The Decision Makers Series: Inspiration

A big part of making decisions is determining what our actions and choices have been inspired by. So we asked decision makers from the community to tell us about what they are inspired by.

Adrian Braxton | Business owner & Social Influencer

I am inspired by other young black successful entrepreneurs. Some people do not need an example of success in order to be successful, but I do. I have always looked up to others, this has not only helped me to lead but also to follow. The first person to inspire me was my mother. She owned and operated a beauty salon. Where she did a little of everything. She did hair, sold small snacks, eyebrow waxing, and offered a nail tech service. Her hustler mentality has always burned a fire inside of me to go out and get my own. This inspired me to finally start my own business where I cater a full hookah smoking experience to any and all events in the metro Atlanta area. Read more>>

Lala Diore | Professional Dancer/ Artist

I’m inspired by the hopeless. What I mean by that is I see so many people with so much potential, gifts, & talents. Walk around and stay stuck in their environment, stuck in the bare minimum of life. I never make the assumption that they are there because they want to be but I get touched deeply by wanted to know their stories , their choices , their lack of and if they could do something different what would it have been. I love to hear a persons dream/dreams. We all have them but we all don’t have the determination or hope or faith or encouragement to succeed or pursue them…. that’ motivates me to my core to be the living proof and encouragement to everyone across the world to chase their dreams. And to let them know it’s never too late . This really hits home for me coming from my environment nobody ever chased a dream where I’m from…well I didn’t see it growing up. Read more>>

Jalon Levett | Fashion Stylist

I am inspired by many different things in life, but ultimately remaining happy in everything I do truly inspires me. Going back into things that inspire me are mostly fashion, music, and how those two previous inspirations feed into each other. Without each other the other doesn’t survive. I believe fashion and music are the two biggest things that evolves cultures and with that I strive to learn more about both aspects which feeds into my deep inspiration. Read more>>

Christa Huffstickler | Founder & CEO of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

My three daughters and being a person who they can be proud of and look up to. Read more>>

Miles Kredich | Sound Designer & Composer

I’m constantly inspired by my teammates on the Savannah College of Art and Design swim team. These are people who study everything from illustration to architecture day in and day out, but share a common passion for the sport of swimming. Balancing hours on end in the studio with an intense training schedule requires an extraordinary level of drive and creative spirit, and this unique multifaceted group of artist-athletes makes me smile every morning, behind the blocks, at 6 AM. Read more>>

Amber McLure Hutton | Artist

As a woman artist, business owner and new mother, I am truly inspired by other women who run businesses. Especially women with young children who are managing both. I am fortunately surrounded by family and friends in business, who have taken the leap into self employment and continue to work towards their personal career goals doing what they love. As I started my business New Finn Art this last year of selling my work, I have become more aware and inspired by the strong women that are putting themselves out there everyday to grow their businesses and fulfill their passions. Through social media and online platforms, I have been able to connect with other like minded artists. It has been enlightening to see their work and how they express it to the world. The quote “Empowered women, empower women” has never resonated more to me and I feel proud and inspired to continue to share my work and hopefully inspire and empower others. Read more>>

Deianna Hamilton | Wedding & Event Planner

I get inspired by life and it’s natural progression taking place. I know that may sound weird but the most mundane task can spark the most creative ideas in me. If I am cleaning, I can get an idea. If I am on a walk, I can get an idea. If I am with friends, I can get an idea. I just boil my inspiration down to my daily life. This allows me to remove the pressure of needing to be inspired and just let it come to me naturally. Read more>>

Jessica Lewis | The Shipping Container Lady

Our ability to solve the toughest challenge that every country, county, and community faces, housing availability and affordability. Read more>>

Rondell Walsh | Barber, Rapper, Fashion Designer, Actor

Honestly I’m inspired by the creative process of the arts, entertainment, and fashion world. I love to see when a project or a creative work is rolled out correctly and effective. Read more>>

Letty and Jennifer | Circle S Farm | Animal Lovers

Temple Top is born of love for animals and the earth we share. At Circle S Farm, all animals (dogs, cats, chickens, horses, cattle) are well treated. The gardens are grown using organic standards and traditional horsepower; Letty with her team never fails to inspire me. As to the land, itself, the Smiths incorporate carbon sequestering forest, implement regenerative farming and adaptive grazing practices, and also provide conservation habitat to wildlife. Collectively people cannot be healthy on an unhealthy planet, and I share with the Smiths a sincere passion for the well being of creatures and ecosystems. I view exploitation of the planet and its resources like buying on credit, accruing a debt future generations cannot repay. The global food system contributes to this indebtedness, and one of our goals at the farm is to reduce food waste, so most of the garden leftovers go toward feeding the livestock, especially near the end of the growing season. Read more>>

Felicia Grayer | Elder, Administrator, Confidence Coach, & Preacher

I’m inspired mostly by the people that God has put in my life overall. I would certainly that my mother is at the top of that list, Daisy Glover. If love were a person, it would be her. She is patient. She is kind. I long to have her strength daily. One day after I’ve lived as long as she has, I will still not have the amount of wisdom housed in her. Read more>>

Joel Harris | Musician

When it comes to making music, I look for inspiration from anything that creates an experience of Stillness. Usually I find this inspiration in nature or landscapes, but sometimes in relationships, memory, or color. The composer Arvo Part asked once, “how can one fill the stillness with notes that are worthy of this silence?” The longer I work on writing songs, recording sounds, singing melodies, the more I feel that to do any of those things is at the cost of silence. Silence can say a great deal – about myself, the world, other people – before I even begin speaking, or making sounds. I spent time near both the ocean and the desert as a young person, and both brought the embodied experience of being still. Though one seems like contained chaos, and the other stark empty space, I have always mentally worked toward those spaces when writing music. Read more>>

Deaudrick Jones | Videographer

First and foremost I’d have to say my my mom and older sister. Seeing first hand what my mom went through and what she made it out of is huge for me. And with my sister being as hard working and such a giving person has impacted my life and the way I move going forward. Read more>>

Gary Javier | Photographer, Model, Makeup Artist, Stylist and Entrepreneur

I’m inspired by the world around me. The smallest things will help me create some of my best work. I could hear a song and see colors or maybe hear a line and think of how I can interpert that in my photography or makeup. I can also say that I inspire myself. Vain I know right? I find myself looking at things I’ve done and I think to myself “how can I elevate from here?”. As most people, I am my own worst critic. That pushes me to work harder and be more creative in my process. Fashion is also a huge influence. I have loved fashion for as long was I can remember. I can see an outfit or think of a silhouette and be able to create a whole theme or concept around it. Thats one of my strongest advantages. I am lucky to have experience in modeling, fashion, makeup, set design which ultimately helps me with my photography. Read more>>

Tracy Vann | Photographer

I think I am most inspired by the human spirit. I know that might sound cliché, but it’s true. I’ve watched people love, and be hurt, and love again. I’ve watched my family members and friends go through tremendous difficulty: battling cancer, facing marital issues including divorce, financial challenges, raising children as single parents, suffering tremendous loss. Yet they continue to rise up and face the next challenge. 2020 brought a lot of difficult situations to so many, compounding things they were already experiencing. I lost my own mother in the middle of a pandemic… Yet, these people, the ones whose lives I’m so proud to be a part of, continue to find love, to find joy, to find peace. They still see the best in the world and in each other. They donate their time and energy to people they love and to ones they’ve never met. They become surrogate parents for the boys on the football team, or the members of the band. They sew pretty totes bags for cancer patients. Read more>>