It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from in and around Miami.
Hugh Sinclair A.K.A. ‘Chef Irie’
So, my story really starts back home In the kitchen with my mom. At that time, I just didn’t know how much of my story those experiences would influence. my first dinner meal all by myself at 12 years old. Read more>>
Jon Comer
I grew up in Amherst Ohio. Joined the Army straight out of high school. Relocated to Florida after my service in the Army and quickly became a part of the music scene and culture in the area. I always had a deep connection with music. I began writing what would become ‘The Adventures Of’ in 2022. Read more>>
kristin sanchez
My career actually began behind the camera. After graduating from Florida Southern College, I worked as a producer at WFTV in Orlando and later at NBC Sports’ Golf Channel. That experience gave me such a strong foundation in storytelling, but I knew I ultimately wanted to be in front of the camera connecting with people. Read more>>
Frances Rodriguez
I spent 18 years working in the medical field before deciding to pursue a career that would allow me to continue helping others while being more present for my three children. That decision led me into permanent makeup and eventually paramedical tattooing, where I discovered my true passion for restoring confidence through color. Read more>>
Mary Elizabeth Marvin
I came to painting through a somewhat unusual path. I studied journalism and art history at the University of Connecticut, and later studio art through the museum-based program at The Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, D.C. Read more>>
Edwin Garcia
I’ve been a personal trainer for the past 16 years, and fitness has always been much more than a career for me. I’ve seen firsthand how movement can change not only someone’s body, but their confidence, mindset, and overall quality of life. Over time, running became a bigger part of my own life, and that eventually led me to create Hamptons Run Club. Read more>>
jessica Higginbotham 🌸
hi! my name is jess. i am from a small home town in boston massachusetts. at 21 years old, i was a bottle girl / an alcoholic / and dating very wealthy men who paid my bills. (if you know what that term is lol) i had made enough to leave that life. Read more>>
Lasha Layy
My story is honestly a little all over the place in the best way. 😂 I’ve never really been someone who could fit into one box, and I think that’s a huge part of how I got here. I started out doing lashes. What began as a skill I learned for myself eventually turned into a real business. Read more>>
Armando Lopez
Armando Lopez is a Miami-born drummer whose playing reflects a deep love for rhythm and collaboration, shaped by years of exploring a wide range of musical styles. While he keeps a grounded approach to his work, his energy behind the drums brings a sense of movement and connection to every performance, always focused on serving the music first. Read more>>
Luz Angela Jimenez
I am a singer, songwriter, and tiple player from the coffee region of Colombia, where I began my musical journey surrounded by the sounds and stories of Latin American folk traditions. One of the core missions of my career has always been to promote Folk music from Latin America and the Tiple, Colombia’s emblematic string instrument, and to bring its voice to international audiences. Read more>>
Delerice Tehrani
From Purpose to Profession My journey into coaching, counseling, matchmaking, branding, and entrepreneurship began with something simple: people consistently came to me for wisdom, guidance, and strategy. I realized I had a gift for helping women navigate relationships, discover their purpose, build confidence, and turn their ideas into something bigger. Read more>>
Tony Kapel
I’ve always been into drawing, and painting, so my mom was taking me to art fairs, and took me to my first concert which was the Born in the USA tour at the Orange Bowl. I have memories of seeing the Cristo Islands from our boat, and my uncles who shared their music with me. Read more>>
Delfena Wellington
Blessings, My name is Delfena Wellington. Currently I’m a restaurant owner for 3 years + I always been an self employed cosmetology entrepreneur for 38 years, My health took a turn with a TIA stroke 2014 while my youngest daughter was battling lupus that almost took her life. Read more>>
Amari Walters
I’m EtrnvlWave, an artist from Broward County, Florida. My journey with music started during my junior year of high school, when creating became more than just something I enjoyed—it became the way I expressed myself and told my story. Read more>>
Benjamin Clerveaux-Jean
My journey in photography began as a creative hobby while attending the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. I started by capturing photos of my friends around campus, and as more people began recognizing and appreciating my work, my passion quickly grew into something much greater. Read more>>
Michelle Thompson
I became a nurse practitioner in August of 2023 after having worked in a neonatal ICU for nearly 7 years. My goal with this degree was to pursue a career in women’s health and Aesthetics. By late 2024 I had been rejected by nearly every job I had applied to because I had no experience. Read more>>
Oriana Rivera
I was born in Venezuela in 1997 into what I would describe as a very creative family. My mom has always loved making things with her hands, and she’s also a communications professional and an educator. I feel like so much of my desire to teach, communicate, and build community comes from her. Read more>>
Stefany Allongo
I’ve always worked at the intersection of events, marketing, and bringing people together. Early in my career, I had the opportunity to work for RunDisney and the Tony Awards, experiences that eventually led me to launch my own event planning business with a focus on weddings. Read more>>
Marcella Valdes
My name is Marcella Valdes, MMS, PA-C and I’m an aesthetic injector with five years of experience. I started my career at a medspa, where I learned the fundamentals of injectables and built my technique. From there, I moved to a plastic surgery office, focusing strictly on injectables rather than surgical procedures, which gave me a deeper understanding of anatomy and precision. Read more>>
Erica Kyle
I spent 25 years in the financial industry, working my way from an operations manager to a Vice President in risk management. It was never a path I intentionally set out to pursue, but I took the opportunities as they came, continued to learn and grow, and built a successful career for myself and my family. Read more>>
Vanessa Marin
I take pleasure and pride being the person to capture memories for those around me. I made an instagram page back in July of 2022 as ‘Vizyonbyv’ to have a platform to showcase the opportunities I had photographing for family and friends. Fast forward to March 3rd of 2023 when I got booked for my first paid gig by a friend who saw my potential. Read more>>
Tyla Marshallz
Since I was a child I’ve always gravitated toward creative expression. Whether through drawing and painting, dance, poetry, movement, or using my voice, creativity has always been one of the ways I’ve made sense of myself and the world around me. Read more>>
Judy Horowitz
My artwork is both a creative journey and a personal diary. Each image reflects the people, places, pets, and experiences that have shaped my life—family, friends, and the environments that surround me. Three Blondes grew out of a vacation with close friends, while Memories of My Father honors the many hours I spent with him as the oldest child. Read more>>
Daysy Rodríguez
It was a very difficult time because in a matter of seconds I had lost my husband and become single mom. Without a dime and coming from a foreign country, it was very difficult and I ended up homeless, drug addicted and an alcoholic. I was lost and didn’t know how to get myself back on track. Read more>>
Luis Vazquez
Huillo’s story really began in 2016, after his first Coldplay concert. His mom and I took him to the concert, and the experience had a profound impact on all of us. Huillo had been diagnosed with autism when he was very young, and we were always looking for ways to help him communicate, express himself and connect with the world around him. Read more>>
Jelis Temali
Fashion has always been a huge part of who I am and how I express myself. Growing up, I was always drawn to creativity, fashion, and the way clothing could completely transform how someone feels about themselves. In 2021, I decided to start sharing that passion by creating my Instagram fashion blog, StyledbyJellyB. Read more>>
AJ Robles
I always like to begin by acknowledging my family. In the late 80s, they migrated to the States from Nicaragua for many reasons, instability being one. My parents fought for their legal status, got into blue-collar jobs, and worked to get a home and have my older brother and me in Miami. Early in my life, my mother got sick for a few years. Read more>>
Eric Rodriguez
I have always found myself somewhere between two worlds: an analytical personality drawn to understanding how things work, and a creative, service-oriented side that finds meaning in bringing people together and creating memorable experiences. My earliest inspiration for hospitality came from home, while an endless curiosity about wine gradually turned from an interest into something I wanted to understand much more deeply. Read more>>
Brittany Elise
Sorella grew out of something I had already been doing for more than a decade – bringing my girlfriends together in my home for fun creative experiences. I’ve always loved hosting, crafting and creating an environment where the girls can gather around a table, make something beautiful, laugh and spend quality time together. Read more>>
Aisha Stith
It has been said that the best business owners are those that find a void in the market place and fill it. After falling in love with America’s fastest growing (and most fun!) sport, four women, Aisha, Stephanie, Sunja and Lauren realized there was great opportunity to better diversify pickleball courts. They set out to infuse this great American pastime with new energy. Read more>>
Eliot Popkin
Growing up, my Father was addict and was physically abusive to me for most of my childhood. My Mother had cancer and after a long battle she passed when I was 15. I grew up scared, disillusioned, unsure of myself and yet there was this fire that I knew one day I would figure out how to tap into it. Read more>>
Dani Faith Nawara
It Started With a Pool and a Few Margaritas It was an ordinary weekend pool day in Sarasota. No business meeting. No five-year plan. No strategy deck spread across the table. Just two friends, a pool, a few margaritas and a conversation that would eventually change both of their lives. Rose Mary mentioned how she’d been seeing these incredibly cool 360-degree photo booths in Hollywood. Read more>>
Grettel Diaz
Hi there!!! I’m Grettel Diaz, a Cuban photographer based in Miami. I’m very versatile and creative… My best work is in Portrait photography I grew up in the world of art, and from a very young age I was interested in photography. My dad gave me my first camera when I was 12 and since then, photography and I began this endless adventure. Read more>>
Veronique Pierre
My journey began with a deep desire to turn my own pain into purpose. As a Haitian American woman raised in a Christian household, mental health was not something we openly discussed. It wasn’t until I experienced depression following the end of my 23-year marriage that I truly understood the importance of therapy, healing, and having a safe space to be heard. Read more>>
Faith-Marie Griffiths
Florida’s rapidly aging population is placing increasing pressure on an already strained caregiving workforce. Adults age 65 and older represent approximately 22.8% of Florida’s population, while PHI projects about 283,700 direct-care job openings across Florida between 2022 and 2032. Without a stronger pipeline of trained caregivers, seniors, families, healthcare organizations, and senior-living communities will face increasing challenges accessing dependable, compassionate care. Read more>>
Luis Rivera
Athletics has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My father was a professional athlete in Colombia in the 1970s, and together my parents built and ran a family business that manufactured running shoes and sporting goods for more than 35 years. Long before I became a runner myself, I grew up surrounded by athletics. Read more>>
J. Able
To me personally, I’m just someone who has always loved indie comic books and art. It sounds so hokey when I put it like that, but it’s true! I always somehow ended up on the path that kept me surrounded by others who were just as obsessed as I was. It’s been a life that I have enjoyed a lot. Read more>>
Dainelys Del Alcazar
I am a Cuban American who came to this country with my family when I was just 2 years old. My parents sacrificed everything to give my sister and I a bright future, and I will be eternally grateful to them for that. From a young age, I’ve always loved making desserts from scratch for my family and friends. Read more>>
Christos Christoforou
My journey began in 2013, the day I suffered a cardiac arrest. I was blessed to receive immediate help and survive, but the aftermath changed everything. Overnight, my life became a cycle of medications — pills every day just to stay alive, as my doctors instructed. The physical weight was heavy, but the emotional weight was worse. Read more>>
Rachel Cook Northway
I am an expert in the clean beauty and wellness industries and the founder of The Northway Edit. With more than 10 years in customer care and product development at brands such as CAP Beauty, Follain, and tenoverten, I’ve honed talent for creating tailored self-care protocols for clients, using high-performing products formulated with clean ingredients that were safer for daily use. Read more>>
Osiris Ramirez
My journey began with a camera and a desire to create meaningful, visually compelling work. Over the years, I built my experience through photography while continually expanding into filmmaking, storytelling and commercial production. As I worked with more businesses and organizations, I realized that my role went far beyond simply capturing attractive images. Read more>>
Oscar Herrera
I was born in Havana, Cuba and lived in Mexico City for a year when I was a baby. My family then moved to Miami where I have lived ever since. My earliest musical influence is my father who was a singer in Havana’s nightclub scene in the late 50s. The first music I remember hearing was the soundtrack to the West Side Story movie. Read more>>
Heimm Xclusiive
What’s the teaskiis y’all it’s ya boy heimm xclusiive aka thee kween of broward aka the reptile king ! Read more>>
Zuberi Sankofa
Legend has it, I came out of my mother’s womb holding that saxophone…(sorry Ma!) I grew up around soul music connoisseurs—from the sounds of the ‘60s to the neo-vibes of the early 2000s, music was always a main ingredient in my day. Read more>>
Idiana Wever
From a very young age, I’ve always had a strong connection to creativity. I loved photography and could spend hours taking photos and editing them. At the time, I never imagined that something I did simply because I was passionate about it would eventually become my profession. However, it was years later, through traveling, that I truly rediscovered photography. Read more>>
Bruno Golombek
Honestly, I didn’t come into this as a ‘wine guy.’ I came into it as someone had built a digital marketing engine for a previous business, and came to a sudden realization that I’d never ever seen an ad for a bottle of wine that actually made me want to buy it. It was all so boring and predictable. Read more>>
