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.
Michelle Bass
The defining moment that led us to start A Kitten Place was when Alicia (fellow AKP co-founder) and I were rescuing with other shelters and rescues before A Kitten Place was established, we were taking turns rescuing an orphaned neonate kitten. This requires around the clock bottle-feeding, stimulating for bowel movements and maintaining a warm and cozy environment for the kitten. “Bean” was a strong neonate! He latched on to the bottle perfectly and thrived. Read more>>
Mandii Brown
A defining moment in my professional career was when I was a middle school teacher for Chicago Public Schools. I loved my students to pieces and I was happy not only was I their safe space, but they were mine. They felt they could relate to me the most and my classroom typically was the room where I could allow them to escape from the outside world and even issues in school. Some students would sneak away just to have lunch with me instead of sitting in the cafeteria just to vent. Read more>>
Lizeth Santamaria
When I entered college I was presented with a major decision that anyone beginning college must decide… what career do you want to pursue and what degree will you choose to pursue it? I honestly had no idea! I wish our education system helps students prepare for this decision, but unfortunately that was not my experience. What I did know is I wanted to help people and I had many creative interests which narrowed down my career and degree choices to either pursuing a degree in psychology or in communications specializing in radio and television. Read more>>
Amir Hightower
One moment that changed my early career in coaching was a situation that happened at the college I graduated from. In 2018, I was granted my Bachelors Degree in Business Administration focus in Sports Management after I competed in Basketball /Track&Field for the four years I was in college. After, I graduated with my Bachelors I was offered an Assistant Coach position to work on getting my Masters at the college I’m an Alumni of. Read more>>
Kaneica Gray
When I found out I was going to be a mother it changed my whole entire life and everything I thought I knew for myself. I comfortable with hustling, stay up late , waking up early and pulling up to whatever and wherever I thought was cool. I didn’t have structure. I had the privilege to do whatever I wanted without much error and it was as of God himself said “sis, it’s time to sit down”. Read more>>
Monica McKitterick
It might sounds a bit cliche but the defining moment came to me via a Facebook ad. I had been an NP for more than 10 years and was relocating to Texas and trying to figure out what kind of practice I wanted to work in. I had done several specialties but have always had a special place in my heart for primary care. A facebook ad titled, “Family Practice Physician takes home $400K/year and is home in time for dinner”. I thought, “well that’s a lie” and clicked on the add. This was my first introduction to the Direct Primary Care Model and I opened my own practice about 8 months later Read more>>
Mykaylah Gray
A lot of times we are asked questions and are able to answer them based off of our own understanding, but I’ve always been the type of person to understand things my way and also seek for the true definition. When I looked up “defining moment” this definition popped up: a point in your life when you’re urged to make a pivotal decision, or when you experience something that fundamentally changes you. Read more>>
Dawn McGinnis
My defining moment was when I decided to leave the safety of a W-2 job, and take a chance, a chance on myself. When you grow up, you’re always encouraged to play it safe because that’s what’s predictable, or average. I knew I didn’t want to be average or to be someone who didn’t make an impact on others. I’ve always been in love with health and fitness, but more of the physical side of things. With being a personal trainer and helping others achieve their fitness goals, I realized that I could also help individuals and families protect those goals. Read more>>
Dr. Eliyahu Shmuel Ben Yah
I have a strong religious background since I was raised as a Reform Messianic Jew, currently I function as a Messianic Rabbi. But I wondered what else can I do to contribute back to my community and become a major impact. Im a community activist. As I observed there were so many mental health practitioners or advocate needed since there’s a shortage Mental Health advocates. Mental health crisis in the USA is worse than diabetes ,heart attack and cancer combined all together. Read more>>
Chara Bowie
Upon moving to Houston, I was based at a local homeless shelter. My job was to create a program for single teenage moms to help them move from the shelter into the community and regain stability for themselves and their children. I was charged with developing this program’s structure, goals, and objectives and providing some of the services. I was there to be a support, mentor, coach, confidante, trusted adult, phsycho-therapist, teacher, and cheerleader for my young mothers. Read more>>
Michael Annaian
4 years ago, in February of 2018, I found myself at a pinnacle crossroad in my life. After 30 years in the landscape/lawn care industry I was extremely tired, rundown, feeling burned out, and acutely aware that my career was no longer serving my healthiest interests. I had moved to Florida 2 years prior and embarked on a deep soul search. A soul search to clear internal clutter I had been carrying with me for many years. After the passing of my parents in 1999 and 2000 I was somewhat lost emotionally. I was in deep grief and mourning for a decade. Read more>>
Erika Royal
By the time I was in high school, I knew that I wanted to be a lawyer. I thought that lawyers were so smart and the work seemed challenging and interesting. I also thought that entering a profession like the law would provide me with a financial security that, growing up the oldest of three children with divorced parents, I did not have. In high school, I participated in mock trial and I loved pretending to be an attorney. Read more>>
Dr. Morais Cassell
My journey in the counseling/mental health field began in the Northeast where I served youth and families in local churches, many of whom like myself, were labeled at-risk. In my junior year of high school the former mayor of New York City, the late David Dinkins launched a peer youth crisis hotline, I was recruited and received extensive training in crisis intervention to help youth cope, manage, and navigate life’s issues. Read more>>
Laura Wood
When I was in graduate school to become a counselor, I noticed that I wasn’t like the other people in the program. I didn’t feel like I fit in very well, I felt like they all did things the “normal” way, and I was the total opposite. I started the program in 2013, as a single mom of three young boys, 6, 8, and 10 at the time. By then I had been married and divorced, lived all over the country and even in Germany for a while (my ex is in the military), Read more>>
Melissa Walker
I had been in practice for 11 years and had just published my first book when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was 42 years old. Until my diagnosis, I had been prepared to launch my book and fill my calendar with travelling for speaking engagements and workshops, a book tour, and other very busy, important things. As a therapist, I was no stranger to the struggle of balancing self-care with a full caseload and I was about to add “travelling author” to my list of things to manage. Read more>>
Tatiana Ramos
The day I became a certified keto coach I wondered what I was going to do with all my previous training as a journalist as well as my experience as a college professor and marketing professional. Basically, being a wellness provider had nothing to do with what I prepared myself for. Life was devising this big surprise for me, that is the gift of being able to share all of it through a healing way. I like to call it magic. Precisely because of all my years of experience I can now teach, inform and help others through my own brand: Tatyketo. Read more>>
Brini Williams
Being hired by HSN , a very notable home shopping network on television , was probably a career turn point , as well as a defining moment . I remember waking up early that morning , and heading into the studio. The client whose products i was modeling that day , called me on FaceTime and said “ did you get the products in the mail ?”……i said NO THEY NEVER CAME! Read more>>
Shynikia Means
The defining moment of “Awww” was when I looked in the mirror and decided to deal with me! Meaning “ I had to understand why I hated me”! Which started during the early stages of childhood. I was molested at 5 to age 6 by a family friend and then from age 6 to about 8 by one of my uncles. At 16, a friend tried to date rape me and also that’s the year I had decided I was going to take my own life. Which a spiritual moment happened and I didn’t finish the job. I watched my mom be abused, I dealt with homelessness as a child and I was in an abusive relationship myself, where my kids were going to be left with out a mother if I didn’t leave. Read more>>
Melony Hill
Coming from a dysfunctional home, rife with struggle and abuse, I have always struggles with emotional and mental issues. I remember vividly waking up from My first blackout at only the age of 6, one week after witnessing my stepfather’s murder in our home. I got in trouble when I got home, my mother sure that I must be lying about not knowing how to get home. Read more>>
Terrica Williams
Its amazing how we can do something our entire lives only to wake up and realize we have been doing it wrong the whole time. Having my daughter at a young age I always heard, ” Its not about you anymore”, ” What you want doesn’t matter” Unfortunately, I whole heartedly believed that.. fast forward, my daughter is now 15 years old and I have finally realized.. Read more>>
Jonathan Bennett
As a follower of Christ, I have had and continue to have defining moments in my professional career. As a first-generation college graduate, I struggled just to set a bar in my family. Due to the love and support of my parents, I was able to finish my race. There were several times when I felt inadequate and wanted to quit. I left a hometown where I was in the majority and attended a college where I fell into the minority race. Read more>>