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.
Dahlia Quintanilla
Finding my purpose has been an evolving journey of listening to my intuition. All my eldest-daughter life I knew I was going to be a teacher. I was a playful, kind, and smart child who loved nurturing others. I feel safe with kids, and because of the loving presence I role model, kids feel safe around me. Read more>>
TRAVIS Shephard
Being raised as virtually an only child, I had to find ways to express myself when no friends were around. I think this led me to gravitate towards urban sub cultures and the communities it creates. It started with street skateboarding. I became obsessed with not just the sport itself, but the music, fashion and everything else. Read more>>
Asma Rafiq
I found my purpose as a chef through my deep-rooted belief that feeding people is a sacred act. This conviction stems from my faith and the importance it places on hospitality and caring for others. From a young age, I was involved in preparing meals for family gatherings, local shelters and community events, and I witnessed firsthand how food could bring people together and foster a sense of unity and gratitude. Read more>>
Abby Regner
My purpose on this planet is providing compassionate and empathetic end of life care for pets. My path to this destination started when I was young and growing up on a dairy farm. My life from the very start involved animals. My Dad was a hard working dairy farmer that really cared for his animals. I would spend time in the barns while he worked and then began helping as I got older. Read more>>
Erin Berry
I’ve always felt like I was here for a reason but it took quite a bit of time to figure out what that was. I am a bit of a seeker and can remember seeking from my late teens on. Anyone who is driven by purpose gets this. Initially I felt all people must surely be in this same boat, but I now understand not everyone is. Read more>>
Danielle Wallace
I found my purpose by tapping into different things when I was a child. It paid for sure! I was the child you’d find tucked in my room with a book. Sometimes it was fiction, sometimes it was encyclopedia. And if I didn’t have a book or journal in my hand, I was pretending to host a radio show with my “Talk Girl” recorder from the 90s. Does anyone remember those that were made for Home Alone 2?!? Read more>>
Erman Baradi
This leads to kind of a long-winded answer, so sit tight! There are several key factors that lend itself to my big why. Firstly, you can say there are two sides to me. I’m a writer – screenwriting, poetry, dabbling in songwriting. My role is to elicit a response from you. The other side of me is known for producing events. Read more>>
Heather Mulhollan
The journey to finding my purpose has been a long and windy road. As a child, I always had a love and appreciation for animals. I never looked at them as being any different from myself. I always saw them as souls in a different body. We always had pets growing up who I always considered to be my best friends and I was constantly bringing home baby squirrels, baby birds, stray cats, and stray dogs. Read more>>
Liz Dennery
I found my purpose at the intersection of my business and my philanthropic work. I have worked in brand development, marketing, and PR for more than 25+ years. I have also been drawn to organizations that support women such as Women in Need, Step Up, She Should Run, The Center for Reproductive Rights and more. Read more>>
QV Thomas
I found my purpose in prayer. The easiest question to ask me is always what can I not do because I can do almost everything. The downside of being multi-talented and skillful is that all hearts are not pure. People have bad intentions everyday whether we want to admit it or not. Prayer keeps me on the right path. Read more>>
Jackson randolph
Music has completely changed my life. When I sit down to write a song or perform on stage, the relief and joy it brings me are indescribable. It’s shown me exactly what I want to do with my life from here on out. Read more>>
Suree Sompamitwong
I discovered my purpose after embarking on a healing journey following a bipolar diagnosis in the summer of 2017. I suffered a mental health crisis while living and working at a fashion company in Los Angeles. During this difficult time, I spent a week in a mental institution until my mother flew out to bring me back home to Minnesota, so I could be close to family and focus on my mental health. That was when I was diagnosed with bipolar 1. Read more>>
Praneetha Mazumdar
Every milestone rises from a dream, but my dream was aroused from a milestone. Dreams are an integral part of life, the more we dream, the better we aspire. I have dreamt of pursuing art as my career since the time I was a child. My dreams were colorful and art was not just an illusion, it was a part of my expressions. Read more>>
Laura Britton
I used to be a very angry individual. I didn’t believe there was any kindness or compassion left in the world. Then tragedy hit. Popper was attacked by two dogs in his own fenced in yard. I was a distraught angry mess. He had to have multiple surgeries to save his life. The vet costs were over $8000 and fence cost were around $2000. Read more>>
BARIŞ FERT
Life is very short. I believe we all have two major concerns: to love and to be understood. Through cinema, I can share the things I cannot express with others. In the end, we will all pass away; at the very least, let’s love each other a little, understand, and connect with one another. Read more>>
Erik Stucky
Finding my purpose is an ever evolving journey! But, how I continue to find it basically boils down to, paying attention to what sparks my interest and investigating it. Pursuing the activity for the sake of the interest (as opposed to ulterior motives) I believe is key. Read more>>
INESART (inès) Messaoud
Since our teenage years, I was very introverted, shy, and almost disconnected from the outside world. This isolation stemmed from a misunderstanding of the world and existence. My universe shrank to our room and our small workshop. Imprisoned within my cocoon, I was unable to venture out, confront, and face the external world. Read more>>
Ishaan Chandra
Growing up, I have always had a passion for creating content and capturing the moment. This passion led me to begin photography and videography at a young age. With every trip or every journey outside in nature, I was seen with my phone capturing the world’s landscapes. Read more>>
James Porter
I have one of the most interesting careers as I have the opportunity to use starship simulators to educate and inspire in our community. I started off experiencing this unique program as a child being one of the crew members who fill the role of engineers, science officers, navigators, or even captain. Read more>>
Blair @mr1manband Wilson
My purpose became more evident when I began working heavily in the community. This allowed me to see the direct impact shared by many. I’ve always enjoyed giving back to the community, especially the youth. I am blessed with the gift of music, to enrich the lives of others. I am grateful to use my gifts to make a difference. Read more>>
Aubree Grelle
For my entire life, I have always loved making people smile. I have always been a hard worker. I have always had a job in the service type industry, or healthcare. I have always enjoyed taking care of others in different ways. Read more>>
Sherrie Hansen
I grew up being aware that I had a smattering of talents – music, writing, sewing, cooking, math, interior design – but I never thought I was good enough at doing any of them to have a successful career in one specific field. Read more>>
Jeff Thomas
I discovered my purpose by tapping into my passion for video games and nostalgia. Reconnecting with the games I loved as a child reignited a sense of creativity and joy within me. This nostalgic journey inspired me to delve deeper into the gaming communities. I found a lot of success online by sharing my love for gaming, however, locally there weren’t many opportunities for gamers to come together. Read more>>
Luis Torres
It was very challenging to grow up in the Bronx as a Puerto Rican young man. I lived in a drug infested and crime ridden community. I learned about the arts from the artist painting murals of the people killed in our neighborhood. I became an artist because I loved to express myself through visual arts and graffiti. Read more>>
Natrina N. Kennedy, MPH
Purpose is defined as the reason for which something is done, created, or exists. I found my purpose through service unto others and truly taking time to understand my identity. As a child, I was raised in a family that always served the community. Read more>>
Vili Hickey
For years, I floated from one profession to another, searching for my true calling. From the glittering stages of Vienna as a successful actress to helping A-list celebrities in Los Angeles sculpt their bodies with EMS technology, I explored various paths. Yet, my purpose remained elusive. Read more>>
Stephanie Felix
Finding my purpose was a journey that evolved over time and was significantly influenced by my life experiences and heritage. I got married and had my first daughter at the age of 20. My second daughter came along soon after, and I dedicated over 20 years to being a stay-at-home mom. Read more>>
Robyn Daigle
What’s that saying, “There is a light at the end of every tunnel”? Well, they were right! After a life-altering event, owner & founder, Robyn Daigle, stepped away from a successful career in account management in the corporate world to pursue her passion for curating & styling charcuterie boards. Within months, this incredible endeavor was a reality, and Boards for Days was born! Read more>>
Dave Pygon
To discover your true purpose, it’s essential to spend time in solitude, reflecting on key questions: What are your passions? What drives your actions? What fuels your daily enthusiasm? What is the essence of your existence? By answering these questions, I realized my calling is to help others achieve their full potential. Read more>>
Adeline Robinson
I’d say I found purpose in my interests pretty early on as a child. Since I can remember, I was always drawn to all things nature, and as a kid growing up in the city, I always would daydream and fantasize of a time where I could run through the woods, finding cool plants and animals. My passion has always been working with wildlife and exotics, and educating others on these amazing animals we share our planet with. Read more>>
Dr. Laura Capina
I grew up in Latvia and went to banking college. Then I moved to the US, to Los Angeles, and was excited to see the celebrities and entertainment world. I started modeling. Then my girlfriend asked me if I would go on a trip to India with her when I was 23 years old. Read more>>
Holly Gottlieb
I think there’s a common idea that finding purpose is just this one thing. But for me, it was a total realignment in all things in my life to feel a sense of moving forwards in the right direction that feels fulfilling to me. Read more>>
Estelle Winsett
My father is a tenacious lawyer who taught me to never give up. He instilled in me the desire to help people and give it everything you’ve got. I learned from him that I could accomplish anything I put my mind to which has been a driving force in my entrepreneurial path. Read more>>
Nichola Buckley
Finding Purpose: Advocating for Better Ingredients for Our Children. Becoming a mother was a transformative journey that reshaped my perspective on life and purpose. Before motherhood, I was fiercely career-driven, convinced that my path would lead solely towards professional success. Parenthood, however, brought a profound change. Read more>>
Gabriela Valencia
I’ve learned to listen closely to my intuition and inner voice. Trusting that my gut feelings can guide me toward my true purpose has been instrumental in my journey. I make it a point to take notice of what truly resonates with me, as those are often the clues pointing me in the right direction. Read more>>
Justin Mink
Pain is the great teacher. I’ve been through a lot of adversity, including 12 years of chronic, often debilitating illness, and countless injuries. My life started to change for the better when I started paying attention to what these trials had to teach me. Read more>>
Melissa Lombardo
I found my purpose through healing from trauma by embarking on a profound journey of self-discovery and personal growth. My journey to finding my purpose began with a traumatic event during my college years when I was sexually assaulted. Read more>>
Stephanie Felix
Finding my purpose was a journey that evolved over time and was significantly influenced by my life experiences and heritage. I got married and had my first daughter at the age of 20. My second daughter came along soon after, and I dedicated over 20 years to being a stay-at-home mom. Read more>>
Jennifer Bardot
“She is on a mission to highlight women in our community who have done great things to inspire others to follow their personal dreams,” said her colleagues. Moving forward, Bardot plans to build a youth G.R.I.T. program for young girls and continue to support women with amplifying their voices and stories to inspire others nationally. Read more>>
Allison Dozar
I found my purpose by years of dedicating the time and space to explore the whisper of my intuition and practicing that over and over again. In my role as a clinical hypnotist, I facilitate journeys into the subconscious, where individuals can explore and transform deeply rooted beliefs and behaviors. Read more>>
