BELLA Bosses We Admire - The Arts + Culture issue
By Lynette Barbieri & Jordynn Cheatle
Running a thriving business takes drive, determination, and a whole lot of hustle! We’re spotlighting seven savvy entrepreneurs whose immense success proves how a little belief and a big leap of faith can land you a leading role in your own life. Looking to recalibrate your career path? Let their accomplishments be your compass.
James Corwin
Hamilton, MT
JAMES CORWINARTIST
JamesCorwin.com
MY BUSINESS: I am represented by over 30+ galleries nationwide, including my own, Corwin Galleries, and am quickly becoming the preeminent artist of our time. I am prestigiously collected nationally and internationally through both private and corporate collections.
MOST REWARDING: My purpose behind each piece I create is to elicit an emotion from the viewer; to be drawn in and share an intimate moment with the story unfolding inside the painting. I bring the beauty of nature to the customer, and it is created as a reflection of how I see the world. I am rewarded by the customer’s experience and preserving nature’s fragility by giving back.
SECRET TO MY SUCCESS: My secret to success is to embrace failure as an opportunity to learn and make adjustments.
Andy Wells, Anna Porte, Coco Porte
Barbados/Vermont, Montreal, and Barbados
CASA DE SUNA
EDITORS and CO-FOUNDERS
CasadeSuna.com
MY BUSINESS: We’re the founders and editors of Casa de Suna, a mother-daughter(s) lifestyle brand driven by the desire to help people make their houses feel like homes. As lifelong fans of cooking, interiors, and entertaining, we wanted to share the joy we find in everything from sourcing the perfect sofa to hosting a weeknight dinner party with the world.
MOST REWARDING: The most rewarding aspect of our work is the response. A lot of people are intimidated by cooking, décor, and entertaining, and when someone tells us we’ve helped make something feel less intimidating and more accessible to them—whether that’s hosting a holiday party or shopping seasonally—it’s incredibly rewarding.
SECRET TO MY SUCCESS: Working hard, thoughtfully interacting with our customers, and always looking to learn.
Mary Lawless Lee
Nashville, TN
HAPPILY GREY and NĒHMAN SKINCARE
FOUNDER, CO-FOUNDER, AUTHOR
HappilyGrey.com
MY BUSINESS: I’m the founder of Happily Grey, a lifestyle brand and e-commerce experience that also has a brick-and-mortar store here in Nashville, TN. I also am the co-founder of Nēmah, a clean skincare brand made for mom and baby. In addition, I partner with a variety of brands in the capacity of influencer marketing, which is how I got started. I am very thankful for the growth of all our businesses and proud of my team, which has majorly contributed to that success.
MOST REWARDING: Happily Grey was really born out of my love for creativity and discovering that I found the most joy in the grey space—the vast unknown of the road unpaved. I started Happily Grey because of my love for writing back when I was working night shifts as a critical care nurse. I needed a space to create and write and just kept working incredibly hard at it as it grew. I’ve been lucky to work with hundreds of brands in many different categories over the years and have learned a lot. The business has evolved and changed quite a bit over the last 10 years, but the one thing that remains is my passion for creating and bringing a new perspective. Hence my most recent venture, our mom and baby skincare brand, Nēmah.
SECRET TO MY SUCCESS: Work hard and be kind.
Nicole Winhoffer
New York, NYNW METHODGLOBAL FITNESS ARTIST
NicoleWinhoffer.com
MY BUSINESS: I’m a creative at heart and came up with the title “fitness artist” to describe the transformational experiences I create to get people happy and healthy. I built my company from my love of dance, health, and people. NW has served over 300,000 people to date through in-person and digital classes offered in NYC and online. My private clients are artists, CEOs, and celebrities that become addicted to how good I make them feel inside and out.
MOST REWARDING: The feeling of freedom, creativity, and transformation. Since I work so personally with each client’s mind, body, and soul, it’s really the connection I see bloom within that creates happiness within me. It’s amazing to watch someone learn, understand, and create power using the tools I give them to create the body and life they desire.
SECRET TO MY SUCCESS: Dedication, persistence, will, studying, effort, never stop ‘til I figure it out, practice, my love, my passion, and my curiosity of the human existence.
Erin Ashley Simon
Los Angeles, CAXSETCO-OWNER and CHIEF CULTURE OFFICERErinASimon.com
MY BUSINESS: I am the co-owner and chief culture officer of XSET, one of the fastest-growing gaming and lifestyle organizations. In this role, I help shape the culture of the organization and facilitate connections and content in and around music, entertainment, and the gaming industry.
MOST REWARDING: The most rewarding aspect of my job is knowing that everything I do is helping others. Whether it’s education or representation, I’ve been able to redefine what being an influencer and an executive looks like and show the rising generation that their dreams are accessible. As an Afro-Latina, I am proud that my work is breaking down doors because the work I do is bigger than me—it is bigger than all of us.
SECRET TO MY SUCCESS: My winning formula is being my unapologetic and authentic self in all spaces.
LIVE YOUR MOST BELLA LIFE!
BELLA Magazine is a national subscription- and newsstand-based lifestyle publication offering a curated guide to fashion, beauty, health, philanthropy, arts and culture, cuisine, celebrities, and entertainment.
At BELLA, we spotlight the ideal that Life Is BEAUTIFUL!
