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.

Sonny Miles

I always knew that I wanted to be a healer. I grew up in the world of natural health and healing. My mom had a natural skincare company that I worked at when I was old enough to help, and she went back to school to become an acupuncturist when I was in high school. I was fascinated by the body and all types of healing, especially energy healing, herbs, and indigenous medicine. I read Dr. Andrew Weil’s books, Dr. Lewis Mehl-Medrona’s book Coyote Medicine, Dr. Lori Arviso Alvord’s and Elizabeth Cohen Van Pelt’s book The Scalpel and the Silver Bear…. anything I could find that taught me about the body and healing. I didn’t know what kind of healer I wanted to be. Read more>>

Sara Murray

I have worked with children for over 30 years – my entire career, my entire adult life. As a little girl, I loved babies and little kids. I volunteered in the nursery at church so I could hold babies, and I babysat as a teenager. I got my degree in Elementary and Special Education, and I got my Master’s in Reading Education. I worked in a few different public schools in upstate NY, where I’m from, and in the suburbs of Boston. I loved the children I worked with, but the job felt really hard, and not in a way that felt like a good challenge. There seemed to be a lot of things out of my control that I was responsible for, and I didn’t know how to help the students in my class. Read more>>

Anthea Pirysingh

A defining moment in my professional career occurred when I first encountered a patient who had been struggling with pelvic floor dysfunction for years without proper guidance or support. Witnessing the profound impact that proper care and education could have on her quality of life sparked a deep passion within me for women’s health. This experience shifted the trajectory of my career, leading me to specialize in pelvic floor physical therapy and become a dedicated advocate for women’s health and wellness. Read more>>

Hillary Saffran

When I worked at a large county workforce center as a Workforce Development Specialist a supervisor suggested that I give workshops to the clients. I was quickly trained and subsequently gave many workshops over the next several years in a variety of employment topics, which led me to become involved in Toastmasters and other public speaking venues. I then joined an improv group and performed for many years, which was a lot of fun and greatly enhanced my public speaking experience. Read more>>

Anita C Powell

The pivotal moment in my professional journey was inseparably linked with my personal growth. In 1998, after dedicating 19 years to a local Corrections department and spending much time in prayer and reflection, I made a life-changing decision. I left my stable job on a wing and a prayer, transitioning from being an employee to embracing the uncertainty of a solopreneur. This leap, though both exhilarating and intimidating, was necessary for my growth in faith, trust, and love—for myself and for others. Read more>>

Candice Hankins

I have had two defining moments over the last two years. The first would be my transition to Medical Mutual as a Supervisor from Cleveland Clinic as a Program Manager. One thing about me that most people do not know is that I do not have a college degree. So, over the years I have personally let that hold me back regardless of the experience or knowledge that I possessed. Once I began to see what my worth, then my confidence begin to grow. Over the years, I have had a multitude of leadership roles, but I underestimated the authority and power that I carried at that time. Becoming very relaxed and complacent in several situations. The main thing that I learned in that situation is that anyone can build a diverse portfolio, and that anyone can be me! Read more>>

Kathryn Sauser

In 2017, I began my fitness career, and it quickly gained momentum. I was the girl on Instagram promoting a healthy lifestyle, but behind closed doors, I was struggling with drinking, eating disorders, and self-abuse. By 2020, I knew I couldn’t continue living this way and decided to get sober. This was a crucial turning point—I realized that sobriety was not just about quitting alcohol but about transforming my entire approach to life and career path. Read more>>

Sacred Union Arts

We came together on and off the mats in love and passion for Movement Arts and Wellness. Kevin Jiu-jitsu Master and Fitness coach, Phoenix Womens Wellness Specialist and Yoga/Dance/Fitness Instructor. We decided to combine our skills, knowledge and offerings and transform Kevin’s old gym into Sacred Union Arts. At the beginning of the year in 2023, they took on a big renovation project creating our new space. Then, in February, Phoenix’s father passed away taking a toll on her, her family and the couple coping with grief. Read more>>

Farrah Fernandez

The defining moment in my professional career as a certified Functional Nutrition Counselor was when I stumbled upon an entirely new approach called Intuitive Eating. Prior to that, I had focused my career solely on nutrition counseling, clean eating, and root cause resolution of health issues that my clients suffered with. I was introduced to Intuitive Eating in a group program for health coaches so that we could implement the program with our own clients, but…first, we needed to experience the program just as our clients would. Read more>>

Aisha Koroma

After earning my Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Houston-Downtown, I decided to take a break from school to start a non-profit. In 2014, I founded Lift a Village, a 501(c)(3) organization that empowers individuals and communities in Sierra Leone by providing resources that foster self-sufficiency and promote community development. Read more>>

Stacy Fritz

Health and well-being have always been important to me, but it wasn’t until about 8 years ago that I truly grasped the impact of daily lifestyle choices. In the spring of 2016, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Less than six months later, my dad needed emergency triple bypass surgery. As my parents began to recover, my only sibling, my brother Brad, was diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer in February 2018 at just 46 years old. Read more>>

Brooke Martin

When I was 17, I first felt called to therapy, but I questioned whether it was something I could truly do given the difficult nature of the work. I initially set the idea aside, thinking I might teach math or special education instead. However, when I was 18, an accident left me unable to pursue math, and I knew then that I needed to follow the path of therapy, even though I wasn’t sure how. Read more>>

Ilan Garza

Coming out of high school I didn’t have much of a plan. I completed some courses at LoneStar College North Harris that were just basic courses. I joined the Air Force looking for discipline and direction. My career field in the Air Force was Radio Frequency Transmission Systems Specialist, in other words I helped maintain radios and other communication equipment. While in the Air Force I completed my bachelors in sociology and master’s in psychology because I found the study interesting. Read more>>