Stories & Lessons for Finding Your Purpose

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.

Andrea Gomes

As a Brazilian, I have always had a passion for helping people from other countries succeed in their careers in the U.S. Throughout my work with large multinational companies, I made it a priority to support others in their professional journeys. I deeply understand the challenges of working abroad and the struggles that come with it. This experience has inspired me to open my own business in 2024, allowing me to pursue my passion for empowering others and guiding them to achieve their career goals in a new environment. Read more>>

Kashmira Majumdar

I am from a small town in India. I am 23 years old and as I reflect on my journey so far, I realise that I’ve been living a creative life since I was two years old. I was into dance, painting, swimming, yoga, playing synthesizer , karate, singing, etc. But among all of them, dancing was my favourite. It was my first love, and being on stage brought me an unparalleled sense of freedom and connection with the audience . But growing up in a family where everyone pursued traditional careers like Medicine, Business or Engineering , I never thought I could make a living from performing arts. I was encouraged to become an engineer, and I found myself unknowingly trapped in a rat race, chasing a dream which wasn’t even mine to begin with. When asked about my plans in next 5 years, I never really had an answer . It was as if I was staring into pitch black darkness, feeling numb and without direction. Despite the pressure , I continued to nurture my passion for dance, practicing for 15 years and researching ways to turn it into a career. Read more>>

Jennifer Gardella

I found my purpose after escaping domestic violence.
When I escaped, my business and life were both on life-support. I committed to rebuilding so that this never would happen to me again – this included a LONG healing journey through my local domestic violence center.
Through that time I realized that no one knows what DV looks or sounds like. I shared some info on social – that turned into a book – and now I am educating others by public speaking (most recently at the Philadelphia Eagles).
I truly believe that when my abuser and I were getting together the powers that be said “she will survive, she will heal, and she has such a big mouth and so much courage she will save all the people.” Read more>>

Casey Caruso

From a very young age, I wanted to be creative and different. When I entered the world of fine arts in my undergraduate studies, it was clear to me that I had a drive that my other classmates did not. However, at the time I lacked the business and marketing skills to get my work out there. I got so frustrated working so hard on my art, just to have it go unseen or undercut in value. Read more>>

Cameo Thomas

Finding my purpose wasn’t an overnight discovery—it was a journey marked by challenges, reflection, and transformation. For a long time, I felt like I was going through the motions, carrying the weight of pain and unfulfilled dreams. It wasn’t until I took the time to truly sit with myself, process my experiences, and recognize the lessons hidden within my struggles that I began to see the path forward. Read more>>

Adrielle Reina

I found my purpose between the pages of books— in worlds different than my own. As soon as I could read, I knew I wanted to write. And I did. Mostly for myself as I pursued other career paths. It wasn’t until I was let go from my previous job where it shouldn’t have been a risk that I realized that no matter what industry you’re in, you can always run into unforeseen circumstances that can lead to undesirable outcomes. And I thought, well, if I did everything I was supposed to do—go to college, graduate, and work just to be met with losing my job and struggling, then why can’t I do what I love, anyway? Read more>>

Wilfredo “bio” Feliciano

I found my purpose or rather my purpose found me in one of those life changing moments. It was about 30 years ago I have always love to draw, paint and create since I was young. As I got older I was working a full time job for a nonprofit organization and doing small art jobs on the side after work more like a hobby. I was splitting my time between what I needed to survive a job and my passion which was making art. Then out of nowhere I lost my job and at the same time I had found out I was going to be a father. Scary times so here I was without a job with a kid on the way. I had a very difficult decision to make do I find another job or do I dive full in to my passion and make it my job. I decided to persue my life as an artist. It was a leap of faith without any guarantees of a paycheck or success. I remember praying to God saying “God I don’t want you to give me anything. I just need opportunities to present themselves. I will take it from there.  Read more>>

Dove Roy

When I was around 12 years old, I got sent to my first therapist. I was raised in a cult, so going to therapy wasn’t standard at all. But my situation had gotten so bad, there as no other option. I had suffered physical sexual and emotional abuse so consistently, that I started developing twitches, ptsd responses and weird paranoia as a child, so therapy was the only option. I knew even then that therapy was saving my life. Read more>>

Tatjana “tati” Mcalister

My purpose has varied throughout different parts of my life. Looking back, I was never one to know for certain what I wanted to do with my “one wild and precious life.” From childhood, my focus was on taking care of my alcoholic mother, who also had mental health issues. I suppose it was mostly reacting and surviving for a long time. I knew I had the capacity for large degrees of empathy and compassion and found myself in jobs that “cared” for others into my adulthood. Starting out as a dental assistant, medical assistant, group fitness instructor, yoga teacher, caregiver and now, Forest and Nature Therapy Guide, I was subconsciously looking for ways to help people. Now, after selling our home in SC and everything in it in 2020 and buying an RV to live nomadically for 3 years, I have been given the gift of time to dive deep within myself to uncover the why I am who I am and what that is going to look like as I move forward. Read more>>

Amanda Goggin

I moved to the US from Ireland twelve years ago and spent my first few years here in an abusive relationship. It took me years after leaving to truly understand everything I had been through. I heard a TedTalk by a woman named Leslie Morgan Steiner who was speaking about domestic abuse. She said the words ‘I didn’t know I was being abused’, and in that instant, my whole life changed. I felt like I finally understood why I had stayed so long when I had been questioning myself for years. Having felt so much relief from that one statement I began to wonder if my own story could bring other victims and survivors some relief. Maybe if more women knew that all the traits and tactics of abusers are the same and that other people are going through exactly what they are, they would understand what they had been through or try to get help. Read more>>

Harley Yoder

It took me a while to find my purpose. For years, I was navigating through life, uncertain of where I truly fit and what I was meant to contribute. Over time, though, I began to realize that God’s plan for me was much greater than I had imagined. I believe that my purpose is rooted in service to others, using my life to make a positive impact through love and care. I’ve come to understand that genuine intentions are at the heart of everything I do for others—whether it’s offering a listening ear, giving freely without expecting anything in return, or providing support during tough times. Read more>>

John Greisen

In 2017 through my work in state government I was selected for an intensive leadership development program. It was a 9 month program intended to develop the leaders of the future from a pool of existing managers. I had largely applied because I knew I needed more on my resume if I were to keep advancing at my agency. I also knew I would need more tools available to me as the problems I faced grew larger and more complex. Read more>>

Narda Crossley

From as early as I can remember, music has served as a profound source of solace, helping me navigate the depths of depression, anxiety, and fear. My deep affinity for music, especially in its live form, has become an indispensable means of coping with the ever-evolving nature of the world around me. I consider myself fortunate to have been welcomed into diverse musical communities, each with its own unique culture. The sense of unity that emerges in the shared experience of a live performance is unparalleled. When enveloped in the collective spell of music, all distinctions fade. The color of our skin, our political affiliations, or the languages we speak hold no significance. In those moments, when we gather to witness a band or artist in performance, we transcend individuality and become one with the music.  Read more>>

Karl Max Roseau

I grew up in a family where my father wasn’t present, and my mother, a hard worker, spent most of her time providing for us. Without role models and surrounded by bad influences, it was easy to feel lost. Deep down, though, I always knew I wanted more out of life.

In high school, I would share my dreams, and my friends would laugh at me. Their doubt, coupled with my low self-esteem, could have held me back. But instead, I used their negativity as fuel. Every time someone told me I couldn’t succeed, I worked harder, driven by a need to prove them wrong. Read more>>

Opoku Obeng

Growing up, I often felt like I was living in two worlds: one where everything moved too fast for me to keep up, and another where my thoughts and ideas seemed too vast to express. Navigating life as a neurodivergent person came with challenges, but it also taught me to listen to the rhythms of the world—and ultimately, to create my own.

My purpose began to take shape during my time at Boston Arts Academy, where I majored in Drums & Percussion. Music wasn’t just something I enjoyed; it became my language, my therapy, and my way of connecting with others. Playing drums taught me discipline, focus, and how to stay grounded in the moment. It was a way to process my emotions and channel them into something beautiful and powerful. Read more>>

Bri Volini

I found my purpose once I decided to go deeply within to discover who I truly am. After working as a manager in the corporate world for over a decade, I found myself very unfulfilled, overwhelmed and aimless. I felt the call of my soul to change course. This call invited me to a vortex in Colorado where my guides showed me what occurred for me on the other side during my NDE in 2015. After miscarrying twins, a surgical procedure resulted in the severing of my bowel and a near bleed out internally. I repressed the experience for nearly 6 years while working full time and carrying for my now two children. This remembrance was in 2021 and all I knew then was that I wanted to help people. I knew very clearly I was on a misaligned path and major changes needed to be made. Read more>>

Giosué Bottini

I was born in New York City. We lived in Brooklyn. When I was three years old my parents divorced and my Dad returned to Italy and my Mom moved with me to LA for the movies. Both of my parents are serious artists. I remember being around my Dad always composing music and my mom writing or bringing me on movie sets. Italian was my first language. I have a big family in Italy. I started painting early and began selling my art at three years old. At five I had my art in my first gallery show and also when I was five I had a dream and woke my mom in the middle of the night to tell her “I know I am a filmmaker so I can put all the things I love into it.” A lot of my purpose was clear to me at five years old. The world was shut down and I got to spend that time with my mom in beautiful places and finding my life purpose and the still small voice inside of me. We homeschooled together, and my mom took me around to let me make all my films.  Read more>>

Jackie Espada

I’ve always known I wanted to help people—so much so that my senior-year “What do you want to be when you grow up?” statement boldly declared it. But back then, I had no idea how I’d make it happen. I thought the path would be becoming a Sports and Entertainment Attorney (sounds fancy, right?). But after 11 law school rejections—yes, eleven—I realized it was time to pivot. Read more>>

Thomas Snyder

Although I have been a producer and audio engineer for quite some time, I didn’t find my purpose until I became a Twitch streamer. Close to a year into my streaming career, I started receiving heartfelt messages on the side – whether in Twitch chat or direct messages on social media or Discord. Each message I received allowed me to understand that I am not JUST playing games on stream, I am a source that brings happiness to those that might not be going through the best times in their life. In addition, I have been made aware that I am a model for the youth as well as some peers too. That is how I found my purpose. Read more>>

Sarah Donovan

Finding Purpose: A Journey Through Mental Health and Advocacy for Women

For over 15 years, I have had the profound privilege of working as a licensed mental health therapist in diverse clinical settings. From hospitals and intensive outpatient programs to community health centers, group practices, and yoga studios, I’ve witnessed both the resilience of the human spirit and the systemic barriers that often stand in its way. Through it all, one truth has consistently emerged: too many women feel unseen, unheard, and dismissed when seeking medical care. Read more>>

Leanne Trivett S.

From the earliest moments of my life, I was facinated by the world of music and theater—both places where stories are woven through sound, movement, and emotion. Over time, I began to realize that my purpose wasn’t tied to a specific art form, but rather to a singular mission: to share narratives. Whether through the rhythm of a melody, the dialogue of a play, or the lens of a camera, my medium has always been the same—my voice, my vision, my way of connecting with the world. Read more>>

Mikayla Dacko

Growing up as a theater kid, I developed a deep passion for the arts and discovered early on that creativity is my greatest strength. While I didn’t pursue acting, I found my spark in makeup brushes, transforming faces and bringing visions to life through the art of cosmetics. Makeup holds a profound place in my life because it celebrates individuality, restores confidence, and pushes boundaries—all while offering endless possibilities. Read more>>

Dr, Noah H. Kersey, Ph.d.

What gives me purpose is sharing my life experiences with others to help them grow as well as to prevent them from making the same mistakes I made early in my life while I was an undergraduate in college. I wrote a 120 page screenplay about my life story and hope a filmmaker will option it for a theatrical run or be seen on Netflix or Amazon Prime. It’s a relatively low budget film project with strong ROI potential at the box office. Here is the information about my script: Read more>>

Brandie Duke

I would like to say I found my purpose in life in the areas I once was lost and hurting in. For a very long time I couldn’t figure out what my purpose really was, I was more in survivor mode. I was to busy trying to figure out how to put food on the table and a roof over my families head being a provider. I found myself one day sitting in my bathroom crying asking God to show me what my purpose was in this life after an attempt to kill myself. I had been struggling with my mental illness of suicidal thoughts. My life hadn’t been one of those painted picture moments the world says it should be. See my world became revolved around peer survival. I was married at the age of 18, had two kids by the age of 20 and married to an addict,”thankful my husband is clean, sober and set free in Jesus name now.” I had always dreamed of this beautiful life and became angry that my life had ended up something completely different than what I had envisioned.  Read more>>

Mo Quinteros

As a teenager I suffered from major self-esteem issues -battling stage 4 cystic acne. Being made fun of and called “pizza face” along with many more rude comments. No matter what I did to control the condition, nothing seemed to work. After a few dermatologist visits, I was able to get the right treatment and later on saw a medical aesthetician to perform micro-needling sessions on me. The results were immediate, despite the scarring. Since then, I knew I wanted to help others with a complicated and stubborn skin problem. Read more>>

Hsuan Yu Pan

I worked as a producer at BRIC TV, a Brooklyn-based community television station, for nearly a decade until the pandemic disrupted our operations. Living and working in New York City, a hub for diverse communities, allowed me to hear deep personal stories from immigrants. Among them, I interviewed Syrian musician Kinan Azmeh and Syrian-Armenian visual artist Kevork Mourad about their project Home Within, which uses art and music to document the journeys of Syrian refugees since 2011. Their work profoundly inspired me, motivating me to use my filmmaking skills to document the stories I encountered, preserving them and sharing them with wider audiences. Read more>>

Jay Palma

I was born an artist. When my mom was a kid she wanted to be a professional dancer and my dad studied film and went through a program at USC in his teenage years. They both didn’t end of becoming artists due to circumstances given they had a child (me) in there young adulthood. My parents instilled an artist’s spirit in me and always were supportive of all my creative endeavors. As a child I was really into art, music, poetry, fashion as well as video/film media and performance art.
After highschool I was accepted to CalArts and pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Art. The exposure to a creative hub like that allowed me to open myself up to all these mediums with a critical sense. I learned so much about aesthetics and theory as much cultural studies and art practices. It really molded me into the interdisciplinary artist I am today. Read more>>

Jennifer Weiss

I found my purpose pouring cokes! I was a flight attendant for eight years at a major airline. It was hard, but it was also beautiful. I met people that were going to bury their children, carried dead soldiers home in the belly of the plane to be buried, I dealt with fussy people, drunk people, mean people, and kind and wonderful people. I saw miracles on the airplane and encountered so many unique and amazing people while on my travels! Learning to love people with a pure heart, walk in peace in the midst of chaos, were major stepping stones in finding my purpose. Read more>>

Jeymarie Guerra

At Supportive Engagement, finding my purpose began with a deep belief in the power of connection and healing. My journey was rooted in a commitment to creating a safe space where individuals of all ages could feel seen, heard, and valued. Helping others wasn’t just a goal—it was my calling, shaped by personal experiences, professional expertise, and a passion for supporting others through life’s challenges. Read more>>

Chanel Lilley

Once I found out I was pregnant with my daughter Sage. Who is now 13. I began removing chemicals from my home to create a cleaner, healthier environment for her to grow in. The harsh chemicals I was using throughout my home and on my body impacted how I felt both emotionally and physically. So something needed to change.

Now I share what I have learned with others to help them live toxin-free one product at a time. Read more>>

Kelly Hocher

My whole life, I’ve always been a daydreamer. I’ve also struggled to stay in one spot for too long. After several years at a job, my mind starts to wander, and I can’t stop dreaming about what’s next.

I’ve always known I wanted to open my own place but could never quite pinpoint what that would be. I attended Southern Illinois University, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene. Over the years, I worked in private practice, public health, and as a clinical instructor at a dental hygiene college. Read more>>

Michael Graney

Isn’t “how do you find/know your purpose” always one of the nagging questions in life? Through Teawaves and the work that we do, I find I am much closer to answering this question as long as I keep asking myself everyday.

I founded Teawaves with the mission to share calm in this crazy world. I came up with this ideal when I was living in China from 2015-2019 in my mid-late 20s. At this time, I felt a lot of turmoil around me and within me. Life and the world seemed to be getting only crazier until I found solace in the teahouses. The rituals, the community and, of course, the tea itself helped bring me to a healthier, happier, and calmer state–one that I’m not sure would not only benefit me. Read more>>

Tonya Griffin-goldston

“Through pain, strength and purpose are born,” is a personal quote that I have lived. I found my purpose through turmoil and pain that life has brought me. It was through the ashes, beauty rose. I am a spoken word artist and writer. Some of the most powerful work that I have written has come from my darkest moments. I realized that what I went through, not only was to build strength and character inside of me, but to reach out to others and offer the same hope and purpose that pulled me from the darkness into the light. Read more>>

Christine Lind

First, I want to say I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be interviewed, thank you!

Funnily enough, I’ve always had a passion for video production, even though it took me a while to realize it. Looking back, I can see how every interest I explored played a role in shaping my path.

As a child, I started writing short stories. I remember telling my parents one night that I wanted to sell my books someday. During that same time period, I loved running around the house with the family camcorder, filming random things and experimenting with stop action. This led to creating short videos with friends, where I took on the roles of Scriptwriter, Producer, Director, Cinematographer, and Video Editor. I also had a knack for getting friends together for parties and video projects. This taught me planning and organization, while writing stories helped me understand narrative structure.  Read more>>

Ayaka Kamei Cento

By questioning yourself—what brings you joy and how you can contribute to world peace—you can uncover deeper meaning in your passions.

I used to feel like I danced primarily for myself: I want to feel happy, I want to dance on stage and be in the spotlight, I want the applause. But as I began reflecting on what, how, and why, my perspective expanded. I realized that while my own joy was important, there was even greater fulfillment in sharing that joy with others. Read more>>

Kriziah Santa Ana

I found my purpose through my faith. As a Christian, I strive to involve God in every decision I make. While I’ve been a full-time Registered Dental Hygienist, I always felt a nudge that I was meant to do something more. I had no background in business—my studies have always been focused on Health Sciences—but in 2021, I began to feel a strong pull toward entrepreneurship. Read more>>

Ria Lopez

My son and my daughter, without a doubt. Knowing that life is going to have added challenges for them due to the worlds ignorance about disabilities and nero-developmental disorders. Read more>>

Helen Howard

I found my purpose by aligning my career with my core values of trust, communication, and service. My deep connection to the Piedmont Triad, where I have lived for over 20 years, gives me an intimate understanding of our community and its real estate market. This knowledge, combined with my experience as a teacher-leader and my desire to foster lasting relationships naturally led me to excel as a REALTOR®. Read more>>

Shannon Griffin

Rob Walker writes, “Being creative — whether you are an artist, designer, writer, entrepreneur, or engaged in work or play that falls anywhere on the spectrum between those ideas — begins with noticing what others have overlooked. Whether that entails spotting problems that need to be fixed, underrated phenomena that should be celebrated, or hidden-in-plain-sight mysteries that demand explanation, it means tuning out distraction and engaging with the world.” Read more>>