We regularly ask our interviewees what makes them happy because at the end of the day, what else really matters? We’ve highlighted some of the responses below.

Katie Georgiana | Professional Makeup Artist

I’m pretty simple when it comes to happiness. An evening at home, with my husband and dogs, those are the things that bring me the most joy and happiness. I love to get dinner started and hang out on the couch, sometimes researching makeup and looks for inspiration. I love to sit and discuss new ideas back and forth with my husband about my business and new ways to grow. Read more>>

Marquita Jennings | Travel Content Creator and Photographer

I define happiness as me being in a state of doing what I love while being stress free. If you aren’t doing what you love, how are you living? It doesn’t have to be full time but you have to do something you enjoy daily to break away from the stresses of life! Read more>>

Angel Jackson | Social Media Influencer & Attorney

For me it is living a balanced fulfilled life. I believe happiness is created. When you want something in life, you have the power to take control and make it happen. Personally, a happy me comes from a web of things including a balance of my career, spiritual well-being, financial health, incorporating leisure activities, adequate self-care, staying healthy, personal growth, social wellness, and living in an inspiring space. Happiness is such a subjective feeling. Read more>>

Deborah Mosher | Bubbles Over Georgia

Giving to others makes me happy. I love entertaining with my giant bubbles at large events because it brings me great joy to see the children run after the bubbles. I love seeing dads get into the action by putting their toddler on their shoulders to let them be the first one to pop the giant bubble! Read more>>

Katie Kilpatrick | Academy Chaplain & the Pauline and R.L. Brand Jr. ’35 Chair of Religious Studies

The opportunity to offer love and compassion to students each day brings me so much joy! I love teaching students about the beautiful religious traditions in our world, encouraging students to offer compassion to one another, and helping students learn to offer that came love to themselves. Even in the midst of “physical distancing,” I’ve appreciated the connection to these amazing students. Through Zoom, we still have the opportunity to communicate each day through virtual coffee, classes, and interfaith prayer services. Simply seeing smiles on the faces of these young people during such a difficult time in our world means everything to me. Read more>>

Monique Russell | Executive Communications Coach & Strategist

You know I feel deeply fulfilled and happy when I get to spend quality time with my family and those I love. This is especially when we are just being in each other’s presence without a set agenda. Also, when I am able to create, express the creation and see the positive impact or result of that creation, I feel happy. For example, when I create a speaking presentation and deliver it, or when I design a coaching or training methodology and implement it successfully. Read more>>

Anya Bazzell | Physician & Fashion Blogger

Creativity makes me so happy. I am a true creative at heart. Many days in medical school, there wasn’t a lot of color. In my experience, there wasn’t a lot of fun, light, or freedom for self-expression. My blog–Surgery And The City–has permitted me to feel and be all of those things. Creativity fuels me. Content that touches people inspires me. So grateful to have this platform! Read more>>

Lara B Anderson | Professional Organizer and Move Manager

Seeing my clients smiling faces makes me happy. I specialize in organizing life changes, whether it be exciting times with a new baby, a graduating senior, or a new home office. But I also help with the hard times: moving, divorce, illness and death. Bringing comfort to my client and knowing I have made a difference in one of the above most stressful times makes me happy. I feel fulfilled when I have accomplished something to make someone’s life a little easier. Giving my clients more time to focus on the things they truly enjoy makes me happy! Read more>>

Christopher Hall | Artist and Professor

Teaching makes me happy, and making artwork. I enjoy teaching because it gives me a sense of purpose, a reason to wake up in the morning and do good. I think helping others is a key part to being happy. Making artwork makes me happy, too, but if I could make bank on my artwork alone and buy all of the sand castles in the sky, I would still teach. When you help other people, you don’t think so much about yourself and your problems. So when I teach I can leave my own problems outside the door. Read more>>

Steve Dininno | Painter & Printmaker

Creating a painting or graphic that reveals beauty brings me great joy. It doesn’t have to be pretty or pleasant to be beautiful…although it can be…but has to have a rhythm to it, like good jazz. For me, there’s a feeling of bringing something positive into existence that’s invigorating. I remember a line from the Stephen Sondheim play “Sunday in the Park with George” where the fictional George Seurat character points to his drawing and excitedly says: “Look! I made a hat, where there never was a hat!!!” That pretty much says it for me. Read more>>

Julie Mazzoni | Fine Art Mosaicist and Mosaic Instructor

Finding my sweet spot while working makes me happy. It is the place where I feel most at ease and there is a natural rhythm. With all that is happening in the world, it is harder than ever to block that out and focus on my art. I find that playing music helps and having a schedule with three to four hour studio time slots is best. I actually find social media can help keep me on track as I photograph my work in different stages of completion to share with others. Read more>>

Linda Mitchell | Artist

Making art that permits me to escape the confines of my quotidian adult life makes me supremely happy. I often explore an artistic tangent that relates to activities I enjoyed as a child. For instance, I never really cared for Barbie or baby dolls, but give me a little tiny animal to play with, and I would be happy making an imaginary world all day…digging little caves under the trees and making them tiny homes. As an adult, I have taken this idea on the road with my “Tiny Traveling Animals” series of photographs of my 1” friends. Read more>>

Patricia Chourio | Founder

Many things make me happy but when it comes to my business, traveling to meet with our artisan partners makes me very happy. Their stories inspire me and motivate me to keep going. Another thing that makes me happy is being able to share those stories with our customers and seeing their reactions whey they find out the positive impact of their purchase. Read more>>

Aimee Cassinelli | Pediatric Dentist

SMILES make me happy! I’ve dedicated my life to creating healthy, happy SMILES one patient at a time. Not many people are lucky enough to say that they are in the “profession of SMILES.” As a pediatric dentist, I certainly can! I have been practicing pediatric dentistry for almost 20 years. My practice, Peak Pediatric Dentistry, is situated in Sandy Springs, Georgia. My goal is to make every child’s dental experience one to SMILE about! At Peak, we recognize that nobody has more influence on a child’s lifelong SMILE than their pediatric dentist. Read more>>

Jessica Cobb | Pet care service provider

Knowing that I’m providing a valuable and needed service for our clients makes me extremely happy. It is super rewarding to see a dog come out of it’s shell after the owner bring it to our daycare program or an owner really step up to the plate and put the dog training they learned in one of our classes into practice. Read more>>