We’ve always tried to ask the questions that matter but that are too awkward for people to ask their friends, family and coworkers without seeming dramatic. One of those questions is about mission and purpose – when’s the last time you asked a friend what their mission was? Too often we don’t talk about our own missions and don’t ask those close to us about theirs with the result being that our missions remain secret. Are you just a doctor or are you a doctor who wants to be there for patients in the way you wished your father’s doctor had been? People have incredible and meaningful missions, and we hope our conversations asking folks about their mission can inspire more such conversations in your life.
William Maanders
Back in 2011, I suffered from a huge burn-out. I wasn’t where I wanted to be in life and knew that I had to take steps in order to change my situation. Although I reached out for mental help, I noticed the ‘regular system’ didn’t provide me with any tools to overcome what I was going through. So I ended up falling back, not once, but several times during the years passing. It wasn’t until 2016 that I searched on the Internet for a way to treat my anxiety and depression. I found an experienced expert, bought his online course and it helped me a lot! That’s when the ball started rolling. Read more>>
Sarah Miller
The mission of our team that I have been driven in is “Delivering the Dream of Homeownership Everywhere”. Every client is different and I help clients with the sell of their homes. It is helping clients who have never owned a home, are the first to own a homes in their families or an under-served group to build wealth through real estate is my passion. Read more>>
Amy McGee
At the core of everything we do at Botanical Brouhaha is the belief that every experience – both good and not-so-good – can provide wisdom and richness to the way we see the world, connect with others, and provide encouragement to those we come into contact with while walking through our days. We talk often about “flowering with purpose” because we see no reason to “do flowers” without using them to impact our community – and ultimately the world. Read more>>
Jessica Princinsky
The story behind my companies brand and mission has certainly evolved in the last few years. What planted the seed was my brother’s death in 2020. When someone you love dies, all you have left are the pictures and memories. When my brother passed away, my family and I were so nervous to even touch all of the photos of him, it was as if we were gazing at piles of gold. One significant regret was not having enough pictures with him. His life and his loss of life created such an impact on us, and I knew that I wanted to do something in memory of him while I am still on this earth. Read more>>
Jeff Marconette Jr
At the age of 17, I was in high school and heading to get lunch. I stopped at a green light waiting to turn when a truck ran a red light and hit my car. That day almost ended my life, leading me toward the eternal stoplight, but stopping me just short. That accident put me in a place where people were saying phrases that started with “Jeff will never…” Because I do not like being told that I am unable to do something I have taken those “Jeff will never…” statements and turned them into my “Make Every Second Count” moments. Read more>>
Joean Montayre
modestfashiondesigners.com is my advocacy. I want to help underprivilege creatives and start-up brands find their voice in the industry. My platform is the starting point of their career. When I launched in 2021, some of the designers/brands I featured in my virtual fashion show are start-ups. From there, they were able to understand their branding, showcase their new collections, and found their way in the industry. Some of them were featured in talk shows now, in international fashion shows, etc. I believe it gave them more courage that they can be something. All it takes is for them to go from a starting point which is our platform. Read more>>
Chelsea Brown
I saw an interview with Lauren London recently. She spoke about sitting on the front row of a funeral and how it changes your perception. I’ve sat on the front row 3 times in the last 14 years. The most recent, two times, in 5 years. One funeral being my bestfriend of over a decade in 2017 and my mother last year in 2021. To even be standing right now is a testimony, worth a nice shout. People don’t often think about how truly, life is so short. Not only do I want to honor their memory, but I was placed here to help “bridge the gap in my community” with home ownership. Read more>>
Sean Carter
The Mission behind Unchained Memories is that we focus on people’s hopes and dreams. In life, we’ve all been through a time in which we all wanted to pursue a dream, but was afraid to try due to the amount of excuses we tell ourselves. We hold all of our hopes, dreams, and memories in our hearts and in our brains so that’s how our logo was created. Unchained Memories is all about following your heart, doing what you love with confidence and happiness. Those that want to support you will support you, and those that don’t that’s ok. Read more>>
Timi O
I’ve always created music for myself and, honestly, just appreciate having the opportunity to do so . However, it would be very foolish of me to not recognize that my music does have an impact on others. I am a Nigerian-American Hip-Hop artist. I went against the standard expectation of being a Doctor, Lawyer, or Engineer. Granted, I have my Mechanical Engineering degree and have done design work, but music is the path I chose. I hope doing this for myself inspires others from similar backgrounds to also do what they’re genuinely passionate about. regardless of others’ expectations for them. Read more>>
Angelo Burris
My mission is to introduce people to Black electronic music because what is not understood is that electronic music IS Black music. Beyonce’s “Renaissance” and Drake’s “Honestly, Nevermind” take influence from Black Club music. A lot of people aren’t used to hearing these sounds at all, especially not in mainstream media. Read more>>
Nicole Wiltshire
I began working on my clothing brand SunniyDaze, once I realized that I was still hiding behind fears of rejection in the industry, and also I realized this fear was tied to past trauma that I viewed as failure. I have worked in the fashion industry for over a decade, and during the pandemic, after doing some soul searching, I decided that it was time to share my voice and ideas with the world, fearlessly and unapologetically. Read more>>
Thamia McClain
I started my journey as an entrepreneur in 2020; while the world seemed to be falling apart, my life was coming together. I decided at the end of 2020 to fire my boss and be a full-time entrepreneur. At this time, I noticed a passion for self-care and healthy living growing in my heart. I began to practice self-care more frequently and discovered essential oils, my new besties. That’s when I submerged myself in essential oils and their unique benefits. The idea came to me one random day to create a homemade candle with the essential oils I had fallen in love with; Read more>>
Aria Cauthen, MS
As a young black girl, I have always wanted to work for myself and fulfill my life‘s destiny. Today, I am on that same mission. I aspire to leave my mark on this world as someone who strives to heal her community, create as boldly as she desires, and shifts the collective to consciousness. Read more>>
Ryan Kanaly
I’ve always believed that if you can find what you care about, you can do your best work. At Smallhands Creative, we all care about mental health, environmental health and the health of our community. We try to do 2 pro-bono projects a year that not only give us life, but can impact one of those three pillars in a positive way. I always get caught up in the work flow and forget how lucky I am to be a part of a company that tells visual stories. The most rewarding projects we work on are the ones where our visual stories help an audience get introduced or support a brand we love! Read more>>
Glinda Johnson-Medland
Word hive; a space for poets, is a small group of local poets who are committed to making poetry accessible to all. We are committed to and have a vision for the education, development, and collaboration of local poets, and to awaken artistic expression in local and surrounding areas. The story begins with my story; a child struggling with dyslexia and mental illness. Poetry became a saving grace and path to wholeness as I grew older. My sister Michelle, two years younger than me, was responsible for most of my learning to read and write. Read more>>
Kelsey Perry
duoFIT Maternity was created out of the personal need for better performing, better quality and cuter maternity activewear. Through my first two pregnancies I did what most women do; bought the “classic” maternity leggings that either rolled down my bump, stretched out, were see-through and pilled after a few wash and wears. After that, I tried spending the extra money to size up in a more high-end brand to just have ill-fitting leggings and sports bras. Read more>>
Adam Marshall
In 2011, two lawyers with lots of experience in the cut-throat profession of giant law firms and its hourly billing battles… thought there had to be a better way. Joe Grant and I started Marshall Grant PLLC in Boca Raton with an idea that most other lawyers said would fail and it simply wasn’t scalable. It’s truly a unique model in the world of law firms. By eliminating internal competitiveness among attorneys and aligning compensation with their client’s best interests, our attorneys focus on serving their clients and sharing credit. Read more>>
Oscar Narvaez
The story behind my mission is one of food and accepting the love of it. Growing up I always liked food and therefore struggled with weight gain. When I became vegan in 2011 I realized I had to change the way I ate and that involved me becoming more involved in the food I ate. One of the first items I veganized was scones. Time passed and one day someone that knew I baked vegan scones, invited me to sell my vegan scones at a market in the neighborhood of Pilsen, in Chicago, for a holiday market. Read more>>
Edward Thornton
After growing tired of the lack of Black representation in the technology field, and in his hometown of St. Louis, Thornton founded Street Genius Inovations a Digital Products Studio which has its sights set at the top. Also He decided to create Black TECH STL a networking space for Black IT professionals with a goal to learn best industry practices and to help advance their careers. To that end, the Tech and Chill networking events were established to turn St. Louis into the next big tech hub by connecting some of the most talented and innovative people in the city. Read more>>
Jeremy Doneghy-Horrington
The story behind my mission is simply be yourself, and do what you love to do. We all have to generate money to survive in this system we are living in. I’m just trying to be the example to people of all ages you can find a way to do something you love and to do it on your own terms. You just have to be willing to make monetary sacrifices here and there , some months may be tough, especially if you have a family to support. But if you communicate with your family/ team you can accomplish so much together. Read more>>
Jules
I grew up with a love of baking, and bread in particular. Some of my earliest memories are of playing at my grandparent’s house while my grandma baked breads, pies, cookies, etc. for her gift basket business. Later, she taught me how to make bread, and I specifically remember learning how to hand-knead dough until it achieved just the right consistency. Read more>>
Sabrea Kuderer
I started SIMPLE IN NATURE with the idea that high quality organic skincare products can be affordable and effective. For years I was buying products that were great, but were so expensive. I just couldn’t justify spending the money. I knew I could make products as good, if not better, and not have to charge such high prices. Read more>>
Supriya Samal
I started my journey into photography while still working as an officer in the bank. It was also the time when I got diagnosed with Clinical Depression. Hence, photography became a part of my healing process. I traveled with my partner and found a world of art outside the struggles of mind. Photography and digital art made me discover my strengths, mindset, and inner power. I also blend photography and digital art to create subtle yet meaningful abstract art. Read more>>
Sarah Jane
As a boudoir photographer, my end goal is to empower women to LOVE the skin they are in. I want every woman of every shape, size and color to look at themselves in the mirror and see a woman they LOVE. A woman they are proud of. A woman they feel privileged to be. All of those things start with the path of self love. Read more>>
Jennifer Cooke
My senior portrait & wedding photography business originated from the desire to simply take pictures, meet new people, travel, and build a business that could one day become scalable, profitable, and impactful. However, I realized that I needed to discover within myself what truly made me want to photograph high school senior girls & weddings. Specifically, what truly made me want to work with and meet these high school senior girls? Read more>>
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My salon is a unique concept and I technically don’t have employee’s. I own a hybrid co working salon where I help women starting out in the beauty industry to build their own business from scratch. I have built an open concept space where everyone works for themselves, along side other motivated entrepreneurs. From day one tho, it was just me. In a small studio suite part time building this empire solo. Read more>>
DeBlair Tate
Growing up in Winona, MS, a town infamous for the arrest and beating of Civil Rights Activist Fannie Lou Hamer, I had no concept of racism or segregation. To me, this was simply everyday life in a small town in Mississippi. It wouldn’t be until I managed to leave the normalcy of my city to realize the life I recognized as “normal” life for all people was, in actuality, very different. Read more>>
Dylan Marie
Imagine being told by doctors your child may not be able to walk, talk or comprehend. Imagine him or her being written off at only hours old. Dylan was born at only 31 weeks gestation. She was born with Amniotic Band syndrome, Moebius Syndrome and her tongue was also attached to her palate. She was later diagnosed with autism and she’s partially deaf in her right ear. Now imagine that same child excelling in everything she puts her hands on and her mind too. Throughout life she was always taught to be most authentic herself. Read more>>
Reginald Baylor III
My mission is inspire people to persevere throughout life. The mantra of my brand, Twelve Rounds, is; “No matter what fight you’re put up against in life, no matter how hard or how many times you get knocked down…get back up, keep swinging, and finish the fight.” In my youth I was well aware that the world isn’t full of joy. As an adolescent, I experienced depression, anxiety, and even contemplated suicide many times. Read more>>
Kymee Bair
The Houston Humane Society is dedicated to and working towards ending cruelty, abuse, and the overpopulation of animals while providing the highest quality of life to those brought to us for care. As the Behavior and Enrichment Coordinator it is my responsibility to ensure all animals in our care are mentally and physical healthy while they await for their forever family! Not only do I handle owner surrenders and strays, but a large part of my job is helping to rehabilitate animals we get in from cruelty cases, mostly dogs. Read more>>
Dianne Koehler
NTI’s mission is 3-pronged. First, the vast majority of people simply don’t understand the impact of their food choices on their health outcomes, both immediate and long-term. i.e. 90% of cancer risk comes from diet and lifestyle choices. So we work to provide education about the necessity for healthy eating. Second, for those who know about the importance of nutrition and love learning about it, they often want to share what they know with others; however, they don’t yet have the in depth knowledge necessary to do so, and they may not know that they can forge a new career path in this field. Read more>>
Ashley Gladney
I started as a “Nanny” in high school at the age of 15, for a famous NBA player here in Memphis. At that age, I realized that this is the type of childcare that I loved, and that was needed. It was in high demand then, and definitely now. I then fell in love with not only caring for children/families but the idea as a business as well. After graduating college, I decided to pursue my business idea, and the rest is history. Read more>>
Emily Montgomery
When I was younger, I always dreamed of becoming a nurse. I did 5 years of prenursing in college and even got my CNA certification. I have worked at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta during the time I was in school. The one thing holding me back was entrance exams. I always struggled with test taking & studying due to having to work 2 jobs while I’m school. Eventually life happened, I got married and got pregnant with my son. Read more>>
Carmen Thomas
My mission unveiled when I was around 12 years old serving my grandmother, who was an entrepreneur, a designer of women’s image from the inside out. She was a beautician, fashion and interior designer who loved God and family. I spent every moment I could with her watching and listening to the women she served and how she loved family. She always took care of family and community with a smile and a grateful heart. As the oldest granddaughter in my family, I was blessed to spend a great deal of time with my grandparents, and I embraced every opportunity I could to be with them. I’ve always enjoyed taking care of everyone and helping them to succeed. Read more>>
Benjetta Steele
I worked long 12 hour shifts in the medical field for years. It was a great place to work until the pandemic came… My mindset started to shift. I’ve always loved helping other people, so I decided to start my own hair business part time. My mission is to build my own empire, so that one day I could retire. By the end of my first year working for myself, I made a plan and started to achieve all my goals. By Jan 2022 I started my second business as a Business Consultant. I felt that a lot of my community suffered from poverty, lack of knowledge and growth. Read more>>
Brooke Davis
For my family centered photography my mission is to recognize just how messy life can be and often the days are long and the years are fast. As a photographer, I encourage families to slow down and collect some moments. I want them to look back at their photos and feel joy, to recognize that the story of their life is being written. Read more>>
Marisa Chambers
Our mission is “meeting social-emotional and academic needs one child at a time” The tagline for the school is ““Meeting social-emotional and academic needs one child at a time”. Children come to school needing to learn how to read, write, and do math. They also come to school needing to learn how to interact with others and develop their personal emotional skills. Read more>>
Margo Jordan
As the founder of this company, my core belief is that you teach best what you need the most and as a young girl who grew up in Milwaukee, WI with low self-esteem I was at risk of not living to my full potential. This problem led to this solution that I developed with my first startup being a brick and mortar that was ultimately a pivot after the pandemic into an e-learning platform and gaming app that makes personal development accessible to kids globally. Read more>>
Billie Thomas
I became a mentor a few years ago to other hairstylists, that I work with. It’s always been a passion of mine to help people who struggle to make money in the hair industry! I’m very good at finding solutions to problems that new hairstylist make as far as their struggle with making money, and building a sustainable clientele! I enjoy teaching people all that I’ve learned Over the years! Read more>>
Natalia Levey
I’m on a mission to transform hospitality industry operations through wellness from the inside out. I’ve experienced the hardship of working in a professional kitchen environment early on – my body was struggling with the physical stress, and I was in constant pain. Taking a decade off allowed me to focus on healing not just my body, but learning more about overall wellness. After experiencing personal health challenges, I wanted to learn as much as I could about all the ingredients of wellbeing – nutritional, physical, emotional. Read more>>
Joanne Wetzel
Back in December of 2017, I found myself burned out and emotionally exhausted. I had recently closed a business of five years and found myself with a lot of extra time on my hands. It was at that time that a friend suggested I check out volunteering at our local county animal shelter. Walking and cuddling adoptable dogs seemed like a great fit for me being an avid animal lover. Read more>>
Denise Waters
About twenty years ago, I switched industries. I went from being a marketing and communications professional with a young up and coming wireless company to being a teacher. My husband was serving in Iraq and with two young boys I found that it was important that I find a career where I could serve. I’ve spent the last two decades in education–from rural Washington state to urban Phoenix from a classroom teacher to a principal coach, a counselor to network administrator. I continue to grow my skills and find the places where my heart is fulfilled but continue to find that even in education it is hard to serve. Read more>>
Jessica Tappana
I’m on a mission to spread high quality mental health services and this shows up in all I do. As a mental health professional, I strongly believe that psychologists, counselors, clinical social workers and other psychotherapists do their best when working with their ideal clients. Some therapists are really excellent at helping people who are depressed. Others get the most excited assisting couples to reconnect when they’re on the brink of divorce. Some of us specialize in trauma or OCD. Read more>>
Tania Long
The story behind my mission is that I want to be who I needed growing up. During my journey as a dancer, I encountered some mean and nasty words that crushed and altered my path of pursuing dance for years. Their words stole my passion, in the moments, and still stick with my to this day. But, I was able to learn that I needed to be better. Words matter. This experience happened to me so that I could hold this lesson near to my heart and choose to teach in a way that is better than what I had. So, my goal is that all my dancers that enter my space, even if I am not their teacher, will feel that they matter and are loved. Read more>>
Jasmyn Henriquez
I founded Styled Thru Life, for women to feel ” Forever Styled, Forever Confident” it was important to me for customers to feel powerful in my clothing, not shield who they are from the world. Read more>>
Lataryn Rainey-Perry
When I began my creative /entrepreneurial journey most of the resources that I needed weren’t readily available. I had to do some research to locate certain services and products, which was very time consuming. So, when I created my businesses, I did so with the notion that I wanted to ensure that no one else would have to struggle the way that I did. I wanted to be a one stop shop or a source of information to point others in the right direction. Read more>>
Karen Eskin
My passion for organizing anything and everything started when I was very young. But it wasn’t until I became a wife and mother that my skills were truly evident, even to me. My house was organized, we ate a home cooked meal every night, my kids were at school on time every day with everything they needed, and our schedule ran like clockwork. My friends loved to tease me about it but they all asked for help at some point. Read more>>
Christopher Summers
Personal Freedom, Financial Independence. For me these are not only powerful words but strong motivators. I began my job life at 15 in an ice cream shop. However my actual working life started much earlier. I don’t remember my exact age, but I convinced my father to let me have a newspaper route. For most people today they don’t even know what that is. Read more>>
Erin Ramsey
My mission is to encourage women to dream big and quit playing small, to trust in the universe, and to nurture their most important relationship, the one with themselves. I recognized this calling after a happy hour with my girlfriends. Looking around the table, I noticed several similarities: we’re all beautiful, intelligent, charismatic, funny, financially savvy, and career-minded. The other glaring commonality was our relationship status—single. I didn’t understand why but I wanted to unpack that. Read more>>
Tiffany Buck
I get asked the question all the time, “how did you think of the idea of a cat lounge?” I always jokingly tell people I just wanted more cats without having more cats at my house, ha! My real answer is, seeing cats cooped up in kennels scared and sad breaks every piece of my heart. My goal is to adopt all of the cats out of shelters and bring them into an environment where they will thrive while they wait for their forever home. Having them in an environment like this will increase their adoption rate by over 60%. Read more>>