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.

La’kamaro Johnson

I find my purpose by going through my phone every day and looking at the photos of my daughter, who lives her best life just because. To see that she had to fight to earn her place in this world before she was even born. And to see that she came from Drs telling my wife and I that she wouldn’t develop like other children because she was born early. To watch my daughter defy the odds every single day to where people are telling us how smart and well inform she is for her age. That’s where my purpose comes from. Read more>>

Susan Padron

After giving birth to my son and losing my sense of self, I rediscovered myself through healing and authentic personal style, and I’ve helped hundreds of people do the same. I have a clear memory of myself standing in my closet, as my 10 months of maternity/family leave was coming to an end, and not recognizing the person that used to wear my old clothes. So much of myself, my identity, and my daily life had changed since becoming a mom. I had to take the time to get to know myself all over again in order to know where to begin with figuring out what to wear.  Read more>>

Anthony Wayne

Since I was a kid growing up in Norfolk, Virginia I have always been the type of kid to try to put forth a task and try to achieve it. That drive and ambition comes from seeing my mother make ends meet for my older brother and I. Many times I didn’t know she had little because she always made us feel like we had everything. Elaine Gary Green became my inspiration and would soon inspire me more than I would ever know. I’ve been in theatre performing since I was 5 years old so through grade school all the way up to college, I’ve always been trying to find my mold my purpose through the validation of others. Others would be family, friends, colleagues, teachers and even intimate partners.  Read more>>

Carl Middleton

I believe my purpose found me rather than the other way around. Art and creativity have always been central to my life, shaping my experiences and guiding my interests from a young age. Over time, I naturally gravitated toward these passions, and by focusing intently on what I was already doing, I discovered that it led me to where I am today. This journey has been about embracing what I love and allowing it to gravitate me to the right plane. It’s been a deeply fulfilling experience to see how my creative pursuits have evolved into a meaningful and purposeful path. Read more>>

Dr. Eric Holmes

I found my purpose through prayer and having those around me that could pour in my life. Knowing what I was passionate about and continuing to pursue it. Then I defined purpose then understood purpose so now I am walking in my purpose so I can fulfill it. Read more>>

Morgan Manasa

I’ve been an artist with a focus on storytelling my whole life and, while I work in many different mediums, theatre work as always been a driving force. About 5 years ago I discovered how illustration and graphic design can communicate a story or ask questions of the viewer, which compliments my work as a theatre maker. As time goes on, I get more and more excited delving into how to use these art forms as a means to represent different voices and bring awareness to issues that are important to me, which lights the fire under my bum to keep moving forward. I’ve been lucky that my mix of talents influence and align with each other. Read more>>

Ivana Darmawan

Reflecting on this question, I realize that my purpose in life has been profoundly shaped by my experiences I’ve had growing up. I grew up in Indonesia and now lives in Los Angeles. My purpose is to empower women, particularly Indonesian women, in improving their livelihoods. My inspiration comes from my mother, a successful businesswoman in Indonesia who faced significant challenges early in her career simply because of her gender.  Read more>>

Doris Sumner

I grew up in a small country town in Vermont in a large blue collar poor family. I had five siblings and five cousins next door. We spent our time outdoors roaming the country hillsides, building cabins and swimming in the brooks. I was a tomboy; I rejected the dresses my stay-at-home mom wanted us girls to wear. I did not like the gender boxes which push the toys or careers we were supposed to want. I took auto-mechanics in school then thought I might want to be a cross-country semi-tractor trailer driver like a Smokey and the Bandit character.  Read more>>

David Scott

I found my purpose from doing what I love the most and that’s my art in my spare time. I also love cleaning, restoring and customizing shoes. I’ve been doing it for 7 years now and it’s still going strong. Read more>> 

Cheyenne Johnson

Even though I developed a liking for baking in high-school and continued through college, I had no clue what I wanted to bring to society after I graduated. I just knew that I loved to make beautiful looking cakes. There was a Period in time where banana pudding was The Star of the show. It was all over social media. People were waiting in long lines for it. Every time I was out I would hear people talk about it. It was everywhere I looked and people were eating HUGE containers of it. Read more>>

Natalie Kinsey

I grew up on a Vermont dairy farm in a region known as the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, USA, where my Scottish ancestors settled two hundred years ago. The idea for the Storykeepers Curriculum that I do in schools probably began when I was a young child, when my father, mother, sister and brothers, instilled in me a love of history. It was my sister’s genealogical research that led me to begin writing books, almost all of which are based on family history, like my book, The Bear That Heard Crying, which is an amazing story of my great-great-great-great-great-aunt who was lost in the woods in 1783, when she was three years old, and a bear that took care of her. Read more>>

Lúcia Carvalho

Finding your purpose doesn’t always happen all at once. Often, it’s something that comes with time, as you explore different things and figure out what truly makes you feel fulfilled. For me, that journey started with music. I’ve always been fascinated by how music can create emotions and tell stories, even without words. It was my first experience with sound, and I loved how it could shape a mood or bring people together. Read more>>

Bailee Roberts

Finding my purpose has been a long and elusive journey. Although I can’t recall a time when I wasn’t designing and decorating out of pure love for beautifully cultivated spaces, it wasn’t until my family moved from London, where we had lived for 15 years, back to my hometown of Santa Barbara, CA, that I made a professional pivot. Read more>>

Eva Kantor

From a very young age, I knew that I was a storyteller. I loved playing pretend, making up stories and songs, and I discovered my love of theater early. It was my grandfather, my Papa, who introduced me to the classic movie musicals like Singing in the in Rain and Meet Me in St. Louis that nurtured a deep love of both musical theater and film. Read more>>

Allison Cammilleri

I have spent my entire career in the hospitality industry. First, for years waiting tables and then shifting to the catering industry. Following that, for nearly a decade, I worked for a local Austin restaurant group, where I established a genuine love for the events industry. Read more>>

Jessica Lyonford

Let me start by saying it took me over 30 years to even begin to understand purpose in its true form. We tend to think it has to be this big, bold, important thing—some grand calling that exists above our everyday interactions and routines. But that’s not what purpose really is. My journey to finding my purpose was actually learning what it truly meant and why it mattered. Read more>>

Claudia Pinel Iatalese

Ever since a young age I was always passionate about music. The way one song could connect so many different people around the world always astounded me. However, I never saw myself being a performer nor an artist because I didn’t want or like the attention that it involved. I grew up playing piano and guitar and even though I wasn’t the most passionate performer, I knew I wanted to work with music somehow. During high school, I discovered that there was much more to music than just the performers and artists. There was in fact a whole group of people behind the scenes helping the artist create and execute their vision.  Read more>>

Rebecca Trujillo

I have found my purpose through the hardships I have encountered along my journey. Each hardship allowed me to tap into my resilience, optimism, and growth. I truly believe in order to be a successful business owner, you must possess leadership, creativity, and strong problem solving skills while staying customer focused. Past management positions have allowed me to grow in those roles. Read more>>

Crystal Santos

Finding your purpose can be super cool! For me, it’s all about my family, friends, and the awesome people around me who cheer me on. I’ve been into music since I was tiny—like when I was 2, I’d listen to classical music and get all emotional about it! My parents said I had this special ear for all kinds of tunes. I love singing, and I think my purpose is to use my voice to spread joy and help others discover their own talents. It’s like making people smile with a little bit of music magic! Read more>>

Cristal Ortiz

In high school, I always worked with an idea to please someone else or that someone ‘bigger’ would notice me. I applied to Duke hoping this great institution would notice me. This goal has changed. My goal is to make contributions without the pressure of impressing anyone “bigger”, but my beliefs and work ethic. This contribution includes good patient service, community outreach, health activism, or even maybe helping contribute to groundbreaking research (but no pressure to myself). My contribution to others will not be to impress but to support others. Read more>>

Luke Vandergriff

Honestly, I grew up with a sense of purpose, until I lost it. Being a pastor’s kid, the idea of saving the world, and helping the poor was always presented to me as a noble cause. I wanted to make a difference since I was little and so I followed that sense of purpose down to Bolivia, South America, where I pursued a career as a missionary. However, the religious ladder felt slippery, like I would climb up two rungs, slip, and fall three. After a decade or so, I was frustrated and desperate for some kind of change. That’s when God, the universe or whatever you like to call it, told me that my place of influence wasn’t in the religious setting. Having spent my entire life so far focused on this one purpose, to lose it was like losing my entire sense of identity. Read more>>

Alison Guessou

Finding my purpose was a journey that took time and introspection. It wasn’t an immediate realization, but rather the result of years spent reflecting on what truly brought me joy. I dedicated time to thinking about what I enjoyed doing, envisioning the kind of life I wanted, and assessing the projects that I found fulfilling. This process involved studying my work habits, identifying the tasks that energized me, and recognizing the skills I naturally gravitated toward. Read more>>

Laryssa Suaid

I found my purpose through a combination of passion, family influence, and the journey of self-discovery that came with overcoming challenges. Photography has been a part of my life since childhood, with my grandfather and father both being photographers. Their work sparked my initial interest, but it wasn’t until I started capturing moments myself that I realized how much joy it brought me to preserve memories for others. Read more>>

Matt Gerlach

I think our purpose may change over time, or at least, that’s been my story. To me, purpose is more about finding what I’m called to be doing and right now, I’m called to be helping people with what I’ve overcome. I spent the first 35 years of my life chasing the money and success, thinking that would make me happy. I still think money is great and I want a lot of it, but success looks a lot different for me now—success is the main thing that matters… I need to feel good on the inside and right now, it’s helping others learn this too. I had a traumatic childhood that I hadn’t dealt with and since healing from it, I’ve been able to live in authenticity and come closer to finding my calling, or purpose. Read more>>

Jackie Pool

I like to say my purpose found its way to me, for the longest time I knew I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. Growing up in high school I loved working with kids and took electives that allowed that but as I grew older I thought about the health system and how much impact I would have being a nurse. Ultimately, I didn’t do any of those things because I truly believe my calling is being a coach! After 2020 I was working as a medical assistant and decided to become a Nutrition Coach going through several transformations I wanted to submerge myself in what the body truly needs to thrive. Read more>>

Alex Leon

And a child I grew up with my mother and my little brother and some very unfortunate circumstances. Of the 17 years that I lived at home we lived in homeless shelters and homeless housing for 16 and a half years. I remembered what it was like not celebrating holidays like other kids, I remembered what it’s like not having things and I remember hoarding small dollars here and there to help support family. As a child I found myself incredibly grateful for all of the people that helped us but really never knew what else there was out there.  Read more>>

Audrey Kriss Berkowitz

In 2016 my first born child Joshua died of an overdose in MD. In my grief, I was floundering for a way to move forward and find a way to make a difference.
I had been a career banker and grown disillusioned with the industry. I wanted to help people or give them something that brought them peace and serenity. My 1st step was to become a certified life coach and for a few years I worked with a local recovery organization using my creative skills and life coaching knowledge. Read more>>

Giana Shorthouse

Finding my purpose has been a gradual and evolving journey. I’ve always felt a strong pull toward creative expression and helping people feel more connected to their environments. Over time, I realized that at the heart of my work, whether through interior design or other creative pursuits, is a desire to create spaces that foster balance, comfort, and a sense of belonging. Read more>>

Tabitha Frazer

I’ve always had this internal “knowing” that I was meant to make a positive difference in the world. My path to becoming an EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Practitioner was far from straight – more like curves, loops, seemingly wrong turns, and near disasters. Read more>>

Cheryl Monroe

After 28 years of service in the military, I learned that life’s journey often takes unexpected turns, and sometimes the most fulfilling paths are those that emerge from challenges and change. The transition from military life to entrepreneurship was one of the most significant turning points in my life, and it led me to the founding of CK Management and Consultant Group. This business wasn’t just a career shift—it was the realization of a purpose I had been building toward throughout my entire life. Read more>>

Eddie Hsia

“Mixed By Eddie” began as a personal passion that quickly turned into a business driven by creativity, flavor, and a love for bringing people together. I’ve always been fascinated by cocktails—not just the taste, but the art behind crafting something truly unique. What started as mixing drinks for friends and family evolved into a deeper pursuit of creating drinks that aren’t just beverages, but experiences. Read more>>

Robnitia Weekley

Robnitia L. Weekley found her purpose through a journey of self-discovery and the pursuit of her passions. Initially, she explored various fields, balancing full-time work and furthering her education, which eventually led her to a deep interest in social work. Her desire to serve others became clear when she realized how much she enjoyed helping people navigate complex systems, whether through her business, *Stamped For You LLC Notary*, or her broader ventures. Read more>>

Lisa Ehler-curley

How I found my purpose, and how it has served me well.
When I was just 9 years old, I developed chronic migraine headaches. I remember being in school one day and my head felt like it was going to explode. That same day I had to leave school when I started vomiting from the intense pain. Read more>>

Karla Lopez

This is a question I ask myself quite frequently and I don’t think that I fully know what that quite is yet but I have a feeling I am working on finding my purpose currently. The reason I say I don’t quite know what my purpose is currently is for a few reasons. I come from immigrant parents who came here to find better opportunities and a better future for themselves and their family. I grew up thinking I would have to work many different jobs and move around because this was all I knew growing up. Read more>>

Ajia Munns

Can you imagine life without inspiration? I can’t! I’ve been a storyteller since I was a small, tender girl. I used to foster bedtime stories and tell them to my younger sister (Natalie) before we drifted asleep. To this day I still daydream myself to sleep. I write poetry, scripts, and books. I love novels and fiction as well. I now put my daydreams on my pages, and try to bring them to life but I wasn’t always clear about my purpose. Read more>>

Demilade Oloyede

As a first-generation immigrant, moving to the U.S. with big dreams was both exhilarating and terrifying. After completing my degrees in IT management, I found myself facing the challenge of navigating a professional world where I often felt out of place. I started my career working in product management and marketing for large companies, and while I gained valuable experience, the nagging feeling of “not being enough” followed me. There were times when I would walk into meetings and question whether I deserved to be there—despite being just as qualified, if not more, than those around me. Read more>>

Minyue Ge

Finding my purpose in architecture has been a journey shaped by both personal experiences and professional exploration. From a young age, I was captivated by the way spaces influence human interaction and how design can uplift communities. This curiosity naturally led me to pursue architecture, but it was through my work on real-world projects and competitions that my purpose truly crystallized. Read more>>

Joanna Seiber

In my early college years, I found a verse in the Scriptures that encouraged me to find my purpose in life. Psalm 27:4 says, “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple”. During that time in school studying music, I faced many questions in life such as: Where do I go next? Why do I want to pursue a music career? What is the purpose of all this?.  Read more>>

Louise Butera

I found purpose in:
• Hustling: I’ve often held multiple jobs at the same time throughout my life. I wanted to explore what I enjoyed, what I was good at, and what I wanted to continue doing and learning from. (I also needed the money to eat, put clothes on my back, and of course, have fun!)
• Community: Learning from others—whether through industry events, webinars, or conversations with people in and around the CPG industry—has always been important to me. Read more>>