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.
Meagan Crowe
I was forced into my purpose, or rather I was forced out of everything that wasn’t. Over a 10 month period, I went through a divorce, my father passed, and I was laid off from my job. I had no choice but to build a new life. But that’s also when breathwork and somatic practices found me. Read More>>
Donavon Chandler
I found my purpose when Powerhouse Mobile Dyno became something bigger than just me. What started as a way to stay connected to cars grew into a shared effort that brought my family together with the car community. Behind the scenes, my wife, Ashley, handles much of the travel preparation, secures vehicles on the dyno, and guides them onto the ramps at events. Read More>>
Jade Hymes
I found my purpose through a combination of darkness and motherhood, but the process of finding it was much deeper than a single moment of realization. It was a journey of rebuilding myself from the inside out. My darkness was an energetically low point, a season where I was surviving instead of living. Read More>>
Ashley White
Being the only member in my family on the Autism Spectrum as well as in sports, I always had to find a way to carve my own legacy and beat the odds. For years, I had to prove my worth and work twenty times harder than the next person as I continued to fight for my place, whether in sports or in life. Read More>>
L.A. Warren
I’ve always carried a deep compassion for people who struggle — often through no fault of their own. Even as a pre-teen, one of my siblings jokingly — and sarcastically — remarked that I was always helping someone. In hindsight, it was an early glimpse of my calling. As a teenager, that instinct took shape in action. Read More>>
Jeff Milstead
I found my purpose through tragedy in our lives. That purpose is to try and foster simple acts of kindness that will make others smile. Some acts of kindness may be large or small, and most are intentionally never known at all. I met Karen on November 29, 1987, the day after her 25th birthday. Read More>>
Brad Russell
We first purchased our first piece of land in 2007, long before we understood how God would use it in our lives. Over time, as we continued to acquire land and seek his direction, it became evident that we were being drawn toward a different path than the corporate one I had been on. Read More>>
Jon Zweifler
I didn’t find my purpose so much as I stopped looking for permission to name it. When autism entered our family, it didn’t arrive as a single moment or diagnosis—it arrived as a pattern. A repeating mismatch between what my son needed and what the world was designed to provide. Support existed, but it ended at the clinic door. Read More>>
Jacqui Knapp
Life Purpose – How did I get there By taking everything have learned – the good, bad, heartbreaking, fabulous experiences and applying it to my third act! I grew up with ambitious, game changing parents who started their business out of our garage late 60’s. We lived in Cheviot Hills just behind 20th Century Fox. Read More>>
Melissa Nanavati
Almost from the moment my husband and I got together, people started asking questions about our marriage. Not casual questions. Reporters, podcast hosts, and people in our lives wanted to know how we were making it work given the intensity of our lives. We were raising $1.1. Read More>>
Hannah Kiviranta
I’ve never felt like I had a super clear ‘purpose’ in life, and for a long time I felt behind because of that. I think my purpose emerged slowly through my exploration of photography, and I feel like my purpose continues to evolve as I grow as an artist. Read More>>
Dave Johnson
I found my purpose through curiosity, loss, and rediscovery. From a very young age, I was drawn to science and engineering. As a little boy, I once destroyed a bike tyre just to understand what air was — something my mum wasn’t too pleased about, but I had to know. That curiosity stayed with me throughout my life. Read More>>
Elle White
I think we often circle back to moments from our childhood later in life, when everything comes full circle and we realize we’ve known much more all along—especially when it comes to our passions. Somewhere along the way, we’re taught that we have to fit into certain boxes to be recognized, to be successful, or to be happy. Read More>>
Ashlee Marinello
I found my purpose through a desire to create connection and shared moments of beauty. When I moved to New Mexico, I was new to the area and found myself missing community. I wanted to build something that felt welcoming and meaningful, something that encouraged people to gather and feel at ease with one another. Flowers have always been part of my life. Read More>>
Raene Daniel
Everything changed after my son was diagnosed with a fatal heart defect in 2019. Losing him shattered the way I understood life, purpose, and myself. After he passed, I didn’t feel inspired or driven—I was simply surviving. The light and passion I once had were gone, and for a long time, survival was the only thing I knew how to do. Read More>>
Marlena Rucker
I found my purpose through my own growth journey. I was always the person people came to for encouragement, even while I was still figuring things out myself. Helping other women feel confident and supported showed me what I was meant to do. Pretty Girl University is really the space I wish I had earlier, a reminder that growth doesn’t have to be perfect. Read More>>
Myriam Konate
My passion for beauty began at just 10 years old. From an early age, I was fascinated by hair and beauty not only how to enhance it on myself, but how to help others feel confident and beautiful as well. I started by spending time at the neighborhood hair stylist’s home, showing up whenever she had clients and eagerly asking if I could assist. Read More>>
Chantel Beall
A few years ago, our family made a big move from Columbia, Missouri to Kansas City. At the time, it felt like a practical decision, a new chapter, a new address. What we didn’t realize was that it would quietly shape our purpose in ways we couldn’t have planned. Read More>>
Mariah James
I found my purpose in a hobby. I know it’s funny to say but my purpose has been built based off of an hobby I developed in junior high school. Which was applying makeup. Read More>>
Dr. Akecia Owens-Cunningham
I found my purpose through the educators who recognized my potential early on. As a child, I was energetic, busy, and loud, yet I had teachers who understood my learning style and believed in me. Read More>>
Lauren Schwartz
I’m still in the pursuit of tying down an exact purpose. Read More>>
Destiny Preston
I’ve loved the beauty industry for a long time, but when I first entered it nearly 17 years ago, I wasn’t sure it was where I was meant to stay. I’ve always had a strong desire to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives, and at the time, I believed the best way to do that was at a larger, systemic scale. Read More>>
Michelle Galoob
I didn’t find my purpose when life was going well. I found it when everything fell apart. There was a time when I felt completely disconnected from myself. I was in a 9–5 job that drained me, struggling financially, anxious, depressed, and trying so hard to hold it together. I hit a point where I felt lost, empty, and honestly hopeless. Read More>>
Jose Estrada
I found my purpose the same way most people find theirs: by doing something imperfectly, over and over again, and realizing it lit me up more than anything else. Teaching Spanish started as a skill I had, then became a challenge I couldn’t ignore. Read More>>
Alexis Coleman
I found my purpose by creating a solution to the lifelong struggle I’ve faced with eczema and hyperpigmentation. To find my purpose, I had to struggle. I had to cry. I had to feel ugly. Then I got up and created change. Read More>>
Mary Soul
I found my purpose when I began learning music at a young age. I was a shy and timid kid, so naturally I would always have trouble expressing who I was. That was until I joined my elementary orchestra in fifth grade! I learned to play Viola and quickly grew fascinated with the ability to feel emotions through music! Read More>>
Sauram R T
I found my purpose by noticing what consistently made me feel most alive, storytelling, human connection, and creating things with meaning. Acting allowed me to explore human emotions and share stories that resonate across cultures, while founding ‘Naarie’, my wellness and lifestyle business, and bringing it to spaces like the Malibu Farmers Market showed me how creation can also be healing, grounding, and personal. Read More>>
Cameron Johnson
Like many, my life journey has included profound lows: navigating intense loneliness, battling addiction and depression, experiencing career loss, and struggling with self-trust. I’ve felt the full spectrum of negative emotions. However, through finding and committing to the right recovery program, I began to see a better version of myself emerge. Regaining my sobriety reignited my spark and instilled a fierce desire to give back. Read More>>
Katrina Lynn
I think I found my purpose in music at a very young age. I was always drawn to anything music related. I remember my parents bought me a Fisher-Price tape player that had a little karaoke microphone attached to it. I had cassette tapes of the child songs like the wheels on the bus, old MacDonald, and all the classics. Read More>>
Genevieve Sage
Growing up on a lake in the woods, fifteen minutes from any civilization, fostered an imagination rooted in unstructured play—and by play, I mean full-blown, twelve-hour live outdoor theater starring me and my two younger sisters. Read More>>
Morgan Crain
I found my purpose when I hit rock bottom. I found myself going through a divorce, working nonstop in a role I didn’t find fulfilling, and disconnected totally from joy and everything that made me “me.” Luckily I was able to get into therapy and was encouraged to get to know myself again. Read More>>
Rollo Papers
My biggest goal in life is to be someone other people use as a role model for someone who accomplished something society tells them is impossible. I love hearing stories about underdogs making it out on top. My favorite kinds of movies are biopics about musicians like Straight Outta Compton, Notorious, or anything based on a real story where someone went from being called crazy to changing the world. Read More>>
