Stories are incredibly powerful – their ability to teach, inspire, and create understanding is why we are so in love with storytelling. Most stories have a defining moment and so we’ve asked some of the most talented, insightful folks across a broad range of industries and markets to tell us about a defining moment in their story.

Ebony Williams

I remember being a first time mother to my daughter navigating sheltering in place due to covid and our proximity to the Bobcat Fires. Read more>>

Stephanie Fletcher

January of 2020, 20+ years into a health and wellness career, I was told I had breast cancer. After the shock wore off, we got to work. Read more>>

Shauna Kennedy

There will be moments in life that rattle us to our very core, they will obliterate any sense of reality we carried with us up until that moment or moments and we will stand in a void of not knowing who we are or how to begin again. Read more>>

Josh Whiteley

While there have and continue to be many defining moments in my career, one that sticks out to me especially was the moment I realized I was ACTUALLY doing this. Read more>>

Elle Nagy

My life is a delectable tapestry of defining moments. The interesting aspect for me is that as I review my life in the pondering of this question, the defining moments that changes the trajectory of my career always occurs in what others would state as my personal life. Read more>>

Daniel Vose

At fourteen, I was placed in a treatment center for abusing heroin and other drugs. The program’s model was built around enthusiastic sobriety, where a group of fellow young addicts and I would engage in fun, sober activities together. Read more>>

Dr. Anne Kitchens

I believe my defining moment in not only my professional career, but in my life was when I decided to become employed after being self-employed for four years. Read more>>

Rochelle Seltzer

Having started my professional life in graphic design, I founded my design and marketing firm, Seltzer, and owned it for 27 years. I was proud of my team and our work, and the impact of our work for our clients. Read more>>

Vanessa Rivera

A defining moment in my career.. growing up I was considered the “fat” sibling in my family. Being the oldest and not holding up to a certain “look” had an effect on me on my upbringing. Read more>>

Isaiah Miles

I would have to say my defining moment was the day I gave my life back to Jesus Christ. I started making music in the late summer of 2022. Read more>>

Eric Ikonne

A pivotal moment in my career transpired when I was entrusted with the role of Assistant Principal (AP) of Culture at Wayside Sci-Tech Middle School. Read more>>

Donna Sirlin

The bulk of my professional life was dedicated to being a stay-at-home mom. This role not only nurtured my inner creativity but allowed me to delve deep into the profound journey of creating and nurturing life itself—a journey that demands unwavering strength on physical, mental, and emotional fronts. Read more>>

Ginny Kappel

When my long-time close friend, Michelle, called me and asked me to go into business with her. I was on a self-retreat taking much needed time for myself when Michelle called me with a burning question. Read more>>

Kelly Sullivan Walden

My Mandela Effect It seems every time I turn around, someone’s talking about the Mandela Effect. It’s the false memory phenomenon that got its name because of the masses who believed Nelson Mandela died in prison in the 80s, but he actually died in 2013. Read more>>

Taylor Gould

I was working with a woman who had recently experienced a devastating pregnancy loss. She was overwhelmed in grief, and she found traditional therapy wasn’t providing the solace she needed. Read more>>

Melissa Michaels

At 55 years old I was way too busy, dancing through life, running a not for profit and leading body-centered rites of passage programs around the world. Read more>>

Michael Riordan

My professional defining moment actually started as a personal defining moment. When I was 37 years old, I was in a very dark place. From my earliest memories, I always knew that there was something different about me. Read more>> 

Trudy Wendelin

After years of being unfulfilled in my corporate career, I finally decided to take the leap! I enrolled at Pacific College of Health and Sciences in San Diego to become an Acupuncturist in East Asian Medicine. Read more>>

Aza Enigma

As The Friendly Felon, I have a felony background that interfered with my original plans for my life. For the first decade of having that big, red “F” stamped on my record, I struggled to stay afloat and to maintain stability in my life. It was not a path I liked and I just felt lost. Read more>>

Jeff Yukikazu Sera

For 5 years I couldn’t cry. I set out on a journey of self-awareness to begin my healing journey. It lead me to the path I am now on. Psilocybin was also a catalyst in connecting me to the energy of Reiki allowing me to heal others.  Read more>>

Clair Gordijn

So I want to tell the story about how I decided to become a therapist. When I was in 6th grade I went to public school for the first time in my life and I was bullied relentlessly. Read more>>

Alyx Braunius

Sharing a glimpse into my personal journey; the path to my current lifestyle was far from innate:As a teenager, I coped with anger and self-doubt, which often strained relationships. I had a mindset of victimhood and self-pity, which was bound by fear and insecurity. Read more>>