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 Raleigh.
Darrell Cordell
During Covid in 2018 a lot of job loss and tragedies occurred in my life. as I was cutting my hair one day it dawned on me that, “this is something I actually like doing “. So I decided to move forward on it and go to barber school. From there on I never stopped chasing my dream of becoming a professional barber. Read more>>
Justin Belvin
You’ll have to forgive me, this will be long but it’s all relevant to my story. I was born in Roanoke VA in 1993 to Robert and Linda Belvin. My father worked as a technician for restaurant grade food equipment while my mother raised my brother Jake and I. My parents have passed on but their impact on people’s lives… on my life, echoes boldly. Read more>>
Kadesia Jenkins
I began my pole journey in 2021 simply as a way to step outside of my comfort zone and challenge myself in a new way. What started as a hobby quickly became something much deeper—pole transformed into a powerful outlet for self-expression, confidence, and strength, both mentally and physically. Read more>>
Mariah Gravley
For me it all began with Bride Wars. Yes , the romantic comedy with Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. Best friend’s that had planned every aspect of their future weddings. Read more>>
St. Sophia Ukrainian Catholic Church
On Saturday, September 17, 2022, with a crowd of over 300 in attendance, Bishop Bohdan Danylo of the St. Josaphat Eparchy of Parma, Ohio, dedicated Saint Sophia Ukrainian Catholic Church in Garner, North Carolina. It is the only Ukrainian Catholic church edifice in North Carolina. Read more>>
Almaz Bogale
My name is Almaz Bogale, and I am the owner and founder of Barkot Beauty. My journey in the beauty industry began with a passion for hair and a strong desire to help people feel confident and beautiful. Through years of hands-on experience and continued education, I’ve developed a personalized approach to haircuts, color, highlights, balayage, and treatments. Read more>>
Amy Grant
Amy N. Grant is the owner of Art in Bloom Gallery at 970 Inspiration Drive, Mayfaire Town Center, Wilmington, NC (aibgallery.com). Established in 2015, the gallery presents an eclectic mix of original paintings, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, blown glass, stained glass, fiber art, photography, limited-edition prints, and mixed media art by established and emerging artists. Read more>>
Kristy Yang
The idea of I Do Weddings started in college. I worked with a wedding planner as a coordinator, and began to love working with couples and making their dreams come true. Shortly after I graduated, I began my own business focusing on affordability and sustainability. Read more>>
Barbara Hart
I was 34 when I 1st became a home owner. My real estate agent, challenged me to pursue real estate as career. He stated, if you take the real estate class & pass, get your license, I’ll hire you as a broker. He opened the 1st Remax Franchise in Durham, NC & I was his 1st broker. Read more>>
NICHOLE (BRATTON) WILLIAMS
My journey to where I am today has been layered, intentional, and deeply rooted in both creativity and service. Currently, I am the founder of Nichole Elaina Jewelry, a purpose-driven luxury jewelry brand rooted in the belief that adornment can be both beautiful and meaningful. My work sits at the intersection of artistry, healing, and empowerment—but the path here began long before the brand itself. Read more>>
Julie Charrison
My career has been guided by one core belief: the space we live in—and the environment we move through— shape who we are and who we become. I didn’t start out in real estate. I began in finance for companies who make and sell products like Pepsi, Harley Davidson motorcycles and billiard tables, and medical equipment. Read more>>
Dana Broughton
I’ve been a pediatric physical therapist for more than 27 years, but the roots of my work reach back even further. I always had a deep belief that children deserved to be seen for who they are, not for a diagnosis or limitation. That belief shaped everything that followed. Read more>>
Kimberly Lennert
I started cooking when I was studying Art in the Chicago area and fell in love. My husband and I started a business called ‘Moveable Feast’ in Geneva, Illinois. We had a cafe, specialty market, bakery and deli cases. We catered all sorts of parties from intimate dinner parties to weddings to large corporate events. Read more>>
Emily Anderson
I’m a fine artist working primarily in oils, currently focusing on portraiture and figurative work along with the occasional plein air outing. I teach small groups of teens and adults from my home studio in Chatham County, NC. Sharing my passion for learning while strengthening the local creative community has been incredibly rewarding. Read more>>
Cayla Morris
Polly’s Petal Patch began long before it ever became a flower farm. Years ago, my father and I used to order flowers for my grandmother, Polly. She absolutely adored them. After she passed, I discovered a photo album filled with pictures of all the bouquets we had sent her over the years. Read more>>
Kelly Johnson
The idea of carving out my own place in the transportation industry took shape on a New Year’s Eve, during a quiet moment of reflection about my future. As I assessed my vision, it became clear that I was being called to do more—and to step away from the corporate workforce. Read more>>
Haw River Assembly
The Haw River Assembly is a 501(c)(3) non-profit citizens’ group founded in 1982 to restore and protect the Haw River and Jordan Lake, and to build a watershed community that shares this vision. Read more>>
Reto Biaggi
I decided at age 12 that I would be a chef. So each summer, growing up, I spent a month in a different kitchen, and I loved it more and more! After graduating from hospitality management school in Switzerland, I worked a few management jobs, but was not satisfied, until I started cooking again with my personal chef business. Read more>>
Arie Kirsch
I spent many years dreaming up the concept of a local coffee truck. I spent a few years selling coffee wholesale online and working for other coffee companies before finally being brave enough to launch out on my own. Once I opened in December of 2019 we were almost immediately shut down by the global pandemic. Read more>>
Jameson MacFarland-Hall
When Covid hit, I lost my job as a marketing and program manager at a sports venue in the center of the state. Amidst the chaos of a worldwide pandemic and a job hunt, I came across this little company in Durham who was hiring a marketing manager. Read more>>
Matt McLaughlin
Matt’s journey into fitness began in late 2009 as a personal pursuit to just get healthier and feel better (after a bad break up). What started as a way to improve his own life quickly grew into a passion for coaching and helping others get stronger, leaner, and more capable. After three years of training independently, Matt noticed a gap in the Raleigh fitness scene. Read more>>
Carol Ann Redfield
I retired from the Army on Dec 31, 2008, and I stayed home for two years with my kiddos. While I was at home with them, I trained 22 women for their first sprint triathlon, and I had friends ask me to give their children swim lessons in our neighborhood pool. Read more>>
Macey Mayer
I’ve always loved art, and wanted to pursue a career where my art could impact others. It was a long journey of trying to find a path that suited me and my dreams, but after I got my first tattoo I knew this is what I was meant to do. Read more>>
Traci Philips
I began my professional journey with a deep curiosity about how leaders think, make decisions and show up in the most challenging environments. Over time, that curiosity evolved into a professional focus on leadership performance, communication and human dynamics. Not just as technical skills, but as deeply human competencies that drive real outcomes. Read more>>
Matthew Page
My name is Matthew Page and i’m the owner of The Tea Room, a salon studio in Downtown Raleigh. I started cosmetology school in 2020 as an effort to break my streak of working jobs that didn’t fuel my creative passion and my love for taking care of people. Read more>>
Nicole Connelly
We worked with a local realtor and after many months of searching, in 2017 we were able to find a property with space for a market garden, and potential for expansion (orchard? small grazing herd?) in Northern Durham. In early 2018 we broke ground with a rototiller gifted from my father-in-law (who has been part of the farm team from this point forward) and a few passes with a garden tractor with a plow attachment when a farm friend took pity on our plight with the sod…. that April, we joined a small local Farmer’s Market (the Roots Market – no longer active, but always in my heart) with one small table, 2 bunches of radishes, 2 heads of lettuce, a bunch of kale, and all the smiles and nerves and adrenaline our little family could muster. Read more>>
Megan Prolo
I have always enjoyed gardening and growing things, I’m that family member with the pineapple top, avocado seeds, and random things on the counter to grow. In March of 2023 I decided to take my hobby and open it up to others. I started off with one small 3 three their metal rack and 5 trays and from there it has exploded. Read more>>
Mike Hall
I didn’t come into real estate through a straight line. Like a lot of people, I was drawn to it initially because I was interested in investing and long-term wealth building, not just transactions. That led me to get licensed and start working with buyers, sellers, and investors across the Triangle. Read more>>
Sherri Raeford
In my formative years, I watched my brother become a musical prodigy, my mother pouring her heart into poetry and my father designing all sorts of innovative things. I knew I wanted to be an artist but wasn’t quite sure where I fit. Music, Visual Arts, Theatre Arts and Dance all appealed to me. Read more>>
Cheryl and Christian Alles
Our vision began years ago on the shores of Lake Michigan. I grew up spending weekends in the summer at Holland State Park and each drive back home was spent stopping at the Yum Yum Ice Cream Shop for a scoop of blue moon. Read more>>
Carly Steiman
I started my electrical apprenticeship right after highschool and fell in love with helping people in the residential service sector. I love fixing things, helping people and getting paid! I explored the world of film and climbed ranks in rigging, shooting, set wiring (building led light fixtures), and met many kind and special humans who shared their story with me. Read more>>
Ned Bixby
I became fascinated with human movement back in high school when I started working out with a friend and realized how powerful the body can be when it moves well. That curiosity led me to study at UNC–Chapel Hill and begin my career in physical therapy after graduating in 2018. Read more>>
Veronica McClain
Growing up my mom celebrated all milestones and accomplishments. She made our special day an unbelievable experience and I will cherish these memories forever. This is why I truly love celebrating life’s milestones and journeys. I believe everyone should be celebrated and treated like a Queen or a King, from the guests to the person we are honoring. Read more>>
John Bruni
In 2020, I graduated from Wake Technical Community College with an associate degree in applied science and a CPT from The American College of Sports Medicine. After Graduating, I started out as a Personal Trainer and Group Fitness coach working at 2 gyms simultaneously, F45 Training Olde Raleigh and Athletic lab. Read more>>
Hailey Hatley
I started In With The Skin during a season of major personal transition, but the foundation for it had been building for years. I bring over seven years of hands-on experience treating skin in a medical setting, and more than a decade of passion for skincare as both a science and an art. Read more>>
Victoria D’Alesio
My dad, my Uncle Ron and I started as a mobile cigar company in 2021 going to events around the state selling premium cigars and accessories. In 2023 we decided that we wanted to open up a brick and mortar cigar bar and lounge. It took us about a year to find the location that felt best to us and that was Dunn, NC. Read more>>
Shannon Brown
Nearly 20 years ago, I began assisting an event planner with a wide range of events. Through that experience, I gained hands-on knowledge of the event industry—skills I didn’t realize I would one day turn into a calling. Over the years, I began planning, designing, and hosting events for family and friends. Read more>>
Cindy Rakowitz
Growing up with next to nothing in Queens, New York, I made it my business to excel academically. During the seventies and eighties, a decent college education along with speedy and accurate ‘typing’ skills guaranteed entree level jobs. Always attracted to the advertising industry, I landed my first job at WOR-TV’s sales department. Read more>>
Reese Studer
Reese Studer is a licensed aesthetician with nearly eight years of experience in the beauty industry and the founder of a boutique waxing studio in Wilmington, North Carolina. After relocating to North Carolina almost four years ago, Reese discovered the Cargo District and immediately knew it was meant to be the home of her business. Read more>>
Nancy Davison
At the age of 14, when polio was raging, (tells you how old I am) met a neighbor who was a physical Therapist. As she described her work I knew I no longer wanted to be a nurse. I volunteered as a teenager in a PT Clinic at Rex hospital in Raleigh, NC. I connected with the program at UNC-CH that was just getting stated. Read more>>
Yoshiko Ellison Simpson
Elegant Persuasions LLC started more than 13 years ago as a dream, but it quickly became a family mission. I stepped into the industry with excitement and fear holding hands, but I never stepped alone. My husband became my steady voice of confidence when I doubted myself, he never doubted the vision. Read more>>
James Koch
Began in 1974 by attending Photography School in Rhode Island; from there, went straight into commercial photography, working on many different projects, from photographing Nuclear plants to Vulcan Iron Works to some of the first McDonald’s restaurants. Read more>>
Natasha Witherspoon
I began my journey in education with a deep belief that every student is capable of learning when instruction is intentional, responsive, and rooted in understanding. Early in my career, I worked in high-impact school settings where I often found myself teaching and learning pedagogy simultaneously. Those experiences quickly taught me that strong content knowledge alone was not enough. Read more>>
nancy parrish
I started Nancy Parrish Interiors 12 years ago in Charlotte, North Carolina, driven by a love of interiors and a belief that homes should feel personal, layered, and lived in. In the early years, I focused primarily on residential design, building the business slowly and intentionally through referrals and long-term client relationships. Read more>>
Cody Hagan
I grew up just outside of Greenville, NC and from a young age I had a vision of owning my own business. At the time I always had a dream of it being a fun park type place with mini golf and go carts, etc. Fast forward and interests changed some. Read more>>
Suzette Aiken
I am Suzette Aiken, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist and Qualified Supervisor, and the owner of the group practice Yapriah Life and Healing, PLLC. I was born, raised and currently reside in Durham, NC. I began my career in public school education, working as a Pre-K teacher, classroom teacher, and eventually a school counselor. Read more>>
Brittany Casterlow
Hi my name Brittany Casterlow I am a private specialized hair stylist specializing in premium extensions , dimensional color and hair care systems . I have been in the industry for 10 years ! Read more>>
Kendra Carver
Kendra and Company Travel Agency began long before it ever had a name. I have always been the planner in my family. Every trip we took—big or small—was carefully thought out and meticulously organized. I created binders and folders for each family member, complete with itineraries, confirmations, packing lists, and travel notes. Travel planning wasn’t stressful to me; it was something I genuinely loved. Read more>>
Lee Fortune
Growing up in Lower Alabama, some of my earliest memories are woven through the forests and mountains my parents introduced me to. Family vacations meant camping and hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains and other areas. Read more>>
Alice (Ali) Payne
Just Table It grew out of both my personal life and my professional background. I come from a long line of family cooks, so food was always a big part of my upbringing. Some of my earliest memories are tied to being in the kitchen and around the table. Read more>>
Angela Williams
My journey began as a result of wanting to create structure where there was little structure. I realized my strengths were coming up with thoughts, ideas and concepts but keeping up with them all was challenging. At my corporate job, I sought to simplify processes which meant setting goals to implement along the way. Read more>>
Ronald Kuzman
Born and raised in Philadelphia, I grew up surrounded by music, style, and strong personalities—all of which shaped how I move today. What began as a love for sound evolved into a deeper interest in energy, presentation, and how people experience moments together. Now based in North Carolina, I’ve spent over a decade building a brand rooted in curation rather than just performance. Read more>>
Maurice Howland
After 40+ years as an air traffic controller/manager, retirement wasn’t working for me. So I bought an old warehouse and converted it into a shop. Having just completed a remodel of an old home, I realized that having access to a well equipped shop would be awesome. My concept was simple, have a really great shop and let other people help me pay for it. Read more>>
Faith Grant
I didn’t start in real estate because I wanted to sell houses. I started because I’ve always been drawn to how things are built and how people connect to them. Before real estate, I spent years in music as a band instrument repair technician. That work taught me patience, precision, and how to really listen — not just to sound, but to people. Read more>>
KaLaisha Strickland
With over 15 years of professional experience in Advertising and Marketing, in 2022, I set a goal to make a larger contribution to the state of North Carolina and our local community in Raleigh, NC. It was during that same year that I earned my North Carolina Notary Public commission. Read more>>
Danielle Aldrich
Hi! I’m Danielle and I am the one behind Fine Line Esthetics! I started my journey back in 2020 when I decided to leave the veterinary field and go back to school to become a lash artist. I was fortunate enough to work alongside some amazing people in this field to help get me to where I am today! Read more>>
Mel Stine
Our story didn’t begin with a single moment—it was shaped over more than 15 years of lived experience, hard lessons, and a deep commitment to doing things differently. I entered the mental health field in 2009 with a clear purpose: to help others the way I had once been helped as a child. That calling was strong, but the environments I encountered were not. Read more>>
Ariana Green-Whitaker
From a young age, I always had skin sensitivity issues that were only exacerbated by all of the chemicals and fragrances that are added to products. I could never understand why even the products advertised as ‘made for sensitive skin’ left me feeling dry, irritated, itchy, etc (you name it and I’ve felt it!). Read more>>
Elisa Gabrielli
I’ve been a creative for as long as I can remember. My journey began at seven years old in my mother’s flower shop in Rochester, NY, where I was surrounded by flowers and learned early on how powerful they can be in expressing love, comfort, and celebration. Read more>>
Ty Harrington
I started working for a roofing company called shake savers. I then began to sub contract work from other home improvement companies eventually I taught myself how to build a website and started Handyman Plus in Wilson NC. Read more>>
Deb Ruby
My development as a musician was slow, intuitive and self-made. My father was musically talented, he played in bands and music was a big part of my childhood. I’m told he would blast Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan records as I lay in the crib. I remember as a kid wanting to listen to music more than watch TV. Read more>>
