The art of growth

MBA Student and Content Creator Carrie Hardaway Helps Others Grow Through Art and Learning

University of Louisville Professional MBA student Carrie Hardaway was creating art long before she considered herself an artist. Whether painting, making collages or taking photos, she found creative ways to share her vision with others. 

Now, as founder of Friday Love Co., Hardaway shares her passion for art with a growing community. Recently named one of Louisville’s Top Content Creators of 2026 by The Courier Journal, she uses her platform to showcase her creations and inspire others to express themselves creatively. Her drive to connect with people and help them grow also shapes her day-to-day work as director of learning and organizational development at Home of the Innocents. 

Hardaway spoke with us about her path into learning and development, how her professional and creative roles allow her to help others and how she is applying her MBA education to advance her work and grow as an entrepreneur. 

College of Business: Tell us about your background and what life was like for you growing up. 

Carrie Hardaway: I’m originally from Florida, and creativity has been a constant throughout my life. As a kid, I was always collecting things, filling journals, making collages and finding little ways to turn everyday objects into something creative. In high school, I became interested in photography, music, scrapbooking and stop-motion animation, and I started watercolor painting in college. I eventually studied digital media production at Florida State University, which gave me another way to explore visual storytelling. 

For a long time, I saw creativity as something I enjoyed doing, but it was the encouragement of friends who believed in my art that helped me start seeing myself as an artist. That confidence has stayed with me, and it’s a big part of why I want to encourage other people to explore their own creativity, too. 

College of Business: What drew you to a career in learning and development, and how did that path lead to your current role at Home of the Innocents? 

Carrie Hardaway: My path into learning and development grew out of my interest in storytelling, design and helping people understand information. I realized that I loved taking something complicated and figuring out how to make it clear, engaging and useful for someone else. That’s really the heart of instructional design.

I’ve spent several years working in learning and development, including time in corporate learning at Humana, before returning to Home of the Innocents. I’m now the Director of Learning and Organizational Development, where I get to think about learning more strategically and how it supports the people and mission of the organization. I love that my work combines creativity with a bigger purpose: helping people grow and succeed.

College of Business: What do you find most meaningful about your work?

Carrie Hardaway: What means the most to me is knowing that the work we do ultimately supports the people caring for children and families in our community. At Home of the Innocents, learning isn’t just about completing a training or checking a box. It’s about giving team members the knowledge, confidence and support they need to do their jobs well.

I’m especially passionate about creating learning experiences that respect people’s time, connect to their real work and actually make a difference. When we help our people feel supported and equipped, that impact can extend far beyond the training room.

College of Business: What prompted you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career?

Carrie Hardaway: I reached a point where I wanted to grow beyond the learning and development function itself and become a stronger strategic leader. I love the creative and people-centered side of my work, but I also wanted to better understand the business decisions, financial considerations and organizational strategies that shape how an organization operates.

I see the MBA as an investment in becoming a more well-rounded leader. I want to be able to connect the work I do to the bigger picture, ask better questions, make more informed decisions and help organizations move from good ideas to meaningful results.

College of Business: Why did you choose the University of Louisville’s Professional MBA program?

Carrie Hardaway: UofL felt like the right fit because I wanted to continue working while learning alongside other professionals who bring different experiences and perspectives to the classroom. I was looking for a program that would challenge me academically while giving me opportunities to apply what I was learning in real time.

I also really value being part of the Louisville community. Between my work at Home of the Innocents, my creative business and my involvement in the community, Louisville is where so many parts of my life intersect. Pursuing my MBA here felt like a natural next step.

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College of Business: Is there a particular class, project or experience that has had a lasting impact on you? What made it meaningful?

Carrie Hardaway: One experience that stands out is the opportunity to learn alongside professionals from so many different industries and backgrounds. It has challenged me to look beyond my own area of expertise and consider how other people approach problems, make decisions and lead teams.

Our global experience in South Africa was also particularly meaningful. Seeing organizations operate in a different economic and cultural context pushed me to think more critically about leadership, business and the relationship between organizations and the communities they serve. It reinforced that there isn’t always one right answer, and that good leadership requires curiosity, humility and a willingness to understand perspectives different from your own.

College of Business: What challenges have you encountered during the program, and how have you worked through them?

Carrie Hardaway: The biggest challenge has been balancing everything. I’m working full time in a leadership role, running Friday Love Co. and taking classes in the evenings while trying to make room for my relationships and life outside of work and school.

I’ve had to become much more intentional about how I spend my time, plan ahead and decide what needs my attention most. I’ve also learned that I can’t approach every responsibility as if it needs to be done perfectly. Sometimes, being successful means being organized, asking for help and recognizing that different seasons require different priorities. It’s been a lesson in both time management and giving myself a little grace.

College of Business: What people or resources have been most helpful in supporting you during your time at UofL?

Carrie Hardaway: My classmates have been one of the most valuable parts of the experience. Being surrounded by people who are balancing careers, families and other responsibilities has created a real sense of community. We bring different experiences to the table, and I’ve learned so much from hearing how other people approach challenges.

I’ve also appreciated the opportunity to get involved beyond the classroom through student leadership. Serving as co-president of my MBA cohort and representing graduate students on the Graduate Student Council has helped me build relationships across the university and feel more connected to the UofL community.

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College of Business: How did your interest in art begin, and how did it grow into your business, Friday Love Co.?

Carrie Hardaway: I've been making things for as long as I can remember but after moving to Louisville in 2017, I taught art classes at a nonprofit serving women in recovery. That experience shaped the way I think about art and crafting. I saw how making something together could help people connect, have fun and express themselves without worrying about whether their work was good enough.

That experience stayed with me and eventually inspired me to start sharing my own art and craft projects online in 2023. As I began sharing the ways creativity fits into my everyday life, I realized there were so many other people who wanted the same thing: an opportunity to make things, try something new and connect with others along the way. Friday Love Co. has grown into a community that means so much to me, and I'm grateful that something I started as a creative outlet has become a way to bring people together.

College of Business: What have you found most rewarding about being a content creator?

Carrie Hardaway: The community has been the most rewarding part, by far. I love hearing that someone tried a new craft because of one of my videos, hosted a craft night with friends or rediscovered a creative hobby they hadn't made time for in years.

I want Friday Love Co. to be a place where people feel encouraged to experiment, make a mess and create something without worrying about being perfect. Seeing that idea resonate with so many people has been one of the most meaningful parts of building this business. It's a reminder that sharing something you love can create connections far beyond what you might expect. 

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College of Business: What did it mean to you to be named one of Louisville’s Top Content Creators of 2026 by The Courier Journal?

Carrie Hardaway: It was such a fun recognition, especially because Friday Love Co. has grown from something I started simply because I loved creating. I never expected it to reach the community it has today.

I’m proud to be a creator in Louisville and to be part of a community full of talented people who are building things, sharing ideas and supporting one another. The recognition was exciting, but it also reminded me why I started in the first place: to encourage creativity and create a space where people feel inspired to make something of their own.

College of Business: How have your experiences as an artist, business owner and working professional shaped the perspective you bring to the classroom?

Carrie Hardaway: I think having these different experiences helps me connect concepts from the classroom to real-world situations. In my professional role, I’m thinking about organizational strategy, leadership and how to help people succeed. With Friday Love Co., I’m thinking about entrepreneurship, marketing, audience engagement, business development and the many decisions that come with running a small business.

Each perspective brings something different to the table. I can relate to conversations about organizational leadership, but I can also understand what it feels like to build something from scratch, test an idea, learn from the results and figure out what comes next. I’ve found that some of the best learning happens when you connect concepts across different areas of your life.

College of Business: How have you applied what you’re learning in the MBA program to your work at Home of the Innocents or to growing Friday Love Co.?

Carrie Hardaway: The MBA has helped me think more strategically about both and how decisions connect to larger goals. At Home of the Innocents, I’m thinking about how learning and development can contribute to employee engagement and retention, rather than treating training as a standalone activity.

With Friday Love Co., I’ve been able to look at my business through a broader lens, considering how I grow the brand sustainably, evaluate opportunities and make decisions about where to invest my time and resources. I’m constantly moving between theory and practice. It’s exciting to learn something in class and then recognize an opportunity to apply it in my work or business.

College of Business: What advice would you offer to a working professional or entrepreneur who wants to pursue a degree but is unsure how to balance those responsibilities?

Carrie Hardaway: I would tell them that you don’t have to put every other part of your life on hold to keep growing, but you do have to be realistic about what that season will look like. There will be weeks when everything feels manageable and other weeks when you’re wondering how you agreed to take all of this on.

Build routines that work for you, plan ahead when you can and lean on the people around you. Also, remember that pursuing a degree doesn’t mean you have to stop being a person with other interests and ambitions. For me, continuing to create through Friday Love Co. has been an important reminder that I can grow professionally and academically while still making room for the things that bring me joy.

College of Business: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Carrie Hardaway: I hope my journey encourages someone else to pursue an interest they’ve been putting off or take a step toward something that feels a little outside their comfort zone. You don’t have to have your entire path figured out to get started. Sometimes, the most meaningful opportunities come from being curious, trying something new and staying open to where it leads.

About the UofL College of Business:

Founded in 1953, the UofL College of Business fosters intellectual and economic vitality in our city, region and the global business landscape. Our academic programs, research, community outreach initiatives and commitment to student success inspire lives and businesses to flourish through entrepreneurship, innovation, critical thinking, diversity and the power of people.

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