Our stories are often hard to understand until folks understand our true motivations, our true drivers and the stories behind why our mission or purpose truly matters to us. We’ve asked some inspiring folks from the community to talk to us about why they do what they do and have shared some of our favorite responses below.

Janmetra l Waddell

I am the ONLY Live Past Crazy Specialist. I share my story of surviving abuse from my ex-husband who just happen to be the pastor of my church. I help women to R.I.S.E (Revitalizing Individuals Sacred Energy) – I have been on this journey for 18 years and in the beginning, During the few years of abuse, I was allowed to eat, drink and use the restroom once a day. I was absorbed into crazy. I was depressed and I attempted suicide. I had post-partum depression, I was 400 miles away from my family and I had two small children. Read more>>

Marisa Arias-Sanchez

My mission has been my passion since I was just a kid. At a young age I wanted to help people, but in a different way. I was determined to use my talent to help women feel good about themselves. I did not come from a wealthy family and just like my mother, I had to put in the work to get to where I am now. And even now I’m not finished putting in the sweat and tears. I want to provide the “luxury” services to women at an affordable price. I understand that the thing we want and need to make us feel good can be put on hold due to finances. Read more>>

Brandyn Jenkins

My mission statement is “Comfort is key for every Homebody”. That extends to all aspects of life, especially with personal growth. To me, personal growth was never meant to be comfortable and I wanted to change the negative connotation about that. It’s about being comfortable wherever you are because growth is inevitable. I like to describe growth as “expanding my comfort zone”. Read more>>

Stephanie Mantiply

The story behind our mission statement comes from me actually. I have always struggled with anxiety and social situations so being in front of the camera is very difficult. When I started my company I wanted to make sure I was creating a space for my clients to be completely comfortable. I’ve found over the years that when I create this space I’m able to create some amazing images. So, that’s how our mission statement came to be. Read more>>

Todd Jones

My work explores residual cultural memory through the detritus of the ever-decreasing life cycle of our identity-driven attention economy. Through processes of archeological curation, accretion, and excavation, I create new objects that query the values of our current sociopolitical positions and examine implications for sustainability. Read more>>

Cicily Swanson

My mission is to help women to tell their stories and allow them to shine and feel comfortable in their own skin. I wanted to create a brand that would help women to feel empowered and beautiful! When I started the brand it was born out of frustration but as I started putting out pieces and gained customer feedback I realized that I was creating “self esteem boosters”! I was told the clothing made them feel comfortable beautiful and inspired. Read more>>

Aleigh Sampson

From a young age, I started to notice how deeply the environments I was in affected me. As my curiosity grew, I started to play around with adding and taking different objects and feelings in and out of spaces. It grew into a love language for me. The older I get, the more meaningful it becomes. I am humbled to get to share this with others, to invite their own essence to reflect the spaces they inhabit. Read more>>

Sergio Mendes

The story began for me when i first stepped foot into the Vagabond for their weekly Dubstep Show called Get Low and seeing MC Jumanji spitting bars to i think it was Goth Trad performing, a Japanese Dubstep/Grime producer/DJ. It was wild to me to see the mix and blends of such wild and energetic production bits, then to see the lyrics over it. I knew then that i would fall right into the rabbit hole of the UK Genre. Read more>>

Tarra Hardeman

I always thought I was doing the natural thing, the right thing for my family. I purchased “natural” products and made food from scratch, avoided fast food and processed products. I trusted labels and commercials and I followed suit with what my mom did when I was growing up. I purchased a big name baby wash in 2016 for my then 3 and 6 year old. When I opened it, it smelled of window cleaner. I was confused. Read more>>

Andrea Miller

I began my real estate career to help others achieve the pride of home ownership. Growing up, we never owned a home of our own and I wanted that for myself. After purchasing my first home, I realized what an amazing achievement this was and I wanted to share it with others. I do real estate for the smiles on the kids faces when they see their backyard, the newlywed couple that now how room to start a family &n the dog lovers who have room to roam. This is why I do what I do. Read more>>

Samantha Allen

The bakery that I own and operate, Wentworth & Fenn is a local bakery here in Charlotte, NC. We aren’t a huge operation. But, honestly, I prefer it that way. The mission that I strive very hard to keep and always obtain is: Quality over Quantity. We make small, seasonal pastries, bread, and custom cakes. Everything from scratch, everything with intention. We often refer to ourselves as tiny but mighty! It means a lot to me to serve pastries that are made with quality ingredients and again, only from scratch.i feel.it sets us apart. Read more>>

Dr. Paris Love

Only a handful of people are willing to do what it takes to end what they start. It’s easier to just give up. Often there isn’t a roadmap. You must follow your instincts and it’s okay to adjust. I would like to a story with you if I may about my own journey of perseverance. Perseverance is something that happens regardless of the obstacles or roadblocks that are presented to you. Read more>>

Cecelia Mims

I love Clay! I began using clay 6 years ago as part of my journey to live a healthier life. Clay has helped me, my family, and many of my friends reduce blemishes and improve their skin and hair. My initial goal was to tell the world about clay. Hence, my business ClayLove was born. My passion was pushed by my granddaughter’s glow and a spurt of self-esteem when her skin changed as a result of clay and acne skincare treatment in my spa. She told me one day that her face made her sad. Read more>>

ROY DILLARD

I am the founder and Executive Director of Life Jackets, a Non Profit Organization – “Where Everyone Matters” which is centered around helping our youth and young adults develop rational and positive thinkin Read more>>

Kristina DaSilva

At HandsOn Broward, our mission is to empower people to make a difference for causes they care about. Founded in 1974 on the belief that service accelerates meaningful change, we’ve spent the last 48 years mobilizing individuals, families, and businesses in volunteerism to generate impact in Broward County. Through our partnerships with hundreds of local companies and nonprofits, we have created opportunities for people to revitalize schools, parks, playgrounds, and neighborhoods. Our volunteers create art in public spaces, build sustainable gardens, renovate community properties, respond to disasters and work to protect the environment. Read more>>

Dedrick Moone

My daughter, Haelee was the central motivating factor in publishing my first book. That book is entitled The Unexpected Journey: Fire and Gold. The story recounts traumatic experiences that she and I lived through while sharing how we became one another’s hero in the process. But before I get to that Haelee went first in publishing her self-help book entitled, The Rules of a Big Boss: A book of self-love on June 25, 2020. Read more>>

Brooke and Santi

The story behind the mission of our company is we want to create the perfect balance of having a fun time while at the same time I’m this crazy city of Miami, but at the same time being environmentally conscious when you’re out on the water. We donate our kayaks and paddle boards regularly to local environmental cleanup groups. We also push our guests to respect the waterways by disposing of trash in the proper receptacles. At the same time we love the energy that the city of Miami and Miami Beach Offers travelers so we make sure to keep our Kayaking Experiences high energy and memorable. Read more>>

Niyati Shah

Mithaskcake has one goal, creating memories for the customer that can be cherished for lifetime. And when it comes to food, you need innovative ways that can make you stand out in the crowd. When you want to create something unique, you will surely face some challenges. I learned cake basics from various sources. But as my roots are from India, I wanted to get little creative with flavors and bring some fusion flavors that can be refreshing. Read more>>

Adrian&Aurelian Pacheco de Mathieu

In August 2021, we noticed thar many of our friends had academic difficulties, and even with school remediation they were not aboe to get passing grades. So, we started kidstutoringkids, a non-profit organization of young students who want to help elementary school kids to overcome any academic struggle by providing free online tutoring. Read more>>

Katia Kianpour

Riot Night is a brand built around celebrating our favorite artists and music in the rock, emo, metal, punk, and screamo genres. Riot Night the party takes place 4 times a year in intimate club settings creating immersive VIP experiences between the fans and their favorite artists. Most of the artists we book typically perform at larger venues or festival size settings behind barricades with little to no intimacy for the fans unless they purchase or upgrade to VIP experiences. It’s something we really pride ourselves in by basically creating our own VIP experience for the fans and we celebrate the artists we bring out by listening to all of our favorite songs. Read more>>

Mandy Boutelle

First, I was a dog walker and trainer for 7 years and while I was actively working with clients and their dogs I always found myself wanting to wear shirts that represented the training methods I use and lighten the conversations around dog training. Initially when most people think of dog training, they think of obtaining control over their rambunctious do, having a dog that can walk perfectly in a heel without a leash or they still believe the old school notion that dogs need a ‘pack leader’ and to be dominated in order to learn something new. Read more>>

BonnieRuth Rolf

My husband and I walked through 19 years of infertility. From that we discovered the lack of resources to help couples navigate how to deal with the trauma of that. It is uncharted territory on a daily basis between Dr. visits, treatments, disappointments, fears, missing out, not knowing what to do. It left us feeling helpless and unsure. We had to find ways to keep who we were as individuals and as a couple stable, steady and surrounded. Read more>>

Amberly Deavours

I am passionate about Christian women making a significant amount of income as Christian life coaches. Although I have had several successful 6-figure businesses in the last 4 years, all of my lessons about business originated from my journey to overcoming bedridden depression and anxiety AND by believing that all the mom I was and was not, was THE mom God created for my (FIVE) kids. Those two experiences have shaped my ambition and purpose, and I am passionate about other women valuing their number one priorities with their families AND making a contribution to the world through coaching WHILE contributing generously to the Kingdom and their homes. Read more>>

Reiya Tanaka

Our football club’s mission is “Enrich your mind through the Peace Soccer”. This mission comes from my experience that most of football teams play football focusing on only the victory and building-up their physical abilities and football skills in Japanese football under-categories. Football has been dominated by a win-at-all-costs mentality, and that deprives players of chances to literally enjoy this beautiful sport and aim for the perfection of character through playing football even if they are young and most of them will not become professional players. Read more>>

Tamara Johnson

I was a rule follower, I checked all the boxes my family and society had for me. My existence was full of obligations which meant me spending every ounce of my energy doing for others. I suffered from depression, hypertension, and adrenal fatigue. It all came to a head when my doctor recommended brain surgery as a remedy to control my daily migraines. Despite me working out on a regular basis, Read more>>

MICHELLE RISBY

During the stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19, I looked for activities we could do as a family that did not include monitors or screens like many parents. With a passion for puzzles since childhood, I wanted to share that with my family. Still, I wanted designs more culturally relevant to us. I quickly realized that the puzzles in the marketplace neither satisfied my desire for subject matter nor aesthetics. Read more>>

Chris Holder

Our Mission is to help over One Thousand People learn to generate a six or seven figure plus income. By doing this as a group we will amass over 100 million dollars in what we call growth revenue. With that revenue being generate in our group, individuals can come to the same community for help to invest with them, start programs to make changes they feel are needed in the world and most importantly create more opportunities to increase everyone’s retirement accounts as that is a big problem in today’s economy. Read more>>

Natalie Brum-Frazier

My mission is to create a space for kids to come and feel welcomed, loved and challenged to be the best version of themselves. We are a dance studio but our focus spans far beyond that. I hope that when our time together is up, my dancers know that they can do anything if they work hard enough and stay focused. I think dance studios put a lot of emphasis on things that may not serve young kids in the long wrong… winning competitions, extreme training practices, unbalanced schedules that do not allow kids to be kids. Read more>>

Emily Bruns

In 2018 Sofia and I met and started training together for the Boston Marathon and the following Flying Pig. At first I wasn’t sure we would have much in common. She was from Mexico City, went to private schools, with Mexico’s wealthiest, brought here on an athletic scholarship. She was 6 years younger than I. I grew up very modestly on the far westside of Cincinnati with a big back yard and lots of open space. Read more>>

Meredith Woodruff

One of the things I love most is gathering a group of people around our table for a delicious meal and good conversation. Over the years I’ve learned that good conversations begin with great questions. A well-crafted question can serve as a powerful tool to grow deeper in our relationships with one another. Read more>>

Angela Brefo

I know weddings are stressful enough to plan so my goal is to help brides look their absolute best before they say ‘I do’ . And while doing that creating business for people and myself. Read more>>

Cassandra Allen – Brown

Initially, I started my business as an online store that featured my handcrafted designs which are crocheted knitted and felted handbags, Bags By CAB. When I decided to open a retail store, I knew that I needed to represent not only females who are fiber enthusiast, and handcrafters, but as well as minority females. I wanted to be able to be an example to show them how you can be successful with opening your own brick and mortar. And, help everyone who needs assistance along the way. Read more>>

Unaka Jones-Thomas

I started my career in mental health in 2004 working for several different managed care facilities. I felt fulfilled with the services being provided within the facilities. However, I started to notice many of these facilities seem to focus more on quantity and not quality care. I also noticed working class clients/patients didn’t frequent these facilities and when they would, they didn’t seem to return. Read more>>

Neriah Kharece

The name Kharece is my middle name and actually means “grace”. My whole name, Neriah Kharece, means the light of Gods grace. I always wanted my company to do just that, to be a light and to offer grace. Figuring out my company’s mission would take me years to grasp, but it sat in for me during the pandemic. I have two critical tasks. First, I want my company to be the pioneer for non-toxic environments while working on the set. Filmmaking has created a norm that says, “you have to be willing to kill yourself and dehumanize yourself to make it in this business.” Read more>>

Isabella Geller

I am a high school student who never dreamed of being a small business owner. My mom worked for a company so I saw a small business being run in my own home but running one was never an idea that crossed my mind. I was gifted a Cricut machine for Christmas of 2020 and pondered for a little while what to do. I would not have considered myself an artist so the idea of creating art and selling it was all very new to me. Read more>>

Kevin Mokoli

My mission is to cultivate wealth to pour back into the community. I’ve created brick and mortar businesses as well as digital spaces where people can express themselves through art, music, fashion, business endeavors, and many other talents. The Local Seat and Sweet Lips Cigar Lounge are both places where the space influences conversation amongst strangers and friends. People can network and learn from the different events hosted at these venues. Read more>>

Shequan Palmer

My “mission” is simple! I want to teach women of all ages how to “Flourish Within Their Means” by learning how to recognize their talents and natural resources to accomplish their goals. Competing in pageantry pushed me to discover my passions and hone in on my talents. I was also forced to rely on my community for support; which was something I was originally afraid to do; asking for help used to be my kryptonite! Pageantry also amplified the message behind my platform “Adverse Childhood Experiences”. Read more>>