We’ve always tried to ask the questions that matter but that are too awkward for people to ask their friends, family and coworkers without seeming dramatic. One of those questions is about mission and purpose – when’s the last time you asked a friend what their mission was? Too often we don’t talk about our own missions and don’t ask those close to us about theirs with the result being that our missions remain secret. Are you just a doctor or are you a doctor who wants to be there for patients in the way you wished your father’s doctor had been? People have incredible and meaningful missions, and we hope our conversations asking folks about their mission can inspire more such conversations in your life.

Jackson Mulkey

The vision behind my creativity is that we, as humanity, are created to create. I believe that every single person has been made in the image of God and that he wants us to partner with him in bringing beauty and goodness to the world. My creative work exists to glorify God, tell stories, and amplify other people’s voices! Read more>>

Ward Sutton

Kent Country Club’s Mission is to continue building generational memories through outstanding golf, dining, and social experiences in a comfortable, welcoming environment. To operate Kent Country Club with financial soundness while ensuring quality services and facilities, now and for future generations. To maintain an enriching, positive, and professional work culture with training and career advancement opportunities for Kent Country Club’s entire team. Read more>>

Journey Shank

As entrepreneur, I take pride in my story and creating something bigger than myself. The story behind my mission, comes from being faced with adversity and deciding to take it head on. I turned my struggles into a lifestyle where I learned to be vulnerable and keep trying despite the circumstances. The unseen hours of hard work and dedication has brought me to this point. Read more>>

Stino Cervini

As a wildlife photographer, my mission is to capture and share the beauty of the natural world so that people can see and appreciate the incredible animals that exist all around us. Too often, we overlook the wildlife in our own backyards, and as urban development and industry continue to expand, many of these creatures are being pushed further from their natural habitats. Through my photography, I aim to bring attention to these animals, showcasing their resilience, personality, and beauty in a way that connects people to the wild. Read more>>

Cassondra Scott

My mission is to help people see and experience more. To encourage people to get out, explore and appreciate the simplest things, especially what makes Michigan so unique. Read more>>

Leah Litman

A big part of my work is now public education — helping people understand our government, our constitutional system, and (with it) what is happening now. Because I’m a legal scholar I often focus on what is happening with the courts and what courts can and can’t do. I try to empower people to be informed enough that they feel comfortable weighing in on important political debates and suggesting paths forward. Read more>>

Amy Mayorga

I founded Minimalista Organizing® after my own personal journey with decluttering transformed my life. I experienced firsthand the freedom and peace that come from having an organized home, and I became passionate about helping others achieve that same sense of clarity and calm. Read more>>

Greg Smedley-Warren

I am a full-time classroom teacher in a public school, so I understand how overwhelming teaching can be. That’s why all three of our companies are centered on helping teachers, supporting students, and making teaching easier. If we can help one teacher reach one child, we succeed. We succeed if our planners or virtual professional development offerings inspire a teacher to love teaching again. We want to make our profession better for everyone, and that desire drives our companies each day. Read more>>

Cindy Decker

My mission is to ensure that my couples have a flawless, well executed wedding day exactly as they have designed it. Since I started my Wedding Coordinating company in 2017, I have worked with so many amazing couples. We start off with a consultation phone call, then move into having our first sit-down power planning session. After we’ve sat down for our first meeting and I’ve asked them a million questions, more times than not they look at me and say how good they feel. Read more>>

Susan Schooner

When I started volunteering in 2003, I anticipated “having fun” with middle school girls. I never imagined I’d receive daily lessons about the necessity of safe spaces, the need to find and use our voices, and the ways that an intentional community can address the root causes of poverty. I am grateful to have worked with students, parents, and schools to address the countless barriers that prevent kind, intelligent girls and young women from graduating high school and college, and living economically and emotionally self-sufficient lives. Read more>>

Ashley Scarboro

The mission behind creating Modern Stitches is simple- Fashion inclusivity! This brand was derived from a necessary space for black voices and enthusiasts of fashion who represent its classic, eccentric, and timeless style. It is now and always been a publication that saves space for cultural growth of fashion throughout the decades while being a teachable step stool for diverse fashion writers on their journey. Modern Stitches is proud to deliver the fashion news to those that crave a space to explore vintage and luxury streetwear through the lens of diverse voices and personal expression. Read more>>

Sarah Shivley

Our mission is to help people thrive in faith, family, and finances. The interesting thing is that hasn’t always been our mission. We originally started by selling coffee. Without going into all the details, after a few years, we just didn’t find much joy in it, so we started to process through what we were naturally good at and what people typically came to us for help with. Those three things were questions of faith, family, and finances, so we decided to pivot. Read more>>

Iyanuoluwa Odebode

My mission wasn’t born in a boardroom—it was forged through personal challenges, setbacks, and a deep realization that talent without opportunity is like a locked vault full of potential.

Growing up, I saw how bright minds struggled because they lacked access to the right tools, education, and opportunities. I saw how industries hesitated to adopt AI, not because they didn’t see its potential, but because it felt complex and out of reach. I saw brilliant ideas die because the people behind them didn’t have the support to bring them to life. Read more>>

Jessica Quencer

Jes Rose Design was born out of the belief that beauty matters, and that the combination of beauty and connection create some of life’s most meaningful moments. I believe that wedding stationery is an individually wrapped gift to each and every person you love. To mail a beautiful, thoughtfully designed invitation is to create a moment of connection and delight for your loved ones. A moment of joy and belonging. Read more>>

Robert Grant

Escape from the ordinary is my artistic mantra. For me art has always included an element of escapism and the best art has the ability to transport the viewer into another state. I love the head-scratching nature of being able to interpret a piece in many ways and I’m compelled to romanticize my subjects. Read more>>

Danielle Barg

I believe a meaningful mission is about how much it inspires people to change their surroundings for the better. My mission is to try to make the world a better place—that’s why I chose to study Journalism in college. Social media has put people on autopilot, making them act without much reflection. I believe my way of contributing to a more inclusive society is by creating content that encourages people to pause and think. We are all “influencers” in real life—but not everyone has realized that. Read more>>

Ming Cheng

Fighting plastic waste is my mission. The impact of plastic goes beyond our planet — it extends to human health, environmental justice, and animal welfare.

When we produce and toss so much plastic, it gradually breaks down into tiny microplastic particles that float in our air, slosh around in our waterways, seep into our soil, and get in our food. They are in us. Microplastic contamination has been found in our lungs, blood, even unborn babies. Every week, you are ingesting about a credit card’s worth of microplastic. Read more>>

Chloe Compton

My mission as both an artist and educator is rooted in the belief that materials, landscapes, and memory are deeply interconnected. Through my work, I explore how places shape us—how land holds history, and how the materials we engage with carry traces of time, use, and meaning. This mission is personal to me because I was raised with a deep respect for the land in Upstate South Carolina, where my family’s connection to nature has long influenced the way I see and understand place. My creative practice is a way of preserving, interpreting, and deepening that connection. Read more>>

Cameron Kozak

As a content creator my goal has been to always create a community of people that can talk about their love of films and I can talk about my love of films. Read more>>

Emily Matzke

As someone who did not grow up in agriculture, but now spends my days intimately raising the food we eat I value the importance of connecting our community to the people who produce our food, fuel and fiber. I got my start in agriculture because someone opened the door for me and welcomed me into this tight knit community. Because one person made me feel welcome, I began a career and lifestyle I didn’t know was possible. I went from not having a single clue about agriculture or how we produce our food to that now being my life blood. Read more>>

Tyler Gately

Through dynamic and emotionally resonant aviation art, I strive to capture the spirit of flight, evoking nostalgia and personal connections in every piece. My mission is to honor the past, inspire the present, and fuel the dreams of future aviators by bridging history and imagination through movement, energy, and storytelling. Whether for veterans, aviation enthusiasts, or aspiring pilots, my art serves as a lasting tribute to the stories, memories, and passion that make flight unforgettable. Read more>>

Lauren Silverstein

About a year ago, upon talking to a local restaurant owner, I learned that the mom of one of his employees made incredible tamales. And every week, this employee took orders from his colleagues at the restaurant and brought them home to his mom. My first thought was: I want to try these tamales! My second thought was: I don’t work at this restaurant, and I’m not in the personal network of this employee and his mom, so the chances of me trying these tamales are pretty low. Disappointment and frustration set in. And then, the opportunist in me took over and I had a third thought: I can connect the dots. Read more>>

Trayvond Whitworth

Back in 2017 I was asked to take pictures for my brother’s 31st birthday. I didn’t have a camera or know the first thing about photography but I still agreed. I used his cell phone and a $10 tripod I brought from microcenter. We got out there and just went for it. I told him to pose and it all just clicked from there. I saw the excitement on his face as he looked at all the pictures. The excitement on my parents faces as they viewed every picture we took. That was the moment I realized that this is what I was born to do. This was my purpose. This is how Tdwphotography was born. I was able to capture memories and make people’s vision a reality. Read more>>

Nancy Reynolds

My mission is to transform the real estate experience by fostering trust, transparency, and fairness for both agents and consumers. I have witnessed and experienced firsthand how people—whether buyers, sellers, or agents—have been misled, underserved, or guided toward outcomes that didn’t truly benefit them. Too often, real estate transactions create stress and uncertainty when they should be empowering, transparent, and rewarding. Read more>>

Hallie Geller

Creating beauty in the ordinary! Read more>>

Bashiri Brooks

My mission has always been about freedom—freedom of the mind and the freedom to express oneself through different vessels. For me, that vessel was words. I started writing poetry at a young age, and in eighth grade, I wrote one of my first poems, Caged Bird, inspired by my brother’s incarceration. His case was surrounded by injustice, and that poem became my way of expressing resilience and mental freedom in the face of adversity. Read more>>

Nikki Kerth Rohrs

I began teaching yoga in 2004, while working a full-time corporate job in my early twenties. Growing up, I wasn’t athletic—apart from a brief stint in junior varsity softball—but in my early adulthood, I started working out with a close family friend who was a personal trainer. What began as a curiosity quickly turned into a passion. I became a self-proclaimed gym rat, loving how movement made me feel stronger both physically and mentally. I thought, Maybe this is my way out of corporate America—maybe I could teach group fitness classes or become a personal trainer, or both. Read more>>

Tina Black

I value the idea of a family business because it aligns with my focus on leadership, legacy, and helping others fulfill their potential. A family business offers in my mind a strong foundation for building generational wealth, teaching leadership skills to your children and grandchildren, and creating a legacy that reflects my values. Read more>>