Over the years we’ve had the good fortunate of speaking with thousands of successful entrepreneurs, artists and creatives. Some are happy, some are not. The happy ones almost always had a strong sense of purpose and so we are very focused on trying to help our community members and audience find their purpose. This series is our attempt to create more dialogue around finding your purpose.
Stephanie Bowman
I found my purpose at the very moment when my life felt the most broken. Leaving domestic violence, battling addiction, becoming homeless with my two daughters, and then facing the unimaginable pain of losing them to DCF shattered every piece of who I thought I was. Read More>>
Scott Molina
Honestly, when I look back, I think the signs were always there. It sounds funny, but I believe a lot of us know who we are when we’re young we just don’t always recognize it. As a kid, I could spend hours drawing cartoon characters, cars, anything that sparked my imagination. Art was where I felt the most myself. Read More>>
Katherina Feliciano
My life’s purpose is defined by resilience,the constant, deliberate act of getting back up, mirroring the enduring spirit captured in ‘The Myth of Sisyphus’. This resolve was forged in hardship. In 2014, just days before Thanksgiving, I lost my home. What followed was a demanding period: eighteen months in a shelter, capped by a difficult choice in 2016. Read More>>
Sabine Dieme-Erlich
I didn’t wake up one day and suddenly “find” my purpose. It revealed itself slowly, through experiences that once felt disconnected until I could finally see how they formed a clear path. Read More>>
Rose Moore
I discovered my purpose when I realized that transformation is a form of strength. Every challenge, every shift in my life, pushed me into a new version of myself. And I learned that you don’t have to be the final version of who you’re becoming to create something meaningful, you just must be willing to evolve. Read More>>
Erald Minga
I discovered my purpose gradually, through the people closest to me and the work I’ve been trusted to do. For most of my life, I’ve been surrounded by family and friends who see potential long before I do. They are the ones who push me, encourage me, and remind me that meaningful work is always rooted in serving others. Read More>>
Justin and Kelly Harris
We found our purpose by paying attention to what felt meaningful instead of what simply looked successful. A few years ago, we held roles many designers dream of. Our work took us into markets around the world, where we led retail and restaurant design for major brand expansions. Life in Singapore was vibrant and full of opportunity, and our careers were steady and rewarding. Read More>>
Susan Pie’
For the past … very long time … my focus, my heart, has been in the energy healing arts as well as a deep and profound relationship with Spirit. Interestingly, I didn’t quite know how to make that happen, or even if that was an option – it seemed to be the stuff other people did, not me. Read More>>
Nathan Weidner
Oh, that’s a deep question. We’re all looking for the answer to this one, aren’t we? We always hope for a burning bush or an A-HA moment that will send us in the right direction from the start, but unfortunately that’s not the way it happens for most of us. Read More>>
Carina Reed, MDiv
I didn’t find my purpose in a single moment, it unfolded over years of saying yes to God, one step at a time. My purpose revealed itself in layers: through prayer, through unexpected assignments, and through a growing burden to see women equipped to walk boldly in their God-given identity. Read More>>
Cassandre Voltaire
I didn’t find my purpose in one moment. It unfolded slowly, the same way a small clinical clue reveals a much bigger truth. I started my healthcare journey as a CNA, working the floor, helping residents get comfortable, watching nurses problem-solve in real time. Read More>>
Kristi Kandel
I found my purpose by paying attention to the moments that felt meaningful. I grew up in a small Ohio town where community mattered, and later I realized real estate was my way to create that feeling for other people. After years of developing projects across the country, I saw how powerful it was when locals had a voice in shaping their own neighborhoods. Read More>>
Samantha Vance
I am still figuring out my purpose everyday. I don’t think it is to work, or to end up in a certain city. I don’t think my purpose is to travel or go to school. I think these are all things that are apart of my journey, but not necessarily my purpose. Read More>>
Lesli Doares
Finding my purpose has been a lifelong journey. As the third daughter born in slightly under 3 years, I long struggled to be seen as an individual in my own right. Read More>>
Jude
I’ve always known my purpose is rooted in music, but it wasn’t until this past year that I truly understood what I wanted that purpose to do. Read More>>
Iwona Ash
Ever since I can remember, I have created, drawn, painted, sculpted, designed, and made things, but my greatest joy is designing fashion. I grew up in Poland during a very dark time period. When I was sixteen, we had martial law, curfews, food stamps, friends who got arrested, and a cousin who was killed during a manifestation. Read More>>
Sherrie Chenault
I found my purpose in a very unexpected way. For years, I lived a life that—on the surface—looked complete. I had a beautiful home, a loving family, and a husband I had built a 20-year life with. But even with all of that, something inside me felt unsettled. Read More>>
Debora Logan Lawson
I previously worked for our local police department in the Community Service Division—specifically with the Police Activities League (PAL). For 22 years, I had the privilege of working with children ages 8–18. As the Mentor Coordinator, I was able to help guide them toward positive paths and new possibilities. Many of these children had never been outside their own neighborhoods. Read More>>
Allison Bray
Purpose didn’t arrive all at once. It revealed itself slowly, through the patterns I kept repeating. I was always writing. Always curating. Always inspired by the women who turned their lives into stories worth telling. When I realized I wasn’t just observing that world but was meant to create within it, everything aligned. About Magazine became the place where my creativity met intention. Read More>>
Jennifer Wolfe
I found my purpose by living through the very things I now help others express — struggle, rebuilding, and self-discovery. For a long time, creativity was just my escape, but over time I realized it was also my strength. When people began trusting me to tell their stories, capture their moments, and bring their visions to life, something clicked. Read More>>
Denver Reynolds
When I was younger, I loved building and helping others. I would help neighborhood friends build ramps for their skateboards. I would also help fix their bikes. My stepfather was an engineer and a DIY’er. I would tag along and he would let me help him with projects and I learned a lot that way. Read More>>
Nicole Soyka
I’ve been fascinated by personal style since I was young. I discovered early on that when you dress in a way that feels authentically like you, you’re able to express yourself externally and mirror your unique essence from the inside out. There’s something almost magical about sharing pieces of yourself through how you choose to present yourself to the world—I found that so powerful. Read More>>
Chez Chesak
I think I’ve just always been relatively well-attuned to my own internal passions and needs. I see that as the first step toward finding a purpose. I developed this sort of internal ear because I was often left alone as a child so thought a lot, and deeply, about the world around me, trying to figure it all out. Read More>>
Chris Amendola
I found my purpose really early, before I even had the words for it—I just knew I wanted to cook and be a chef. Watching shows like *Great Chefs of the World/France completely hooked me, and then actually being in the kitchen with my family made it feel real. Read More>>
Soren
Purpose is a huge word and it seems to have different chapters in different phases of life. For me, at 57 now, I feel like my deeper purpose is coming more into the light. This is of course from completing many other phases that had other purposes. All the purposes share a thread and I suppose, for me, that nature is that thread. Read More>>
Ariel Travis
Two years ago, I stumbled into what I now know is my purpose. From ages 22 to 29, I lived abroad as an expat, and explored the world visiting 29 countries along the way. Read More>>
Libra Hicks
I found my purpose when I became a mother to disabled sons. My oldest son, Anthony Jr., is 19 years old, has Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy. He is 100% dependent for all needs and requires 24/7 care. And my younger son, Lyric, who is 9 years old with Level 2 Autism. Having these little guys has shown me my purpose. Read More>>
Ana Diaz Asencio
I grew up in a small town in Sevilla, Spain, where wind ensembles play a big part in cultural activities. That’s where I first heard the sound of a saxophone playing folkloric Spanish music. I was mesmerized by the beauty and sweetness of the timber, and from that day on, my dream was to become a saxophone player. Read More>>
Jelani Millard
For years, I traversed the world, not merely as a spectator, but as a student of its intricate tapestry of cultures, yearning for a true anchor. My purpose, I discovered, was not waiting at a distant horizon, but was sown in the vibrant soil of connection and creation. In Ghana, the seed finally took root. Read More>>
Simo Rodriguez
Finding my purpose wasn’t easy. It came through a lot of heartache, self-discovery, and honest reflection. For a long time, I battled imposter syndrome, reactivity, and offense. But over time, God helped me see that every experience, from childhood to now, was shaping me for the calling on my life. Read More>>
Lucia Matuonto
I find purpose in the little and big things that make life rich—my family, writing, and exploring the world. I thrive on discovering new cultures, learning new skills or languages, and staying active through exercise. Meaning also comes from nurturing connections—keeping in touch with close friends and collaborating with creative minds through my work. Read More>>
David Bounichou
My purpose came from a lifelong passion for the NHL and the NBA. I discovered both leagues in the late 90s and they quickly became a part of my identity. Years later, I created db_ice_hoops, a place where I could express that passion. What began as a simple way to share my jersey collection and the history behind each franchise slowly grew into something deeper. Read More>>
Alejandro Terra
Growing up in Cuba, I was always drawn to the arts. As a child, I spent hours painting and shaping little figures out of clay. Then my grandmother’s neighbor began practicing the drums, and I would stand there mesmerized, watching him play for hours. Something in me woke up in those moments. When I was around ten years old, I found an old, abandoned guitar. Read More>>
Jacinda/Apple Rose
Honestly, this might sound cliché, but waxing really chose me I didn’t choose it. I had no interest in waxing at first; I just wanted to learn a skill. Back in 2022, while I was still working my 9–5, I decided to take a waxing course. Not long after, I resigned from my job and started offering waxing as a mobile service. Read More>>
