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.
Sasi Kondru
I had volunteered with several other organizations in middle school, having over 300 service hours in one. I was inspired by volunteering with other organizations to create my own student-led nonprofit. Read more>>
Jordan Roberts
My purpose in life is to create as many musical moments and opportunities for others as possible. I came to this realization over the course of my childhood in a very musical family, through high school band, and then through an 18 (so far) year career in the US Army Bands as a tuba player. Read more>>
Rachel Lavin
Finding my purpose came from a lifetime of feeling alone. Feeling betrayed by my own body for more than four decades had me stuck in a diet culture mindset. I kept asking myself why cant I be happy? Read more>>
Sharissa Sebastian Deppen
My purpose became clear to me later in my life. When I was in high school trying to figure out who I wanted to be when I grew up, I was completely lost and had no clear path to figure that out. Read more>>
Amila Dao
Since I was very young, I’ve always felt different. I easily sensed energies around me, felt presences at home, and was very sensitive to people’s emotions. At that time, I didn’t fully understand these experiences. Read more>>
Allison James – Frison
Hello, my name is Allison K. James – Frison. I am an overcomer, and my journey reflects the true persevering spirit of lifelong Newarkers. I was not a child born of means, privilege, or access. Read more>>
Nicole Ash
Music was something that I was always drawn to. I used to picture myself on stage, singing and playing guitar and even started writing songs in a notebook at the age of 5 or 6. Read more>>
Margie Schmid
After retiring from a career in public education, I moved from Omaha, Nebraska back home to Stillwater. My mother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could while she still remembered me. Read more>>
Traci Asher
From my initial stage III breast cancer diagnosis in 2014, I made the decision to photograph and journal my life as a cancer patient. At first, it was to remember what I looked like before so that I could compare it to my new self when I had finished treatment. Read more>>
Jahvae York
For as long as I can remember I had a camera in hand. Growing up I was always taking pictures and knew that was going to be a talent of mine. My mom had me in art classes since the second grade, and somewhere along the line I had an art teacher who didn’t like me, or so I thought. Read more>>
Kerri Cooley
I’ve been making clothes since I was thirteen-it started out as a way to create my own versions of all the cute clothes I wanted, but couldn’t afford (remember the Delia’s catalogs??). Making my own clothes became a really big part of my identity, and truly helped me discover my confidence when I realized that I could start conversations with my wild (ok-sometimes weird) styles. About seven years ago, I started Awful Pretty after going through a divorce. I spent the better part of my post-college-graduate life supporting my husband’s career and taking care of my young children, and I suddenly found myself in an unstable situation where I felt like I had no one reliable in my corner. So I decided to save my own life, and re-engage with the power of creativity. Read more>>
Juan Augusto Chereminiano
The search for a purpose is not a direct or simple process. It is not always found naturally. In my case it took me several projects, many years and asking myself from time to time why I did what I did. At some point we (me and my partners) began to think about the impact generated by the projects we carried out and changed our way of doing things. But above all we focused on understanding what the drivers of what we did should be. The purpose is found when one is aware of the real impact that it can generate socially, economically and environmentally on others and the environment to which it belongs. Bosque Gin is the brand that best represents this process. We create a valuable brand, with meaning, with clear purposes and that transmits and causes tangible impact. Read more>>
Eduardo Cardoso
3 things here; first, thank you, Jesus. 2nd, I’m wrong a lot, and I don’t know everything. now 3rd,
For a long time, I chased everything the world had to offer. Business, travel, status, power, money…you name it. I became very successful in many areas of my life. Multiple times and in different industries. Even with all the accomplishments, status, and accolades, the feeling of true purpose was missing, and I couldn’t figure it out. It wasn’t until I entirely gave myself to Jesus that this feeling of emptiness disappeared. When I finally decided to give myself to Him, that’s when things truly started to align. All these years, I was trying to drown myself in accomplishments hoping that it would give me purpose, but it just didn’t work. Read more>>
Kamerie Crenshaw
When deciding to start a CPR business, I found my purpose through a combination of my extensive medical background and my passion for helping others. I have been a medical assistant since 2015, and for the past few years, I’ve also worked as a behavioral therapist. In both roles, maintaining my BLS (basic life support) certification was crucial. Throughout my career, I realized the importance of CPR training in saving lives and empowering individuals to respond effectively in emergencies. My firsthand experience in various medical settings highlighted the gap in accessible, high-quality CPR training for both healthcare professionals and the general public. This realization sparked a desire to bridge that gap and make a difference in my community. Additionally, I hold a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management and a master’s in business with a specialization in entrepreneurship and leading in diverse cultures. These academic achievements have equipped me with the necessary skills to manage and grow a successful business while understanding and embracing cultural diversity. Read more>>
Victor Figueroa
I found my purpose thanks to the difficult moments that life gives us. Before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I made a living working in various areas. I was a waiter at a nightclub, worked at music events as a sound technician and some construction jobs. Tattooing had always been with me since 2015, but improving my tattooing skills wasn’t my main goal until 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I lost all the job opportunities I relied on to live in Colombia and support my family, including my one-year-old daughter at the time. The desire to become independent from jobs that didn’t align with my future vision pushed me to start practicing, studying, and improving my skills as a tattoo artist. During this process, I also decided to use the construction skills I had learned to build my tattoo studio in my living room, which gradually began to thrive. Read more>>
Alexandria Ellison
I found my purpose by going after the things that excited me and brought light to my life, discarding the things that didn’t. I believe when you’re not following your purpose, you feel it deeply within you. I chose to go after the things/people that resonated with me. Read more>>
Daja Azul
As a young lady I grew up chubbier than most of my peers, and I honestly did not feel comfortable in my own skin. I’ve always felt ostracized, inadequate, and excluded. I used to have the mindset that I needed to constantly improve myself, or be better just to receive better treatment from the people around me. I suffered from horrible self esteem and lacked confidence in myself and my abilities, because I was seeking external validation from people who didn’t even know themselves. I had to go on a long journey of self love and acceptance, starting with changing my everyday habits. It did not only start with changing the physical but the mental as well. Read more>>
Chris Herbie Holland
I picked up the hobby of illustration doodling caricatures of my cousin and I as Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan when I was 9 years old. Being separated by 3 years, him the oldest, meant that everything between us was a competition. Naturally whose drawing looked the best was a battleground for bragging rights. I think here is where my love of the alchemy of imitation initially sprang from. In competing to see whose drawing was better it strikes me now that we were actually discussing a way deeper question at hand. A question operating on a subconscious level but overwhelming both our developments like two miniature mutants sparring with omega-level telepathy. Because the question we were actually discussing at such a young age was: “whose drawing is more true?” Read more>>
Brandie Pyburn
Through A Time of Healing being broken and determined to understand why. Read more>>
Dr. LaTrice Williams
My purpose found me. Through life’s experiences, God’s call on my life and some challenges that I was able to overcome. I didn’t always know my purpose or the fullness of it, but I have learned and grown in it throughout the years. God and time have a way of revealing who you are at the core and what God has truly called and assigned you to do. In ministry, God allowed me to become what I wished I had starting out. A Mentor. It’s not that I didn’t have people around me, I simply needed more for the call on my life in the lane God would have me to walk in. Slowly, God has staffed my life with those who have similar assignments or have experienced and have wisdom for some of the work I’m called to do. Read more>>
Lydia Perakis
Dance, creative direction and community building have always been essential and healing components of my life and upbringing. Growing up in Crete, a Greek island located in the southernmost part of Europe, I experienced a sense of non belonging and isolation from a very young age. Being raised in a heavily patriarchal society that rejects creative expression deemed as too “feminine” as well as experiencing various environments of abuse pretty early on, led me to discovering dance and movement as a (what I didn’t know at the time) was a self-soothing and nervous system regulating outlet. Dance became this form of radical resistance to the limiting voices dictating the amount of space I was taking up. For years, I was directly and indirectly encouraged to shrink, tone my voice down, doubt my intuition and reject my sense of self-trust. Read more>>
Chiara Gorodesky
It took me quite a while to realize that my true purpose in life is something that I have been doing all along as a passion around my work schedule as a litigation lawyer for years, and it was only after giving birth to two beautiful children that I changed course and decided to dedicate my entire time to my two true loves: environmental conservation (with a particular interest in turtles and tortoises) and ballet. My parents got me my first tortoise in the 1980s in Germany and, coupled with the release of E.T., I was hooked on these fascinating creatures. Over the years, I learnt (sometimes the hard way) what these animals need to thrive in captivity and how incredibly involved it is to keep one in the right way and that, ultimately, they should not be kept as pets at all. When I moved to NYC from London in 2013 I immediately got active and helped out at Turtle Conservancy (TC) founded by the magnificent Eric Goode and Maurice Rodrigues. Read more>>
Sophia Grisham
It all started with motherhood. When I gave birth to my first child, one of the first things I said to my husband (who spent every second by my side) was how lucky he was to witness the most magical event – the birth of a new life. It was almost 5 years ago and at that time I did not even know that birth photography was a thing. Not even two years later, I was preparing for my second birth, but my first home birth. I read everything I could about natural physiological birth and watched many positive birth videos. This led me to a deeper understanding of how amazing a woman’s body is and how both a mom and a baby participate in the birth process together. I was amused. I felt the need to be there for other moms who go through this life-changing experience…and since I had already been doing photography at that time, I thought that entering the birth world as a photographer was a great way to support moms and provide them with the memories that always fade away too quickly. Read more>>
Russell Schramm
Finding one’s purpose is, for most people, a journey of trial and error, searching and accepting what truly lights up both your brain and your heart and what does not. It requires openness, sensitivity, self discipline, and the acceptance that the only real failure is not trying something new. You must listen to and develop your intuition as a guide to what the next step may be, and hold focus on that, even through the noise of other people’s and societies expectations and demands. Read more>>
Emily Warner
Finding my purpose was truly a LONG and winding road. I always vacillated between either being an artist with a non-traditional life or working a corporate job. It always felt like I had to choose between the two, that in order to be “successful” I had to sacrifice what I wanted and my creativity. That push and pull made me crazy. I always resented working for other people and helping build their dreams when I had so many creative ideas and dreams of my own. It took COVID happening and taking a big risk to find my purpose. In the end, I wouldn’t have been able to create my business without ALL of the life experiences that I’ve had. I wouldn’t trade any of the jobs I’ve had for anything, no matter how soul-sucking. Read more>>
Tanya Jones
As Dr. Tanya O. Jones, I would respond to the question “How did you find your purpose?” in the following way: My purpose found me through the crucible of personal experience and the unwavering desire to create positive change. As a survivor of sexual assault during my time in the U.S. Army, I faced the profound impact of trauma firsthand. This challenging journey led me to a pivotal realization: the power of storytelling and creative expression as tools for healing and transformation. I discovered that by sharing my story and creating safe spaces for others to do the same, I could spark meaningful conversations and inspire change. This revelation became the foundation of Interactive Advocacy, where we harness the power of immersive theater and storytelling to address critical issues like violence prevention, trauma recovery, and social justice. Read more>>
Kricia Storms
Embracing change, taking risks, and pursuing what truly brings me joy led me to a fulfilling career as a hat maker. By viewing change as an opportunity, I discovered strengths and courage I never knew I had, and I opened myself to new ideas and people I might never have encountered otherwise. Before I found my purpose, I faced a series of debilitating events that were beyond my control. In 2019, after ending an unhealthy relationship, I moved to Montana to start a new life and career. Four days after relocating, I fell on the ice and broke my femur. Less than a year later, the pandemic hit. Then, just as restrictions were lifting and life was beginning to feel normal again, I learned I needed another hip surgery. As if that wasn’t challenging enough, my cat unexpectedly passed away, and the company I was working for underwent a massive reorganization. I felt like I was on a downward spiral. Read more>>
Lindsey Mason
When something comes naturally to you, and it is just a part of your everyday minutia, it can be hard to derive great purpose in something like that. Organizing is part of me, and has been since I was a small child, I have memories of staying in my room and moving my stuffed animals to be arranged by size. Large in the back, little in the front, fluffy round ones flanking the sides. All of them grouped by type, of course. My older brother and sister would pick on me, like all good siblings do, but not by teasing me, or keeping me at a distance with one hand on my forehead. Instead, they would sneak into my room and move a picture frame a few inches to the left, mix up the carefully crafted contents of my doll house, or… rearrange my stuffed animals. They just wanted to see if I would notice, and if I did, how long would it take. I always noticed, and in short order. Read more>>
Hsiao-Chu (Julia) Hsia
The word “purpose” includes the intention of proactively doing something that makes what you want to happen and leads you to the goals you want to achieve. Although the style of my art is mostly in a gentle, bright, and sometimes positive scheme to interpret my ideas, tracking back to the very beginning, it starts with sadness, depression, and pain. The mental transition is a struggle, from facing negative emotions and soothing feelings to reflecting on the whole experience and thinking about improvement and solutions to the problems. But gradually, I found myself making art to ease my pain and move on after a problem. Then I realized that art could be the medium that I connect with people, and help direct those who have similar experiences to me a way to rethink our issues collectively. Read more>>
Hailey Hechtman
From as early as I can remember, I have had a fascination with people. The way that they interact with one another, where their beliefs and perspectives come from, what in their life has led them to the choices that they have made at different inflection points along the way. When I was younger and asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I often said psychologist. I liked the ideas of being the confidant, the person that people could rely on for support, guidance and ultimately provide them with a safety to show up as themselves. Thus, my background in psychology gives me a unique perspective and a scientific twist to my art practice. And my purpose as an artist is to create art that resonates with people who are suffering from the same issues as me to comfort their minds and move on from the hurt to grow mature and be able to face potential same topics in the future. Read more>>
Amy Wang
Ever since my first time saw the most striking coloration formed by nature was the “Grand Prismatic Spring” Geyser at Yellowstone National Park. Its colors match most of those seen in the rainbow dispersion of white light by an optical prism: red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. Many of the bright colors found in Yellowstone’s hydrothermal basins come from “thermophiles” — microorganisms that thrive in hot temperatures. So many individual microorganisms are grouped together—trillions! —that they appear as masses of color. This experience had inspired me top conserve nature’s wonders and maintaining their natural colors and habitats. Read more>>
Teré Fowler-Chapman
When I was younger, my mother asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Without hesitation, I told her I wanted to be a sidewalk. To this day, I’m not entirely sure what I meant by that. Perhaps it was my first metaphor, an innocent attempt to express something more profound than a five-year-old mind could articulate. Writing has always been a constant. It was the parent I needed when my parents struggled, my best friend when I had none, and it truly understood me before anyone else did. After my dad left my family, my mother did her best to raise me with minimal to no emotional support. She was only one person, and while focused on doing her best with my little brother, little sister, and me, writing quietly guided me through the tumultuous waters of navigating a broken home. Read more>>
Hannah Gould
Seeds were planted as early as 6th grade, when I was assigned to be a peer coach for a disabled classmate during PE. I didn’t know the terms at the time, but he was likely autistic as well as non-speaking and he used a wheelchair. We spent our time passing a ball back and forth, raising our arms, crossing midline and connecting through smiles, giggles and movement. I loved it! After graduating from Mount Holyoke College with a dual major in psychology and education, the road ahead seemed clear: I got a Master’s Degree in Special Education and found what I thought would be my dream job teaching in a public middle school. After just 2 years of adapting instruction for my wide range of students as well as coaching track and tutoring, I realized burnout was quickly creeping in. Read more>>
Konstantin Ladurner
I found my purpose by first doing things that weren’t my purpose. I was working at a corporate job for 6 months that I hated and where I realized everyone around me was better at the job than me. Before that, I did a whole business degree for 4 years, which I wasn’t bad at because I knew how to study and pass exams, but deep down I knew that it truly wasn’t my purpose and that I didn’t really care about it. The thing that always excited me was music and once I focused on it full-time after all these other jobs I knew I had found my purpose of how right it felt compared to the other things and how easy it was for me. Read more>>
Jessica Salas
Before I became an energy healer, I was a pharmacist for 23 years. During that time, I learned that there is so much more to healing than chemistry, because countless patients came to me on so many medications, most of which only helped with symptoms, not the root cause of their ailments. In many cases, they ended up on more medications to combat the side effects of the original ones. For example, people with chronic pain are on pain medications. These medications help with pain, but are they helping to treat the cause of pain? People with anxiety take medications that help the symptoms of their anxiety, but again, these medications do not treat the cause of their anxiety. Read more>>
ITing Kao
I believe that finding purpose is a continuous journey, one that we explore until our last breath. Life is like a rollercoaster, with its ups and downs. For me, the purpose of life is intertwined with our identity and the intentions behind our actions. My life purpose is built on the foundation of kindness: being a good person, doing good things, turning pain into compassion and empathy, and being grateful. Goals help me find my purpose at different stages of life, encouraging self-reflection and continuous adjustment. On the way to achieve the goals, either short term or long term, big or small, there will be difficulties and pain. I believe that all discomfort serves as a catalyst for self-discovery, helping us better understand ourselves and find a life purpose that suits us. This process aids us in becoming the person we want to be and doing what we want to do. Read more>>
C. Marina Marchese
As creative humans we are have a strong tendency to have varied interests and the dilemma is that we tend to be good at more than one thing. This is true for myself so I’ve learned to I give myself permission to explore my many interest and my curiosity accidentally led me to bees and honey. My background is the arts, I graduated from The School of Visual Arts in NYC and had the great fortune to work in design and illustration for various gift, apparel and stationery products. When the business atmosphere began changing, 2 start-ups based in China shut down leaving with wondering what my next step would be. Read more>>
Dr. Cass Naumann
It evolved over time. I was born a naturally gifted musician and highly sensitive person. And I was fascinated with trees, flowers, and medicine books around the house. And our family spent a lot of time at the church. I played piano and organ for services and was an acolyte allthewhile finding much solace in a relationship with Spirit. I majored in Music at The University of Texas at Austin and began going to yoga classes at 19 which opened up a whole new avenue of life experience. I took classes on world religions and many years later started a MARS degree- Masters of Arts in relgious studies. Throughout this time I worked alongside my best friend, George Reiff, a renowned music producer, who happened to also be a Qigong master and lover of alternative medicine. We talked frequently during recording, mixing, mastering sessions of vibrational healing. Read more>>
Elizabeth Kipp
I found my purpose in life through my experience with chronic pain. I overcame and healed from 59 years of chronic pain and 32 years of addiction to prescribed pain and anti-anxiety medication. I remember a time when I was so stressed out with chronic pain. I felt like I was trapped and lost in a dark closet. I couldn’t find the doorknob. Heck, I couldn’t even find the door. Dark shrouded the entire space like an all-enveloping cloak. I couldn’t find even the tiniest hint of light – anywhere. Yet, a part of me knew that I had to keep searching for the light and for a way out. A part of me knew there was an exit. I searched, and I searched. The tension had wrapped itself up in me like one of those toy tops I used to play with as a child. Read more>>
Tyler Cole
If you keep a weathered eye on your childhood and cultivate your passions, that’s where you’ll find your purpose. That’s where mine always was. Since I was a kid, I loved story telling and story tellers (good or bad). It began with watching and imitation. The characters I chose were Pee Wee Herman and Three Amigos (Lucky Day was my favorite). From there, Jim Carrey became a huge inspiration, his boldness and courage in characterizing such outlandish people, making them legendary in their own right. Of course, there was always Michael Crichton, with words of fury and boldness, as well concepts that enriched a generation. So, with those factors, my childhood became about stories. Days where I stayed home sick were filled with Star Wars and Star Trek marathons (not forgetting to break for Price is Right). Read more>>
Xianglong Li
Growing up in an underdeveloped city, my ability to obtain information was always limited. For the young people there, the only way to encounter avant-garde ideas was through second-hand sources and street literature. It was like how internet memes get pixelated as they spread online—pirated movies, music videos that never matched the originals, and e-books downloaded at print shops, filled with typos but still readable, then printed on A4 paper for extracurricular reading. Even though I realized something was wrong about this second-hand info, I still believed it at the time. The line between fantasy and reality grew increasingly blurred. Read more>>
Conchita GarSantiago
My journey didn’t start when I was young, regrettably, although I believe the idea of writing was always in the back of my mind. During my school years, I enjoyed writing essays until I reached year 7, when a thoughtless teacher didn’t appreciate my composition and made unkind remarks in class. This unpleasant experience caused me to lose interest in writing for some time. After a period of discouragement, I was grateful to find that my passion for writing had reignited. This happened as I started to travel and live abroad. I would often write letters to my family and friends back home, describing my new lifestyle and surroundings in great detail. People were impressed by the level of detail in my descriptions, which brought my experiences to life on the page. They were particularly struck by how I was able to capture the essence of what I was living and experiencing, as well as the visual beauty of my surroundings. All in all, my letters left readers with a strong sense of what life was like for me at that time in that place. Read more>>
Mary Ross-Tarkington
I believe we are all given special gifts from God and He has a purpose for us. God also gives us free will to make our own choices. Our experiences in life may influence the directions we take, but many of us come full circle. First and foremost, my purpose is to be the best person and servant of God I can be. That includes being a wife, mother, entertainer, and helper. I have always wanted to help others and I have always felt close to the seniors in my life. Therefore, I received my Master’s in counseling and I was able to provide therapy to seniors for many years. I also have several family members who have served in the military throughout the years, so I have always been passionate about helping veterans. Thankfully, God has led me to where I am now, in which I get to help senior veterans and their families. Read more>>
Luis Martinez
Born in Long Island, N.Y. I started my journey as a DJ in 1985 spinning at high school homecomings and local New York Tech College parties, weddings, and such. After graduating high school in ’86, I landed a Quality Control position at a record pressing plant called HRM. 40 pressing machines there so every day I had upper-hand access to test pressings and promo copies of all the trending hits. So let’s just say, I made a lot of the right friends in all the record stores in Manhattan. I got my master’s in recording engineering by late 1990. My journey was boosted in 1991 when the “Rave” scene was still a baby. I started spinning House and Techno on Long Island at a venue called “Caffeine”. There, I spun alongside other vinyl junkies like Frankie Bones, Micro, James Christian, Onions, Joeski, and more. From there it was on! I developed my signature sound and soon enough I was rocking underground events at warehouses and other undisclosed venues. With the help of other fellow DJs and promoters, I conquered major landmarks including Limelight, Tunnel, Palladium, Octagon, and other venues in New York. Read more>>
