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.

Love Logan

My purpose found me. If you asked me at the beginning of my professional journey, which started in undergrad, if I knew that this is where my path would have led me, the answer would have been a resounding “No” with a look of incredulity. I started college with the intent to go to law school and eventually land a high-profile job working in Washington. However, it didn’t take long to discover that God had other plans for me. As an ambitious college student who thrived on independence, I sought employment to earn extra money. I picked up the local paper and searched for job openings.  Read More>> 

Jennifer Abreu

I found my purpose after a lifetime of feeling like I was never enough. I chose to heal through deep spiritual work, meditation, yoga, and sacred rituals, learning to love myself fiercely, and now I guide other women to do the same. The more I leaned into teaching women how to love themselves the more I healed the parts of me that were never seen. Now I’m devoted to this purpose. Read More>>

Jess Hale

What I thought was my purpose 15 years ago looks completely different today. Back then, I believed my path was to work in a lab, doing research and discovering new things. And for a while, I loved it. I’m a scientist—I spent over a decade doing research in cellular biology, but something started to shift inside me. I needed a change. Read More>> 

Kristen Campbell

Being raised in a very creative family, where paintings, sculptures, and textiles from various cultures adorned the walls of family members or were created by a family member. Everyone, including my father, had beautiful handwriting; therefore, I have always had a fondness for working with my hands and admiring all forms of art. The expectation within my maternal side of the family was to always approach work with integrity, and when applicable, beauty and organization. Balanced aesthetics in all parts of your life was a priority and a lesson that I learned at a very early age. Read More>> 

Laura Ericson

Here’s the thing nobody tells you about finding your purpose: sometimes it finds you when you’re at your absolute worst. I was 34, freshly divorced, and watching all my friends settle into their coupled-up lives while I was starting over.

I’d always been adventurous—I was the girl who studied abroad, who taught English in Spain, who had this wandering soul that somehow got buried under a decade of trying to be someone I wasn’t. Post-divorce me made a promise: no more playing it safe, no more resort vacations to the same places everyone else goes. I wanted to see the world, and I wanted to do it with purpose. Read More>> 

Saanvi Arora

I didn’t so much “find” my purpose as I lived my way into it. I was 15 when I lost a close friend to suicide, and that grief cracked something open in me. Suddenly, policy wasn’t abstract, but became personal. I saw how systems failed young people, how silence was killing us, and how so few spaces actually listened when we spoke up. Read More>> 

Fahnlohnee Reeves

How I found my purpose definitely has a long and a short answer. The short is that my purpose seemed to find me. Unsolicited and wasn’t looking, it found me. It also came in waves of happenstances that made me say…”Hmm, Who knew” and “Ok Lord, If you say so”. The long version is it really began when I came to America as a child born to a preacher and a classically trained mother, also missionary that married and served in Monrovia, Liberia.  Read More>> 

Gabriella Quintanilla Rhea Sareen

For us, purpose wasn’t something we stumbled upon overnight – it was shaped by both our professional paths and our personal journeys. With backgrounds in consulting and PR, we built a strong foundation in strategy, creativity, and communication. At the same time, as we entered adulthood, we discovered a deep love for Pilates and wellness that quickly became part of our identity. Read More>> 

I didn’t find my purpose in a single moment, I grew into it, even though it was with me all along.

As a little girl, I was bold, confident, and wildly assured in my own rhythm. I led instinctively, often without waiting for permission. I wasn’t particularly selfless, I was self-full. I trusted my voice, knew what I wanted, and believed deeply in my timing. That certainty was my compass, even before I understood what it meant. Read More>> 

Kristy Scher

When my children were still in grade school, I went back to college for a second degree in nursing. I knew I wanted to work with mothers and babies; I thought I would become a nurse midwife, eventually. However, the first job I got out of nursing school was on a postpartum unit, working as a neonatal and perinatal RN. Over the first half of my tenure as a hospital, nurse, I realized that when I walked into a new mother’s room, I could immediately feel that she had what I now called a “mother story”. Depending on what her mother story was, I began to see the kind of challenges new mothers had in tending, nurturing, and feeding their new infant.  Read More>> 

Hollis Wakefield

As a young student in high school, I had no clue what I wanted to “do with my life” after I graduated. The pressure put on young people- teens or adults- to figure out what they plan to do with their life is intense. As teachers, my parents, and other adults in my life continued to ask what I wanted to do with myself, the more overwhelmed I became. How could I know, at age fifteen, what I wanted my purpose in life to be? Read More>> 

Mary Bengtsson

Prior to 2022, I wasn’t quite sure I had a purpose outside of my roles as “Mom” and “Employee”. I was already in my mid-40s. I’d heard of other fabulous women finding their inspiration later in life. I, however, was convinced that my purpose had jumped a one-way train out of drudgery and left me standing on a platform I didn’t know existed holding a ticket I didn’t know I had purchased!

Then… 2020. Prior to that, I’d avoided TikTok like it was lower than the human fleas and lice that carried Bubonic Plague. Yeah, turns out it was humans, not rats, but I digress. Read More>> 

Dr. Ayesha Suneja-Seymour

I didn’t go looking for my purpose. It found me, slowly and painfully, hidden in the very experiences I once wished had never happened.

I grew up in Canada, and in order to please my family, I returned to India for an arranged marriage when I was 21 years old.. Only after the wedding did I learn that my husband was addicted to alcohol and that the marriage would be marked by domestic violence, fear and years of abuse.. Choosing to leave meant facing a painful divorce in a culture where divorce was deeply stigmatized, where my decision carried the weight of judgment, shame, and isolation. Read More>> 

Richard Beavers

I was born with my purpose it’s something that we all possess. The purpose is to make a positive impact in the community, lives of others and ultimately the world. I see myself as a vessel that God is using to do the work that he has intended for me. Purpose leads to passion, passion to vision that ultimately allows you to fulfill your assignment in life. Owning an art gallery where art is the tool that gives me the opportunity to engage my community using art as the catalyst to uplift, empower, educate, engage others using art as the catalyst to evoke critical thinking and conversation around topics that sometimes may be uncomfortable to discuss.  Read More>> 

Sherri Mehta

My purpose found me, I do believe. I think for as long as I can remember, I’ve followed these three words: seek, find, share. I’m naturally curious – a lover of all mysteries, secrets, hidden things. And once I’ve learned or discovered something, I cannot keep it to myself! I’ve always been the friend with, what I called, “useless tidbits of knowledge.” Read More>> 

Katie Mehnert

Discovering my purpose began with asking myself the big, difficult questions. I realized purpose isn’t something handed to you—it’s something you uncover by digging deep. Questions like, “Why am I here?” and “What truly matters to me?” forced me to face not just who I was but who I wanted to become. The ASK taught me that purpose is found when we challenge ourselves to stop settling for surface-level answers and start climbing the personal mountain of self-discovery. Each step forward—whether through giving, introspection, or small, deliberate actions—brought me closer to clarity and alignment with my values. Read More>> 

Sheena Shelton

I found purpose by paying attention to what the Black fitness community in San Diego needed. As a trainer, speaker, and wellness entrepreneur, I’ve always been passionate about health and establishing meaningful connections. But over time, I noticed how overlooked and under-supported Black fitness professionals were, not just in visibility, but in access to opportunities, funding, and community. Read More>> 

[email protected] 2276888

I’ve loved to draw since childhood. In second grade, my teacher encouraged my mother to develop my drawing talent, so my mom found a private art class that I started attending weekly. Painting became the center of my life as a teenager, leading me to choose an art university. Afterward, I became interested in painting on glass, and it truly captured my attention. After working with glass in Spain for seven years, my interest shifted to light art during my graduate studies in the US. I’ve always followed my interests, and they’ve become my purpose. I’ve never planned my path; I’ve just followed my passion and curiosity. Read More>> 

Teinamarrie Scuderi

I’ve always known deep down that I was born to make a difference in the world—and I have my mom to thank for planting those seeds early. When my brother and I were little, she would have us choose five gently used toys each year to donate to Toys for Tots. That act of giving taught me that helping others wasn’t just something you do—it’s who you are. Read More>>

Aaron Davis

I discovered my purpose simply by starting a project. Many people have ideas but hesitate to begin out of fear or uncertainty. Taking that first step on my initial project not only gave me the foundation to continue, it also built my confidence. As I started earning from my work, my self-belief only grew stronger. My advice to anyone with an idea is straightforward: just start. If you never begin, you might never find your true purpose or realize your potential. Starting is the key to unlocking growth, confidence, and fulfillment. Read More>> 

Rahela Rajh

From as far back as I can remember, children have been my compass. As a little girl in Croatia, I found joy in helping classmates with homework, inventing games from scraps of paper, and turning everyday items into little worlds of play. Those early sparks grew into a calling.

I completed my degree in Early Childhood Education and began my professional journey in Croatia. Over time, my dedication to bringing value and innovation to the classroom was recognized, and I was promoted to the title of Mentor by the Ministry of Education and ETTA. Read More>>

Priscilla Caballero

I first discovered my purpose in my 20s, although I’ve had a heart of helping others all my life, it wasn’t until about four years ago, after surviving and walking away from an abusive relationship, that I began living in it fully. That turning point in my life became my catalyst for change. I was simply grateful to be alive, and I made a promise to myself to use that second chance to help others. Read More>> 

Maxine Sudarma

A Story of Lasting Impact

Finding my purpose wasn’t a sudden ‘aha!’ moment; it’s been this continuous unfolding of my innate desire to bring people together. It’s a story woven from my earliest experiences as an Asian American little girl navigating diverse spaces, how my upbringing in California’s vibrant mix played a huge part, my personal mission to ensure my kids—and indeed, all Asian American youth—see themselves authentically represented, and my constant drive to unite people across all kinds of differences.  Read More>>

Danielle Hanoud

The profound loss of my brother, Marc, my best friend, in a sudden boating accident in 2019 became the catalyst for my spiritual awakening. Faced with unimaginable darkness, I chose to seek the light, embarking on a transformative journey of self-discovery and healing for my mind, body and soul. Instead of succumbing to a victim mentality, I began to actively work on my own limiting belief systems and stored trauma.  Read More>>

LaTanvia Lewis

During the 2020 pandemic, life slowed down in a way I hadn’t expected. I had just been laid off, my newborn son was at home, and my daughter was adjusting to virtual learning. As someone who’s always wanted to be productive and make a difference, I found myself praying and asking God, “What am I here for? What is my purpose?” One day, while taking my son on a play date, I met a caregiver who introduced me to the Judy Center, a hub for child and family resources. Read More>> 

Susan Hopper

I have always been an avid reader and love the written word. I enjoy reading and love helping others connect with books.
The clearer and more understandable someone is, the easier their message is to read and understand. I find great satisfaction in editing because I’m able to help others find their clearest voices to reach others with their words. Read More>> 

Anna Broadway

As a single woman living in a culture where women often find purpose in roles like wife and mother, finding purpose got harder as I moved deeper into my thirties. I’ve never been as ambitious career-wise, other than having certain writing dreams. So it didn’t feel like I could just redirect my energies to focus on finding meaning through work. Read More>> 

Vanessa Wenwieser

Just by watching the world and hearing stories of abuse from friends and reading about it in the magazines and newspapers and feeling outraged that women are still treated less than equal. Unfortunately recently, in many countries the things women have fought so hard to attain have been taken away, like women’s rights over their own body. Read More>> 

PaSean

Several years ago, I was in severe pelvic pain—so intense I had to be rushed to the emergency room. That’s when I found out I had fibroids, and the conversation quickly turned to the possibility of a hysterectomy.

At the time, I was still in my childbearing years and didn’t want to go through with such a life-altering procedure. After getting a second opinion, I was relieved to learn it wasn’t necessary. I had a myomectomy instead. Read More>> 

Abisoye Ojosipe

I didn’t stumble upon purpose in a single moment of revelation; instead, it unfolded slowly, like a canvas taking shape over time, beginning in my childhood and growing with me ever since.

For a while, I chased the illusion of the perfect painting—an unattainable ideal that only drained the joy from my art. It was then I realized that true fulfillment wasn’t in perfection, but in the journey itself—in every brushstroke, every color, every fleeting emotion captured on the canvas. Read More>> 

Stefani Fryzel

It’s been an interesting journey! I started out as an artist/songwriter, riding through the highs and lows of being an independent artist. During the pandemic, I realized I had other gifts and talents that had been lying dormant, so I took the opportunity to write my first book, Self-Care for the Creative—a self-care guide for people in creative industries. During that process, and after 20 years in the music industry, I discovered an even bigger purpose: coaching artists and songwriters to not only grow creatively, but also thrive sustainably.  Read More>> 

Kerri Wilson

To be honest, that purpose continues to expand and shift as I grow and learn. Foundationally, I do believe my purpose comes from a few things. Growing up in a household with a parent who was always sick in one way or another, I knew I didn’t want my kids to grow up the same way. Seeing that parent try every fad diet, every medication, and even surgeries to only watch them eventually fail showed me that there has to be a better path to health. What that was, I had no idea. Read More>> 

Claudia Borges

In mid-2016, a work-related stress–induced nervous breakdown led me to take a 90-day medical leave and finally confront what wasn’t working in my life.

During that time, I began practicing Reiki — a long-held personal interest — and experienced profound physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. One pivotal moment came when I received a spiritual message: “You have a gift. Look for it. From now on, you will start helping others.” Though I was skeptical at first, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my purpose was shifting in a meaningful way. Read More>>

Jessica Walton

I found my purpose by following what seemed at first like two very different paths—literature and national security—until I realized they were leading me to the same place. I started out studying English literature and thought I might become a professor. But while living in Israel, I was drawn to the urgency and complexity of global security issues, which led me to pursue a master’s in security intelligence and serve in the Israeli military. Read More>>