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.

Grandmaster Shifu Brett Russell

I’d been teaching martial arts for three years in 1999 when I began teaching stunt actors at Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia. I was asked to be the personal martial arts trainer for the actor John Leguizamo – I trained John up to 4 times a week for about a year. Read more>>

Jessica Menard

My journey into the mental health industry is a bit of a mixed bag, which I absolutely adore because I believe it’s precisely what I needed to relate to the multifaceted complexities of others. It’s what cemented my allegiance to inclusivity. Fitness has always been a part of my life, and before entering the field, I was a personal trainer and taught special education to elementary-aged students. Read more>>

Sykora Zabel-Karr

My defining moment in my professional career was when I decided to prioritize my mental well-being and work through my own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This experience changed my trajectory and led to both personal growth and professional success. Read more>>

Clara Medalen

My dog Nero suffered a concussion as a puppy. He was hit in the head with a tennis ball while playing fetch. You may not know, but to adjust a puppy it only takes the pressure you would use to test the ripeness of a tomato. The hit on the head was more than enough to misalign his skull bones. Read more>>

Kimberly Harrison Rieli

Imagine being disowned by your own father for singing a song. Read more>>

Chanel Washington

As a doula, I’ve had the privilege of bearing witness to numerous transformative moments in the lives of the families I’ve supported. One defining moment that stands out occurred during a home birth for a couple expecting their first babygirl. Read more>>

Cam Brown

I call this my “sweet potato moment” and I’ve told it to hundreds of women across the country at this point. Read more>>

Justin & Amelia Long

The defining moment in our professional career choices goes back to the moment our son was diagnosed with having Autism. We did not know then what it would mean for us years later but that is the moment that our course was plotted and eventually would come to the day that we set sail in our vision. With his diagnosis then came finding providers that would help give him the tools he needed to be as successful as possible. Read more>>

Dr. Rachael Meir

As a clinically trained psychologist with almost two decades of experience practicing in a variety of settings, I have gained a deep understanding of human behavior and the complexities of interpersonal relationships. However, it was a combination of my own personal experience and a profound realization that set me on a new path. Having explored the swinging lifestyle for a number of years and then transitioning from a heternormative monogamous relationship to a polyamorous triad, I experienced the transformative power of ethical non-monogamy (ENM) in my own life. Read more>>

Judy Batista

During my undergraduate studies, I enrolled in a public speaking course taught by a speech pathologist who had a significant stuttering challenge. She became my ultimate inspiration and guide throughout my professional life. Her unwavering determination, despite her speech impairment, reminded me that success is achievable even when faced with circumstances beyond our control. Read more>>

Elizabeth Simonton

There were two Mothers who had a baby in the NICU at the time my son, Benedict, was there who really inspired the creation of ICU baby. The NICU is the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and it is the division of the hospital that cares for the tiniest members of our community – babies born premature or critically ill. Benedict’s NICU bed sat side-by-side with nearly 24 other beds holding newborn babies requiring specialized medical care. Read more>>

Jennifer Parker

Throughout history there have been defining moments often associated with war and pestilence. As the chair and professor of human sciences, I watched the pandemic unfold across Asia and Europe with growing anxiety, but nothing prepares you until the true horror of events comes knocking on your front door. Covid arrived in the Midwest during Spring Break 2020. Read more>>

Laverne McKinnon

A defining moment in my career was when I was fired from a company that I had been working with for ten years. I had a fairly meteoric rise being promoted every 18-24 months and came to be a Senior Vice-President. And then one day, out of the blue for me, I was told that I was a liability. Read more>>

Catherine Kelly

When I founded Wasatch Functional Medicine, I was inspired by the desire to make functional medicine accessible to many people and I do a lot of teaching in the exam room on a lifestyle I am passionate about. The way we eat, live, manage stress, sleep, and relationships affects our health. Food as Medicine is a concept that reaffirms this connection and recognizes that access to high-quality nourishment is essential for well-being. Read more>>

Layne VanLieshout

Oh man, I’ll try to keep it short… My training in the health field was based on conventional medical philosophies that involve the diagnosis of disease and treatment (usually with pharmaceuticals). I always knew the system was somewhat broken based on what others had told me, but I didn’t really grasp that concept early on. Read more>>