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.
Sarah Lorentz
This has looked different throughout my art career as each season of life had a different focus that shaped the series I worked on. Realizing where I could make an impact in my sphere of influence is what gave me purpose.
I had the opportunity to study both art and psychology at the university level, and I first found my voice at this intersection of art and science. My first series was figurative paintings which elicited a range of emotional responses and prompted dialogues about trauma and healing. Read More>>
Tamika Marshall
In 2015, I was diagnosed with uterine (endometrial) cancer. It was one of the scariest and most unexpected moments of my life. I remember feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, and honestly… just scared. But even in the middle of all that fear, God placed something on my heart. He reminded me that my story wasn’t over — it was just beginning.
After my surgery and recovery, I knew I couldn’t just walk away from that experience unchanged. I felt called to do something — to be a light for others who might be going through what I had just survived. That’s when Lady T Hope Brigade was born. Read More>>
Dr. Chrystal Crawford
I found my purpose through a dream. This happened during a time when I was renting a space for ministry, but didn’t quite have the nerve to invite people to come simply because at that time I didn’t understand why I had to start in a little room as opposed to having the whole church building. I became very discouraged. After months of not having the nerve to invite anyone for Bible study and such, God gave me a dream of me cleaning up a room that had been left and in the midst of that dream I saw seven women. Read More>>
Jodi Burton
I think my purpose found me, slowly and quietly, through years of drawing just to feel better. I started illustrating as a way to manage stress, and over time, it became something bigger—something that connected me to others. Friends encouraged me to share my work, and eventually I realized that my illustrations weren’t just helping me—they were making people feel seen, nostalgic, or simply a little more joyful. Read More>>
Amber Nichole
For me, I don’t believe my purpose is something that I found, it was already in me. I am a creative and multifaceted person so my purpose is being fulfilled when I can move through life with fluidity, not being bound to societal norms. My passions, baking, art, writing, etc., all allow me to move in my purpose by being my true authentic self and not putting myself in a box. I’ve learned, I didn’t necessarily find my purpose, but I created myself, someone who is able to be unapologetically me. I don’t have to stick to one hobby, one career, one passion, or one aesthetic. Read More>>
Miranda Martin
When I started out working as a researcher after finishing an undergraduate degree in anthropology, I thought a lot about what topics and issue areas I wanted to specialize in. With a new-found appreciation of the incredible diversity in human cultures and lived experiences, I wanted to find something that connects us all. I landed on food. Although culinary traditions, production practices, and preferences vary widely across the world, we all need to eat. Read More>>
Jessica Eason
My purpose started as a small seed and as life lessons and blessings began to grow, I started to recognize my purpose six years ago. It was in me the whole time and it just had to be cultivated. As there has to be a foundation, the foundation started from my upbringing. As a daughter of a pastor and a mom as a teacher, it was only right that the collision created a solid foundation of faith and education to be create a family dynamic for success. Read More>>
Whitney Poitevint
Initially, the purpose of a business came from needing our farm to pay for itself! But then it grew into something so much bigger. My husband and I, and the whole family on the land, wanted to enable a place where childlike wonder and delight could thrive. Where hustle culture takes a pause, and where parents are able to recharge and enjoy their children. Raising children is quite a marathon – and our modern American culture is against enjoying the journey. Read More>>
Melissa Lymangrover And Maritza Sinavage
As a mother-daughter duo in Kissimmee, Florida we found our purpose through our You Tube Channel That’s Just Tara. It was created initially as a gaming channel. As the years went by the channel evolved into something broader. We uploaded vlogs showcasing Tara (Maritza Sinavage) participating at Girl Scouts events with her troop or as a Juliette performing generous acts to groups or organizations on her own. Read More>>
Brittany Prince
How did I find my purpose? I could give you the short answer and say, “It found me.” But the real answer is more layered, more sacred, and truthfully—more messy.
My purpose was forged in pain. Not just the kind that leaves scars, but the kind that opens portals. Losing my dad seven years ago cracked my heart wide open. His suffering, both physical and emotional, brought me to my knees and then lifted me toward something bigger than myself. Read More>>
Max Gutierrez
I discovered my purpose in painting murals one morning while dropping off my kids at school. As I looked around, I was struck by how the school buildings resembled jails or hospitals—gray, lifeless, and lacking windows or color. It made me realize how uninspiring these environments can be, especially for children and teens who already struggle to find motivation each day. That moment sparked a mission in me: to transform these spaces through art. Read More>>
Tyress Cunningham
Through many mistakes, fear, and life and death obstacles. I kneeled down to one knee and felt the captial T in Truth when it came to the meaning defeat. I began to understand decisions made from deceptions and the small feelings in me by humiliation from rejection. I ran from me right into the cold embrace of chaos. I ran wild and was tamed in a cage were I released rage, street lessons and thoughts on to a page from a prison safe ink pen wrapped in tissue and bond by a sticky deodorant label and I found my purpose in the art of story telling Business planning. Read More>>
Darryl Sim
My purpose as an artist has been shaped gradually over time. When I first began writing and producing music, my intention was simple: to tell my story in hopes that someone out there might resonate with it. That foundation still holds true today but my perspective has deepened.
I now see music not just as the end product, but as one part of a larger creative life. While I still find joy in songwriting and production, I’ve discovered a growing passion for documenting the journey itself. This too, I’ve come to realize, is a meaningful form of creative expression. Read More>>
BreAnna FInCo
For most of my life, I was following a script I never wrote. Be a good girl. Get good grades. Land the job. Climb the ladder. I did it all — and on the outside, it looked like success. But inside? I was numb. Hustling for my worth. Surviving on autopilot.
The moment that cracked it all open wasn’t dramatic — it was my son’s drawing. A stick-figure family portrait with me drawn at the bottom, away from everyone else. When I asked him why, he smiled and said, “Mommy’s at work!” Read More>>
Carrie Worsk
When I was 15, my father was diagnosed with lung cancer. I watched him endure chemotherapy, radiation, and multiple surgeries, facing not only intense physical pain but also the emotional toll of his illness. Just six months later, he passed away from treatment complications. The following year, as a high school sophomore, I was prescribed opioids for my recurring migraines. The medication left me too drowsy to drive or attend morning classes, making it clear that this wasn’t a sustainable solution. Read More>>
Veronika Monteith
My search for purpose didn’t start with a dream – it started with overwhelm, physical pain and the nagging thought: surely life isn’t meant to feel like this…
For a long time, I thought life was just about doing the right thing – being a good mum, a good wife, working hard, keeping everything together. Read More>>
Katsiaryna
I’ve always believed that beauty isn’t just what we see — it’s how we live. It’s the way a woman holds herself when everything around her is falling apart. It’s choosing to show up radiant, even on the darkest days. For me, beauty is a quiet strength. It’s elegance in resistance. It’s wearing a perfect nude manicure while rebuilding your life from scratch.
Since I was young, I’ve been fascinated by the power of details — soft hands, clean lines, subtle glow. I used to joke that if I were ever sinking, I’d sink gracefully — with a fresh set of nails and a touch of perfume. But in truth, that’s who I am. No matter what life throws at me, I meet it with beauty, because that’s how I feel most like myself. Read More>>
Vanessa Torres
I found my purpose in two distinct, yet interconnected, parts of my life that eventually merged into one. The first part was music, a gift from my family. Growing up, my grandfather and step-dad filled our home with music and were the ones who taught me how to play. Throughout my life, music became my therapy and my escape. It was so ingrained in me that I even worked as a musician in college just to make ends meet. Read More>>
Feyintoluwa Ekisola
Honestly, God. We’re in a weird time where Christianity is equated with right wing conservatism so I don’t often speak about my relationship with my God and the hard lessons that I’ve learned in stepping away from His/Their/Her path. After graduating high school I took a year off. I kept auditioning and getting cast in local shows trying to find a way to take the leap of faith over to New York City. Read More>>
Jenna Kranzberg
It actually has always been there just under the surface.
My purpose has always been helping others enjoy the moments in their lives. Savoring the time spent with ourselves, with others and the memories of peace and calm we tend to forget are there in the chaos of life. And it wasn’t until I was in the middle of juggling my own chaos of being an “older” mom with toddlers, working from home and doing all of the things for others that I realized I wasn’t tapping into my passion and purpose to feed myself and my soul. So in one pivotal moment in the middle of my own chaos I decided I wanted to do that for myself and run with it. Read More>>
Lakisha Clark
I found my purpose during one of the darkest seasons of my life. I was going through a divorce, my mother had been diagnosed with throat cancer, and my daughters were struggling deeply—one with suicidal thoughts and the other with anger issues. Everything was crumbling around me, and I felt lost. In that silence, I turned inward and asked God not what was wrong with everyone else, but what was going on within me. Read More>>
Cansu Ozyurek
I’m a violinist who teaches little kids, plays in orchestras, and does recording sessions. Over time, I realized that what really keeps me inspired is finding creative outlets in all parts of my work. Whether I’m helping a young student discover their first song or diving into a challenging piece in a studio, I try to bring a sense of creativity and connection to everything I do. Teaching has become more than instruction—it’s a form of creative mentorship. Read More>>
Lesly Pyle
Cut to 2014.
My grandmother asked me to write a memory about her. She had dementia and wanted to hold onto every bit she could. My grandmother was onto something.
That’s how the “Pyle of Memories” social media series was born. I started jotting down personal stories and posting them as they came to me. Every post was tagged with this call to action for dementia awareness: “Write the good stuff down before it’s lost forever.” Read More>>
Zaa’Kiya Green
Honestly, my purpose didn’t hit me all at once—it found me in layers, over time, in the quiet moments and the frustrating ones too. For years, I only did my own hair. It was how I expressed myself, protected my crown, and stayed connected to something that felt deeply mine. I never saw it as something I’d offer to the world—just a skill I had, something I did out of necessity and love. Read More>>
Krystal Brown
I found my purpose after going through depression Anxiety I learned I had adult ADHD. I was always doing inpulsive things not really wanting to listen or wanting to take constructive criticism from others. I did however find myself wanting to help others and always wanting to fix things (wearing a cape in other words.) I learned that not everyone needs or wants the help including myself. I took that cape off and put on different cape that cam in the form of an aprin. Read More>>
Yvonne Pointer
On December 6, 1984, my fourteen year old daughter Gloria Pointer was brutally raped and murdered. On the day that her body was prepared for viewing, I vowed, standing over her casket, that I would find her killer and that he would apologize. It took me twenty-nine years before I came face-to-face with him. It was during those twenty-nine years that I found my purpose. To protect children from violence and to work with families who had been victimized. Read More>>
Mi’Juan Coleman
It definitely found me. As a young girl interested in the arts I found myself drawn to more creative outlets such as art, drawing, dance and theater. In high school, I audition for musicals and dance team where I was able to express myself through performance and special FX make up. From supportive friends and teachers, I was able to dive into make up. Practicing prom looks and old age stage make up I knew I had found what makes my heart truly happy. Read More>>
Kellina Powell
Many of us reach a point in life where we ask ourselves, “How do I find my purpose?” It’s not always an easy question to answer, and for many, including myself, it’s not something that comes overnight. Purpose isn’t something you find by accident—it’s something you uncover by looking inward, reflecting on your journey, and listening to what lights you up. Often, your greatest challenges reveal your deepest calling. Read More>>
Sofiia Mazur
I started doing nails when I was 14 – first just for myself, then for friends and family. I was a nail biter back then, and I used to go to a local nail tech for extensions. Every time I came back with bitten nails, she would get mad at me. I already felt insecure, and those appointments made me feel even worse! Eventually, she stopped scheduling me altogether. Read More>>
Gabe Lustman
When I first started making music in May 2006, I used to do it for me and although it doesn’t make me feel alive it gives me a sense of purpose and makes me feel complete and happy beyond words after 19 years of doing music, professionally as a singer, songwriter, recording artist I realized that the gift I’ve been given is meant for the world and others just as much as it was meant for me it’s a blessing to bring happiness to people to be a vibe curator, and an inspiration to people around me and people I’ve never met that’s the true purpose Read More>>
