Every once in a while, something happens that really matters. Something that will define at least the next chapter of your journey – perhaps it’s a conversation with a client, a meeting with a visionary or a major event in your personal life. Below, you’ll find some very insightful folks sharing defining moments from their journeys.

Safia Pulliam

COVID! I was already starting to feel burnout from doing nails. I had been working as a nail artist for 7 years. I was no longer excited about the work I was doing. The conversations were becoming more and more superficial and redundant, the environment more and more toxic and I wasn’t inspired to create the art clients were asking for. Read more>>

Valeria Koopman

Up to that moment, I was living in the past. I was literally reliving my traumas in the present. I could have benefited from therapy, but it never occurred to me that I was not okay. Read more>>

Crystal Adkins

In 2009 my initial certification as an Adult Nurse Practitioner allowed me to provide care to individuals age 13 and up. As an Adult Nurse Practitioner my first job was in Radiation Oncology though my passion was mental health. While I gained a great sense of fulfillment working in Radiation Oncology, I eventually transitioned my career to psychiatry. Working in mental health allowed me to work in different settings, including outpatient and inpatient substance abuse rehabilitation. Read more>>

Bridgitte Jackson-Buckley

Channeling is not something I intended to do. It was not a part of my plan to share in a public way. It was something I intended to remain a quietly kept secret. For years, I’ve read, watched and listened to channeled material as a source of encouragement and guidance during challenging times. Read more>>

Ashley Baylor

Excellent question. Thank you for asking. There was a major defining moment in my career: one I did not expect nor anticipate. Even though I have been a massage therapist for 9 years, my true passion has always been physical therapy. I began my pursuit to become a physical therapist back in high school, but I faced some road blocks along the way. Read more>>

Jessie Douglass-Smith McGraw

Growing up and throughout my twenties, I was always very clear on what I wanted to achieve professionally. I was the type that would have a goal, do everything I could to make that goal attainable, climb the ladder to achieve it, then move on to the next goal. At nearly 30 years old, I very quickly segued into a career that I thought was going to be the career I would retire from. Read more>>

Loely Burgos

I would have to say that a defining experience for me making the decision to start a career in the Cannabis Industry was when I was asked to help Sandra. Sandra had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and wanted a more holistic way of dealing with all of the symptoms associated with the end of her life. She was in pain which made it difficult for her to sleep and eat. Read more>>

Annette Mesa

In June of 2019, at 52 years of age and after 33 years of service with the City of Tucson, I retired from a civilian position with the Tucson Police Department. I kept my dance business going while working towards my retirement, by teaching line dancing since 1992, and regular high impact Zumba and quinceaneras choreography since 2010. Once I announced on Facebook that my retirement was soon, the offers to teach daytime classes for active adults came rolling in. Read more>>

Nimira Alibhoy

I really consider this more to be a defining moment in my life. High school can be a challenge either way – studying, standardized testing, extra curricular activities – all for the chance to get into the college of your choice. I remember working so hard in high school and ended up in a seven year program to get my Bachelors of Science and Doctor of Osteopathy degrees at the same time. Read more>>

Erica Galia

Over the course of the past year, two defining moments emerged that have had a profound and lasting impact on the direction of my career: Read more>>

LaShanna Moore

The beauty of being an educator and advocate in the health and wellness field is that you’re able to see the transitions and demands of women’s health needs. Read more>>

Erna Alfred Liousas

When I was 21, I became a family caregiver. It was not a career choice or planned decision. My Mother suffered a massive stroke and I decided her care was more important than anything else. Read more>>

Chanin Zellner

I spent 30 years in the accounting industry which included 10 years of owning my own bookkeeping company. I knew accounting like the back of my hand. And then I switched to the field of energy healing. A complete switch in a different direction! Read more>>

Connor Huff

I didn’t get started in the health and wellness space until later in life, I actually had no idea that I had an interest in that until after college. I was raised in a pretty strict household where there was only one real way to live your life, which was college then get a 9-5, climb the corporate ladder etc etc. I quickly learned when I moved to LA and had my first 9-5 as a project manager how unhappy I was with my choice of career in life. Read more>>

Jazzmine Brooks

I received an email highlighting Black maternal and infant mortality issues in Iowa. I realized that after many years of healthcare and increased technology, Black women were still dying at 6x the rate of white women and that Black babies were not receiving quality and preventative care to survive past one year. Simultaneously, I researched how this issue was being addressed and found the National Black Doula Association. Read more>>

Mari Reisberg

As someone who has had several different careers, one of the most defining moments in my life was when I figured out a pivotal piece of my career puzzle. This event started my journey in the counseling field. After college, (I have a BFA in acting) I moved to NYC to pursue a career in the theater. I ended up singing in an Irish band, working at a restaurant and being a nanny. Read more>>

Bridgett Davis

My sobriety journey has been a profound and transformative experience in my life. It all began when I realized that I needed to make a change for my well-being. There wasn’t a specific rock-bottom moment, but a gradual realization that alcohol was negatively impacting my life, both personally and professionally. Read more>>

Cleon Joseph

What defines my business is my commitment to my community. In 2013, I started a community fitness program called “The Fitness Syndicate vs. Obesity.” I had a vision of bringing together the top trainers in Los Angeles to lay their competitiveness down and train 20 obese members of the Los Angeles community who struggle with obesity at no charge for eight weeks. Read more>>

Gabriele Purrer

After ten years in my first career as a multilingual teacher and administrator in a private international school, I experienced a desire to expand my personal horizons. I resigned my position and began exploring alternatives. The transitional stress created imbalances in my body. During a hands-on healing session by a friend I felt sensations I had never been aware of before. Read more>>

Joyce Gerber

My defining moment was when my new friend Johnny brought me to my first health food restaurant . I lovedeverything about it…the food, the books and magazines, recounting how people’s lives were saved by changing their diets, the people shopping and eating there, and the reverence for nature I felt infused in the place. Read more>>

Beven Sangi

While I was in aesthetician school and doing my clinical work, I wasn’t totally sure if this was the field for me. The many clients that I saw while in school all said they loved what I did for them, loved my touch and how I made them feel and this gave me the confidence and desire to pursue this field of work. Read more>>

Elaine Morrison

I had been teaching Pilates for 7 years when I was offered the opportunity to work in a stock brokerage. I loved teaching Pilates and adored my clients but I was hungry for a new challenge. Working for a stock brokerage required me to obtain my series 7 and 66 licenses. I hadn’t studied or been in school for 20 years and it felt daunting to me. Read more>>