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.

Shalea Walker

Before becoming a professional makeup artist It was important for me to have my license as an esthetician. While in school to become an esthetician I had two jobs. My day job was working as a project manager at a NOC, and my weekend job was as a hostess at a restaurant and bar. In this moment I had finished school to become an esthetician and was recently laid off from my day job. Read more>>

Jacqueline Becker

My first job was at an outpatient clinic in New Jersey right after graduation from PT school. Our management class was taught by an adjust professor Dr. Kover, from the local clinic, and i suppose i caught his eye because he asked me to work for his clinic. It was one clinic in a large number under a corporate umbrella, and Dr. Kover actually oversaw 19 different clinics. Read more>>

Shane Hennesey

I had finished up a practicum at a community mental health organization in 1992. I had no idea of what to do next and no plan. I literally was leaving it up to the Universe to guide me. I just had no idea what I was doing and no internet to help me figure it out. I look back now and the ignorance really was bliss. Read more>>

Devan Dmarcus

I first entered the world of fitness/health & wellness while home on summer break in 2007. At the time I was looking for a job that would allow me to utilize my knowledge as a collegiate athlete. While working out at LA Fitness in order to stay in shape for the upcoming football season I was introduced to a young lady named Stacey Blitsch, who just so happened to be the Assistant Manager of the club. Read more>>

Nick Carrera

A few years back. I was looking for space to host Chi Breathwork. After knocking on many doors and no response, a friend who I trained with at the time, sent me a picture of an ad in a local health magazine that had space for rent. From there I took what I studied and applied it, clients started coming in more and more, and that’s how I got my first job in the field. Read more>>

Beth Sparks

In the beginning of 2020, I was living the life I had visualized and had worked toward for years–things were amazing! I was living with my family near the beach, enjoying the life-rhythm we had worked hard to establish. I had a career I loved, providing therapy for those recovering from trauma. When the pandemic began, I pivoted along with many people into remote work, online distance education for my kids, limited to no personal contact with family and friends, frantic symptom-related internet searches and exhaustive quests for toilet paper. Read more>>