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

Luiza Barteldes

I was a ballet dancer living in New York City in the early 2000s. After working with different jobs from a pet care business to real estate, I decided to apply my dancing background in something movement related. I considered personal training and yoga, until I found pilates. I knew this lady from ballet class who was a pilates instructor. Her name was Pam Pardi. Little did I know, she was a well respected teacher who trained under Roman’a Kryzanowska, Joseph Pilates only protege. So Pam took me under her wing and I was accepted in the True Pilates certification program. They were in the original studio founded by Joseph Pilates. They still had some of the equipment he built and also his original students! It was the real deal. I was very lucky to train there. After 9 months, I completed my final tests and became a certified pilates instructor! Read more>>

Nicole Strauss

I love this question, and have never really thought about it! Since childhood, I have always been a math and puzzles kind of girl, and also simultaneously, an extremely sensitive empath. I knew from very young I wanted to be a psychologist, and wanted to set myself up well to achieve this goal. I declared my Psychology major for college right at the start, and considered double majoring in math. That was until I took my first statistics college course, and realized very quickly how well this subject aligned with my math mind. It became clear that pursuing a PhD path was my destiny, and I thus began stacking my resume with statistics and research jobs over the years to make myself a competitive applicant. My first job on this path was a teaching assistant job at my undergraduate university in our Psychology Statistics course. I loved it :) Read more>>

Pamela Kinsey

On February 3, 1986 I started my first day working for a national laboratory as a finance clerk. I began working there as a high school senior and in that summer after graduation I left for college. I attended Washington State University and earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration while continuing to work. In the beginning I was just a young high school student so my purpose was just to go to work, be there on time, earn my paycheck and buy the things I wanted or needed in college. I didn’t have any specific career aspirations, didn’t have a mentor or someone to guide me my professional career until many years later. Read more>>

Zsofia Bodi-Kiss

It’s hard to say where one part of my journey ends and another begins. Today, I’m both a clinical psychologist and a tattoo artist – and over time, these two professions have become inseparable parts of who I am. Read more>>

Greg Bulgin

For 20 years, I served in the Air Force as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist, preparing radioactive tracers and using molecular imaging to study organ functions. It
was precise, hands-on work—every scan mattered for a patient’s care. But as retirement neared in 2022, I craved more than a new job. I wanted a completely different career. Foreign policy and international affairs sparked my curiosity, especially the role of a foreign disclosure officer. It felt like a chance to take my military experience and contribute on a global stage. Read more>>

Desiree Holmes Scherini BCH, MHt, LBLt

Let me begin by telling you that while in college I was torn between choosing a major in fine arts or psychology. As I loved art and creating painting and drawing, I also love the field of psychology understanding the mind and what makes people tick. Read more>>

Stephen Ellis

I began medical school with the intention of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. But during my internship year, I discovered a deep interest in anesthesia and shifted course to become an anesthesiologist. Around that same time, my personal health had declined significantly, and I knew I needed to make some changes. Read more>>

Brandon Martinez

My first job in my field came to me by allowing someone popular to work with in my field a day to spend with their family. In stunts we have to train extremely hard but also network. This coordinator was at the renaissance festival with their family and instead of hustling them I asked our group of friends to leave him to enjoy a day with his family. That coordinator heard me say that but didn’t find us. 2 weeks later at the renaissance fair again he recognized my voice when I went to say hi to a group of other stunt performers I know. He offered me my first job there. I am forever grateful to that man. Read more>>

Katie Chapmon

Becoming a dietitian was a 2nd career for me. I finished graduate school, sat for my board exams and then honestly had no idea what I wanted to do with it. Even throughout all of my internships, it was difficult for me to find my calling. So, my first job was the one that felt the most right at the time. However, it changed my entire life and trajectory. It was more than just a job – it peaked my interest into further study, becoming a subject expert and speaking internationally on the subject. You just never know… Read more>>

Christine Ballou

My first official job was what I thought my DREAM job, but I quit after 3 months.

I was treating patients with pelvic floor and neurological conditions. I thought it was everything I wanted. But I was driving 100 miles a day to/from work 5 days a week. I became so burnt out in such a short amount of time.

I knew I wanted to work in a hospital setting because of the benefits provided. So I applied to an opening at a hospital near me. I heard nothing. So I called the department and asked for the director. She told me the job was for someone internally and she’s not hiring. Read more>>

Jimanekia Eborn

My first official job in the field was working in group homes, but not the typical group homes. I worked with a company called CTC, “Children’s Therapeutic Communities”. They had 12 houses at the time, with six boys in each. What made this particular population enjoyable was that all of these boys were juvenile sex offenders.. It was truly a wild ride, and I learned a lot about myself as well as others. I learned a lot about perception, boundaries, communication, anger,,r and, harm. I often worked with a kid who did not assault someone; there was consent. However, there was a year or two difference in the age gap. And the parents did not like it, so they reported them. Throughout my work and life, I have encountered individuals who have left a lasting impression. Read more>>

Tiffany Grunwald

private practice surgeon: I had some amazing mentors who showed me the joy in taking care of patients. They encouraged me to take multiple risks ( in my mind) to be a surgeon, to go into private practice where I could define the way I wanted to take care of patients and how to restore patients to wellness after surgery Read more>>

Julien Stoutt

I spent roughly a year unemployed due to the Crash of 2008 as I graduated college towards the end of that year. I was really struggling and concerned about keeping my family’s head above water. I actually fell into a depression as a result. I had to work my way back through those roller coaster of emotions. Fear, worry, defeat, demoralization, shame, and guilt were all emotions I felt around this time. I just wanted to work in or around the field of fitness. Sales, child care, maintenance, or simply Personal Training. I was desperate. So, one day waiting to pick up my daughter from school I became incensed. Read more>>