Growth often means stepping into what once scared us. The things we resist can become the very paths we’re meant to take. We asked some of the best and brightest in the community: what are you being called to do now that you once feared? Their answers reveal the courage it takes to move past fear and into purpose.
LaKendra Norman
What I’m being called to do now? Be unapologetically me—in public, in print, and in practice. For years, I edited myself: dimmed my light, made myself smaller, worried my shine might bruise someone else’s ego. I tiptoed around my own truth to keep the peace. Now I understand: my peace is the highest luxury. I’m done negotiating my voice. Read More>>
Amber Schmidt
Singing ugly. God, that’s a terrible sentence, isn’t it? I used to be so focused on sounding pretty, or trying to sing loudly like the powerhouse singers I’ve known and have heard, but the fact of the matter is that I’m just not a powerhouse singer. Lately, especially with composing and recording at home, I’ve been able to experiment with weird notes, off-beat harmonies, etc. Read More>>
MeiMei Fox
For most of my life, I dreamed of being an entrepreneur But I was afraid I wasn’t experienced enough or didn’t have the right business savvy. In spite of having co-authored two New York Times bestsellers and contributed hundreds of articles to major publications like Forbes, I felt insecure. And so, I just went my way as a freelance author, journalist and life coach. Read More>>
Khavah Murray, LCSW, CCTP, CGP, CMIP
I used to be terrified of public speaking. When I launched my business, I never imagined myself leading workshops, sitting on panels, or booking speaking engagements—I was comfortable staying behind the scenes. But as I started saying “yes” to small opportunities, I realized my voice is a tool for healing, leadership, and impact. Read More>>
Jaslynn Gholson
Motherhood, I have made so many mistakes in my life. To the point that there was a time that I thought anyone would make a better mother than me. I felt unworthy, and thought that I would completely ruin my child’s life and they would resent me for all my mistakes. I am now 8 months pregnant with my first child, I’m having a boy! Read More>>
Jason Brumbalow
Something much bigger than myself. Have always been afraid of listening to my true voice. Not sure why, the true voice never seem to reflect the reality of the outside world. Then learned that the meaning of life is to give it meaning. Read More>>
Christina Hamlett
Who among us hasn’t said to our soulmate, “I’d be lost without you!” The combined comfort of shared memories and the anticipation of creating future ones makes it terrifying to imagine what our lives might be if the person we loved most was suddenly gone. Read More>>
Kate Horowitz
If you’d told me a year ago that I’d be happy running a small business, I never would have believed you. The thought of managing the bookkeeping and making decisions about vendors and promotion seemed overwhelming and impossible. But the sticker shop I launched this year with one of my best friends has been a huge surprise and a source of endless delight. Read More>>
Lorreen Pryor
I am in a season where I’m being called to step away from what’s familiar and comfortable. Over the years, I’ve lost friendships I once thought were solid. I’ve celebrated people who never thought to celebrate me in return. Some felt no need to explain their absence, and I’ve had to make peace with that. I walked away from a 17-year marriage. Read More>>
Leilani Henry
For decades, I’ve been studying natural healing, nutrition, and energy medicine as a hobby. Although I’ve been certified since 1999 in Educational Kinesiology and Brain Gym®, I’ve been hesitant to go ‘all in’ with the knowledge and wisdom that I have about the body/mind connection and where dis-ease begins. Read More>>
Kim Green
I have been called to work with women to help them using therapeutic writing. It had been my dream to create a woman’s retreat, and in 2024, I created the You Have the Write to Heal Women’s Retreat. It was an amazing experience for the participants and a powerful growth experience for me! Read More>>
Jennifer Bowker
I started my floral business back in 2019 as j.christine designs, and it has always been a side hustle for me. I’ve always maintained the belief that you can’t live off a florist’s salary alone. That brick-and-mortar flower shops are dead. That I’m just wasting my time. That it should remain a hobby and I need to get ‘real’ job. So, I’ve done just that. Read More>>
Wakkirea Levatte
“Something I was once afraid of was sharing different sides of myself outside of just my art. For years, I went back and forth on whether I should create separate pages or only post about my artwork. Read More>>
Jennifer Daggs
I believe I have finally found balance in my life. For years I have struggled with making time for my art while still working a full time job. I would never have the energy in the evenings to work in my studio and by the weekend all I wanted to do was rest. Read More>>
Jay Henric
Lead. For many reasons, including gender, experience, and more, I used to feel nervous about standing up and advocating for myself. I wasn’t as confident as I am today, and too often I let others steer me into decisions I knew in my gut weren’t right. Read More>>
Michelle Marks
For me, it’s selling myself. And not in the “scary big-deal” way I once thought—but in the simple act of standing up and saying: Yes, I made these stickers. Yes, I designed these greeting cards. And yes, people actually want them. That used to feel impossible. Read More>>
Stephanie Puchalla
To speak with my own voice, even if it shakes. For a long time, I was afraid I might not be smart enough, not academic enough. But I’ve come to understand that people aren’t drawn to perfection—they’re drawn to authenticity, to something real they can connect with. And that, in the end, is what truly matters. Read More>>
Chhavi Verg Kooner
I am being called to take action. For most of my life, I felt like I was waiting; waiting for the brand deal, the audition, the photoshoot. As a content creator, actor, and model, so much of my career seemed dependent on someone else’s approval or timing. That constant waiting made me feel powerless, like I wasn’t in control of my own path. Read More>>
Nikki Branch
An author! Honestly, I still can’t believe I’m saying that. Becoming a children’s book author was never something I had on my bingo card, but one day God literally tapped me on the shoulder while I was at my 9-5 and placed this idea on my heart. Read More>>
Sirena Navarro
Right now, I feel called to step more fully into who I am as both a singing/piano teacher and a performer. For years, I was afraid to be seen in bigger ways whether it was starting my own music school, performing in new places, or even sharing my own music. I used to let fear of judgment or failure hold me back. Read More>>
Mark Mofid
I’m being called to challenge long-held norms in surgery that many of us have accepted without question. For years, I used standard adhesives like cyanoacrylates, trusting they were safe simply because they were widely used. But when I started seeing an increasing number of my own patients suffer from serious reactions and complications, I could no longer ignore the risks. Read More>>
Nicole Naomi Sky
For the first time in my life, I am intertwining my spirituality and my energy healing gifts with my music and my artistry in a very intentional way. Read More>>
Rachael Baptiste
I have been doing a lot of speaking engagements. I had a huge fear of being seen. Once I processed through that significantly, itt’s kike the floodgates opened. Now I am being put in a significant space to be the thought leader I never would be. Read More>>
America Allen
Letting go. Letting go of the version of me that was always performing. The one that needed to be impressive to feel safe. The one that said yes because she didn’t want to risk being seen as difficult, or ungrateful, or too much. Lately, I’ve been called to release all of that and be seen for real. Read More>>
Jamie Beutel
Provide a hair safe haven for all of my guests in honor of my late dog, Timmy. A place for everyone’s hair, and everyone’s story. Read More>>
Alma Galvan
For most of my career, I’ve worked quietly and deeply with children and individuals facing challenges—guiding them through gentle movements that bring remarkable changes. I’ve always loved witnessing the moment a person shifts, when a new possibility appears in their eyes and a smile forms from something that once felt impossible. But now, something deeper is calling me. Read More>>
