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.
Daniel Florez
I’d say a little bit of both. I never expected that I would attempt to make a living off of music so at the moment, I say that I’m kind of taking on random opportunities to see how they pan out. Read more>>
Nina Marie
September has been filled with a lot of wins that has certainly left me feeling proud. My recent book, Unexpectedly Yours, can now be found in 2nd and Charles locations in Colorado! On top of that, Unexpectedly Yours had some more book sales on Amazon and pages read on Kindle Unlimited which is also very exciting. Read more>>
Catherine Lauria
I wish I could tell younger me to go with her gut and pursue the writing degree she wanted instead of falling back on something more saleable (ostensibly). I spent over a decade in a field I didn’t really enjoy because doing otherwise felt like failure. I was very susceptible to the sunk-cost fallacy when I was younger. Read more>>
Erin Taylor
No matter the circumstances of your life, when things get hard, and they will, a lot…never, ever, ever doubt your worth. Remember that all the hard times are sent as lessons and opportunities to grow into the incredibly strong woman you are to meant and will become. Read more>>
amanda harsche
This is one that hits home! These last few years I changed almost everything in my life and decided to start over! It’s scary being 41 years old and doing that but the suffering and failure taught me there is always more things to learn when you think you have learned it all in order to continue to grow. Read more>>
TJ Legler
2025 has been a year of intense loss, & yet I’ve felt myself grow more as a person in these calendar months than in any year prior. With my business, I created not only an entity which needs constant attention, but I also began formulating my identity around it to the point the two were inseparable. Read more>>
Meghan Van Vleet
This is a great question for me, because sadly my beloved dog of 11 years died this summer, and it has been a challenge to find my rhythm again after his passing. And the way we start our days has so much to do with how they will go, both mentally and physiologically. Thankfully, I have settled into a wonderful new morning rhythm. Read more>>
Angela Tran
I tell patients all the time that I don’t need to know what they look like to help them. There’s a deeper level to the work that I do that is beyond just diet and exercise, beyond blood work, hormones, beyond medications. It is the inner most layer of beliefs that I start to help patients rewire about themselves. Read more>>
Leah Diament
The fear of not being liked or loved has held me back the most in my life. The series that I’m currently working on picks at vulnerabilities or insecurities that make me feel unlovable or unlikeable. Read more>>
Sandy Patterson
This one’s a biggie, and honestly, it’s one I don’t shy away from because the mess is part of the medicine. The defining wounds for me have always centered around not being seen and the caretaking that became my default. Read more>>
Lasinda Lingafelter-Crane
When my time here is done—hopefully not for another 40 years—the story I hope people tell about me is that I had a fierce passion for fighting for what wasn’t right. That I didn’t just listen to problems—I leaned into them. That when someone shared a struggle, my mind didn’t hesitate; it immediately began working to solve it. I’ve always believed that problems are invitations. Read more>>
Brian Copeland
I hope people remember me for being someone who added to their life. Someone who lifted them up and made them feel better about themselves. Read more>>
Faith Lefever
I think my closest friends would say that what really matters to me is encouraging others and myself to keep growing. They might mention that I value pushing boundaries, trying new things, and not letting anyone else tell me what I can or can’t do. Read more>>
Jess Alise McManus
Integrity. While each of those characteristics are admirable and beautiful in their own way, I find integrity to be a core defining attribute of people that I trust. I believe that through integrity one can be more attuned to their inner intelligence and be able to contribute energetically to the world that is more aligned with their core self. Read more>>
Leslie VanDerven
I believe all three are salient, but I have really built my life and business around integrity. Integrity is so important to build long-term trust and credibility. The people with whom I work, live and play know my decisions and advice are based on clear principles, even when they are hard. Read more>>
Kyler Balsley
I struggle a lot with anxiety and ADHD. I’ve always just masked it, or pushed it down and hoped it would go away. Recently, I’ve learned that if I take photos during my anxious moments, it helps immensely. It turns that intangible feeling into something physical. It helps me understand and work through those feelings. Read more>>
Ann-Adele Blassingame
The first time I fully realized that I could be vulnerable was when I came to university in 2019. Away from our parents and living independently, I realized that if I wanted to get past my hurdles, I had to allow myself to open up and be honest about those hurdles. Read more>>
Teressa Gehrke
My mother has taught me the most about work and ethic. She’s always been a role model. As I see her aging, it’s much more important to me to have a work/life balance. I would say neither is 50/50, but the way I see it now is different as a mom myself than when I was single and not a mom. Read more>>
Kevin Hoth
I’ve found that there is always a let down after the opening reception of an exhibition I am in. Even the ones I’ve worked really hard on. I made the work, it’s on the wall, I’m in a new art venue that has some prestige to it. I’ve read that we should beware of things that come with prestige. Titles, awards, etc. Read more>>
Michele the ‘Matchmaker’ Fields
For 36 years I have stood up for my clients. When someone new calls for Bon Jour Matchmaking, the two most important criteria are that they fit what my current clients are looking for and that they understand and agree with my philosophy and structure. Over the years I’ve turned down thousands and thousands of dollars because integrity is most important to me! Read more>>
Stephanie Detton
For me, it comes down to staying rooted in storytelling and research. That’s how the Italian American Stories Podcast began, and it will always be the heart of what we do. Interviews are a valuable part of our work (and sometimes even easier to produce), but they aren’t the core of our mission. Read more>>
Ryan Alexander Bloom
I’m building a knowledge base, acquiring another degree, and getting my fingers into everything I can right now. The short term gains from any given project or certification are minimal, but over the past 10-12 years I’ve gone from completely unknown in the percussion education industry to having a minor, but visible, impact. Read more>>
Melly Nguyen
As a child, I grew up avoiding confrontation. Whenever problems came up, they were quietly pushed under the rug. I learned to smile, to stay pleasant, and to keep moving forward, even if things weren’t resolved. At the time, it seemed easier. Read more>>
Duncan Gilchrist and Valentina Setteducate
Duncan and I believe there’s a deeper cultural undercurrent driving the disconnection we’re seeing today. Despite unprecedented access to technology, information, and mobility, our society feels increasingly siloed off into competing camps. It feels like a sense of shared reality is being replaced by competing perspectives of reality further entrenched by our individually-tailored social media feeds. Read more>>
Jessica Friednash
There are a lot of ways bonds can be broken between people, but I think ultimately it’s how you treat others. Nobody is perfect by any means, but I’ve learned it’s important to treat others how you want to be treated and always put yourself in other people’s shoes before making decisions. Love restores broken bonds. Having a good heart and having awareness matters. Read more>>
Diana Agostini
I believe education saves lives. When I worked in Mozambique, I helped running educational programs that not only kept children away from drugs and prostitution, but also helped teachers heal their own unaddressed grief so they could show up fully for their students and find healing. On a personal level, education has always been a refuge and a safe environment even when home wasn’t. Read more>>
Saxon Kincy
I think one big misunderstanding about the music business is that it always has to be a business first. For me, there’s always been this tension: the more you get pulled into the business side—handling the marketing, the social media presence, all that constant promotion—the more it can feel like you’re drifting away from just making music for its own sake. Read more>>
Lifted Fizzy Drinks
Lifted Fizzy Drinks is a flavor-forward, functional, fizzy beverage company out of Colorado Springs. Lifted’s current flagship drink is CLARITY Fizzy Hibiscus Cherry Limeade. It features CBD & Lion’s Mane mushroom for potential mind & body wellness. Read more>>
Greg Orosz
With the name Work Harder Fitness, and mainly focusing on strength and conditioning, people tend to believe that I am not a good fit for most ‘typical’ personal training endeavors. The real truth is that I have my bachelors degree in Exercise and Sport Sciences, I have multiple certifications including Specialist in Nutrition, Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and Certified Personal Trainer. Read more>>
Beth Goltz
When people hear that I do real estate & design, they almost always assume the design aspect is staging for real estate purposes or interior decorating. Read more>>
Meghan Cocchiaro
That professional home organizing is only a luxury, high-end service for wealthy people. Read more>>
Julie Kessler
I think people often assume photo management is simply a matter of putting pictures in folders or albums. In reality, it takes experience and systems to keep collections secure, organized, and accessible. Our role is to ensure that families don’t just save their photos—they can actually find, share, and pass them on. Read more>>
Joe Vandenberg
If I am being blunt about it, I believe most of my business is misunderstood. However, that misunderstanding serves as much of the motivation for the work I am doing. What may be most misunderstood about my work is the scope. Read more>>
Liv Gewanter
One of the biggest misconceptions of ROAM Boulder is about the type of media that we produce. We are a student ran fashion magazine and we create social media content to get our name out there. We hope people see more than just the reels we post as we have many talented creatives that contribute to our prints. Read more>>
Josephine Ting
The question of suffering, how we all struggle with it indeed (yayyyy…..the fun stuff!) Why do I keep dating the same narcissist in different pants (or skirt, whatever is to your liking)? Why can’t I stop drinking even though I hate myself after? Why do family cycles repeat like some twisted Netflix rerun? Why did I fall in love only to end up heartbroken? Read more>>
George Peebles
A normal day for me right now is waking up and getting ready for the day by preparing myself mentally for what it will bring. Then I get my fishing gear and clothing picked out. If I am teaching ice fishing, fishing from a boat, fishing from shore, or fly fishing that will be the main factor that determines the flow of the day. Read more>>
Yeshim Harlow
The relationship with the most impact on me was my grandpa. He had MS and could not move his limbs and I learned that not everyone is the same. I learned to treat people with respect especially our elders and disabled people. I see myself with strength and dignity. I want people to be heard and give them my pressence. Read more>>
Lilith Diringer
Being in an accommodation and starting a nice discussion with one of the staff members. Just by asking questions such as: where does your food come from or: are you using renewable energy sources, I shed light on a topic often overlooked and gave the staff some inspiring ideas. Read more>>
Tara McFarland
Up until the age of eighteen, I was a ballet dancer. Being on the stage was my happy place; where I felt alive and connected and I could be me. I don’t think I can pin down a moment where I first felt powerful because I always felt powerful when I was dancing. Read more>>
Kelli Stephenson
I will never regret taking a chance on women in my life. I believe that one of the gifts I was born with is seeing someone’s potential. In fact, it is hard for me to NOT see all that someone is capable of- made for. Read more>>
Andrew Michler
I spend a lot of time following astrophysic educators on Youtube. It is impressive to have both a very precise understanding of the cosmos while maintaining a fluid and open mind to adapt to the flood of information, and sometimes radical shifts in perception. Read more>>
Christopher Moore
Someone I admire for their character and not their power was my grandfather. He was the father figure in my life and he taught me so much. Even though he passed away at 74 which was above the average living age of his time period, I always felt it was too soon. Read more>>
