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.

Taylor Kier

All my life I have had sensitive skin or problematic skin. I have a lot of contact allergies, reactive skin, eczema, and acne. I went to doctors that gave me little answers until I found one that helped. A huge problem I never knew of was my food allergies causing some of the issues. However a lot of what helped me I discovered on my own. From changing fabric detergent to changing soap and shampoo or finding what skin products my skin toleranted was all something I had to discover and educate myself on through my years of struggling with skin issues. Read more>>

Bonnie Surie

I remember when I was a runner. Not the athletic type, but the kind that runs from themselves. Anything to avoid or escape the discomfort of being in my own skin. I believed that I was unfixable. My confidence, self-esteem, self-image, and relationship with myself and others were in shambles. I tried to hide this with a smile. I know now that, inner pain caused by the quality of your relationship with yourself is unavoidable. You cannot run from it. You cannot hide from it. Read more>>

NEENA LOVE

I love to read. I have always loved reading. As a child, my teachers always gave me supplemental reading materials that I would devour in the same day that I received them. All of the stories I read featured characters that lived in far off places with lifestyles that were so foreign to me. Aside from the overall theme of the book, it was usually difficult for me to identify with the character’s lifestyle. When I moved into my teen years, book selection opened up and I found myself drawn to the work of Maya Angelou. Again, the characters lived foreign lifestyles in far away places. Read more>>

Ana Carolina Pinto Dillard

I came from another country to try and begin a better life to myself, not knowing anything that was ahead of me and barely speaking the language. Today 4 years later, I find myself with a beautiful family, a business open and a mission to accomplish: to encourage another woman in the same position than me that with faith and hard work you can accomplish anything that you put your heart into. Read more>>

Taylor Lambert.

When I was 18, I was sexually assaulted by a man I trusted. A year and a half later I underwent my first brain surgery, followed by another just three months later. Then, four years later my tumor grew back and I underwent proton therapy, (being the second ever to receive treatment at the new proton therapy treatment center at Huntsman Cancer Institute and becoming the poster child for the center as a result); and then in November of last year I underwent my third brain surgery – a surgery that left me nearly half blind. Read more>>

Daniel Luck

Combining Our Old Norse Heritage With Our Love Of Mead We Came Together To Start A Little Project Called Four Brothers Mead. Through The Initial Support Of Our Family And Friends We Started To Take Root. Once Exposed To Others Outside Of That Small Sphere Is When We Started To Explode! Requests To Sample Our Mead Began Pouring In From Coast To Coast And Every Continent In The World Save Antarctica. Read more>>

India Leigh

Being clairvoyant, clairsentient and claircognizant came to me as a later-in-life surprise. I became a mom in my 40s, and soon after that, I began to receive clear messages from my spirit guides. At first, I didn’t know where they would lead me. Excited to explore this guidance further, I went to a psychic who was able to confirm their intention and help mentor me on what to do next. Through sharing these experiences with moms around me and playing with tarot cards, I grew the ability to give readings. Read more>>

Brittany Collins

Grief-responsive teaching is a pedagogical and interpersonal approach to teaching and learning that integrates science and stories of grief into actionable classroom practices that support students’ and teachers’ wellbeing in times of loss. Because grief impacts the brain, body, and behavior— and, by extension, teaching and learning— grief-responsive teaching seeks to support and empower the whole person, socially, emotionally, culturally, and academically. Read more>>

Margaret Cowan

I became a mother when I was 19 years old. I had two more children by the time I was 24. I have always been a single mother. I never realized how hard it was until I observed others “single mothering”. Not that it wasn’t hard for me, but because it’s easier for me to see what other people are going through, you know? I also always had a village to help me, everyone doesn’t.  Read more>>

Natalia Chaves Larkin

Morpho Style Boutique is more than just a small business. Behind our business, there are amazing people, mainly women, which handcraft piece by piece all the products that we bring from Colombia. We work with a group of amazing entrepreneurs, crafters, artisans, artists, and passionate individuals wanting to strive for a better future. We have built a small community of this dream called “Morpho Style Boutique”. Morpho Style Boutique works with providers in three different cities of Colombia: Popayan, Cali, and Medellin; impacting at least 25 families, of which at least 20 of those families are low-income. Read more>>

Alyssa Capps

My mission is to simply witness and capture the beauty that God has laid out on this earth for us to enjoy. I believe we get so busy with life that we forget to live in the moment and just admire the view that surrounds us. I seek to experience these moments as much as possible and freeze time so that we are able to go back and relive that memory. Read more>>

Stephanie Mullowney

Five days after my daughter was born in 2014, my [then] husband left us calling our daughter “defective” because she was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. He chose not to accept her diagnosis and off he went. She had three holes in her heart (CHD), and possible leukemia with high blood counts off the charts for a newborn. Having no husband and my daughter now with no father, I knew there was no time to linger in what felt like a hopeless place. I knew I had to make a life for her. One in which she could thrive and be accepted instead of being misjudged and labeled because of one extra chromosome. Read more>>

Kristina Knapp

Mission – Show women they don’t need a permission slip to be exactly who the f*ck they are and make a lot of money doing it! In my past life, I could be found flipping underperforming stores into the TOP performing stores in the nation in a 3-week time frame for high fashion retail companies. Feeling completely empty, I left my very high-paying job and went on a mission to do something to fill my soul, instead of just my pocketbook. Leaving the corporate world behind, Read more>>

Nathaniel Bryan

My mission is simply to help and inspire people through fitness. I worked for 15 years helping incarcerated youth to realize their potential as men. Trying to make them understand that it’s way more than just your block, your city, and your circumstances because I came from the same places, around the same bad influences and situations but it’s the mindset to want better. Since leaving that chapter of my life God gave me a passion for fitness and training people so that they can become aware of how great their bodies are, their health is THE most important thing because you only get one life, one body so why not take great care of it? Read more>>

Stephanie Kehr

When you start a career as a writer, you are fully aware that you won’t make a decent salary. I have been in the professional writing and publishing industry for over ten years, and everyone has told me the same thing: writing is a sacrificial act. You give up your income in order to do something you love. I signed up for that. And I was okay with it… until I wasn’t. Read more>>

Alicia Ciak

Hey! I’m Alicia Ciak. I’ve been on my own fitness journey since I was 16 years old after enduring a painful hamstring injury that ended my dance career. What seemed to be such a tragic end to a huge passion of mine was actually just the beginning of finding my love for health and fitness. Read more>>

Emilie Alfonso

Our mission is to rescue animals from unfortunate situations and empower members of the community to foster animals until the pet is ready for placement in their forever home. A recent story of how we did both is with a dog we currently have up for adoption, Maverick. We were contacted by a concerned individual about the welfare of this dog. She sent us photos of him tied up to a broken down truck, where he had no shade, no food and his water bowl was completely covered in green algae. Read more>>

Jasmine Brown

Hi, my name is Jasmine Brown and I am a digital content creator. In 2014, I had my first child. This was when I decided to shift all of my attention and energy towards my family and my children. I created an Instagram account on day one and I had always had a “social media presence” if you will, I just never considered monetizing it. My purpose behind a presence at all was merely for support and educating others. Well, and creating memories for myself along the way, since this is something I’ve always done anyways. It all just made sense to BE on social media. For me. Read more>>

Gianni Donofrio

I started my brand as a dedication to my dad a couple years after he passed away. He had a handlebar mustache for my whole life and long before I was even born, so ‘Stache’ was the perfect way to represent him. Losing my dad was the darkest time of my life, but when I started Stache it allowed me to think of the good times we had together, and look at the situation in a new light. So it became my mission to show other people that the dark times don’t last, and can actually lead you towards the light. “Even in the Darkest times there is a light shining prosperity. Find your light, and let it guide you through the darkness.” Read more>>

Melissa Fields.

Our mission: transformation. I am truly in the transformation business. Home is your safe place, your sanctuary, your comfort. The way you feel about your home affects mind, body, and soul. I firmly believe that if home isn’t right, nothing else will be right. It’s not about just making a space pretty, but making it functional for those who will be using that space. Does it work for how YOU live? Does it make sense? How can we improve the flow or incorporate more natural sunlight? Read more>>

Amanda Chambers

My mission is to do my best to promote peace and healing. I had a tough childhood, and I’m just getting out of a very difficult marriage. With the help of an amazing therapist and the support of my friends and family, I’m in such a better and happier place. It took work, but it’s the best feeling in the world to be free of those resentments and that pain. It is much better to operate from a place of self-created peace than to let things from the past that you can’t control drag you down and make you miserable. The most important thing I want people to take from my story is that you can overcome and heal. Read more>>

Nyshaun Harvey

My mission to spread a cup of hope to those around me who need a little extra push. My prayer is for everyone who comes through the door to feel peace and experience a safe place. Read more>>

Bex Williams.

I got into boudoir because I’m am wildly passionate about helping women claim their power. Boudoir is about empowerment. I am here to show women that they are beautiful, sexy, and powerful exactly as they are. I focus on flattering posing and not body modification in post-production. I am not a digital plastic surgeon. I firmly believe that photoshopping in boudoir is not at all empowering, rather, it perpetuates body shame. Read more>>

Rockell Jackson

RJ Millennial Branding, LLC is a Branding Agency providing branding and marketing services to businesses globally! Owned and operated by millennials specializing in public perception. We help all business owners with creating brand awareness, increasing sales, as well as decreasing marketing expenses! The journey to get here was a long 7 years, a lot of ups and downs but I am so happy I started! Read more>>

Desiree’ Williams

In June 2021, God instructed me to start a business called Blossoms at Home. As I stood in my bathroom I had no idea what I was supposed to do with it, and He told me, ‘Do all of it!’ That meant, lend the talents I have gifted you to those who can benefit. So I did. When Blossoms at Home was officially started in August 2021, the idea was to offer services in the area of organization, interior design, DIY project assistance, and to sell cakes and cookies within the Blossoms Bakery. Read more>>

Kelly-Ann Williams

The WrapQueen mission has always been to promote confidence and beauty. I wanted women to feel that they did not have to rely on their hair to feel beautiful. Headwraps have been around for thousands of years and people have stereotypical views about individuals who wear them. We wanted to break those stereotypes. Wrapqueen reintroduces headwraps with my spin on them. Read more>>

Brittany Hill-Whitehead.

Having experienced racial inequality in my lifetime in regard to my wellness and healthcare as a woman, mother and black American I know it exists in the American healthcare systems. This is including the natural holistic and alternative wellness field. Minorites have a long history of distrusting doctors and practitioners because of exclusion and access to affordable quality options especially in underserved and oppressed communities. Read more>>

Chanda Mau

Hi Y’all! I’m Chanda Mau and my family and I moved to The States in the early 80s. My family and I are immigrants from Cambodia who fled and survived The Killing Fields. The youngest of 10, I was born in a refugee and this is why I cook, to share Cambodian culture, her history and my family’s story through my cooking of traditional Cambodian dishes. Read more>>

Nawal A

In 2016 I gave birth to my daughter, Neveen, and my two sons began school. To continue to foster the pride and strength of being Muslim in America, I enrolled my sons in private education that taught and supported our traditions. On the first day of school, at drop off, I, with my infant daughter in hand, watched young girls in Islamic uniform comfortably interact. While observing their laughter, and playful mannerisms, I was disheartened to see the contradiction of their wardrobe. Read more>>

Kelly Yetzer

When going into this field I found so many of my clients struggled with the service they received either at another PMU studio or even at the places they were going for their facial services. They felt like the technicians didn’t listen to them at all. So often they would tell me how they explained what they wanted and ended up with something totally different. For me I thought this is their face, how could anyone ignore what they were saying. Read more>>

Nikki Riojas.

I started Made in Corpus Christi, LLC in 2019 with $500 and an idea. There was a need for someone to rally around the incredibly talented small business community, and start focusing on the potential of this sleepy little beach city. It didn’t take long before word started getting out about the endeavor. Through strong social channels, media attention, and beautifully tailored branding, Made in Corpus Christi came out of the gate ready to take our community to a whole new level. Read more>>

Tynesha Evans

My mission has always been to aid in the expansion of other businesses. I adore being able to use my creative abilities to establish a brand. When it comes to the appearance and feel of a business, I’ve come to understand that I’m more than simply a graphic designer; I’m actually paving the road for others to succeed. I enjoy assisting others because there was no manual or mentor to lead me into entrepreneurship when I first started my business. I’m appreciative that I’m able to keep ahead of the curve since I continually research the newest trends in my industry. Read more>>

Dani Sanders.

The story behind my business and its mission is both simple and complicated all at the same time. My entire life, I have been surrounded by entrepreneurial spirit. My dad was a career-long fireman with Plano, Texas who spent his 24 hours on shift working up through the ranks from Driver to Captain, and his 48 hours off launching his own remodeling and construction business. Then there was my mom-a multi-passionate individual with a million talents.. Read more>>

Tony Lockett

The story behind my mission has changed over the last few years. The birth of my daughter Tegan Grace Lockett was one of the main factors that triggered the change. I was originally focused on doing whatever kind of art projects I could get my hands on, I was doing Paint & Sip Parties, Logo Design, Commercial Graphics, Murals, Commissions, even dabbled in a little videography and photography. But my vision has shifted, and therefore my mission is different. Read more>>

Emily Anne Schneider.

Emily Anne Designs started out with a misson to create jewelry that could help any girl feel like her best self. Our pieces are timeless, classic, and feminine. We use 14k gold filled components to create jewelry that is designed to be lived in. Our customers can feel confident that their Emily Anne Designs jewelry is always going to be shining! Read more>>

Rasheda Williams

I am an accidental social entrepreneur. My intentions were to write a book to help youth who’ve experienced drama – especially bullying/cyberbullying and other social challenges. But instead, I realized my true purpose: to help youth and youth advocates live above life’s drama to make a powerful difference in the world. Read more>>

Francesca Delisle

The story behind your mission- “Connecting Gig Workers to Customers and Customers to Gig Workers one community at a time.” This is our Mission Statement. It’s simple and to the point. The story of how we got here is slightly more complicated. In 2008, my family and I lost everything to bankruptcy. We had to reconfigure our lives. As a mom, I had been home with our three young children until that point. Read more>>

Ebony Brown

My story began in 2009 when I became pregnant with my first child. Initially I was in shock and denial because I always felt that I could not have children due to years of trying and never becoming pregnant. I remember going to my first doctor’s appointment and everything was perfectly fine. They did an ultrasound and I was able to see the sac and was instantly amazed that I truly had conceived. Thing’s did not go so smooth at my second appointment. Read more>>

Amber Tomlin

At Bebe’s Bake Shoppe we are a committed team of talented individuals who use locally sourced ingredients to produce high quality products including scratch made cookies, fillings, icings, and cookie cakes. Meeting customer expectations is our prime objective, and exceeding customer expectations is where we have our hearts set. Read more>>

Ricky Willis

Loaves and Fishes started in 1983 when a group of women from Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Clarksville, TN decided to do something to help feed the homeless in the area. They started providing soup on Wednesdays at their church, but it didn’t take them long to realize that the need was much greater than providing food one day a week. So, they reached out to some of the other downtown churches and found a parntership with Madison Street United Methodist Church, Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church, and the First Presbyterian Church. Read more>>