We asked some fantastic entrepreneurs and creatives to tell us about their first job in their field. Check out their stories below.

Dominique Carson

I have various titles but I want to talk about my massage therapy journey. I have been practicing massage for four years and it has been an amazing experience. I graduated from massage school in 2019, took my licensing examinations to practice massage in New York, 44 other states, and Puerto Rico. Read more>>

Robyn Wilson

All I’ve ever wanted to do is be involved in Dance. My first “job” was helping a toddler dance class when I was in high school to pay for my private lessons. I learned a lot from the teachers who mentored me, and it inspired me to continue further in the dance world. As soon as I had a permanent home in Chicago during my second year of college, I took two days to gather every dance studio in the area’s contact information. Read more>>

Ava Elmzadeh

After graduating with a B.A. in social and behavioral psychology, I decided to take a gap year. I was left with a sense of unfulfillment after graduation. I really had no idea what practicing therapy would look like. That lead me to speaking to a family friend who owned a substance abuse clinic. Read more>>

Amanda Reiman

I had been engaged in cannabis activism since I was an undergraduate in the 1990’s. However, back in those days, there really weren’t any paying jobs in cannabis, save for a handful of advocacy organizations. I decided to pursue a masters in social work and then a PhD in social welfare with the hopes of being in a position to change the laws about cannabis and drug use in general. Read more>>

Alison Thompson

My first full-time job in volunteering was when I rollerbladed to the world trade center on Sept 11th, 2001. I was giving first aid to someone on the street when I looked up to see a great mushroom cloud and heard the sound of 1000 freight trains all colliding and heading towards me. I ended up volunteering out of a broken bar at the base if ground zero with 8 other medical volunteers. Read more>>