As an outsider, breaking into an industry can often seem like an impossible challenge and so we reached out to some very generous folks who agreed to share their stories of how they broke into their respective industries.

Lisa Golden

As a Physical Therapist I am used to people asking my advice about a variety of aches, pains, and symptoms. Though I can provide general advice in some cases, my recommendation for those who are experiencing pain or loss of function is to get a formal PT evaluation as the advice that could help them the most would only come following a detailed clinical assessment. Read more>>

Elin Dagsberg

I started hair school at sixteen in high school. We had hair three days a week and other subjects like math, English, history for two days. One of those days we had to be at a salon. For three years I was at that same salon every Friday and when school was over we had established a relationship and they had trained me well to fit into their salon so they offered me a job. Read more>>

Dahiana Bilbao

I was lucky to stumble upon a studio in North Hollywood while celebrating a friends birthday. I was eager to teach after training because I wanted to keep learning more and the owner, Jennifer, so generously offered me my own class. Read more>>

Brittni Dones

I got my Bachelors in Psychology, and once I graduated I found out there wasn’t much I could do without a graduate degree. I began working for CPS and while I was working I began Grad School. I obtained my Masters in Counseling! One of my engineer friends recommended MHMRA and I began working in the mental health field! Read more>>

Dr. Brandy Brown, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, LNC, PMHNP-BC

I was 15 and in high school in San Diego. My high school was Abraham Lincoln High and we had a health program set-up with one of the major health systems in the city. It was called Mediversity. We did a little test to see what we would be good at based on the jobs they would let us have then we were assigned to place. They would drop us off and pick us up. I was a unit secretary on a hospital floor answering phones and administration stuff. I loved it and was so happy to get my check every two weeks in class from it. We also received high school credit. Read more>>

Zac Shepard

I actually started by assisting Youth Jiu Jitsu classes in exchange for a cheaper gym membership being at the time my family couldn’t afford for me and my brothers to train there and pay full price. Read more>>

Jenna Galbo

At the time, I was single living in Manhattan fresh out of college. A friend of the family was a director of Easter Seals located in the South Bronx. I inquired about an opening at the center at the time and there was for a special education teacher. I was hired as a special education teacher working with children with varying exceptionalities. Read more>>

Shino Inoue

I dived into the modeling industry when I was 21 as a professional model and got my first job then. I first worked for a famous Japanese local magazine after I worked hard on losing my weight. My manager told me to lose my weight before starint to work so she provided me a diet & work out program. I enjoyed the class and lost my weight in the healthy way in 1 year! Read more>>