Below you’ll find the stories and lessons of some of the best and brightest entrepreneurs, artists and creatives in the community and how they found their purpose.
Kim Freeman
After years of “safe” trial and error seeking my true purpose in life, what got me there was a simple questionnaire I’ll never forget. Basically you start list wishes and dreams, then keep answering WHY until you got to that deep emotional core that brings tears. Read more>>
Ilana Kearns
My Resilient Journey: From Setbacks to Triumphs
Life has a remarkable way of throwing unexpected challenges our way. On a fateful day in March 2022, while immersed in a 9-mile run, a sudden collision with a car knocked me off my feet. Despite the shock and disorientation, I paused my Garmin watch at 8.5 miles, located my phone, exchanged words with the driver, and resumed my run home. Read more>>
Andre Ellington
Honestly, my purpose is something that was derived in my spirit as a child. I didn’t grow up playing sports, which is the typical route that most little boys, especially where I’m from, are pushed toward. I grew up drawing pictures, memorizing songs, playing piano by ear, and crafting my mentality toward knowing that I was different, and being able to figure out a pathway toward executing on this same creativity. Read more>>
Trena Bryant
How did I find my purpose? Well, it was hidden on top of a tall mountain, beneath three stones and covered with leaves! Well, at least that’s what it felt like, “finding” what it is I’m supposed to be doing here on this earth! When you mix an intuitive, empathic soul with 20 years of military service and then toss her out there to “figure it all out”, I’d say you’d come up with someone similar to myself, a very imaginative and determined soul. Read more>>
Kami Blease
My purpose in some ways has been something I’ve known for a long time but wouldn’t totally become clear until I started to do the internal work on myself to deconstruct a lot of the baggage that I had been carrying. I’ve always loved people and specifically really enjoyed having female friendships. In addition, I overcame disordered behavior and feel strongly about women finding love & peace towards themselves in a culture that doesn’t want them to. Read more>>
Alec Johnson
I’d say the short answer is that I’ve possessed my purpose since before I was born. I’ve kept it with me every moment of my life, and that purpose has always been my creativity; my artwork and stories and thoughts about everything and anything. Learning to manage this creative force, and beginning to understand its potential for healing, I was driven to explore the meaning of my own existence on a far deeper level. Read more>>
Kirjah Hoops
Throughout my entire life, i’ve worked tirelessly to achieve everything I have today. Growing up in foster care nothing has ever been handed to me. My childhood was marked by instability, but during those formative years, i acquired valuable qualities like resilience and strength. Read more>>
Chloe Temtchine
My near-death experience awakened me to the delicate nature of life and carved out my purpose. I realized that creativity is more than just art—it’s a transformative force that empowers us to confront challenges. In the face of daunting odds, I harnessed this creativity to rewrite my narrative, transforming “impossible” into “possible” and uncovering an innate strength and resilience. Read more>>
Shawn House
Purpose found me at the age of 11 years old, that is how long I’ve had a camera in my hand. I was up close and personal with family and friends creating memories that would last a lifetime. At 11 years old I new the power of the photograph and have been archiving lives of loved ones. Taking a moment to capture and process visual stories was planted in my soul. Read more>>
Gladys Bolding
I discovered my purpose in college as a student pursuing a Master’s degree in molecular cell biology and physiology. Taking a plethora of science courses was like an abyss. My appetite could not be filled. It was the perfect discipline for me to pursue because science is constantly evolving, and there is always something new to learn. The technology era requires a growth mindset ideal for a lifelong learner. Read more>>
Brett Dyer
My purpose has been shaped by a challenging and tumultuous journey from a childhood filled with uncertainty and trauma. Amidst the darkness and adversity, I nurtured a deep-seated desire to create beauty, spread kindness, and counteract the destruction I had experienced. My teachers, those passionate and caring mentors, were my guiding lights. They recognized something unique in me, offering hope, inclusion, and a belief that dreams can indeed come true. Read more>>
Adejoke Ejiofor
Some experiences in life drives one’s passion towards particular goals. I found my purpose through the experience that life threw at me. Having watched my son go through Sickle Cell Pain and the unpleasant bone marrow transplant, I truly understand how a little bit of motivation and encouragement can contribute to the well-being of anyone going through life’s difficulties and, I have been able to inspire and motivate others out there through my non-profit organization, My African American World and my award winning book “Travel bravely. Read more>>
Dalton Okolo
Storytelling, plain and simple. As my work in video production has grown so has my enjoyment of crafting narratives from that media. Writing a script, then collaborating with a cast and crew to bring that script to life on set and in the edit is truly a fulfilling purpose because of it’s allowance for perpetual growth – you’re never done, just iterating. I love that there’s always something to chase but also a tangible trail of growth in the stories you get to tell. Read more>>
Chris D. Bentley
My purpose wasn’t really my purpose for a long time. Let me explain. When I started my real estate sales journey, I was young, living with my Mom, working at a Chevrolet Car Dealership as an ASE Certified Auto Technician during the day and working at a bar at night. My fellow employees at my two jobs would tell me things like, “You should quit this job.” “You’re so much better than this.” “Why are you even here?” Read more>>
John Thomas
Finding my purpose is something that took a lot of loss for me to uncover. At first, I thought my purpose was to entertain people and inspire them to follow their dreams, but after my grandfather passed away this last year and my long term relationship ended it really changed my perspective. It was actually these losses that inspired me to start writing my upcoming EP “Inner Peace” as all the songs detail what I did to cope with the trauma of it all. Read more>>
Evanye Lawson
In 2010, I embarked on a transformative journey, seeking to bridge the realms of energy healing and psychology. At that time, such a fusion was a path less traveled, and little did I know that fate had a remarkable encounter in store for me. Along this path, I crossed paths with an extraordinary individual who would forever alter the course of my life and my life’s work; Michael Casteel, my breathwork coach and mentor; may he rest in peace. Read more>>
Erin Friedman
In the midst of a hectic life filled with uncertainties and doubts, a turning point occurred during the COVID pandemic. Overwhelmed with responsibilities and a growing sense of unease, I reached a breaking point. After a heartfelt conversation with my mom and a much-needed release of emotions, I decided to take control of my life. Read more>>
Liz Carlile
I wanted to take a moment to share with you how I discovered my true purpose in my career as an actor, model, and podcast host. It’s a journey that has been profoundly shaped by my role as a parent and, in particular, by the influence of my children. Read more>>
Jessie Rose
In the words of one of my clients, I would describe myself as a “meandering life path” person. I was not someone who entered their twenties with a clear direction and life’s purpose bursting from every pore. I have worked many, many jobs over the last decade that slowly revealed and refined my sense of purpose. Read more>>
Jeff Celentano
I have always been a positve love life kind of person. I choose to wake up everyday and be thankful I am healthy and alive and lead the life I do. As an actor I never was thrown by not getting jobs becassue I knew that every time I went on an auditon that was the first time a Director would meet me and if one didn’t hire me others were out there. Read more>>
Han Lee
To discover my purpose, I initially began with a somewhat abstract idea in mind. To bring clarity to this purpose, I embarked on a journey of goal-setting. Through the process of establishing multiple objectives and meticulously planning my path to achieving them, I gradually unearthed the precise purpose I was truly seeking. Read more>>
Joe and Hannah French
Both of us started camping at a very young age. Our basis for our camping knowledge came from our parents. Gradually we honed our skills and became successful campers on our own (without our parents). Once we grew up and found each other many of our activities involved camping together. Read more>>
Megan Gonzalez
In the beginning, I wasn’t sure what my purpose was. I was lost on what I wanted to do and what I had a passion for. The time in my life where I experienced bad acne and seeing how it changed my life, how depressed it made me and how it made me feel. I knew I needed to turn my pain into purpose. Read more>>
Christopher Massey
I graduated from Renaissance High School in Detroit in 2004. I barely graduated lol (1.5 GPA) Not because I was incapable of doing the work, didn’t apply myself. My parents had connections at Dillard University in New Orleans. They sent me there without my input. I viewed this as an opportunity for a fresh start. Read more>>
Da’Keas Wright
Finding my purpose was truly finding something I enjoyed without any financial benefits. Becoming a professional basketball trainer/ teacher, I have been able to help the next generation players achieve their goals. Read more>>
Tina Mai
.I found my purpose in doing it for the people. Doing wrestling photography, it was never completely about the pictures, or about the jobs, or even about me taking photographs—it was always about the people. The wrestlers in the locker room, the audience, other photographers/creatives, the people who have kindly lended me their guidance and support every single time without failure, I do it for them. Read more>>
Kendrick King
I prayed for it! As a kid I was always creating something to occupy my time. Drawing, games, watching cartoons and in my head adding myself to their story lines and acting them out: creating kids next door id badges! Those were good times when I was 100% me but, as life goes on the world does get a hold of us and it changes us a little. Read more>>
Jett Prescott
This is honestly a pretty wild story because it took me so long to understand my purpose – and once I thought I understood it, the meaning shifted multiple times. Read more>>
Claudia Castellanos
After I graduated from my MBA I did what you used to do back in the days after completing an MBA program: work for a big corporate. I moved from Barcelona, where I was pursuing my studies, to Italy. It was a good job but after a few years I started feeling empty and having panic attacks: I call this my 30 years old crisis. Read more>>
Tasha Devoe
I was raised in the church. Yet after losing both my grandparents one to cancer and the other dementia it left me to feel lost and at times defeated. I made a commitment to myself to overcome my circumstances and get healthy in 2017. It was the best choice I could’ve ever made not that I hadn’t ever joined workout programs before but because this time I gave my YES! Read more>>
Emily Green
I knew my purpose from a very young age. I believe I am an emotional paleontologist. I believe songwriting is my way to do this. I go into myself and I dig around and try to translate what I find into words. My hope is that the specifics I come up with end up being universal enough that others can benefit from it. Read more>>
Taylor Snyder
After finding my style and what drives me to do what I do it become clear that my purpose is to create beautiful wedding films that reflect each couple well. Read more>>
Haze Felix
I grew up in a house where music was always playing. There was always a party, plus a large cd collection of all genres of music. I would always have headphones on growing up, downloading new music and old music on the computer. That’s where I really fell in Love with music, especially those rides home on the bus and train from school, that’s where I had the time to listen to all the stuff I had downloading the night before. Plus I’m from NYC so music is everywhere Read more>>
Eytan Ribner
I always wanted to be funny. Make people laugh and get some attention. Having 2 kids though I chucked that dream of being a stand-up comedian and left the mentorship of Stanley Myron Read more>>
Christina Laham Paganelli
I was 25 years old when I heard the news that I had stage 4 cancer. With such an aggressive diagnosis, surgery was an emergency while I was 5 months pregnant. After the baby was born two rounds of radioactive iodine treatments were necessary to suppress the growth of tumors in my lungs. At the same time, I was also battling Multiple sclerosis (MS) a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. Read more>>
Laura Owen
My journey towards discovering my purpose of helping people transform their lives through the transformation of their health began with a deeply personal experience. Several years ago, my husband faced a health crisis that shook me to my core. He had a couple of heart attacks, and needed 5-way heart bypass surgery and a pacemaker. He lacked energy, It was a wake-up call, and it forced me to reevaluate our lifestyle choices. Read more>>
Corina Bryant
My purpose, my intent, my cause, my reason, my aim, and my goal are my two children. EVERYTHING I do, I do for them. As a single Mom, the struggle is real. As a sole business owner, I face every decision and every consequence myself. The combination of these two roles, is anything but glamorous! Read more>>
Taylor Moreland
We are Taylor and Ally Moreland, parents of Brody. In 2018 we developed a new mobility device for babies, toddlers and children who have difficulty moving their legs. We call it The Frog. Read more>>
Dr. Jennifer Dilts
I remember wanting to be a doctor in elementary school. There weren’t doctors in my family, but I was just fascinated by hospitals and all that went on there. I read lots of novels that had doctors or nurses as the main characters. I also knew early on that I wanted to work with kids, so becoming a pediatrician seemed like the perfect fit for me. Read more>>
Maria-Victoria Checa
I am not sure I have a purpose per say! I think I have found and understand what makes me happy: I love to paint in a way that I can create an image that is hopefully mesmerizing and visually beautiful. When I create an impressionist piece like a flower field or water lilies I love to dig deep inside of myself and push until I create a space on canvas that is going to bring feelings of peacefulness, elation or maybe serenity. I love when some of my followers on Instagram comment on how a painting reminds them of warm memories of their childhood or of one of their favorite places to go to. Read more>>
Rimski Cruz Chua
To me, finding a purpose in life translates to what kind of life we want to live. I’ve always been a curious kid. For as long as I remember, I’ve pondered the meaning of life and what I should do with it. I’ve experienced many losses of loved ones, which enabled me to realize that death is inevitable. Read more>>
Ryan Buchanan
My journey with music began at a young age. I was 9 years old when I first picked up the trumpet for my elementary school band program. It started out as nothing more than just a fun after school activity where I got to learn some of my favorite songs from movies like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Those first 3 years on the horn truly taught me how enjoyable it was to make music with others. Read more>>
Marie Ezell
I don’t believe I found my purpose. I believe my purpose found me. I grew up in a system that teaches children like me to aim low and never expect much. For most of my childhood, I was told regularly that the most I could hope for was to not turn into my mother or father. By age 15, I found myself pregnant, scared, and hopeless. I had no way of understanding, when I was pregnant, how blessed I was going to be with a son who filled my heart. Read more>>
Tamara Mechael
“Finding your purpose” is something that people have been talking about more and more over the previous years, as it should be. When I was younger, people were just starting to promote the whole “Be yourself, follow your dreams” journey, but it was still considered pretty much taboo to find your purpose at a young age. Kids are often told “you will grow out of it” or “it is just a phase” when they relay to others that they want to, in fact, turn their favorite hobby or passion into their lifestyle. Read more>>
Carla Kopp
When I first got into board game design and publishing, it was on a whim and I was just trying to have fun. After designing my first game and playing it with friends, I decided I wanted to take the next step and to go to a convention and show of my game and get feedback. I figured out what convention I wanted to go to, got a hotel, drove 6 hours, and found out where people brought their games to be playtested. I went to that room, walked around, and ended up leaving. Read more>>
Bree Gordon
We are born with special gifts, quirks, and experiences that shape us into who we are. Growing up, I would sit in my room and write stories, poems, and even songs. I spent countless family events reciting poems for my family members and loved ones. Read more>>
Donna O’Donnell Figurkski
Wow! Purpose! How does one find purpose in life? “Purpose” is such a tricky word. There’s never just one path. There’s never just one ending. My purpose in life twists and turns as I encounter new adventures. Read more>>
