We asked some fantastic entrepreneurs and creatives to tell us about their first job in their field. Check out their stories below.

Letia Perry

In the early days of my career in 9D Transformational Breathwork, I was filled with excitement, uncertainty, and a deep sense of purpose. It was a sunny wintery day when I received an email from Sacred Circle Healthcare, a renowned tribal healthcare facility that had been my dream workplace for a while. At the time, my aspirations were clear; I wanted to help people transform their lives through the power of breathwork. My journey had begun with a personal healing experience using breathwork techniques, and I was determined to share this profound transformation with others. Read more>>

Kathleen Sullivan

I’ve worked with food and the restaurant/hospitality industry for 25 years. I started off as a dietary aid in the nursing home where my mom and step dad met when I was 14. It’s located in Cleveland and we lived an hour south at the time, so they would drive me up every weekend and I would work my 8 hour shifts. My mom would be working 12 hour shifts, so I would do my homework in the dining room after my shift and talk to the elderly people who were in need of some company until it was time to go home. My day would go : prep the food, stock my food cart and head upstairs to the dining room and I always tried to make everyone smile when I gave them their food. If not then, I would try again when it was study time. Read more>>

Dean Fanning

I started in the industry in late July 2014 as a janitor at a local gym, just to get my foot in the door. I had just been released from federal prison from a 10-year stay. I had nothing, but I knew the fitness industry would be my calling and passion because I’ve worked out my whole life and I love health and fitness. I would ride the metro bus for over an hour to get to work and for an over an hour to get back to the halfway house. It was humbling, but felt really good to get back out into the real world, so I was grateful. My goals and aspirations at the time were simple. I just wanted to become a productive member of society, have a family, kids, money, etc. I am extremely happy and grateful that I started in the position I did, it taught me a lot. It was funny, before I eventually became a trainer at that first gym job, my coworkers thought I was an undercover boss with my work ethic. That was the inside joke going around at the time that they eventually told me about. I love to be on the move all the time, working and getting things done. My downtime is when I’m with my family. Read more>>

Angela Omoike

I am a 3rd generation Registered Nurse! My Nini (my grandma) was a nurse, my mom & aunt are Nurses (who all graduated from the same school – Idabelle Firestone Nursing School), and seeing them working hard and loving their careers made me want to be a nurse. I looked up to them for their strength as women and Mothers. My Mom told me at a very young age that I had the gift & would become a Nurse. I started college and nursing prerequisite classes right after highschool, then I took a break to have kids… So with the help of family and a good support system I went back to school, and it was no easy road as I was working, dealing with my daughter who was in and out of the hospital and Doctor appointments. Read more>>

Nikkole Rodgers

Craigslist. I was really lucky, My first job was at a sports medicine clinic in Santa Monica. They only worked with professional athletes and celebrities. I provided mobile massage for about year. It got kinda slow during certain season’s or else I would’ve stayed longer. During that time I was able to work with many celebrities and athletes but my most memorable client was Kevin Garnett. I remember I was going through a really rough time. I even showed up to this mansion in a bucket lol and parked at the end of the driveway because I was so embarassed. At the end of the session ,he wanted to tip me but we weren’t aloud to take tips .This man look me dead in my face and said “Don’t block your blessings” He gave me really good advice that day and told me I was going far in therapy. If I ever saw him again I’d thank him again for that moment. It’s always stuck with me. Shout out KG and his blessing!!! Read more>>

Janeicia Neely

I had an amazing college basketball career at Loyola University New Orleans worthy of a 2023 Hall of Fame induction. While in school, I completed quite a few internships in the mass communication field of study but I knew I wanted to continue playing basketball after graduation. I remember thinking about the former teammate I had who accomplished the feat of playing basketball professionally. I was convinced I could do the same, I just needed to figure out the process. I talked to a few of my coaches and people in the space. They all said I needed to get an agent and let them do the work. From there I spoke with a few agents and all of them said because Loyola New Orleans is an NAIA university, I’d need to wait until all of the NCAA D1 players have been placed, then I might have a chance. Read more>>

Linda Piya

I resigned from my office job and was prepping for a bodybuilding competition while also studying for a personal training certification to become a trainer. I was completing my 5th mile on the treadmill when the fitness manager of the corporate gym I was training at approached me. He had asked me if I was interested in becoming a trainer at that club. I was very surprised that I was getting recruited when I did not apply or was certified yet. With great joy, I accepted it! The FM told me I can start as soon as I passed the certification. Looking back, I remember I applied to so many jobs but always got turned down. I knew this was the right one for me if I had someone recruiting me. Starting off at a corporate gym, I achieved great confidence, sales skills, and learned how to build good good rapport with clients. Read more>>