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.
Domonic Nieves
Being told you must adhere to a gluten free diet is tough to handle. Every day you must relearn how to eat, drink and shop for essentials. When we were told to go gluten free our lives changed, for the better, but with it’s own difficulties. Read more>>
Lauri Getlan-Watson
I am 57 years old and a single mom to twins who are 12.5 years old and I have been in the field of education and art for 33 years. Last year, I was sitting in my living room, looking at my apartment and just thought that there was more meant for me and my life than the same routine day in and day out. I started to reflect on all of the bumps in the road I had encountered and what got me through to the other side and I realized it was my passion for my art. Read more>>
Judith Westveer
I found my purpose by observing the world around me closely – by seeing the destruction of nature firsthand and up-close. I felt great sorrow and sadness to witness deforestation in tropical rainforests, mining in vulnerable alpine regions and desertification of wetlands caused by irrigation of cropland. To see, with your own eyes, how this negatively effects the ecosystem and all its life, us humans included, made me want to spend my life on nature conservation. Read more>>
Maria Stern
Journey to Purpose: From Spreadsheet Sagas to the Palette of Passions. In a realm vastly removed from where my heart now resides, I was once a valiant warrior. But let’s demystify that image a bit: my ‘armor’ was tailor-made suits, my ‘steed’ a swivel chair, and my battlefield was the high-stakes world of a Big4 firm. Amidst this concrete jungle, I juggled deadlines and sidestepped a deluge of emails with the dexterity of a cat avoiding bathwater, blissfully unaware that my soul was plotting its great escape toward a quest for deeper meaning. Read more>>
Zoe Roberts
To me, purpose is passion. I have always had a passion for people. The addiction business fell into my lap when I realized my best friend had a serious problem. I would tell most people that purpose is passion. The work I do is a passion I have to help others. I would also say I did not choose this line of work but the line of work chose me. Growing up even as a young girl I always had a desire and interest in getting to meet people. My parents would say I never met a stranger. Read more>>
Kiva Siani
Purpose is such a funny thing, isn’t it? Like, not everyone gets there, do they? I’ve always been so fascinated by those people who start right out with a goal, have laser focus, and can stick it out…. like, when did they develop this knowing? In the womb? Does it stay the same for life for them? Read more>>
Melanin Amor
When it came to me naturally. My gift was instilled in me mostly by others recognizing and motivating my talent. I was recognized by others when I felt I looked my worst and was told that I have a natural gift. My first time on a runway great. I would say I really knew it was for me when I went to audition for a show in N.Y. Read more>>
Jesus Maldonado
The journey to finding my purpose with creating Browntears has been deeply personal and transformative. Growing up in South Central, Los Angeles with immigrant parents in the United States, I witnessed firsthand the challenges and struggles faced by my community. Through Browntears, I found a platform to shed light on these experiences, to amplify the voices of immigrants, and to advocate for change. Read more>>
Tamara Renee
My journey to finding my purpose wove through personal trials and a transformative quest for well-being. The struggle with weight gain and depression in my youth became the catalyst for profound change. By twenty, faced with the daunting task of reclaiming my health, I embarked on a transformative journey, shedding 67 pounds and discovering a new zest for life. Read more>>
MaryAnne Long
I don’t think I found my purpose. I think it found me. I wasn’t even looking for it. I was lucky enough to have retired at a very early age and filled my time with volunteer work. I volunteered for things that I knew nothing about, and yet managed to be quite successful in helping the programs I worked with. Read more>>
Emerson Majano
Let me tell you that it was not easy to find my purpose in life or my career because I suffered a lot of anxiety at the age of 16 and depression began to attack me very strongly at that age because all the traumas came together where there were many. times where I even wanted to take my life away on several occasions, which my family and my friends didn’t even know about, but once I realized that I always loved to motivate people to be better, always to want to be successful, and never give up. Read more>>
Shelby & Erica
We always encourage our supporters to just start where you are. You do not have to have it all figured out before you get started — that is the beauty of this journey. Very few of us know our purpose from the start, most of us are figuring it out along the way and that is okay! Once you bet on yourself and take a step forward towards your dreams, the more steps will be revealed to you. Read more>>
Rallo Boykins
I found my purpose through great friends. I had always used humor to bring levity to those around me. One summer, a friend challenged me to take it up a notch and perform at his 4th of July potluck. Another close friend filmed the performance. I had know idea that that was the beginning of a career path that I’m still traveling on this very day. Read more>>
Marcus Marcelli
I discovered my purpose when I observed the gradual decline of the movie industry during my college years. As an actor, I was trained to deliver someone else’s lines convincingly, immersing myself in their emotions and beliefs. However, with each role I landed, I became increasingly aware of the pressing need for storytelling that transcends political agendas and conventional norms. Read more>>
Que Workman
Finding purpose as a hairstylist can be deeply fulfilling , as my craft directly impacts people’s self-perception and confidence. This profession is much more than just coloring and styling hair; it’s about creating joy, fostering self-expression, and building connections. Each snip and style can transform how a person feels about themselves, offering them a new perspective or a renewed sense of confidence. Read more>>
Ermida Koduah
Since I was young, I have always been curious about seeing the world. It could have started when I migrated from Italy to NYC, a very diverse city, when I was four years old. In 2016, I had a life-changing experience studying Arabic in Tangier, Morocco. Before I set out on my trip, I reached out to as many people as possible to understand what it would be like, but it was quite a challenge receiving good enough responses. Read more>>
Sally J. Pla
I am older, so my life has had many purposes so far, but they have all circled around writing. I expect it will continue to be an unfolding journey of new purposes. Being the best business journalist I could. Being a dedicated, loving, parent to a special-needs child, writing stories for the local family magazine. Making a difference as an environmental activist writing press releases. Read more>>
Jennifer Daly
Growing up, I found great purpose through being a cheerleader. From middle school through college cheer and professional cheerleading, I loved working with a team, perfecting my craft, and getting the crowd involved. Trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, while in high school, had me stumped. I just wanted to grow up and be a cheerleader! Read more>>
Dawn Archer
Food, cooking, and dancing are my true passions. Through years of learning and honing my skills, I’ve found myself inching closer to my goals each day. I decided to embark on a journey to establish a personal chef and catering business, driven by my love for food, entertaining, and cooking. Read more>>
Brian Saeger
I’ve always been good at organizing and have had fun with designing my spaces as a kid. In 2006 I was working as a carpenter and realized my favorite part of the job was keeping the jobsite orderly. I looked online to see if people did professional organizing and found my calling when I found out I could get paid for it. Back then there was nowhere to go and get a job, it was an obscure industry so I had to start my own business. Read more>>
Alexander McCarty
I was in seventh grade middle school when I found my calling. I often finished assignments early and there was also days that we just had free time. Being an introvert, I decided to make use of that time and started my first story in composition note books. I would keep going until I had all two-hundred pages filled and then excitedly move on to the next book in the series. Read more>>
Tanya Sciarra
young daughters to raise on her own. My mother along with my maternal grandparents being a block away, were very involved in my upbringing and instilled a strong work ethic. In October of 2018 I met up for a lunch meeting with one of my corporate suppliers turned friend, We talked about my love of baking shortbread cookies and how my kids would always tell me to start a business. Read more>>
Tracey Lewis
Once I committed to a more intimate relationship with God is when I found my purpose here on earth. I had to shut down all social media accounts, pray, read his word and increase my listening skills to hear from him. I realized that I had a special purpose to fulfill – that was to be a difference maker and help those who are in need of healing, freedom and growth. Read more>>
Brian Shoop
I’m an actor and I live in Oklahoma. Those sound like mutually exclusive facts, but both are true. I moved to Tulsa with my young family in 1980 because opportunities for a carpenter here exceeded those in Toledo, Ohio. However, it was here, in the middle of the country and the middle of my life, that I discovered my love for acting – my purpose. I was not shopping for purpose, it came looking for me. Read more>>
Pamela Cavers
For me, I find purpose in the everyday, the little things.I love being a mom to three incredible humans, I love being a friend to the love of my life, I love the birds and bees… ha, it’s true…I spend an incredible amount of time outside and both the birds and bees bring me so much joy! Working hard feels good to me, having something worthwhile to do keeps me going. Read more>>
Jocelyn Fine
I have been an artist my whole life. I grew up in a family of artists and filmmakers; my grandfather was a photographer, my mother is a sculptor, my brother is a painter, my other brother is a filmmaker, and my great Aunt was the owner of the eponymous Rose Fried Gallery on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Art has been part of my constitution and my identity since I could speak, and I have always had a curiosity about artistic materials and the history embedded in art. Read more>>
Olivia Starks
I always had a desire for baking and the sweet things in life! Starting at 5 years old I was introduced to the world of confections by my aunt who made the cakes for her husband’s business. Ever since then I’ve been pursuing cakes. I realized it was my purpose through the ease of the craft and prayer! When I’m baking and decorating cakes and treats it comes so naturally. Read more>>
Morgan Mohler
In the fall of 2021, I was anticipating college graduation, moving across state lines, and pursuing a place within a nonprofit organization that would take her heart for the next few years to come: the Miss America Opportunity. Growing up, I often challenged myself to be the best at everything I put time into: academia, music, theater, forensics, and softball. Read more>>
Natasha Uspensky
I came upon my purpose and calling the way so many people do, through my own journey of healing. I was an opera singer and performer in my former career, feeling very unfulfilled, and also very sick — hormonal, adrenal, digestive issues ran rampant, that were only rendered worse by being in a career that wasn’t right for me. Read more>>
Anna Wassman-Cox
As I was facing breast cancer for the second time before the age of 30, I kept asking myself, what is my purpose? I stumbled upon the word “Ikigai” which is Japanese for your reason for being, your purpose for living. Ikigai is at the center of your purpose where what your good at, what you are passionate about, what you can make a living off of, and what the world needs all comes together. So I thought to myself what is at the center of these four pillars? Read more>>
Cindy Toledo
Unexpectedly! I always wondered what my real purpose in life was….I was a good person, I cared about people, I organized, volunteered and served, etc. But what was I really here for? On July 19th, 2011 I cam home to find my husband dead on the floor from a sudden heart attack. That night as my co-workers from my church and my family stood in a circle praying, someone began to sing amazing grace. Read more>>
Jacqueline Smalley
I was raised in a very artistic family. My mom watercolored, my dad enjoyed making model airplanes, ships, and trains, aunts and uncles sang in bands, and my grandmother was an unbelievable cook. When I was two years old, I remember my mom always telling everyone she was amazed at how I only saw the small details in a picture. I would only color the eyes, the finger nails and the lips; never going outside the lines. Read more>>
Jackie Spencer
Discovering my purpose has been a journey intertwined with my passion for beauty. During college, beauty became my creative escape—an outlet where I could express myself and find comfort. Crafting branded content for beauty brands was not just a hobby; it allowed me to connect with others who shared my love for beauty. Read more>>
Kyoko Getz
I was born and raised in Japan. My parents always taught me Ichigo-Ichie, you can never duplicate the moment, so enjoy and treasure the moment. Also, treat everybody as if you will never see them again. I already had this in my mind when I started working for the skincare clinic. Read more>>
Kate Baker
In my early adult life, I stumbled upon a passion that would shape my future in profound ways – interior design. It all started as a casual interest in re-arranging furniture with my mom, then it evolved into a deep-seated calling that I couldn’t ignore. I realized that this craft was not only about creating visually appealing spaces but also crafting experience, provoking emotion, and telling stories through design. Read more>>
Olusegun Daramola
Discovering my purpose has been one of the most profound and joyous experiences in my life, imbued with a sense of divine significance. From a young age, I exhibited a natural curiosity and an insatiable thirst for knowledge, constantly seeking answers to life’s mysteries. I was fortunate to possess the gift of literacy from an early age, which opened the door to a world of books and wisdom that profoundly influenced my journey towards finding my purpose. Read more>>
Marthe Aponte
I think it found me. I wasn’t looking for a purpose, because the thought of having a single purpose felt too constricting, like my life was predetermined. My journey is a zigzag. I wanted to be an Egyptologist for a long time, and my mother wanted me to be a pianist. I worked for about thirty years as a French teacher, and it was while I was a professor that I met people who saw the work I had been doing and called me an artist. I didn’t know I was an artist. Read more>>
Jaryn Jones
Finding one’s purpose can take years to discover. For me, I grew up believing in a greater plan that goes beyond this life, and that plan is designed around our time here on earth where we are here to find our purpose, our reason to live, our self; with that, I am always looking for purpose in everything I do. Two being, a composer and lyricist. I found my love for writing in high school when I lost a friend to suicide. Read more>>
Charles Schelinski
It seems to be a theme in the everyday lives of many people that something is missing. A purpose, a task to perform or something to work at other than simply subsisting. Ours is traveling, and more than that, taking what is wonderful out of traveling and helping others travel more, and travel better than they do now. Read more>>
Victoria Mitchell
I think a purpose found me when I wasn’t looking for it. Over a decade ago I took the leap to leave the secure but strangling confines of working a traditional corporate job. My business partner and I were both frustrated with the glass ceilings in our careers and decided rather than use our knowledge and efforts to make money for a corporation, we would invest in ourselves. Read more>>
Hazel Evans
I have lived in the UK, Europe, and the US, in Silicon Valley and Napa Valley. I have 25+ years in global leadership roles in both startups and large private and public enterprise companies. During that tenure, I was allowed to bring together great companies for collaboration, innovation, and business growth. During that time, I saw gaps in leadership across all sizes of companies, there were 3 main issues when the gaps occurred. Read more>>
Stephanie Rome
My passion for supporting others to achieve optimal health was ignited by my own health struggles earlier in life. For a handful of years in my 20s, I experienced IBS and amenorrhea (which is the absence of a menstrual cycle). During that few year span, I worked with conventional doctors, as well as alternative and holistic practitioners. Read more>>
Sh’Marv Harris
I think this is a great question. I really don’t believe that I have “found my purpose.” However, I feel like I found what works for me in this world somewhat. I believe that purpose of life is about what you give to others surrounding, the energy, the way you make them feel, the need from you for others etc. Essentially, I don’t feel like you have to look far for your purpose when its everything around you. Read more>>
Michelle Glogovac
For 18 years I sold jet fuel to corporate flight departments. I enjoyed my job. I traveled around the country, met celebrities, created lasting friendships with clients and industry colleagues and was really good at my job. I was laid off after having my second child. I had two under the age of two and when I looked at them, I knew I needed to do something to make the world a better place for them. Read more>>
Jaimelyn Gray
When I was living in Chicago, I was doing a play called The Beauty Queen of Leenane – a dark comedy that takes place in Ireland. An Executive Assistant from my Husband’s work put a whole bunch of employees together – many of whom who’d never seen a play – and brought them to the show. Read more>>
Naomi Okubo
My work themes are related to my personal experiences and have developed, such as delicate human relationships at the beginning, to the current work focusing on the view of family, which is affected by social structures. My approach starts from the small things, a personal memory that makes my work more relatable to the viewers and can be expanded to the greater problems of our society.Read more>>
Derrico Alston
Creating something out of nothing is very satisfying; knowing that others can benefit from what I’ve created is in itself a reward. Being creative was a huge part of my childhood. For some, it’s the only way they know how to express their feelings and emotions. For me, it’s the freedom of transforming everyday struggles, passion, joy, and thought into a digestible creation and the thought of a story. Visions or creations influencing and shifting ways of thought is what drove me in the path of directing music videos, short films and promos. Read more>>
Jen & Jo
We discovered our purpose through the joy of helping others. Dot & Daisy is a creative endeavor established to prioritize joy. We are incredibly proud to be a women-owned company and believe that small businesses are the heart and future of a strong community. We want to work with people in making their celebrations (big or small) special and impactful, not matter where you land. Read more>>
