Below you’ll find the stories and lessons of some of the best and brightest entrepreneurs, artists and creatives in the community and how they found their purpose.
Manuel Correa
I’m a DJ, and as a kid I never thought 38 years later I would own a successful business where we would provide DJs for over 65 corporate brands. In 2008, on a trip to Vegas, I walked into a store called Metro Park, a clothing store for men. To my surprise, I saw turntables set up by the window. Read More>>
Pastor Chad E. Mitchell
I found my purpose in the Lord Jesus Christ. From as early as I can remember, I’ve walked in relationship with Him—and through every season of life, He has faithfully shaped, molded, and sustained me. I am truly blessed. There was a time when I attempted to live life apart from the Lord. It brought no fulfillment and ultimately cost me dearly. Read More>>
Kimberly Phillips
One of the only days of Kindergarten I remember is the day we learned how to sew on a button. Not much later in my life, my grandmother taught me how to hand sew quilt pieces together, noting to perfectly line up the corners and maintain even stitch sizes and tension. Read More>>
Lyndsie Clark
I’ve always been a dreamer. And for dreamers, finding a place in the world can be difficult, because something about reality often feels just slightly out of tune. I turned to stories at a very young age. They taught me how to look at the world sideways, how to pull meaning from experiences that felt confusing or frightening. Read More>>
Melissa Marcum
My purpose is to help people understand themselves at a deeper, energetic level so they can live with more clarity, vitality, and confidence. I translate astrology into something practical and embodied — not abstract or intimidating — so it becomes a usable roadmap for real life, health, relationships, and purpose. Read More>>
Diamond Wallace
I believe you find purpose through your journey in life. For myself unfortunately, I found my purpose through pain. By enduring certain challenges in my life such as sexual abuse, bullying, and a lot of loss I recognized my purpose. I knew that I was sent her to help others and to guide others in ways I wish I was guided. Read More>>
Stephanie Courte
I did not find my purpose all at once. It found me quietly, at a moment when I was not looking for it and when life had slowed me down enough to listen. Several years ago, I was deep in a demanding nine to five career that led me straight into burnout. Read More>>
Sophia Reamsnyder
For a long time, I thought purpose was something you chose once and then built a life around. I followed the responsible path. I worked in the legal field, in anti money laundering and paralegal roles, doing work that made sense on paper. And then my body failed me. My health collapsed. My sense of certainty disappeared. Read More>>
Melissa Byron
I don’t think purpose is something you find once and then hold onto forever. I think it evolves. Mine certainly has, even though the roots of it have always stayed the same. At the core of everything I do is a willingness to be honest and vulnerable about the steps I took to get where I am, especially the imperfect ones. Read More>>
Melissa Biondi
I don’t think purpose is something we suddenly discover one day — I think it’s something that keeps calling us until we’re brave enough to listen. For over 25 years, I worked in marketing and helped brands grow, scale, and tell their stories. From the outside, everything looked right. Read More>>
Tabitha Liburd
Through dint of hard work and by God’s grace, I became an attorney with a very successful career. I held exciting and fulfilling roles in 4 jurisdictions and had a great job working relationships and fulfilling friendships. I was married to someone I thought would be my forever husband. But my intuition kept confirming that something was wrong. Read More>>
Rachael Shayne
I didn’t “find” my purpose in one lightning-bolt moment. It showed up as a pattern. Early in my career, I kept ending up in rooms where the product was impressive… and the brand or product story was a mess or robotic. Engineers, founders, would describe something in a way only other insiders could understand. The market didn’t track with them. Investors stayed cautious. Buyers hesitated. Read More>>
Andrea Bequest
At the beginning of my career as a Physician Assistant, my main goal was to provide excellent patient care and help patients and their families understand their medical conditions. Simultaneously, I was precepting PA students because I felt a responsibility to train highly skilled and qualified medical providers. Read More>>
Aldora Gjonomadhi
This is a deep question, and it can be answered by listing a few sub categories. Starting off from: Necessity – As a young professional at the time, I wanted to be able to create a good platform for myself where I could share my creativity and passion for design. Read More>>
Anthony Lopez
Honestly, probably the same way you’re finding yours — by realizing that the things that didn’t quite fit weren’t flaws, but clues. If you’re a creative, you know the feeling: having a vision that doesn’t follow the mold, being told “that’s not how it’s done,” or that your work isn’t authentic because it doesn’t look like everything else. That was me. Read More>>
Don Sawyer
Child psychologist Alfred Adler said we want to develop young people — through families, schools and society as a whole — who are connected, capable, contributing and courageous. I think intuitively I tried to realize those qualities as a young man, advocating for civil rights, working to end the war in Vietnam, and connecting with others committed to a more just and equitable society. Read More>>
Dana Cila
For a long time, I questioned my purpose, especially in my relationship with God. I always knew, at my core, that I wanted to make a difference, serve others, and create spaces where people could truly heal. In high school, my family encouraged me to pursue nursing. Read More>>
Nikki Van Warner
Finding your purpose in life doesn’t just happen, and I don’t know if we can definitively say we’ve found our “purpose.” What we have found though is a path that feels true to who we are. That path began during a backpacking trip through Asia and ultimately led us to start Appalachian DiviniTEA. Read More>>
Dr. Trenice Brinkley
I knew as a child that I wanted a different life. Not because I had some grand vision board at eight years old, but because I was observant. I paid attention. I noticed patterns early, who was always tired, who was carrying everything, and who was doing the most work with the least support. Even then, I understood something was off. Read More>>
John RInehart
I didn’t find purpose. Life kept refining my options. Ever since I was a boy, I’ve been driven by the idea of purpose, the concept that we are all built around a singular destiny that calls us forward. You can imagine my confusion, then my disappointment, when I discovered there was no such thing as a singular destiny. Read More>>
Trica Jean-Baptiste
I didn’t find my purpose in a single moment—it emerged through transition. After years in hospitality and real estate, I noticed that the most meaningful conversations weren’t about properties or projects, but about people standing at a crossroads—asking where they wanted to live next, how they wanted to feel, and what this next chapter could look like. Read More>>
Kate Moynihan
I didn’t chase purpose. I kept paying attention to what gave me peace — and followed that. The Day a Paintbrush Became My Life Jacket I didn’t grow up thinking I’d be an artist. I grew up idolizing my homemaker mom, believing that giving to others always came first. Caretaking was praised. Self-sacrifice felt noble. Read More>>
Dr. Kathryn Miller
I’ve wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as I can remember. Even as a kindergartener, I felt drawn to animals and fascinated by their world. I grew up glued to Animal Planet and Discovery Channel, soaking in every documentary I could find. That early curiosity wasn’t a phase — it was the beginning of a lifelong direction. Read More>>
Empress LaTara
My purpose revealed itself through a series of prophetic initiation dreams that later unfolded in real life. In these dreams, Queen Nanny and Captain Cudjoe—revered leaders of the Jamaican Maroons—appeared with teachings and sacred responsibilities. My Arawak Taíno Ancestors also came forward, bearing ceremonial offerings that signified a spiritual covenant. This path was not a personal choice, but a calling. Read More>>
Melissa Banks
I found my purpose the moment I found my voice. The first time I shared my story publicly, I wasn’t thinking about purpose—I was simply being obedient to tell my truth. But watching the reaction of the women in the room changed everything. I saw tears. I felt connection. Read More>>
Erika Degraff
How did I find my purpose? Hmmm, great question! I would say, that I did not find my purpose, rather my purpose found me. When it comes to purpose, it is something that in my opinion, was predestined for you to do, before you were placed on this earth. It is something only YOU can do. With purpose comes ease. Read More>>
Tona Grasa
Drawing has always been a space where I feel safe, the space where my mind can hyperfocus to create something that makes me happy, makes me laugh, or gives me a little bit of joy. When I realized that by showing these drawing to other people those feelings could be transmitted and felt by them too I was hooked. Read More>>
Dr. Franceska Jones
I don’t think I found my purpose so much as I grew into it. For a long time, I felt like I was stumbling—changing majors, shifting careers, taking on different roles as a wife, mother, educator, and entrepreneur. On the outside, people often saw clarity and confidence, but internally I was still figuring things out. Read More>>
Ghadir Mkhail
Life has a humorous way of revealing one’s purpose. I’ve always been an inquisitive person. You can blame my curiosity on moving my whole life (Fun fact: I’ve attended twelve different schools), the cross-cultural differences, being a Middle-Eastern woman, and/or the countless hours of wandering around I did as a child. Read More>>
Zorina Exie Frey, MFA
My copywriting services were on hiatus because I had started teaching college English. During that period, it was surprisingly difficult to refer clients to other small presses that offered similar services. While almost anyone can self-publish, many writers prefer to focus on writing. Read More>>
Shonnon Sampson-Rasberry
Saying that I woke up one day to this beautifully curated ephiphany of being a transformational life coach for midlife women would be a complete lie. It was never part of the ‘plan’—or I should say my plan anyway because the Universe always knew. Read More>>
