Humanizing Your Brand, One Story At A Time.

Bios that elevate, connect, and inspire—crafted for corporations, teams, and entrepreneurs.

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About

Meet Lily Hansen: The Storyteller Behind Your Success

Lily Clayton Hansen is a master at uncovering the personal stories that build lasting connections. Known for her ability to get even the most private individuals to open up, she crafts compelling professional bios that do more than just tell a story—they empower people to present their best selves, attract the right clients, and unite entire teams. From global corporations to entrepreneurs, Lily’s words have helped individuals stand out, boosting confidence and showcasing their unique contributions to the world.

Having worked with leading companies like HCA Healthcare, Gresham Smith, and AllianceBernstein, Lily has made a name for herself as the go-to biographer for organizations that want to highlight the talents within their workforce. Whether writing for high-profile executives or emerging entrepreneurs, her bios humanize brands, build team cohesion, and elevate personal narratives in a way that drives long-term success.

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Why Invest in Professional Bios?

It's More Than Just a Bio—It’s Your Professional Advantage.

A compelling bio can make or break a career. It’s the first impression, the elevator pitch, and the story that sets you apart. Lily’s bios don’t just list accomplishments—they paint a picture of who you are and why your work matters. They boost confidence, attract the right clients, and help teams feel more connected to their purpose.

Key Benefits

For Corporations:

Build a cohesive team narrative that attracts clients and talent.

For Employees:

Gain the confidence to speak about your career with clarity and pride.

For Entrepreneurs:

Position yourself as an industry leader from day one.

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Services

Tailored to Your Unique Needs

There is nothing more critical to your brand than a biography that outlines what you do and why you are better at it than anyone else. Over the last decade, Lily Clayton Hansen has used her listening and question-asking abilities to write over 1,000 biographies for all walks of life – from corporate executives to celebrities.

Whether they’re 250 words for LinkedIn or 1,000 for your website, Lily pulls the best possible information out of her subjects and wraps it into a creative, cohesive, and succinct biography. Though she is renowned for her deep dive interviews that explore each subject’s career history in detail, Lily’s biographies mirror the mindset of the 21st century. She is known for presenting other’s stories in a short-and-sweet style that highlights their best self.

With remote work growing in popularity, Lily’s biographies are more in demand as they educate clients on who they’re working with and make employees who have never met feel acquainted.

What We Offer

Corporate Employee Bios

Give each of your employees a voice. Lily’s bios capture individual strengths, character, and experience, helping your team members shine in their roles. With her profiles, your company becomes more than just a name—it becomes a story of diverse talent united by a common mission.

Business/Entrepreneur Bios​

Launching a business is one of the bravest things you can do. Let Lily craft a bio that tells your story, boosts your confidence, and positions you for success. Her words help you articulate your value, attract supporters, and feel fearless in your journey.

Custom Storytelling Projects

Whether it’s for a book, a brand story, or something entirely unique, Lily’s deep-dive approach gets to the heart of your message. She helps companies and individuals communicate authentically, driving lasting connections with clients and audiences.

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Custom Coffee Table Books

Celebrating Company Culture Through Storytelling and Photography

Custom coffee table books for corporations and organizations are the brainchild of four-time author Lily Clayton Hansen. Each book pairs Hansen’s signature long-form Q&A interviews with the beautiful portrait photography her brand is known for. 

Hansen’s custom books are primarily used to commemorate special occasions, recruit and retain employees and investors, and capture untold stories within the company. Whether she’s engaging with the founder of the company or the janitor, each subject receives the same attention to prove their worthiness within the organization. 

The books showcase a company’s unique culture and values and prove that every person contributes something meaningful to the greater whole.

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Projects

Explore our previous work by selecting a bio example below:

Corporate Employee Bios

“With more than 20 years of experience, Jessica has handled every facet of aviation interior design, from airline tenant spaces and airport airside and landside spaces to coordinating art installations, furniture and millwork design. Jessica’s work can be seen at major U.S. airports, including Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, Charlotte Douglas International and Tampa International, where she led interior design efforts for the airport’s multimillion-dollar ConRAC/APM project.”

Jessica M. Smith
Gresham Smith
Senior Interior Designer Aviation
view full bio

“About a year into Bucci’s career, he became conscious of the deeper meaning behind his craft. He started to see the spaces he designed differently. Slowly but surely, he observed where the caregivers caught a break or family members most enjoyed waiting for their loved ones. Joe became driven to transform healthcare environments into relaxing, domestic spaces rather than the stereotypical institutional feel. After all, those are the types of places in which he wants to heal.”

Joseph C. Bucci
Gresham Smith
Senior Architect and Healthcare Principal
view full bio

“Sam has over 30 years of experience in environmental sustainability, environmental compliance, project and construction management, and engineering and litigation support. He provides client and project leadership for GS&P’s aviation environmental management and compliance projects. Sam’s experience also includes development of climate action and sustainability plans to reduce waste, energy and carbon footprint and negotiating environmental settlements and permits.”

Sam A. Mehta
Gresham Smith
Senior Vice President - Water & Environment
view full bio

“A former business owner, Valli is adept at connecting with ownership, facility management, the architectural design team, consultants and contractors to ensure synergy between functional requirements and high design. She is considered a hospitality design leader. Valli is also active within the industry, having previously served as president and national board member for the International Interior Design Association (IIDA).”

Valli M. Wiggins
Gresham Smith
Senior Interior Designer Corporate + Urban Design
view full bio

“I am fortunate to have been raised in a blended family, which gave me the perspective that I needed to truly understand my clients. When managing generational wealth, an advisor must consider multiple viewpoints that stem from the various family trees. Due to my upbringing, I am able to access many different points of view and figure out the best course of action for each person. I have been lucky enough to observe the benefits that economic freedom affords a family, the proper way to care for wealth and the importance of engaging all family generations who will eventually be touched by that wealth.”

Robert DiBenedetto
Alliance Bernstein
Wealth Advisor
view full bio

“Your Guide, Supporting Your Boundless Aspirations

British born and raised, I’ve always had an explorer’s mentality. My time spent on both sides of the Atlantic shapes my personal approach to advising global clients. I chart a route to success for their families, as they define it.“

Christopher Opie
Alliance Bernstein
Managing Director
view full bio

“As a brand and business development executive, with an agency background, I’ve worked with some of the most iconic brands including Facebook, Disney, and UNICEF. My work has gone viral and even hangs (digitally) in the Social Media Hall of Fame. I know what it takes to have a powerful story to tell and recognized Bernstein’s potential for greatness straightaway. when I joined Bernstein in 2020, it was because I had found a down-to-earth, proactive firm that defied my expectations of the finance industry—and had the potential to truly make a difference in the world. Aside from using my skills to infuse creativity in our processes, I’m thrilled to work for a company where philanthropy is part of the everyday and responsible investing is synonymous with the culture. It’s an honor to create an environment that inspires clients to use their money for good.”

Sarah Romanoff
Alliance Bernstein
Head of Creative and Brand Services
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“I care for my clients the same way I look after family and friends. Before I invest one dollar, I listen carefully and take the time to clearly understand what matters most to them. This is critical to providing quality advice and recommendations.”

Joseph Brodecki
Alliance Bernstein
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“Most firms do not take the time to understand the needs of institutions. Bernstein’s deep discovery process helps me to learn why organizations exist and what they care most about. From there, I can give them the resources they need to be successful.”

Chelsea Smith
Alliance Bernstein
Senior National Director, Family Office Services
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“As the son of Italian immigrants, I am the product of the American Dream. In childhood, I saw my father navigate the complexities of being a small business owner and the challenges of building wealth. Witnessing his life spurred my advising career.“

Franco La Marca
Alliance Bernstein
Principal
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“Leading your team down the field in front of 100,000 people and helping clients navigate critical financial decisions isn’t all that different. Intense preparation and total dedication are the common links. It’s a privilege to have run in both lanes.”

Dayne Crist
Alliance Bernstein
Principal
view full bio

“My previous career in artist management is best described as the first and last line of defense to prevent clients from getting in the way of themselves. Financial advising is similar as I aim to serve clients and place their needs front and center.”

Dan Weisman
Alliance Bernstein
Principal
view full bio

“Every day I help people find value in their wealth, articulate their belief systems and craft strategies to increase the likelihood that their goals will be met. I feel fortunate, and proud, that I can make an impact on someone’s life in this way.”

Anne Bucciarelli
Alliance Bernstein
Senior National Director, Family Engagement Strategies
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“Whether it is learning how to code when my company went bankrupt in ’08 or incorporating new types of data into my investment models, I’m constantly looking for ways to improve. At Bernstein, this is possible every single day.”

Roosevelt Bowman
Alliance Bernstein
Strategist
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“I am grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had over the years to be a trusted resource for my clients. I find it so rewarding to be a part of their journey, helping them to achieve better outcomes both financially and personally.”

Karen Park
Alliance Bernstein
Principal
view full bio

Entrepreneurial Bios

Almost two decades after launching LoveNoise Group, a lifestyle marketing and promotions company that has survived two recessions, Eric still maintains a singular focus: to elevate black artists by providing them with a platform for success. Today, he is even more excited to support the artists of Nashville whether it is by providing them with their first gig or injecting them with boatloads of confidence. Both having a direct impact on individual artists and being an active part of Nashville feeds his soul.”

Eric Holt
Promoter, Educator and Artist Manager
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“Electra Eggleston illustrates the power of the creative connection. The textile and design brand was formed because of a mutual love for drawing, design and storytelling. Andra Eggleston is the company’s founder, art director, and designer. Her father, photographer William Eggleston, is an art world icon known as the ‘Father of Color Photography.’ Together they collaborated on Electra Eggelston’s first collection to create textiles inspired by William’s abstract drawings.”

Electra Eggleston
Business Owner, Art Director and Designer
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“Emotional openness and creativity are directly correlated in Beth Inglish’s eyes. Yet, as the visual artist, keynote speaker, and community leader knows from her own experience, anxiety and depression can hinder access to artistic abilities. It’s almost impossible to generate innovative ideas, collaborate, and develop strong connections if you are feeling burned out or overwhelmed. In her new keynote speeches, Inglish teaches audiences how to be successful by honoring and overcoming their sufferings.”

Beth Inglish
Visual Artist and Speaker
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“Even when assessing all that could go wrong in a given situation, Kate Norris always maintains a sunny disposition. From analyzing cyber security threats to potential floods, she is happiest when finding those ‘I never thought it could happen to me’ scenarios and putting a plan into place to mitigate their consequences. The Principal at Atteneur Risk provides clients with certainty that their most cherished possessions will be protected. Having served hundreds of family offices for over 20 years, on the broker, carrier, and consultant sides, she is attuned to the unique challenges they face—and how to give them the peace of mind they deserve.”

Kate Norris
Insurance Principal
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“Director, writer, and editor Wes Edwards aims for the audience’s heart over its head. Edwards, who has directed 100-plus music videos and commercials for household names like Amazon and Mountain Dew, seeks to entertain and elicit an emotional reaction. His ability to capture truth in a commercial setting has earned him a shelf full of awards and repeat collaborators like country music stars Jason Aldean and Dierks Bentley. They seek him out for his storytelling abilities.”

Wes Edwards
Director
view full bio

“Director, writer, and editor Wes Edwards aims for the audience’s heart over its head. Edwards, who has directed 100-plus music videos and commercials for household names like Amazon and Mountain Dew, seeks to entertain and elicit an emotional reaction. His ability to capture truth in a commercial setting has earned him a shelf full of awards and repeat collaborators like country music stars Jason Aldean and Dierks Bentley. They seek him out for his storytelling abilities.”

White Mystery
Musicians
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“If you’re not having fun, then what’s the point? That’s the mentality producer Kyle Henderson takes to Moon Room Studios where he tries to make every recording session as positive as possible. From years of making music himself as the frontman of rock ‘n’ roll outfit Desert Noises, Henderson believes the best songs arise when the artist is at ease. “It’s such an amazing experience to make a song that I never want anyone to get down on themselves in the process because that just feels disrespectful,” he explains. Henderson, a natural giver who loves actualizing other people’s visions, has found the best of both worlds in his new career. As a producer, all he wants is to create amazing memories and music others will be proud to play.”

Kyle Henderson
Producer
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“When it comes to money, Shannah Game dispels what mystifies others. After years of working as a financial planner, the podcast host of “Everyone’s Talkin’ About Money” saw the common anxieties all humans have. No matter someone’s age or income bracket, looking at their bank statements resulted in the same internal obstacles.”

Shannah Game
Podcast Host and Financial Expert
view full bio

“Consulting and event specialist Katie Bohrer creates events that leave an indelible mark on people’s lives. Since founding Onwardly in 2021, whose specialty is event and experience design, consulting, training, and one-on-one coaching, Bohrer has become a thought leader within her industry. The award-winning hospitality professional and certified meeting specialist swears by the question, “What do you want to truly say with your custom event?” Creating experiences of depth that share a message beyond the evening is her forte. The event expert partners with purpose-driven companies who want to change the world for the better. “I want Onwardly’s events to have an impact beyond the four walls in which they’re held,” she explains.”

Katie Bohrer
Event Planner and Consultant
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“Kendra Kinnison takes on numerous roles everyday including Executive, Coach, Speaker, and Author, yet she always has a singular goal: to highlight her employees’ strengths and develop strong teams by means of sports strategies. Similar to a basketball coach, this lifelong athlete figures out the positions she needs, the best way to fill them, and what systems are critical to connecting everyone to a common cause. While she is industry agnostic, having worked in a variety of fields from hospitality to marketing, auditing, and energy, Kinnison’s gift has always been talent development and management. She believes strength comes in numbers and nothing can be done solo.”

Kendra L. Kinnison
Executive Coach
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Jed Hilly’s name is synonymous with Americana music for a reason—no one appreciates authenticity, vulnerability, and the art of making music more than him. Staying structured, yet open, is the secret to the Americana Music Association Executive Director’s success. Under Hilly’s leadership the AMA creates ongoing awareness around the genre by working with artists, labels, radio, and retailers.

Jed Hilly
Executive Director at Americana Music Association
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Engle & Volker representative Jim Polep is a true people-person. The real estate agent has a sixth sense for matching properties with personalities. A neighborhood fixture for over 40 years, Jim knows Aspen’s landscape like the back of his hand. He loves nothing more than to marvel at its nooks and crannies, and show clients a city they never knew existed. Jim leads clients to hidden gems and helps them see the city through new eyes.

Jim Polep
Luxury Real Estate Agent
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Joe Gambino is an American entrepreneur and founder of Profiles, a staffing company that provides corporations with creative, marketing, and interactive positions. Gambino, whose gift is recognizing and placing talent, is proud to have created a company that that provides others with work. He relies upon experience and intuition to find the gaps at organizations and fill them in with the right candidates.

Joe Gambino
Staffing Company Founder
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Chicago-based interior designer Karen Herold believes we reflect the rooms we’re in. Whether it is a restaurant, high-end student housing or private residence the Principal of Studio K is driven by the psychology behind every project.

“I love that by switching up the lighting or a layout you can influence the way someone interacts with it,” she explains. Aesthetic is used to elicit emotion in her world.

karen herold
Award-winning Interior Designer
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Originally from Avignon, a quaint village in the South of France, commercial and fine art photographer Larry Niehues relocated to Los Angeles, California in 2010. As someone who has always been passionate about American culture, Niehues made the leap in order to pursue his dream: documenting his beloved, adopted country the United States. Twelve years later, Niehues is now an American citizen.

Larry Niehues
Portrait Photographer and Author
view full bio

Testimonials

Sometimes it’s better to let others do the talking:
"Thank you, Lily. I love the article. Thank you. ...Thank you."​
Karen ElsonSupermodel
"I love the interview — It reminds me of being featured in Interview or Rolling Stone."
Jessica CarterStand-Up Comedian 
"You definitely gave me a new theme to work with, and an arc that tells the story well. I really appreciate your effort and incredible writing."
Kendra KinnisonAuthor, Speaker, and Coach
"Love the book and keep on grinding!"
Kix BrooksBrooks & Dunn
"Thank you so much!!!!! Its was so much fun reading this back and definitely is reflective of the most fun interview ever!"
Karen HeroldFounder and Designer, Studio K
"This is awesome. You retain a lot while paring a LOT away. Very deft editing. I love it."
Craig HavighurstAuthor, Speaker and NPR Journalist
"Lily Hansen you’ve truly outdone yourself. Everyone needs to buy this book!"
Sean BrockHusk Charleston & Nashville
"Our goal at Gresham Smith was to humanize our people and learn more about their personalities and you were a part of that process."
Chantrell WilliamsMarketing Executive at Gresham Smith
"Thanks so much for sending this through—it reads fantastically. You’ve really balanced the profile being an interesting, relatable story and told the essential info about the company as well."
Chrissie McClatchieThe CEO Magazine
"Lily delivered a wonderful Ted Talk that I included in my book as an example of how weeks of preparation, rehearsal, rewrites—even meetings with acting coaches—made it seem like she was speaking off the cuff."
Joe DiorioAuthor, A Few Words About Words
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The Power of Listening.

How Warmth, Empathy, and Kindness Unlock Authentic Stories

Author Lily Clayton Hansen talks about what she has learned from interviewing people for over 16 years, which is that everyone responds to warmth, kindness, and acceptance. In her talk, she references some of her most impactful interviews and how she has gotten others to open up and be their most authentic selves. The talk touches on the power of active listening, empathy, and approaching others with and respect. It is cited as being one of TEDx Nashville’s most popular talks.

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    Lily Clayton Hansen

    The Storyteller Behind Your Success

    Lily Hansen, often called the “people whisperer,” is known for her remarkable ability to get even the most private individuals to open up and share their true selves. Through deep, empathetic listening, she crafts personal narratives that position people at their absolute best—capturing their strengths, personality, and unique contributions to the world. Whether working with global corporations or entrepreneurs, Lily’s storytelling helps her subjects attract the right clients, elevate their confidence, and thrive in their careers.

    After beginning her career as an arts and entertainment journalist in Chicago, Lily moved to Nashville, where she published the regional best-seller Word of Mouth: Nashville Conversations. The coffee table book, featuring interviews and portrait photography of local movers and shakers, quickly became a cult classic. Its success led to yearlong partnerships with organizations like the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Nashville International Airport, and Vanderbilt University, solidifying Lily’s reputation as a master storyteller.

    Her corporate work began when HCA Healthcare, one of the largest healthcare companies in the U.S., commissioned Lily to create a book commemorating their 50th anniversary. 50 Voices became a celebrated project, uniting HCA’s 250,000 employees by showcasing the stories of everyone from doctors and nurses to janitors. The book has since been used as a training and recruitment tool, making Lily’s work instrumental in shaping the company’s internal culture.

    Following this success, Lily was hired by Gresham Smith, a global architecture and engineering firm, to write hundreds of corporate bios. Her work didn’t just highlight team members’ skills—it empowered them to better communicate their expertise in professional settings, while also educating clients on who they would be working with.

    Lily’s knack for entering new industries and immediately grasping their essence led to more high-profile work. In 2020, she was hired by global financial services firm AllianceBernstein to write nearly 400 bios for their wealth managers, strategists, and consultants. Her ability to capture each individual’s true identity helped the firm humanize its workforce, strengthening connections between team members and clients.

    Her storytelling extends to high-level speaking engagements, including TEDx Nashville, where her talk “Talking to Strangers is My Self-Care” was voted one of the most popular presentations. Her philosophy of deep listening and non-judgment resonated with the audience, highlighting her approach to connecting with people from all walks of life.

    Lily has continued to grow her portfolio, writing corporate profiles for a diverse array of professionals, from nonprofit leaders to construction workers, while helping companies around the world humanize their brands. Her work transforms bios into powerful tools that unite teams, attract clients, and highlight the strength of an organization as a whole.

    “I love what I do,” Lily shares. “Every day, I wake up energized by the opportunity to help people recognize their strengths, follow their intuition, and present their best selves to the world.”

    Jessica M. Smith

    Senior Interior Designer Aviation
    Tampa, Florida

    With more than 20 years of experience, Jessica has handled every facet of aviation interior design, from airline tenant spaces and airport airside and landside spaces to coordinating art installations, furniture and millwork design. Jessica’s work can be seen at major U.S. airports, including Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, Charlotte Douglas International and Tampa International, where she led interior design efforts for the airport’s multimillion-dollar ConRAC/APM project. She has also provided interior design services for laboratories and museums and worked in the design-build industry, giving her a unique perspective that she applies to each project. She has been involved in multiple award-winning interior design projects.

    As a child, Jessica played with LEGOs and told her parents she wanted to become an architect. However, in college she had the epiphany that furniture, color, and wall placement had power in terms of how one experienced a building. In her current role, Jessica has found her ideal job designing airports as well as coordinating and installing many of their art installations. “Designing high-durable, 24-7 secure airport environments where millions of people from all over the world come every year is akin to my museum design background and equally amazing,” she muses. Jessica prides herself on being a problem finder who looks between the lines to find the underlying issue. She enjoys the team sport that is the design process as well as experiencing the hustle and bustle of an airport during her own travels. Ironically, she wishes that her work, whether it is the blending of a floor tile or transition into a building, go unnoticed. Those seamless, small details are why the entire building speaks the same language.

    Joseph C. Bucci

    Senior Architect and Healthcare Principal
    Jacksonville, Florida

    Joseph C Bucci, Senior Architect and Healthcare Principal at Gresham Smith, brings 22 years of professional experience to our team. For the last 15 years, his focus has been on healthcare design and his experience has included projects of varying sizes and scopes from new facilities to renovations and additions.

    About a year into Bucci’s career, he became conscious of the deeper meaning behind his craft. He started to see the spaces he designed differently. Slowly but surely, he observed where the caregivers caught a break or family members most enjoyed waiting for their loved ones. Joe became driven to transform healthcare environments into relaxing, domestic spaces rather than the stereotypical institutional feel. After all, those are the types of places in which he wants to heal.

    As a cancer patient, Joe currently receives treatment in a facility that he designed. Undergoing chemotherapy has dramatically changed his perspective on how community-oriented environments can bring joy to the toughest of times. “I find it inspiring to receive treatment in a public space,” he explains, “because it allows me to engage with others who are going through the same experience.”

    Going through the process has also made him more empathetic and determined to design sustainable spaces that promote a healthier lifestyle. In Jacksonville, Florida, where Joe is located, his team strives to embody a culture of excellence, provide the best projects for clients, and enjoy themselves as much as possible.

    Sam A. Mehta

    Senior Vice President – Water & Environment

    Sam has over 30 years of experience in environmental sustainability, environmental compliance, project and construction management, and engineering and litigation support. He provides client and project leadership for GS&P’s aviation environmental management and compliance projects. Sam’s experience also includes development of climate action and sustainability plans to reduce waste, energy and carbon footprint and negotiating environmental settlements and permits. Sam has negotiated issuance of various permits such as Title V Air Quality, NPDES permits for wastewater, stormwater, and industrial wastewater. Sam joined the firm from San Francisco International Airport (SFO), one of the nation’s leading airports in terms of both passenger traffic and sustainability, where he managed the implementation of the airport’s Sustainable Planning, Design and Construction Guidelines to ensure a minimum of LEED Gold certification. In 2017, Sam received the James M. Crites Aviation Sustainability Pioneer Award, a part of the 2017 Airports Going Green Award program. Other awards he has received include Airport Council International – North America’s Environmental Achievement Award and Airport Going Green’s Sustainability Leadership Award.

    Despite Sam’s calm demeanor, he doesn’t hesitate when it comes to expressing his opinion. The tenacious, principled sustainability leader aims to move the dial in his industry and educate others on how to live a greener lifestyle. In his native India, where Sam grew up without an abundance of resources, sustainability was automatically ingrained into every aspect of life. He is passionate about the philosophical side of sustainability, which means schooling others on the freedom that comes from living with less. The thought leader feels that setting realistic goals and celebrating small victories is a more practical way to cultivating a resource-conscience lifestyle. “The mindset of cultures do not change overnight so I encourage our clients to fist look for low-hanging fruit and incrementally bring in bigger objectives,” he explains. Sam, a lifelong learner who is constantly observing the world around him, uses empathy to see where his clients are coming from in order to negotiate the best possible deal for everyone involved. He believes that one’s market value increases as you bring more joy to others.

    Valli M. Wiggins

    Senior Interior Designer Corporate + Urban Design
    Nashville, Tennessee

    Valli brings 30-plus years of interior design experience—including more than 20 years of hospitality design for a variety of senior living, hotel, restaurant, spa, retail clients. She blends award-winning aesthetic expertise with technical knowledge of large, multi-venue projects.

    A former business owner, Valli is adept at connecting with ownership, facility management, the architectural design team, consultants and contractors to ensure synergy between functional requirements and high design. She is considered a hospitality design leader. Valli is also active within the industry, having previously served as president and national board member for the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). Outside of the office, she has provided pro bono interior design services for Ronald McDonald House and chairing fundraisers for schools and community organizations.

    Valli’s goal is to avoid duplication or anything cookie cutter. Her endorphin rush comes when clients see a one-of-a-kind vision executed on opening day. “My mindset has always been ‘never think that you ‘got this,’ explains the eternal student. The studio design leader jokes that her obsession with the built environment is “all her father’s fault.” The craftsman, proficient in interior construction, millwork, and design, instilled in her a drive to take a blank slate and see it come to life. Right out of the gate, Valli’s prolific creativity was evident—she was put on the payroll a few weeks into her first internship and made a design leader at her Dallas, Texas, firm shortly after college graduation. Valli attributes her self-starter disposition to her family who taught her to always strive for her personal best.

    After beginning her career designing premier corporate headquarters, she fell in love with hospitality, put her stake in the ground, and has stuck with it ever since. The commonality in her diverse portfolio is the desire to tell a consistent, customized story from signage to the dinner plates. She gives clients something they never imagined.

    Robert DiBenedetto

    Wealth Advisor

    I Become an Expert on My Clients

    As an advisor who is there for the long haul, I want to understand what clients and their families have gone through to get to where they are. The more I know about their situation, the more I can help them to move forward.

    What inspired you to join Bernstein?

    I am fortunate to have been raised in a blended family, which gave me the perspective that I needed to truly understand my clients. When managing generational wealth, an advisor must consider multiple viewpoints that stem from the various family trees. Due to my upbringing, I am able to access many different points of view and figure out the best course of action for each person. I have been lucky enough to observe the benefits that economic freedom affords a family, the proper way to care for wealth and the importance of engaging all family generations who will eventually be touched by that wealth. Let’s be real though. Life is exciting but unpredictable; good though sometimes messy; enjoyable yet challenging. This is why I am here to serve as a guide in my clients’ lives, steward generational wealth in a positive direction and ease the burden wealth can have on a family because of its complexities. My hope is that my clients’ wealth will benefit their family unit and unique mission.

    How have your values and personal background uniquely positioned you to work with your clients?

    1. There is nothing so common about common sense.
    2. Nobody will care about your money as you do.
    3. One of life’s cruel injustices is that you can’t choose your relatives.

    My values, which are etched into every part of my life, are unorthodox yet proven to help others. Number one, ingrained in me by my physician father, means I simplify, rather than complicate situations. This is essential to my advising process. Number two, which one of my current clients came up with, speaks to why people hire Bernstein. We do care as much about our clients’ financial well-being as they do. Number three speaks to my belief that, while familial relationships can be challenging, at the end of the day there is nothing more important than a solid family foundation. At Bernstein, we ensure that clients have the opportunity to understand not only their own priorities but also what is important to their family.

    What passions do you pursue outside of work?

    I’ve learned and experienced more meaningful life lessons in the field, woods or on the water than anywhere else. I refer to these sanctuaries as “my other church.” My passions, which include sports, hunting, fishing and conservation work, are seasonal by nature and keep me looking forward to each rotation around the sun. I find the most joy in fellowship and sharing my love for the outdoors with others. I believe it’s our duty, and hopefully legacy, to leave things better than we found it. That’s my goal when it comes to conserving the outdoors—and generational wealth.

    Christopher Opie

    Managing Director

    Your Guide, Supporting Your Boundless Aspirations

    British born and raised, I’ve always had an explorer’s mentality. My time spent on both sides of the Atlantic shapes my personal approach to advising global clients. I chart a route to success for their families, as they define it.

    What has inspired you to stay at Bernstein for as long as you have?

    Independence, integrity, innovative spirit, focus, expertise: these were characteristics I sensed when I first joined Bernstein in 2007, and as I have built my career within the firm over the subsequent years.

    In the end, though, these values only endure in the right culture. As a leader of our Global Families and our Washington, DC, practice, it’s all about the people we spend our days beside. At Bernstein, I benefit from and contribute to a team culture that is entrepreneurial, open-minded and intellectual. Lastly, every team member takes their duty to our clients seriously and most importantly, to heart.
    What are your areas of expertise in solving problems for clients?

    Working with cross-border and international clients has been the hallmark of my Bernstein career to date. Advising US citizens overseas and foreign families with a connection to the US has been incredibly fulfilling, in part due to the many parallels these stories have to my own. It has also allowed our firm to provide trusted advice to an underserved and increasingly important audience. I have focused on developing a consistent and proactive approach to these clients and their trusted legal and tax advisors. This has allowed us to stand apart as one of few non-bank global investment managers capable of delivering coherent, joined-up investment services across boundaries.

    Partnering with these clients to help them achieve their global, multigenerational ambitions is where I derive my satisfaction. I enjoy the experience of seamlessly adapting to the varying cultural expectations that our clients, from all corners of the world, bring.
    What passions do you pursue outside of work?

    Beyond work, I lead an active, outdoors-centric lifestyle with my wife and three young children in Old Town Alexandria, a historic neighborhood in Virginia. We also love to travel, which is just as well, given our family ties to England and Europe! My wife’s family came to the US from Umbria, Italy, and those ties have persisted over the decades, such that the family is once again Italian by citizenship. My family’s heart belongs to Barcelona and the Catalan countryside, where I was fortunate to live and study for a period. This cultural richness permeates many aspects of our life…including our kitchen!

    When we’re closer to home, we enjoy the local countryside and the incredible restaurants, museums and events on offer in Washington, DC.

    Sarah Romanoff

    Head of Creative and Brand Services

    Providing creative perspectives for all that we do

    I sit at the intersection of psychology, culture, and the arts, bringing creativity to business settings. My unique perspective helps companies remain innovative while establishing a strong brand identity, elegant design, and compelling story.

    What inspired you to join Bernstein?

    As a brand and business development executive, with an agency background, I’ve worked with some of the most iconic brands including Facebook, Disney, and UNICEF. My work has gone viral and even hangs (digitally) in the Social Media Hall of Fame. I know what it takes to have a powerful story to tell and recognized Bernstein’s potential for greatness straightaway. when I joined Bernstein in 2020, it was because I had found a down-to-earth, proactive firm that defied my expectations of the finance industry—and had the potential to truly make a difference in the world. Aside from using my skills to infuse creativity in our processes, I’m thrilled to work for a company where philanthropy is part of the everyday and responsible investing is synonymous with the culture. It’s an honor to create an environment that inspires clients to use their money for good.

    Who has been the most influential person in your life?

    Many people consider Karen Saywitz a role model. I’m lucky enough to be her daughter. As a psychologist, author, educator, and winner of the APA’s lifetime achievement award, Karen selflessly devoted her life to making mental health accessible. After she passed in 2018, I set out on a personal mission to continue her work by breaking down stigmas around mental health in marketing and advertising. Before mental health was openly discussed in popular culture, I led a panel at NYC Creative Week around it. The discussion was a crowd favorite and was covered in an Adweek article that sparked agencies known for employee burnout to offer Mental Health Days for the first time. Ever since, I’ve been building the grassroots movement #JustCheckingIn, which has taken on a life of its own and been covered by global media outlets and viewed hundreds of millions of times on social media. The phrase also quietly honors my mother’s legacy and pays tribute to her exceptional ability to check in on others.

    What passions do you pursue outside of work?

    As a child, I was always making art. I was even an art major (and business minor) in college where I studied printmaking and sculpture. Then, I entered the workforce, and being creative became a full-time job. It took me over a decade to realize that I had to make art for myself again. Specifically, as I started to do activism around mental health I realized how critical art was to my own self-care.

    Ironically, one of my big regrets in college was not taking a pottery class. So, I decided to teach myself the craft by watching YouTube videos and joining a professional studio. The experience reinvigorated my love for functional art, rather than art for art’s sake. Pottery is a fun, practical, and creative way to clear my mind. I love feeling the clay between my fingers turning earthly mud into a vase. Now, I am always looking for new ways to express my creativity from embroidery to flower arranging and baking. If you need a chocolate babka or a guest for an art event, I’m your gal.

    Joseph Brodecki

    Principal

    Trusted Advisor and More

    I care for my clients the same way I look after family and friends. Before I invest one dollar, I listen carefully and take the time to clearly understand what matters most to them. This is critical to providing quality advice and recommendations.

    What inspired you to join Bernstein?

    I co-founded Bernstein’s Washington, DC, office after a successful career as a nonprofit executive.

    Undoubtedly, my most notable achievement was leading international fundraising that raised $200 million to create the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Subsequently, the President of the USA appointed me to the museum’s governing board of trustees.

    I advised some of the wealthiest families and philanthropists in the world and gained the experience, knowledge and skills to manage leading nonprofit organizations.

    Bernstein affords me the opportunity to apply my skills to advise high-net-worth individuals/families and nonprofit organizations.

    Family members and similarly, nonprofit leaders sometimes have differing points of view that can create challenges for planning and investing effectively. In those situations, I am particularly helpful by surfacing and clarifying the differing points of view and building consensus and cohesion.

    Tell me about the types of clients you work with.

    My major client areas of specialization are high-net-worth individuals/families and nonprofit organizations. Each requires sophisticated and innovative investment management solutions.

    Individual/family clients include multigenerational families, people going through pivotal life transitions, global/cross-border investors, women of independent means, entrepreneurs and corporate executives. My nonprofit clients are endowments, foundations, associations and charitable organizations. I build investment plans that incorporate clients’ goals and account for the unexpected.

    As an integral member of each client’s professional advisory team, which includes attorneys, accountants and consultants, I provide multigenerational planning, wealth transfer implementation and education of the next generation. Multiple times, these advisors have successfully nominated me as a “Top Financial Advisor,” including recognition in 2021 (Washingtonian Magazine, January 2021).

    What passions do you pursue outside of work?

    I am profoundly passionate about family, friends and philanthropy.

    A child of Holocaust survivors and a founder/creator of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, I am zealous about educating others about the dangers of anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry. I remain active with the museum having co-chaired their National Gala honoring Holocaust survivors.

    I love traveling and meeting new friends, classical music, jazz, wine and golf. 

    I am interested in how others reach their goals and create success. I read extensively, focusing on the history and biographies of successful world and business leaders to discover how they overcome obstacles to build resilience and success.

    I enjoy mentoring and offering support to young colleagues and entrepreneurs.

    My love of music has brought me to support the Kennedy Center. My love of books, intellectual pursuits and leadership is stimulated at the Cosmos and Economic Clubs.

    In addition, I co-own a minor league baseball team and a Broadway play.

    Chelsea Smith

    Senior National Director, Family Office Services

    I treat organizations like people

    Most firms do not take the time to understand the needs of institutions. Bernstein’s deep discovery process helps me to learn why organizations exist and what they care most about. From there, I can give them the resources they need to be successful.

    What inspired you to join Bernstein?

    Bernstein’s culture allows me to be 100% Chelsea and a role model to other women of color in the industry.

    During business school, a Black woman suggested that I explore financial services. I started in equity sales trading and had to steel myself to fit into the tough, intense culture. After sell- and buy-side trading experiences, I went into asset management working exclusively with global family offices and foundations. I fought with my own internal thoughts, and I suspect, those of my colleagues, would wealthy families want to work with me? George Floyd made it so that I could no longer be silent. Holding back wasn’t helping. I started to develop my true voice talking about discrimination. I also decided that I wanted to work at a firm where I would be acknowledged, heard and valued for my 20 years of expertise. When I interviewed with Bernstein, I no longer had to hide. Instead, I was able to take on a leadership role and use my profile to elevate other Black women.

    Tell me about the types of clients you work with.

    In my newly created leadership role, I am committed to driving growth across Bernstein’s institutional clients like foundations, nonprofits, endowments, 401(k) plans and cash balance plans. My hope is to double the number of institutions that we serve and generate as much impact as possible. By bringing my vast financial services experience, fresh ideas, creativity and curiosity to the table, I aim to positively influence the people these institutions serve—and the communities that surround them.

    I am grateful and excited that Bernstein sees the importance of this role, which allows me to take a 30,000 square-foot view of the following: resources we can leverage, models to develop and strategies to help organizations increase donor engagement and retention. By taking the time to understand clients and think from a participant standpoint, the hope is to truly understand their needs. Every day I ask myself, how can I bolster the Bernstein brand to provide fruitful futures for others?

    How have your values and background uniquely positioned you to work with clients?

    Growing up middle class, my parents helped me, and my triplet sisters cultivate our values through volunteering: gratitude, curiosity, education, community and compassion. I vividly remember our six afro puffs pressing against the windows of dad’s orange Datsun B-210 during an “outside of the classroom” exercise. Dad drove us to volunteer in underserved communities where we saw the stark difference between our own predominantly White suburban setting. The juxtaposition left an indelible mark and ignited a passion for helping others through physical acts like tutoring and mentoring. Today, both of my sisters are physicians and leaders in pediatrics and geriatrics serving underserved communities. I lean into my passion for helping foundations make a lengthy impact on their communities. It is wonderful that we are all able to uphold our father’s philosophy: No matter how well you are doing, always give back.

    Franco La Marca

    Principal

    My Plans Are Forces of Change

    As the son of Italian immigrants, I am the product of the American Dream. In childhood, I saw my father navigate the complexities of being a small business owner and the challenges of building wealth. Witnessing his life spurred my advising career.

    What’s the best way for people to put their wealth in perspective?

    Investing is a powerful force for change. Still, before making any recommendations, it’s critical that I help clients articulate what their wealth means to them. Or, in other words, what impact do they want to make on their community, family and future generations? Every one of my clients has a unique story behind their wealth—and equally distinct plans for their future. Today, I align clients’ personal values with proper investment strategies to assist with causes like the fight against climate change, the promotion of diversity, elevating underserved communities, and establishing good working conditions for all. These are missions that are dear to them and to me. By acquiring an in-depth understanding of perspectives and personal values, I am able to tailor a financial plan for each client. When all goes according to plan, it is the perfect mix of wealth accumulation, philanthropy, and legacy. The plan also generates change and a positive societal impact.

    What kind of experience do you offer to your clients?

    Quite often, my clients ask, “What am I missing?” In response to this question, I take a boardroom approach. This means that I bring in the right experts and resources for each client, and tackle any complex issues that may currently be puzzling them. I also leverage internal colleagues, whose specializations are in liquidity events, such as the sale of a family business, a high-net-worth divorce, or gifting to nonprofits. In any decision that my clients face, they can rest assured and have the utmost confidence knowing that I sought out the best experts possible. By sitting side-by-side at the table with those experts, we are able to generate ideas to holistically solve any matter at hand.

    What passions do you pursue outside of work?

    Away from the office, I spend my time giving back to the community, which is truly where my heart is. I sit on the Board of Directors at Center on Halsted, located in Chicago, Illinois, and the Midwest’s largest LGBTQ community center. At Center on Halsted, I contribute by driving programming for senior citizens, homeless youth, and the advancement of civil rights for all. Over the years, I have also chaired numerous charity events benefiting the performing arts, social services, and at-risk youth. For my philanthropic work, Chicago Social Magazine awarded me their Chicago Power Player award. Most recently, Crain‘s Chicago Business, a weekly business newspaper, recognized me as one of Chicago’s Notable LGBTQ Executives. It was an honor to be acknowledged by both. When I am not indulging my desire to make the world a better place, I enjoy a different kind of pleasure: enjoying food, wine, travel, and exploring Chicago with my partner.

    Dayne Crist

    Principal

    I’ve Been Here Before

    Leading your team down the field in front of 100,000 people and helping clients navigate critical financial decisions isn’t all that different. Intense preparation and total dedication are the common links. It’s a privilege to have run in both lanes.

    What inspired you to join Bernstein?

    My entire life has revolved around competing at the highest level and accomplishing goals, without taking any shortcuts. Following a collegiate and professional football career, I was introduced to Bernstein. I was immediately drawn to the firm’s reputation as a revered leader in global investment research and management. While that alone appealed to the competitor within me, I was even more attracted to the Bernstein culture. In particular, the fact that Bernstein is a fiduciary and completely aligns with its clients’ interests resonated with me. That mentality permeates throughout the entire firm. I knew I needed to be a part of this place.

    What passions do you pursue outside of work?

    While I have an absolute penchant for playing golf, traveling, watching sports (especially my Notre Dame Fighting Irish) and trying new wines, nothing compares to spending time with my family and friends. Football is what I did, working at Bernstein is what I do, but my role as a husband and father is who I am.

    What is the most fulfilling aspect of being an advisor to your clients?

    I am incredibly grateful for the trust my clients have placed in me and I take this responsibility very seriously. It gives me a great deal of joy to assist in actualizing my clients’ goals and dreams. I believe that life is about service, and I’m honored to have impacted the lives of my clients in a way that feels long-lasting and larger than myself. Not every day is an easy one, however, I can sleep well at night knowing that I have done right by them.

    Dan Weisman

    Principal

    Made Music Meaningful—Now Making Money Meaningful

    My previous career in artist management is best described as the first and last line of defense to prevent clients from getting in the way of themselves. Financial advising is similar as I aim to serve clients and place their needs front and center.

    What’s the best way for people to put their wealth in perspective?

    The best way for clients to put their wealth into perspective is to use wealth to provide the perspective. What I mean by this is that wealth is a false summit. Once people reach what they think is the peak, they oftentimes realize that the top of the mountain is now out of their reach. This is because everything is relative. Therefore, I encourage my clients to ask thoughtful questions at every stage of their life, especially before big transitions like liquidity events or major life changes, such as retirement. You often pay the price for eating from the tree of knowledge—but by asking the right questions at key junctures, you won’t have to. A circle of trusted advisors can help facilitate thought-provoking conversations that protect clients from common mistakes.

    Share one of your most memorable professional accomplishments with us.

    My most memorable professional accomplishment has to be the day I received my first platinum plaque in 2010. My mom was staying at my apartment in Los Angeles. The plaque arrived, I took one look at it and started crying. It cemented years of hard work and sacrifice. Since their introduction in 1976, tons of people have received platinum plaques to commemorate 1 million units sold, however, from my standpoint at the time, a platinum plaque was a universal measure of success in the music business. It represented years of grinding to achieve something great. Since that day, I’ve gotten a number of gold and platinum plaques and was even nominated for a Grammy. Still, that first plaque could’ve been the only one I ever collected. Nothing felt the same after that.

    What differentiates you from other advisors?

    I am different from other advisors because I come from outside of the industry. In my career, I’ve started businesses that were sold to private equity. I’ve done venture investing and even had a $1 billion exit. I’ve managed multiplatinum, global touring acts and have been nominated for a Grammy myself. I even produced a short film that went to Sundance. You’d be hard-pressed to find another advisor who has as diverse a background and as much real-world experience as me. As a result, I’ve developed a unique ability to bring simplicity to complexity—and solve the most outside-the-box problems. No day was the same when I was managing artists, and no day is ever the same as a financial advisor—if you’re doing things right. My background mixed with my adaptability, ingenuity and problem-solving sets me apart.

    Anne Bucciarelli

    Senior National Director, Family Engagement Strategies

    Values Are the Bedrock upon Which We Build

    Every day I help people find value in their wealth, articulate their belief systems and craft strategies to increase the likelihood that their goals will be met. I feel fortunate, and proud, that I can make an impact on someone’s life in this way.

    What has inspired you to stay at Bernstein for as long as you have?

    It was clear to me from the first interview that Bernstein was a different firm, with a unique culture and spirit. Everyone I met had an open door policy, embraced innovation, promoted inclusion and found the best marriage between individual pursuits and team collaboration. Now, several decades later, that same culture is what has kept me at the firm. I love that I work for a firm that gives everyone a voice, puts our clients’ needs first and stands behind a commitment to give back to the community. I oversee the firm’s Day of Service where, globally, our employees donate their time and expertise to support causes and organizations that are important to them. It’s a chance to lend support where needs are great and also, to roll up our sleeves and work alongside fellow teammates toward a common goal. Daily, I’m inspired by the work we’re doing to better communities. I feel that our clients, and employees, expect Bernstein to be an active leader of change and impact—and we are.

    Who has been the most influential person in your life?

    In his short, several years of life, my youngest son has had the deepest influence on me. He has taught me more in that time than anyone ever has. Patience, gratitude, kindness, pure joy and curiosity, along with how to function on far less sleep, are several of the lessons I’ve learned from being a parent. The one trait I admire so much in both of my boys is their pure entrepreneurial spirit. They will try anything with zero insecurity or fear. Their fearlessness is empowering! It’s a daily reminder that emboldens me to innovate, evolve—and as a leader at Bernstein, I hope that it sparks curiosity in others. It inspires me to continue to drive innovation in the work I do at Bernstein, learn from my failures, which we all have, and strive to become better than I was the day before. If everyone could be a kid again!

    What’s the best way for people to put their wealth in perspective?

    I truly believe everything starts with our values. Those principles are guiding forces in our lives. If you can orient wealth around the things that truly matter, then everything else falls into place. Values form the bedrock of every successful family and wealth plan. Once they are clearly articulated, it becomes much clearer how to share your wealth, invest it—and educate others on where it comes from and how you’d like it to be distributed. I work closely with our clients to help them link their values to philanthropy, their family mission—and between generations. Then, I build strategies and programs to ensure continued success. Seeing this work play out and lead to family unity and happiness on behalf of our clients keeps me excited to come into work every day, and it’s incredibly rewarding.

    Roosevelt Bowman

    Strategist

    Adaptability Is My Hallmark

    Whether it is learning how to code when my company went bankrupt in ’08 or incorporating new types of data into my investment models, I’m constantly looking for ways to improve. At Bernstein, this is possible every single day.

    What inspired you to join Bernstein?

    I am extremely fortunate that I have returned to Bernstein where I began my career. The abundance of new types of economic data being generated right now is transforming how we all invest. This fascinates me as someone who is open to change and prides himself on being flexible. In fact, I thrive when I am incited to adapt, which is another reason I was drawn to re-join Bernstein as the firm is always evolving. Bernstein is a firm that uses tremendous quantitative tools, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, to produce superior investment outcomes for our clients. The firm is an ideal match for my personality and desire to evolve as a person and professional.

    Share one of your most memorable professional accomplishments with us.

    While I was a research analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, located in New York City, I co-authored a paper on why the US dollar weakens. As the dollar is the most highly traded currency in the world, I enjoyed proving this critical analysis to my industry contemporaries. After the paper was selected for the New York Fed’s blog, the piece was also featured in the Wall Street Journal and Econbrowser as well. To see some of the economists I look up to highlighting my work was both humbling and exhilarating. As a decades-long student of economics, I felt a great sense of accomplishment that I was able to meaningfully contribute to the discipline.

    What passions do you pursue outside of work?

    My main passion outside of work is providing people with the math-based tools and empathetic guidance they need in order to advance their careers. Many people are, understandably, overwhelmed by the job search process. With those I mentor, I share networking strategies and a probability-based decision-making approach for finding the right career path. My goal is to help others obtain the professional path they want in as pain and stress-free a way as possible.

    I’ve learned many lessons from surviving the multitude of crises our industry has seen over the last 30-some years. It is why I’m always excited to share my insights and help people, in an informal and pro bono way, identify and reach their professional goals—as efficiently as possible. That’s what makes my soul feel full.

    Karen Park

    Principal

    Architect of Better Outcomes

    I am grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had over the years to be a trusted resource for my clients. I find it so rewarding to be a part of their journey, helping them to achieve better outcomes both financially and personally.

    What is the most fulfilling aspect of being an advisor to your clients?

    I cherish being able to develop a deep understanding of what’s most important to my clients and figure out the most effective way to help them accomplish their goals. My clients are executives and business owners who value having a trusted advisor to guide them through complex issues. To properly counsel my clients and cater to their specific needs, I leverage my expertise gleaned from a decades-long career in wealth management and investment banking. The topics I typically advise my clients on include navigating liquidity events, optimizing single stock exposure and tax-efficient wealth transfer. I also welcome the opportunity to provide multi-generational family engagement services, recognizing that communication and education are the keys to success when passing on a legacy of both assets and values.

    Share one of your most memorable professional accomplishments with us.

    One of the professional accomplishments I’m most proud of is having co-authored Bernstein’s white paper on Special Needs Planning. I realized that there was a dearth of good planning insights for families on this subject when I tried to figure out my own family’s long-term plan for my middle son, Milo, who has complex disabilities. My research colleagues immediately supported the efforts, and ever since, Special Needs Planning has evolved into a national area of expertise that differentiates Bernstein from other wealth management firms. Our insights in this field are making a real difference in helping families with disabled children, and I am so grateful to have this be a part of my legacy at Bernstein.

    What has inspired you to stay at Bernstein for as long as you have?

    While my tenure at Bernstein spans decades, I’m happy to share that this still feels like a dynamic and exciting place to work. Bernstein embraces change from seizing upon new investment opportunities to ensuring that we are on the cutting edge of technology that will benefit our clients. We do this while always maintaining our fiduciary responsibility of putting our clients’ interests ahead of our own. I originally joined Bernstein because I deeply appreciate how integrity is built into our business model, and continue to take pride in how this distinguishes us.

    My own view of success has changed over time and taken on a much more personal meaning. My hope is to be an authentic and impactful advisor to my clients and to continue to build upon the positive legacy I help them to create.

    Eric Holt

    Eric Holt has to follow his heart. Throughout his life, the promoter, educator, speaker, consultant, and artist manager has given in to his passions even when easy money was at his fingertips. From creating a showcase for black musical artists at a time when this was still taboo in the South to getting fully behind artists that he believes in, Eric has proven time and again that he will always use his courage to bring about change. Almost two decades after launching LoveNoise Group, a lifestyle marketing and promotions company that has survived two recessions, Eric still maintains a singular focus: to elevate black artists by providing them with a platform for success. Today, he is even more excited to support the artists of Nashville whether it is by providing them with their first gig or injecting them with boatloads of confidence. Both having a direct impact on individual artists and being an active part of Nashville feeds his soul.

    “Every now and then an artist will write about how they “got their start on a LoveNoise stage,” explains Eric. “There is no better feeling than knowing you touched someone’s life in that way.”

    While Eric is a firm believer in formal education, he attributes his own success to self-belief and saying “yes” to himself when others said, “no.” The lifelong hip-hop, soul, and R&B fan proudly comes from a long line of musicians. He recalls records always being played in his home and being introduced to his favorite genre of music, hip-hop, through cassette tapes his cousins gave him. Eric even made the decision to attend law school at Howard University so he could be a regular presence on the East Coast hip-hop scene. After being exposed to such a vibrant music world in Washington D.C., he returned home to Nashville after graduation where he experienced major culture shock. There wasn’t a single venue where he could listen to the music that he loved— or book the artists he was managing at the time. Something had to change which led Eric, a business-minded young man with the rebellious spirit of an artist, to confide in his uncle one day that he no longer wanted to pursue law. He was awestruck by his uncle’s advice: “You’ll never have a problem getting a job, but to create your own opportunity only comes once in a lifetime.”

    Eric followed this guidance and continued his foray into the music industry first as an artist manager. However, when a young artist whose career he had invested in suddenly threw in the towel because of a religious conversion, Eric found himself at a crossroads. Still never one to let a crisis get in his way, he decided to redirect his energy to solve a problem that he saw in Nashville: the absence of music venues for soul, R&B, and hip-hop artists to play in. Looking to fill a cultural gap between hard-core gangster rap clubs, churches, and a decidedly Caucasian country music scene, Eric decided to create an event where black artists could make some noise.

    One fateful Labor Day weekend, he launched Lovenoise in the basement of B.B. King’s. That evening more than 500 people showed up who also craved top-tier hip-hop, R&B, soul, and spoken word. Eric’s business acumen, energy, and eye for talent made LoveNoise an overnight success. The one-off event quickly evolved into a weekly affair that also included a radio show. Oftentimes compared to a “Black Birdbird Café,” in reference to the legendary Music City singer-songwriter club, LoveNoise gave underground artists a platform for commerce and a stage to practice on. As curator Eric made it his mission to keep standards continuously high by vetting every artist in advance, which he knew would give the brand staying power.

    Yet, even as LoveNoise began booking shows in other parts of the region and expanded from 300-seat dive bars to 10,000-capacity amphitheaters, Eric kept his focus simple: To create a positive culture and community. While it was exciting to have bigger names on the bill or seated in the audience, he never forgot his humble roots and treated each event as a rehearsal for the next.

    Most recently, Eric’s work with the National Musician of African American Music has served as further proof of his success in elevating the profile of black music. After being selected by the museum as a promotional partner to work on first-of-its-kind fundraisers and programming, Eric had to pinch himself. Yet, the milestone also reminded him of how far Nashville has come in terms of cultivating an appreciation for black culture. It is a completely different landscape from the one he remembers as a recent college graduate. The overwhelmingly positive reaction to NMAAM even allowed Eric to dream a little about the possibility of opening the first black-owned live music venue in Nashville. In his eyes, the move would further cement the LoveNoise brand, give it an even stronger hold on the local black music industry, and complete his own story. Come what may, Eric will always be proudest of the prejudice he overcame early on in his career. Reflecting on the time someone said, “We don’t do black music” is still motivation for him to show non-believers that the opposite is true. Fear of the other will never hold up Holt.

    Today, whether Eric is managing an artist, teaching at a college campus, or speaking at a corporation, his goal is to empower others to follow their own entrepreneurial vision and peacefully confront any adversity that stands in their way. Sharing hard-earned wisdom is how he pays back the mentors who originally invested in him. They are why he pursued his career of choice, confidently championed his values, and changed his own narrative through the power of positive thinking. If he can also teach others how to win over audiences through self-advocacy then that is his greatest victory yet.

    Electra Eggleston

    Electra Eggleston illustrates the power of the creative connection. The textile and design brand was formed because of a mutual love for drawing, design and storytelling. Andra Eggleston is the company’s founder, art director, and designer. Her father, photographer William Eggleston, is an art world icon known as the ‘Father of Color Photography.’ Together they collaborated on Electra Eggelston’s first collection to create textiles inspired by William’s abstract drawings. After years of succeeding in their separate disciplines, the Egglestons unexpectedly converged their respective talents. Electra Eggleston, founded upon a common artistic ground, demonstrates how a father and daughter can become each other’s muse.

    William wanted to name his daughter Electra yet his proposition was turned down at her birth. Decades later, Andra adopted it as her pseudonym and stage name. The name’s magnetic connotation instilled confidence in her after relocating from New York City to Nashville. She was at last granted the creative and mental space to explore her own passions. Fortuitously, she found her career path in textile design, a burning desire for Andra since childhood when she would sketch motifs.

    At a crossroads, the actress and graphic designer began making treks to Memphis to visit her father. Her intention was to reestablish a connection with William and motivate him to be artistically productive once again.

    “Perhaps it’s the boredom, tragedy or decay but Memphis breeds eccentricity,” explains Andra. She and William holed up in his 1920s renovated hotel apartment. It was there they created without context and, like children, saw everything as potential. Surrounded by miscellaneous art supplies, organ music, and art house films Andra’s imagination kicked into overdrive. The pair lounged on Persian rugs and perused boxes of William’s photographs and drawings. The abstract drawings in particular elicited an emotional reaction in Andra who believed they would fit perfectly in a print application.

    Back in Nashville she selected and scanned the drawings, sketches and doodles. Each piece was fashioned in William’s emotive, freestyle approach using paints, pastels, Sharpies, and markers. While it had been years since Andra had studied textile design in London and Los Angeles, she began relearning her craft, honing her eye, instincts and skills. After manipulating, rearranging, and tweaking the drawings the first Electra Eggleston collection was born.

    Sartorially, the textiles are as vivid as the family’s checkered past. Metaphorically, they are snapshots of William’s life and intense emotional landscape. The names for each print are driven by Andra’s own love for storytelling. She wanted to talk more about William’s gypsy past and the man behind the mirage of anonymity as defined by his oftentimes untitled prints. Titles like “Havana,” “Tokyo Fall,” and “Bangkok Stripe” are evocative of the cities in which Andra believes the drawings were created.

    While the application of the textiles is still to be determined Andra is confident the collection will attract its ideal fit. Most importantly, she and her father have reinvigorated one another and rooted a company in creative nurturing. “To me the most special part of our collaboration has been the actual process of working with one another,” explains Andra. “That’s where the story lies for me.”

    Beth Inglish

    “Beth Inglish helps people move from struggle to the highest level of success.”

    Emotional openness and creativity are directly correlated in Beth Inglish’s eyes. Yet, as the visual artist, keynote speaker, and community leader knows from her own experience, anxiety and depression can hinder access to artistic abilities. It’s almost impossible to generate innovative ideas, collaborate, and develop strong connections if you are feeling burned out or overwhelmed. In her new keynote speeches, Inglish teaches audiences how to be successful by honoring and overcoming their sufferings.

    “The practices, which all stem from my own story, help people gain confidence so they can have a bigger voice within their organization and create the change they want to see— rather than just going through the motions,” Inglish explains. Triumph over trauma has always been Inglish’s own motto. By developing the right toolkit, she went from dark to light no longer letting daily obstacles take precedence over her life.

    The artist, who is originally from Port Arthur, Texas, grew up dabbling in almost every creative outlet. However, it wasn’t until her twenties that she took her artistic abilities seriously when she started to realize how cathartic art could be. While going through trauma recovery, Inglish healed by practicing abstract painting which became her way of channeling complex emotions. However, most significant was when buyers began to explain that they saw their own stories reflected in her visions. “A CEO explained one day that a painting of mine reminded him of his own path of perseverance, which was the first time I realized that by connecting to myself I could create substantial connections with others,” she explains. From there, any time Inglish picked up a paint brush she was reminded that it is one of her means to drive important conversations.

    In conjunction with building her own artistic career, Inglish also founded The Nashville Creative Group in 2012. The physical and virtual community, which has since grown to 10,000 members, arose out of her desire to have a support system where artists could talk about process, projects, and the industry. As Inglish learned how to be a leader, she realized she had to overcome her own anxieties in order to be there for others. Through a mixture of art and traditional therapy, she learned how to cope with circumstances that had previously set her back. As she gained confidence, Inglish also began speaking about creativity at corporations. However, in 2020 she decided to revamp her curriculum when she realized how much corporate workers were suffering. Her new 45-minute keynote “Leading for Creative Performance with Emotional Wellness,” was written around her own story of conquering anxiety to step into the role of a successful leader. Knowing that feelings of isolation and discontent were on the rise amongst employees, companies like SalesForce and the University of Texas McCombs School of Business began hiring Inglish. Her workshop was an immediate hit.

    “I spent almost 30 years not knowing how to move from fear to joy, which is why I wanted to distill all that I have learned and make mystical concepts common knowledge,” she explains. By becoming more curious about their inner lives and those of their coworkers Inglish believes team members can transition from suffering to serenity.

    The goal of Inglish’s new curriculum is to help attendees regulate their emotions by implementing practical tactics, all of which can done at their desk. In developing her framework, Inglish looked to her own step-by-step process for developing self-awareness and handling triggers with ease. The body and breathwork that she teaches her classes is how she copes when things don’t go her way. “The end goal is for attendees to know how to get through stress without going into a tailspin,” she explains.

    By also learning how to speak honestly about their feelings, Inglish knows that stronger communities and culture can be created. In her breakout groups, people realize they are not alone in their struggles. By connecting on a human level with their colleagues, they leave more empathetic, excited to collaborate, and inspired by one another. In doing the individual work, and relieving their emotional burdens, they become better as a whole. “By getting into groups and talking about their experiences, people realize they don’t have to stuff or stifle their emotions because they all go through the same things,” says Inglish.

    Her hope is that through sharing, attendees will see the bigger picture around their situation and find a pathway out of it. From there, they will be free to think more creatively, communicate with ease, and express themselves to the highest degree. The end result of these authentic connections is greater innovation, retention, and most importantly, joy. “I sincerely believe the tools I teach can help people move through the pain that has been stopping them so they can create their best work yet,” she says.

    Kate Norris

    Even when assessing all that could go wrong in a given situation, Kate Norris always maintains a sunny disposition. From analyzing cyber security threats to potential floods, she is happiest when finding those ‘I never thought it could happen to me’ scenarios and putting a plan into place to mitigate their consequences. The Principal at Atteneur Risk provides clients with certainty that their most cherished possessions will be protected. Having served hundreds of family offices for over 20 years, on the broker, carrier, and consultant sides, she is attuned to the unique challenges they face—and how to give them the peace of mind they deserve.

    “Stocks, bonds, and investments only make up one side of a balance sheet,” explains Norris who makes sure that her clients’ homes, cars, and art collections are properly looked after. Whether that means re-structuring a client’s portfolio or creating protocol to prevent their home from being burglarized she proudly integrates personal risk management into their worlds. Norris shows care for her clients by shielding the assets they’ve worked so hard for.

    While many enter the insurance industry by happenstance, Norris chose it deliberately. She has been enthusiastic about risk management since discovering it in her first consulting role for her college sorority. In this job, she came to the realization that she is naturally wired to spot and assess hazards. “Even in my own life, like at my wedding where I wouldn’t allow anyone under 18 to attend the reception because it was located on the water and I didn’t want anyone getting hurt,” she explains, “I’m always looking to alleviate risk.” Norris, who sees insurance folks as unsung heroes, believes there is nobility in helping others play it safe.

    The self-proclaimed “insurance geek” by trade and training genuinely enjoys reading about her industry in her off hours. She gained her first exposure to high-end clientele while working for global wealth management firm Bernstein. This demographic would become the throughline in her career. However, it was in her next role at Family Office Exchange that she truly found her forte and earned her unofficial MBA in all things related to that particular field. Norris fell in love with the intimate process of learning the ins-and-outs of her clients’ lives, and how their risk profiles changed because of their financial situations. Too often she met clients who had recently acquired wealth that didn’t think through the new challenges that came along with it. During this time, she developed her tried-and-true process to learn who her clients were, independent of their bank account. By gathering the full picture of what matters to them, from their grandchildren to their lake house, she knows what to prioritize in terms of protection. “My favorite thing about my job has always been learning what makes my clients tick,” she muses. Norris loves personal insurance because it is about the hearth and protecting people.

    As someone who is constantly asking the question, “Is there a better way to do this?” Norris realized she needed to start her own consultation firm while working for insurance carrier Chubb. For many years she received requests from clients who wanted to hire her as a consultant. Most were dissatisfied with their brokers who lacked the bandwidth to accurately assess their insurance situation, and implement additional coverage where it was needed. She also realized there was an information breakdown between carriers, clients, and brokers. Clients were either unaware of major issues or hadn’t received the right council to remedy existing problems. “If you’re telling someone about an issue but not taking the time to solve it then the job is incomplete,” Norris explains remembering this aha moment.

    Her goal in founding Atteneur Risk in 2021 became to offer families a consultant that sat on the same side of the table and crafted solutions for their specific insurance issues. Norris, whose unique ability is seeing how a single action will affect other spaces, strove to provide the Rolls Royce version of advice. To execute on this, she takes a magnifying glass to study every crevice of a client’s life. By acquiring information from clients and their advisors, she figures out what needs to be done to adequately protect their entire circle from family members to assets. This includes putting a safety plan into place or pinpointing domestic risks like water damage. Regardless of the situation, every detail is valuable in that it leads her discovering hidden risks. This diagnostic approach, which begins at 30,000 feet view and ends at a micro-level, leads to creating the right framework to lessen risk and help clients keep what they love.

    Beyond her passion for risk management, which Norris views as the perfect intersection between legalities and life, she enjoys educating her clients about insurance. As someone who has authored numerous whitepapers and conducted hundreds of educational seminars on the topic, she is skilled at explaining its technicalities in layman’s terms. Most importantly, her philosophy on the power of insurance is infectious. She reframes it as an essential tool that can protect one from potential disasters, rather than just a monthly fee. “Most people view insurance as a commodity rather than something that can save you should something unfavorable happen,” she explains.

    By bridging the disconnect between lack of information, and disbelief that bad things unfortunately do occur, she delivers a necessary dose of reality. While the truth might sometimes be uncomfortable, by helping clients realize and appreciate their risk profile her hope is that they can feel more at ease in the long-run. Her prerogative is to understand exactly how their wealth was made and make sure they maintain as much of it as possible. “I sleep well at night knowing that my clients do too because a structure is in place to protect them,” she explains.

    Wes Edwards

    Director

    writer, and editor Wes Edwards aims for the audience’s heart over its head. Edwards, who has directed 100-plus music videos and commercials for household names like Amazon and Mountain Dew, seeks to entertain and elicit an emotional reaction. His ability to capture truth in a commercial setting has earned him a shelf full of awards and repeat collaborators like country music stars Jason Aldean and Dierks Bentley. They seek him out for his storytelling abilities.

    “Wes is a hit song’s best friend,” praises the chart-topping, award-winning Bentley. “He has the vision to see beyond the expected, the wisdom to question, and the guts to transform a song into a different dimension.”

    A native of Franklin, Tennessee, Edwards is mostly self-taught besides some filmmaking and screenwriting courses, which merely lent structure to an already sure path. As a child, Edwards dreamt of becoming an animator and taught himself to draw by copying Walt Disney characters. The 1980’s classic “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” initially sparked his interest in the craft. After the difficulty of his parents’ divorce, Edwards found solace in movies. As an adult, he now uses his camera to give others that same comfort and ability to escape from the realities of life.

    At age 12, he saved up all his money to buy a video camera and began making short films with his buddies in their backyards. “We would pretend to be ninjas and blow stuff up,” he remembers. In high school, Edwards won a contest to direct five episodes of Channel 1 News with a select group of students from around the country. He discovered music videos as a college student during a summer program at the University of Southern California. That allowed him to hone his craft and find consistent work in his hometown of Music City. However, as a rock-and-roll guy at heart, his outsider status became his greatest advantage, allowing him to put a completely different spin on the genre of country music videos.

    After college, Edwards worked as a post-house editor at night while trying to spin up directorial gigs during the day. That balancing act taught him patience and earned him a well-rounded perspective on the industry. However, by his mid-twenties, the pull towards directing became too strong to resist and he jumped into the field full-time, represented by Ruckus Films. His big break was “Hick Town” by Jason Aldean, a video as raw as the Southern rock song it portrayed.

    The concept phase of a music video feels, “like slinging mud into outer space,” the director muses. After walking into the unknown, he finds peace working within given parameters like time, budget, and weather. Constraints can ironically result in his most innovative ideas. To strike a balance of pleasing both artist and audience Edwards focuses on the song’s emotion and relies upon his instincts to interpret their material.

    Edwards’s editing finesse defines his filmmaking career. His style is melodic and defined by dream logic. Similar to a composer, he arranges the images to heighten the music. Editing and visual effects, two of his areas of expertise, feel like play. They are how he ties everything together.

    While Edwards works with a great crew, he will always be hands-on. The tactile parts of his job are how he stays engaged. “There is a calmness that comes from knowing I can pick up a shot on my own,” the self-sufficient director explains. He trusts yet knows when to take control.

    Similarly, Edwards is grateful for the creative freedom his clients give him. Due to his flexibility, his portfolio runs the gamut from hyper-stylized to a grittier, documentarian aesthetic. Though the filmmaker always comes to set hyper prepared, he knows magic arises by staying open to the unexpected. The unscripted elements, like an improvised line or unplanned facial expression, breathe life into his films.

    After dedicating himself wholeheartedly to the commercial and music video world, Edwards is currently working towards his lifelong goal of creating feature films. Yet, no matter the project he will always rely upon the same philosophy. Similar to the ethos behind Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind,” he believes positive energy creates powerful films. The best things happen when people can relax and truly be themselves.

    White Mystery

    Musiclans

    Brother-sister duo White Mystery is light-years ahead of other rock ‘n’ roll bands. The flame-haired, curly-cued “Buttheads from Mars” were beamed down from outer space, after all. Miss Alex White and Francis Scott Key White have mythologized a universe only they can understand.

     “Basically, our mission is to go where no one band gone before,” she explains.

    They are always trying to top themselves, which is why the siblings work fast and furiously. Many of their albums were recorded in a single day. Their 2015 dark, stoner comedy “That Was Awesome” was written, scored and produced in six months. An epic touring schedule has them on the road ten months out of the year.

    Their answer is always “definitely!” to anything out of the ordinary.

    In Chicago, Illinois, a city where blues is the backbone, White Mystery officiated a ten-year experiment on April 20, 2008: Is it possible to be an independent rock ‘n’ roll band—and a successful one at that?

    Since shaking hands, their adventures have included a sold-out rock ‘n’ roll circus complete with contortionists, acrobats and ventriloquists. They have performed on a parade float in a parody of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” alongside Sir Richard Branson. The musicians have modeled in campaigns for iconic denim brand Levis. Throughout their tenure together, they have been opening acts for Garbage, The Stooges and Weezer.

    Nothing intimidates Alex and Francis whose alter egos are named Axel and Fraxel.

    Their success is a byproduct of talent, dedication and the countless hours they put into the craft. A White Mystery guidebook embodies their discipline, and mind over matter philosophy. Boyfriends, girlfriends, and haircuts are prohibited during the course of their career.

    Every year on 4/20, the band releases a new body of music marked by a four-syllable title. These quirky consistencies have made them a cult favorite long after their contemporaries have fallen by the wayside. Media outlets such as MTV, Vice, Sound Opinions and Pitchfork, have praised their eye candy vinyl. On White Mystery, Blood & Venom, People Power, Telepathic and Dubble Dragon one can hear the influences of Patti Smith, The Cramps and Who. Their psychedelic, punk rock has transitioned over the years from a guttural, rhythmic sound into a slick precision.

    While they music scholars, the Whites’ childlike sense of humor is their real charm. They are comfortable in their own skin and never take themselves too seriously.

    Early on, the free spirits were encouraged to make adult decisions, and walk their own path. There was never any confusion about who they were so they went for it 100% of the time.

    Alexandra Brooks White was born on April 30, 1985 at the same hospital as Harrison Ford. Francis Scott Key White became birthday twins with his soon-to-be hero, drummer Keith Moon, after entering the picture on August 23, 1987. The ginger squad has since been inseparable.

    They grew up at the Field Museum where their mother Diane White was a natural history photographer. Early on, Alex and Francis developed their stage act by jamming on plastic instruments as The Baby Blues.

    Diane took them to the dollar store where Alex purchased boatloads of bootleg cassette tapes. The Golden Oldies compilations led to an obsession with 45s, which she started collecting as a teenager at her local record store. Today, she still spins those same vinyl when she DJs. This hobby inspired her to cofound Missile X Records as a teenager with her best friend Chris Playboy.

    Alex’s career spans half a lifetime. She has always been able to envision and execute what she wanted out of life.  

    At age 15, she picked up the electric guitar after hearing The Who and telling her mother, “let’s get this party started!” One lesson later, her first band, the Psychotic Sensations, was formed. By surrounding herself with top-notch musicians, she began to master her chosen instrument: a Fireflo Rickenbacker 330.

    As a high school student, Alex released records and toured the states. The day of her college graduation, she was on a flight to her first European tour.

    Hot Machines, a super group in its own right that Alex formed with The Ponies, was her first band that attracted major label attention. Next she shared the stage with dear friend Alisa Demeritt in two-piece girl band, The Red Lights. Miss Alex White & Chris Playboy followed, the act she credits as putting her on the map. Tragically, Alisa and Chris passed away in a short amount of time, which provoked Alex to put music on pause. However, dawn followed the dark when she was signed to In the Red Records for a two-album contract. To honor her dear friend she made one negotiation—she wanted to release a live album of her last concert with Chris. Her new project Miss Alex White & The Red Orchestra took songs the two had previously recorded together and turned them into hits. The band achieved commercial success by touring with heavy hitters, like The Black Keys. After returning home, White had the epiphany it was time to join forces with her brother.

    “I wanted to go back to the simplicity of being in a two-piece,” she explains. “It’s an easy, cool format if you have a great dynamic with your partner.”

    While running the show at Busy Beaver Button Company in her early 20s, White first discovered her passion for entrepreneurship. She also realized the power of slogans. “You coin catchy phrases that influence your decision-making, and they literally become a part of your identity,” she explains. While working with major brands like Microsoft, The White Stripes, and Missy Elliott she realized White Mystery could be whatever she and Francis wanted it to be.

    In the meantime, Francis was honing his drumming skills and dabbling in garage bands like the Nuke Mutes. He and Alex had previously jammed and recorded together in their parent’s basement —throwing up material on MySpace in the early age of the Internet. At one point in time, they had played in a three-piece called Trash & Heat. Recording project, Forest Bride, served as a White Mystery prototype.

    In 2008, Alex and Francis decided to take the plunge and make a living as punk rock musicians. White Mystery became the sibling’s sole purpose and magnetic bond. One they gave themselves the green light, the rest became history: musicians who once dreamed of crossing the border would travel the world many times together.

    Alex jokes that a goal-oriented system sets up their school semester every year. They quickly realized major labels couldn’t match the speed they wanted to run at, and declared White Mystery an independent act. “It was imperative to retain ownership of our music, and release our albums at a certain time,” explains Alex, “and no one wanted to play ball with us.”

    So they launched a DIY family affair rounded out by their mom who lent moral support and made all of the merchandise. Their self-titled first album came to life by saving every penny from playing up to three times a week. They stretched funds and brainstormed ways to make a formative impression on the market. 

    “Can you try this?” answered by, “You mean like that?” is how they arrive at happy mediums.

    As their album title, “Dubble Dragon” suggests the two are artistic soul mates who make up one superhuman being. They come from completely different headspaces, which makes for hilarious disagreements and the perfect tension. It is the reason they have an affinity for ampersands used to link contrasting ideas.

    Francis lives in a fantasy world in which he reads and writes for hours. Alex’s feet are firmly planted on the ground, as she is usually running around town. His dreamy imagination is oftentimes the source of their creative concepts, while her business mind monetizes their musical talents. He expresses his vision and she does her best to execute it. This is best expressed by their songwriting system in which Alex adapts Francis’ prose and poetry into catchy pop songs.

    “Dubble Dragon is entirely a Francis White album,” she explains. “It was a real sea change for the band in which I became less dominant and he blossomed into an incredible songwriter.”

    By switching gears as the band’s guiding forces, the Whites ensure they don’t burn out. This ebb and flow allows them to continuously encourage and inspire one another. Sticking to their guns is how they fulfill their destiny. Even if there was drama over the decade-long course they reminded one another, “Dude, we made a commitment to see what happens!”

    They always take the path less traveled and seize new opportunities when they are presented. Until 2018, White Mystery will give their experiment a solid go. After their decade together, only the stars will tell if the siblings will pull the plug or renew their contract with one another. In the meantime, in typical Miss Alex White fashion she finishes, “We’ve accomplished so much, yet haven’t hit our apex yet—there’s still so much more to do!”

    Kyle Henderson

    Producer

    If you’re not having fun, then what’s the point? That’s the mentality producer Kyle Henderson takes to Moon Room Studios where he tries to make every recording session as positive as possible. From years of making music himself as the frontman of rock ‘n’ roll outfit Desert Noises, Henderson believes the best songs arise when the artist is at ease. “It’s such an amazing experience to make a song that I never want anyone to get down on themselves in the process because that just feels disrespectful,” he explains. Henderson, a natural giver who loves actualizing other people’s visions, has found the best of both worlds in his new career. As a producer, all he wants is to create amazing memories and music others will be proud to play.

    At age 16, Henderson had a premonition that music was what he should pursue. The feelings that arose when a friend introduced him to Led Zeppelin and Modest Mouse were intense enough for him to quit sports entirely and start playing the guitar. From that moment on, music became his obsession and a craft he studied relentlessly. He also viewed it as a healthy means to rebel against his Mormon upbringing. While still living in his hometown, right outside of Salt Lake City, Utah, Henderson found comfort in creating something of his own in what felt like a claustrophobic, cookie cutter setting. Right after high school, he decided to pursue music full-time until another life-altering incident altered his course.

    In 2014, after years of nonstop touring with Desert Noises Henderson suffered a mental breakdown brought about by a bad divorce and substance abuse problem. To recover, he returned home to Utah where, in the midst of a dark depression, he saw the light around music.

    “While sobering up in rehab, I realized that music had always been there for me and I never wanted to take advantage of it ever again,” he explains. After seeing music for the sacred entity that it is, Henderson decided that he wanted to provide a similarly spiritual experience for others. Using what initially derailed him as the catalyst for a new career, he returned to Nashville, where he had lived previously, and reingratiated himself into the creative community as a producer. Today, he encourages his clients to make mistakes because he knows from his own experiences that they always lead us to our next right place.

    True to his recording style, Henderson began meeting the first round of artists he would go on to produce in a similarly spontaneous way: at a house party. The second he met Lindsay Starr, whose first record, Blaming the Weather, he recorded in 2020 Henderson fell head over heels for her voice. Vocals are always Henderson’s deciding factor for whether or not he wants to work with an artist. After writing together for the first time, he became enthralled with the idea of a collaboration. While Henderson jokes that he pestered Starr until she hired him as a producer, the singer affirms it was the best decision she ever made. He helped her overcome her inner critic, write in the more candid way that she craved, and believe in herself as a bonafide pop artist. Together, they created a psychedelic pop album that has since become a marker of Henderson’s signature musical style.

    Similarly, Henderson met Australian singer-songwriter Josh Rennie-Hynes at a get-together when the artist was in a transition period of wanting to leaving his Americana roots behind. The two clicked and wrote their first song the following day. Seven months later, they were still in the zone recording Hynes’ album and developing an entirely new creative process for the artist. True to form, Henderson encouraged Hynes to record as he wrote because he saw that was when his emotions were most on the surface.

    Henderson, an observational person by nature, relies on his perceptiveness to constantly see where the artist is at and adjust his approach as needed. He is always willing to shift gears and try a new technique if something isn’t working. Active listening is also his secret to figuring out what the artist wants to get across. By asking the right questions, he figures out how he can get them to a place where they are the best version of themselves. Magic happens when both parties are open, present and one-hundred percent authentic. “I want every artist to walk away from the studio and say, ‘I remember making music and also having meaningful conversations,’” explains Henderson.

    His goal, similar to a therapist, is to learn as much as possible about an artist’s daily life so he can incorporate those details into the album. By making the experience inclusive, he also lets them know they are seen as a whole human being. As someone who is quite sensitive himself, Henderson knows that a safe space is critical to eliciting genuine emotions. “We spend half of our time trying to be someone we’re not so it’s very surreal when you can just be yourself,” he says. Inauthenticity gets you nowhere which is also why he constantly reminds artists to make the music they want. At the end of the day, they’re the ones who have to go home with it.

    Just as Henderson does his best to create a positive environment for artists, he is also highly conscious of his own mindset. He looks at producing as a lifestyle, rather than something he switches on and off, and tries his best to stay open for when the ideas come. Rather than going into a session with a preconceived notion, he releases any expectations about the end result. “I try to be like a vessel and let music happen, versus going out and trying to grab it,” he explains in terms of staying receptive to those creative messages. Similar to a smell that brings you back to a specific place and time, he also believes the emotions generated while recording come through on an album. Therefore, he does everything in his power to keep angst at bay so the listener is transported to a moment of pure creative energy.

    At a time when the world needs a serious boost, Henderson’s upbeat soundtrack is sure to get people moving. With no allegiance to any particular genre of music, the producer’s ace in the hole is consistently creating unexpected sounds. From hip-hop to pop and classic rock, he sneaks a wide variety of influences into every experience he creates. Through combining, layering, and constantly experimenting with different sounds the lifelong nonconformist is creating a definitive new style, simply by being himself. “I was sick of hearing the same thing over and over and chose to do things differently by bringing in music that I enjoy and letting amazing emotions rise to the surface,” he says.

    Yet while being a pioneer is exciting, most gratifying is putting the spotlight on artists that he believes in. He affirms there is nothing better than watching an artist’s face light up as they revisit what they recorded that day. To be able to exercise his own artistic abilities and make art with others is a beautiful way of living. “It’s such an emotional, spiritual, and overwhelming experience to watch an artist record and all I want to do is contribute happy emotions to the process” he says.

    Shannah Game

    Podcast Host and Financial Expert

    When it comes to money, Shannah Game dispels what mystifies others. After years of working as a financial planner, the podcast host of “Everyone’s Talkin’ About Money” saw the common anxieties all humans have. No matter someone’s age or income bracket, looking at their bank statements resulted in the same internal obstacles.

    Like most great achievements, Game’s first podcast “Millennial Money,” which debuted in 2015, came from this life altering epiphany. Since taking it upon herself to translate lessons learned from real-life scenarios, Games has been rewarded with over 20 million downloads. Stories, versus stats, are her way of making complex money topics comprehensive. Demystifying and decoding are how Game has made a formerly taboo topic fun. By rebranding her podcast in 2022, she hopes the facelift will open up her sound waves to an even wider audience. “This is our way of rolling out the welcome mat to everyone from professionals just starting out to a person on the verge of retirement and beginning their next chapter,” she says.

    Since childhood it was obvious that Game could compute complex ideas, from fixing cars to computers. In spite of her technical proficiencies, Game is also a true creative who never fancied herself working in finance. It was performing, like belting out Madonna tunes in her backyard to her neighbors, that suited her most. “I watched “Saturday Night Fever” and declared ‘I’m going to be a go-go dancer when I grow up to my parents,” she laughs.

    Yet money has always made sense to Game in a sixth sense way, most likely because of her father. As someone who worked in the industry, they talked about finance at the dinner table. She started learning the lingo and how to solve money-related problems early on. This was particularly handy when Game, as an undergrad at Indiana University, started the nation’s first student film festival. Knowing she had to do something unique to establish herself as a woman, she created and ran a festival for five years that eventually sold to a Hollywood exec. “It was amazing to see the ripple effects of one business that I started in my twenties like 140 of my peers getting proper industry jobs because of meeting the right people at the event,” she says.

    After her first home run, Game had a bit of a sophomore slump and decided to return to school to figure out her next steps. Running the festival had made her resourceful and confident when it came to money. Yet, after earning her streets MBA, Game felt directionless. She went back to school to earn the official MBA certification and next, decided to work alongside her father at his investment firm. The first day on the job she found herself sitting across from someone whose assets totaled $200-million. Immediately, putting together the puzzle pieces of someone’s personal finances and pointing out the loopholes felt like second nature.

    Though Game never fit into the corporate world, with an allergy to florescent lights, business suits, and schmoozing, working with clients changed her perspective. Hearing over and over the could of’s, would of’s, should of’s it became obvious that money caused massive suffering. Taking note of her client’s unique experiences and equivalent reactions, Game started contemplating how she could change this trend. “Similar to biographies and documentaries, storytelling seemed like an obvious way to show money as more than a number,” she says. Chatting with her clients by day and acting as her friends’ unofficial therapist at night, Game realized how isolated everyone felt despite feeling the same confusion around their finances. “Money is unavoidable so I chose to make it less elusive and easier to discuss as a whole,” she says.

    In her first professor role, Game turned talking about personal finance into her art form. After taking on a position as a professor of financial literacy at California State University Northridge in 2012, Game innovated her syllabus by asking the question, what would I have wanted to know in college? Thinking from the perspective of her younger self who had a love-hate relationship with money, she developed a curriculum that resonated. Still, in 2015 the need to scratch her creative itch became too strong to overlook. In search of guidance, Game turned to her students who suggested, “Start a podcast.” A week later, without a script or plan, “Millennial Money” was born. Once she started talking into the microphone Game was a hit. As a performer with a gift for delivering cold, hard facts in a fuzzy way she had found the perfect outlet. Her soothing voice and humor made spelling out the basics of budgeting far from boring. “I immediately loved the intimacy of podcasting and guiding thousands of listeners by asking questions from their perspective,” she remembers.

    Just a month later, the novelty of the content resulted in “Millennial Money” taking flight as it landed at the top of Apple Podcast’s recommendation list. A few years after that, what had once been a marketing vehicle, was in the top 1% of podcasts and had become a valid business. Game was a pioneer in the podcast realm when money education was still rare. However, despite external validation from sponsorships to fan letters, it took her a minute to process the success. She could hardly believe she was earning a paycheck for her passion and took her own advice. “I had to constantly remind myself that while there are millions of podcasts most only have a few episodes while we were a consistent presence in people’s lives,” she explains.  

    Before compliments, which often praise her ability to come up with infinite money-related podcasts, communicating with listeners is Game’s favorite form of affirmation. Having seen firsthand how the right mindset could send someone from stumbling to success, it is beyond gratifying to hear that her words have impact. She assures it keeps her going. “I know what it is like to lose all of my assets and hate looking at my ATM receipts, which is why it is so touching to hear that the podcast has helped people pay off debt, restore relationships, or become the first person in their family to own property,” she explains. Learning that some listeners had even overcome major mental health crises, showed Game it was about more than her and a microphone.

    Since rebranding “Millennial Money” in 2022, Game wants to make it clear that her practical psychology approach to finance is age agnostic. Though “millennial” was always about a mindset, not a reference to a specific generation, the name switch is her way of setting an intention. She hopes to help an even wider audience revamp their relationship with money, seeing it as a beautiful thing to be embraced rather than the big, bad elephant in the room. “Money has historically been viewed as a charged, divisive topic whereas my hope is that the podcast will reframe it as a tool for transformation and something to connect over,” she says.

    Katie Bohrer

    Event Planner and Consultant

    Consulting and event specialist Katie Bohrer creates events that leave an indelible mark on people’s lives. Since founding Onwardly in 2021, whose specialty is event and experience design, consulting, training, and one-on-one coaching, Bohrer has become a thought leader within her industry. The award-winning hospitality professional and certified meeting specialist swears by the question, “What do you want to truly say with your custom event?” Creating experiences of depth that share a message beyond the evening is her forte. The event expert partners with purpose-driven companies who want to change the world for the better. “I want Onwardly’s events to have an impact beyond the four walls in which they’re held,” she explains.  

    Since her early twenties, Bohrer has created events at the highest caliber possible. Building genuine relationships, asking the right questions, and talking to every level of the operation in a caring and straightforward manner simply became a part of her nature. She thanks the top-notch professionals for whom she worked for in her early twenties for teaching her all that she knows.

    After studying communications in college, the Dallas, Texas, native followed her instincts and went to work in the nonprofit sector after graduation. Combining mission and work has always been her goal. Yet, it was a conversation with a family friend that led her to her chosen career path. After speaking with someone who worked for Gaylord Entertainment, she decided to take on an entry-level job at the behemoth hotel and event management company. Over the next four years, Bohrer learned her craft from the pinnacle of the events world. After recognizing that creating thoughtful, detail-oriented experiences was her passion all other career paths went out the window.

    Working at a place with half a million feet of meeting space, Bohrer’s eyes were opened to every facet of the events world. Every day, meeting, and client was completely different. Bohrer became adept at working with a wide range of clients after shadowing seasoned professionals who knew how to run a flawless event. They taught her how to do the same. “Even though the work was hard, I loved doing it,” she recalls. The company also instilled in her the philosophy “if you take care of your people, they will take care of their guests,” which she has since translated to every job.

    From there, Bohrer went to work for Group 360 helping meeting planners find the right destinations for their events. As the seventh person hired directly by the owner, she was able to build a company from the ground-up. After working in a traditional corporate environment, the position taught her self-sufficiency, how to execute an idea from a blank sheet of paper, and operate outside of her normal job description. She thrived when working in a nebulous, flexible, and ever-changing environment where she could learn new skills, such as storytelling, in order to move the business forward.

    When Group 360 moved into a tech sphere, Bohrer decided that she wanted to work face to face with meeting planners once again. Doing everything in her power to make their jobs easier had always been the theme of her career. Shortly after, she was hired by the Las Vegas outpost of MGM Resorts whom she had worked with for many years. Her job was to build a global sales strategy around the “icing on top of the cake” events sector to make it more profitable and scalable. For two years, she worked in a global sales role remotely managing her team and traveling around the country developing relationships with MGM’s meeting planner clients. It was yet another position in which she was able to exercise her gift: assessing issues at hand and coming up with creative ways to correct them.

    Bohrer’s ability to create healthy teams, comes from knowing how to ask appropriate, truth-telling questions. By showing up with a discovery-oriented approach she gleans the right information to solve the issues at hand. Her gift has always been gaining trust, almost within seconds, in order to gain insight into how a company operates. From there, Bohrer, who takes every member of an organization seriously, can gain insight from the executive level to the hourly employees to find out what is really going on. “People will tell you exactly what matters to them if you’re willing to listen, which is critical to a company’s success because happy employees make happy clients,” she says.

    From there, Bohrer listened to that tiny voice, which she calls her inner knowing, and passed up an executive level position to go work for a Nashville-based creative and event production agency. Men who had been there for 20-plus years were suddenly under her care. While challenging trying to manage people twice her age, she learned was how to rally people around a cause and give a smaller company structure. However, it took one more job for her to get to the point that she knew she had to start her own company.

    Associated Luxury Hotels International recruited her at the exact time she was looking to move back home to Dallas. Yet three months into the job, miscommunication became the least of their problems when Covid-19 hit. All of a sudden, her global events team had to function in the midst of a pandemic—and figure out how to do it safely. Yet, as someone who has always been a “figurer outer,” Bohrer saw the opportunity as a way to lead the industry forward. She was lit up by the challenge of producing events in a new landscape.

    Over the next year, she ensured 20 in-person meetings went off without a hitch. Bohrer also developed protocols for how to host meetings in a creative, innovative, and Covid-conscious manner. When there was no rulebook, she wrote it. The experience led to her being asked to speak at various organizations and teach others about ALHI’s revolutionary practices. Bohrer quickly fell in love with the ability to help meeting planners uncover their pain points and find solutions to them. The smart, ambitious, and ingenious pioneer quickly became known as a wealth of knowledge.

    In 2021, Bohrer had a “get real” moment with herself. While she felt grateful for such a successful career, she also wanted to get back to her roots and work with purpose-driven companies. Never had she been able to produce events for event’s sake. Rather, she decided to lean into her desire and found Onwardly, a company that sees events as a tool to build community, support causes, and share messages of hope. Though it was nerve wracking to not have a plan B, a strong network of trusted sources immediately stepped in as new clients. Once she started to say “yes,” the opportunities presented themselves. The company has continued to morph. “I went with what my clients wanted as sometimes they would see something in myself that I did not,” she explains. Since its 2021 founding, Onwardly has continued to be a co-creation of Bohrer’s own desires in conjunction with her clients. “I am so grateful to be able to produce events whose missions go well beyond the evening and have a say in how business gets done,” she explains. “If you don’t see what you want, you have to go out and create it.”

    Kendra L. Kinnison

    Executive Coach

    Kendra Kinnison takes on numerous roles everyday including Executive, Coach, Speaker, and Author, yet she always has a singular goal: to highlight her employees’ strengths and develop strong teams by means of sports strategies. Similar to a basketball coach, this lifelong athlete figures out the positions she needs, the best way to fill them, and what systems are critical to connecting everyone to a common cause. While she is industry agnostic, having worked in a variety of fields from hospitality to marketing, auditing, and energy, Kinnison’s gift has always been talent development and management. She believes strength comes in numbers and nothing can be done solo.

    In her first book series, a series of Leadership Playbooks co-written with fellow coaches Donita Brown and Gwen Riedl, Kinnison translates a program gleaned from years of experience to teach leadership skills through sports analogies. The six-playbook series, which can be read individually or as a series, shows how to creatively compose a team as well as the importance of group thinking for individual success. No matter the “stadium size,” Kinnison believes it’s nearly impossible—and unsatisfying— to navigate the world alone. Being a team member and playing a role in others’ success has been the most fulfilling part of her career.

    Several year ago, the importance of teamwork hit home for Kinnison in a very tangible way during Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath. The natural disaster was a defining moment for the Port Royal Ocean Resort General Manager. She relied upon years of informal and formal coaching experience to bring together her team and emotionally support them during the resort’s recovery process. After Hurricane Harvey, she relied upon the support of her fellow coaches and friends Brown and Riedl who had long had been sounding boards for Kinnison. The three, whose passion is working with people, decided to publish their playbook series based upon a curriculum Kinnisson had developed around leadership skills. Kinnison is hard-wired to believe life is a team sport. The athlete, who lived and breathed basketball throughout her youth, wanted to use her sports background as the basis for teaching leadership. After reading hundreds of books on coaching, completing courses, and teaching her own popular “Habit Coaching Certification” program on Coach.me, Kinnison felt confident enough to publish her principles.

    In the six-part series, Kinnison takes concepts acquired from years of managerial experience to teach leadership in a highly accessible way. Her desired audience is those who are new to the professional workforce or others who might not initially, or instinctively, take to leadership. As someone who is passionate about service work, she also hopes the series relates to those who want to be community leaders. One of the main takeaways is that leadership is a daily choice, one that takes courage to just show up. Kinnison teaches that leadership is a set of skills, from communication to organization and execution, that can be learned through practice. She insists that successful leaders take responsibility for others as well as for themselves. The series also encourages the use of leadership principles for projects big or small from natural disaster recovery like Hurricane Harvey to taking care of your family. Accessible and for audiences beyond CEOs, Kinnison’s fundamental principles are transferrable across different domains.

    Kinnison, who also co-authored Royal Resilience: Our Story of Thriving and Surviving After Hurricane Harvey, broadened her own definition of the word “team” after the natural disaster by working with crews that ranged from contractors to the city government. She incorporates lessons from crisis management, such as the importance of implementing cohesive systems and language across an organization, so progress can be achieved quickly. As far as the playbooks go, Kinnisson trusts they will take the reader on a journey to understanding how to become a leader at any level in their life. If her readers can take those principles and tactfully apply them to any situations ranging from catastrophes to minor snags then Kinnison will know her own hard-earned lessons were all for a purpose. She is thrilled to be able to guide others as they gain the confidence to officially call themselves a leader. It is all a matter of practice, perspective, and possessing the right tools in her eyes. 

    Jed Hilly Long Form

    Executive Director at Americana Music Association

    Jed Hilly’s name is synonymous with Americana music for a reason—no one appreciates authenticity, vulnerability, and the art of making music more than him. Staying structured, yet open, is the secret to the Americana Music Association Executive Director’s success. Under Hilly’s leadership the AMA creates ongoing awareness around the genre by working with artists, labels, radio, and retailers.

    By shooting for the stars, Hilly made his way from a below-the-mailroom position at Sony Music Entertainment to Vice President of Digital Asset Management and Marketing Services, a role in which he developed the first music business B2B application saving the conglomerate millions. In his 12-year tenure at the AMA, Hilly convinced Merriam Webster to add the word “Americana” to their dictionary and the Recording Academy to include American Roots in their slate of Grammy Awards. Hilly has raised the profile of Americana around the world and yet, little excites him more than seeing a new artist stand onstage, holding their heart in their hands. Staying connected to the discovery phase is how he keeps his arrows straight.

    While he was raised in the heart of New York City, Hilly always gravitated towards his family’s farm in Vermont where he felt most grounded. The lifelong musician and music appreciator grew up attending bluegrass competitions and listening to Neil Young and the Grateful Dead. Entertainment was always his arena so much that in college he created a concierge business adding the “cool factor” to campus parties.

    Even as a child, Hilly was precocious and on his own path. At age 14, he met the editor of a children’s magazine who swiftly sent him to a Star Trek convention to interview the show’s founder and stars. Next, he was appointed to magazine editor attending the Republican National Convention where he hobnobbed with politicians like then-Vice President Nelson Rockefeller. At 17, Hilly was moved to an alternative school and spent his senior year as an intern in Congress.

    After graduation, when all of his friends went to college, Hilly became the first American to work in the British Parliament. In the United Kingdom, working for Lady Lou Ellen Davis, a baroness and Speaker of the House for the Labour Party in the House of Lords, he wrote a program which afforded other international students the experience of studying overseas. By following his passion for exploration, Hilly was able to travel the world in his early twenties, backpacking across the Middle East, and meeting luminaries like Ted Kennedy and Miles Howard, descent of Henry VII. “I’ve been like Forrest Gump in that I couldn’t make a bad move,” he jokes.

    Yet, it was one fateful night in New York City that changed the trajectory of Hilly’s life. While waiting tables, he was asked one night to assemble a makeshift band after the house musicians cancelled right before New Years Eve. The band ended up getting booked for gigs around town with Hilly serving as both the band manager and bassist, operating under an alter ego. “I would meet with A&R guys and they would say, “The bass player sucks!” and I’d respond, “I’ll talk to him,” he remembers laughing. After internal drama broke the band up, at age 30, Hilly, received a life-changing call.

    He went in for a meeting at Columbia Records, owned by Sony, where he was immediately hired in an entry-level position. At the time, Hilly, who had already been to Italy five times, had one ambition in mind: to have someone else fly him to his favorite country. Almost to the month, five years later, he flew to Italy as VP of International Marketing to have dinner with Destiny’s Child.

    Six weeks into his job at Sony, Hilly visited Tower Records, the most important record chain in the world, to do inventory. There, he met Steve Harmon, head of the northeast region of Tower, whose walls were littered with St. Louis Cardinals memorabilia. A few days later, Hilly found two mint-condition 1968 Bob Gibson cards at his parents’ home, which he left on Harmon’s desk as a gift. For the next year, after charming Harmon, he became his right-hand man, attending every event with the industry heavy hitter. “Restaurant jobs taught me how to take care of others,” Hilly says, who received three promotions in his first seven months at Sony. By coming up through the ranks, Hilly came to know everyone at Tower and how the system worked. His path to the top was much shorter than most because of sheer life experience.

    In 1995, as director of retail marketing, Hilly had his most notable moment at Sony when he created a system to send merchandise and poster artwork by email. The guinea pig was Pearl Jam’s Goat Record whose images an IT guy, as requested by Hilly, put on an internal server. After testing the system, Sony started sending all artwork through their computers. “While it wasn’t brain surgery, after presenting the system at North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) it became known that Sony had created the first music business B2B application,” he says. In the first six months, Hilly saved Sony $600,000 and stopped all postal mailing. Afterwards, Hilly worked one-on-one with Creed, one of the highest grossing bands of all time, and then focused on taking the B2B system he had created international. Again, with the help of an IT buddy, he merged 32-different websites in the UK, Asia, Europe, Canada, and Australia into one that saved the company over $8-millon. Six weeks after they started, the system was done and is still used by Sony today.

    After 9/11, Hilly moved to Nashville where he met Mrs. Orbison, mother to rock-and-roll legend Roy Orbison, who ran her son’s estate. She hired Hilly to run the estate’s day-to-day operations, which put him on the local map. It was a refreshing change of pace after being part of a big label machine. During his time at the estate, Hilly is proud to say that the postal service approved a stamp with Roy on it.

    When Hilly told his dad he was thinking about taking the Executive Director job at the AMA, he said, “Americana isn’t listed as a word in the dictionary. Who’s going to wag the flag for you if they don’t know what the word means?” Naturally, Hilly disobeyed his father and took the job writing to Merriam Webster every three months until four-and-a-half years later he received a call from their managing editor saying, “I thought you should be the person to know the word has been added in.” Promptly, he had a t-shirt made with the phonetic pronunciation of “Americana” on it.

    In 2007, Hilly started writing letters to the Grammy’s. While his predecessors had lobbied to them too, he took a different approach and used the 2007 Robert Plant and Allison Krauss album “Raising Sand” as his angle to earn the “Best Americana Album” category. However, as someone who is never satisfied Hilly decided that he wanted a full Americana slate. He believed this would give the genre deserved credit, separate it from country music at last, and allow it to include Americana, folk, and bluegrass. He wrote another letter to the board of trustees of the Recording Academy, signed by Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, and Emmylou Harris, explaining why the genre needed “Best Album, Song and Performance” as a slate. He also requested for the slate to be renamed “American Roots.” By changing the name and making the genre all-inclusive, he got buy-in and made Americana accessible to everyone.

    Jim Polep

    Luxury Real Estate Agent

    “Talk is cheap.”

    Engle & Volker representative Jim Polep is a true people-person. The real estate agent has a sixth sense for matching properties with personalities. A neighborhood fixture for over 40 years, Jim knows Aspen’s landscape like the back of his hand. He loves nothing more than to marvel at its nooks and crannies, and show clients a city they never knew existed. Jim leads clients to hidden gems and helps them see the city through new eyes.

    “It looked like a movie set.”

    In 1975, Jim Polep announced that he needed to find himself. The wide-eyed, 18-year old decided that Aspen might be the place. After arriving in the picturesque ski town, he thought I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my life.

    Aspen was like a fairy tale that stole his heart and planted a seed that he could never shake. After vacationing there for 20 years, he took the plunge in 1996 making the postcard-perfect city his permanent home. Today, he still holds the same sentiments. Many years later, he looks at the mountains and gets misty-eyed upon sight.

    “Small town, big world.”

    Jim has always been attracted to the finer things in life. Working for his family business, a catalogue showroom, he learned how to sell jewelry, photography and home goods as a teenager. His design knowledge has always been in demand.

    In 1996, he purchased home goods boutique Montecito in Aspen. For over 20 years, the shop was favored for its antiques, found objects, and modern furniture. However, it was the proprietor’s sensitivity to customer needs that created many long-lasting relationships. After closing the doors in 2014, Jim decided to stick around town —this time as a real estate agent for Engle & Volkers. He joined the global, German-bred company in 2016. The industry heavy hitters were his ideal match. Like Jim, they always go the extra mile for their clients. “Engle & Volkers, similar to myself, believe buying should be a blast rather than an arduous task,” he explains.

    “Let me put it to you this way: I’ve always been taken by Aspen.”

    Jim read a quote once by author John Steinbeck that said, “It bites deep—a dream place that isn’t quite real when you’re there, but becomes definitely real after you’re gone.” The description pointed towards Jim’s unwavering appreciation for Aspen. “All I can say is that it is a really special place,” he says. To him, the city will always feel as fresh as newly fallen snow.

    Joe Gambino Profiles

    Staffing Company Founder

    Joe Gambino is an American entrepreneur and founder of Profiles, a staffing company that provides corporations with creative, marketing, and interactive positions. Gambino, whose gift is recognizing and placing talent, is proud to have created a company that that provides others with work. He relies upon experience and intuition to find the gaps at organizations and fill them in with the right candidates.

     “As much as I love the limelight like any other Italian Leo,” he jokes, “there is nothing more rewarding than allowing other people to shine.”

    Gambino grew up in an entrepreneurial Italian-American family whose businesses ranged from masonry to pizza making. Watching them as a child, he was inspired to also do well for himself— and on his own terms. Gambino credits his family for his discipline, self-starter nature, and ability to glean wisdom from everyday life.

    Gambino’s father suggested that he study business and finance after seeing him start a snow shoveling business with his high school buddies. From his first job at a country club where he was promoted from cleaning golf clubs to management, Gambino maximized every situation that came along. In college Gambino, who has always loved fashion and owns a custom apparel and merchandise company, began moonlighting at men’s retail stores. Gambino saw every boutique as a means for him to make an even more dramatic mark on the community.

    “We jokingly call Baltimore “Smaltimore,” he says, “and it was at those stores that I truly started connecting with my community.” At Brooks Oliver, owned by a gentleman named Norman, an appreciation for meticulousness, thoughtful customer service, and lifelong friendships was instilled in Gambino. To this day, he credits his success to a diverse social circle and working with those with whom you get along.

    After college, Gambino’s first job was with Graphic Color Systems where he sold pre-press and learned how to use his connections to increase reach. As a side benefit, the position spring boarded his career in outside sales, which he further honed leasing computers and technical equipment for AT&T Capital. Next, Gambino joined Pro Staff, a national firm that catered to the clerical, administrative, accounting, and finance worlds. There, he was given a lot of leeway to bring his visions to fruition such as Pro Staff Creative Services, a new division of the company that his team developed. “My career in creative staffing began to bloom when I realized my graphic designer friends needed gigs and my clients had open positions,” says the pragmatist who put two and two together and became the toast of designer town. Gambino, who has always been number savvy, was also credited with increasing Pro Staff’s revenue from $500,000 to $5-million during his tenure.

    In 1996 Gambino paired with a friend, a design world veteran, to launch Engine Performance, Baltimore’s first creative, marketing, and design staffing firm. Though the business exploded overnight, Gambino made a radical move in 1998 when he took a buyout. He co-founded the creative staffing firm Profiles with business partner Anne Gettier just months later, which became the talk of the town. “People either thought I was heroic or insane to leave the company I had built from the ground-up to go toe-to-toe with them as a competitor,” he reflects.

    Gambino’s magnetic ability to attract opportunity and Anne’s recruitment management skills made Profiles a success from the get-go. Gambino also made it his priority to build a culture of excellence as demonstrated by top-notch customer service. Whether it is answering the phone on the third ring or creating mutually beneficial contracts, the culture is focused on kindness. Gambino makes it clear that all employees must bring integrity, accountability, and compassion to the table.

    Today, Gambino, who bought his partner out in 2012, has the same goal as always: to build his business, which is currently at its all-time highest run rate, by constantly evolving. Even when in bigger-than-his-britches situations, Gambino is fearless as he knows those result in the most substantial growth. “I credit the Catholic schools I attended, which gave me grit, for teaching me to how to generate opportunities even during tough times,” he says.

    Outside of office hours, Gambino dedicates his time to the city of Baltimore, known for its high crime and unemployment rates. He is in the process of developing a staffing model for the nonprofit Living Classrooms, which provides after-school programs for inner city kids. He wants to give kids jobs and get them off the street.

     

    Karen Herold

    Award-winning Interior Designer

    Chicago-based interior designer Karen Herold believes we reflect the rooms we’re in. Whether it is a restaurant, high-end student housing or private residence the Principal of Studio K is driven by the psychology behind every project.

    “I love that by switching up the lighting or a layout you can influence the way someone interacts with it,” she explains. Aesthetic is used to elicit emotion in her world.

    Herold has always been sensitive to her surroundings, which is why comfort is key. “When I first came to America,” the Dutch designer laughs, “I was appalled the first time I saw a cubicle. How could people feel creative in them?!” she wondered. She vowed to lend an exciting, new approach to traditional spaces—to break down barriers between what design is or could be.

    “In this industry there’s a lot of pretenders,” explains longtime client David Pizan. “Karen is the complete package—a visionary, leader and absolute joy to work with.”

    As the daughter of an architect, it is easy for Herold to see a space and imagine the possibilities. Design is in her genetic code—what she does and who she is. She began her career in fashion, which she credits for her love of a frenetic work pace. Always ambitious, the young artist was eager to get her career started and constantly improve her skill set. After meeting the “right people” on a trip to Milan the recent college graduate was hired as a furniture designer. From there, she became fascinated by 3-D spaces and organically made the leap into interior design.

    In the late 90s, she relocated to Chicago from Amsterdam with zero intentions of making the city her home. By coincidence, she was hired as Creative Director at 555 International where she quickly evolved its retail-focused interiors work into the popular hospitality design department it is recognized for today. Over her 11-year tenure at 555 she became known as a designer who could seamlessly create a nightclub and café within the same space. Working with some of the most powerful brand names in the world, she learned how to cater to both client and customer while still exercising her own creative freedom.

    In early 2014, Herold started her own multidisciplinary creative house Studio K located in Chicago’s West Loop. As Principal, Herold insists that the best end products come from the connections she makes with her clients.

    “Working with passionate people who have created their own path is by far my greatest inspiration,” she says. These partnerships are founded upon trust—clients tell Herold their idea and she conceptualizes it. Karen’s relentless passion for design has fostered longstanding relationships with high profile clients including Sterling Bay, The Chicago Cubs, Michael Morton, Core Campus, LG Development, BOKA Restaurant Group, and Aspen Skiing Company. 

    Her creations are both timeless and eclectic; never trend-driven. They have an element of humor – reflective of her ability to never take herself too seriously. Her design isn’t rote in any way—it is the result of gut reaction and real-life experience. As an avid traveler, she knows that inspiration can be found in the most unlikely of places. Herold trusts that the dots will connect to reveal the right shape.

    “When I’m in sync with myself creative freedom becomes second nature,” she explains. “It’s my job to carve out the space to find it.” The muse may strike while staring out the office window or in the middle of the night.

    For someone that “fell” into her industry she is now a force to be reckoned with.  Yet, what is the secret weapon behind her continuous success streak? Knowing that design is about lending depth of soul to a space.

    Larry Nlehues

    Portralt Photographer

    Originally from Avignon, a quaint village in the South of France, commercial and fine art photographer Larry Niehues relocated to Los Angeles, California in 2010. As someone who has always been passionate about American culture, Niehues made the leap in order to pursue his dream: documenting his beloved, adopted country the United States. Twelve years later, Niehues is now an American citizen.

    After a successful career in the fashion industry alongside his brother Charles, Niehues, who started off photographing their company’s designs, decided to pursue photography full-time. He had great success almost instantaneously landing an impressive roster of commercial, fashion, and fine art clients for whom he shoots traditional film and digital.

    However, it was 2013 that truly changed the visionary artist’s life. Niehues started traveling solo for an entirely self-financed project in which he documented all fifty states. His stunning images featuring classic American iconography, such as motorcycles, roadside motels, and classic cowboy culture iconography, became the hard cover best-selling book Nothing Has Changed. Published by the Belgium-based Lannoo Publishers in 2019, the book sold through its first print run and is about to go into a second. Nothing Has Changed has received praised from renowned publications such as The Guardian, W Magazine, and The Telegraph all of whom cited its originality and approachability. Arts critics have hailed Niehues’ ability to emulate pioneering street photographer, the late, great Robert Frank, while also adding his own spin to the genre. Nothing Has Changed also features an introduction by Niehues’ fan, friend, and long-time collaborator The Black Keys lead singer and producer Dan Auerbach.

    Currently, Niehues is hard at work on his second book, Mississippi Dreams, a nod to his love affair with the moody, historic, and massively talented Southern state. The book is being published by Lannoo in early 2023 and will feature Niehues’ own in-depth thoughts on what Mississippi means to modern American culture. (And why it is also too often overlooked by the mainstream.) He also travels extensively around the world to work with a wide range of fashion, hospitality, and creative clients. Photography is Niehues’ means of immersing himself in a culture and artistically expressing himself. He captures his subjects in a way no other living photographer does by going in as himself: excited, energetic, and with untainted eyes to capture the spirit of people and place.