Local Highlighter Series

We are so thrilled to be able to connect with some of the brightest and most inspiring entrepreneurs and creatives from across the city and beyond and this series in particular gives us the honor of introducing these folks to you in a unique way – we go beyond the story of how they got to where they are today by asking them to reflect on a variety of deeper questions that we hope will help you better connect with them, their stories and their brands.  Ultimately, our hope is that more of us will spend more of our money with independent artists, creatives and small businesses and we think getting to know one another at a deeper level is step one.

Gustav Hoyer

The growth of communication technologies into every facet of our lives has had the counterintuitive effect of making us more isolated from each other. This is not a secret, but the corrosive effect of having more and more in-person relationship replaced by hyper-convenient, screen-mediated engagement leads to a greater sense of loneliness and isolation. Read more>>

Cameron Robbert

I believe the average person is struggling with fostering the courage to pursue their dreams. There are a number of factors that can influence this for someone. Things like societal expectations, familial expectations, financial fears, the list goes on and on. These are certainly factors that should be taken into consideration and weighed against the reality of what their dream entails.  Read more>>

Eric Sahlsten

Aside from all the old familiar demons…as an artist I think that many, if not most, ‘creatives’ are always secretly or not-so-secretly struggling with imposter syndrome, with self-doubt, with that sinister, silent voice that’s seemingly always seeking to lure you from the path. Read more>>

Dr. Tasha Seiter MS, PhD, LMFT

I think so many of us humans are secretly struggling with the fear that we’re not truly lovable or that we’ll be abandoned if we show our real emotions. Read more>>

Terra Leone

That it all came easily. I have an incredible amount of freedom in my life, but it was earned through intention, risk, and a deep trust in the unknown… and in myself. I’ve “jumped off the cliff” more times than I can count. It’s thrilling, but often terrifying. I want others to understand that joy is a valid compass. Read more>>

Rev. Marcus Brown

I think some people might misunderstand my legacy as just being about spirituality or healing on the surface. They might see the titles, the brand, the energy work, and think it’s only about metaphysics or coaching. But the deeper truth is that my legacy is about survival, transformation, and breaking cycles that were meant to keep people stuck. Read more>>

Gustavo Nungaray

I think people might assume I built everything on my own, but the truth is I had people who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. My legacy isn’t about being a lone wolf—it’s about relationships, community, and lifting each other up. I hope people see that part of the story too. Read more>>

Karina Vogt

All of the labels that I carry will eventually fall away and be constructs of a past that no longer exists. I love to imagine a conversation with non-human species, like a moose; if we could find a mutual language: ‘How do you perceive yourself in all of this?’. Read more>>

Randi Van Horn

That life shouldn’t revolve around work—work should revolve around life. In a world that often glorifies the hustle, I genuinely believe in the power of disconnecting and resetting. Prioritizing rest, family, and personal time isn’t a weakness—it’s essential to maintaining creativity, clarity, and long-term success. Read more>>

Chris Tyrrell

I think the advice to ‘follow your passion’ is one of the most dangerous ideas we’ve embraced as a culture. Passion is fleeting — it’s about how we feel in the moment, and it often points us inward toward what we want, not what the world needs. That’s why so many people chase their passion and still end up unfulfilled. Purpose is different. Read more>>

Kayla Opperman

Unpopular opinion, and I’m no therapist, but it’s OK to be the type of person that gets overly anxious or worries too much. As a business owner, I actually think my business runs smoothly because I’m always prepared for the worst. I always have strategies and exit plans for when things go south, despite how unlikely it is to happen. Read more>>

Katy Perfetto

Right now, my days are a mix of mom life and salon life. I work about three days a week, which gives me the space to be present with my daughter while still doing what I love. On workdays, I’m creating dimensional color, connecting with clients, helping people feel their best, and staying sharp with ongoing education and content creation. Read more>>

Alison Gardner

As a creative entrepreneur and mom, no two days are exactly the same, but I’ve intentionally designed my routine to support both creativity and presence. Mornings are sacred. I value slow starts: breakfast and coffee outside with my three-and-a-half-year-old, soaking in the quiet before the day begins. It’s our way of easing into the day with joy, with no rushing. Read more>>

Susan Bell

I wake up early about 5:30.. Feed the Horses & Cats. Let the chickens and the Ducks out. Have my coffee, enjoy the morning watching the chickens and ducks. Read a little. Then I get dressed take the dogs for a walk. Then I ride the horses, weather permitting. Then I begin my days work in the art business. Read more>>

Stewart Lundy

A normal day for me starts the night before — because sleep isn’t just rest, it’s strategy when you’ve lived 43 years with a spinal cord injury. I wake up and check in with my body, my breath, and my intention. I rely on others to help me physically, but I direct the rhythm of my day with clarity and presence. Read more>>

Paityn Kelley

My relationship with my dad. He passed in March of this year, and his absence has completely changed my world. His influence will always be at the core of who I am. From the start, he was my first introduction into photography. Read more>>

Willow Jon Collamer

At the heart of everything I do—music, healing, storytelling, and public service—is the deep influence of my family and the landscapes that shaped us. I was born on the side of Mount Shasta, California in 1977, the youngest of three, into a life that was wild, spiritual, and deeply untamed. When I was just three, I accidentally burned down our home. Read more>>

Abby Schirmacher

My relationship with my mom has made me who I am today. She passed away from pancreatic when I was 18 and the grief that I live with along with my fond memories of her have made me the passionate, driven and motivated person I am today. My mother’s curio cabinet was the focal point of our household. Read more>>

Tara Powers

Being a mother to two girls has completely transformed how I see myself. Now that they are older, they see things about me and how I am in the world, that I don’t even see. It’s profound and beautiful when they tell me how much I have my life together, how strong, smart and tenacious I am, when I feel completely the opposite. Read more>>

M

Honestly, I don’t think I could give just one answer. Every relationship in my life I have had or still have has influenced and changed me in one way or another. Regarding my creative career, I would have to say my relationship with my peers has shaped me a lot. Read more>>

Clara Trimmer

My late grandmother Nell aka ‘Banjo’ was one of the most influential people in my life. She inspired the name Rustic Banjo Photography. Her love for the arts was shared with me from a very early age. She taught me many things in life that I carry with me to this day. Read more>>

Hurricane Holly

Someone in my life a few years ago said something to me, about how they think of me, and it was the best way I’ve heard to articulate one of the most fundamental truths about how I live my life. They said “ you can have whatever you want, and you don’t have to take it from anybody”. Read more>>

Yvonne Glassman

That I can lose everything and still be okay. That the most important work I’ll ever do is inside my own mind. That freedom matters more to me than working for someone else.. And that the life I’m building will never look like anyone else’s. The Relationship I have with my husband and my kids matters before everything else. My health is my greatest asset. Read more>>

Maria Zaghi

When we put together in my early 20´s the first Internet commercial node in Guatemala. To watch persons, companies and organizations start to use Internet and enter the digital world has been one of the most powerful and humbling projects we have had just to see the impact is had and continues to have in our economy is very satisfying. Read more>>

Vanessa Symoné

Hands down it is any time I did something for myself where I kept it a secret and just did it. From starting photography, to hosting events and fashion shows, creating Blooming Affaire with my co-founder, to up and moving to NYC, from my first solo trip to turning creating my own home rental. Read more>>

Chris Ellis

My first time at the age of 14 or 15 stepping on a stage and performing with the JB Band. It was such an exhilarating feeling and experience and that’s when I truly knew I wanted to be an artist. I felt free to express myself and felt on top of the world Read more>>

Bella Fire

I will regret not seizing every opportunity to live the best version of my life. I spent too many years being a smaller version of myself when it made someone else uncomfortable. My ex-husband, my department chair at one college, an academic dean at another, and this I will never do again. Read more>>

Aviva Sonenreich

I’d regret not taking the big swings — the kind of moves that feel scary but stretch you. Whether it’s expanding to new markets, launching new services, or creating content that challenges the status quo, I never want fear to be the reason I stay small. If I look back and played it too safe, that’s what would haunt me most. Read more>>

Miranda Grubb

People like to ask if I have regrets or if I foresee having them. Never. Never do I have regrets or think I will. My life is playing out exactly how it was meant to. It’s not all rainbows and butterflies but that is just life. If I were to change any small moment, my entire life could have been dramatically different. Read more>>

Amy Malone

Hustle culture. The notion that if you hustle hard enough, long enough that everything will work out. That self sacrifice for the end goal will get you there faster. Maybe that could be true, but at what cost? What price are you paying in your health and in your relationships to get there? Read more>>

Patrick Sean Everett

I used to believe that if you just worked hard and did the right thing, everything would naturally fall into place. I held onto that idea tightly, especially early in my career. But over time, I realized that while hard work and integrity are non-negotiables, they’re not always enough on their own. Life—and business—is more complex. Read more>>

Dr. Martha Ha

I say this a lot, but everything needs to be airtight—in work and in life. At work, my team hears it from me constantly—I’m like a broken record. I don’t believe in cutting corners (it’s even written into our cultural values), not even on the small things that might seem minor in the moment. Because those small things? They compound. Read more>>

David Mondragon Lopez & Charlotte Mondragon

Without a doubt a value that I protect at all costs is hard work. This is not just a cultural value but an essential practice in life. You can’t have anything without hard work. Hard work builds and edifies, hard work takes you to places you can only dream of, hard work will put you above the competition. Read more>>

Kenny Nelson

A cornerstone to our guiding philosophy is the concept of being a cultural surrogate or tradition-bearer, as coined by Black dance artist and scholar, LaTasha Barnes. Read more>>

Maria Whitfield

Trust beats trends! My clients often sticks with me because i remember every details about their life, my Clients don’t tell their friends “my layers were blended perfectly.” They say, “I love going there — coz she make me feel amazing.  Read more>>

Sormeh Graf

I’ve had to bet the company many times over the years, because in many ways, I’m still building it. Interiors by Sormeh is still introducing itself to Denver and beyond, and with that comes constant risk, recalibration, and trust in the process. I founded this company knowing that success doesn’t happen overnight, and I continue to invest everything… time, creativity, and heart into its growth. Read more>>

Jeff Althaus

My dad recently gave me copy of a book called Holy Moments. It’s an amazing and quick read that really has me focusing on smaller moments in my life where I am either impacted by the kindness of others, or where I have the chance to positively impact someone else’s life in ways that may seem small to me, but are actually huge to them. Read more>>

Cat Lee

I think one area where smart people are getting it wrong today is in assuming that technology is automatically bringing us closer together. From the outside, it often appears that we’re creating stronger bonds by staying constantly connected, but in many ways, I see it creating a wall that will be hard to come down from. Read more>>

Jo Quintana

I think a lot of smart people underestimated women’s sports and some still do. For decades, the assumption was that there just “wasn’t enough interest” or “not enough talent” to justify investing in women’s leagues. That thinking was flat-out wrong. The truth is, people weren’t watching because the systems weren’t built to showcase women athletes. There was no airtime. No marketing. No access. Read more>>

Ali Schlichter

Honestly, I’m learning from myself every single day. I’ve realized that my energy, my strengths, and even my downfalls all teach me something valuable. The challenges I’ve faced force me to adapt and grow, and the wins remind me what I’m capable of. I really believe in reflecting on my own experiences—good and bad—as lessons that help me move forward stronger and with more clarity. Read more>>

Carly Swan

I’m constantly learning from my twin toddlers. More than anything, they’ve taught me patience. Kids have a way of slowing life down and reminding you that nothing truly needs to be rushed. Things won’t always go according to plan—and that’s okay. I’ve carried this lesson into my career. Read more>>

Amy Borman

Would I hire me? Absolutely — and here’s why. With over 25 years of hands-on interior design experience, a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from an accredited university, and professional credentials including ASID membership and NCIDQ certification, I bring a deep well of knowledge and credibility to the table. Read more>>