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.
Brooke Latham
Several years ago, I quit my job in the art world with no idea of what I wanted to do. I only knew that I was lacking fulfillment, and needed to find my calling. After my last day at work, I flew to Japan on a one-way ticket to climb Mount Fuji with a girl I’d never met. Read More>>
Brittny King
I love this question so much. The way that I found my purpose was through my values. 10 years ago when I worked at Lululemon, I learned how to align with my values and once I started living my life from what I valued, my purpose revealed itself. My purpose is to help others find there’s. Break through their limitations and live the life they truly desire. Read More>>
Amanda Morais
I think after years of having low self stem, not feeling beautiful, and scared I wouldn’t like how I look on my future wedding day, the makeup called me, and I stared loving to do my own, and I wanted to people around me to love their look as much I did when I was all makeup. And that was how I found my purpose as a mua! Read More>>
Luis Cancion
From a young age, I knew that music would be my reason for being, my purpose in life. It all started when I was just 12 years old, and my mother decided to bring home a Casio keyboard and placed it in our living room. Little did she know that this simple act would change the course of my life forever. Read More>>
Nishit Nish” Gupta”
I was born and raised in a land with 22 different languages spoken in over 720 dialects by 1.3 billion people. Growing up in India is a big part of my personality – I have always understood the concept of religious tolerance, accepting different points of view, and diversity of thought. I moved to Los Angeles in 2015. I was a motivated 19 years old pursuing my degree in Product Design from the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, where juggernauts like Yves Bihar, Syd Mead, Chris Bangle and many more graduated from. I finished college in 2019 hoping to achieve even just the slightest of creative excellence that designers have received after learning from this institute. Read More>>
Keith Stone
I found my Purpose over the Pass few years just by Going threw trial, and error. Learning from my bad decision making, and life lessons. I feel as if everything plays a purpose in our lives, its just up to us to find the Balance. Read More>>
Gabrielle Harris
When I was asked to where my story at a church I attended several years ago, the members began reaching out to me and expressing how they were inspired and encouraged, and that it gave them an understanding of how to handle individuals with physical, impaired and mental challenges. It was at that moment that I understood my purpose in life. Read More>>
Javaughn Johnson
I can’t necessarily say I found my purpose. I would have to say my purpose found me. As a young kid I would go to work with my dad often. In doing so throughout the years, I developed a love in the field of construction. It was a field that just seemed natural for me to maneuver through. I was able to grasp concepts and ideas fairly quickly. I also found it easy to make positive connections in this field, but mostly importantly I enjoy working with my hands and building things. Read More>>
Skip Press
I knew when I was seven years old that I would be a writer, and also had a hint that this wasn’t my first life. I was crossing a street in the small country town in Texas where I lived on an autumn afternoon. A light wind stirred up and lifted fallen leaves in the air. I was about to cross the street but I stopped and just watched a magic moment. I thought “This will be a remarkable life.” And I was certain it would be. Read More>>
Ariel Fristoe
I realized that I could look at a social issue and see how to translate it into a play or a film that opens hearts and minds and can lead to action. I’ve been in theater all my life, but I wasn’t really interested in making art for art’s sake or purely as entertainment. We’ve already got world-class art and entertainment available to watch at any hour at the touch of a button, so I thought, what else can I do with my skills? I can harness the power of theater to increase empathy for vulnerable and marginalized people, and I can produce events that pair theater with information and conversation on the issues that matter most to my community. I can support the best nonprofits in Atlanta, organizations like Families First and the YMCA and the ACLU. I can provide free arts education to children whose families might not be able to access it otherwise. I can help build a culture of anti-racism. Read More>>
Marlene Rose
This is a long answer! But to know the whole journey sometimes you just have to start at the beginning. The beginning was New York. Marlene was being edged into an entry job as a runner in a large, faceless financial institution. She quickly realized where this might lead and decided that there was much more to see and experience in the wide, wide world. So she moved to New Orleans in the early 80’s. What a better place to see the world! Read More>>
Michelle Lukasiewicz
I have been involved in animal activism for over 30 years. First becoming vegetarian and then vegan, I have always felt a kinship with animals. My family and I spent our vacations visiting sanctuaries even as far as England, but our favorite tradition was ThanksLiving at Farm Sanctuary in Orland California. Ten years ago, I was looking to return to my hometown in CA when I passed some land in AZ and thought “wonder if I could afford land to open a sanctuary?” Well, after being stuck in traffic on a Saturday afternoon in CA visiting family, I decided I was staying in AZ and buying property. Read More>>
Marcus Kowalsky
The high school I went to, High Tech High International, was always trying to prepare us for what comes next. This came in the form of classes / periods specifically for college prep and job research. Throughout all my life up to this point I had never felt a strong attraction to anything I would want to do as a career. Different passions had come and gone like livestreaming or competitive gaming, but I viewed them as more of hobbies then anything else. That was, until the summer of my junior year. Read More>>
Shannon Torrence
I am a voice actor. And I’m very good at it and I love acting. I’m grateful to get to have such a creative job. Acting FELT like my purpose until I found what I now feel is my REAL purpose, from a spiritual perspective, as a human on this earth, And I wouldn’t have discovered what my true purpose was had I not lost the ability to be a voice actor for a few years, when I developed a vocal disorder. Read More>>
Jean-Paul Builes
I think everyone has a gift that is meant to be shared. Sometimes that gift isn’t recognized by others. I went through a situation like this and I found that the key is to not let fear steer you away from what you know to be you. We all have the power of make decisions so make them coming from a place of authenticity and not reacting or afraid. Read More>>
Trina Allen-Johnson
I found my purpose after many years of trying over and over again to finish what I started. I always knew growing up that I wanted to become a hairstylist. But after starting cosmetology school on several different occasions , and never being able to finish for one reason or another I thought all hope was lost. But, I never lost the feeling that being a hairstylist was my true calling. After losing my mother in 2018 and feeling that my world had ended, the feeling of needing to do something to honor her and also finally do what I always wanted to do, made me decide Ito strike out once again to try and become that hairstylist that I had always dreamed I could be. Read More>>
Riley Gersch
Growing up I always felt that I had a higher purpose or “calling”. I’ve always been a very organized and intuitive individual. Helping others and being able to express my creativity is my passion.
It took me many years to actually realize what my purpose is. I felt at one point as though I was just coasting through life. I navigated through corporate office jobs that were not fulfilling. I remember the exact moment that I told my husband that I was quitting and going to be a full time wedding planner. I was driven to make Elegant Affairs by Design a success. Read More>>
Susan Casey
As a very young child, I could feel people’s sadness and had an inner drive to alleviate their suffering, but I didn’t know how to do that other than offer a smile and a hug. Insomnia plagued me as a child because I would become overwhelmed with thinking up ways I could infuse the world with hope and leave people feeling a sense of wonder in the world and all it had to offer. Of course, I didn’t have this level of sophisticated thinking at eight years old, but I did feel like my mission to was to help sad people feel happy and offer the bright side to their sad stories. At twelve years old, I visited my grandmother in a nursing home and read to her. Read More>>
Randall Garrett
I have a theory around purpose, that goes something like this. The thing you are called to do in this life is never far away, in fact, it has most likely been with you from the earliest times you can remember. In my case, it’s being creative. My mom likes to tell the story of how when I was a kid, I would play with my friends for awhile, but then would always come in to sit on the floor and work on my drawings. I would paint signs and posters for fake businesses. And as soon as I could get my hands on an 8mm camera, I was making films. The same with a tape recorder. I would record these tapes full of slapstick humor and DJ impersonations. That’s pretty much what I’m still doing all these years later, albeit in a more sophisticated way, continuing to follow that muse of inspiration. Read More>>
Contraband Bigz
Growing up I always knew music was my purpose and passion. As a child started off on instruments and learned sight/Ears for music. Through out my life I picked up qualities that reflect that as well , like engineering and producing . Just all around knew that music was my thing and I only connected with people whose ideas of life was the same as mine. Most of the time I didn’t do it on purpose ,but in my younger years all my friends were artist or inspiring artists . To Answer the question when/how did I find my purpose “I had no other purpose in my life except music” Read More>>
Ali Hallock
For as long as I can remember, I turned to writing as a way of expressing myself. So, it came as no surprise when I turned to writing as a way to express myself through all the ups and downs of living life with chronic illness. I decided to put my writing online through social media, sharing my story with my small group of followers/friends. Little did I know how much that would actually change my life. The amount of people that began to reach out to me, and still continue to do so, expressing their gratitude because they too, found themselves fighting through similar health battles. My singular, small, and seemingly insignificant voice resonated with people from all over the world. Read More>>
Anya Sifton
I have always been compelled to create. As a child I loved to draw, paint, and write poetry and short stories. Not all of my creative attempts have been constructive though: I would cut up my little brother’s clothes in order to make outfits for my dolls from the fabric. My mom threatened to cut up one of my favorite dresses and that scared me away from destroying my baby brother’s outfits. To my mom’s credit, she did source scraps of fabrics for me to craft with afterwards. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten to play with a digital camera until I was in my early twenties. My mom struggled to put food on the table, and we certainly didn’t have money for a camera. Read More>>
Da’Ante
I found my purpose during a time when I was really really low. It was during Covid, that year of being isolated and by myself really made me look inward. It honestly was a blessing in disguise. I was alone living in Hollywood. I’ve always been an artist and a creative but something about thinking the world is ending makes you wonder what are you leaving behind?! Read More>>
Rashad Sanders
I found my purpose in the midst of some of the most traumatic moments of my life. The pain that I felt for years for what was done to me, altered the course of my life. I learned at a very early age how to avoid addressing the pain. I was taught that what I could physically see and feel from the pain was something that never happened. If it never happened then it was something that could never be mentioned outside of the home. I learned how to lie with no emotion just to cover up how I really felt. As I grew older I learned new ways to suppress the pain and survive the terrifying thoughts that would cloud my mind at night. Using the pain to fuel my motor for locating my purpose. There will come a time in every humans life, like it did for me, that they will have to face the pain head on. Read More>>
Fabian Reyes
I discovered my purpose through a series of experiences that led me to reevaluate my priorities and values. One defining moment for me was when I faced a significant setback in a sport that I had invested a great deal of myself in. As I grappled with failure and a sense of loss, I began to introspect and examine what truly mattered to me in life. It became evident that my faith, my relationship with God, my family, and the desire to help others were the cornerstones of my existence. Read More>>
Curtis Craven
So may years ago, when I was to begin 2nd grade, my father received a Fulbright Grant to study modern Indian art and the family spent a year in India. They enrolled me in St. Xaviers in New Delhi and subsequently I was the only Westerner enrolled. For that year I was immersed in Indian culture, with local neighborhood friends, local food and local culture. I remember distinctly watching the Sikhs walking by our house around sunset, their hair down almost to their feet as it dried in the cool of the evening. I also remember seeing bodies washed up on the shore of the Ganges, and the breathtaking beauty of the Taj Mahal. All of this set the stage for my life’s purpose and general curiosity for new and exciting adventures. Read More>>
Dr. Sheila Sapp
I found my purpose through the untimely death of my first friend and classmate-Karen. I was the only African American girl in my first and second grade class.. My early experiences attending a predominately Caucasian elementary school were not pleasant. I remember being asked questions about my skin color, lips, and hair. I was never able to answer their questions. I understand now, as an adult, that the other children in my class were simply curious about me. It was then that I began to dislike the face I saw in the mirror. I didn’t want to be different and thought something was wrong with me. Why else would they ask questions about my look? I just wanted my classmates to stop asking questions and play with me. Read More>>
Duke Alexander Moore
I knew I wanted to succeed in life. But my path to finding my purpose was not a straightforward one. It first started with the desire to want to change my current situation. During the early period of starting my business, I experienced homelessness for a couple months. It was very, very tough. I slept on the street two or three times. Read More>>
Gail Gensler
I attend many fitness events in Miami and have been doing so for many years. It’s no surprise that at this point I’m one of the oldest attendees. There have been countless times that after the class was over a younger person would come up to me and say ” i don’t know who you are, and I realize you are not the instructor-but you were the one I was watching for inspiration! Read More>>
Nathan Ricks
Finding my purpose as a musician is often a deeply personal and introspective journey. It can involve a combination of self-reflection, exploration, and experience.
Self-reflection: I often begin by examining my own motivations and passions. I asked myself questions like, “Why do I want to pursue music?” and “What kind of impact do I hope to make through my music?” This process helps me gain clarity about my values, interests, and the direction they want to take in my musical journey. Read More>>
Isaac Hamlin
A long time ago, I figured out my purpose on this earth is to help people. There’s no more satisfying feeling for me than being able to do that. I realized early on that the impact you can have on others is the most valuable currency there is. All the other things are just smoke in mirrors. Better Blend gives me the opportunity to make a difference and that’s why I’m able to work so hard on it – it’s just my vehicle and it truly fulfills my purpose in life. I think we all need a summit to climb, and leaving an indelible mark on as many peoples lives as I can, in a positive way, is mine. Read More>>
Dorothee Kumpe
The journey to finding my purpose has been a rollercoaster ride. As an immigrant, a woman, and an artist, finding my purpose meant pausing my rational business mind and taking a leap of faith into my passion: Art and Creation. It meant trusting myself over the misogynistic comments that make any successful woman feel less than. The little remarks that signal your looks are being seen, but your talent and valuable information in the field, are simply not being taken seriously. The frustration and ultimate burnout led me straight to what I was needing most which was a total purge and restart to how I was living life and how I was working in this world. It was terrifying. Read More>>
Angel Devone
At an early age I discovered a desire to understand people. My desire morphed into the questions, what contributes to the human condition? and How do we become the way we are? Some how, It was if my life’s experiences were set up to help me discover the answers to these questions. After working a jobs that I enjoyed and still filling unfulfilled, I new that something need to change. I sought counsel to work through some unresolved issues that I felt were keeping me stuck, like anger and grief. When therapy proved to be positive and helpful, my desire to understand humans became more personal. Read More>>
Sam Brasko
My father died of cancer in 2016. I was 17 at the time. When we knew the end was near, he sat me down, just the two of us, and had one long conversation about purpose. Using your time wisely in order to find and achieve that purpose. He was a chemical engineer and admittedly chose that career primarily because of the money attached to it. During our conversation, he told me about his regrets of not pursuing his passion for theatre arts, that was sparked during his time in college. I don’t believe he was involved in it for very long, but he said it was one of the most fulfilling things he was ever a part of. Read More>>
Rochelle McRyans
How I discovered my purpose through the arts is when I began writing acting skits and developed a passion for it as a child. I love to be funny and act and was a jokester in school. I’m focused on my brand as a writer and producer for film and television. I launched It’s a Really Rochelle Production LLC in August of 2021. Being a filmmaker as a woman of color in Hollywood is important and it breaks barriers for the next generation of black women in the world of arts and entertainment. What’s the most exciting for me is to be able to tells stories and write about important characters. The new thing that’s happening right now is my new television series a coming of age dramedy set in Queens New York. Read More>>
Jody Caputo
Through some disappointing past Real Estate transactions of my own, I knew that I could come into this field and make a difference. Buying or selling a home is way less stressful when it’s in the hands of an honest, dedicated expert. I wanted to put my talent and caring heart to work helping people. Read More>>
Roy Studmire
From a young age, I have possessed an unwavering conviction that my purpose in life is to lead and make a significant impact. Numerous individuals have affirmed that God has a special plan for me, although the details of that plan remained a mystery. Regardless, I have always placed my trust in God, confident that He would pave the way for me. Even during times of homelessness, I clung to my faith, relying on God’s guidance. When I found myself without the means to feed myself, I entrusted my well-being to God’s providence. Read More>>
Shujan Bertrand
After 25 years in the industrial design industry, I found my purpose, zero-waste design. My full understanding of design and manufacturing began when I started my own business in San Francisco. Through this, I truly grasped the issue of pre-consumer waste and its environmental impact on climate change and carbon footprint within the cut-and-sew industry. Read More>>
Linda Y Hernandez Arias
There are many reasons I can mention that allowed and pushed me to find my purpose in life. The main one I like to share with everyone I come in contact with and also ask me “how did I find my purpose” is FEAR. It was during my most lowest and hardest times as a single mother of two, homeless, no family support and unemployed that built so many walls in my mind creating fear to limit my abilities to see the purpose the lord had in stored for my life. Read More>>
Marques Ogden
At 27, Marques founded Kayden Premier Enterprises, and in 2010, Marques won The African American Subcontractor of the Year Award in the state of Maryland. He soon went bankrupt, losing almost 2 million dollars on one project in 90 days. Read More>>
