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

Erin Henry

I never wanted to be a therapist. In fact, when I first graduated from social work school I didn’t even plan on getting my clinical license; but what I have learned over the years is if something is meant for us, it will always find a way, and it turns out I was meant to be a therapist, particularly one who gets to be creative and work with people in non-traditional settings. Read more>>

Rev Billy Simmons

It’s not a simple as one job in one field, I wear many hats. I transitioned from a professional musician into a cosmetologist, because one door closed, and one I wasn’t even looking for opened. the 90s was an interesting time in the art world, it left me out of one profession looking for another. With some unfortunate holdovers from one into the other. Read more>>

Ortavia Taylor

In the clinical portion of school I was always booked with a list of people wanting to get a massage. My instructor who we didn’t see eye to eye in the beginning because we were to strong mined women. We became great friends and I was her go to massage therapist. We are still friends and she is my mentor.. She had a few connections and put in a good word for me at the chiropractor’s office wellness experience. I started out with $30 an hour that was a lot for someone who was just finishing school. Read more>>

toni newman

Equality California was fighting for LGBTQ marriage in California and I joined as a fundraising canvasser helping to raise money for LGBTQ equality. I was the only transgender individual working there at the time and I was so excited to raise money for LGBTQ equality. People who were rude and homophobic confronted us but we fought on and won marriage in the state of California. I learned to stay the course and that equality work is difficult in this job. Read more>>

Tracy Shearer

I got my first job in my field by proactively reaching out to decision makers of various companies to offer wellness motivational presentations, mindfulness workshops and stress reduction services to employees. My pitch included my story, first-hand experience, return of investment, and an offer of promotional discounts for individual participants. I was very realistic and careful in how I set and managed expectations. With the manta “one goal, one moment, one client at a time”, I focused on securing just one client. Read more>>

Jessica Cvetic

As I reflect on my journey in aesthetics, I fondly remember my humble beginnings in the ER, where my passion for precision and patient satisfaction first took root. I was working in a small, rural ER, committed to 12-hour shifts, four days a week, a grueling 2.5-hour drive from my home. Despite the demands, I thrived in this environment, and my supervising physician and mentor took notice of my exceptional suturing skills, particularly in complex laceration repairs. Read more>>

Dr. Christopher Respass

So, how I got my first job in ministry is crazy–it’s God-centered, but it’s crazy (in the best possible sense). So, I am a licensed attorney, but I was called to preach during my third year (senior year) of law school. I started preaching that fall and graduated the following spring. Through God’s favor I was able to move from law school and straight into a corporate, in-house counsel practice at a Fortune 500 company in Dallas. (That never happens and is perhaps another story for a different day). Read more>>