How did you find your purpose?

Core to our mission is helping our audience and community reach their full potential and the most important part of reaching your full potential is starting to find your purpose. Below, we’ve shared stories and insights from the community around how various folks found their purpose and we hope it helps you in your journey.

Ashley Graham

I discovered my purpose when I encountered a need that not only I could address, but one that I could contribute to significantly. Reflecting on my journey, I often revisit the story of my birth. Born prematurely at just 3 lbs, doctors advised my mother to reconsider carrying me to full term, warning of potential health challenges.  Read more>>

Janice Torres-Perez

As a Puerto Rican with the trifecta of Indigenous, African, and Spanish ancestry who grew up in South Brooklyn in the nineties, affirming my identity by swatting away the tropes assigned by others, especially relatives, which became my first entry to purpose-defining. With each glance in the mirror, I see a case study for survival. Read more>>

Jodi Lovoi

I started singing almost before I could talk. I was playing the piano by age 5 and singing at weddings, with my dad, Joe Lovoi, by the time I was 10 years old. At age 14, I taught myself how to play the guitar and by age 21, I was performing solo gigs in local restaurants around Texas. Read more>>

Artisha Bolding

I am foremost a woman of faith, so I believe that purpose is something we are all created with. I believe that God sends us each here on assignment and we owe a return on the investment that heaven made. I discovered my purpose in a hospital bed in 2018. With no warning I became a heart and lung patient and I could no longer work. Read more>>

Donna Nazir

he things that excite you and make you happy are rarely a coincidence. My purpose blossomed from the heart of Hermosa Beach, where I reside with my family and four-legged rescues, and where I get to serve humbly as a real estate advocate for the community. Read more>>

Grace Lape

After college, I lived in a home of hospitality for homeless pregnant women. I was a full-time live-in staff member dedicated to supporting mothers and babies that lived in our community. I learned a lot from these women as I watched them navigate pregnancy, birth, and postpartum during a difficult time in their lives.  Read more>>

Courtney Parker-Walters

My purpose was found the moment I had my first child at the age of 15 years old. I knew at that moment that I had to beat all odds and do what was best for me and my child. After graduating high school I attended college. I obtain jobs in the customer service industry and it was something I enjoyed doing,helping others. Read more>>

Yuka Sugiura

I landed on the thing that’s driving me today after a lot of meandering, but about 10 years ago, things fell into my lap / fell into place and I’ve found a clear niche and purpose, which is to make gymnastics training easier: Fewer repetitions and less physical impact so gymnasts can stay in the sport as long as they want and trust their bodies to perform when it’s time to compete. Read more>>

Ivonne Tejada Cruel

Imagine stepping into a bustling world of creativity and innovation, where the vibrant streets of New York City serve as your canvas, and every window display tells a story of ingenuity and style. That was my reality as a designer in the production and window display industry, where I delved deep into the heart of design, soaking in inspiration from the eclectic energy of the city. Read more>>

Fara Boyce

From a young age I have always loved acting and performing. When I was small I would put on plays for my parents and their friends at dinner parties and I would love to dress up. My sister and her friends would always dress me up in all sorts of things from a fairy to Madonna walking down the runway made of pink duvet covers to the song ‘Holiday’. Read more>>

Linda Jones

I think we’re all born with certain gifts, and to use those gifts to help others is one of the best things a person can do. Aside from being a mother and raising my sons, my purpose is to write because it’s my passion. With Alphabet Anatomy, I can help children on their reading journey. With Love Soars the Skies, I think it was my soul plan with my oldest son – predestined, so it found me. I need to share what I’ve learned from it. It’s something I never could have imagined. Read more>>

David Morrison

For the lucky ones who find their passion or purpose early in life, I believe you do so with the help of people around you nudging you in that direction. For me, my mother and grandmother specifically had a big impact – whether they knew it or not at the time. One of my earliest memories is of my mother teaching me to draw with a handful of crayons spread out over a large piece of paper.  Read more>>

Darya Sizina

I’m Darya Sizina, born and raised in the picturesque Siberian town of Kyzyl. My journey of self-discovery began right after completing my schooling. Initially, I dipped my toes into the world of acting, but soon realized that my true calling lay within the realm of journalism, beckoning me towards the world of public exposure. Read more>>

Melike & Ipek

We, Ipek and Melike, have always been interested in beauty and wellness. However, we’ve grown tired of the products available on the market. Many of them are filled with chemicals and packaged in plastic, harming both the environment and our health. Read more>>

Vivian Darst

My journey actually started in a completely different field – I was an elopement photographer specializing in capturing the raw beauty of couples exchanging vows in Colorado’s breathtaking landscapes. It was an incredibly fulfilling experience, helping these couples create unforgettable memories in epic locations. Read more>>

Jill Turnbull

Jill Turnbull’s path to finding her purpose is inspiring and deeply personal. Growing up in Australia, a place known for its strong environmental values, Jill deeply appreciated the natural world, especially the ocean. This connection to nature guided her through an impressive career as a freelance hairstylist and makeup artist, where she gained an intimate understanding of the effects beauty products can have on people. Read more>>

Laura Grace Sears

Have you ever panicked and felt overwhelmed trying to figure out what to major in, what kind of jobs to look for, and what you should do with your life? Great – me too. I don’t know many people who get to bypass that feeling. Read more>>

Cherie Clark-Moore

Finding your purpose can seem like such a big concept. I think so many of us are always seeking to attain this goal and we can feel lost or unfulfilled along the road to finding that purpose. I don’t think finding your purpose is as simple as finding the “one thing”, I think finding your purpose is a beautiful journey made up of many steps and many opportunities to learn more about yourself. For me, trust in myself played a huge part in finding my purpose. Read more>>

Laura Marotta

I’ve always been an artist, for as long as I can remember. It has not been an easy journey, and creativity has always gotten me through my most difficult times. As a child, when I was lonely, sad, or fearful, I would create worlds through paint that I could escape to.  Read more>>

Kelly Helfman

To find my purpose, I had to get clear on where my strengths lay. For me, that was communication and relationship building. I was always super outgoing and great at building trust and making people feel comfortable. Because of those qualities, excelling in leadership and sales came naturally to me. Read more>>

Melissa Bloomfield

Finding one’s purpose is often a journey, and for me, it began at a young age. I remember as a kid, my friend and I used to make cassettes with us singing with the hope of selling them to help the needy. That experience instilled in me a sense of purpose—to use my talents and passions to make a positive impact on the world especially Jamaica.  Read more>>

Matthew Manos

I’ve learned you can’t find your purpose, it has to find you. It’s easy to get hung up on all of the things that everyone suddenly, simultaneously, finds meaningful. But I’ve always been skeptical of the things “everyone” likes to do. How is it that anything could interest or align with what every person is wired to succeed at? Read more>>

Tiffani Hoburg

Finding my purpose has been a journey through many life experiences. If you would have asked me this question 5 years ago, I would have answered, “I don’t know what my life’s purpose is”. Today, my purpose is crystal clear and fueling my passion and outlook on life in the most beautiful way. Read more>>

Beneon Bizuneh

The way I see it purpose isn’t necessarily something you find. Purpose much like hope is something you give yourself, through the self introspection done in order to pervade through my trials and tribulations I stumbled upon this personal truth. Read more>>

Ruby Garcia

This is such a complex question as it’s something I’m constantly exploring. Over time, my perspective has changed so much with different experiences such as jobs, relationships, having kids…the list goes on. It has continued to change and will continue to do so.  Read more>>

Gwendolyn Jackson

I found my purpose going through grief and pain. I watch my dad pass from Lung cancer and now I’m battling with stage IVb Cervical Cancer. After, My Dad pass from Lung Cancer I was Daddy’s Girl grieving so badly. I wanted to do something to help someone else to not experience the pain I was feeling.  Read more>>

Dustin Blackson

My love for history began with the upbringing of my grandparents hearing about their stories of the times when they were growing up and the trips, I took with them as a child to where they were brought up. I was rummaging through my grandfather’s old documents where I found a list of names with the same surname as mine, starting my interest in genealogy and soon developed an interest in history.  Read more>>

Dina Farmer

After my oldest son was diagnosed with autism, I began my journey of helping other families with autistic children travel the world. I have always been an avid traveler and due to an entire lifetime of moving around from place to place due to the military, I found that I wanted to share this gift of travel with my boys.  Read more>>

Dino Mujic

Ever since I was a kid, I loved telling stories. Creative writing assignments in school were always my favorite because I could just let my full imagination and creativity loose. But it wasn’t really until I watched ´Raiders of the Lost Ark´ for the first time, that I really understood what it is I wanted to do. That film made me fall in love with cinema and after that, movies weren’t just movies anymore.  Read more>>

Jaquelyn Hedden

I initially thought I had found my purpose when I became a physical therapist. I love how the profession was able to blend my interests in athletics with my curiosity about how the human body works. However, after years of working as a physical therapist, I realized my purpose was not to work in clinics where the needs of the patients were not prioritized. Read more>>

Alexandra Boos

Living a life of purpose and alignment with the way you are wired is the closest thing I know to living a life of joy. For me, living my purpose in service to God, people and the earth is the secret sauce of happiness. The first clue in finding my purpose was following my passion. Read more>>

Francesca Romana Garroni

Purpose is an essential ingredient to living a fulfilling life. Having a clear and strong purpose has helped me find strength and build resilience over time. It has allowed me to see challenges as an opportunity to grow and expand personally and professionally. Just like a lighthouse guiding you on your journey towards your destination. Read more>>

Jane O’Hara

I’ve always enjoyed artwork, and painting in particular, as far as I can remember. I went to the School of Fine Arts at Boston University and studied the technicalities of how to paint-but it wasn’t until later in life that I was able to focus on what I would paint, what would become a passion. I saw that I could use my artwork as a form of communication. Read more>>