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.
Shauna La
I found my purpose through my experience as a radio frequency optimization engineer. Life always on the road, constantly solving new problems…that was all very interesting, but something was missing. I turned to art and, for the first time, I realized what I wanted for my life. To create artwork. To explore existence through materials, color, and light. This is what fulfills me. Read More>>
Camila Oopp
Through the art of connecting with people, creating a free openminded space where everyone feels comfortable, free to talk about their lives and feelings without judges; sad and happy t things about life. Read More>>
Jessica Franz
Lots and lots of trial and error… Ha. And it is ongoing. I like that, according to my TikTok, we are slowly discovering the rules that were put in place years ago don’t apply to all of us. No one knows who they are or what they want in their twenties! A lot of us are trying different things these days, which I love. I never understood how our parents were able to choose something early in life and stuck with it. Read More>>
Hassan Elamragy
I love creating content since childhood. At an early age she started learning sports, kickboxing, martial arts and movement until she reached an advanced level. From here, I said that I want to do something different and amazing for the world, to integrate sports and art into artwork, and one of my most important art projects is the movie “We will die warriors” and I have other hobbies I love playing and composing music. I created an album called “With Us You Will Be” and it was put on YouTube, and I have more art projects in progress and I’m working on them. I faced many challenges, among them being that I am young and interested primarily in studying, traveling to faraway places to shoot, teaching unique things, and working to save some of my expenses. But all this fatigue evaporates when you look at the audience and see your success in their eyes. Read More>>
Jeffery Brock
This is a great question. I found my purpose from being in customer service jobs Based jobs. With my jobs I would always find pleasure with helping people and making them fill great about themselves. When I got to cutting hair, I fell in love with how a haircut could change someone’s appearance but also make them feel good on the inside as well. Read More>>
Heather Hildebrandt
I personally believe it is a journey to finding your purpose or something you are passionate about. It can and likely will evolve over time as well.
I’ve always been drawn to the creative world whether it be writing, drawing, coloring, dancing, etc. It was later in life I discovered my love of marketing as well as supporting small businesses, which drew me to the idea of business ownership myself. It was not something I set out to do from a young age or even post-college. I’ve had a variety of careers from being a receptionist, to working at non-profits, to event planning, to teaching dance lessons and beyond that has helped guide me to starting my own business. Each one of those experiences taught me something and led me closer to finding what I enjoyed doing. Read More>>
Empire Graffiti Artist & Graphic Designer
I never imagined I would become an artist since my whole childhood I was busy playing sports. I vividly remember going to after school art lessons just for fun but it wasn’t until college when I stopped playing and art came back to my life as a hobby. I started recreating paintings of my favorite artists for fun and people started asking about them, as a business major I didn’t hesitate about selling them. I wouldn’t have kept making art if people wouldn’t have complimented, that gave me the confidence to keep going. Read More>>
Ilana T.
I often describe what I do as “painting my way through trauma recovery.” As a survivor of child abuse and a near-fatal eating disorder, I’ve participated in many different forms of therapy throughout my healing journey. However, I spent years in a constant state of fear and would often “shut down” during traditional talk therapy. What helped me overcome this therapeutic stagnation was art therapy, and with the help of dedicated art therapists, I was finally able to create images that depicted the pain I was experiencing and ultimately find the words to express it. Read More>>
Chris Carson
Has anyone ever brought immense joy to your life or left a profound impact on you? Personally, I have always derived immense satisfaction from bringing happiness to others. Back when I was a professional artist, traveling across the country, attending signings, and engaging in conversations about my art, nothing brought me greater joy than witnessing someone deeply connecting with my work. Their happiness became my happiness. Presently, as an event host, I have the privilege of spreading this joy on a larger scale. Through KiimoKawaii, I witness the anime community in Conroe and its surrounding areas coming together, forming lasting friendships and bonds. Likewise, with TerrorFest, I have the opportunity to witness horror movie enthusiasts connecting with similar results. Making a positive impact within my community is my ultimate purpose. Read More>>
Rudy Harlan Salas
My purpose has been storytelling. From cave wall paintings to film frames, storytelling has been around since the dawn of time.
The origin of my storytelling purpose was taped on the walls of Mrs. Putegnat’s sixth-grade English class. It was October 2003 in Brownsville, Texas, and Mrs. Putegnat had assigned my class a special Halloween assignment. Write a one-page scary story for the season and they’ll be taped around the classroom walls. While my fellow classmates groaned and complained, my mind was ablaze with a variety of ideas. So much so that I ended up writing ten one-page scary stories. I couldn’t decide which one to submit. I asked Mrs. Putegnat for advice in regard to my predicament. Read More>>
Abreail Foreman
By maintaining & relationship with & seeking God. I allowed him to fully speak to me & I listened. I’ve always wanted to start my own business so in 2020 at the peak of the pandemic I decided to invest in myself & start my vision. I first started off with just lipglosses but as time went on women begin to ask me about body butters. At first I was reluctant because I figured I wouldn’t have a lot of time to do this being that I worked fulltime, a single mother & etc. But after awhile I began to research products, ingredients & more to see what worked for eczema (since my daughter had a mild case) & gradually I expanded to body butters, body oils, milk baths & facial oils. All of my products are made with natural & organic ingredients. I create & formulate natural products that people not only love but is also helping them love themselves by providing products that help aid in the healing of skin conditions they have such as eczema, psoriasis & more. Read More>>
Jennifer Alvarado
I grew up an only child. I was also incredibly introverted and a perfectionist. When my grandmother passed away when I was ten years old, I felt like I had lost the one person that really accepted me for me. Almost over night, I became very aware of the opinions circulating around me and became even more closed off to people. Read More>>
Daniel Sulzberg
Ever since I was old enough to hold a crayon, I began to create characters and worlds for them to live in. As I got older, I would take my toys and stuffed animals, rename them, and create an entire universe for them to live inside. Throughout the years, I would hear all the time how hard it was to be an artist and to find a career that was more practical but it was while traveling through Europe during college that I realized my purpose. I was visiting Salvador Dali’s home in Figueres and sitting on the same beach that he sat to envision his surrealist images when I realized how creativity was not just a “nice to have” for me, but an essential framework with how my brain functioned. I began to have visions of images that I wanted to translate to the page and when I returned home, I remember telling my parents “Sorry, but I’m going to be an artist, a storyteller.” Luckily, since that moment, they have been nothing but supportive as I have found numerous ways to explore my creativity. Read More>>
Janelle Richardson
Finding my purpose has been an incredible journey, one that has involved self-reflection, exploration, and a deep connection with my passions. As a singer, songwriter, vocal coach, and the founder of She Got Vision and Love Your Voice 101, I have been fortunate to discover my purpose through a combination of introspection and following my heart. Read More>>
Tajh
I found my purpose through life experiences. People that were around me at certain points in life introducing me to things and then just exploring it more and more on my own. Realizing the feeling I would get after engaging in what were hobbies, now have turned into passions. Read More>>
Yvonne Byers
Finding my purpose in life has been a lifelong journey and continues to be a daily practice for me. Most of my life, up until a couple years ago, I had zero idea of what I was supposed to be doing, lacked any goals, and basically was letting life direct my journey instead of me directing it. That was working out, but not well. It lead to me changing jobs, changing partners, while not changing anything about myself. Finally, during the COVID pandemic I came to a point where I was skating through life and it was passing like a whirlwind with no time to slow down. I knew I had to change something – and knew that something was myself. I was living in beautiful Santa Cruz California but I was still feeling hopeless. I also knew that it would have to take great mental capacity to change myself in the same place, or I could physically remove myself from that place to create the change I needed. After some debate, I decided to move back to San Diego, back where my family was. Fast forward two years and I feel like a brand new person! How? Well during these two years I had the opportunity to stop working and take some time off, letting go of my ego to live at my parent’s house and just think about life for a little bit. I had the time and space to get to explore my internal world, while also exploring this beautiful world we live in. I dove deeper into my passions for botany and travel and discovered that what I do for work does not define me. Read More>>
Lucas Doytier
Growing up in South Florida, I felt a sense of community for my fellow musicians was lacking.. I didn’t know where to go to find other people like me who wanted to perform original music in a safe and welcoming environment. I knew that if you wanted to actually make a living performing, you had to learn hours and hours of covers, which works for some people and can be feasible if you really try hard enough.. And I did that for many years. I began performing at bars and cafes at the age of 12 with the support of my parents. But I was more interested in original music from the people of my city. Not to my surprise, it appeared my answer was Miami… but I didn’t live in Miami! I knew that there were so many people who lived in Fort Lauderdale – so where were my musician sisters and brothers hiding? My true sense of a direction to build a community and support the local talent in my area really stemmed from an open mic I started to attend back in 2018: “The Riverside Mic”. As a young artist, I, like many other artists I know, was extremely critical of my work and I never really shared it with others. This hidden gem near my home changed all that, and was a place I felt at home to express myself and share what I never did before. I performed my original music for the first time and was received really well by the small community that was there at the time – and it really helped me come out of my shell and inspired me to write and share more. Read More>>
Jazmine Harris
To find your true calling is finding your purpose. Life will frequently present us with obstacles, but we must overcome them by jumping over them. Listen, I am able to say personally that finding your purpose will take time. Listen, there have been many moments when I have been uncertain of my life’s purpose. But I was always aware that that I was unique and didn’t blend in or stand out. I am unique because of God. It might sound weird, but as a young child, I often talked about my dream to become a youth pastor or a preacher. However, as you can see, I had no idea what I was saying. . I simply knew that I wanted to influence my generation for the better. Listen, I haven’t had an easy life at all. I went through some trauma as a child, but once I finished high school, everything changed. I was serious when I said that I was going to college to become a pastor, but God had different ideas for me. Well, once I started college, I switched my degree from business and administration to culinary arts. When asked what I truly wanted to do, Jazz responded, “I’m going to be a teacher.” And I’m glad to announce that I’m fulfilling more than just my purpose as a teacher. In addition to being a teacher, I’m also an author who has published two books. Read More>>
Evan Jackson
I really feel my purpose had been right below the surface and blossomed once I created my media news brand Young Bold and Regal in 2013. My purpose, I feel, is to tell great stories and to be a vessel for stories that inspire people and empower people for postive action and positive change. I say it’s always been on the surface because as kid I would have disposable cameras, camcorders, and just journals where I would document everything! From me dancing to music videos that were recently released, funny bits off of TV that I’d mimic and reenact, recording my favorite movies via Television on VHS. It was a family affair because we would have 100s of photos of very sweet moments as a family. And from all of these devices they are mediums of storytelling. They lay out a narrative that you can emotionally connect to and it’s establishes a short hand to the happiest moments of my life to even touch points that make you smile automatically say “Wow! I remember that!”. Even before I was born the stories that we’re going to shape my life were coming about. My mom is originally from Belize. She had come to the United States when she was a teenager. An obvious game changer for my entire family at that time and for every generation to come. Above everything I always say I’m a storyteller. A vessel for the stories that made me who I am, even prior to when I existed. A walking embodiment of it and all the hard work my ancestors have done. And of course, my favorite, is to tell other people’s stories and frame their journey. Finding the gem in their journey. Read More>>
Candace Houston
I find my purpose through the struggles I have experienced. I once heard someone say there are things we may not receive in life, but God will instill those things in us to share with others. I know that my purpose is to empower women. Being transparent about my past and my journey to get to where I am today is vital to my purpose. My goal is to always be a positive representation of women. I believe that comes with having confidence and loving oneself. We all have a purpose whether it’s being a mom, business owner, co-worker, student, etc. It is up to us to find purpose in whatever position we hold in life. Read More>>
Ne’Yanna Williamson
I found my purpose by seeing how my services affected my clients. In the beginning I chose to be a stylists solely off loving how I can transform the persons hair over time with love and proper care. As well as how uplifted they were when i was time the appointment was over. Watching a person come in and leave feeling eqiupped to continue pushing forward in their personal lives gives me all the validation needed to keep pouring into my clients. Now that my business and I have grown and experienced valuable entrepreneurial lessons I’ve branched off into helping new or seasoned stylists avoid bumps and setbacks I experienced. Read More>>
Gerda Mi
I think it’s very and interesting and needed question for everyone, to be aware about this situation and find your purpose. When i was young i wanted to be actress or dancer, but my country and suroundings,including my family, was very unsupportive with this idea, so when i though i will try fashion in London – and i tried every job i could from assistant to PR, digital marketing stylist,event manager, you name it – one of my friend gave me a very good advice. Read More>>
Dr. Tobby “THE KING” Leverette
I found my purpose through trials, bad decision making, failure, therapy & ultimately developing my relationship with God.
I’ve always had a strong passion for creativity. I recall when I was a child … I would get a large towel … put it over a chair & pretend it was Hair. 😀 I would then get a string & gather it in the …. inorder to get the illusion of making a Hair Ponytail using a bath towel. Read More>>
Amber Minter
In the journey of finding my purpose, I have realized that vision plays a significant role in my craft. I never imagined I would be in the position I am today with my business, “The Pretty Agency.” However, with unwavering faith and belief in myself, I have discovered the power of vision and its impact on my life and business. My purpose and mission with The Pretty Agency are deeply personal. As a graphic design and branding agency dedicated to minority women entrepreneurs, I believe in the strength and potential of these incredible women. Read More>>
Anahi Ibarra
Honestly, it took a lot of self reflection and awareness to truly live in my purpose. In my experience, I believe my purpose always existed within me, it was not something I found externally. I continuously asked myself what it was that brought me joy, made me feel fulfilled and created the impact I wanted to have. From a young age I knew that I enjoyed being creative; I loved writing poetry, performing, drawing, painting… just creating. These things gave me an opportunity to express my inner self and by doing that it allowed me to connect and build community with the people around me, I knew what art did for me but I also witnessed what sharing that gift meant for others and THAT in and of itself is a blessing to experience. For me, being creative was not about understanding, it was about innerstanding. When I would create, it was solely about expressing from the heart. Eventually, that made me realize that my purpose was simply to ‘be me,’ because I am powerful and impactful by just existing and sharing my authenticity & vulnerability with others. Read More>>
Alexis Monét
Discovering your purpose comes after first, finding yourself. There was a long road of self discovery, the overcoming of trials and disappointments that occurred before knowing that creativity was my ultimate purpose. My entire life, the art of film has shown its head. Although sometimes I overlooked my calling, it always came back around waving in my face like, ‘hello I’m still here.’ Not afraid of the opinions of others, I decided to spearhead an entire film production on the campus of University of North Texas. Although I had done small projects prior, I had never produced a project of this magnitude, all by myself. I’ve been writing since I was 8/9 years old, so writing a script came natural, but this was my first time casting, scoping locations, gathering crew members, conducting a budget, directing, editing, etc. Going through the process, prayer was my only option because I knew this was something I was being led to do and nothing was going to stop me from getting it done. This was the start of not only finding my purpose, but aligning myself with my destiny. Read More>>
Michael Ouzas
Everything changed on my eighth birthday, when my aunt gave me J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. I read it once. Then, I read it again, swiftly followed by The Lord of the Rings. I was enthralled by the fantastical worlds and languages Tolkien had created. I wanted more than just to read about them. I wanted to inhabit them. But since that wasn’t an option, I decided to create worlds of my own. My stories were pale imitations of Tolkien’s, my only reference at the time, but I was hooked by the idea that I, too, with nothing more than a pencil and paper, could create something from nothing. Read More>>
Jordan Faust
I found my purpose, when I stopped looking for it. It was right in front of my face the whole time but I missed it because I was too focused looking for it, rather than realizing it was right here with me the whole time.
For quite a while, I pondered, “what is my purpose?” and I even made an album (Forgotten No More) where the concept of the project was based around that question. Read More>>
Rita Daoud
The moment I became a mother, my purpose was very clear. My daughter is the reason I strive to be my best self every single day.I’m a Permanent Makeup Artist & Master Esthetician here in San Diego. I work in La Jolla Village and I absolutely love what I do. Helping clients feel beautiful in their own skin has always been my passion. Through permanent makeup and medical grade skin treatments, I’m able to help my clients age gracefully. I offer several services that include: Microblading, Powder/Ombre/Combo Brows, Permanent Eyeliner, Lip Blushing, Scar Camouflage, Microneedling, Medical-Grade Facials, Plasma Skin Tightening, Lash Lift & Tint, Brow Lamination & Tint, and Eyelash Extensions. Whatever your beauty needs are, I’ve got you covered! Read More>>
Dezra Robitson
It all starts with my belief in God. For the Bible states, “With GOD all things are possible” I find that it would be no fulfilled purpose without a solid foundation in God. With that being said, my foundation and purpose is based on my spirituality first and foremost. I was blessed to have multiple talents, one of which is photography and videography. I always loved making videos with my friends when I was younger and I knew the power I had to convey an emotion based on the videos that I create. I had the power to make a viewer laugh, cry, feel sad, or happy just to name a few. This is what helped me throughout the difficulty I experienced in my life; creating the ability to display myself behind every project I took through the lens of a camera. I then went to school for broadcast and mass media, where I learned video editing, and production. This has taught me the technical aspect of operating camera, audio, and computer equipment in a more professional setting. Which brings me to why I love doing what I do today and providing a service that enhances my overall vision. The idea is being able to show the viewers a element of myself behind every video and photo that I take. One day my dream is to have my creativity take over the world. Read More>>
Caesar Morales
I found my purpose in coaching high school track and field when I was 28 years old. Something I never thought I would ever enjoy or become of my life, after being around the sport for so long. I grew up as a kid who loved sports. I played any and everything when I was young, but around the age of 7 or 8 I gravitated toward running. I was always the fastest kid in my class, fastest kid at my Elementary school, fastest kid at my middle school and so on. I fell in love with track and field in middle school, when the father of a friend of mine introduced me to AAU summer track. My parents had divorced when I was young, so I was being raised by a single mother. I had fatherly influences through my uncles – but my friend’s father took me under his wing and gave me the opportunity to showcase a talent that nobody else really cared about. He knew of my situation and help pay to join my first AAU club team in Orlando. It was at this point I met a Coach by the name of Ike Charlton Sr. He had one of the bigger teams in the city at the time and allowed me to run at some great meets. I was nervous at the time, as I was the only Hispanic on a team that was Black. However, I came from the same background and dynamics as the other children. AAU track was not cheap, and my mother didn’t have money like that to throw around while raising 2 kids on one income. Read More>>
Veronica Lane
As a young Physical Therapist I always wished there was a way to work with people before they are injured and/or have surgery. I knew that prevention through education and wellness therapy would keep people from the injuries and surgeries. I also saw a need for Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy and again wellness and education are so important to prevent dysfunction. I knew there was a better way than insurance based Physical Therapy. I decided to get my NASM personal training certification so that I can help people before they are injured. This led me to start my own cash pay practice so that I can provide the highest quality of care to help my patients and clients achieve their goals. I want everyone to “Get well and stay well”. Now I have the freedom to help people achieve the highest quality of life. I provide Physical Therapy (orthopedic and pelvic floor), personal training, and bridge the gap between the two. Read More>>
Jake Blucker
I found my purpose in November of 2020 when I realized I needed a life change and something so much more. I gave my life to Christ and started serving Him fervently in every circumstance. I was able to start using the creative gifts I’ve been blessed with for a better purpose. I’ve taken over my church’s social media and with help from a team around me, we have changed the dynamic with how we create content. I’m blessed with the ability to combine photography and videography duties and create inspiring content for our church. I approach it with a brand mentality and add a lifestyle touch to it for those outside our congregation to see what all we have to offer. Read More>>
Dr. Nazeera Dawood
In a recent panel discussion, my 11-year-old daughter, Raasi, was asked a question. “What is the purpose of your life?” She responded, “The purpose of my life is to enjoy life.” I was utterly surprised at her candor and courage. Another panelist in his upper seventies answered, “The purpose of life is already determined by destiny.” Read More>>
