In our conversations with thousands of entrepreneurs, professionals, and creatives we often hear the most heartwarming stories. These stories matter and they show why pursing your passion matters. When you care about what you do, you can make miracles happen for your clients, employees and other stakeholders. You’ll find some amazing stories below.

Lauren & Melissa

There are countless! However, the one that we share the most is the story about Ryan. Ryan is a young man living with autism in Kenya. When we first met Ryan’s mother in 2022, she attended our trainings without him. Ryan does not speak, and he was exhibiting some very challenging behaviors at the time. His mother was afraid to take him out into the community and couldn’t bring him with her to our trainings due to his behaviors. Our team gave a presentation that year on reducing challenging behavior and teaching new and appropriate skills to replace it. We met with Ryan’s mother that year, as well, and spent one-on-one time with her to learn more about her family’s needs. Our team was able to provide her with further suggestions more individualized to their situation in attempt to assist her in helping Ryan learn safer skills. Our hope was that Ryan could safely leave his home someday. The following year, when our team returned, not only did Ryan’s mother report that his behaviors had reduced significantly, but she shared that she would be bringing him to our family fun day! In 2023 we were officially able to meet Ryan! He was able to enjoy a day of exciting activities outside of his home; he celebrated his 22nd birthday with friends; and his mother was able to share in the joy with him and her community. While Ryan’s mother credits our team for much of his progress, we know that she’s the true warrior here. Without her eagerness to learn and determination to make a change in both of their lives, Ryan might not have made such awesome strides. Each visit we make to Kenya, we are always excited to learn more about Ryan’s progress! Read more>>

Ravyn Cotton

As a chiropractor, I often meet patients who desperately need regular care but struggle to afford it, juggling their living expenses and the cost of treatment. One day, I had an encounter that really highlighted this challenge. I was at the gym in my townhomes, working out like usual, when I noticed a woman, probably in her mid-70s, trying to get through her routine. She was determined but clearly in pain, especially with her shoulder. For about 10 minutes, I watched her perform the same exercise, because she couldn’t perform any other shoulder movements without excruciating pain. I couldn’t just stand by anymore, so I walked over and gently asked if she needed help. That’s when she opened up to me. She was 75 years old, living on a fixed income and without a car. She worked only two days a week and had been dealing with excruciating shoulder pain for months. She explained that she had seen a chiropractor before, and the care helped, but the cost of continued treatment was simply more than she could afford. Her budget barely stretched to cover rent, utilities, and groceries, let alone medical care. Read more>>

Allyson Bratina

There are countless. I will share one, which stands out for a few reasons. Not long after I had made a name for myself as a physical therapist in the swimming community, specializing in shoulders, a young swimmer with severe shoulder instability was referred to me to address shoulder pain. This swimmer had been told by his physician to quit swimming as it would be detrimental to his shoulders. After evaluating him, at which time he demonstrated his “party trick” shoulder instability with severe scapular winging, I told him that quitting swimming was not the answer but if he wanted to continue he/we would have to commit to working smart, hard, and consistently to improve strength and movement patterns both in and out of the water. He was on board. After the visit, his mom took me aside, thanked me, and shared that this young boy had recently lost his father and that swimming was profoundly important to him. I felt both humbled and honored to be given the opportunity to share in his journey and help this young boy stay on the path that held so much meaning and importance to him. With consistent PT and strengthening over several years, he grew into a strong young man and swam at the collegiate level. That was over 10 years ago. To this day, I have hung on my wall a gift he gave me. It’s the story of the Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley, framed. It is a heartfelt reminder of why I do what I do. Read more>>

Hannah Rhinehart

During my college years as a voice performance major, I spent my summers working at a camp for children and adults with mild to moderate developmental disabilities. The camp was a joyful place, filled with laughter & connection. It was there, surrounded by people with unique needs and strengths, that I first understood music could be used as more than a form of expression—it could be a tool for well-being. One particular summer, I was a counselor to a teenage girl who wasn’t reliably verbal. Her parents had shared with me that she adored all things Disney princesses, and I knew from that moment we would get along wonderfully. I was excited to bond over songs that had filled my own childhood with magic. But shortly after her parents left, she became dysregulated—hitting herself, other campers, and staff. The camp wasn’t equipped to handle her needs, and it quickly became clear that we had to call her parents to pick her up. The camp nurse arrived and did her best to manage the situation, but even with safety protocols in place, nothing was calming her. It broke my heart to see her so distressed and to feel powerless in the moment. Read more>>

Rachel Gilbertson

“Ripples to Waves to Magic” – Heather Wilde, Hezzie Mae Book Publishing I’d like to share a story of how small ripples can create a wave of possibility that turns to pure magic: The Ripples: In February 2023, a friend sent me an email connecting me with a local author and indie publisher, Heather Wilde. Heather was planning her book launch to celebrate the release of her memoir, “Tumbled” out into the world. At the book launch we hit it off and I agreed to meet up again in a few weeks. When we did, she shared that during the summer she was planning to participate in Sarah Seidelmann’s 100-day Creative Soul Retrieval group as it had been transformative the previous times she’d participated. The premise is simple yet impactful – pick a creative project to do for 15 minutes a day for 100 days, post it in the private Facebook group and see what happens. I was curious and decided to sign up. Read more>>