Stories, Lessons & Insights - SHOUTOUT ATLANTA

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.

Essence Turner | Mommy & Businessowner

The idea behind Botanical Essence Natural Skincare started as a solution to a personal problem. Back in 2016, a few months after giving birth to my first born, I suffered from the worst acne outbreak I had ever experienced (I now know it was postpartum/hormonal acne). My face was very inflamed, sore, riddled with acne and pimples. Already feeling low about myself being a new mom who was trying to find that mom/life balance while also a student in college, it was the last thing that I wanted to deal with. Read more>>

Sherrell Duncan | Wellness Advocate/Podcaster/Speaker/Author

I create a safe space for my kids. I let them have and feel whatever emotion they have. I teach them to be respectful in their reactions but to always feel. Letting them know they should never lose their voice or dim the light for anyone isn’t an option! SHINE ALWAYS I even in the eye of turmoil, God is always there to protect you and so is Mommy! Read more>>

Brittany Benson | Licensed Massage Therapist & Holistic Life Coach

Once I decided I didn’t want to rely on anyone else for a paycheck, I jumped all in, without ever thinking, “this is just a try-it-out” situation. I knew 1000% that I was going to move forward and keep moving forward and I was just never going to be done or step back out of owning and running my own business. The decision that I made and continue to make on a daily basis is that I have my own back. No matter what happens, I am going to show up for myself. I am going to get better. I am going to take on the challenge(s) and open my creative brain to find answers. Read more>>

Tim Davidson | Actor/Model

The Four Agreements, it really helped me in my personal growth and gave me a foundation on how to control my emotions and they are 1.) Don’t take things personally 2.) Be Impeccable with your word 3.) Do not Assume and 4.) Always do your Best. Read more>>

Lauren Gunn | Musician, Creative Director, Videographer & Editor

I’m inspired most by observing other people who are completely and unapologetically themselves. Authenticity is the most important thing in the world to me. Being our authentic self heals the world. We people want is to be loved and seen and heard and valued and understood. The less we try to understand one another, the more that we force ourselves to hide and fear what others think about us. I know what it’s like to be inauthentic. I think back to all of the versions of myself that I have been in fear of not fitting in… in fear of not keeping friends or a relationship or a job because I worried that being my truest self would lead to rejection. Read more>>

Cydney Hill | Creative & Content Creator

One of the key habits that significantly contributed to my success is being consistent with specific tasks that align with my goals. By breaking down larger objectives into manageable daily actions and incorporating these into my routine, I maintained steady progress and built discipline. This approach allowed me to stay focused, adaptable, and accountable, ensuring that even small steps accumulated into significant achievements over time. Consistency, combined with continuous assessment and improvement, has been instrumental in turning my ambitions into reality. Read more>>

Kristy Rene’ | Serial Entrepreneur | Best Selling Author | Momager

My end goal is to be on a ranch in the country, living off my land with my children and family. My end goal is to leave a legacy to pass on. Thats what all of this is for. I plan to accomplish this by building up my assets in real estate and continuing to expand my current empires. Read more>>

Mi’esha Gabriella | Content Creator/Influencer

Yes, I most definitely have a budget. My husband and I have been using YNAB (You Need A Budget) app for at least the past 5 or 6 years. It has been a game changer for us to see exactly how our money is spent, it helps us set savings goals, and so much more. If it’s in the budget this month, we can do said activity or buy said thing (only after our priorities are paid for). If it’s not in the budget, we don’t do it or we make a plan to be able to do it at a later time. Read more>>

Neleah Patton | Content creator

My end goal is to be a professional model and/or content creator. I want to be able to financially support myself by creating content and doing the things I love. Read more>>

Jill Cobb | Author

I struggled with deciding to leave my corporate job to have more time to pursue being an author. My son was a baby and I no longer had the energy to write while balancing a corporate career and my family, so I decided to focus on my son and my writing. Luckily, my husband’s job continues to support us while I establish myself through self-publishing. The publishing industry is evolving and has been turbulent the entire time I’ve been pursuing a career as an author. It has been challenging finding my foothold, but it is exciting to have so many new ways to reach readers. Read more>>

Paige Watts | Travel Writer and Author

Since taking my travel blog from a hobby to a full-time job, my work-life balance has changed a lot. In some ways, I have more free time because I don’t have to carve out time after a day job to focus on the blog. In other ways, it can feel like I’m always working because every trip is essentially a business trip gathering content for the blog. A good work-life balance is something I still have to work on. I have to remind myself sometimes to just let a vacation be a vacation and not worry so much about getting the perfect picture. It can also be hard as an entrepreneur doing everything yourself; there’s always work to be done, and it doesn’t ever really end. Read more>>

Kendall Lasha Williams | Host of Mum’s True Tea Podcast

As a single mother who is currently in cervical cancer remission and has overcome many past hardships like almost losing my home, filing for bankruptcy, walking away from an abusive first marriage and much more, I believe the most important thing I’ve done as a parent is demonstrate my strength, resilience and the power of perseverance to my two sons. This could be a good thing and bad thing because they have never FELT those hardships nor have they taken into consideration the struggles or sacrifices made for them not to experience those hardships firsthand. Read more>>

Keli Cooper | Traveling Makeup Artist

I would honestly have to say the most important decision that I’ve made that has contributed to my success is not only focusing on the monetary aspect that it has to offer. I pride myself as someone who is intrinsically motivated and when I was solely chasing the dollar it was always out of reach. But once I focused in giving my clients the best customer service and client care possible that’s when I became more successful. Read more>>

Pranshu Mishra | Actor, Writer, & Game Producer

In my work, I tend to focus on the little things – for me, finding those moments and exploring them further gives me the most joy. That joy of discovery inspires me in all of my walks of life. When I perform, what ties into my work are the little details that structure out who the character is – anything that lies underneath the surface, speaking to the subtlety of who a person (or creature or thing) is, becomes the most exciting and interesting thing to explore and dissect. Read more>>

The GRITS Co

We draw our inspiration from the glory of southern living. From the familiar breeze of familial porch steps. To the scent of charcoal burns as the grill gets fired up at a cookout. To the bubbly laughter after a couple drinks with your loved ones. The connection to our roots is evidenced in the way that each of us engage with our guests. We find ourselves inspired by life’s complexities and nuances. Which leads us to formulate questions from a place of curiosity, security, and openness. Which we each embody due to our experiences as Black, queer men. Read more>>

Dion Campbell | Commercial Model Designer & Tailor

Hard work will only get you to the top not talent! There are so many components to success and I think the go-to answer is just to tell someone to “work hard” which is true in many respects. However you equally have to have talent, direction and purpose to create and sustain what you have earned. Our talents either entertainment or art based have unlocked many doors for entrepreneurs and created revenue for large brands. I believe that hard work and talent must work in tandem to yield success. Read more>>

Audrey Johnson | PMP & Real Estate Advisor

I have never thought about my legacy in film in terms of superlatives, as in “he was one of the greatest of all time.” Of course that would be nice, but to have a signature style that people recognize and my name becoming synonymous to it would be the greatest compliment. My favorite director is Pedro Almodóvar and I don’t think people are able to put his films in a certain box because his movies are so genre bending and they have such a recognizable style that he is kind of in a realm of his own. Read more>>