Highlighting Local Gems

Over the past decade we have had the chance to learn about so many incredible folks from a wide range of industries and backgrounds and our highlighter series is designed to give us an opportunity to go deeper into their stories with to goal of understanding them, their thought process, how their values formed and the foundations of their stories. Check out some incredible folks below – many of whom you may have read about already and a few new names as well.

Tosha Wilson-Davis

I say this all the time, applause is extra noise – it is a supplement of your hard work, but not a necessity. I have done some extraordinary things and big accomplishments as a small-town girl from Butler, GA. Although the applause may have been light, that didn’t dim my light or my passion to keep breaking barriers and making history. Read more>>

Taylor Gladmon

Yes — I’m very passionate about my work and what I bring to every project. I give my best, not for praise, but because it’s a reflection of my character, my craft, and my calling. Every detail carries intention. Whether anyone notices or not, I take pride in delivering excellence — because my art is an extension of my soul. Read more>>

Alexus Long

Yes, which is something I already live by. While i’m grateful for those who support me, I’ve never really needed any validation. Which can to some sound vague or vain but I truly am confident in myself and all things I create & do. Never rushed for a spot in anything because I’m sure that what’s for me will always make room for me. Read more>>

Sami Michelsen

I typically know I’m in uncharted territory when I’m not 100% sure of my next move; like I can’t see what’s coming or what I should do next…in the darkness though there are endless possibilities. I think that feeling use to scare me but now it excites me. David Lynch said “Black has depth.. you can go into it.. Read more>>

Tanisha Manning-Williams

My nick name growing up was TT. “If I could say one kind thing to my younger self, little TT, I’d tell her: the disappointment you felt, the hugs that were never returned, the longing to be loved the way you deserved, none of that defines you. Read more>>

Rebecca Leslie

If I retired tomorrow, I think what would be missed most is the incredible team of therapists at Best Within You Therapy & Wellness. Our clinicians truly care and put so much heart and effort into supporting their clients. The passion and commitment to both the team and the work we do here is hard to put into words. Read more>>

Tony and Eleshia Cash

Absolutely. During the 2019 coronavirus pandemic everything we knew about ministry, leadership, and connection was turned upside down. It was a huge transition for us. We had to downsize our physical location, rebrand, and even share space — all while trying to keep community and consistency alive. For a season, our home became the sanctuary. Read more>>

Jeff Kagan

The industries I follow lie to themselves about so much. That means 5G, 6G, AI, wireless, telecom, pay TV, streaming, technology and more. This is not meant in a bad way. That being said, their claim to always know the direction the marketplace is heading is simply not true. Did we know the iPhone, Android and wireless data were coming and would change the world? Read more>>

Tamara Dolcè

I am being called now to help others & be my authentic self, speak truth, seek wisdom and understanding, and follow my inner voice. Read more>>

Kimberly Houston

As a child, I believed that as an adult, work would always have to be hard — that success was only earned through struggle, sacrifice, and constant pushing. Like many of us, I grew up hearing the message that if you weren’t always moving, you weren’t working hard enough. Read more>>

Spirit BUTTERFLY

The first 90 minutes of my day is a ritualistic time period that enables me to align my thoughts, speech, and emotions with my desires, and the highest form of my Self… I began by immediately affirming powerful self-concepts, and what I want to manifest for the day, as my consciousness shifts from the dream world, to my awakened state. Read more>>

Brielle Hamilton

The importance of proper time management. I’m not perfect with my schedule & daily routine, however I practice every single day to master myself and strive to be 1% better than yesterday. We have to be more intentional with everything we do in life, with a sense of urgency…knowing that tomorrow is not promised. And the power of forgiveness. Read more>>

Anthony ‘A-WAY’ Holmes Jr

When I am gone, I hope people will be able to tell the story that I was not only a great actor or label exec but a great father, husband, son, brother, uncle and inspiration to many people and that the knowledge I was able to obtain and give was able to help many others excel beyond me. Read more>>

Paula Sima

I hope people tell the story of my heart. That I lived with it wide open, even when life gave me reasons to shut it down. That I led with love, connection, and a fearless belief in showing up as my full self. Read more>>

Katie Kerl

My closest friends would say what really matters to me is having strong foundations — my family. During COVID, my parents got remarried after 17 years apart, and that was my greatest triumph over generational curses, and my fathers cancer. I got my family back. Read more>>

Harvey Roman

Integrity and honesty. I’m an open book. My closest friends also know how much my work matters to me. Self-expression is everything, and I’ve devoted my life to art.<br> Read more>>

Keyona

I stopped hiding my pain when I realized it was the very thing that made me relatable and strong. For a long time, I thought I had to pretend I was okay, but all that did was keep me stuck. Read more>>

Porsha Clayton

I honestly feel lucky. I have two careers I love. I have worked in medical education for about 15 years and I still find extreme joy in what I do. It’s so fulfilling to me to shape future physicians as well as build relationships with the current primary care physicians in the community. Read more>>

Megan Patiry

If you had asked me this question last year, I would have answered that I felt like I was wandering, rather than walking a path. But that was before I learned something incredible about mazes. As you can imagine, it’s easy to see life as a type of maze. Read more>>

ChiaYu Hsu

Fads, especially now, are manufactured and manipulated by social media and corporations with a toxic FOMO mindset. “If you don’t hop on that new fashion trend, you’ll get left in the dust!” “Buy our product and it’ll make you cool like the models we spent $250k to style, shoot, and curate in our ads!” “Be different, be hip, break the mold. Read more>>

Colette Bennett

When I was 28 years old, Hurricane Katrina destroyed my childhood home and all of my belongings. While there’s not a lot I regret losing, my old journals and my photos were the things that stung the most. Read more>>

Shontel Kealoha

There have absolutely been times I wanted to give up. Times where I questioned if all the effort, all the sacrifice, was even worth it. Being a small business owner is one of the most rewarding yet exhausting things I’ve ever done. Read more>>

Charlene Hicks

Yes, if it was not for My teacher from Camp Chesterfield helped when I could not find a house to move to. I had forty-eight hours left to find my next home due to a severe mold issue. My spirit guides had told me numerous times that I needed to leave the house I had rented for nearly ten years. Read more>>

Meg Gillespie

I think the biggest lie in the leadership space is that being successful means always being busy or “on,” and that stress and success go hand in hand. We’ve been sold the idea that stress equals importance and that if you’re not overwhelmed, you’re not doing enough. In reality, that constant pace disconnects us from ourselves and from others. Read more>>

Barbara Kimmel

For years, I thought of myself as a writer who happened to be Jewish. Only recently did I realize that my Jewishness isn’t a footnote—it’s the heart of my work. Growing up in Memphis, being a Southern Jew meant navigating spaces that didn’t always welcome us. Jews were excluded from certain schools, country clubs, sororities, and summer camps, so we created our own. Read more>>

Tangela Q. Parker

Suffering taught me what success never could: how to stand still and listen to myself. When everything is going well, you move fast, you check the boxes, you perform. But when life breaks you open, you meet the truth about who you really are. Pain forced me to slow down, to rebuild my confidence from the inside out, not from titles or applause. Read more>>

Lisamarie Thomas

Suffering taught me what success never could—that peace is the real prize. Pain taught me presence. It stripped away ego, illusion, and every false version of strength I once wore like armor. Through suffering, I learned that healing isn’t a destination—it’s a choice you make daily, even when it hurts. Read more>>

Cherry Gong

As I shared in my previous interview, I was born in Shenzhen, China, and moved to the U.S. when I was six. Growing up, I was always the quiet student in the back of the classroom, full of self-doubt and convinced I would never succeed. Read more>>

Jasmine Carlisle

I’ve come to understand deeply that growth doesn’t always look like progress. Sometimes it looks like pausing, pivoting, or even starting over. We live in a culture that celebrates speed and success, but real purpose takes time to unfold. I’ve learned that being in alignment matters more than being “ahead,” and that the slow seasons often do the most shaping. Read more>>

Jason Fletcher

Well, I don’t ‘hope’ anyone tries to tell my story. I’m the author and God is the editor. What I know it is this. You all are bearing witness to a man on a mission, a man on his purpose, that has mastered many things thus far in his experience of life; yet none more important than the mastery of himself. Read more>>

LaKissha Williams

Honestly…. the light of knowing. The deep, intuitive part of me that always felt connected to something bigger. The part of me that knows when I’m meant to do something, even before I can fully explain it. I used to second-guess a lot of things, play small, or wait for permission. I let fear and imposter syndrome dim what was always there. Read more>>

Aurea González

While my past has shaped who I am, I am very proud to release the version of me that was always attached to my trauma. Growing up, life was hard. I was in the foster care system. I was abused. Read more>>

Audra Nicole

One of the first moments I realized I wanted to pursue a creative path was in fifth grade, when I wrote and directed a play for my class after learning about playwriting. My classmates all agreed to participate, and my dad even came to record the performance on his camcorder. Read more>>

Brandon Woodford

Integrity – because it sets the foundation for everything else. You can teach skills and inspire energy, but you can’t fake being genuine. Especially in the creative and small business world, your reputation travels faster than you do. Integrity keeps people trusting your brand and vision. Read more>>

Danielle Harris

Integrity is most important to me. Both personally and professionally. Sometimes it can be very hard to discern who really has it and doesn’t have a hidden agenda. It’s also hard because once people know you have it, they may try to take advantage of your honesty to manipulate or control you so you meet their demands.  Read more>>

Shari Perkins

I think I truly stopped hiding my pain and started using it as power when I launched my YouTube channel. One of my very first videos was me doing my makeup with a broken finger (a result of my ex running me over with a car). Read more>>

Sucheta Rawal

Some people have become so focused on planning for the future that they forget to live their lives today. I hear over and over again from brilliant and successful people that their lifelong dream is to travel, to go on a safari, to see polar bears, or to take a cruise. Read more>>

Darlene Williams

God saw me first, before anyone else ever could. He saw the leader, the teacher, the visionary, and the vessel I was meant to become. It was God’s quiet voice that reminded me of my worth when I couldn’t see it myself. His vision for my life was always greater than my own, and learning to trust that has made all the difference. Read more>>

Zhentao Xia

Probably the same person — just with fewer deadlines. When I was younger, I was always curious about how things worked — not just mechanically, but emotionally. I’d take things apart, sketch them, reimagine them. I didn’t know the word “design” yet, but I was already obsessed with the idea of shaping how people experience the world. Read more>>