Every once in a while, something happens that really matters. Something that will define at least the next chapter of your journey – perhaps it’s a conversation with a client, a meeting with a visionary or a major event in your personal life. Below, you’ll find some very insightful folks sharing defining moments from their journeys.

Amanda McCormick

Since I could talk, I wanted to be a professional dancer. At 18 months old, I knew there should be ribbons on the slippers of my ballerina Halloween costume. After 2 years of begging to take dance class, my 4 year old self overheard the mother of a daycare friend mention “taking Emily to Creative Movement” and then I brought this information to my mom so I could go too. Read more>>

Marja Humphrey

There have been several defining moments in my career. One that stands out was a perceived failure that actually was beneficial. I did not successfully pass a course in graduate school. While it delayed my graduation by an entire year, that year was so productive and full of self-care and joy. I found a job that helped to launch my career in ways I had not anticipated and ultimately this experience provided such clarity for my future. Read more>>

Toyia Bryant

In 2017, I was severed from my job and was unable to find work after working for almost 20 years as a Human Resources Professional. I applied to over 75 jobs and I received not 1 phone call. During this time I was also going through a spiritual awakening at a very rapid pace. Things that I never knew or understood were being revealed to me including warning messages about my failing health. Read more>>

Sarah Sanders

Before I was a licensed psychotherapist, I was working in a private practice, gaining my hours towards licensure. I was almost done with my hours but still had more to do. When I was hired at a private practice, my son was almost one year old. Up until that point of starting to work, I had stayed home with him. During my interview for my new job, the business owner/boss asked me how many hours I wanted to work. I told him I could only work part-time because I wanted to make sure I was home with my son as much as possible. Read more>>

Devin Stone

A defining moment in my life was when I realized I needed to follow my true purpose in life. In my twenties I co-founded a medical practice in Hollywood that became very successful. However, even with the success I was always missing something within myself and that was because at the time I was just working on the business side in medicine and not following my dream of becoming a doctor. Today, now with my doctorate and license I feel more whole than ever being able to directly impact people’s health and lives. Read more>>

Torrey Wuflestad

A defining moment for me in the beauty industry is changing people’s skin and allowing them to embrace their true confidence. I love the satisfaction of helping people match their true potential – internally and externally! Read more>>

Maya Louisa

I was majoring in Dance at Howard University in the early 2000’s. Towards the end of my sophomore year all of the dance faculty called a meeting with me. They had decided unanimously that I would never make it as a dancer my body was not trainable. I was advised to stop dancing and pursue a career in writing. My soul was crushed and I cried for days. Read more>>

Elise Brisco

A defining moment that validated my shift from being in the exam room to being on the runway and in front of the camera is when I started receiving messages from followers around the world saying that they have a new lease on life because of seeing me crowned as Ms. Woman California United States in my 50’s, and seeing me as a fashion model. Followers were telling me that they were starting to work out again, following my self care routines, losing weight, and feeling good about themselves rather than feeling old. Read more>>

Rachel Menard

Well technically, there was no career at first. I was 34, 350 lbs, a pill addict, and an alcoholic when I overdosed. Thank God I lived through it, but I had the choice of life or death after that. I began researching the healing power of creation…God’s pharmacy. I also began to move my body with the intention to do more than lose weight, but to be well. 18 months and 175 lbs later, I was physically a different woman, but spiritually I was a new person. My heart had been refined! Read more>>

Josephine Giesen

Mark Cuban once said, “wherever there is change and whenever there is uncertainty, there is opportunity.” This quote resonated with me when I moved to the USA with my family after spending two years in London and a lifetime in Lebanon. I knew that I had to take advantage of this unique moment before it passed me by. As humans, we tend to take the path of coping when adapting to change. But I was determined to do more than that- I wanted to thrive. Read more>>

Lauren Bradley

Working at SCI-FIT Dublin, I constantly heard horror stories on the cost of equipment, lack of ability to shower or enter ones home, reoccurring pressure sores and illness due to inability to pay for standing frames or proper home assistance. I began to do my research into local foundations and grant opportunities in hopes of helping. Read more>>

Elizabeth Catignani

One of the most defining moments in my life was when I lost my late husband and infant son within a very short time period. My son was stillborn after a full-term pregnancy, which was the first earth shattering loss I had every experienced. Then just 18 months later, my husband Brian, a Special Forces soldier, was killed in action while serving a 6-month deployment overseas. Read more>>

Kim Cihlar

Defining moment? Can there be just one?! I read recently that not knowing what you want to be when you grow up is a blessing. I remember being so stressed as a kid because I wasn’t good at one thing. You know, the “one thing” you’re supposed to be good at so when you grow up that’s what you can be! I liked doing too many things. Piano and guitar lessons; be a musician? Read more>>

Donna Brown

In August 2014 while on a family vacation, my kids were cliff jumping and asked me to join. I declined and played photographer for nearly 2 hours capturing all of their thrills and fun. My daughter continued to ask me to join and I continuously said ‘no.’ As the window of opportunity was closing (the tide was going out and would no longer be safe), I realized if I left without jumping, I would go on to regret it and did not want one more regret in my life. Read more>>

Tiffany Nesfield

After devoting years to my professional running career, I decided to focus on my professional career. This shift in focus put things in motion, and within five months, I started my own business and got hired to be the personal trainer of a professional tennis player. Read more>>

Dr. Monica E. Alharazim

I worked in a public sector job for 14 years. I believe that I learned some of my greatest lesson on how to manage my practice and how to treat people on this job. I always new the moment I stepped foot into the place, that this was a stepping stone for my life. While, I was there planned my exit. I knew that one day I wanted to own my own private practice. Read more>>

James Moore

Ive had several defining moments in my career. This one always comes to mind first and is a ton of external validation. In 2018 I was very confused on how to market myself and my business. Social media was still growing and had definitely become the major advertising vehicle for start-ups/small business. I was never a fan of cliche IG posts and always remain true to myself. So instead of posting what everyone else was posting I posted what I wanted to and that caught the eye of the Los Angeles Lakers strength and conditioning coach and celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson. Read more>>

Belisa Urbina

I think that one of our defining moments was the decision we made early on March 2020 to keep our doors open for in-person services in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic. That made Ser Familia one of the only 18% of non-profits in the US that stayed open in-person during the emergency. My main concern was to keep our staff safe, which we did with zero outbreaks in our facilities during this past 3 years. Read more>>

Princess Cole

A defining moment in my life is when I finally got overwhelmed with my daughter’s asthma and thought to myself, there has to be another way to deal with this other than giving her prescription meds that didn’t seem to make much of a difference. That’s when I got deep into my herbalism journey, and I guess you could say that my daughter was my first client. I heavily researched and I was able to manage her asthma naturally, without prescription meds. This was in 2014, and she hasn’t needed a nebulizer since. Read more>>

Dominic Lomibao

As a nurse practitioner, I am driven by the desire to make a positive impact on people’s lives. Nursing is more than a job to me; it’s a calling. The ability to provide compassionate care to those in need, to help them heal, and to improve their overall quality of life is both humbling and inspiring. I chose to become a nurse practitioner because I believe in the power of healthcare to transform lives, and I want to be a part of that change. Read more>>

Daniela Spear

For most of my life, I have lived under the umbrella of autoimmune disease. Even as a fitness professional, I defined myself as an autoimmune movement coach. This helped me to reach those in the autoimmune community and teach about the value of exercise and movement in managing autoimmune disease. I used to think my defining moment was when I was diagnosed with Lupus. The real defining moment however was when I decided to heal it. Read more>>

Dr. Tara Suwinyattichaiporn

The defining moment in my career was when I decided to start my own relationship coaching practice and become a content creator. Prior to starting my own business, I was a full-time professor (and I still am!) at Cal State Fullerton. I love teaching students but my students have always told me that I should start coaching people and making content on social media because of my knowledge and unapologetic and personable communication style. Read more>>