Finding & Living with Purpose

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.

Qween Qweezy

I found my purpose by experiencing really difficult things in life. I decided that life was too short to not do what I love or what I was passionate about. I first had to discover my purpose and for me I always knew it would be music or something of influence but I resisted. I decided to attend college and get a degree but I always knew that it would be my back up plan, plan B for sure. I can laugh now but it’s been an amazing ride living in purpose. Read more>>

Shari Botwin

From a young age, I decided that “someday, someone will hear me.” In order to survive years of childhood sexual abuse within my family, I had this mantra that I said to myself. I remember this first time this statement came into my mind. I was standing on the playground in the fourth grade. I watched all the kids interacting, and I felt like such a misfit. Read more>>

Nancy Mello

I have felt like the odd-person out ever since I can remember. I didn’t, “fit” no matter how hard I tried to be like everyone else. It led to major depression and anxiety, and it felt like a never-ending revolving door of therapists and psychiatrists trying to diagnose me and figure me out. It felt like I had the worst luck in the World. Read more>>

Benjamin Adkins, ACC

I’ve discovered my purpose through numerous explorations and iterations. I began my career as a Spanish teacher, then transitioned into human resources, and eventually moved into the corporate tech space. My journey has taken me through digital advertising with Uber, email marketing with Emarsys, and roles in project and account management. Over the past decade, I have gained experience across various industries including education technology, virtual reality technology, email marketing technology, and transportation technology. Read more>>

Ryan Shieh

Growing up, my sole desire in life was to become a professional baseball player. I had dreams of making it big and frankly, I was doing pretty well! From early college commitments to discussions about the MLB Draft, I quickly gravitated towards finding purpose in sports. However, my life took a turn when I arrived to college, got injured, and was never the same again.  Read more>>

Amina Mohamed

I put on a blindfold and picked a fig at random. I tried that fig, and if I didn’t like the taste, I threw it away, trying to taste as many of the other figs as I could before they all went rotten. In less metaphorical terms, I tried everything within reason, seizing opportunities whenever I could just to experience what each one was like. Read more>>

Samantha Seiler

Everyone has a purpose in life. Whether it’s becoming a parent or building an empire and it’s not uncommon to find that purpose maybe later in life or as early as learning to walk. With purpose comes passion as well as risk. When I was younger my dream career as a child was to be an artist – painting to be specific.  Read more>>

Jill Houser

That’s a tricky question. As a young person, many of my friends knew exactly what they wanted their career to look like when they grew up. Is that their purpose in life? I am not sure. We may be good at something and then choose a path that helps us succeed. It’s a complicated question.
My path was different. Read more>>

Anfernee McDonald

As a kid, I never had anything real or tangible to hold onto. I had my mom and siblings, but we moved once every three or four years, so I didn’t have the chance to build any sense of who I wanted to be outside of that. When I was about 12, I saw an army poster when I was in the back of a police cruiser, I figured that was what I wanted to do. Read more>>

Derek Bernard

In general, it seems, when we discuss having a “purpose,” we think in terms of some productive output. What measure does one use to determine how well we’ve discovered our purpose? Is it the bottom lines in our bank accounts, the number of assets we have, or the number of accumulated experiences? Read more>>

Gina Nasta Mende

My purpose is deeply rooted in my faith. I would not be who I am without the foundation of being a Christ-follower and servant leader. The journey I had to go through in my 20’s was one of trial, error, and overcoming what other’s said I should be or become and shifting by following the direction and spirit within my heart. Read more>>

RaeChani Wilson

I am now third generation owner with my partner and we took over from my parents that took it over from my Aunt’s family. We opened in 1982 as an equipment rental company serving the Bucks County area. Since then we have grown into party rental, tenting and event production company serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey & Delaware areas even traveling to upstate New York down to Maryland.  Read more>>

Liza Kaplan Montanino

My purpose has changed with age! Becoming a parent, and living through the pandemic, really refocused me and played a large role in my decision to leave a corporate job after 15 years and start my own sleep consulting agency. In spring 2021, I felt burnt out and desperate for work that would help me feel connected to others and give back to those who were struggling. Read more>>

Emily Turinas

From a young age, I always felt a deep desire to help others and cherished the opportunity to build long-lasting, meaningful connections. My own journey through therapy was transformative; I fell in love with its ability to empower individuals to shape their own lives. What captivated me even more was its profound intergenerational impact on future generations, sparking a passion that led me to pursue a PhD in counseling psychology. Read more>>

Being a burn survivor teaches you multiple skills. Having a mother like mine who never gave up and never gave in teaches you to never give up on life. Read more>>

Jodie Blum

I believe making an impact has been an intrinsic part of me since childhood, rooted in my empathetic nature. As I matured, graduated from college, and embarked on my professional journey, I found myself in a business role that felt self-serving rather than selfless. This stark realization ignited my passion for working in a philanthropic capacity. Read more>>

Erika Wasserman

Picture this: I’m lying on the floor, with three kids under the age of four using me as their personal jungle gym. Amid the chaos, I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and begin my meditation practice, a routine I started during my divorce. I ask myself three key questions: Who am I? What do I want? What is my purpose? Read more>>

Alexandra Balut

My family is my purpose! I put them in the forefront of everything I do, and I never want to miss a thing. When my oldest daughter was about 6 months old, I went out and bought a little $300 camera to be able to capture the moments that pass too fast. I quickly discovered I had a talent for photography thanks to the encouragement from some friends and family.  Read more>>

Ankita Sikari Sunuwar

Painting, digital creation, and crafting are my purposes, and I discovered them early in my childhood. Drawing and painting gods and goddesses have always brought me joy. Even as a child, I was intrigued by the concept of the universe and the energies around us. This curiosity led me to practice paubha, an ancient form of Nepali art, which has been a significant part of my journey and purpose. Read more>>

Vontavia J. Heard

Through trial and error. I’ve always known that I was a creative, but I had to try and fail at many things before I found the thing that felt right for me, and that was writing. Read more>>

Lidia Lins

Finding my purpose came after my 30s I would say. Having lived a great part of my career dedicated to Science, I after discovered that I had come here to do something completely different: guide others in their own healing path through music and coaching. Read more>>

Savanna Velthoven

I have always been a creative person. I’ve always loved art and writing – anything where I was creating something. I always felt the need to create, which I believe is a God-given desire. In high school and college I knew I wanted to make a difference in the world. I did this by majoring in journalism and writing for our school newspapers.  Read more>>

Kashius Smiley

I have long had an interest in barbering, which I have pursued since my childhood. However, it was not until I made friends with someone who had a child with severe autism that I recognized the potential for my life to have a greater impact. Observing this child with sensory issues receiving a haircut opened my eyes to the increased difficulty that some individuals experience in obtaining a haircut compared to others. Read more>>

Lorin Morgan-Richards

Let me begin by saying what an honor it is to be featured in your periodical again. The Bold Journey Series is an excellent endeavor. I can only imagine… wait, one second, a house guest interrupted me to hand me a note. They would like to say something about the subject, and I’m afraid they don’t often speak, but what a treat when they want to share something. Their name is Marcil d’Hirson Garron. Read more>>

Dr Lynn Anderson

Finding your purpose in life is not always easy. The most crucial thing is to focus on what excites you and fills you with passion. I discovered that my purpose sprang out of the need to help myself. As a burnt-out, overstressed single mother of two, I had to focus on my health so I could support my children, and through this, I developed a passion for holistic health. Read more>>

Jaer Armstead-Jones

After my divorce in my early thirties, I felt as if I were starting over. This devastating family event prompted me to revisit the question, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” At thirteen, I had decided I wanted to be a teacher. However, I also dreamed of becoming a newspaper reporter or a magazine writer. So, after the divorce, I returned to school and earned a master’s degree in secondary education. Read more>>

Steve Ramona

I found it at age 18 while working for my family’s Health Club. I met many people much older than me. I found I was giving them so much service that they started offering me resources, tips, and advice that helped me grow as a person and a businessman. Read more>>

Christopher Weedon

Have you ever felt a calling for something greater, to be more and do more? For as long as I can remember, I believed I was destined to achieve great things. However, over the years, I lost my willingness to dream. I let my circumstances define me, creating a life that left me unfulfilled and hopeless. Read more>>

Raxiel Liz

My Purpose? Well life has a real funny way of showing you things you may welcome and more of what you may not want to welcome… People who know me can tell you I have endured a lot! From loss of family members (Some to illness others to death and murder) all the way to personal loss in life and jus the everyday struggles of being a decent human being LOL. Read more>>

Nangie Alexander

I found my purpose through my faith, It is really important to me and without it, I believe that my purpose is not worth it. My faith has guided me through many trials and tribulations. It has given me the strength to continue to show up and pour into my craft. It allows me to be free but also show others who view my content how having faith can change their lives too. Read more>>

Mariah Thomas

Every day, I’m on a journey to discover and fulfill my purpose. I firmly believe that God grants everyone unique gifts that open doors for us to serve others, honor Him, and find joy in the process. For me, those gifts have always been singing and writing. From a young age, I was passionate about travel and fashion, devouring magazines like “Teen Vogue” and “Seventeen.” I dreamed of sharing my own writing with the world. Read more>>

Lauren Connolly

I struggled with finding my purpose for a long time. In high school, I had a deep love for both art and science, particularly biology. However, I resisted pursuing a science degree because many of the math-related subjects did not interest me. Read more>>

Rachel Graff

Findiing my purpose as a wedding photographer took me longer than some. I’ll fully admit, when I started my photography journey, I just really loved taking great photos. While that is a great reason to start a photography business, it’s not a very compelling story to tell potential clients about why you do what you do. However, my purpose around this business really shifted when I lost my sister unexpectedly in 2021. Read more>>

Peter Ippolito

Purpose is a funny thing. Sometimes it’s a singular objective and sometimes it’s a mission with multiple fronts. Sometimes you think you’re on the right track and get pulled into another. Knowing what you’re meant to do is one of the most fulfilling things in we get to experience in this life and I’m lucky enough to have found purpose in so many aspects of mine. Read more>>

Jonathan Barfield

Sense of purpose since I was child ;to play and coach the game of basketball. Understanding the impact of sports and inspiring the next generation. In order to remain relevant must be engaged with the younger generation of athletes. Whether it be skill development or coaching; spending seven days a week perfecting the art of the sport. Impacting schools, collegiate athletes, Aau program around the world. Read more>>

John Anthony Shahor

As a member of the Georgia Community Emergency Response Team (GA-CERT K9), I discovered my true calling through Animal-Assisted Intervention work. My purpose crystallized when I saw the profound impact K9s have in search and rescue missions and community building. These remarkable animals not only help locate missing individuals, saving lives and providing closure to families, but also foster a sense of unity and support within our communities.  Read more>>

Nick Lee

I found my purpose in this world through the act of painting portraits. My work has always focused on people. The variety of faces and the human condition have motivated my work. During my undergrad career I realized there are only a handful of contemporary Asian American painters that focus on identity. In addition, there was such a lack of representation not only in our Western paintings but in our media as well. Read more>>