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.

Carmella Alexander

My name is Carmella Alexander and I am a mother of 2. I am a bus driver by vocation. I started writing poetry at the age of 10 years old.  As I got older, my passion for writing  died down a bit. Then shortly after having my son Amir, life changed. Amir was born with a very rare epilepsy disorder that only affects a small percentage of children worldwide. The life expectancy of children with his disease could be as young as 2 weeks old up to 12 years old. Receiving this information devastated me. It automatically brought with it a whirlwind of emotions.  Read more>>

Olivia Howell

Three years ago, after my divorce, I journaled about shifting the cultural narrative and celebrating big, brave, and bold life decisions. I wanted to help people take the overwhelm out of going through these big life transitions – especially when it came to getting the products you needed for your the new chapter of your life, as well as finding all of the experts you needed to help support you during the transition. This led me to found Fresh Starts Registry, the first and only platform for everything you need to start again. Read more>>

Chanteria Davis Shameka Josey

Shameka and I share similar values when it comes to our business. It is import for us to make sure that we make products that are all inclusive. We make products for everyone men, women and children of all ages, nationalities and all skin types. Originally when we started our brand, we had our family members in mind. There are a couple of members in our families that have sensitive skin and we wanted to make sure they had a product that worked. Read more>>

Felicia Vestal

Yessie and I started this market as we were looking for an outlet to bring something new to the area. We wanted a safe place and We always had a mission of being a family. We want to get to know all of our vendors. If you want to know about their lives and keep up with them. We wanted to give a chance for the Underdog or the person that wasn’t getting into other markets a chance to start somewhere. Read more>>

Wes Pedersen

I have a deep passion for photography, architecture, and design; I believe the built world around us has a story to tell and information to gain from it. Whether it’s a detailed aerial map of your property, progress tracking photos and videos for your construction project, high-quality furnished photos of your home when it’s complete, there are a lot of different ways we can view our environment and gain a deeper connection to it through photography and videography. Read more>>

Amir Winston

Baltiere means “a way of living” and the brand explains that in more ways then one. In the 10th grade I had this idea of starting something that would set me apart from all of my other peers. As a 16/17 year old what could you really do that is different around that time. Starting a clothing brand wasn’t something I would think I would be into but my love for looking nice at all times complimented this spark of an idea. From high school the brand carried me throughout college and my younger adult life. Read more>>

Tricia Horton

I have always been interested in different cultures and languages. As a young girl I created a vision board on the back of my closet door with pictures of the places I wanted to visit. Many of them have been fulfilled. Spain was one of them and that is where I live now. I studied Spanish in university and decided Spain would be an ideal place to live. Beautiful places, kind people and an amazing cuisine. When I arrived to Spain, I noticed everyone wanted to learn English. It was their ticket to having a good professional career. I started slowly and I am in the process of growing. Read more>>

Ali Tiktib

To anyone who is reading this, I want to say: “You can accomplish anything in your life” This is what my last name stands for in Arabic, which is an acronym I created myself “Tiktib”, and it is my massage in life as well. I truly believe in that! Being multi-talented, multi-tasking, which is not recommended by gurus, is found in my DNA. I am always looking to be a better version of me. Read more>>

Jackson Bloore

On May 21, 2021, at just 70 year old, my mother passed away. She struggled with her health all her life despite many warnings from friends, family, and even her doctors. As a result, she was stricken with high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep apnea, restless leg, anxiety, and depression. A defibrillator inserted into her chest kept her alive for years restarting her heart 17 times after it stopped. Read more>>

Sybil Golin Drew Ramsey

Our motto is “We are more about people than we are about business” and we strive to deliver the best vintage clothing and accessories to our customers. We have always been fans of vintage fashion, and have been collecting for years. The allure of finding a diamond in the rough, and something that nobody else has, is addicting. The pleasure of giving a piece some TLC, and see it come to life and reimagined, is very fulfilling. Read more>>

Chris Hndrixx

I just want to make people feel good with my music, like how music makes me feel. I’ve been into music for about 4 years, but i’ve only been serious about it for the last 2 years. I have a strong passion for it. So even if no one listening to it, i’ll still make it. Read more>>

Katie Rodgers-Hubbard

Living LITE, Our Mission Lite Foot Company exists to help people reduce their carbon footprint by providing them a way to phase out of plastic and single-use products in their everyday purchases. Lite Foot Company, a refillery retail store in Savannah, hopes to make an impact in the fight against climate change by reducing the amount of plastic used and discarded in the Lowcountry. Read more>>

Marcellis Burrell

My Wife Was Diagnosed With Colon Cancer At A Young Age (30) With No Family History Of It And Was A Great Shape.Doctors Was Unable to Catch It and Early and That Started A mission of getting into shape and Wanting to be string enough to fight anything health relates that come our way Read more>>

Jericka Belman

Since I was a child, I’ve always dreamed big and wanted a lot out of life. Therefore, I created a brand, called Dance Therapy that would showcase my talent and aspirations that I have for entertainment. I did this because I wanted to create my own opportunities instead of waiting for them. Nowadays everyone is using their social media as a platform to put themselves out there. So, I thought why not create for myself. Read more>>

Krystle Hamilton

Our mission is to help women merge planning, productivity and goal setting to reach their highest potential. Planning has saved my life multiple times. It helped me graduate from my graduate studies on time, which was the last goal my mother got to witness prior to passing away from breast cancer. It has been my pain to purpose after losing my father to colon cancer. In both instances, my planner gave me the organization I needed. Read more>>

Johnathon Nolen

Purifi IV started with an idea. In the high stress, fast-paced work environment of an ER in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Nelson and I began talking. We took an oath as medical providers to “do no harm.” As emergency department (ER) providers, we are able to help patients experiencing life-threatening conditions. For us, however, doing no harm goes beyond helping individuals when their health fails; it means helping individuals live their best lives now. What if we could help people not just when they were dying, but help them live thriving lives now? Read more>>

Chelsea Thomas

I come from a blended household. I’m the oldest child on my father side and the middle child on my mother side. I have no biological sisters on both sides of my family, but I have two step sister’s and two step brother’s. Growing up in a blended household can be tough, especially when you feel that you need to constantly prove yourself and you’re not being seen in the way you need most. I must add that both my parents are great individuals and they did the absolute best with the cards they were dealt. I am blessed to have them both. Read more>>

Sasha Sewell

I always enjoyed, and thrived in reading. It was as if I was going into a new world each time I read a book. Whether that book was romance, mystery, horror and/or self improvement. I always admired the ability author’s had to capture and create. I wanted to do that for black women and brown people all around. My books incorporate other cultures, and traditions that are known. Or the aren’t known but are cool to know. Read more>>

Alicia Dawson

So, let’s take it back to 2006, back to where BraidedbyLic was just developing. I grew up in a home that always had plenty of children running around since my mom was a home child care provider at the time. I had plenty of friends, which was fun. My friends and I were always either playing with each other’s hair or I would just be playing in their hair, while sometimes getting in trouble for it lol! Read more>>

Patricia McCreary

Growing up I spent a lot of time with my Grandmother Margaret. She loved and took care of me with unconditional love and sensitivity. Then there came a time in her life that she needed the same form me. She was declining with Alzheimer’s Dementia: I was clueless. I thought I needed to do everything for her because she was forgetting how to do for herself. Things like cooking, cleaning, and general everyday life situation things I thought I needed to do. Read more>>

Adetoun Adeyemo

As a child in a Nigerian household, there are only three career options: to become a doctor, a lawyer or an engineer. When I told my parents that I wanted to become a therapist, I remember their disappointment. Their biggest priority was that I earn a high income over pursuing my passion. Despite the challenge of their negative opinions, I chose to follow my dream of becoming a therapist. Read more>>

John Payne

I was adamantly anti-drug when I was younger. I was the Just Say No representative for my class and won the DARE essay contest in sixth grade. I fully bought into the drug war propaganda. When I got a little older, I tried marijuana for the first time, and it immediately struck me as absurd that it was illegal. Worse, I felt like my government had systematically lied to me about the dangers of cannabis as a way to maintain a set of horribly repressive laws and policies. Read more>>

Cleashay China-Sutton

With the community at the forefront of our hearts Studio Elan’s philosophy is based on total mind, body, and spirit awareness concepts. In today’s fast paced world, it is important to seek and develop an equitable existence to cope with everyday life stressors. Studio Elan provides a serene environment and delivers services for our customers to achieve an impartial existence to successfully manage work, and life balance. Read more>>

Anna Williamson

My mission is simple. Have more time to spend doing what you love. My mission started once I was deciding to go back to work after having my daughter. I didn’t want to return to my last job behind a bar, I refused to miss the evenings with my family and the money was worth giving up to create memories with them. . Read more>>

Ese Ofurhie

The mission of ENSPIRE is to highlight the positive things people are doing for themselves or the community in order to encourage and enlighten others. When I started ENSPIRE I was working full-time at a New York City hospital. It was my first corporate job out of college so I felt like this was it. We were taught you go to college, get your degree and get that good corporate job. I was excited but the job stressed me out in a way I never experienced. I had managers that knew less than I did about the job and were belittling in referencing my performance. Read more>>

Jeree Spicer

At the age of 5 years old, I fell in love with computers and the law. Instead of barbies, I wanted a laptop so I could learn to type. Instead of watching Sesame Street, I wanted to watch Judge Judy. As I grew older, I knew that I desired a career in which she could combine my two passions: criminal justice and technology. Read more>>

Mal McNeal

My passion for celebrating weddings authentically and boldly first stemmed from noticing a need in the wedding industry: one which coupled the freedom and empowerment that comes with elopements and intimate weddings with the community and togetherness that comes with larger wedding celebrations. I also noticed the opportunity to create a business structure that recognized the key human needs for support, advocacy, and genuineness throughout the planning process – along with the expected logistic and practical components that are expected elements of planning a wedding or elopement. Read more>>

Riley Corbin

Oftentimes in life a moment passes within the blink of an eye. Photography is the closet thing we have to traveling back in time- the closet we have to being able to look back at memory once lived. Photographs give us the opportunity to immerse ourselves into the phases of life we’ve grow out of- or even ones we may have missed out on. Photography allow us to re-experience milestones we’ve passed, accomplishments we’ve made, relationships we’ve developed. Life is a continuous cycle of growing, changing, and evolving. Photographs help to keep us from forgetting. Read more>>

Fa Dullah

The mission is to people express there values through fashion/lifestyle and look good while doing so. The meaning of Essence Gold is to have your Essence, (which is your natural state of being) shine like Gold and watch your whole life transform. It all starts from within. There is no temporary shine on the outside that can overshadow inner peace and happiness. Shine from within and that light has no choice but to illuminate on the outside. Read more>>

Lynsey Williams

The story behind my mission is to be the light I wish to see in the world which is saturated in my many services I proudly share with the world. Dedication, knowledge and compassion are the elements that lay my foundation. Read more>>

Tresean Duckett

I started photography because I have strong passion for it . I noticed this was my gift and it was an amazing feeling finding out what my gift was at 28 because for 28 years I never knew what my purpose was . I’ve been taken pictures since the 9th grade . My mom brought my little sister a camera for Christmas one year but somehow I ended up using it and just never gave it back lol . I been a photographer for years now and I’ve captured moments for people that would last forever .. my mission is to eventually own my own studio & production team . Read more>>

Andre Tidwell Jr.

One of the reasons that I started the current work that I do today, is to help people, businesses, organizations, etc, capture the sounds of everything. The reason that I say, capture the sounds of everything, is because anything that people create in this world has a sound to it, even silence. Also, sound is a part of my brand name (ReTroSoundWAV Media) because audio production and engineering is currently the main type of media that I create. However, there are other forms media’s that I capture as well, such as, video (filming and editing), podcast (recording, editing, hosting), photography, and graphic design. Read more>>

Sheryl Smiley-Oliphant

My mission is to help families bond while creating and playing together. As a former classroom educator, I saw students thrive more in school when they spend time with their immediate family. Family bonding gave students more confidence, leadership attributes, increased public speaking skills, and delivered more focus and drive towards their education. Read more>>

Kayci Chisholm

The story behind my mission comes from within my childhood. When I first moved to Florida from New York I was very different. I saw my mind being free and creative. Not following anyone’s footsteps. Not many of my classmates accepted me for who I was. At a young age moving from school to school especially to a different state it was traumatizing being bullied. All you want to do is feel accepted. After going through My childhood years my personality always kept bursting through with positivity. I always kept a light within my soul being unapologetically myself. Read more>>

Caroline Harvey

Simply CH was born out of necessity but also out of a passion for design and a desire to help others. When I got divorced a few years ago and needed to jump back into the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom for seven years, I had to think of something I would enjoy that would bring in some money. I had just finished designing and furnishing a river vacation home I’d built with my then-husband; I believe that property gave me the confidence to start my own business – like, “this is something I’m good at. Other people want me to help them and find value in what I can offer.” Read more>>

Nora Crosthwaite

I’m not artistic or creative, but I really love finding problems to solve. Ultimately, that is why I started Stagerie, a nationwide staging company for owner-occupied homes for sale. I am a real estate agent in Iowa. When I list homes for sale, especially if the seller is still living in the home and it is furnished, at some point the seller will ask me, “What should I do to prepare my home for sale?” Because I am not artistic, I struggled with this question; I don’t know how to stage homes! But, I’ve seen that proper home staging can add 1-5% or more in value to a seller’s sale price on their home. Even on a $250,000 home, that can add anywhere from $2,500 to $12,500 in value. That’s real money! Homeowners’ biggest assets are their homes, and I want to see them get the most possible when they sell. Read more>>

Suzanne Karotkin

The Lift is a daily brief on the wonderful things happening in the world as well as practical ways you can help counteract the bad including uplifting headlines, tips and conversations. The concept was a product of my own yearning for a daily read that fills the soul. Something that makes you feel exited about all the beauty and possibilities in the world. Much like magazines in the heyday of print but updated to serve modern needs. Read more>>

Sarah Hankammer

It’s been my mission since I began as a Licensed Massage Therapist to eradicate as much pain from people’s lives as possible with the least amount of discomfort. It was my own terrible car accidents, yes, plural, that made me realize that pain is a thief that steals a piece of you at a time until you’re unrecognizable. I spent my energies learning from anyone & everyone I could, including my massage therapist mother & grand parents, attending seminars to learn advanced techniques, & building a clientele that would allow me to experiment with these varies techniques while providing me valuable feedback on how they felt afterwards. Read more>>

Cherise Davis

Mission: To Challenge Young Ladies to Accept Only God’s Best for Their Lives I grew up in a 2-parent Christian home, infused with much of the good that a young girl can experience. My maternal grandfather was a pastor, with my grandmother at his side and my paternal grandparents were active church leaders. I had extended family, godparents, friends and mentors that encouraged and supported me. Read more>>