Stories are incredibly powerful – their ability to teach, inspire, and create understanding is why we are so in love with storytelling. Most stories have a defining moment and so we’ve asked some of the most talented, insightful folks across a broad range of industries and markets to tell us about a defining moment in their story.

Ashley Witte

My defining moment didn’t really happen all at once. It unfolded over time as I became a mom to 3 kids, but it really started with my first baby. I thought I was prepared for breastfeeding, I had read the books, taken the classes, and planned for a supportive home birth with providers who highly valued breastfeeding. Read More>>

Megan Canell

One of the most defining moments in my career wasn’t a single event—it was a gradual realization. After nearly a decade working as a nurse in the operating room, I began to see that healthcare, as powerful and life-saving as it is, doesn’t always create space for true healing. Read More>>

Emily Campbell

Yes, there was; and this moment completely changed my career path and led me to launching my nonprofit, Not These Ovaries. Back in December of 2023, I started to feel these GI-like symptoms. (Know these common signs ladies! Read More>>

April Rose Smith

Yes. There was a defining moment that completely shifted the trajectory of my career and how I define my purpose. It didn’t happen in a boardroom or during a formal career milestone.  Read More>>

Cas Mastropaolo

The career I have always wanted to pursue was sports and fitness coaching. It all started once I got involved in sports. From Gallaudet University I was able to achieve the honor graduating in 2024 with the major of physical education and recreation. It has lead me to many opportunities with many gyms including the YMCA. Read More>>

Morgan Brittney

My name is Morgan Brittney and my most defining moment is going to sound contradictory but my defining moment was when i decided i was going to give up. To understand this you have to know my story and it is one of health and disease and Gods grace to give me the will power to believe that this to shall pass. Read More>>

Dr. Chase Skylar DeMayo

There was a single moment that changed everything for me, and it did not happen on a stage or in a boardroom, it happened in silence. At 21 years old, I went into cardiac arrest and was clinically dead. In that space, I experienced something that reshaped how I understand life, purpose, and human connection. Read More>>

Bryona Green

One defining moment in my career came when I realized that beauty alone wasn’t enough for me—I wanted to be part of something deeper. I had been working in beauty, helping clients feel confident on the outside, but I started noticing how much people were also dealing with internally—stress, low energy, lack of rest, and overall imbalance. Read More>>

Maggie Liaboe

As a pediatric physical therapist, one of the most defining moments you can experience is witnessing the transformation of a family throughout their journey. Parents can be hesitant to start therapy, to be vulnerable enough to accept help for their developing child and to take advice for their family from a stranger. Read More>>

Krista Rooney

There was a moment that completely changed the direction of my work, and it didn’t happen in a boardroom or through a business decision. It happened deep in the Peruvian jungle. At that point in my life, I thought I had things together. I was showing up, holding everything, doing what I thought I was supposed to do. From the outside, it looked fine. Read More>>

Jordan Graeme

A defining moment in my career came after spending nearly a decade practicing as part of the integrative medicine team in the Comprehensive Pain Center at OHSU. I had the opportunity to work alongside physicians, specialists, and trainees, helping bridge the gap between conventional and functional approaches to chronic pain. Read More>>

Darla McCarty

There wasn’t one single moment that defined my career… it was a series of moments that kept asking me to listen more closely; to my instincts, to my clients, and to the direction I was being pulled toward. The first began when I was five years old. Read More>>

Pramod Kashyap

I lost my mind and got admitted to a hospital — and that moment changed the entire trajectory of my life. Back then I was a college student with way too much on my plate. Read More>>

Shannon Livezey

Looking back, there wasn’t one single lightning-bolt moment that changed everything for me, it was more like a quiet unfolding that gently but persistently led me to where I am today. My journey into Avodah Massage Therapy really began with a deep, personal desire to care for others in a meaningful way. Read More>>

Dr. Megan Blaising

There was a pivotal moment in my career that fundamentally reshaped both my trajectory and my sense of professional identity. It began with a decision that, at the time, felt equal parts uncertain and necessary. I accepted a role in the healthcare industry, stepping into an entirely new arena after building my foundation in social services and mental health. Read More>>