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.

Alexis Anest

After becoming a licensed esthetician, I imagined myself taking the traditional spa route—performing facials in a calm, quiet setting… but the universe had other plans. Read More>>

Lauren Schramm

At 19 I dropped out of college + moved home with my parents. Business school didn’t feel like it was for me and I wanted to explore something else while I gave myself some time to figure out what I wanted to do instead. I discovered and fell in love with yoga in high school so I proposed taking a semester off and completing a yoga teacher training on a loan from my parents in either India or NYC — knowing this proposition would at the very least land me in the city. Read More>>

Katrina Hills

Shortly after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I earned my initial certification as a personal trainer and began assisting a friend in achieving her wellness goals. She frequently remarked on my patience and often said I was “born to do this.” At that time, the prospect of having clients was not even on my radar; I was simply focused on improving both my own fitness and that of a friend. Read More>>

Kim Slipski

It’s funny, as I think back to the first several jobs that ultimately weaved into the fields I practice in today, interesting similarities start to stand out.

Before the idea of becoming a therapist ever crossed my mind years later, I sought out an internship in college specifically in marketing–the field I was going into at the time. And it was at a micro career fair of entrepreneurs at the local Berkeley WeWork where I found a part-time paid gig doing marketing and admin for an executive coach that I could juggle on top of my course load during the school year. Read More>>

Nicki Mercede

I grew up with a twin sister with Cerebral Palsy, which meant spending countless hours in therapy rooms and doctor’s offices. I was especially drawn to her Physical and Occupational Therapy sessions, and how they focus on functional mobility to improve her quality of life. It was truly inspiring to see her grow and thrive with therapy that didn’t rely on pharmaceutical treatment. Read More>>