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.

Vivianne Blake

I found my purpose through finding what feels good. And for me, that’s writing. I love creating worlds away from my own and sometimes worlds that feel close to home. As a storyteller, I like to feel good about what I’m creating and maybe letting someone else escape from their own reality and to be transported into one I create. Read More>>

Natalie Hanemann

It was a mix of doing interior work and listening to what others told me I was good at. I’d left my corporate job to freelance as a book editor, and it was going well, but I felt something else calling me. I went back to school for my master’s in theology, what I thought was simply a passion project. I spent six years earning that degree, one course at time, all the while wondering what I would do with it. I didn’t want to leave the world of book publishing – it was my career path and I was successful. During these years, I tried to be patient while I kept moving forward with my business and completing my degree. Read More>>

Makaila Anderson

I’ve always known that I wanted to make a difference in the world, but for a long time, that goal felt intangible. How could one person possibly create meaningful change in such a vast, complex world?

At my core, I am a performer. I grew up in the dance community and later found my place in theatre. The arts have always been central to my identity, and I knew early on that I wanted to pursue them as a career. Read More>>

Gauri Chauhan

I found my purpose not all at once, but like a mosaic piece by piece, across cultures, moments of doubt, and quiet revelations.

I grew up in Rajasthan, India, where creativity is woven into the fabric of everyday life. Surrounded by stone-carved palaces, traditional art, and vibrant folk culture, I learned early on that artistry wasn’t just something to admire, it was a way of living. In school, I initially began doodling in the margins of my notebooks just to stay alert during class. Read More>>

Sean Carline

For me, finding my purpose wasn’t some lightning-bolt moment. It was more like a breadcrumb trail — each step shaped by creativity, curiosity, and a deep pull to build something meaningful, something real. Art, painting, and graphic design were my first real tools of expression. I used to get lost in sketchbooks, experimenting with colors, shapes, and layouts before I even had the words to explain why. It was my therapy, my outlet —  Read More>>

Alyssa Howard

I never did much in high school—I never cared too much about it because in the back of my mind, I knew my place was elsewhere and I was meant for something bigger. I had an English teacher in my sophomore year whose main goal was to make all of his students fall in love with writing and the true beauty that comes with it. I often felt like Neil Perry from Dead Poets Society. Like him, I felt trapped and was told I had to be one thing for the rest of my life, even though my true purpose on this earth is to be a performer. Read More>>

Phoenix Brown

How I Found My Purpose: A Journey Through Grief and Growth:

Losing my mom and my husband’s grandmother within months of each other was a heartbreak I never saw coming. The grief was heavy, raw, and disorienting. My mom was my anchor—her love, her energy, her belief in me were constants in my life.  Read More>>

Julius R

From the time I could hold a pencil, I think I always knew I would end up somewhere in the creative field. I had a very rich inner world growing up, and I spent a lot of time daydreaming about being a full-time artist. I imagined I’d have a dozen comic books, my own studio, and constant phone calls with new opportunities. Read More>>

Olha

My Purpose: A Journey of Service and Transformation

My purpose is deeply rooted in both my personal needs and natural talents. Growing up in a medical family, I was always inspired by my parents and the way their work touched people’s lives. They didn’t just treat symptoms — they made a lasting difference, improving the quality of life for those they cared for. Their dedication planted the seed of service in me from an early age. Read More>>

Andy Bowers

I found my purpose through people.

Like others, my community of people has fluctuated over the years through both work and professional life. And although there has been a fluctuation, many people have had a massive impact on my purpose in life – which you can attribute to a more positive angle.

There have obviously been moments and projects in life that have helped carve the avenue I’m taking, but if it wasn’t for the people involved, I couldn’t say I would be on this path. Read More>>

Jaiden Ward

I didn’t find my purpose in a book or on a vision board.
I found it in a hospital room, holding my 2-year-old son for the last time.

After Royce passed away, I was shattered. Not just grieving—but lost. Everything I thought I was building suddenly felt meaningless. There were days I couldn’t breathe, let alone think about the day to day. But I also couldn’t stay there. I had a wife who needed me. A future I couldn’t give up on. And a quiet whisper in my heart that said, “There’s more to this.” Read More>>

Mishayla Twyman

When I was younger, I thought finding your “purpose” was something that happened overnight. Like one day, you’d just wake up and know. And once you figured it out, that was it.

Growing up, it felt like everyone around me had a very clear idea of what that looked like. By the end of senior year, my classmates already had their majors picked, their future careers lined up, and stories about how they’d known all along what they wanted to be. Read More>>

Chandra Jones

Through my experiences, I discovered my purpose. Life’s challenges have proven to be the most effective learning tool. Overcoming significant health obstacles provided me with a fresh perspective on my well-being and clarified the direction I wanted my life to take. Each experience fostered resilience and confidence, enabling me to transition into a new field of interest. This shift not only enhanced my skills but also opened opportunities for personal and professional growth, ultimately guiding me toward my purpose in integrative medicine. Read More>>

Kim Barnes Jefferson

Twenty years ago, my husband and I made a decision that would completely reshape my understanding of what my body could do. We hired our first personal trainer, and for the first time in my life, I experienced something revolutionary: I felt strong. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too. I had goals I’d set for myself, targets I was determined to hit, and the incredible satisfaction of watching my body rise to meet every challenge I threw at it. Read More>>

Anastasiia Rozdobutko

I came to the U.S. from Ukraine nine years ago with a master’s degree in transportation engineering. Starting over in a new country, I needed to choose a career path that required minimal investment in education but could still provide a stable income. That’s how I became a licensed nail technician.

Not long after, I opened my own salon. Through this experience, I realized that many nail schools don’t fully prepare students for real-life work in a salon. That realization sparked a new purpose for me—to bridge that gap. Read More>>

Kim Doran

I did not find my purpose, it found me. I was a licensed Private Investigator and owner of an agency doing what I thought was my passion as a truthseeker within the legal system. Until a phone call changed my direction and altered my life. A cancer diagnosis stopped me in my tracks and the process I underwent to get well has changed me completely. All for the better I assure you, however it has taken me on a path I never could have forcasted. Read More>>

Kranthi

It wasn’t a single moment. It was a series of quiet ones — summers spent on film sets, afternoons in editing rooms, the scent of film stock clinging to the air. I grew up in and around cinema, but not from a distance. I watched it get built — reel by reel, frame by frame. I didn’t need a grand revelation to find my purpose. I just listened, paid attention, and let the work speak to me early on. Read More>>

Kent Burns

My purpose is creation. Creating stories, creating connection, creating a legacy of love and light that inspires all people to strive for a more magical future — this is my purpose. It took a great deal to find my way to my purpose. Growing up as a military kid, you are only in one place for a year generally; so, I found two constants that I could hold onto — myself and story. Both of which are ever evolving concepts of creation. Read More>>

Sona Lee

Since I was very young, I don’t think I ever really questioned what I wanted to do. I loved making art early on, and I have vivid memories of coming home after school, setting up my little table, and spending hours lost in colored pencils and watercolors. My mom once told me that when I was just two or three years old, she woke up one morning to find me quietly painting with a brush and a cup of water in the living room, completely absorbed in my own world. I still often find myself longing for that younger version of me, the one who made art so freely, without hesitation or overthinking. Read More>>

Nancy Montuori

For 23 years, I worked for Warner Bros. Records, helping to develop the careers of multiple music artist icons, including Joni Mitchell and Prince.

In 2011, a serendipitous event changed my life and projectory. I went to see a movie called “Forks Over Knives” and left that movie convinced of the connection between animal protein and chronic disease. From that moment on, I devoted my life to helping others live long and healthy lives with a plant-based diet. Through my podcast, Ordinary Vegan, website, and social media, Ordinary Vegan became a beacon for those seeking health and wellness. Read More>>

Kaitie Entrikin

Honestly? I didn’t find my purpose. I crash-landed into it. For years, I thought my purpose was to shrink: shrink my body, my voice, my presence. I spent nearly three decades dieting, people-pleasing, and contorting myself into a version I thought would finally be “enough.” Spoiler alert: it never was.

But the moment that cracked everything open wasn’t dramatic. It was lunch with an old friend. She asked me, “Have you ever heard of intuitive eating?” Seven words. Read More>>

Kolton Rice

Finding my purpose has always felt like something just out of reach. Something I’ve been chasing for as long as I can remember. And truthfully, some days I still question if I’ve found it. But other days, it feels like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.

I’ve always been drawn to storytelling. As a kid, that meant putting on little shows in the living room or acting in school plays. I didn’t have the language for it back then, but I knew I loved creating moments that made people feel something. Read More>>

Auria Z.

My purpose; I believe was always within me but had to shed old parts of me to fully understand it. I had to go on a journey of deep healing, understanding to fully grasp it. We all have this purpose that’s within us but life comes with distractions, going through what we need to for us to fully honor it, respect what it is we are here to do. Read More>>

Madison Marie McIntosh

I have loved classical music since I was a toddler, and I started to imitate operatic voices soon after I turned six years old. I auditioned for a school play when I was in third grade, and the music director somehow contacted my parents and asked them whether they knew that I had a voice for singing. They replied, “Well, we knew she was loud…” My parents were exceedingly supportive of me, though. I started to take voice lessons a year or two later, by which time I knew that I wanted to be an opera singer. Read More>>

Lanxi Tao

I think everyone has a purpose in life. Growing up, I was kind of a weird, annoying kid because I thought of and asked these kinds of questions at a young age. I am still looking for answers nowadays, and I am still not 100% sure what the purpose of life is. But this is what I do know: I want and hope the world is a better place, but it doesn’t mean anything specific that needs to be changed. It’s more about having a better life than the current status quo. Read More>>

Dr. Lauren DeCicco

I didn’t find my purpose in a moment of clarity—it revealed itself in the unraveling. I never imagined that the challenges I faced would shape my life’s purpose, but overcoming complex trauma and its physical effects has guided me toward a mission of helping others. Read More>>

Nina Dubovik

Hi, I’m Nina—a tattoo artist whose life was transformed by a dream. My story is about how taking risks, perseverance, and passion can help you create a new reality.
I’m originally from Belarus, but over the past few years, my life has spanned four countries: Belarus, Ukraine, Latvia, and finally the U.S., where I moved in 2023. I have a degree in chemical engineering and worked for many years managing construction projects. Read More>>

Keith Burkhardt

I think it found me. I think so many people try to seek out what they’re meant for and try and force round pegs into square holes or whatever that saying is! I’ve always tried to let things be and truly think what’s meant to be will be. I barely made it out of grammar school and didn’t even come close to graduating high school. I starting drinking at a really young age which lead to just being an angry young adult.  Read More>>

Colorado Bhangra Team

We found our purpose through the workshops and camps we’ve held in the past as well as through the events we’ve performed at. Through all these events, we recognized that we are able to use our platform to not only spread awareness about a great dance, but also provide energy and enthusiasm wherever we perform. Read More>>

Luna Nicole

I discovered my purpose during one of the most challenging periods of my life. I was searching for healing—emotionally and physically—and found myself drawn to non-traditional forms of medicine and self-help. What I needed most wasn’t another quick fix or prescription, but someone to truly listen. I wanted to feel seen, to be vulnerable without being dismissed. Read More>>

Missy Farrow

My “Aha!” Moment: From Card Catalogs to Content Creation

You want to know how I found my purpose? Well, let’s just say it involved a significant upgrade from the Dewey Decimal System. For those of us who remember a time before “the internet,” finding information meant a heroic journey to the library. We’d schlep our eager selves there, ready to tackle the mythical card catalog, only to discover the book we desperately needed was, of course, checked out. Read More>>

Mariko Dehning

I moved from Japan to Kansas City about 6 years ago to marry my husband, we then welcomed 2 beautiful sons over the next 3 years.

I always liked Kawaii (cute) stuff and adorable anime characters, so when I saw the cute artistically designed sugar cookies on social media I was immediately drawn to them. Read More>>

Summer Britt

I found my purpose through the beautiful chaos of motherhood. After having my kids, I realized how much moms need support, connection, and a space to feel strong physically, mentally, and emotionally. I started leading FIT4MOM classes not just to stay active, but to build a village where moms lift each other up. It’s through showing up for other women, creating space for community, and watching both moms and their kids thrive that I really discovered what lights me up. Read More>>