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.
Jessica Kornacki
I created my photography business as a way to uplift women in the community. To help women to feel confident showing up as their authentic selves through imagery. As women, we can sometimes hold ourselves back because we’ve been conditioned to believe that much of our worth is based on our looks. For many reasons, we also feel awkward in front of the camera, and awkward showing pictures of ourselves. My mission with Art of Her personal branding photography is to help women move past these feelings and step confidently into their personal brands. Read more>>
Tamiko Lowry Pugh
My mission is to empower women to shift their limiting beliefs so they can tap into their divine purpose, ignite their confidence, and fearlessly walk in their authentic power. I genuinely believe that the adversities we experience in life are meant to prepare and push us into our purpose. After escaping a mentally, verbally, financially, and at times physically abusive relationship, I hit rock bottom. I was mentally and emotionally broken and financially broke. I had no idea that something so painful and traumatic would push me into my life purpose. I had no idea that I’d be a frontline domestic violence advocate, serving as the founder of my own non-profit organization focusing on domestic violence advocacy, awareness, and prevention. Read more>>
Eli Singh
Our mission is to inspire people to chase their dreams. The three of us (JC, Travis, and myself) all have a shared goal of racing cars professionally. We want to be an example to people that you can jump into a field with no experience, and go achieve your dreams against all odds. Read more>>
Aaron Fairooz
My mission to become a film maker started as a child. At 28 years old, I began pursuing commercial photography. I kinda fell into photography as a necessity and realized that I loved lighting, the art of lighting and how lighting effects the image. For the last 10 years I’ve tried to learn as much as I can about lighting and one thing I’ve realized is, if you can master lighting you can shoot just about anything. As a production company owner I’ve worn many hats while building a brand. Because of the skill sets I’ve learned, I’m able to take on just about any job, for any client and get it done well. Read more>>
Monna
With Claws Out, we are mental health advo-cats and the organization exists to normalize mental health by spreading my personal mantra “Bad Bitches can be Sad Bitches”. While there are different branches of operation with Claws Out under the umbrella LLC, we’re best known for producing live events with Claws Out Comedy and begin every show by letting people know that if they’ve ever been told they’re too much or not enough that with us, they are exactly where they are supposed to be. Read more>>
Zach Freeman
In 2008, a former Marine at my family’s church lost his job and began going through a difficult divorce all in the same month. My family offered to let the young man stay in our home for a few months until he could get back on his feet. He ended up living with us for almost 3 years. In that time, I got to see a lot of the common struggles that veterans face firsthand and it created a large soft spot in my heart for the challenges that veterans often go through after getting out of the military. In particular, this young former Marine struggled to find a workplace where he didn’t feel misunderstood or like an outsider. It was primarily because of this experience that I chose to start a company with the primary mission of supporting and encouraging American veterans. Read more>>
Matthew Zirpolo
My two partners and I were all born and raised in San Diego. We chose the name Burgeon because we grew up here, but also because we strive for growth as a company. Not only in physical size, but growth through consistently learning and experimentation to elevate our craft. Read more>>
Candace Brown
In November of 2021, I decided to take a leap of faith and quit my corporate job, to pursue my passion in women empowerment. I was tired of waking up telling myself I want a different life, but yet I was being complacent. Do not allow doubt to delay your goals and aspirations. I do not regret anything. This is the story behind Ferocious HMR (Hear Me Roar). Read more>>
Josh Lujan
When I was a kid, I didn’t understand the importance of balance. To make time for the things that make you feel human. To do, what I now call, your ‘Dailies’. The 6 daily basics to feel good: Eat, Sleep, Hydrate, Connect, Move, and Get Outside. Singularly, they all feel like no-brainers, but together, they make all the difference. Growing up, I played a lot of video games, and despite my parents telling me there was more to life, it was difficult for me to grasp that message. My mission, is lead by example, and show gamers (or any walk of life), that you can do your Dailies, feel good, and still game. Read more>>
Desiree Martinez
In 2015, I was a new military spouse and a new mom with a 2nd on the way. One of the great things about being a military spouse in a world of thriving social media is that every base has a spouse Facebook group so they can connect, educate, inform, and vent in a safe and supportive space. I started noticing a common theme. These wildly capable women couldn’t get jobs and not jobs that coincided with their degrees or experience, but even local restaurants and retail stores. The stigma of military life was stopping them from supplementing their family income and helping to provide. Read more>>
Derek upton
For over 10 years my mission in Phoenix has been to always Elevate the culinary scene in many ways, from unique pop up events, showcasing hi end cannabis infused food and education on cannabis wellness. That momentum lead to the meeting of the Clarendon Hotel owners and creating our brand Elevations , a unique events driven lifestyle brand. We are changing the way we look at hospitality and the customer journey by creating experiences both small and large that are memorable. Read more>>
Christine Curran
Being a young female entrepreneur back 15 years ago when I started my business journey, I saw a need for women to support each other in a very male dominated industry. Entertainment is by far one of the most ruthless and cut throat industries out there. I decided to create my own projects, my own ideas and monetize them while trying to empower other women along the way. It started with Ft Liquordale Entertainment which is the parent company to all my projects. Thru this company I booked well over 800 women in a 10 year span for modeling, acting, fashion shows, nightclubs and more. Read more>>
Angie Willson
As a mom, after two kids and 60 extra pounds, I felt very overweight and sluggish. I had low self-esteem, I wore baggy clothing, I didn’t like to see myself naked and felt very embarrassed. Then my next-door neighbor joined a small gym that specialized in helping moms just like me lose weight and gain self-esteem. All of these women also ended up competing in NPC fitness shows. It was so inspiring to see pictures of woman that were as big as me or bigger losing all the weight and it was super exciting to see them walking around with a six pack of abs. That’s all it took. I was hooked and absolutely love it and more importantly I love more than anything helping woman fight through their internal and external battles. They lifted me up back then, now I lift them up and together there is nothing we can not accomplish!. Read more>>
Spence Noble
My mission is inspire others to do better, feel something, and make people happy. If I can make others happy and present i have done well. I feel that is my purpose in this world. And that will make the world a more enjoyable world to live in. Read more>>
Jonathan Lavan
There is an inherent interconnectedness to everything in our world. That’s how the natural world works. Everything depends on every other thing; animals, plants, the very earth itself and yes, humans. We are an integral part of the natural world and we could not continue to thrive without help from a wide variety of creatures. We can take that interconnectedness a step further. Everything is made out of atoms. They always exist. So, everything is recycled. Think of it this way; the juice you drink today will pass through your body and end up back in the water table. Those atoms of water could then rain down on a grape vine. Those grapes could be eaten by a deer. That deer could be eaten by a bear. When that bear dies the moisture in its tissues is reabsorbed by the earth or eaten by insects or fungi around and around forever. Read more>>
Axel Brave
Sunday afternoon. Cherished family and friends gather in a back yard. Some on folding chairs, some along a low stone wall, others on the grass. A murmur of talk and laughter suffuses the twilight as men at a long asado wait for coal to whiten. They laugh, they drink, they ready meat to lay on a sizzling grilltop, baste each tender piece with chimichurri and traditional seasonings. This isn’t average grocery store fare — it’s sausages, brisket, mollejas, chinchulines, chopped onions, sweet peppers, and whole ears of corn, all grilled to succulent perfection. And this isn’t just a cookout — it’s ceremony, religion. Sharing the best in life with the ones we love is the most meaningful grilling rite known to humankind. It’s all Argentina, and it’s made possible only by AXEL PROVISIONS. Read more>>
Weihong Zhang
At Blendin Coffee Club, we are dedicated to serve the world’s best coffee experience to our customers. Our mission is to inspire appreciation of coffee through high-quality coffee, inviting coffee culture, excellent customer service, and approachable education. Everyone in specialty coffee industry has one “magic” cup of coffee that opens their eyes to the world of flavors in coffee. I still remember my “magic” cup was a Kenya coffee. Bright and vibrant blueberry, sweet and rich milk chocolate notes overwhelmed me. I realized that I was drinking coffee all the time but not tasting enjoying coffee. That’s when I decided to open Blendin Coffee Club and trying to make Blendin a place for people to slow down and enjoy the flavors in coffee. Read more>>
Carmaleita Willis Lyght
I am the owner and lead bartender of Lyght House Cocktails, mobile bartending services and I absolutely LOVE my job! Bartending and putting a smile on a person’s face is one of my greatest joys. Through the years, I have created a ton of signature specialties, both in cocktail and mocktail form for guests. After being told several times over I should bottle and package them up, I decided to do just that. And from that, Inspiring Spirits was born. I would collaborate with my clients to create a vision of something that would create a taste sensation, that would leave mouths salivating and thirsting for more. Once I decided to create more of these on my own, I often times thought about the void in the market for amazing drinks. To me, it wasn’t enough to just have a drink. I really wanted to connect with fruits, herbs and spices. So I set out on a mission to do just that. Read more>>
Karol Velasquez
It was esencial for my 20-year old self to learn how to manage my money, to learn all the strategies and tools to successfully do it since I was with no financial back up plan, in this new country I just moved in, other than coming back to my country (which I did not want to consider as an option). Also, I felt the need to take most of my opportunity of living in a new country with a stable economy. Thus, learning and applying the methods to see what actually works and what does not were my first steps in this world that I am now. So, that helped me find my mission. My mission as a finance coach and behind all the content that I post weekly on my social media channels is to bring awareness about the importance of having control over your finances, and how that could change your life. Read more>>
Noelle Townsley
Mission Statement: Fresh from the Kitchen creates an experience that comes with exquisite service, exceptional food, amazing quality, and foods free of hormones, pesticides, and additives. We are committed to have every event be exceptionally beautiful, stress free, and memorable. We keep current with trends combined with modern presentation techniques to create seamless parties. Fresh from the Kitchen stands apart in experience, celebrity client list, and countless industry awards and recognition. Read more>>
Shelley Treadaway
The Creative Scoop was built from my desire for freedom. The freedom to work remote world-wide, the freedom to choose my own working hours, and the freedom to balance the delicate work/family life. My mission is to create pathways for financial success and social awareness toward the issues or topics that are true to my heart: environmentalism, travel, family life, cooking, and holistic living. For those who want to consume content in any of these categories, my goal and mission through my brand is to make it easy to participate in activities, causes, and learning experiences. No ridiculous advertisements scrolling down a page when all you want to see is a recipe. No tricks with pop-ups. Just transparent, helpful tips, tricks and guidance to living a life by design. Read more>>
Adam Dixon
The Adam Dixon Perseverance Foundation is a nonprofit outpatient treatment center dedicated to inspiring positive development in the lives of at-risk youth and adults in Maricopa, Gila River, Pinal Counties. We work to empower children and adults with emotional and behavioral issues to break through their challenges. I think the mission is simple. We’re trying to level out the playing field with our youth that are underserved. Read more>>
Jamie Munoz
In 2018, I heard entrepreneur Gino Wickman, the author of ‘Traction: Get a Grip on your Business’, speak about his concept around living your “Ideal Life”. He states it in 5 simple points: Doing what you love, with people you love, being compensated appropriately, making a significant difference, with time for other passions. And I can tell you that at the time, I wasn’t living my ideal life. I decided to dig deep and realize my passions and unique ability in order to discover what my ideal life should look like. For me, that path led to working fractionally (part-time contractor status) virtually for my ideal clients where I sit in the COO seat as right had to the CEO. Read more>>
Tara Cunningham
Twice Baked Clay’s mission is to create functional art that brings people joy. Just as our business organically began, we continue to be passionate and have fun with the process, which we truly believe is what and why others enjoy our pieces. We love creating pieces that express our mood in that moment, which seems to be relatable and appreciated by many. Read more>>
Maryanne Parker
From the time of King Louis XIV throughout the centuries, etiquette was about exclusion. People had to know and apply “the rules” of etiquette and certain mannerism, sometimes even strange to be considered part of any elite society. Today everyone is welcomed to learn about etiquette and soft skills. Well mannered people are accepted much easier and also knowing certain rules of behavior can open many doors potentially. It is a proven fact. Read more>>
Althea Bates
Althea is a leader in mental health and social services, working primary with women of color to enhance their resilience to overcome personal and professional obstacles. The qualities that make Althea a profound leader are shared. She has an innate service- based leadership style that highlights and guides her theoretical leadership model. She believes that she carries influence as a leader and role model and she believes strongly that her leadership approach affects her practice working with minority women and girls, the core mission of Project Resiliency Movement her nonprofit. Read more>>
Kelly Wulf
I am a passionate gardener who adores animals, being an introvert & true crime. I started Blossoems in 2021 because I realized how much gardening had helped my mental health and I wanted the opportunity to help others. When I went through a divorce in 2019 and then the pandemic, I found solace in the garden. I found that my brain quieted down, my heart rate dropped and my nervous system dropped out of fight/flight/freeze. Everyone should be able to experience gardening, whether it be a large space or a few pots, and it is my goal to help make that possible. For some reason, gardening has become an inequitable and exclusive hobby but I believe it should be available to everyone. To me, digging in the ground feels like a human right. Through Blossoems, I offer garden design consultations, workshops and seasonal, organic bouquets. Read more>>
LaToria Bolden
The Story of Blissful Dandies came to birth just a couple of months ago-From the creative mind of LaToria Bolden- A mother of 2 daughters and an Educator. I have always been a candle lover and have spent hundreds of dollars buying them. The thought came to me-You should make your own candles- Not only will it be fun but rewarding for your family. Blissful Dandies not only prepares one-of-a-kind scents made with Eco-Friendly safe soy wax-Hand poured with love-With every SALE made you are supporting our mother site Little Dandies Learning Academy, LLC- A private learning academy that serves Pre-K through 6th grade. LDLA is saving up for a permanent building that will offer services to all Pre-K through 6th-Setting them up for success and keeping them ahead during these times of COVID. Read more>>
Julia Chacon
The mission of Flamenco Theater is to leverage the expressive power of flamenco to inspire connection and compassion, foster curiosity, and build community. It came about because of a particular experience I had as a child that led me to explore flamenco. As a result of that experience, I started a journey that helped me understand that dance has the power to fill human needs for personal growth, connection, and communication. When I was about 12 years old my mom was late picking me up from a dance class. The studio was a converted church in Phoenix, and the threshold from the lobby to the studio was wide open double door. I sat at the edge of the threshold as I waited and observed the private flamenco lesson that had started after my class. Read more>>
Valerie Herskowitz
I decided early on in my career as a Speech Pathologist that I wanted to work with people who had autism and other developmental disabilities. So that is what the journey I embarked on after graduate school. LIttle did i know that my training and experience would come in handy when my own son was diagnosed with autism 15 years later. At that point, my professional and personal became one. I soon realized that there were very few programs for my son and people like him. So my journey led me to starting therapy programs, camp programs and recreational programs for this underserved population. My son, Blake, was always the inspiration. Read more>>
MARCUS WILLIAMS
I got into the travel industry because I wanted to see more people that look like me experience travel. My goal was and still is to educate Minority travelers. I want minorities to know that travel is feasible and is for everyone, not just the wealthy! Read more>>
Leslie Mattson
I was a young mom who wanted to obtain a degree to be able to support my family. I didn’t plan on being a nurse initially but recognized that the career offered stability and a decent salary. When I graduated, I started my career in the Emergency Department. It was my first glimpse into the need for mentoring and support in nursing. I learned of Ambulatory Surgery through a colleague, and became interested initially due the more reasonable schedule, which was important as a single mom. I was hired to work PACU (the recovery room), due to my critical care training. I worked hard and learned everything I could about the business, including the Operating Room, the regulations, and the leadership opportunities that the space offered. Read more>>
Asa Barnes
Preacher Power was grown out of a desire to teach others the finer parts of powerlifting. The 3 lifts at the surface seem quite basic, but to perform at an elite level, or even just a safe level, one has to master the finer techniques of each lift. It takes patience, perseverance and belief in the process. We are a teaching facility. Thats what separates us from the rest. We want you to succeed and fulfill your goals. The individual success is our success, as are the failures. I feel those as much as my athlete does. I take it personally and find a way to move past those failures, physically and mentally. Read more>>
Heidi Lyn Rao
I have spent the last 28+ years helping and teaching people how to enjoy the outdoors, both personally & professionally. I have always had a passion for introducing people, especially women and first time firearm owners, and teaching the safe and responsible handling, marksmanship, and storage of them.. I am the 2022 Golden Bullseye Award recipient for “NRA Women Industry Woman of the Year” Read about it here: https://www.nrawomen.com/content/driven-by-the-fun-nra-women-s-heidi-rao-awarded-nra-golden-bullseye/. Read more>>
Tricia Holderman
I have Crohn’s disease and and years ago I had many infections. While hospitalized, I noticed there were items in my room that could be cleaned better. I discussed these with the hospital staff and they implemented better protocols. A few years after that I was looking for the right product solutions to some cleaning issues, I met with a team that was doing research and development of commercial cleaning products. That experience led me to be on the Advisory Board of Proctor and Gamble. Read more>>