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.
Alison Altrui
I’ve always loved taking photos since as far back as I can remember. I also studied early childhood education in college and have always loved working with kids since babysitting as a teen. I’ve worked in daycares and schools and always enjoyed my time with the children. So by becoming a photographer I got to incorporate my love for photography, my early childhood education background and working with children! Read More>>
Bitsy Merriman Erin Kennedy
We were all experiencing a sense of isolation and loss during the pandemic, coupled with changes driven by online classes and a lack of human interaction. The yoga industry was also changing causing us to rethink our passion, how and where to teach and how to create a vibrant learning community. Read More>>
Chrissy Parsons
My purpose comes from my family. I picked up a camera for the first time ever because of my kids. I wanted to be able to freeze time- to remember everything about them, at that exact moment. Read More>>
Ryan Price
“Purpose” is kind of like my word for life. One day, I was talking with a mentor of mine, and I was telling him all about my musical journey and how it was my passion. After I finished, he said, “It sounds like music has evolved from your passion into your purpose.” I’ll never forget that! I started seeing that little word everywhere. It became my whole life…… Purpose. I actually got it tattooed on my arm a few weeks before I moved to Nashville. Read More>>
Sara Continenza
My life experiences and my relationship to my higher power have guided my life and sense of purpose. I have always known I wanted to be a teacher. I always watched my mom help others through her work as a social worker, and it continues to inspire me to want to help others, to this day. In my 20s, I traveled the world educating and learning from other cultures. When I returned from my world travels, I got a job at a local emergency food nonprofit. Read More>>
Reilly Wadsworth
My family has constantly pressed the important of purpose in one’s life from a very young age. I was always encouraged to find what that means to me and how to translate that into leaving the world better than I found it. Read More>>
Aurora Ramirez
For me, it has always been quite simple. My purpose in life is fueled by three things: God, my kids, and seeing people fulfill their dreams. Firstly, my faith in God has been the foundation of my purpose. I believe that each and every one of us has been created with a unique purpose and set of talents. By seeking God’s will for my life, I have been able to discover my own purpose and use my talents to make a positive impact in the the local music scene community. Read More>>
Luz Castilla
I like to see it as my purpose found me. When I started creating it was the only thing in my life that felt right and that I truly felt like I was able to be myself. You’ll know when you have found what your purpose is because its a part of you and how you are, something you cannot detach from. sometimes your purpose may take longer to present itself but it will come because its you. Read More>>
amy tep
Our purpose is rooted in our love for the community. Growing up in different places, we both faced bullying as Asian Americans. Instead of harboring resentment, we’re committed to representing our AAPI community positively and educating others about our culture. Our goal is to bridge gaps between races and foster understanding. Read More>>
Carol Ward
I found this purpose on a summer vacation with my parents, we were visiting family over in England and we were staying in London and doing our usual day of museuming. It was my first visit to the Tate Britain, and I was already someone who loved all things British both art and literature, especially the works of Shakespeare. So when I rounded the corner and saw an amazing painting of the death of Ophelia I immediately wanted to learn all about who painted it and why. Read More>>
Scott Mitchell
I knew very early in life that I was gay. Growing up in a small Georgia town, I did not have any role models that looked like me. I had a couple of very close friends but spent many years searching for my place in the world. In my college years, I found sanctuary in bars and nightclubs eventually turning to drugs and alcohol to fit in. It wasn’t long before I was addicted. I spent several years struggling with addiction and homelessness before finding recovery 18 years ago. Read More>>
Miriam Padilla
I have found my purpose by connecting to my roots. I was born in Puerto Rico but moved to the mainland USA when I was 7 years old. Throughout my life, I lived in various cities including Baltimore, Los Angeles, Cleveland, and others. In 2015 I moved to Utah, a state that has about 14,000 Puerto Ricans. While in Utah, I wanted to feel a stronger connection to my Puerto Rican roots and thus began a journey of researching my ancestors and their stories. Read More>>
Anne Yarbrough
I’m still looking for it sometimes, always working on myself and all… but the purpose is there, it just has to resurface from time to time if that makes sense. I feel that life gets a little busy and it’s like clothes piling up but once you decide to start peeling the layers for that first spark, it’ll reveal itself again and stay bright. I had a little pause around 6ish years ago when my mom passed and I gave birth to our daughter around the same time, so I’m slowly starting to resurface and find that inspiration again. Everything happens when it’s supposed to. Read More>>
Sandra Myers
To be successful at anything, you need to understand why you do what you do; for me, it’s simple. I wanted other singles to find the once-in-a-lifetime love that took me 40 years to come by. Finding love was by far my most formidable life challenge. I did not get married until I was 40, yet I had been a matchmaker for over a decade, seeing love develop for other singles through my efforts. I knew to win at this, like myself, singles need to be encouraged and stay the course as love is ultimately worth the effort. Read More>>
Issiah Mclean
In 2022, my mother was diagnosed with cancer, which coincided with a major life shift for me. Struggling with the uncertainty of her condition, I turned to self-motivation through affirmations. Surprisingly, this led me to become a source of positivity for friends and even strangers. Though I initially didn’t see a passion for public speaking, I eventually ended up receiving an opportunity to do an upcoming TED talk on an international stage in October of 2023. Read More>>
Candace Brooks
I found my purpose through my sickness. I remember when I found out I have MS (Multiple Sclerosis), I started to notice my hair was breaking off. I became depressed and defeated because I was losing hair, it wasn’t until my husband encouraged me that I started fighting back looking up information on how I can save my hair. I researched natural ingredients that helps with different textures of hair. from that point on I devoted myself to create a product that will help women like me who felt depressed and defeated from hair loss. Read More>>
Yvvey Smith
Being a problem-solver and using what I have to research and find the answers I need have always been my greatest skills. So when I grew bored and dissatisfied with my last chemist position, I knew I needed to make a change fast! I loved chemistry but something wasn’t sitting right with me. I spent a great majority of my life in school, listening to my parents to get good grades and get a good “secure” salaried job with benefits. I had finally accomplished this task, but I still felt unfulfilled in my life. Read More>>
Taylor Trimble
I have always been a creative whether it was drawing, sewing, or playing with makeup. I practiced as a self taught makeup artist for a while and was on a very successful path with it, but one day around six years ago I had a sudden urge to create a large scale painting which I did. I fell in love with painting and decided that’s what I wanted to pursue full time. I now have a B.F.A. in painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design and working as a full time artist. Read More>>
Dante Davison
Ever since a young age I was surrounded by art, but finding my purpose was a pretty confusing process. As a kid you would catch me either watching movies , filling up a drawing pads , filming a horror scene on my iPod touch, or taking pictures on my Pokemon camera. These passions consumed me , inspired me, and kept my imagination racing 24/7. Now as I got a little bit older around twelve years old or so, sports started to creep into my life. From twelve on I played sports the rest of my time as a student. Read More>>
Venus Mack Hall
Discovering my purpose as a wife, business coach, and entrepreneur has been a journey of self-discovery and growth. As a wife, my purpose is to support and uplift my partner, creating a strong and nurturing partnership. As a business coach, my purpose is to guide and inspire others, helping them achieve their goals and reach their fullest potential. As an entrepreneur, my purpose is to innovate and create value in the market, making a positive impact on both my industry and the lives of those I serve. These roles intertwine, allowing me to learn, adapt, and contribute in unique ways, ultimately fulfilling my greater purpose in life. Read More>>
Dolapo Adeladan
As a youth, I always had a vision of becoming more and exceeding beyond the average standards of life. However, I knew I had to start somewhere in order to embark on such a journey. Therefore, finding areas I was passionate about was the first step. Read More>>
Tracie Morris
I feel like God creates each of us by giving us attributes that come out later in life. I always wondered what I would be when I grew up. As a small child I was obsessed with weddings. I loved how the brides looked from her dress to what the bridesmaids wore, the room decor including the table centerpieces and the tall beautiful wedding cakes. In high school I discovered that I enjoyed helping plan my junior and senior proms when I was on the event planning committees. Details soon became my jam and I was voted Most Organized my Senior year. Read More>>
SJ Slays
I’m always writing, even if only in my head. I transmuted that into everything I do. Even as a Cosplayer, my intent is to tell, or further, a character’s story. Even as a community builder, I am helping to tell the story of Cosplay in The Bahamas, as well as amplifying the story of my fellow Bahamian Cosplayers. From how it started, to where it is now and beyond. That is the legacy I am honored to build for my Country and take immense pride in fostering and inspiring other Bahamians to take up the passion. Read More>>
Rachel Rodriguez
When the pandemic hit, I flew with one suitcase to Florida to be with my now-inlaws and husband. In my one bag was strictly activewear. The amalgam of my passion and profession was created as a result and through collaboration with my sister-in-law. That’s when I founded Inspira: The Lifestyle Brand. My vision (and still serves as my North Star) is that it caters to all women, regardless of ethnicity, shape, and age. My products are versatile, so teenage girls to mothers on the run can live a lifestyle as seamless, confident, and comfortable as possible. Read More>>
Dezzy Jones
I remember when I was 8 or 9 years old, I was riding in the car with my dad–in the passenger seat, despite being below the age requirement and wildly below the weight requirement. He was on the phone with my Auntie Francis, talking about something I had no interest in. I was staring out the window, and then I mumbled, to no one in particular, “I wonder what my purpose is. Read More>>
Stacii Floyd
I found my purpose by using my talents. At a young age I knew I wanted to be a musician. I was around musicians all the time because I was involved with my grandmother’s band. She would always told me I had the talent, but I was scared to express it in public. Once I did, I knew that was my purpose. Read More>>
Keana Almonte
When finding my purpose, I knew I wanted to make an impact in this world. I had an idea that I had something worth fulfilling in my lifetime. Recently in my life, I experienced grief which enable me to shift my perspective on understanding that life is so short and sometimes we can be our own worst critics when it comes to making our dreams a reality. This is a result of blocking all the noise around me and pursuing my dreams and aspirations on the path to my purpose. When you find your niche, everything aligns with what the universe has in store for you. Read More>>
Lakeisha Brown
Living in a single-parent home with my mother, sisters and brother taught me a lot about life and the different encounters that I would face on the road ahead. Life shows me encounters such as the birth of a child, the death of family/friends, career challenges, and relationship failures. Read More>>
Ashley Thirkill
Chris and I both love people. We love helping people, celebrating people, just being around good people. We thrive off other people’s positive energy and excitement. We love to see people happy. Popcorn makes everyone happy! Read More>>
Sarah Ariaudo
I’ve always known I want to help people and make a positive impact. I started off in healthcare, working with cancer patients. I realized that the biggest impact I was making with my patients was supporting their mental and emotional health. Of course I was treating the tumors and making a physical impact as well, but it’s the mental aspect that I noticed made a big difference in outcome. Read More>>
Gloria Alford
I have always worked in various volunteer organizations that served children. I have been a Certified Guardian ad Litem and Certified Educational Surrogate for 13 years. Over the years I have handled some very sad cases and had some sleepless nights. I remember each child’s face that I have worked with and their situation. Their stories and their fears stay with me and encourages me to advocate for them in the best way I can. I have run into numerous road blocks due to finances or overworked staff who don’t return phone calls or see my concerns as seriously as I do. Read More>>
Janey Street
I started planing guitar. singing and writing songs by the age of 10. My big brother was a great piano player, guitarist and singer and I guess I wanted to be just like him. Also I grew up with the Beatles and Motown , The Vietnam war and the Civil rights movement was something we were all a part of. It brought a lot of people together like the greats , Bob Dylan, the famous Woodstock festival, etc. It was my generation. That’s what inspired me the most. Read More>>
Robin Pedrero
I recall suddenly being distraught over my art causing others to acquire more stuff when decluttering and simplifying were first discussed many years ago. I also thought that consumerism and spending money caused others to stress and that perhaps my creating art burdened others. After all, I was influencing both of these things by creating and selling art. It was devastating to not create art. Read More>>
Megan Miller
I feel like finding your purpose is one of life’s biggest challenges. Once you find it though, things seem to come together in their own way. I found that I don’t just have one purpose but many purposes. I’m a mother, a partner, a volunteer, a business owner and an individual. Each one of these things has a different purpose and different challenges but each one makes me who I am. Read More>>
autumn weimann
I’ve always had a purpose to help others and to live a healthy lifestyle. I recently found my new purpose about a year ago. I’ve struggle with a health issue for over 16 years and doctors could never figure out what it was. Losing all hope in allopathic and western medicine I enrolled into natural health school to become a naturopathic doctor and curing myself naturally and helping educate others. The process of not knowing and seeing mult drs made me so angry and that there is little research out there. This is now my calling and my passion that fulfills me. Read More>>
Connor Chase
I immersed myself in the world of meditation, fascinated by its potential to bring tranquility and growth. As an innovative designer, my journey toward developing Guided began with a vision of AI-driven personalized meditation. The challenge was crafting an app that spoke to individual users’ needs amid a sea of generic options. Drawing from my global UI/UX expertise, I saw the gap clearly. Read More>>
Cherish Alexander
I feel lucky to always have had a clear picture of what my purpose was and what I wanted to create in my life. I was born with a sense of music in me and started writing songs when I was seven. My first song I wrote was called “Love will find a way”! Although my musical path is always refining itself as I’ve progressed, my process in the way I create songs and lyrics has remained the same. It has always been a knowing and a very intuitive visceral process. Read More>>
Shelby Lentz
From a young age, I had a love and appreciation for music. What began as me participating in school choirs and talent shows, became my determination to pursue music as a career. At 13, with the influence of Taylor Swift, taught myself guitar. I had been writing poetry for years but I had no way at the time, before learning guitar, to put those poems into music. Growing up, I experienced a lot of trauma at an early age. I was a child of divorce after both my parents remarried, I was subject to a lot of mental abuse. Read More>>
Rebecca Deans
Finding my purpose has been a fascinating journey rooted in a lifelong love for organization. Since I was a little girl, I had a natural knack for making things neat and orderly. While other kids were playing outside, I was having a great time sorting and arranging my CD collection. Those CDs weren’t just music to me; they were a chance to organize them by type and put them in order from A to Z. Read More>>
Kristin Tucker
First, I believe everyone shares a deep desire to find their purpose. That moment in our lives when we can look back and say, “I know why I’m here and it’s enough!” I know I did.
From an early age I discovered that I had a gift for performing. I wrote my first song at three, attended college and studied music and theatre, and had an amazing 23 year career at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! I performed for audiences from around the world! I was following my dreams, and they were coming true! Yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t enough and that there was still something more for me. Read More>>
