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.
Tara Knoll
Last year was a big year for me. I took a voluntary separation from my corporate job in hopes of finding something that was fulfilling and gave me a sense of purpose. The weekend after my last day of work I was at my son’s travel baseball tournament. Photography has been a hobby of mine for 12 years so as always, I had my camera with me for his games. After he shared some of the pictures I took of him, I started hearing “____ wants pictures too”. Read more>>
Fidel Gutiérrez
I found my purpose after a long introspective journey in which I discovered that my purpose was to be happy, as at death it’s the only thing that will be worth it. How can I be happy? Easy, by dedicating time to all those things that stimulate my body, my mind, and my soul. Read more>>
Leslie Cabral
I started dieting to lose weight. But that completely backfired. The stricter I got with my eating, the more out of control I felt: the cravings increased, and it was a constant fight between trying to be “good,” and failing. Even though I managed to stick to my diet for a while, I always ended up giving in and binging on all the prohibited foods. I struggled so much with food and sugar cravings. I felt addicted to the act of eating. I kept going up and down 20-30 pounds. Read more>>
Jim Hobart
Finding my purpose is an ongoing journey. But overall, I aim to use my time and energy for good, and to leave something positive that will outlive me. It dawned on me that I had the unique ability to connect with people and pull stories out of them. I could get them to relax and share things with me that they had never shared with their families. I recognized that this was a special skill that not everyone has. Read more>>
Anthony Trotter
I think purpose is one of the most talked about subjects. What it is? Where to find it? and what does it look like? I found my purpose by looking within. By first asking questions like what makes me feel alive and excited. which turned out to be public speaking and inspiring others through communication. Read more>>
Avery Rouda
In my opinion, finding purpose in life is an ongoing process that requires a person to check-in with one’s heart on a daily basis. For me, that looks a lot like reflecting on where I’ve been, where I’m going, and how these two pathways can come together to allow me to show up everyday as the person I want to be. It’s been helpful for me to honor the journey as the destination. Read more>>
Amy Sage
Finding my purpose has been a soulful journey that has involved exploration, experimentation, risk taking, continued education and self-reflection! Growing up I was deeply conditioned to play my role in society, to follow an educational structure, religion, have a family and work a 9-5 job. Read more>>
Mya Nichol
For a long time growing up I thought I knew my purpose, being a nurse. I had been through a series of events growing up that landed me in the hospital many times and the nurses always took good care of me. Because of their influence I decided I wanted to be a nurse so that I could be the bright light in others lives when they ended up in the hospital. Read more>>
Rio Thorogood
Through my blog “The Hot Child in the City”, I believe I have found my purpose as an independent music journalist. Connecting with other music historians via social media has been a crucial ingredient in my mission. I have been able to witness likeminded people at work as they tell stories and share history. Read more>>
Kelly England Sara Nasre
Sara and I met at Burn Bootcamp back in 2019. We saw each other everyday for several months before actually having a conversation! I had started That Woodworking Chick on my own as a side hustle and it grew so much that I needed help! I had asked around the gym if there was anyone who needed a side gig. Read more>>
Bill Boronkay
I was working my way up the television sportscaster ladder. Shortly after landing in Kansas City the station changed management and I knew my days there were number. I accepted an offer from their sister station in Cleveland, at the time, the country’s 12th largest tv market. Read more>>
Florencia Faiatt
Discovering my purpose has been an enriching journey of self-discovery, fueled by my passion for holistic well-being and the desire to make a positive impact on others. It all began during my studies in psychology, where I immersed myself in understanding the intricate workings of the human mind. However, it wasn’t until I embraced the transformative practice of yoga that my purpose truly blossomed. Read more>>
Wilhelmina Goldberg
My first memory of childhood is sitting in my car seat listening to the Me And My Gang CD by Rascal Flatts. I get emotional just thinking about how that specific album brings me so much comfort to this day. Before I even knew what emotions were, I felt so deeply. I loved, missed, hurt, and sensed so intensely. Read more>>
Samantha Rosenbaum
In my journey, I’ve realized that every twist and turn has served a purpose, guiding me towards my ultimate fulfillment. I found my purpose when I fully embraced the notion that the universe had been orchestrating events to prepare me to step into my true calling, helping others on the path of enlightenment. Read more>>
Helenna Santos
This is a difficult question to answer because i feel like every single person, just by being on the planet, has purpose. I don’t know that it’s something we have to find, but more something we should lean or relax into. Read more>>
April Mitchell
Kelly & April have discovered that throughout our lives, purpose is a journey. It defines itself differently during various seasons of life. As stay at home moms they busied themselves with the many tasks of raising children. With this came a natural need to be efficient and organized in order to maintain a functional lifestyle. Read more>>
Bryan Toton
I found my purpose when I came to Christ. There are so many different methods we evaluate success. It may be a marriage, a home, wealth creation, success in a career, all of the different places we can travel before we die… None of that actually matters in the grand scheme of things. I was one that believed in the American Dream. Read more>>
Lydia Storie
I think our purpose is ever-evolving. But I credit the combination of two life-altering events for leading me to where I am at the moment: becoming a parent and a global pandemic. Before coming to Caring Across Generations, had spent more than a decade building a career as a creative executive in film and TV. Read more>>
Sunny Malin
I think purpose is one of those things you let find you. I think I, like many people, have always had an idea of what I wanted and have been only fine tuning what that really means in detail. I think combining that journey with something bigger than myself, or my vessel, has always produced a personal purpose, be it one that changes or not. Read more>>
Steffany Moonaz
I like to say that my purpose found me. I started dance lessons when I was a toddler because my mother was a dance teacher. She danced as a kid but had to stop at age 9 when her father died and her mother could no longer afford the classes. She took it up again as an adult and became a teacher, which she attributed to giving her the confidence to later pursue her passion of interior design. Read more>>
Kate Roosa
I think I was drawn to horses for the same reason most kids are: they embody strength, power, speed, freedom, and beauty with so many stories of unlikely heroes being able able to connect with and borrow those attributes. I’ve never been a particularly brave person. When I was carseat sized, we would stop on the side of the road to look at Ruby the horse on the way to the transfer station in my little village in Vermont. Read more>>
Javier Jimenez
Believe it or not of all places to find one’s purpose I found mine in prison. Read more>>
Simone Mango
My purpose arises from the need to highlight the beauty, the good, the peace and serenity that exist in the world. Read more>>
Moira Brunk
You know, it’s strange how life can take you by surprise sometimes. I found myself in this incredibly lonely, empty, and confusing place, and I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed about it. I mean, here I was, 53 years old, and I couldn’t figure out what my purpose in life was anymore. I had nothing or so I thought. Read more>>
Eric Torres
Finding one’s purpose can be extremely difficult and scary. For me, even with its struggles, I was able to find the main portion pretty early on, as music was always a primary piece of my life. When it came to specifics, that’s where the real challenge lied. It took me until recent years, almost 30 years, to find what I was doing this all for. It all has to do with the circle of life – we know that we experience our greatest highs and what made them that way. Read more>>
Tamara Lexow
When I was growing up, my mom was a loving support for so many. She was like a magnet, and she drew people towards her. She had a gift for helping people feel loved, cared for, supported, and heard. My parents separated when I was nineteen, and shortly after, my mom took her own life. I was left alone, feeling abandoned, and had to find a way to survive. Read more>>
Gayle Fuller
I found my purpose through have a spontaneous spiritual awakening and going through a dark night of the soul where I realized who I really was and what I was on the Earth to do. I had always been a community builder and worked with clients in the fitness industry and taught boxing and cycling classes at the biggest names and had full classes of people who would always share how emotional my class was and how I would always say the right things. Read more>>
Vistorina Silvanus
Finding my purpose involved many aspects. Not only did I find my purpose through self-discovery, but also by having intentional conversations with people who are close to me and strangers.
Through self-discovery, I engaged in activities such as active meditation, which helped me understand my passions, interests, and strengths. Read more>>
Amanda G Savage
I was drinking a lot in nightclubs in NYC just after the recession… and I became very funny. I had graduated from NYU with a degree in paintings and flower arrangements [French Major, Japanese Studies minor], and shackled with student loan debt, I took to temp work at bustling hedge funds. As a young admin in mid-town Manhattan, I felt a sorrow that only company-distributed PC computers and aggressive overhead lighting could solidify. Read more>>
Bess Jane
From a young age, I developed a profound appreciation for breathing new life into vintage and second-hand clothing. There’s a certain allure in garments that carry tales of bygone eras or evoke nostalgia for moments forgotten. Handmade pieces hold a special place in my heart, particularly knitted sweaters, where the meticulous craftsmanship is evident in every stitch. Read more>>
Shakyra Lawson
My purpose in life was handed to me. From a young age, was deeply empathetic. As I matriculated through secondary school and undergrad, my dream of helping people came to fruition. I was accepted into the College of Social Work at Florida State University and learned all that Social Workers can do. Read more>>
Tina Mari Rucker
How did I find my purpose? That question isn’t so cut and dry for me because what I realized is that your purpose isn’t locked. It fluctuates. It’s not always linear, and it doesn’t always appear before you pursue it. You see, I found that my purpose wasn’t concrete like I thought. I encountered my purpose by stumbling, persevering, and with trial and error. Read more>>
Lisa Reyes
I found my purpose on accident and it happened after whole lot of trial and error. I could write a book about all of the crazy jobs that I have had. When I first moved to LA I got a job shoveling horse poop at a stable because it made me feel like home (I’m from Georgia). Read more>>
Gregory Joel
Sometimes I think I just stumbled into it, but my wife reminds me that it isn’t quite true. She uses the analogy that life is like a beautiful tapestry. If you look at it from the back side – which is what people tend to see – you only see a tangled mess of various colored threads. When you turn it over something beautiful happens – a brilliant work of art. Read more>>
Jen Rubinetti
For most of my life, I believed my value was contingent upon what I could do for people. I thought every interaction and relationship was transactional… that somehow I was only interesting to others if I could make something happen for them or resolve an issue they were dealing with. It didn’t occur to me to mind being this kind of “fixer” because it meant that I was needed… and wanted. Read more>>
Mitchell Weaver
My ultimate life purpose revolves around effecting positive change in the world. Since as far back as I can remember, I’ve harbored a deep-seated desire to challenge injustices and rectify unfairness. But how exactly could I contribute to a more positive world? That’s the question that has driven me along my journey, a journey I’d like to share with you. Read more>>
Lisa-Jae Eggert
Sickness was our I found my purpose. Here is a little info about me and the whys and hows and the ups and downs of how I formed my company. Here are some facts: 1) Over half a million people are diagnosed with tick-borne illnesses each year, according to the CDC. Read more>>
Jie Deng
As someone inherently introverted and not quite adept at communication, I often find myself overly cautious when faced with decisions, leading to a constant state of indecision that troubles me, leaving me unsure of my goals. To break through this impasse, I began to repeatedly affirm myself in the depths of my heart: Read more>>
F.R. Diaz
Find my purpose. Interesting. I’ve never had anyone ask me this before. And I never thought I found my purpose until now. I become a horror crime/fiction writer to bring the readers a different kind of story. Stories with amazing, strong women as lead characters, taking back what the world has so cruelly taken from us, time and time again. Our dignity, our womanhood, our voice. My journey began in 2020, the year the world stood still. Read more>>
Patty Paul
I found my life’s purpose…and a whole lot more…on a certain Sunday in July in 1985. This is the story of how it all came about: As I savored the peace and quiet of that summer morning in 1985, I sipped my coffee and enjoyed the warm air floating into my living room through the open French doors. No annoying alarm clock had awakened me. Read more>>
Jennifer Schiavone
I absolutely love to try new things. I knew I was not meant for the 9-5, 7 day a week job from a very early age. I also knew I didn’t want the same career my whole life. I think of my life as a book and there are different chapters. I’m always ready to write the next chapter. Read more>>
Eric Guilmette
To be blunt… I tinkered with shit. I’ve lived many different lives in my 30 years on this planet, and one of the greatest contributions to my growth as an individual has been my desire to try new things. Openness is vital. The best way to truly know if you are good at something, or if you even like something, is to try it… experiment… don’t be afraid of failing. Read more>>
Shayla Hilton
I believe purpose is a lifelong discovery that unfolds over time. The key for me has been seeking God and discovering my unique gifts and talents. I have spent years learning who God created me to be and how all of those things correlate with my personal calling and ultimate purpose. Read more>>
Tyler Copenhaver-Heath
I used to have a friend who constantly told me, “Tyler, I want you to experience joy.” I would often chuckle and respond, “Joy isn’t something that’s meant for everyone.” I firmly believed that life could be quite challenging, but if we couldn’t find our own happiness, we could, at the very least, strive to make the lives of others easier. Read more>>
Kaite McDuffee
I didn’t exactly “find my purpose”. It was more like assembling a puzzle without knowing what the end picture was going to be. I knew I wanted to do something that affected the way people felt. I knew I wanted to work in a women dominated field. I knew a field with many facets and room for growth would be ideal. I was trying to find something that allowed me to thrive professionally and personally. Read more>>
Sierra Barnes
Well like many of you may or may not have read before I created my first painting “Complicated” at the age of five after I was diagnosed with Craniopharyngioma (Brain Tumor) and undergone brain surgery. That began my love for art. I believe that our purpose is an inner calling something that brings you true joy and that’s what art is for me. Read more>>
Cardsy B
Growing up I had always been drawn to Tarot and astrology. I saved up my allowance to purchase my first Tarot deck at age 11, but it wasn’t as mainstream as it is now and I certainly didn’t believe it was a potential career path. I decided to instead lean into my creative skills and majored in Fashion Design and eventually built a career designing for global brands like DKNY, NIKE and eventually became the creative director of Playboy. Read more>>
Chris Weinberg
I’m Chris Weinberg, founder and lead event producer at Chris Weinberg Events, a top-tier luxury wedding and event planning firm based in Miami, Florida. Despite our success, challenges tested the resilience of my business, leading me to question its sustainability. Seeking rejuvenation, I enrolled in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program for insights into effective business strategies. Read more>>
Beth Theodore, L.Ac.
From the time I was a child I always felt drawn to natural and holistic medicine. Whether it was doing my own research in nutrition and herbal books to find solutions to health concerns or spending hours on the phone with friends to help them overcome emotional challenges. After graduating high school, I began searching various healing modalities that combined the mind, body and spirit in order to treat the individual. Read more>>
