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.

Andria Edlund

Finding my purpose wasn’t one big “aha” moment. It was a slow unfolding through a lot of different seasons. For a long time, I didn’t really know what I was meant to do. I’ve always been someone who works hard and jumps in wherever I’m needed, but for years, that didn’t feel like purpose. It just felt like survival. Read More>>

Dk Diggz

Honestly, I found my purpose through pain and growth. For a long time, I was just surviving. I used to feel like I had to be strong all the time, but music gave me a way to release everything I’d been holding in. Read More>>

Hether Gage

I absolutely love this question because it’s not a linear answer. Far from it in fact. Finding your purpose is never a one and done concept so I’ll just put that out there. But I will say this. My purpose found me as I kept following everything that was a heart felt, heck yes! Read More>>

Mei Tashiro

The moment I found my purpose, I was in a high school English language class in Japan. I was 17 years old, and just like other Japanese high school students, I was studying for college entrance exams. Read More>>

Marisol Jenkins

Since I was a child, I’ve always been drawn to creating things with my hands. Growing up in Mexico, I learned different crafts — from sewing to hair styling — and discovered early on how much joy it brings me to turn ideas into something tangible. When I started working with flowers, it came very naturally to me. Read More>>

Laura and Jake Belmonte

Three chords and the truth. I bought a $30 acoustic Guitar. Sat in the back yard of my rental with my toddler son at that time, on a sunny day and wrote a story from my life. Strummed and plucked the Guitar more like fumbled along the notes until something clicked deep inside. I realized at that moment I had written my first song. Read More>>

Jamaal Rocke

Interestingly enough, a purpose was never an entity I chose to seek. To say I found it entails that I had the knowledge, insight and dedication to find my purpose. In actuality, it was purpose that found me. Read More>>

Angela DiMarco

I have always loved storytelling and how it can make others feel seen and less alone. Growing up poor, raised by my resilient mother, we didn’t have a lot of material things. But it never really bothered me because I had an immense imagination. I was constantly creating worlds, up in the trees, or walking down the sidewalk doing impressions. Read More>>

Heidi Johnson

Finding my life’s purpose wasn’t a single defining moment….it was a slow unfolding that began with loss and was transformed through love. Years ago, when our family faced the unimaginable, I searched for meaning in the midst of heartbreak. It was in that darkness that I felt a quiet whisper, a calling to serve others walking similar paths. Read More>>

Maggie Olson

The other day my husband said to me, “Not a lot of people would know how to build what you’ve built, and in such a short amount of time.” I shook my head. Not at the compliment (that was sweet) but at the idea that I knew what I was doing. The truth is, I have never known what I was doing. Read More>>

Pedro Futura

To my complete surprise, no one is doing what I am trying to do with RadioFutura at WFMU…. When I came to this realization, it blew my mind (and that motivate me even more) …. I never expected to find myself so lonely in this little space that I am trying to build up. Read More>>

Mansoor Zuberi

Since the beginning of my journey in medical school, and throughout my residency and fellowship training, my driving purpose has always been to provide compassionate, high-quality care to my patients. Over the years, as I transitioned into independent practice, I developed a deep understanding of the critical issues that persist within our mental health care system. Read More>>

Danyella Terrell

I believe my purpose found me. I considered my childhood to be challenging. We didn’t have much but there were always people there to help us. This planted the desire to help in me. Every challenge, setback, and closed door pushed me closer to what I was truly called to do. Read More>>

Diona Nicole Murray

Finding my purpose has been a lifelong journey, deeply rooted in my love for creation. As a child, I found joy in turning ideas into something real—from drawings to fashion design. Over time, I realized my purpose wasn’t just to create for myself, but to help others birth what’s inside of them. Read More>>

Emanuel Pavel

It wasn’t easy. It was a process that took years and that I wasn’t aware of for a long time. But, at a certain point, at a crossroads, I stopped and looked carefully into the past. That’s how I noticed that the events of my life flowed naturally from one another. Read More>>

Celinda De La Fuente

Purpose isn’t found in the light, my friends. Nope…definitely not in the light…it’s forged in the fire. It’s discovered in the spaces of uncertainty, in the land of the lost, where the flames have devoured the illusions we once clung to and called “security.” Most of us do not find our purpose sitting in comfort. Read More>>

Mike J Waldron

While laying on the stiff linen of a hospital bed during my fifth trip to the ER in a single month, I came to a hard realization. My time in the Marine Corps was not the most difficult experience of my life. In many ways, I was still there. What I thought were heart attacks driving me to the hospital were not. Read More>>

Mo Borders

Finding my purpose didn’t come easy or quickly, like it might seem for some people. I always had a passion for working out and training myself, but I didn’t see it as anything more than that. In high school, I was a pretty good athlete. My junior year, different colleges were flying me out to football camps and I’d go out there and kill it. Read More>>

Jamie Loren

I’ve always cared deeply about how environments make people feel, long before I ever called myself a designer. While working at Princess Cruises, I found myself elevating every experience — even presentation decks — without realizing it was design. The turning point came when a former colleague insisted I redesign her bathroom after seeing what I created in my own home. Read More>>

Asiana Weddington

Well I’ll start by saying I try to stray away from seeing purpose as something to “find”, or rather, as a definitive conclusion to be reached. Because honestly, I’ve found I feel the most purposeful in everyday moments rather than when I’m racing towards an achievement or type of persona. Read More>>

Lusine Galadjian

I found my purpose through my faith. I started to read what God says about me instead of allowing the world to define me. As I drew closer to Him, I began to see that my artistry wasn’t just a talent — it was a tool. Read More>>

Christopher Brewer

I discovered my purpose by following where my skills and passions met a real need in the world. Music has always been more than a career for me—it’s a way to connect, encourage, and uplift others. Through teaching and performing, I’ve seen how music can transform lives and open doors for people to express themselves. Read More>>

Ashley Brothers

Before I explain how I found my purpose, I’d like to define what it truly means. Purpose is not just a mission or goal—it’s the culmination of several interconnected factors that must first be cultivated for success. On the logical levels pyramid, purpose sits near the peak, with its base and subsequent levels comprised of one’s environment, behavior, capabilities, values, beliefs, and identity. Read More>>

Vashti Keturah Smith

Growing up, I was the definition of active. I was in every sport, every club, and driven to be an A student. I was one of five, but with my eldest sister growing up in a different state, my two older and one younger brother were my constant companions.  Read More>>

 Regina Rimando

For me, finding my purpose wasn’t something that happened all at once – it was revealed step by step, through faith and perseverance. There were seasons in my life when everything felt uncertain Read More>>

 Camron McAhren

I had a mentor while in the corporate world who encouraged me to come up with an everyday purpose for myself. I was in a mentorship program with a mentor who always said there would be challenges, both personally and professionally, so I needed to find a purpose that would help me navigate through those challenges. Read More>>

Barbara Howlin

I found my clarity of purpose by releasing the idea that our path is supposed to be linear. As I empowered myself as a creative and trusted my intuition more, I started trying many things. Things I had deemed too wild, out-there or risky. Only in listening within, one intuition trust at a time, did I expand and see that the path is meant to be non-linear. Read More>>

Dr. Danielle Delima

I grew up in Cameroon in a home grounded in discipline, respect, and excellence. Purpose wasn’t something we talked about – life was about doing what was expected: study hard, get good grades, succeed. Thankfully, I genuinely loved school. Learning became my safe place, and I quietly promised myself I would continue my education as far as it could take me. Read More>>

Inessa Burnell

Purpose doesn’t arrive like an illuminated billboard the moment you turn eighteen. It’s not a single, fixed idea either. It grows like a whisper that slowly crescendos until you can hear it clearly and finally put a name to it. Read More>>