adapt quickly, and tell stories that connect. I was born and raised in Ahmedabad, India. Read more>>
Mayflor Chokshi
My husband is the one who really wants to have a farm. He grew up in Pennsylvania where you see the Amish farms in vast rolling hills. It is beautiful. I grew up in the Philippines and I had fun memories when I went to the province and saw the rice fields that my grandfather owned and worked as a farmer long time ago. Read more>>
Tom & Kat Vaughan-Johnson
We started Split Arrow in 2013 as a collaborative art project with Tom’s illustrations and Kat’s pinhole photography. After a few years of festivals and events, we opened Split Arrow Print House because we were constantly being asked ‘where do you get your prints made?’. We were printing ourselves and we figured, why not use our skills to help other artists? Read more>>
Lulu Pearl Kwakye
The idea for Divine Gateway Foundation began in 2005 when I was adopting my niece and nephew from Ghana and felt a strong calling to one day build an orphanage. I didn’t have the resources then, but during COVID I started sewing masks and bonnets with the help of my husband and colleagues to raise the first funds. Read more>>
Chris and Danny Ellis
For years, the idea of a farm was just a quiet conversation between us. Eventually, we decided it was time to stop dreaming and start doing, so we bit the bullet and bought 10.5 beautiful acres in Rome, Georgia. Now that we’re retired, that dream has become our daily life. Read more>>
Muriel Dawkins
My story is rooted in resilience, transformation, and the power of lived experience. My name is Muriel Dawkins, and I’m originally from Gainesville, Florida. In 2018, I relocated to Atlanta, a move that would mark the beginning of one of the most challenging—and defining—chapters of my life. From 2018 to 2021, I experienced homelessness in both Florida and Atlanta. Read more>>
Jhana Plump
My path to creating Vijhin Eyewear was rooted in a very personal relationship with style and self-expression. I’ve always been someone who pays attention to detail and how people present themselves, how confidence shows up visually, and how something as simple as a great pair of glasses can completely shift how you feel and how you’re perceived. Read more>>
Tammy Hurt
My earliest memories are rooted in music and community. When I was four years old, my mom sang and played keyboards in an all-female cover band called The Body Shoppe, and I spent my early childhood in rehearsal rooms watching musicians work. I still vividly remember the first time I laid eyes on a drum kit — I felt an immediate gravitational pull. Read more>>
L Kelley
My dream started with a conversation between my two best friends, Shaun and Khaliq, and me. I told them that one day my record label would be called On Live Entertainment. I was only 15 years old at the time. I’ve gotten to where I am today by staying ambitious and driven values my mother instilled in me from the very beginning. Read more>>
Alayah & Alexis Collins
My twin sister and I founded Women in Pre-Med, Inc. on the campus of Tuskegee University on February 1, 2022, guided by faith and a shared belief that God had placed a calling on our lives that was bigger than ourselves. Read more>>
Deon Hill
My journey into real estate started on the operational side of the industry. I spent over five years working in property management, where I was hands-on with everything from tenant relations and maintenance coordination to budgeting, compliance, and asset upkeep. That experience gave me a front-row seat to how properties truly perform over time, not just on paper, but in real life. Read more>>
Chasity Romain
I didn’t start out trying to be seen. I wasn’t chasing likes, followers, or popularity. I started because life was heavy — and the truth had to come out somewhere. Writing became the place where I could exhale. It was my release, my survival tool, and honestly… my quiet conversation with the Most High when I didn’t have the words to say them out loud. Read more>>
Michael Pastore
I recently decided to share my story of growing up a fan of rock music. The band Van Halen is used as a backdrop. It is a coming-of-age story about my friends and I discovering the band and attending concerts at a very young age. I then explain how I lost interest in the band later in life, only to rediscover them more recently. Read more>>
Katharine Rutherford
I was born in Michigan, but we never stayed in one place for too long. My father was a rescue helicopter pilot and Commander in the Coast Guard, so our family moved constantly. I have lived all over the country, including being stationed in Kodiak, Alaska and Miami, Florida. Read more>>
Antwanette (Anne) Dailey
Glow Dailey started as something deeply personal before it ever became a brand. During a season of my life where I was balancing a lot of responsibility, my skincare routine became one of the few moments in my day that felt grounding. It was my time to slow down, reset, and reconnect with myself. Read more>>
Ashley Kougher
I started in marketing in 2014 while I was still in college, working with companies in Daytona Beach. From the beginning, I was less interested in surface-level marketing and more focused on understanding behavior, why people make decisions, how attention works, and what actually drives action. That curiosity shaped my entire career. Read more>>
Kamaria Lacey Jones
My journey began from a place of quiet survival. After experiencing deep personal loss, identity struggles, and seasons of emotional heaviness, I found myself searching for healing beyond surface-level motivation. While fitness helped me rebuild physically, it was faith that restored me emotionally and spiritually. Through prayer, reflection, and obedience to God’s leading, I began the process of rediscovering who I was beneath the pain. Read more>>
Jamie Goss
I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised primarily in Cobb County. I love coffee, animals, and classic black-and-white films, and I’m often described as having an “old soul.” By day, I work as the Young Lawyers Division Coordinator at the State Bar of Georgia. Outside of work, I wear many hats—actor, acting coach, pet sitter, and playwright—collaborating with theatres throughout Metro Atlanta. Read more>>
Katrina Mckissick
In November of 2025 I was scrolling on tiktok and I saw Swan Simpson on fyp. I entered the live to see what she was talking about. She was speaking about review rinse and repeat. I was curious. So I stayed and listened she began to teach about how you could actually earn from doing serious reviews for brands, products and businesses. Read more>>
JUMARIE FLORES
My journey in leadership and service began at an early age in Puerto Rico. As a child, I was a member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, an experience that instilled in me strong values of service, social responsibility, and community commitment. Read more>>
William Mccathern
My journey into filmmaking wasn’t paved with industry connections it was built on a foundation of curiosity and a relentless ‘do-it-yourself’ spirit that started when I was very young.While most of my peers were focused on traditional paths, I was obsessed with the power of visual storytelling. Read more>>
I’LA Franklin
Shape Aesthetics was founded in 2021, originally under the name S.H.A.P.E., with a focus on post operative care and lymphatic massage for women recovering from cosmetic surgery. During a surge in cosmetic procedures, there was a growing need for skilled providers to support healing, maintain results, and improve recovery outcomes. Read more>>
Julius Mason
Everything started as a child, maybe around the age of 5. I’ve always had a creative imagination.I gained a habit of placing those ideas on paper around pre-k. Also my mother did a little bit of drawing as well, and I thought that was school so I wanted to do the same thing. Read more>>
Daye England
How I Started: I have an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration from Georgia State Perimeter (back when it was just Georgia Perimeter.) I was living overseas in Italy during Covid, working at a school. I wasn’t very in love with the job but I enjoyed teaching. Read more>>
Blake Fountain
I grew up in a house where humor was both survival and escape. I was raised primarily by my grandparents, who gave me stability, warmth, and a deep love for storytelling. Theatre became the place where I felt safest and most understood, so I chased it hard. Read more>>
Dae Coca
My father is a singer, so I’ve always picked up a microphone. I’ve been singing since a child, writing my first song at 11. Since then I’ve continued to write and put out music across all platforms, also winning multiple showcases around Atlanta that have opened doors for me to countless other opportunities. Read more>>
Darius L. Francis
My journey has been shaped by discipline, reinvention, and a deep belief in purpose-driven work. Before and during filmmaking, I spent 12 years serving in the U.S. Army. That experience instilled structure, leadership, and resilience traits that later became foundational in my creative life. Read more>>
Deana White
Peach Rebel began as a quiet thought in 2017, during a season when I was still discovering my voice and my direction. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with the name at the time. I explored the idea of entering the beauty industry, but it never fully aligned. The vision wasn’t ready yet and neither was I. Read more>>
Jay-de Robinson
My name is Jay-de Robinson, also known as Mr. Classic. I am a Jamaican native, raised in New York City, who now calls Atlanta, Georgia home. With a deep passion for style and classic menswear, I have built a reputation for styling and designing suits for some of the industry’s top A-list celebrities. Read more>>
Sharday Fields, LCSW
My path to this work wasn’t linear, and it didn’t begin with a business plan. It began through lived experience, faith, and a series of moments shaped by hardship, redirection. Read more>>
La Tonya Roberts
My work in human capital consulting began in 2006 at Booz Allen Hamilton, a global consulting firm, where I focused on strategy and process improvement while living in Northern Virginia. I was brought into large-scale organizational initiatives meant to change how companies operated, but what quickly became clear to me was this, the technical plan was rarely the problem. The people were. Read more>>
Kadijah Diallo
Growing up, my mom would always take me and my sister to casting calls for Disney or activities in the arts like acting or dance classes. In 2014, I did my first real photoshoot at SnobLife studios and continued on from there. Read more>>
Chivonne Clairmont
My USA and academic journey started when I moved to the United States in 2006. Originally from England and raised in humble beginnings my calling was to make and push the changes in marginalized communities I didn’t get the benefit of experiencing. Read more>>
Temika Brackins
I started my journey as a woman who simply wanted more, more stability, more freedom, and more control over my future. Like many entrepreneurs, I didn’t begin with a big budget or a perfect plan. I began with a skill, determination, and a willingness to learn. My background in the beauty industry taught me discipline, customer service, and the power of ownership early on. Read more>>
Leslie Locks
I’ve loved fashion and creativity for as long as I can remember. My mom jokes that it all started when I was teething on her Gucci bag, and honestly, that tracks. As a child, I insisted on styling my own outfits, often changing multiple times a day, and I was always drawn to creating things by hand and seeing others enjoy what I made. Read more>>
Bernisha Salmond-Lawton
My name is Bernisha Salmond Lawton. I am 37 years old, a wife, a proud mother of four, and a lifelong Philadelphia girl. I love to travel, spend quality time with my family, and I am a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan Go Birds! Some fun facts about me: I’m a true lover of calm, creative spaces. Read more>>
Shaunte’ Campbell
Hi my name is Shaunte’ and I’m the owner of fresh status 365 which is my vegan/plant based brand where I serve my community fresh pressed juices and kale salads loaded with fresh veggies, love and pure intent. I started from my own experience and how I would blog about my daily life as I navigated through my journey. Read more>>
Jenny Day
Growing Up in the 70s and 80s I was always a tom boy per se, but I also always loved to dress and do my hair up in punky styles. In the early 90s I started modeling runway and local clothing stores and fell in love with it. After I graduated I also started selling Mary Kay. Read more>>
Candis McDow
Reading was something I enjoyed leisurely. Writing came naturally. I’d write grateful paragraphs to my mom in Valentine’s Day cards, while my peers simply signed their names. My mom knew I would be a writer by age six. Written words were an escape and therapeutic for me. I loved going to the library, and to this day it’s a nostalgia I can’t quite explain. Read more>>
Wanda Sanchez
My path to health coaching was paved by 30 years of experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Over three decades in the medical field, I witnessed firsthand the profound ‘damage’ that occurs when we neglect ourselves—not just physically, but emotionally. I saw how unresolved stress, suppressed emotions, and a lack of self-care eventually manifest as chronic medical conditions. Read more>>
Kierrica Davis Davis
I came to Atlanta chasing a dream and believing in my purpose. What I didn’t expect was how much I would lose along the way heartbreak, sleep, stability, and love. I experienced homelessness, endless stress, silent tears, and the pain of losing someone I loved while having nowhere to call home. Read more>>
Malatrice and Ayanna Montgomery, Carver
We are Malatrice Montgomery (Mali) and Ayanna Carver (Nikki) co-founders and business partners. We’re two longtime family friends and food lovers who believe the everyday should taste extraordinary. One afternoon several years ago, I (Mali) walked into an olive oil shop and walked out obsessed asking “Why doesn’t Atlanta have something like this?” This question became the spark that eventually led to Vine & Olive. Read more>>
natalie schubert
I didn’t start out trying to become a spiritual teacher. I started out trying to survive a life that looked successful on the outside and felt deeply misaligned on the inside. I was a U.S. Air Force Captain, real estate investor, entrepreneur, highly educated, financially successful, and outwardly “winning” by every conventional metric. Read more>>
Cloud Kid
Cloud Kid, (Jose), I was born in North Carolina, raised in New Orleans and later moved to Atlanta, so my life has always been full of music and the need to express myself. I grew attached to music very young. My father was early an influence in my music taste playing classic and alternative rock. Read more>>
Isaiah Cowan
Growing up as a queer black kid in the majority conservative state of Florida, I knew that I stuck out like a sore thumb in mostly everywhere that I went. The duty of community finding me, was suddenly my responsibility. Where was my village? What did it mean to be gay? What did it mean to be “black”? I found my place in the arts. Read more>>
Valerie Williams
For Valerie Williams, videography has never just been about pressing record—it’s been about preserving moments that matter. Her journey began in high school, when she enrolled in a small video production class during her senior year. Armed with curiosity and a borrowed camera, Valerie discovered something unexpected: she loved storytelling. Not scripted stories, but real ones—moments filled with emotion, movement, and meaning. Read more>>
Brian Peace
I am a 54-year-old, retired IT help desk professional and high school English teacher with four children and one grandchild. Upon leaving the corporate world in the mid-2000s and my retirement from teaching immediately after the COVID lockdowns, I began seeking out new employment. Thus, I became a full-time, professional Santa, substitute teacher, and bookshop entertainer and associate at the Georgia Renaissance Festival. Read more>>
Chef Marlo
I’m from Atlanta, where food isn’t just what we eat—it’s how we gather, connect, and show love. My childhood home was always full: full of laughter, full of people, and always full of something good simmering on the stove. My father was an incredible cook, and I was lucky to be his shadow in the kitchen. Read more>>
Edward Oueilhe
My career began in real estate, where I quickly learned that long-term success isn’t built on transactions alone, it’s built on trust, service, and consistency. By focusing on exceptional customer experiences and a client-first approach, I built a strong reputation and a network of repeat clients. Read more>>
Santia Barnes
I started out as an athlete. Sports were my foundation and taught me discipline, confidence, and how to keep going even when things didn’t work out the way I planned. But being a broke college track and field athlete also opened my eyes early. Read more>>
Sherri Sims
My journey has always been rooted in service, leadership, and creating pathways for others to succeed. I earned a degree in Computer Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Engineering, where early mentors played a pivotal role in shaping my passion for developing people and future leaders. Read more>>
Luka Anic
Fox + Spindle didn’t begin with AI — it began with frustration. We had watched too many companies roll out technology without changing how humans actually work. AI just made the gap impossible to ignore. I had spent years helping teams adopt new tools and new ways of working. Jenny had spent years helping people make sense of complex ideas through storytelling and brand. Read more>>
Txne World
I started TxneWorld Festival as a way to create opportunities that I didn’t always see available for emerging artists and creatives around me, locally and globally. Growing up in Prichard Alabama and building in Mobile, I noticed how much talent and opportunities existed, yet how limited the platforms were for artists to truly be seen, supported, and elevated beyond their immediate circles. Read more>>
Shalini Kasliwal
My husband Giorgio and I have worked together for over a decade, combining our shared vision with two different cultural perspectives. I am half Italian and half Indian, and I grew up in Bologna. I am the eighth generation of the Gem Palace in Jaipur, founded in 1852, a historic house long trusted by royal families and international figures. Read more>>
Cassie Jones
I get asked this question a lot, and most people assume I have the typical story of starting as a service provider and branching off, but honestly, my story is the complete opposite of what you’d expect. I’ve never placed a lash, never waxed a brow, never performed a facial, and never even considered doing services because I’m simply not good with my hands. Read more>>
Trimaine Sheffield
For a long time, I didn’t know what I wanted to be. I was raised believing I could be anything, and that freedom made choosing feel overwhelming. What I did know was that I loved self expression through clothing, especially watching my mother light up when she found pieces that reflected who she was. Those moments shaped everything that followed. Read more>>
Aziza Belcher Platt
I’m a a career changer; I used to be a software developer. After my own therapist search and therapy experience, I decided I wanted to change careers and become a psychologist. I’ve been in the mental health field since 2010. My impetus was to make therapy more acceptable, accessible, and affordable particularly for marginalized communities. Read more>>
Marcus Braxton
Saavy Dults is a streetwear brand rooted in creativity, resilience, and purpose, founded by me, Marcus Braxton. The brand was born during one of the most difficult seasons of my life. After losing my father, I reached a point where I realized tomorrow isn’t promised. That loss forced me to look inward and ask myself if I was truly living in my purpose. Read more>>
Patricia Paggabao
I came to Georgia on vacation and never left. One week became two, two weeks became a month, and before I knew it, I was applying to Le Cordon Bleu to earn a degree in Baking & Patisserie and moving into an apartment in Atlanta. From there, everything seemed to align as the years went on. Read more>>
Mala Kaul
I have been practicing rheumatology for 20 years, and former medical director of rheumatology at Piedmont and decided to open the first direct care Rheumatology practice to help address a gap I saw in the current healthcare system for patients suffering with rheumatic and autoimmune diseases. Read more>>
Brooke Smith
We are a mother and daughter owned hair salon/ plant store. Brooke has been doing hair for 20 years and plants are our hobby/therapy. We wanted to create somewhere that we could both work and create. We love what we do and want to pass that along to our community. Read more>>
Katie Nelson
As a second generation master cosmetologist, I have always loved doing hair. It started early, styling the hair of little old ladies in middle school, often getting paid in frozen grapes and helping the dance team get ready on the bus on the way to competitions. Read more>>
Arthlene Legair-Lawrence
My journey began with purpose, resilience, and creativity. I started by simply using my hands and my heart—creating, serving, and helping others with what I had. In 2008, I made a dress for my daughter that unexpectedly launched my path into fashion design. Read more>>
Chris Anthony Hamilton
It definitely wasn’t a straight line. I grew up in a small town in Massachusetts where HBO was basically my window to the film world. I watched absolutely everything I could. The lightbulb moment actually happened in high school when I saved up to buy my first DVD player. Read more>>
Treesie Reed
My name is Treesie Reed, Founder of Tree of Life Foundation Inc. And I’m writing to share my journey and connection with Mrs. Pinky Bemah Goll and Feeding Peter’s Kids. From an early age, I understood that my purpose in life was to serve others. As a child, I was naturally drawn to helping those in need—especially children and the elderly. Read more>>
Shajan Clay
My journey into the toy industry began in 2010 with the launch of Train Up A Child Toys™, which was both my introduction to the industry and the foundation of my work as a toy entrepreneur. Read more>>
Steven Blubaugh
I began my career in consulting, working across three firms—starting at a healthcare-focused boutique (now Forvis Mazars), moving to North Highland, and eventually finishing that chapter at McKinsey & Company. Those years were instrumental in teaching me how to think both strategically and operationally, but my real ‘edge’ was an ability to synthesize disparate concepts into something new. Read more>>
Monique Young-Lewis
I was an Air Force kid who moved up and down the East coast. I always felt Georgia was home though. My elementary years were spent in Warner Robins and Macon, which was perfect since my maternal roots are there in middle Georgia. I grew up believing in the power and value of community, whether through family, church, or my military-connected neighbors. Read more>>
Si Rajadhyax
Music was my first real entry point into the industry. I pursued an internship at a radio station, which turned into more than a decade of growth across multiple roles. During that time, I developed a deep skill set across video, audio, graphics, social media, marketing, and digital storytelling. That experience taught me how content connects with people and how intention matters just as much as execution. Read more>>
Renetta Cheston
This allowed me to se I wanted to stop somethings in my bloodline! I took a risk on me & it’s working out better than I expected. I really didn’t know to expect! I just started with the mind of a child. God said to get anything He has, you must first know that you know nothing that way He fills me up with the wisdom I need on a daily & hourly basis. Read more>>
Shevann Steuben
I’m a proud native of San Francisco, a city that shaped my worldview long before I had language for leadership, equity, or systems change. Growing up there meant living at the intersection of innovation and inequality, where opportunity and exclusion often coexist. From an early age, I became aware of who had access, who didn’t, and how deeply systems influence life outcomes. Read more>>
Khushi Patel
My journey began with XVI, which grew out of a personal desire to simplify self-care and reconnect with intention. I found myself overwhelmed by excess, too many products, too much noise, and wanted a more thoughtful, sustainable approach to beauty. That vision led to the creation of AURORA, a multi-use nourishing oil designed for hair, face, and body. Read more>>
