'Right' On

The Human Rights Campaign celebrated its 20th annual gala with a black-tie bash at the still-new Marriott Marquis in Downtown. Chad Griffin, president of HRC, addressed the organization’s goals to achieve full equality for members of the LGBTQ community, and welcomed former boy-band superstar Lance Bass and his husband Michael Turchin, who attended the event as special guests of sponsor Baccarat. Grammy-winning artist Estelle performed, and comedian Dana Goldberg gave a standup routine and emceed the auction. A highlight was the funnily militant Martha Plimpton, who accepted the Ally for Equality award. An afterparty in the foyer of the hotel raged on until the wee hours of the morning!



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Exclusive Furniture’s Sam Zavary Credits Luck, Hard Work and ‘Mom’s Prayers’ for His Success

How did you get to where you are today? I am a firm believer that hard work and having dreams that you strive to achieve will motivate and inspire people to achieve their potential. Working hard, dreaming, and making sure to take advantage of every opportunity is something I learned at a young age. I credit God and God’s grace firstly, but I know that success is a direct result of hard work. I tell my podcast subscribers and followers to continue setting goals, evolving, improving, and planning, and I practice what I preach. I am proud to have started my business in the fastest growing major city in the United States, and I attribute a lot of the success of Exclusive Furniture to the family culture we create in the best city — Houston’s diversity, philanthropy, and innovation have helped me achieve a lot of the milestones in the furniture business (and the “low prices”) you see today!

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IS A HEALTHY, balanced real estate market finally here? Per HAR data, the answer is ... kind of? Inventory is at the highest level since 2011, prices are holding steady, and the city and metro area continue to grow in population. Having lost population after Harvey and Covid, the city welcomes significant yet sustainable growth — and a housing market that can handle it.

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