Diane Strand

Hi, I'm Diane Stram from JDS Studio in Temecula, California. When I think about why I'm proud to be an entrepreneur in America, I think about opportunity. Because opportunity changed my life. Growing up with dyslexia, I wasn't always the student teachers expected to succeed. Reading was difficult, and there were moments when people underestimated what I was capable of accomplishing. But the arts, they gave me confidence, they gave me a voice before I fully found my own.

That confidence eventually led me to Hollywood, where I worked on productions like Friends, General Hospital, Disney Channel launches, Universal Studios, and major live broadcasts. From the outside, it looked like I had achieved the dream. But deep down, I realized I wanted something more. I wanted to build something of my own. That's one of the greatest gifts America offers. If you're willing to work hard, take risks, and keep learning, you have the freedom to create something that didn't exist before.

More than 20 years ago, my husband Scott and I took that leap. We left the security of steady paychecks and started JDS Video and Media Productions with a dream, a vision, a belief that we could make it happen. It wasn't always easy. There were sleepless nights, financial risks, setbacks, and moments when we wondered if we had made the right decision. But entrepreneurship isn't about avoiding challenges. It's about solving them. It's about waking up every day and asking, how can I make things better?

Today, that one leap of faith has grown into multiple seven and eight figure businesses, a nonprofit, an international digital media festival, workforce development programs, television productions, speaking opportunities around the world, and programs that others help discover their own creative potential. That's what entrepreneurship means to me. It's creating opportunities not just for yourself, but for others.

JDS Studio is an inclusive place where we serve youth, teens, adults, mainstream, and special needs, launch careers, support small businesses, and build festivals, create television, produce training videos, work on documentaries while bringing together people through the power of storytelling and the arts. When one person has the courage to build something, they create opportunities for countless others. America has always been a place where innovation thrives because people are encouraged to dream, to create, to try again.

I've learned that every setback teaches resilience. Every challenge teaches leadership. Every new idea creates possibility. That's why I'm passionate about helping others become what I call creativepreneurs. Because those who use creativity to solve problems, communicate ideas, build businesses, and make an impact build futures. I believe that the future belongs to those who combine creativity and courage. Those who are willing to see opportunities that others see obstacles. Those who understand that business isn't about always making money, it's about making a difference.

So why am I proud to be an entrepreneur in America? Because I live in a country where a little girl with dyslexia could discover confidence through the arts, build a career in Hollywood, start a business with her husband, raise a family, create jobs, educate future generations, and help others believe their dreams are possible too.

Thank you.