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.

Stephanie Cherng

I found my purpose rather organically even though it was a journey to discover what my true purpose was. I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason. I’m thankful for all the people I’ve encountered in my life who I feel that were my spirit guides to remind me of my true purpose. Read More>>

Kianna Sumitani

I am still working on finding my purpose, as we all are, but I know that live music makes me tick. I’ve always been an avid music listener, but I remember dedicating all my funds from my part-time job to attending concerts and music festivals in my junior year of high school. Read More>>

Jennifer Anne Kinder

I am assuming the specific question would be: How did I find purpose and focus to file an antitrust lawsuit against goliath Ticketmaster/Live nation?

I have always found purpose through the practice of law. As a young lawyer, fresh out of law school, I chose to move to El Paso, Texas. Read More>>

Hope Cook

I credit burnout with helping me discover my purpose. Not one, but two bouts of career burnout left me reeling and wondering why I ever chose to become a Physician Assistant in the first place. In 2017, I was working in the holy grail of specialties, dermatology, when I realized I would trade jobs with a Kroger cashier if it meant never having to return to my toxic job. Read More>>

Serenity Kelly

As a child growing up, I’ve had several different ideas and “career changes”. From wanting to be a neurosurgeon, a professional basketball player, and a politician, finding the right path for me hasn’t been an easy journey. Read More>>

Brian D. Smith

I didn’t find my purpose so much as my purpose found me. It was born out of deep pain—the sudden passing of my 15-year-old daughter, Shayna. In the wake of that loss, I was shattered. I questioned everything—why we’re here, what happens when we die, and how I could go on. I wasn’t looking for a new path. I was trying to survive. Read More>>

Jamie Dong

Being alive is just amazing, isn’t it?”

This simple yet profound personal statement encapsulates the essence of my creative pursuit. As a filmmaker, content creator, and storyteller, I am driven by a deep appreciation for human interaction and the ways in which stories can bridge emotions, perspectives, and experiences. Read More>>

Hannah Oxley

This is my story about people pleasing, overcoming illness, finding myself, and in the end, being tremendously grateful for it all, because through this journey I found my purpose.

For the majority of my life, I was just going through the motions. Being a “good girl” and doing all the things I should. Never really excelling, just doing enough to stay in the middle of the heard. Read More>>

Regina Sage

Finding my purpose is a lot of trial and error, but it is mostly following my curiosity. And, I do use the present tense on purpose, because I feel like my purpose will continue to grow and change as I do. What draws my interest, what keeps me asking questions, what propels me to learn more? First, it was paleontology. Then it was forensic anthropology. Read More>>

Nicklaus Rueda

When I sat down and thought about what message I wanted to convey through this interview, I found myself struggling with what my “story” would be. My life has been a series of ups and downs, joys and traumatic episodes, pains and comfort. So, I decided that the most impactful “story” I could tell would be how I found my purpose. Read More>>

Sia Arora

My passion for catching fleeting moments—the ones that leave an impression long after they’ve passed—catalyzed my interest in photography. I was surrounded by rich textures, vivid hues, and profound tales interwoven into daily life while I was growing up in India. Read More>>

Demetrius Manouselis

I became seriously interested in painting after reading a comment by Arnold Schoenberg: “I have the desire to paint”.
It was after I graduated architecture school and begun to visit New York museums and galleries. Read More>>

Wayan Barre

Documentary photography has opened doors to worlds I would have never been able to enter otherwise. It has allowed me to connect with people whose experiences might have remained distant, giving me the privilege of witnessing their realities up close. I feel incredibly lucky for this—every project teaches me something new, whether about history, resilience, or the strength of communities facing adversity. Read More>>

Sabrina Lee Welch

When I was younger, my mother and I would play games to improve my Cantonese, with miscellaneous phrases of 刷牙, (teeth brushing), 我想返屋企 (going home), and 樹 (tree) floating around the room as I begged her to teach me the secrets of a dialect I could use with my sister to illicit a fun privacy for conversations we could have as a sibling duo. Read More>>

Rj Walker

In 2019. The Road Home Shelter near our small black box theatre was closing. Real estate companies wanted them gone in order to increase property values. A new shelter was built, but it was miles from the old shelter and it wasn’t on the bus line either. It also had 200 fewer beds than the old shelter. Read More>>

Erin J

I found my purpose through prayer. The Crystal M. A. isn’t my first business, it’s actually my second. I closed my first business because I felt like I was forcing too many things to fit together and it didn’t resonate with me at all. Read More>>

Kyla Porcellini

Just like many, many other people, I sat with a great deal of self-doubt before finding my purpose.

Immediately after graduating high school, I pursued a business degree in fashion merchandising. I spent six years being New York City-based, running around the garment district with rolls of fabric and typing up fit notes as a Technical Design Coordinator. Read More>>

Devin Thomas

Finding purpose is one of life’s most important pursuits. For some, it’s running into a fire to save lives or fighting overseas for freedom. We all have our own version of the American dream, and at its core, it’s about finding purpose and meaning unique to each of us. Read More>>

Tiffany Brown

My purpose evolved at a young age learning how to braid my Barbie’s hair, many times styling my hair and my sister’s hair for each of their special occasions. Read More>>

Zoe Cope

I think my purpose found me as much as I found it. I’ve been an entrepreneur for over a decade, and along the way, I’ve worked closely with other entrepreneurs across industries like jewelry design, fashion, studio management, event planning, social media, advertising, production coordinating, and styling. Read More>>

Elis

I grew up in a home where I was taught the importance of giving service to others. Both my parents were public servants: my dad worked for the government investigating criminal fraud, and my mom represented foster children removed from their parents for abuse and neglect. Read More>>

Hua Wang

I think I found my purpose in a moment of realization rather than a single event. During my time in college, even though I was exploring new culture and knowledge, I began to feel lost. When I proudly presented my piece about intimacy during critique, I noticed my teacher and classmates looking confused.  Read More>>

Dahlia Maylor

Finding my purpose was a journey of both self-discovery and resilience. I always knew I was called to help individuals, but I wasn’t sure where to begin. It wasn’t until I faced my own challenges that I truly understood the depth of my calling. Read More>>

Rachel Farmer

My journey to finding my purpose has been a blend of exploration, self-discovery, and listening to what truly ignites my passion. From a young age, I knew I had a deep desire to help people and an intrigue for science. Read More>>

Marian Horta

My journey to discovering my purpose as a bridal and pageant makeup artist began during the COVID-19 pandemic. While working at a hospital, I witnessed firsthand how fragile life can be. I saw patients fighting illness alone, families unable to say their final goodbyes, and young individuals whose lives changed in an instant. Being there in those heartbreaking moments made me reflect deeply on what truly mattered. Read More>>

Jessica Whitmill

For years, I struggled with a range of health issues—eczema, painful periods, weight fluctuations, anxiety, bladder problems, chronic sinus infections, headaches, and digestive concerns. I thought these were just part of life until 2018, when my symptoms escalated. Read More>>

Curtis Fontenot

I found my purpose when i was a young boy in my first foster home when i went to school and started skating cause i wanted to get out the house and i got attached to the kids across the street and taught them how to skate ands then i realized this is what i should be doing! Read More>>

Beth Nettles

I found my purpose through lived experience and problem-solving. Starting KreweCar and becoming an entrepreneur stemmed from a deep personal connection to a challenge and a desire to create change and make an impact. Read More>>

Joellen Schilke

Purpose was something I grew more than found. I was shy and had speech impediments as a kid. I still wanted to be sociable, but not have to talk too much. Kids. It turned out that I could get people together, and get them talking to each other while I stayed in my fairly silent comfort zone. I liked having a community, it made me feel grounded and that I belonged. Read More>>

Jessica Cote

My purpose, I work on my purpose daily, and it does change with what the day calls for – the basis for all of it is kindness, comfort, and simplicity. You never know what someone else is going through. My good friend said it is the stories we tell ourselves. Read More>>

Hope Farmby

Wow, that’s a great question. I was able to find my purpose by following my passion. For years, I have practiced Yoga and really enjoyed it. In 2020, I decided to join a Yoga Teacher training program to deepen my practice. It was during this training that I found my passion for sharing Yoga with others. Read More>>

Lindsay Lehrer

The question, “What is my life’s purpose?” is one I believe evolves over time. It is something we constantly question. Am I doing what I was meant to do? Am I living my best life? Am I properly serving my family, friends, and community? Am I doing enough? Read More>>