Not knowing why you are going wherever it is that you are going sounds silly, but so often folks live life without thinking about their purpose. We believe that thinking about your purpose and trying to identify what it might be is one of the most impactful things you can do to level up your life, career, and general level of happiness and fulfillment. Having a sense of what your why is will help you become a better decision maker which inevitably will improve your life. Below, you’ll find some interesting discussions, stories and perspectives around find your purpose.

Ja’el Gordon

I didn’t stumble into my purpose. I’ve known it for as long as I can remember. Even as a child, I was drawn to plantations. Not because of the grandeur people often associated with them, but because I wanted to know who really lived there. I wanted to know about the people whose stories weren’t being told. I quickly learned that the beauty many people saw in these homes was built on deep pain, and that beneath the polished surface were lives marked by unimaginable trauma. That realization shaped the way I saw history and the way I saw myself in it. Read More>>

Quentin Irey

I started in the corporate world and immediately struggled to find a sense of purpose. I clocked in and out with little motivation and quickly became exhausted and alienated. It wasn’t until I started pursuing creativity in my work that I found some meaning. But then the realities of business started closing in on me again. The creativity of web design, video production, photography and graphic design were great but I still had a business to run and administrative tasks started to ware me down.  Read More>>

Cristobal Abugaber

Since I was a kid, I was obsessed with the behind-the-scenes features on DVDs. While most people watched the movie and moved on, I wanted to understand how it was made—what happened behind the camera, how the shots came together, how the actors prepared. In middle school, I invited my friends over, borrowed my dad’s camera, and made a home movie. My dad loved editing, so he installed Adobe Elements on our computer and showed me how to use it. That moment lit something in me.  Read More>>

Betsy Bush

I view the years post retirement or even as an “empty nester” as one filled with possibilities. These are years in which we can explore all the things we set aside when we were younger: our creativity, our joy in creating art and making music, creative writing, and other areas… all the areas we loved as kids and teens when we put them aside to concentrate on earning a living. Our post 55 years can be a time of fearless creation — if we take advantage of the opportunity. At 56 I went back to get a second BA degree at Columbia University, majoring in architecture.  Read More>>

Joanna Li

My purpose is simple and maybe a little cliché—I just want to bring joy and encouragement to more people. I think what kids consume is really important, the kind of media they grow up with shapes who they become. I’d love to contribute to the part that hopefully helps them grow into better people. I was completely immersed in comics, animation, anime, and TV shows as a kid, and they had such a big impact on me. Now, I want to create something that does the same for others. Read More>>

Zara Sargsyan

I’ve always known that I was made to make music. There was never a moment of doubt in my heart. I stepped on stage for the first time when I was five years old, and I just *knew*. I belonged there. The way everything else faded away, the way I felt completely at home in my own skin—it was like my purpose had been there all along, just waiting for me to step into it.

But knowing what I was meant to do didn’t mean everyone around me accepted it. My dad, my grandfather, and so many others in my family are musicians. They knew how unstable this career could be, how much sacrifice it required, and they didn’t want that for me. They wanted me to choose something safer, something that wouldn’t break my heart over and over again. Read More>>

Emalee Evans

For me, discovering my purpose was a no-brainer. Honestly, I feel like one of the lucky ones. My purpose came naturally through the things I’ve loved since childhood. I was creative from a young age and developed an interest in fashion design at just ten years old. I even did my 5th-grade science fair project on fashion designers—though it definitely didn’t follow the rubric! My mom supported my passion by buying me a sewing machine and several fashion books. I still have drawings of wedding dresses I designed back then. Read More>>

Carleigh Hyser

My grandmother was my art teacher from K-7th! Every week we would have art class and each time I walked into her room I felt like the most special girl in the planet.

I found my purpose very early on through her support. It was the little things. Each time I was at her house she made sure I had a craft to complete, her Christmas presents were always really nice art supplies, she took us to local creative fairs, and bought me a subscription to my favorite mixed media magazine. Doing art as your job wasn’t frowned upon in my family, it was cool. Read More>>

Jayda Bryan

I discovered my purpose through deep self-reflection and a transformative experience that made it clear—motherhood is my calling. Not just in raising my own children, but in sharing the journey of motherhood with others. That realization led me to support women as a nurse, childbirth educator, and lactation advocate. My work is a reflection of that purpose—to empower, educate, and advocate for mothers at every stage. Read More>>

Tammy Bolden

Finding your purpose is a bold journey (pun intended). I found my career purpose after spending 10 plus years working in various marketing, public relations, and sales capacities – including a tenure with a large furniture manufacturer – sadly not finding fulfillment. After a series of health crises in my family including the death of both my grandmothers within six months, I decided I could no longer put my passion for interior design at bay. With the support of my wonderful husband Todd and while raising three children, I returned to school and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design achieving Cum Laude Honors from The Robert Busch School of Design at Kean University. Read More>>

Chelsey Blevins

Since I was a young woman, I was determined to find my calling, I imagined myself in so many different roles and scenarios but nothing quite felt right to me. I continued on my journey but even when I was in college I changed my major so many different times, from botany, to kinesiology, to holistic medical practitioner, etc. I finally got to a point where I wasn’t exactly sure who I was supposed to be, so I settled on a very broad degree in science with a focus on psychology. It was only after I obtained my degree and exited college that my purpose ran headfirst into me. Read More>>

Melissa Holman

I found my purpose the hard way—by breaking first. For decades, I numbed myself, stuffing down every emotion, convincing myself that “I was fine.” But I wasn’t. My body knew it before I did, screaming through mysterious symptoms that doctors couldn’t explain. I was an unemotional wreck, running on empty, surviving instead of living. Read More>>

Nicole Welling

In 2022 I had my first daughter and everything changed. My husband and I went through a lot to have her – miscarriages, emergency surgeries, and IVF – once she finally arrived safely in our arms, I knew a lot of things would change. Up until her birth I had been working what I thought was my dream job as a coach for Arizona State University Women’s Triathlon team. After the arrival of my daughter, I knew I’d have to make a change, I wanted to stay home with her and I didn’t want to miss a minute, especially after so much led up to her arrival.  Read More>>

Amy Weinmuller

My purpose wasn’t something I set out to discover—it revealed itself through one of the most difficult seasons of my life.

For years, I battled a whirlwind of unexplained symptoms—mouth lesions, tinnitus, panic attacks, severe allergic reactions, and an endless list of autoimmune-like issues. I was poked, prodded, and compared to everything from lupus to chronic fatigue, only to be told over and over that “nothing was wrong.” It was frustrating, isolating, and exhausting. I knew my body was screaming for help, but the answers were always just out of reach. Read More>>

Laura Gindac

Finding purpose isn’t a moment of discovery for me—it’s more of a gradual unfolding. I never actively sought out a singular purpose. Instead, I intentionally immersed myself in the things I loved doing and areas I wanted to learn more about. I followed my curiosity, letting each experience lead to the next, without worrying about the end result. It was in that flow, that continuous exploration, that an idea sparked—something that felt right, even though I wasn’t sure how to execute it just yet. Read More>>

Alejandra Avalos Carranza

That’s an interesting question! Thank you for having me. My purpose was an accidental “aha” moment. For some people, purpose is connected to their passions, relationships or the impact they want to make in the world. For me personally, it was growth. I wanted to expand my skills, sharpen what I already knew and it really helped me find my gifts. It’s not always something that came clear to me, at first. I had to really dig deep and start over again and again until it felt right.
But now, I understand my purpose is to serve others by elevating their own skills, by leading by example. Read More>>

Lydia Monzo

From a young age, I was fortunate to be surrounded by a supportive and creative family. My love for the arts blossomed particularly because of my dad. He would always draw me pictures of my favorite toys and cartoon characters, and the amount of precision and care he put into each sketch inspired me. It was from that point on that I was completely immersed in the arts, taking weekend art classes, joining art clubs and AP classes in high school, and drawing any free moment I had. This hobby pretty much became my life, turning into something meaningful. By my junior year of high school, I realized that this was something I wanted to pursue as a career. Read More>>

Carina Gutierrez

I think for a few years now, there were always quiet nudges to pursue my authentic path more seriously — I just didn’t have a super clear image of what that was until March of 2024.

I went to college for socio cultural anthropology and absolutely loved what I studied. I loved it so much that I thought I wanted to pursue it further after working at my first “big girl job” for a few years. I envisioned myself as grad or PhD student and devoting myself to the study of multi-raciality. Within 2 years of working my first corporate desk job, I got pregnant and as most parents understand, my world turned inside out — my life was revolutionized and my priorities took a profound shift. Read More>>

Robert Lafond

I have always wanted to be an artist and painter. As a child, I received support from my mother, who took me to the local museum and purchased art materials and art books for me. Of course, I drew all the time. Later, after a couple years of art school and receiving an undergraduate degree in Art History, I painted abstract images heavily influenced by Diebenkorn. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to paint that was authentically me. That developed by drawing constantly what I saw around me and going from there. Read More>>

Roberta Parlapiano

First of all, hi! My name is Roberta, and I create jewelry for everyone. That’s a great question, and let’s just say I can answer it now – if you had asked me a few years ago, I would have struggled!
A few years back, I was on the verge of giving it all up. When you can’t get people to choose what you create -in other words, when you can’t make a living from it- it brings a mix of guilt towards your family and a whole lot of frustration. The whole “online promotion” side of things has always been a challenge for me.  Read More>>

Kurt Sinks

Finding your purpose certainly doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of intentional action, self-reflection, failure, and pain, and there’s always a struggle to overcome. Through all of that comes an understanding or realization of what you’ve been placed on this earth to do.

I learned from a very early age what selfless service looks like by simply watching my parents. I was raised by two wonderful, loving parents who always put others ahead of themselves. Some of my earliest memories were of my dad serving our community as a Police Officer. My dad was a public servant for forty-five years. I had a Police Officer uniform that was specially made for me at just six years old so you could say that being a public servant was, “in my blood.” Read More>>

Janeen Ritson

In my bones I always knew I was meant to pursue a creative path, though it took time to figure out how all the pieces would fit together. My seeker soul and the whisperings of the Universe steadily called me forward, guiding me along a squiggly path with my intuition as my compass.

That path started with a BFA, where I began to hone my talents and see myself as an artist. A spontaneous mind map later pointed me toward a new dream: becoming an art director in New York City. So I went to The Creative Circus, a competitive portfolio school, and spent two years working my ass off. Read More>>

Lydia Rose

Ever since I was young, I always knew that I wanted to pursue a life of making art. Working with my hands to create unique and meaningful art pieces has always been what I’ve felt most passionate about. I feel most alive when I am creating! That passion has taken many forms throughout my life, such as: painting, ceramics, printing, textiles, drawing, mixed media, etc. While I have always loved tattoos, it wasn’t until I was a university student that I realized my interest in pursuing the medium. Read More>>

Ichrak BAFFOUN

I didn’t begin my career in the creative industry — I was actually working in finance. After moving to New York, I started organizing my children’s birthday parties. I found myself completely immersed in the process, enjoying every detail and moment of the planning. To my surprise, I kept receiving really positive feedback. Friends and guests would tell me how special and thoughtful everything felt, and that I had a real talent for it. Read More>>

Yamira Lee (Mira) Johnson

I found my purpose by sharing the solutions and best practices I’ve learned through navigating major life challenges. When I was experiencing hardship, I felt like I was the only one going through it. I wanted to become others going through similar challenges the person or resource I desperately needed. Read More>>

Brittany Brown

I didn’t find my purpose per se, I believe in some aspect I’ve always had it, but was lost and needed a little tuning. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a camera on me, capturing the universe as I saw fit; the things I lived and the things that lived around me. In 2017, I started sharing these pieces of my life on social media, not with any real plan, but simply because I loved documenting experiences. Over time, I realized that my posts weren’t just about me—they were also shining a light on local businesses and the incredible communities around me. That organic sharing eventually grew into Britt Around Town in 2019. Read More>>

Lucy Ortiz

My purpose didn’t arrive in a single moment, it was shaped by my lived experience, layer by layer, over many years. I first came to the U.S. on a student visa and went through every stage of the immigration journey: from uncertainty and legal complexities to eventually becoming a U.S. citizen. Having personally navigated the same system that so many of my clients face today, I developed not only an understanding of the process but a deep empathy for the people behind the paperwork. Read more>>

Jason Albert

This is a very layered question as both my wife and I have different reasons, but at the same time have a common goal and driver. First and foremost, God is our purpose and everything that we do revolves around the vision and opportunities that he lays out in front of us. We choose to follow that path and it has truly continued to open doors. For Tracy, she found her purpose and passion in baking, when she was an Infant Teacher/Educator for Bright Horizons.  Read More>>

Emily Burger

I found my purpose when I started practicing as a physician assistant and saw firsthand the frustration and hopelessness my patients were often experiencing. They were searching for real answers, but within our conventional healthcare system, they were often given temporary band-aid solutions rather than true healing. It was extremely discouraging and disheartening to realize all of the years of schooling that I completed was not allowing me to help people the way I wanted to. This realization forced me to take a deep look inward and ask myself how I could break this cycle. Read More>>