Defining moments aren’t just exciting – they are thought-provoking and fertile ground for learning. These inflection points often are the result of an illuminating moment where some truth of the universe presents itself in an easier to recognize form. Below, you’ll find talented and successful entrepreneurs and artists sharing the stories of defining moments in their lives.

Bob Griesse

From the time I was a kid I had imagined being in a field where I was helping others. My parents tell stories of me as a child wanting to be a police officer and when I began college I was studying for a specialized program directed toward jobs in the Intelligence field for the military, federal agencies and businesses. Read more>>

Elizabeth Brett

Last summer, I was all set to go back to school to become a therapist, but the universe had another path for me. I had spent months researching which type of therapy degree I wanted (I landed on Marriage and Family), applied to my top choice schools, got accepted and was all set to begin my next chapter. Read more>>

LaTyia Benson-Cunningham

Oh, honey, where do I start? The journey’s been wild, full of twists, turns, and a whole lot of steam (literally). You see, I’ve been in the Yoni Steam game for a minute, focusing on all that good, good healing and self-care for my sisters. Read more>>

Gabriel Gipson

Yes. A defining moment for me in my career would be right now in present day! I have recently secured the position at my kid’s school, Libertas School of Memphis, as their Health Advocate! Read more>>

Darthula Young

I Always seemed to be the go-to person for family and friends, to be their advocate when going to their Dr. visits. However, 22 years ago when my mother-in-law became ill with lung cancer she decided against conventional treatment, include surgery. Read more>>

Melanie Maldonado

I have always known that I wanted to be in the medical field and service women and babies. I was 17 years old, witnessing one of my closest friends give birth and I made a decision to want to service women in labor. Read more>>

Antonio Hernandez

It has not always been a smooth road for us. After about 4 months of being open, we got a phone call on December 12, 2021 at 8:57am. Our building was on fire… Read more>>

Royce Miller

I worked for the Department of Social Services in Richland South Carolina from 2000 to 2005. My position was what is called today as Family Preservation. Read more>>

Erin Nicole McGinnis

Around a decade ago, I found myself struggling with being the victim of narcissistic abuse. This was not a common term at the time, and little was known about it. Read more>>

Ari Simon

It was about a year after I stopped working for the City of LA when my cousin Tess died while riding her bike to work in San Francisco. My life path was changed by experiencing firsthand the way her community uniquely memorialized her. Read more>>

Rondell Johnson

I’ve always had a passion for writing. Typically I’d journal my thoughts and write poems from time to time. I still find this to be something that brings me solace in a world surrounded by chaos. Read more>>

Nikki Dyer

The idea behind writing guided meditations came to me in a book of all places. It was during a dark time in my life where I was really struggling with personal and relationship issues within my small world. Read more>>

Debbie Zeichner

As a trained psychotherapist, I thought I was going to be the “perfect parent.” I had worked with tons of kids, couples and parents, led parenting groups etc. Then, I had kids and the harsh reality set in. Read more>>

Kaisha Lawrence

A defining moment for me in my career was when I read the book Crazy, Sexy, Diet by Kris Carr. I was a massage therapist at the time and Kris gave me a real education about my body. Read more>>

Renea Jones-Hudson

My journey didn’t begin in the boardroom or the classroom; it started at 18, lacing up boots and donning a uniform that would define the next twenty-plus years of my life. Read more>>

Lauren Kirk

In 2016, I was struck by an F150 as I walked across the street. I know, it’s a shocker of an opening statement. I remember everything up through the moment of being hit, and I can confidently say that moment has shaped and defined every day since. Read more>>

Jennifer Mariani

I absolutely love what I do working in the beauty industry. I love how I can help build up somebody’s self-esteem by helping them look and feel better. But I always felt that there was more I wanted people to feel better not just by how they looked but how they felt on the inside. Read more>>

Justine Bautista

About a year and a half ago, I had the opportunity to present at The White House and to meet with President Joe Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and Selena Gomez to discuss youth mental health and technology. Read more>>

Amy Rost

In 2015, I worked as an Administrator of Disability Services in a Spine Clinic. I am the mom of four, and my oldest had been diagnosed with a rare degenerative neuromuscular disease called Friederich’s Ataxia. Read more>>

Victoria Richardson

It was sitting in a leadership meeting in the spring of 2023. We had just gotten a new investment partner and he was flying into town to meet with us. Read more>>

Tanya Atiyeh Gallagher

My journey in medical aesthetics has been filled with moments of learning, growth, and a defining leap that transformed my role in the field. Read more>>

Teri Cochrane

Yes, there was indeed a defining moment in my professional career that radically altered its trajectory. It stemmed from the birth of my first child, who arrived prematurely and brought with him a myriad of health challenges. Read more>>

Brandon & Niki Brumage

We both work as CRNAs (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists). It can be a very demanding and stressful job at times—especially during the pandemic. We needed to find an outlet to relieve some of that stress. Read more>>

Dr. Tron Malachowski

My mentor was a phenom in the Upper Cervical world. He was known all over the globe for the work his family had done and the 40 years of work they put into the profession. Read more>>

Amanda Caruso

My defining moment happened near the end of 2021. My older sister, who I have always idealized and looked up too, was diagnosed with stage 3 inflammatory breast cancer at the young age of 44. Read more>>

Will Renfroe

In 2017, my then-fiancee and I became pregnant. In October of that year, 2 months into pregnancy, our apartment caught on fire–we lost all of our physical possessions. Read more>>

Emma Faria

My reason why, started with a promise. In 2021, after moving to New York City for my first year of college at age 16; it wasn’t long until I was clinically diagnosed with depression and social anxiety. Read more>>

Kayla Sweet

An early encounter with burnout was a defining moment in both my career and my life. It served as a wake-up call, signaling that my current way of living was unsustainable and that without significant change, a fulfilling and purposeful life would remain elusive. Read more>>

Perla Gomez

My life found personal purpose when I took a chance and signed up for a naturopathic course in January 2022. I had an array of different medical field experiences but somehow kept finding myself unfulfilled. Read more>>