How did you find your purpose?

Core to our mission is helping our audience and community reach their full potential and the most important part of reaching your full potential is starting to find your purpose. Below, we’ve shared stories and insights from the community around how various folks found their purpose and we hope it helps you in your journey.

Jennifer Herlocker

I’ve always loved the arts, and found that art allowed me to fully release the anxiety or depression that I had buried so deep. Art has allowed me to find ways to heal and voice a topic that isn’t always an easy conversation to have. Read More>>

Ana Lilia

It definitely wasn’t a straight line. After college, I started working in PR in the music industry. It was fast-paced, exciting, and creative. From there, I moved into marketing, did some acting, and eventually found myself working in casting. I was always drawn to storytelling and expression, and I thought that was the path I was supposed to follow. Read More>>

Jalene Murphy

It just took me forty years to figure that out! My journey wound through closing a 15 year heterosexual marriage, a mental health storm I had to weather, and a closet door I had to fling wide open. I shed layers of Catholic guilt and shame, learned to fall deeply in love with myself to finally found my true self. Read More>>

Jessica Myers

For most of my life, I thought purpose was something you had to chase. A title. A destination. A moment where you finally arrive and say, this is it. But life—especially after loss—taught me otherwise. When my mother passed, the noise of the world got louder, and yet everything around me went silent. Read More>>

Forrest Glover

I did not find my purpose all at once. It revealed itself gradually, little by little, usually after I let go of something that no longer fit. I started out in fashion design in San Francisco, and while I loved creating, I often felt boxed in by the industry’s pace and ego. Read More>>

ASHLEIGH SUMNER

When I look back on my life, I realize that the moments I was most deeply moved all came through the arts—whether in a play, a piece of music, or an artwork. Read More>>

Michael Spicher

Both Plato and Aristotle said philosophy begins with wonder, and that’s been the thread running through my life. I’ve always been fascinated by how things work, why people create, and what lies beneath the surface. Over time, I realized that my purpose isn’t tied to one single thing—it’s about staying curious, exploring deeply, and using creativity to make sense of the world around me. Read More>>

Michael Finn

It wasn’t until I became a parent that I really explored or pondered the idea of my ‘purpose’ to any great degree. I had pursuits, but I judge they were driven purely by self interest and egoic desires. When my first-born son was around six months old, this deep sense of overwhelm came over me. Read More>>

Jasmine Roberts

My purpose started to take shape long before I even knew how to articulate such a powerful question. In the midst of a chaotic childhood, I found myself pregnant at 14. I was suddenly faced with adult responsibilities while still being a child myself. Read More>>

Destiny Freeman

What gives me purpose is creating experiences that make people feel something! Moments they’ll talk about or remember long after the event is over. I’ve always believed you can’t buy a memory, but you can make one and that’s what drives me. I feel most connected to myself and to others when I’m in a creative space. That’s where I come alive. Read More>>

Alexia Rousse

I actually found my purpose through what started as a simple hobby. I’ve always loved being outdoors — ever since I was a little girl in the Girl Scouts, spending weekends camping, exploring, and just soaking in the beauty of nature. That connection to the natural world has always been part of me, and it only grew stronger as I got older. Read More>>

Jasmine Klapia

The Art That Speaks Back to Me Like everyone else, I’ve often found myself asking life’s big questions: Why are we here? Who are we? What is the purpose of life? Why me? From a young age, I felt a deep sense of artistry within me. Read More>>

James Jin

I found my purpose in the spaces where I wasn’t supposed to exist. As a neurodivergent kid who couldn’t sit still, who doodled through lectures and hid in stairwells during lunch, I spent years being told I was the problem. Teachers called my parents, classmates avoided me, and I felt invisible, that was until I discovered Jean-Michel Basquiat as a sophomore. Read More>>

Helena-Alexis Seymour

I believe our souls purpose is the reason why we came down to Earth and what we are contributing to humanity. Our purpose goes far beyond what we do as a career… although our career/job is a strong way to express our purpose. I discovered what my purpose was by following what excited me the most from a child and into adulthood. Read More>>

Gwen Claussen

I never set out to find my purpose. I just kept doing what needed to be done. At first, it was for my own child. Then, for my family. Then, for the kids and families I met at the clinic. Read More>>

Graceful Gatherings

We are two sisters with a shared passion for creativity, hospitality, and meaningful connection, Graceful Gatherings has quickly become known for its beautifully curated charcuterie experiences. What began as a small venture rooted in a love for food and design has evolved into a purposeful business driven by service and faith. Read More>>

Dana Denning

Honestly, I didn’t go looking for my purpose—it found me somewhere between exhaustion, worry, and a mountain of sticky notes trying to make sense of it all. For years, I was the classic corporate achiever—project plans, deadlines, performance reviews, rinse and repeat. It was safe, predictable… and a little soul-sucking if I’m being honest. Read More>>

Rikki Van Brackle

I didn’t find my purpose in a textbook or retreat. I remembered it—through my body, breath, and bloodline. I’m a native New Yorker, born of Queens grit and Brooklyn resilience. I served as an NYPD officer specializing in domestic violence until a life-altering injury on duty forced me to pause. That rupture—painful and unjust—became my turning point. I chose myself. Read More>>

Dan Zalles

I’ve loved music ever since I was a kid and that love of listening turned into a love of writing and performing it. Performing provides a great thrill because it’s in the moment and offers collective joy for all: for myself, for my fellow musicians, and for the audience. Read More>>

Sara Cramer

I think my purpose found me slowly, through making things with my hands and watching how those creations connected people. I started making beaded jewelry over 15 years ago, just because I loved it — the colors, the patterns, the calm it brought me. Over time, I realized it wasn’t just about the jewelry itself, but the joy and connection it created. Read More>>

Scarlett Yang

My purpose didn’t reveal itself all at once; it emerged gradually through the discomfort I felt while watching how women are expected to perform perfection. Growing up in China and later living and working in London, I became aware of the contradictions women constantly navigate. There is an ongoing tension between reverence and repression, tradition and autonomy, beauty and obedience. Read More>>

Brittany Hall

How I Found My Purpose That is a profound question to ask. I found my purpose early in childhood, years ago, unexpectedly and unknowingly. An old friend helped me find it, but what really led me there was my voice. I loved to sing. Growing up in church, I sang almost every other Sunday. Read More>>

Vanessa Bucceri

Honestly? It took a long time. In my 30s, I was working in workforce management at a telecommunications company, and I was deeply unhappy. From the outside, things looked fine. But inside, I felt disconnected from the work and from myself. I kept thinking, this can’t be it. I’ve always loved design in its many forms – interior spaces, typography, photography, architecture, graphic design. Read More>>

Ashlie Burgun

If I had to distill my purpose into one word, I would say it’s communication. At some point during my childhood, I became motivated to understand people and find understanding from others. Read More>>

Gabriella Tranchina

I found my purpose by slowing down, listening to the Universe and my intuition, and ignoring my ego. When you find the thing that is your purpose, you will enjoy doing the work, no matter how hard it is because it is rooted in the truth of what your soul wants. Pursuing your purpose feels good and right. Read More>>

Brittany Watson

I found my purpose by spending intentional time with God. In that quiet space, He revealed who I was and what He called me to do—help the next generation of young women embrace their authentic selves, discover their purpose, and walk boldly in who they’re created to be. For years, I struggled with self-doubt and low self-esteem. Read More>>

Lisa Delane

My background has always been rooted in creativity, from events and public relations to styling photoshoots and crafting experiences that tell a story. I’ve always been drawn to the details that make something memorable, and I’ve loved the Nissan Figaro for years for exactly that reason. Read More>>

Cristian Fatu

Finding my purpose in music as a concert violinist wasn’t a single epiphany—it unfolded like a slow, resonant crescendo over years of quiet persistence and unexpected harmonies. Read More>>

angelina richardson

How I Found My Purpose My purpose began to take root when I was just 15 years old. I created Elite Styles and Beauty out of a simple but powerful frustration: I loved getting my hair done, but I hated the way I was treated during appointments—long waits, lack of focus, and no real care for the client experience.  Read More>>

MK Castaneda

I’m an artist and concept artist who loves setting small, achievable goals. I find that short-term goals help me stay motivated and make steady progress without feeling overwhelmed. I’m always trying to learn something new. Right now, I’m learning how to paint, I’ve taken a character design course, and I’m even learning how to swim. Read More>>

Avidon Respes

My Purpose? Not to be confused with having a meaning for life, I had to learn that purpose is tied to a distinct reason for doing something, which then translates into something meaningful. Before things can have true meaning though, they must have a purpose. Read More>>

Tiffany Lauren Jones

The harder I searched for my purpose the more elusive it seemed to be. When I allowed myself to flow with life, that’s when it found me. My purpose feels like a calling, like something that began erupting from inside of me, eventually seeping into the corners of my mind until it became clear in my reality. Read More>>

Staci & Kara

We found our purpose through the connection between yoga, nature, and community. Day Tripping Retreats with Staci & Kara was born from that shared realization—that wellness doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or far away to be deeply meaningful. We both felt called to create something grounded and approachable, where people could pause, breathe, and reconnect with themselves in just one day. Read More>>

Acne Expert Elle

I found my purpose through what once felt like my biggest struggle: acne. I started breaking out at a young age and tried everything to clear my skin without success. It wasn’t until I met my first esthetician, Crystal, that I began to heal both my skin and my confidence. She introduced me to professional skincare and sparked my curiosity to learn everything I could. Read More>>

Coach Smooth Sue

Growing up as the eldest girl of nine brothers and sisters, my family stressed healthy eating. Yet I carved my own path and paid the price with weight gain and gut issues after my second son was born. So, really I could say that my purpose found me through a personal health awakening. Read More>>

Eileen Smith

I found my purpose from not always getting what I wanted at work. After one painful experience not getting a job I wanted, I asked the big boss why she hadn’t chosen me. She said it was because I didn’t show up well to her. She hadn’t seen my achievements. Read More>>

Haley Brown

“How did you find your purpose?” That’s a question I’ve been asked a lot lately, and for a long time, I didn’t have an answer. Because truthfully, I didn’t find my purpose. I became it. My purpose was buried underneath the chaos I created, under every hangover, every apology, every night I looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize the person staring back. Read More>>

Charla Afoa

This is such a huge question as I don’t believe that I have ‘arrived’ in my purpose per se but I follow my passions and what I have found is that I care deeply about the abuse of power in particular in the areas of the church. Read More>>

Heather Morgan

If you had asked me a few years ago what my purpose was, I probably would’ve shrugged and said something that sounded responsible. Truthfully, I was running on autopilot — living the life I was “supposed” to, but never really feeling it. It wasn’t until my life fell apart, or maybe fell open, that I finally could self-reflect enough to figure it out. Read More>>

Clair Case

For myself finding my purpose has felt like one of those old Family Circus cartoon images, where the black dashes are all of the yard showing the craziest path from point A to point B. I started out on a photographic journey only to come back to where it began, sewing. Now, as someone that hand-sews and weaves paper I feel right at home. Read More>>