At the age of fifty-six, Paul Giannone, aka Paulie Gee, decided to leave his unfulfilling IT job of thirty years to chase a dream of opening a pizzeria. It was a risk. A real risk.
“I realized that the real risk was to keep on doing what I was doing,” says Paulie.
In March of 2010, Giannone welcomed his first customers into his new home — Paulie Gee's — one of the most successful pizzerias in New York City.
But what motivated Paulie to take a chance on his dream at the age that many others would have given up on? Read on as he unveils his fascinating story.
Liz Hopkins is one of the lead vocalists in an American folk rock band Delta Rae. Liz’s beautiful, husky voice combined with her ability to tap into the deepest emotions while singing, make her a very memorable performer.
Although stage entertainment has been a huge part of Hopkins’ life growing up, the idea of singing for living appeared rather unrealistic to her. Thus, she decided to pursue another passions in life — teaching, community work, and youth advocacy — instead. But, it wasn’t long until music found her again.
Frank Corcoran is a principal and a former math teacher at KIPP Academy — one of the highest performing middle schools in the Bronx. Despite growing up in a family of lawyers — his father, grandfather, and brother were all legal professionals — and graduating from one of the most prestigious colleges in the US, The University of Notre Dame, Frank decided to become a teacher in one of the poorest parts of the country — the South Bronx. There is only one question that comes to mind: why?
Max Taylor is a freelance photographer specializing in New York City, wildlife, street style and fashion photography. After graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in finance, Max moved to New York City to pursue a career in finance. Working on Wall Street, however, made him realize he was happier “behind a lens than a desk”. This is the story of his impressive transition.
Can you imagine living in one of the coolest cities in the world, having a well-respected — and well-paid — job, with some awesome benefits and job stability? I bet you can. But can you then imagine discovering your true life’s passion and having to take $60,000 salary pay cut in order to follow it? I bet that’s a little bit harder.
Yet, this is exactly what Denise Meagher did.
Denise Meagher is a sailing instructor in Manhattan’s Hudson River Community Sailing (HRCS) and a former captain of the Schooner Unicorn — the only all-female crewed tall ship in the world. This is a story of how one smilingly ordinary day changed the course of her life forever.
Kervin Rojas is a denim designer specializing in development, production and sourcing of new washes. Yet, not only does he design jeans - his office (and apartment) is filled with original pieces of art and furniture he made out of denim. In the 1990s, when he reached the age of sixteen, Kervin decided to move to New York City to pursue his dream of becoming a fashion designer. What attracted him to denim in particular? Read on, as he unveils his fascinating journey.
Nadeesha Godamunne is a fashion illustrator and creator of the blog ‘Mokshini’, where she shares her illustrations of every day New Yorkers. Nadeesha's unique drawing style, which focuses on embracing people’s quirks and exaggerating them in order to capture their character, has brought many followers her way. But how did she come about discovering her love for drawing?
Filip Pogady is, undoubtedly, one of the best violinists of his generation. His love of music, combined with an exceptional versatility — he has been highly praised for performing a wide range of music genres ranging from classical to modern rock — have gained many followers his way. In his early twenties, Pogady moved from Vienna, Austria to New York City to pursue his dream of becoming a professional violinist. What made him pursue a career in one of the most challenging industries — and cities — in the world? Read on, as he unveils his story.
Durrah Khalil is the Creative Director and Designer at Durrah Jewellery - a British luxury jewelry brand. With a first name translating to “precious pear” in Arabic, it’s no coincidence that Durrah was naturally drawn to the world of precious stones. After years of working for the industry’s top brands, such as Mouawad and Tiffany & Co., Khalil launched her own label in November 2013 with an aim to create luxurious and timeless pieces that were easy on the pocket. Read on as Durrah shares her journey to creating the life of her dreams.
Gina Kleinschmidt is a New York City based hairstylist who specializes in men’s cuts, extensions and special occasion styling. The prestigious Aveda Institute Minneapolis graduate, Gina started her career in her native Minnesota before moving to New York City in 2010. Gina's life motto? Do what you love and love what you do. “It’s self explanatory,” she says. “Because if you don’t, then what kind of life is that?”
This is the story of how she came to discover her life’s passion.