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

Tamela Pittman | The Blue Flower Botanical Oil Company

I am inspired by is the unreachable part of this life. I created this product after losing my two brothers. One to cancer and one to heart arrhythmia six months apart. When i look back on the day the doctor said to my younger brother at the time…he was 23 to enjoy the little life he had left it stuck with me. He only had a little time to get things right and create memories. That wasn’t until my second brother graduated college in criminal justice and wanted to stop people from harming one another and crimes he passed months later. I needed to give something back to them and thats how BLUE FLOWER was created from the pain of losing family you love. Read more>>

Rohan Dahotre | Wildlife Illustrator

Nature has always inspired me. I feel not just me but everyone loves nature. But when it specifically comes to wildlife, that is what I like the most. So much variety, different characteristics, behaviour, shapes, sizes, texture. In all there so much to observe and learn. Read more>>

Eric Ramsey | Mental Health Worker and Community Organizer/Activist

I think that the thing I find myself most inspired by on a daily basis is simply my community. The beautiful, diverse, LGBTQIA+ community that I am more than proud to belong to. I continuously find myself amazed and awe-inspired by the LGBTQIA+ individuals who I meet that are living their lives truthfully and authentically, despite consistent circumstances that would encourage otherwise. Despite the adversity the community continuously faces (such as all the current anti-Trans bills being proposed/debated), we’ve made so many strides and we continue to grow and live our lives loudly and proudly.
But to me, and I think most others, being part of the LGBTQIA+ community has become about so much more than simply being Gay or Lesbian or Bisexual or Transgender; it’s become about being true to oneself. Read more>>

Joshua Orton | Financial Advisor

I am inspired by my family – my wife, Kelsey, and my kids, Charlie and Parker. Parker was born at the height of the 2020 pandemic, and that meant we had a lot of family time at the house since we weren’t going out much. That precious time together as a family really reinforced the things that are important to me; family and faith. Our family stopped being pulled in different directions and started sharing more “things” together. Suddenly, family movie night was an event to look forward to, and the nights where we didn’t feel like cooking became pizza parties. I even learned the names and personalities of all of Charlie’s dolls! In many respects, our family thrived during the pandemic, so much so that I was able to leave my former company and start my financial advisory practice early in 2021. While there was already an infrastructure and foundation for me, it still added uncertainty into my family’s lives. My wife is in the financial services industry as well so she keeps me thinking in realistic terms. Read more>>