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.
Taylor Goodwyn
I would say it definitely took some trial and error. Consistently throughout school, art class was where I felt the most at peace and comfortable in my own skin. But I wanted what I thought was “a successful career,” so I went to college to pursue Speech Pathology. To be blunt, I wasn’t good at it and was promptly told to pick something else. Read more>>
Ebony Butler
My purpose is rooted in community. I have always been passionate about collective healing and advancement. So, when I became a psychologist, I knew my work would be no different. My work in the mental health space is centered on how it impacts the collective. This is evident in the creation of My Therapy Cards. I knew the Black community needed more mental health resources, so I created My Therapy Cards to answer this need. Read more>>
Conswella Smith
I found my purpose while overcoming health obstacles in going through life’s journey. Starting from challenges with recurring skin conditions throughout my family history leading up to personal mental, physical, and emotional health challenges. Read more>>
A Ruth Proctor
When I began to tell my story and observed how it affected others, that’s when I knew I needed to tell my story. People would always say “You need to write a book”. I would hear that so much and once God put it on my heart, I began to journal. The journaling translated into the book. I started journaling first then began writing the book. Read more>>
Tanisha Mackin
I found my purpose and passion through pain. Since I was in high school, I enjoyed writing, but it was not until my husband was tragically killed in 2010, on our one year wedding anniversary in a mass shooting that my love for writing turned into my business and purpose. Read more>>
Matt Mills
I believe for one to find their purpose they have to first find their self. What that means is you have to go through a few steps of self evaluation which includes understanding you skills and abilities and where you want to be in your future. I found my purpose through unfortunate circumstances but those unfortunate circumstances made me who I am and gave me a reason to think BIG and to follow my dreams of creating. Read more>>
Heather Halliday
This is a fantastic question, as I am always exploring my purpose! I don’t think it’s been completely “found” and changes as I continue to grow as a wife, mom, business women, volunteer, & friend. I know that I love to serve people. Serving others brings me the most joy so I consider that a big purpose of mine. I love lifting others up and helping them feel successful and loved. I also love creating, a simple craft or gift, a fun party, a beautiful space, sharing that part of me is also my purpose. Read more>>
Victoria Vela
I come from a corporate background. I worked long days and long hours. This didn’t feel fulfilling. I wasn’t excited to go to work everyday. When I decided to change careers and pursue permanent makeup I found my creative side really blossoming again. It was such an amazing experience to learn this craft. I didn’t find my purpose until I had my first alopecia client. Read more>>
Staci Mauney
For me, finding my purpose came down to doing something I love combined with prayer about whether to pursue it as a full-time job. I loved to read and write from an early age, and for as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a writer and an editor. In high school, I joined the newspaper staff and gained experience by becoming editor of the high school newspaper. Read more>>
Vanessa Cantu
Finding my purpose has been a long journey. Along the way so many things have contributed to finding my purpose, and I am finally at a point where I truly feel I have found what I’m meant to do in life. Just like many I have experienced trials in my life. I faced many obstacles, but I grew up with so much love, positivity, faith, and encouragement from my mother. Read more>>
Crystal Frank
I found my purpose at a very young age, and for that, I am very grateful. I vividly remember being three years old, watching The Wizard of Oz movie, when I saw the ballerinas dancing in the movie. I told my parents that I wanted to dance like that. Shortly after, they enrolled me in my first ballet class. Read more>>
Danielle D. Smith
I began writing my memoir in 2016 and published it in fiction format in 2017. I wrote my story of surviving child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, sexual assault and domestic violence. While in the editing stage I began to feel I was not doing enough and I began a movement by the name of, Don’t Be Quiet. While forming the movement a therapist friend of mine began posting on Facebook thought-provoking questions about domestic violence. Read more>>
Jessica Arent
I was 47 years old and had a significant car accident that changed the trajectory of my life. Depressed, sad, and newly disabled, I applied for a role with a company as an admin, which was well below my pay grade and skill set. I took the job because it was in an emerging wellness industry and plant-based and I was already self-medicating with plant (cannabis) options. Read more>>
Sarah Fleming
Hi there! My name is Sarah, and I am the proud owner of Vintage Violets Photography, a wedding photography business that tells the unique love stories of each couple I work with. However, my journey to finding my passion and purpose was a winding road with unexpected twists and turns. Before becoming a wedding photographer, I was an elementary school teacher. I loved my job, but when I had my first child, I knew I wanted to stay home with him. Read more>>
Jae Manifest
I love this question! I think we all struggle with answering that baring question of “what is my purpose?”, but rarely do we talk about how to find your purpose and what steps to take to get in touch with that purpose. I think it’s really important to have these conversations! I personally found my purpose through having experiences that allowed me to learn more about myself, by being able to reflect on who I am, and by doing what I loved as a kid. Read more>>
Staci Bartels
While it’s always been within, actually “finding my purpose” has been years in the making. From as far back as I can recall, I’ve always had feelings that there has to be more, not fully feeling fully satisfied, and always trying to figure out what the existence of my being was “supposed to” be doing in the mix of seven-plus billion people on this rock. Read more>>
Joni Franks
After many years in business, I found myself at a crossroads. It was time for something new. I made a decision to quit my job and move to another location in Colorado to begin anew. For the first time in my life, I had time to think about what I wanted to do to make a difference for others in the world and find fulfillment in my own life, It’s been six years since I wrote my first book while sitting on the covered porch of my mountain cabin in Howard, Colorado. Read more>>
Alex Kittoe
I was on a pretty typical path through life in my very early 20s. I was finishing up school with a business degree and doing internships in the summer with a plan to go into the advertising industry. When I was going to study abroad and live in Alicante, Spain for 4 months, I figured I might as well buy a camera just for fun to document my travels. I had no idea how much purchasing a Sony A6000 from Best Buy would change my life. Read more>>
Steven Winkelstein
There is a Japanese concept of discovering one’s purpose called Ikigai. It asks you to take a deep look both inward and outward to identify key motivators in key sectors of your life that produce meaning for yourself and others. A popularized chart of the Ikagai represents these questions as: Read more>>
Carrie Davenport CMP, CEM, CSEP
My purpose actually found me. Let me explain. Let’s go back to 2014. I had worked as a meetings & event professional for about 10 years at that point. I had joined many organizations in search of my “tribe” and while I was finding a network, I wasn’t truly finding connection. I had also observed the lack of female leadership at the top of major organizations. After a tough experience regarding sexual harassment in 2014 within the events industry, I decided to talk to several organizations about their policies protecting women (and men) and many didn’t even want to have a discussion regarding sexual harassment. They truly didn’t want to touch the topic. I felt at that point, women needed a better voice. I searched to find a group that provided a voice for women and when I didn’t find what I needed (or only found groups that celebrated women one day a year) I decided it was time to bring together strong female voices and started the Association for Women in Events officially as a 501(c)3 organization in 2015. It quickly grew to over 2,000 members and launched many initiatives within the hospitality industry to include the Events Industry Sexual Harassment Task Force which was my legacy committee in the organization. Read more>>
Mike Dragovich
I started Urban Revel during the COVID stay-at-home order. My friends missed one another. I made tie dye shirts to make them smile and to feel important and confident. I would deliver t-shirts to keep our connections strong. I do that still by creating new t-shirts for people to help them feel happy and important. Read more>>
Maddam Bre
Finding your purpose can happen instantly for some and take a life time for others. I happened to be fortunate enough to find my purpose at 22. Before becoming a tattoo artist, I was originally a hair and makeup artist and worked on countless sets and projects. While I enjoyed that industry, I was still seeking that thrill & passion you’re supposed to get when you do what you love. Read more>>
Asoniti Foster
My purpose is personal. As a sandwich caregiver for my grandfather who currently has Alzheimer’s and witnessing all stages of Alzheimer’s attack my family repeatedly, a passion grew that carved a path for me to not only help family members, but others battling the disease. I’m motivated to educate people by sharing how mental wellness is key in reducing risk factors of Alzheimer’s. Read more>>
KaSandra Turner
I LOVE this question! Before I answer, what is my purpose? My divine purpose is to transmute my traumas into treasures to help heal the world by merging the arts of poetry and magick. I use my gifts and talents to help others reclaim their divinity and transcend beyond their trauma and suffering. I have an undying love for humanity and my compassion for humanity is the fire that keeps my soul alive. Read more>>
Tracey Sykes Ambrose
A wrap/W.R.A.P. (with revelation and purpose) not only covers you but identifies one’s style, fashion sense, and presents presence with PURPOSE. In 2005, I crocheted a large scarf/wrap for a coworker moving to the East Coast. From that gift Tracey Ambrose W.R.A.P. was born from overwhelming compliments such as “this scarf looks like you purchased it from a major department store.” Read more>>
Jennifer Ashley Snow
My lovely mom has always had a deep admiration and appreciation of art in all forms. She was and still is to this day a film/television connoisseur. She passed on that love & respect for art to me. I grew up watching phenomenal films at home and on the big screen. Going to the movie theater was such an exciting experience as a child. I found watching movies as a wonderful escape from your problems and from what sometimes can feel like a mundane world. Read more>>
Haylee Joe
The word “purpose” holds a lot of weight. It’s something people search high and low for throughout their lives as they grow and change. I being a 25 year old woman in todays society have realized my purpose has never really hidden from me. It’s always been out in the open and staring at me. That purpose being to create and live a non conventional life. Read more>>
Monica Barrett
I found my purpose in the non emergency medical transportation industry by realizing the impact it has on people’s lives. Providing safe and reliable transportation for those in need of medical care allows them to access necessary treatments and appointments. Knowing that my work contributes to improving the quality of life for others has given me a sense of fulfillment and purpose in my career. Read more>>
melody olivas
I actually first thought I was going to be a piano player for a living. Since my name was Melody and I was put in piano lessons since the age of seven, I thought it was in the stars for me to do music. Later, I had this dream of having three jobs; a waitress in the morning, a vet by day, and an ice cream truck driver by night. At one point, I thought maybe I could be in the military like my parents. But it was actually my parents that told me and my siblings; whatever you do, just do what you love. Read more>>
Zodi Keesh
I believe that our highest purpose in life is to just live it to the best of our ability. We should aim for self mastery and find the ability that we have inside of ourselves to supply our own needs in abundance and share the extra with each other. One way that we can choose to make this goal tangible is by pinpointing our passions, special talents, skills and abilities, and sharing these with each other out of love and selflessness. Read more>>
Patricia Ferber
I come from an artistic family background. My mother earned her Art Degree in the Netherlands, she was a doll maker, a textile artist, and painter. My sister, who was an anthropologist, was very talented and a great render of still life, nature, as well as gifted in abstract art. Our parents encouraged our creativity as children, by taking us to museums, art events, and we always had art books in our home. Read more>>
FRANCESCA PO
I encountered some powerful spiritual experiences at a very young age, which really set me off on a trajectory of devoting my entire life to God. At first, this took the form of pursuing life as a nun. As my spiritual journey developed, this calling turned to a commitment to helping all people connect to more purposeful things in life—particularly those who are not religious or have left religion for whatever reason. God is in all of us. Read more>>
Caroline Passmore
This is my second time having a bookkeeping business. I had a business many years ago and had to shut it down because my first husband was killed in an accident and I simply let my client work go, and decided it was time for me to go back to work. At that time, I had a young child and knew it was the best thing for the both of us. Read more>>
Marissa Rosa Roberts
When it comes to finding my purpose, I think it’s an ongoing journey because of my constant growth. I absolutely set my goals and follow those dreams and ambitions, but I always keep an open mind to any new opportunity that enters into my life and that helps open different sides of me. More than anything, I strive to bring happiness and love into the lives of others and into myself. You really have to be patient with yourself on your journey in ‘finding your purpose’. Trust yourself. Read more>>
Jax Hillard
Finding your purpose can be a challenging and often confusing journey. For many, it takes a combination of making mistakes, accepting challenges, and listening to their inner voice to discover their true calling. This was certainly true for me. Read more>>
Sharifa “Akilah Trinay” Washington
For the longest time I was unsure if what I was doing was my purpose. I have always been good at the things I choose to pursue and follow the passion in my heart. However, I reached a crossroad in June of 2022, when I made a very difficult decision to leave what I love to pursue my purpose. I believe that the years leading up to 2022 prepared me for the ability to take the ultimate leap of faith. I have worked in education for over 15 years. Read more>>
Christopher YungChriisbeats
I always knew I wanted to be in the Entertainment Industry, somehow, someway. When the pandemic began I went through a “awakening” if you will, and followed my heart. I took a huge risk leaving my city job and put my faith in god and my abilities and it just began to work out. In Music and acting. Read more>>
Femke Tewari
Mine is a very diverse family – I’m Dutch, my husband is from Nepal, we have one mixed-race daughter and an adopted Indian daughter. Early in the pandemic, when the racial debate raged through America, I was in shock about what was happening and wanted to use the power of my photography to show the beauty of diversity. I started working on a coffee table book called Miami Women with photographs and stories of inspiring women in Miami of all different backgrounds. Read more>>
Joseph Welch
It can be a difficult thing to find. It can be somewhat elusive. In regards to career or vocation I think our purpose can be found in what we find most fulfilling and if it can pay the bills too then great. Years ago I took a personality type test that suggested what would be the best type of work for me. It sated that I should be selling artwork. I had forgotten about the test until one day I was reminded of it while going door to door selling aerial photographs. It was a serendipitous moment. Read more>>
Amber Schryver
Oh My Occasions was ultimately inspired by our love for producing and taking part in events that bring people together. My passion for event planning dates back to my childhood, when I would put on performances and productions from an early age after witnessing my parents host holiday parties with lavish decorations and food, with music and great conversation. Read more>>
Vencent Dorcilien
It’s a gift and a blessing that God has given me. It’s God’s Plan. It’s God’s vision. This is his purpose for me being a photographer. I believe God has put a gift or talent in every person and that gift will make room for you. It is this gift that will enable you to fulfill your vision. Read more>>
Kristin Hardwick
My purpose comes from many different aspects in my life. I believe that every living person/thing has a purpose, it’s the determination, ambition, and strength that brings people into their sense of passion. Mine just happens to be creating! Specifically in the fashion industry. I have always loved art, creating, and expression, those of which can easily be portrayed into fashion. I don’t believe in “finding a purpose”, but rather pursuing a purpose. Purpose and passion correlate side by side and play into one another. With passion you have purpose. Read more>>
Shannon Chalmers
That is a great Question – Honestly Trial & Error. I worked many different jobs over the last 15 years. Tried everything from service industry, to construction, coffee shops, bars even worked in an auto repair shop! Read more>>
