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.

Nika Alexandra Khitrova

My journey to finding purpose began with a profound awakening to the health crisis surrounding us. After almost 20 years as an actress and producer, I felt increasingly unfulfilled and craved a deeper impact, yearning to reach people and create positive change beyond entertainment.
What truly opened my eyes was witnessing how many people – myself included – were struggling with their health, and how traditional Western medicine was revealing itself to be more like a ‘disease management system. Read More>>

Yochai Greenfeld

In 2020, the pandemic taught me that there are no steady careers in the performing arts—not even for Broadway performers. At the time, I was on what I believed was the first step of my steady Broadway career: the national tour of Fiddler on the Roof. But that wasn’t the case—not for me, nor for any of my colleagues, including veteran Broadway performers. We all entered the abyss together, and not all of us made it out still holding on to our stage careers. Read More>>

Margaret Steele

How my purpose and I found each other is a truly magical story. It seems like a made-up fairy tale. Yet it really happened.

In the late 1980s, in my thirties, I was a Juilliard-trained musician working on Broadway. If anyone had told me then that I would someday find and publish the greatest untold story in the history of magic, I would have laughed in their face. Read More>>

Malissa Lee

I found my purpose as a writer from a very young age. I was about eight-years-old when I told my first story, and I still remember the look on my teacher’s face when his eyes lit up, he gave a slow nod and said, “This story is actually pretty good.”

Although, I’m pretty positive I wasn’t the only one receiving that compliment. There’s only so much praise you can give to a tiny tale about an alien who drops into a little girl’s sandbox, and frolics around the human world for a day. Read More>>

Tyler Varnell

What a journey! I definitely didn’t know performing as a Saxophone-DJ would be my calling!

I graduated college with a finance degree, worked in the startup space, then in commercial real estate, then in my mid-20’s I decided to leave the corporate world and dove head first into the humble beginnings of becoming a professional musician, performing for $50 a night at bars and restaurants. Read More>>

Leticia Zecca Ross

I found my purpose during one of the most challenging seasons of my life—when the world paused during COVID and I was forced to pause with it. I’ve always been a natural-born attorney and a relentless seeker of justice, especially for marginalized communities. I began my career as a Public Defender, drawn to the front lines of advocacy and equity. But it wasn’t until the stillness of the pandemic that my deeper purpose truly came into focus. Read More>>

Moulika

I have always been active in extra curricular activities since I was a kid. My mom identified that I am a great dancer, I sing well and I can paint when I was really young. What I mean when she identified all of this is – “I am creative. I follow the rhythm and have capability of creating something new on my own”. As she loves dancing and could never actually pursue it, my mom joined me into this Indian Classical dance class.  Read More>>

Satoshi Iwasaki

How I Found My Purpose: Building Culture at the Crossroads of Music, Fashion, and Movement

Finding purpose isn’t always a lightning bolt—it’s often a rhythm, a pattern that reveals itself across time. For me, it wasn’t about chasing fame or recognition. It was about being in the right spaces, doing the real work, and letting the culture guide me. My purpose revealed itself every time I leaned into what mattered—connection, collaboration, and creativity rooted in truth. Read More>>

Iris (Yi Youn) Kim

TW: sexual assault

It took a tragedy during my undergraduate experience for me to find my purpose. I was sexually assaulted by a professor at my alma mater.
For years, I searched for stories that would help me name and vocalize the sexual violence that had happened to me. In both my day job and the writing I was doing outside of it, I was drawn again and again to narrative healing after violence. I learned to write into unspoken, buried wounds. Read More>>

Maren Jenner

I’ve known since I was a child that I loved stories in all forms – reading a good book, watching a well-done movie, becoming invested in a riveting show, seeing live performances of plays and musicals. When I was in elementary school, we had a yearly project where we would be given time to write and illustrate our own books. We got to choose the size and if it was hardcover or not, then write in our story and draw our own pictures. Each year a perfomance group came through, chose a book or two from each grade, and acted out those stories. Read More>>

Rev Daria Dillard Stone

Well, I believe my purpose found me. Here is a summary of how God has orchestrated my life. My brand is my journey through pain and refusing to let that pain define me.

(REV). DARIA DILLARD STONE, THE SERVANT -BECAUSE I CARE I SHARE

My grounding scripture (one of them) is Colossians 3:23: ‘Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.’ Read More>>

Isabella

Being able to sit with yourself – to know yourself and all your strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, and more – is how I believe you truly find your purpose.

From the time I was a little girl, storytelling was something that felt so natural, flowing deep within my bloodstream. Every bedtime board book read to me by my mother, every midnight action packed movie watched with my father, each fresh page turned in a novel, all were my sources of excitement and dopamine.  Read More>>

Alicia Pinckney

I find my purpose by listening and paying close attention to the things that bring me joy by utilizing my gifts and how those things impact others positively. Read More>> 

Cameo And Elana Zvanets

The definition of Purpose: the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. To me the meaning is so much more complicated than this. To know your purpose is to know yourself. To know yourself you must look with in. Sit with yourself. Listen to yourself. This is not so easy when you’ve been through so much in your life. But these things you have gone through are the very things that give you purpose.  Read More>> 

Alyssa Johnson

Having an artistic vision but the inability to describe it, that’s what dyslexia is like. Photography has allowed me to express myself and turn it into a career despite the challenges that come with dyslexia. 3 years ago I reached a point in my life when I had to decide on which direction to focus; I had closed over 10 million dollars in sales as a real estate agent but that came at the expense of stress and a feeling that I was doing something I truly didn’t enjoy, not to mention I absolutely struggled with the paperwork! I had done numerous side gigs as a part time photographer, a couple weddings, real estate listings, and dozens of shoots for a construction contractor. Read More>>

Kayla Davis

My purpose and drive for my business come from not only the ability to support my babies but because I’ve learned first hand how important a photograph is. At 25 I lost my 2nd child to a disease called trisomy 13 at 35 weeks pregnant, it was devastating! The amazing photographer and family friend that we had at the time drove 1 hour in the middle of the night to capture my son’s short 1.5 hours of life. I was beyond grateful! 11 years later the photographs she captured is still all I have of my sweet boys life. Read More>> 

Dimple Bindra

I found my purpose at 16.
Not in a classroom or at a career fair, but on a hospital bed, after surviving sexual assault, a suicide attempt, and a body that felt like it was turning against me. I was diagnosed with PCOS, obesity, and severe cystic acne. I weighed over 200 pounds and couldn’t imagine a future. But somewhere between the pain and the silence, I had a vision: my body….leaner, freer, moving in every direction with grace and strength. It wasn’t real, but it felt more true than anything else in that moment. Read More>>

Krista Filchner

Since I was young, I always felt like I had a general direction of where I wanted to be in life and that was to become an artist — I just didn’t know where that would end up taking me.

I have done many things in my artistic journey, including going to college for a fine art degree in painting and photography. In high school, I worked as a face painter and henna tattoo artist at an amusement park for awhile. My original goal was to work for Pixar as an animator since I loved drawing cartoons and telling stories.  Read More>>

DOMINIQUE/NIKKI HATTON

My purpose was discovered after being laid off from a position at a company where I worked for seven years. Read More>>

Victoria Adams Quaicoe

I found my purpose from my passions, values and strength, from what I love to do freely and feeling fulfilled Read More>> 

Josette Green

I always admired those that knew their purpose and displayed the passion that accompanied it. I wanted a purpose and at times would force the issue but I knew deep down I didn’t yet have it. Year after year and I still had no purpose.. I was now in my 60’s and soon to return my beloved St. Pete after a few years absence. Will I ever have a clear purpose? Read More>>

Coda Lucas

I’ve been passionate about astronomy since I was very young. One of my earliest memories is being about three years old on a road trip with my dad. It was very late at night and we were in the middle of nowhere in Utah and I remember standing there, his huge winter coat wrapped around me, looking up at more stars than I had ever seen before and I wanted to know what was going on with all those little twinkly lights! Ever since then, I’ve sought out and eagerly consumed any and every piece of space knowledge I could get my hands on, eventually leading to the pursuit of a bachelor’s in astrophysics. Read More>>

Diego Rivera

Long ago, from a very young age I learned that I Love to teach people and I have an overall love for people themselves to better themselves! So from the very beginning, holding health and self defense classes in my Parents Garage in middle school to now having my own Personal Training Studio for my in person clients and my online Training platform to help individuals to improve their health and fitness even if they live very far from me! It all started with me, feeling weak and wanting to do something about it.  Read More>>

Angel Mendez

I found my purpose through trial and error. I had to live through many experiences, both positive and negative, to discover the true meaning of my life.

After going through countless experiences, I stopped to analyze them in depth, becoming aware of everything related to them: how they made me feel, why I chose to live them, which ones I enjoyed the most, what reasons drove me to experience them, and which of them I wanted to keep pursuing more often. Read More>>

Eric Pothen

It is estimated that nearly 29 millions will experience an eating disorder at some point in their lives. That’s about a 1 in 10 chance. And for me, I am one of those 1 in 10’s.

I developed an eating disorder shortly after graduating from college. It all started with getting a membership to a local gym. Because I was engaging in physical movement more than I had in the past, my physique began to naturally change. Read More>>

Angela Roe

I have always been a creative.
I can remember drawing and doodling on pages when I was supposed to be paying attention in class or church.
Growing up in a poor and rural area, I had a hard time finding value in my life. I used to sit and watch the sun set and dream of being somewhere far away.
I think a lot of people struggled with that.
Finding ones purpose was never the focus, it was survival. Read More>>

Kathryn

Who we are and what we become in life is set by a series of times and events that we will never know in places we will never visit.

I can’t tell you exactly how or who this lovely lady standing in a cotton peach dress on a gravel road by drooping bushy mounds of rose bushes is…..But I know somewhere in the course of time and family events she is related to my grandmother, Dorthy, who was born in 1922…..Whether gardening was a venture she was taught by generations before her. Or one made and traveled by her own…..I cannot tell you. Read More>>

Celeste Potter

I’ve always been someone who works hard and pours everything into what I do. I was in the thick of small business for years, helping others build, solve problems, and bring their ideas to life. It gave me a sense of purpose. I felt fulfilled.
But when I got injured, everything changed. Read More>>

Henry Bryant

Finding your purpose is definitely something that develops over time. This is one of those things that has many layers to it and sometimes you don’t see the direct path. My purpose has been brought to life recently in the past 3 years and even though I’m actively pursuing it, I don’t know the end result yet or what other opportunities will present themselves. I do know that it will be on the same path of being an advocate for amputees. Read More>>

Casey (Kiki) LaMore

My purpose emerged from a deep-seated desire to address the challenges faced by adults with developmental disabilities. Starting my career in 2015, I recognized the critical need for systemic change, which fueled my passion to advocate for increased independence and a higher quality of life for those I serve. This commitment to empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities has been the driving force throughout my extensive career in the non-profit sector, where I’ve focused on creating sustainable solutions for underserved populations. Read More>>

Sharelle McNeil

I discovered my purpose early in life as a young girl, watching my grandmother care for not only our family, but also members of the community right from our home. Both my grandmother and mother placed a strong emphasis on education and wholeheartedly supported my love for reading and writing. Some of my favorite memories include receiving free Barbie and Bible books and taking regular trips to the library. Those experiences planted the seed in me early on that I wanted to become a teacher, someone who could nurture and educate children. Read More>>

Xiomara Sosa

I found my purpose a long time ago as a young girl experiencing my parents’ way of giving back to all communities. They didn’t talk; they simply did. By their real-life example, I learned it all from them. Read More>>

Alison Smith Martin

I found my purpose by listening to and following my heart. My original career was in broadcasting, which I enjoyed for 10 years. I had a life altering personal tragedy with the death of my beloved Mom and everything turned upside down for me. I had an amazing boss at the time who told me to do what I really love…and that of course, was to work with animals. Read More>>

April Lam

Ever since I was young I knew I wanted to be a “helper”. Starting in preschool teachers would “assign” me jobs to keep me busy (I wasn’t a great napper) as I grew-up I spent a lot of time volunteering I come from a background of social workers/nurses. I was also raised by two blind parents who I saw overcome many obstacles, my father would always remind me “don’t let your life circumstances dictate your future”. I took that to heart when navigating through challenges with school, finances, jobs. I would always find a way even if it wasn’t how I thought it was going to initially look, being creative and persistent helped me find my purpose as a nurse practitioner. Read More>>