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.

Maria Jose Hummel

Yes, there was. When my daughter was diagnosed Crohn’s disease at the age of 9, I decided to investigate the causes of this condition and what could be done to improve it. The medical field did not provide any answers. The gastroenterologist said the condition did not have anything to do with what she ate, and there was nothing we could do to change the course of the disease. But as I read more and more, I found different information. I decided to take a small risk and delay giving her the prescription for a little while. I tried a nutritional and lifestyle approach first, and it worked. Her symptoms resolved quickly and never came back. Read more>>

Dr. Grace Chang

A defining moment in my career came when I was considering transitioning from physical therapy school to naturopathic medicine. I jumped at the opportunity to shadow a seasoned naturopathic doctor to get a better idea of the field. What struck me most was the way he approached patient care—despite having nurses on staff, he personally went into the waiting room to call in patients, take their vitals, and gather their health histories. Read more>>

Michaela Horvathova

A defining moment in my professional career was when I started the 2 Sober Girls Podcast. For over a decade, I had been working as a health coach, yoga instructor, and digital creator. While I loved what I did and enjoyed a level of success and freedom, something was missing. It wasn’t until I embarked on my own healing journey and became alcohol-free that I realized just how much untapped potential I had within me. Read more>>

Eric Bigger

At the end of 2023, I experienced heartbreak and deep sadness and pain from a breakup and betrayal.

I was low and hurting and the contrast of that pain sent me on a self-discovery journey that led to the mountains of Peru, a plant medicine journey, and the clearing and healing of my heart space.

My pain turned into power and jump timelines and discovered a new love of life and relationships. Read more>>

Jessica Stone

Yes, there was a defining moment in my career that significantly shaped its direction. It began with a simple desire to connect with my children and evolved into a realization that would transform my professional focus.

At the time, my children were playing the online game RuneScape. Wanting to understand their interests and join their world, I created an account and began playing. While I initially struggled to navigate the game, I discovered a safe area where players gathered feathers, bones, and meat for their quests. I set up a small business within the game, collecting and selling these items to other players, and soon became known as “the chicken lady.” Read more>>

Osa Okuonghae

I studied Aeronautical Engineering at university and later took my first job as a Technology Consultant to build on the skills I felt I lacked. Throughout my life, I’ve been quite introverted, so I intentionally made choices to push myself out of my comfort zone and build confidence. Read more>>

Jenny Waters

A defining moment in my career came during one of the hardest times in my life. On the same day my dad went into the hospital for the final time, my husband was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Watching my dad decline and my husband suffer the harsh side effects of immunosuppressant drugs, I realized I needed to take control of my health and help my husband do the same. Through diet and lifestyle changes, we transformed our lives—my husband gained control of his autoimmune disease, got off medications, and we felt better at 50 than we had at 40. Read more>>

Ray Lodovico

I had actually been in the Steel industry since I was 21 years old. I started out as a laborer in a foundry for a very low pay and extremely hard work. The days were very long and I had blisters on my feet in the beginning from wearing the steel toed boots. I had a way of getting through the hard days by reminding myself how hard my dad and grandfather had worked at the railroad. And when that didn’t work I would look around for someone that I though was weaker or older than me and say to myself “If they came do it, then I can too!” I was actually a pretty decent worker and my coworkers usually liked working with me because I was easy to get along with. Read more>>

Denise Spence

Grew up learning how to do hair on my own self , since the age of 7 and eventually practicing while attending cosmetology school. I recently graduated a year ago and decided that working in a salon was not for me and wanted to be my own boss. Read more>>

Amanda Rurik

I was always interested in health. I worked out, ate well, and had good routines in place. I struggled with thyroid issues early on in college and was given prescriptions to help, however I still felt symptoms – cold hand & feet, hair loss, weight hanging around my mid-section. Those never went away. Later on, I became a mom to a boy who is now almost 7. I grew more interested in holistic health and natural practices. I explored some, researched, and made a few lifestyle changes. A few years later, I had another son. It wasn’t until I was in my postpartum era that I experienced bigger health symptoms. Read more>>

Zach Hockenberry

My defining moment in life when I decided to become a personal trainer started a couple of years ago. I got married to my highschool sweet heart when I was 19 (2016) years old. I had a full time job, full time school when we decided to grow our family with our first baby girl when I was 20. It was worth it, but very stressful. I stopped thinking about myself and put everyone else before me. I graduated from the University of Montana in 2020 and felt very lost. My degree was very hard to find a career in due to it being very competitive. I applied for over hundreds of jobs and they all said the same thing, “you need experience”. Read more>>

Carly Fauth

The defining moment in my career came when I was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. As a lifelong fitness professional and advocate for a healthy lifestyle, the diagnosis felt like the ultimate test of everything I had built my career around. My approach to fitness has always been centered on making movement accessible and sustainable, emphasizing 15-minute safe, effective workouts and consistency over perfection. Little did I know that this philosophy would become my lifeline. Read more>>

Chauncey Palmer

The moment that really changed the trajectory of my career was moving out of my parents house in boston @22 yrs and going to Los Angeles to continue to pursue my goals. My girlfriend was already living there and was a big influence to do so. I already built a name for myself in my city for personal training and being an athlete so it was time to relocate. So that is what I did. Read more>>