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.

Elya Coleman

I love this question and I love my story! Our Mission at A Time to Dance is to use dance as a tool to help make an impact and a difference in the lives of the youth in our community. We believe that dance lessons teach life lessons! My story starts about 31 years ago when I was 6 years old and took my first step into a small, one room dance studio in Hickory Creek, Texas. The room is famously called “the pink room”. There I met my first dance teacher and also the owner of that studio , Miss Pam. The most important thing I learned that day was “I am fearfully and wonderfully made!” From then on, every dance class I walked into I was reminded of my worth, my value and my purpose. I began to believe those things and it shaped my childhood into my adulthood.  Read more>>

Helfi Star

Becoming a Healer and Psychic Medium wasn’t something I ever imagined for myself. Born with the gifts of clairaudience, clairvoyance, and clairsentience, I saw these abilities as just a part of who I was, not a career path. My dream was to become a journalist, which led me to earn a master’s degree in journalism and a bachelor’s degree in law in Paris. I worked in radio and TV, fully immersed in the media world. Read more>>

Alaina Davis

Lai’s Rum Cakes, LLC aims to create comfort and joy through desserts infused with Southern charm and made with love. Being from a big Southern family, many of our gatherings were often centered around food. For me, the joy at the end of the meal was choosing a dessert. There was always something about my Big Mama’s fried pies and my great Aunt Marva Jo’s sock-it-to-me cake that brought this great sense of comfort. When I bake, my goal is to bring that same sense of joy and comfort to others. I want people to remember their elders and good times with family when they have my desserts. Read more>>

Marissa Forrester

My mission is rooted in my journey of discovering the importance of holistic well-being—especially for Black women and women of color, who often place the needs of others above their own. Growing up, I didn’t have role models who emphasized self-care. The women in my life were amazing at taking care of themselves aesthetically and physically, and of course, they were great at taking care of others, but the example of “all-around” well-being wasn’t there for me. Read more>>

Stephen Lee

My mission is connecting people through food. When I cook for people my intention is to build a platform that will draw attention to eating and growing food. The idea of bringing culture back into the word agriculture by developing connections through cooking food that I know where it came from and who grew the food. I started the first farmers market in the Coachella Valley around 2006. I have also worked with different farmers at the market over the years. All of my fresh food comes from the farmers market. I buy food for my clients from farmers that I have long-standing relationships with. I have known many of these farmers for decades; watching their children grown up and who are now selling me their bountiful product. Read more>>

Jennifer Ott

Growing up in the countryside, Jennifer was surrounded by the natural beauty of the woods, prairies, and her family’s large vegetable garden. These early experiences instilled in her a deep appreciation for the environment. Later, while living and gardening in Kodiak, Alaska, she began collecting seaweed from the beaches to transform her garden’s volcanic ash-filled soil into rich, fertile ground. As her gardens thrived, so did her curiosity about the art and science of gardening. Read more>>

Drummond Fulcher

I truly believe that if more people were allowed to exist in their passions in life there would be so many more people operating in higher frequencies and wouldn’t be navigating life through a lack mindset. Everything I do with my business and podcast and social media platforms is about getting more people aligned with their passions and building connections. I believe we were all given special gifts and unique perspectives for seeing the world around us and when we are allowed to serve people with these extraordinary gifts we find a level of confidence and centeredness. Read more>>

Dr. Katrina Burrus

I will explain two reasons (rational and emotional) behind our mission during the interview. 1) We transform Brilliant Jerks into Inspiring Leaders 2) We integrate leaders transitioning into a new role from a different national culture company: On-Boarding Across National Cultures. Read more>>

Yuki Fan

At a friend’s wedding, as I pressed the shutter while photographing them, I was deeply struck by the sheer beauty of capturing moments of love. In that fleeting instant, as they smiled joyfully, looking like the happiest people on earth, we witnessed one of the most touching moments of their lives. How fortunate it is that, among millions of people and across the expanse of time, we find someone who is just right for us. Read more>>

Ben Staples

I started writing “Eyes Within the Shadows” in October 2022. I’ve always wanted to express something to the world through film. Two years later, I had saved up enough money out of pocket to get this film going. I wanted to express the way I felt about addictions of my past through the horror genre., and hope it could save someone by letting them know they aren’t alone. Even though I hadn’t gone through school for filming, my passion for creating has always been a big part of me that I have neglected over the years. Now that I am sober, I hope to inspire others that they can do anything in sobriety and that life doesn’t have to be lived alone. Read more>>

Kat Scarlett

The story behind my mission comes from my own awakening to the power we each hold as participants in not just our own lives, but the world at large. In our busy lives today where we’re always running from one thing to the next and glued to our phones we often aren’t pausing to look around and think about how we truly impact the world around us. The story behind my two brands – Glo Eco, an eco media company for women, and Glotanicals, a sustainable skincare brand, started when I was forced to stop and look at what was happening in the world. Read more>>

Sierra Mcmahon

Big Fish Little Fish is about families dancing together. So many things change after having a child and I don’t think access to an amazing dance floor should be one of them. The last festival I attended was when I was pregnant. After having my daughter, I was too focused on tummy time and sleep schedules to even think about running away to a festival. I kept dancing at our own living room dance parties, but it just isn’t the same as a live DJ. The Family Rave allows parents to combine their love of music with their newfound responsibilities as a parent. Instead of separating rave life and parent life, families can create memories together on the dance floor. Read more>>

Keeley And Lorenzo B

Half of our business/platform is Lorenzo, who has been incarcerated for the last 10 years. In the beginning, his family visited him frequently but as the years went on the time between visits stretched out further and further. This is a common trend for those behind bars, especially with longer sentences. A number of things contribute to this- health issues, distance as they’re moved around the state, finances, personal issues, etc. I came into his life about 6-7 years into his sentence and our partnership has benefited his life in many positive ways. Read more>>

Shakila B.

My mission with The Sparkle Company Chicago is to radiate brilliance from the inside out. While my brand continuously evolves, this core value remains steadfast. I take immense joy in crafting jaw-dropping pieces, each meticulously adorned with individually placed crystals. When I began this journey, I focused on creating custom crystallized pieces for my clients. Over time, I realized that my passion extended beyond just creating art; I wanted to tell a story—my story—through each piece. My aim is to spread joy and evoke cherished memories for everyone who experiences my work. Read more>>

Jayare Gallegos

4H Events started with 4 friends who loved the promotion business. The goal was to create a safe environment that provided a way for fellow nerds like ourselves to meet others with likeminded hobbies. We came together from different backgrounds in the industry and saw an opportunity to create a promotion company that would allow people to come together and enjoy each others companies. We bring in the biggest voice actors in the US and combo that with the best small business in the industry to create 2 days of pure anime fun. We have created different shows across the US with big goals to expand in 2025. Read more>>

Deborah King

Global Measure Inc.’s mission is to certify and elevate Canadian fashion brands that are committed to responsible, sustainable, and ethical practices. This mission goes beyond just certification—we’re deeply invested in educational initiatives and campaigns that raise awareness and inspire real change within the industry. Read more>>

Samantha Anderson

North Texas Australian Shepherd Rescue was born out of seeing brokenness inside of the rescue community. I knew that I could do things differently and save more lives if I was willing to put in the work, connect with the people who were passionate about animals, and not be willing to compromise integrity for glory. Read more>>

Tiffany Williams

Green Curve LLC is most certainly a heart-centered business. Our mission is to be a resource and guide for those seeking knowledge along their journey of self-discovery and emotional wellness. We also offer business and herbal consulting in the form of workshops, 1-on-1 consults and corporate training. This is a meaningful mission to me as the founder of Green Curve LLC, because it began as a personal one. Read more>>

True Story Tha Barber

The mission behind my story comes from a difficult past. My initial mission was to service others but in a way that I enjoyed, not limited to how much I could make, and in a way that I could control the security of a career. As a young man I found myself getting into a lot of trouble with the law. Because of the trouble I was getting into with the law, I found myself in jail, and ultimately in prison. Not fully understanding or realizing the damage I caused and was causing by landing myself in jail and then prison, when I matured decided to turn my life around, that background that I caused myself followed me when applying for jobs. Read more>>

Djhanet (jj) Ali

I have a passion for skin care and believe that naturally derived, plant-based ingredients can nourish, protect and rejuvenate the body naturally, hence help the overall psyche of one’s mind. Using all natural body care products is a healthier alternative than using chemical-based body care products that can cause more damage. Therefore, it is my mission to introduce people to a healthier alternative when caring for themselves and others. Read more>>

Carmen Henderson

Growing up, one of my biggest goals was to find ways to incorporate acts of kindness and love even in the little ways and moments! As I went into high school, my family and I went to a non-profit charity that builds schools around the world for students facing poverty, it was truly such a transformative experience. Seeing people around me using their work and hearts to create change was something that touch my heart, and from that point on, hoped to do the same when I started my business! Read more>>

Jeremy Kneller-hernandez

I’ve been in the restaurant industry since I was 15 years old. I quickly found the second family I was looking for. I was accepting in the first restaurant I worked in as a busser. Barrio Food & Drink. Throughout my life in my later teens and early 20’s I got myself into a lot of trouble. Lost my sense of community once again. Homeless with no one to turn to at age 25. I met a man named Nathan Ares, a restaurant owner. He gave me a chance to be apart of his family in his restaurants and I quickly started to thrive. Read more>>

Kieren Dutcher

I believe everyone is creative, and has something to say. As an art teacher I feel my job is to make a safe space and give people permission and encouragement to trust their inherent creativity. It has taken me years of teaching people of all ages to come to this mission. Children are fearless, trust their creativity naturally and somehow lose it as they grow up. Read more>>