We asked some fantastic entrepreneurs and creatives to tell us about their first job in their field. Check out their stories below.

Sierrah Dietz

I had just graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in dance and was looking for a job that would allow me to have a flexible schedule so I could continue to pursue my passion in dance. One of my professors in school was a Pilates instructor and had introduced the method to me during my time at SFSU, I was drawn to It as a mover and my professor encouraged me to get my certification. Soon into my training I realized how homogenous the culture of pilates was, there was truly no diversity within the clients or other instructors. Read more>>

Jazmin Rodriguez-Stranak

In 2011, at the age of 17, I embarked on a thrilling journey in the beauty industry. I had just earned my cosmetology license, but my heart was set on a different path, one that veered away from the traditional salon scene of cutting hair. My passion, you see, resided in skincare and makeup, even though at that time, makeup careers weren’t as mainstream as they are today. Read more>>

Teemaree

There were two times I got my first job in this field of personal growth, wellness, and transformation. The first, was when I personally took on the job of transforming myself. I had so many things I wanted to accomplish and was so far from them. Without resources or support changing myself the job at hand felt monumental and yet I had to say yes. Read more>>

Breanna Carroll

My first job in my chosen field was at a local Chiropractic office. I was fresh out of Massage school and I had quit my catering job in hopes of landing a job promptly. I took a massive leap of faith because I knew deep within that this was the path I was meant to walk. Read more>>

Kirsten Pannell

Being an Entrepreneur and working a 9 to 5 all while being a single mother to a young Black boy is a difficult task. Working a 9 to 5 in a position that you no longer have a passion in is even more trying. When starting Melanated Moments, I had been in the health care industry for 10 years. I was a Care Coordinator for a homecare agency and I thrived in my position because my focus has always been to help those in need in whatever capacity. Read more>>

Jennifer Tabrizi

When I was younger, I didn’t care about taking care of my health. I ate poorly, stayed up late, and partied, I truly thought my body was invincible. I eventually started to get very sick and started experiencing a bunch of crazy symptoms. About a year and a half into feeling this way, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an autoimmune disease with no official cure. This turned my entire life upside down. Read more>>

Stephanie Meekhof

This is actually a pretty cool story! In October of 2013 I moved to Georgia from Michigan and was overweight, depressed, just overall unhappy. I was a nanny at the time and thought that was what I was going to be doing for the rest off my life. I loved kids and thought why not keep working with them, well, after working for a not so ideal family, I had changed that idea completely, but didn’t know where to go next. Read more>>