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.

JayLynn McDaniel

My journey in the Bridal/ Wedding Industry started a decade ago. I fell in love with all things weddings and bridal very early on- daydreaming and fantasizing about my own wedding. The logistics, the details, the beauty, the allure, the pure love and magic that lasts a lifetime- there’s just something so special and honorable about it. I am a licensed and insured full service event planner with coordination experience across all industries but weddings are my specialty. Read more>>

Megan Miller

Achievement. Getting the validation from the outside world that you’re worthy, it can become intoxicating. It can become addicting, like a drug. You’re always jonesing for the next ‘high’. You’ll sacrifice yourself at all cost for it & it squeezes the joy out of life & while you’re exhausted & beyond burnout & resentful & ashamed, you keep on doing it. Read more>>

Shawn Boissinotte Alexis

Our mission is to help a billion people live their truth so they can embody every aspects of themselves so they can live a life of purpose. The reason it’s meaningful to me it’s because I grew up in an environment that wasn’t conducive to express myself the fullest. I was fearful of being judged and I lacked confidence but deep down I always knew their was something in me that could change everything. Read more>>

Rebeca & Andrew

We just believe in what we do and believe in each other. We have both been trained by top professionals in the industry and regardless of the subject matter or client we always make sure we deliver our best. After all they are believing in us and our small business so we must deliver a top service in a saturated marketplace. It is our name on the door so we must always deliver a top experience. Read more>>

Shavaun Christian

At Spoken Flames, we’re on a mission to create mindful sensory experiences that connect *you* with all parts of you—starting with a Spoken Flames sensory candle. Why? Because we all know what it’s like to get caught up with the fast pace of work, news, and life. Sometimes, to the point where we lose sight of ourselves: how we feel and what we desire. Read more>>

 Alexis Gonzalez

The mission of my company (Vibrate to Create) is to leave a lasting transformation in the lives of anyone who encounters the work that it produces. Vibrate to Create is a multi-media company that publishes books and produces educational content/events (online and in-person). I produce inspirational content about fields like spirituality, metaphysics, philosophy, and life. Read more>>

Angela Goldstein

This is our mission statement: “From our home… to yours” is not just a slogan that we use, but the way in which we run our business and lead our lives. We found each other after previous marriages and kids, and were incredibly lucky to find an amazing home to share together. A place that has become central to our blended family and where so much of our happiness exists. It is this feeling that drives us every day to bring that same level of joy, through real estate, to each of our clients. Read more>>

Pooja Manek

I’m a creative and founding member at Talented agency, India. Talented was founded by Gautam Reghunath & P.G Aditya in 2022. We didn’t want Talented to be just another agency. We wanted to create it to right the wrongs of the industry we love so dearly–Low pay, pay disparity, unequal growth, burnout, mediocre work, and underrepresentation, especially in leadership roles. Read more>>

Kathleen Cooke

My favorite toy that kept me occupied as a young girl was an outdoor trashcan that my mom filled with thrift store finds and her cast-offs that I used for costumes for the plays I’d create in my backyard. She even had Victorian handmade Barbie dolls made for me so I could re-enact classic stories like Little Women. The performance bug consumed me growing up in the city of Las Vegas, which had no fine arts – no ballet companies, live theater, opera, or symphony orchestras. It was a city driven by celebrities and pop culture shows. I loved movies and all things theatrical. Read more>>

Jacob Niemeier

The Inspiration Behind Vera Aqua Vera Vita Vera Aqua Vera Vita was founded by Jacob Niemeier, a water resources engineer currently living Murphy, Texas a suburb of Dallas. During a foreign mission trip in 2011 with a team of students from St. Read more>>

Kaitlynn Stout

Clair-Indigo is an inclusive apparel and accessory experience promoting self-love, mindful living, and compassion for all. For years I’ve known that my purpose in life is what I call a “positive domino effect,” meaning I aim to positively impact each person I encounter, in person or virtually, as often and in as many ways as possible. Read more>>

Tracey Dolehite

My family immigrated to America from Sicily in the late 1800s. At that time there was a lot of discrimination against Italian immigrants but somehow they persevered and built a successful bakery. Subsequent generations kept it going but the business finally closed. It is my mission to recapture the success of my ancestors and pass along homemade sweets to families for their celebrations. Read more>>

Samantha Person

I had a job in corporate America and didn’t feel fulfilled, but couldn’t put my finger on what would be fulfilling. When I was younger I wanted to be a Veterinarian and even worked at an animal hospital, but learned quickly that I couldn’t stomach surgery and procedures. One night my husband and I were talking about what we would do if we won the lottery. Read more>>

M. Corey Whitted

Crenshaw Juice Co. is an organic cold pressed juice primarily serving the South Los Angeles community. Crenshaw Juice Co. was developed during the pandemic and launched towards the end of it. During the pandemic, one disturbing statistic that really inspired the development of Crenshaw Juice Co. was the fact that residents of communities of color were more susceptible to death and complications directly related to diet. Read more>>

Jean Marie Sanchez

Representation matters. My mission is to touch lives and facilitate communication between souls while bringing an under represented populous to the fore front. The poetry created is from real life encounters and life experiences. The artistry is representative of the women in my life that add to my story. For so long the only imagery on greeting cards did not depict people of color. Read more>>

Chantel Coyle

The mission for my brand has evolved over the years. In the past my pain focus would be to support mall businesses in their journeys. It was to help businesses break into the Modern way of small businesses which is focusing heavily on a social media presence and how to present your business at our large market events. Now, that is still a goal of mine but there’s been a huge shift in this industry. Read more>>

Gina-Marie D’Meza

I am an elementary school teacher (I just officially resigned after 17 years), wife, small business owner and mom to three beautiful little girls. When my first daughter was born, I began a journey to rid our family of as many harsh chemicals as possible. Along this journey I began making my family’s soaps, lotions and other beauty products with the highest quality natural ingredients that I could find. Read more>>

Nazhi Forrest

I have been baking for a few years now and I have also battled Sickle Cell Anemia since birth. One thing that makes me unique is that my two sisters also are fighting sickle cell! All three of us have a rare sickle cell trait that strikes all female children from my parents. After the tragic experience of witnessing my older sister have a massive stroke in 2014, I learned more about the history of our overlooked disease. I learned about trigger foods and special dietary needs that help people living with sickle cell stay healthy. Read more>>

AnnMarie Santamarina

My mission is to create safe & brave spaces where we can talk about our fears, doubts, resistance, and any of the other nasty voices in our heads that hold us back. I’ve worked in male-dominated industries my entire career. After 20 years of owning an IT company, I made the decision to sell it and pursue other interests. Read more>>

Wesley Wenhold

Honest Man Beard Co’s journey started because I myself was frustrated with the beard care product market. I was always finding oils and balms that were full of harsh chemicals and preservatives that left my skin feeling itchy, dry and leaving my beard looking dry and brittle. So at that moment I decided it’s time to give men the products they deserve, by delivering high quality organic all natural beard care products. Read more>>

Jessica Santander

The purpose behind my company is to uplift women specifically through the concept of joy. Joy, itself, is a way of life that can change from one chapter to the next and be that inner source of strength we need to believe in ourselves. I have experienced several moments in my life that challenged me to hold onto positivity and allow that to be the energy to carry me forward. Read more>>

Michelle Hodge

I lived in Alexandria, Virginia when September 11th happened. I worked in a Federal Building and from that day on panic attacks set in every time I got on the Metro to go to work. We decided to relocate to a small town in North Carolina. Fuquay Varina was a small town that you would imagine in a Hallmark movie. Vacant store fronts were on our Main Street and I always wanted to be in business for myself. Read more>>

Naziat Khan

I passionately dedicate myself to matters my heart truly believes in, be it for myself or for others, which has brought me to create Lolona. My journey into entrepreneurship has been full of obstacles that I am learning to overcome daily. Though I personally love fashion and jewelry, I did not start with a sales or marketing background. Read more>>

Hayley Stein

I started my photography business to help include people of all backgrounds, shapes, colors, and sizes! I noticed early on in learning my craft that plus sized, disabled, and LGBT models were often overlooked. I strive to work with everyone from every walk of life, first photoshoot or one thousandth. Everyone deserves to feel beautiful and I work hard to make sure my clients feel that way. No matter who you are or if it’s your first photoshoot or your thousandth, I will always provide the same energy and effort to make my clients beauty shine. Read more>>

Zeine Charabati

The story behind My Aromaz mission is deeply rooted in my personal experiences and journey. It began with a genuine love for aromatherapy, sparked by the search for natural, clean solutions to address the pains affecting my own family. Through this personal exploration, I witnessed the remarkable strength and effectiveness of aromatherapy and was amazed by the positive results. Read more>>

Steph Bertsch

As a queer person and queer yogi, visibility is essential to me. When I was considering opening a yoga studio way back in 2016 I made a list of things that were important to me and yet missing from the studio where I was currently teaching and practicing. Mainly, it felt like there was very little LGBTQ+ representation. Read more>>

Jeremy Archer

Create a God-centered, community focused restaurant in Liberty Hill Texas. Also, to become the BBQ destination spot for the north central Texas area and surrounding areas offering craft BBQ and beer with a focus on showing every guest God’s love. Read more>>

Ann Nguyen

Growing up in a large family with four other siblings and parents who worked seven days a week, my mom never had time to go shopping for gifts. Christmases, birthdays, Easter–we would receive highlighters, shampoo, or a bar of soap. Read more>>

Ethan Rasmussen

Homestead Hands is focused on “Helping people provide for themselves and those around them.” We believe that the skills required to produce food efficiently and sustainably are beneficial to everyone in our communities. Our company is comprised of specialists who enjoy teaching our clients how to easily become successful. Read more>>

Nicole Fife

Yoga Found Me Hi, my name is Nicole Fife and I’m a Native Houstonian. Growing up, my grandfather was into bodybuilding at the YMCA and was in a few fitness magazines. He had an amazing physique I always admired as a little girl. His biceps were so large, I would grab onto his arm & swing back & forth. It was so awesome. He really set the pace for my interest in health & fitness as I grew into an adult. Read more>> 

Meg Calvin

Formerly in the non-profit world as a minister to children and families in the mainline protestant church, Meg spent nearly 15 years studying how the brain works toward her aim of building, catalyzing and comforting strong volunteer teams. In seminary, she studied curriculum writing and pastoral care. Read more>>

Kirby Williams

My business The PMHNP Source, LLC was started because of my own journey as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) that was filled with obstacles, missteps and very limited guidance. I found that about 5 years into my career, I was burned out and contemplated leaving my career because of the lack of direction for those in this field. Read more>>

Vik N JOROH

Founded in 2011, in memory of my maternal grandmother, the late MARY NASSOLO Kamuggwa, (who passed away on 9th December 1995), as an avenue for young-mothers and single-mothers to engage in safe, dignified employment as they rebuild their lives, and we have since widened our doors to accept employees from varying backgrounds of vulnerability and exploitation. Read more>>

Erin Archer and Megan Kehren N/A

Music teachers faced a roadblock of challenges when the pandemic hit in March 2020. Despite technical difficulties like frozen screens, feedback issues, and synchronous playing obstacles, many of us pushed through and found ways to adapt. Read more>>