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.

Michael Powell

There was… I think it was the first family day we did at CBCF. At that time I was thinking about maybe switching careers. I work in a prison or corrections type of setting and with my own prison story I didn’t want to feel like my life was dedicated to prison in some way. Like, I did my time already and it was time to move on. But, on family day I got to see a group of men who had been secluded from their children for an extended period of time and just the look of excitement, how loving they were to their children and knowing that it hadn’t happened before until we brought the program in, I got a new spark for why I’m still tied to the system in the way I am. Read more>>

Ashley Baer

The defining moment in my career came out of a personal experience when for the second time I almost died from going unconscious while driving a car. The first time I was pregnant and going through a divorce, and the second time was on the anniversary of my mother’s suicide when I went unconscious while driving on a freeway. I shouldn’t be alive today but I am because I believe it is to share this story of how one can affect physical and mental health through breath. While no medical professional even neurologists at The Mayo Clinic could find a medical reason for my going unconscious, I healed myself. I had been collapsing for what seemed like no apparent reason for over twenty years. I now know it was the stress I carried in my mind from years of trauma.The last two accidents were on highly emotional days losing my marriage, and remembering my mother’s suicide and it was through these accidents that I discovered I had ten brain lesions. I had been an educator teaching special education specifically Language Arts, and Social Studies, and I was working as a mediator for a school system in what also was a stressful job. These near death experiences forced me to look at my stress level and mental health and when I did, I discovered yoga, mindfulness and meditation. When I realized the effect these practices had on my mental and physical health, I changed my entire career. I became a Yoga teacher, and I studied mindfulness and I knew I had to bring these practices into schools. From my training I created a program, The Mindful Breathing Program, and I now teach teachers and children how to breathe for stress, anxiety and depression. When I am not working with educators and children, I coach personal clients ranging from teachers, to nurses to even NFL players how to manage their stress through mindfulness. Read more>>

Diane Moss

In 2018, a “for-sale” sign appeared at the gate at the Mt Hope Community Garden, a green space operated by PNV for more than 7 years. Our lease with the city for the property had expired and the city decided to sell. I was in a leadership position with Project New Village and when the “for-sale” sign appeared at the property, we needed to decide on our next move. Project New Village is a small nonprofit focused on food justice strategies using our experience with community organizing, advocacy and activism. Although well-endowed with dreams, relationships and cultural way making skills, it would take more capital assets to pursue purchasing this property. This option would substantially increase our investment in community revitalization and empowerment. Long story short, there were many factors to consider, from costs to impact to sustainability, however we weight ed the odds and the PNV leadership teams chose to take this opportunity for land ownership. We successfully placed a bid into the public area to purchase the land underneath the Mt Hope Garden. This was the first of many decisions that would change our trajectory from primarily grass rooted efforts to today, in 2024, managing the predevelopment activities for the anticipated construction of “The Village” – a multi-use commercial food hub – in Southeastern San Diego. This is an Equitable Food Orientated Development project valued at $10 million. Read more>>

Brenda Hwang and Rebekah Carr

BRENDA – I entered the world of speech pathology with full intentions of working as a medical speech pathologist with adult patients. I focused my studies in adult neurogenic communication and swallowing disorders, and gained experience within the Memphis Veterans Medical Center. I absolutely loved every moment. I became passionate about working with the geriatric population and became a certified dementia practitioner. Read more>>

Rebecca Clark

In a world where adversity can define or derail, Rebecca Clark stands as a beacon of resilience and inspiration. Born into a fight for life, grappling with autism, and overcoming speech and developmental delays, Rebecca’s story is not just one of survival, but of thriving against the odds. Read more>>

Anna Flores Locke

Struggling to get pregnant for three years, changed my professional trajectory forever. Despite being a mental health counselor, I suffered in silence with infertility for more than 8 years and never sought professional support. When I finally broke my silence by writing about my infertility story in, “Body Betrayal: Living and Understanding Infertility”, I realized the power of healing through sharing. My mission is simple – to open doors for conversation on the stigmatized topic of infertility so others don’t have to suffer in silence. Through mental health counseling, public speaking, writing and offering support groups, I am actively breaking down the barriers that stop people from healing through sharing. Read more>>

Amma Ash

In the year 2023, I experienced a defending moment that shifted my perspective and brought about a profound realization: I am more important than the tasks and obligations that fill my life. This revelation allowed me to prioritize my well-being and personal growth above all else. In our fast-paced and demanding world, it is easy to get caught up in the never-ending to-do lists and responsibilities that consume our time and energy. We often prioritize external achievements and the completion of tasks, neglecting our own needs and self-care in the process. However, my defining moment in 2023 served as a wake-up call, reminding me that my well-being and happiness should always come first. Read more>>

SHAWN JOHNSON, MD

My defining moment in my professional career came in November 2022. I received a letter in the mail from my employer at the time stating that they would no longer need my services after 90 days. I was taken aback. I’m an orthopedic surgeon with years of experience. I built the hospital’s orthopedic department from scratch because they had not had an organic orthopedic practice for more than ten years before hiring me in 2020. Per the CEO, my patient census was 1100, and the department was seemingly doing well. I and my peers later found out that another healthcare system had purchased the hospital, which decided to terminate several employees’ contracts without any explanation, including my entire department. Read more>>

Lori Theisen

Becoming a parent was definitely a defining moment in my life and most definitely, a defining moment in my professional career. I was living in Los Angeles, working as a bartender and Pilates instructor as an aspiring actress, when I became pregnant with my son. My son was born the day I was supposed to take a class on breastfeeding. I wasn’t too worried about breastfeeding, because, like many others, I thought nursing a baby would be easy and natural. I was certainly mistaken. My son was admitted to the NICU and that’s where I learned all about breastfeeding, latching, positioning, pumping and bottle feeding. One doctor would tell me one thing, another doctor would tell me the opposite, the NICU lactation consultant would tell me something brand new and then the nurse would tell me I was doing it all wrong. I was frustrated to say the least. I knew there had to be some hard yesses and hard no’s in feeding babies. Why were so many professionals telling me so many conflicting things? Soon, I learned it was the IBCLC (Lactation Consultant) who was the feeding expert and I focused on learning from her which led to a successful feeding journey for my son and I. Feeding babies could not and should not have been as hard as it for me. I moved back to Iowa, studied lactation under two seasoned IBCLCs all while in nursing school and raising my son. I became an IBCLC (International Board-certified lactation consultant) in 2015 and an BSN, RN in 2016. I did it all so that I could help families in ways that I was helped, and, in the ways, I was not helped. After all, being a parent is hard enough-feeding your baby shouldn’t be. Read more>>

Peri Heft

If I could outline a defining moment in my professional career, it would be when I hired a coach/agency to help me grow and scale in ways I couldn’t do on my own. Read more>>

Whitney Wood

All my life I’ve wanted to be able to help people. Any time I’ve learned something that excites me, I want to share it with everyone I know who could benefit from that information. But for the longest time, I’ve struggled with feeling like I had enough authority in any area to really be able to actually charge somebody for my time and knowledge. I felt so lost and confused on my own, how did I think I could offer anybody anything? The imposter in me had dug deep into my mind to where I really didn’t think I had any skills at all. I started out in music, accomplishing all the goals I had actually set out to achieve. I was making a good living, singing for tv and movies and some of the world’s most famous artists. I was touring the world and living essentially the dream I thought I had. But, all while doing that, I felt like I didn’t belong at all. I felt like everyone else was better than me and it was a fluke that I was getting called for these kinds of jobs. I wasn’t able to enjoy everything I was doing because I was terrified and felt like I had to work so hard just to prove I could “hang” with all the pros. People started asking me for advice in the industry and wanted me to teach them the things that I had learned and still, I thought I had nothing to impart to anyone because I thought it was all luck. Read more>>

Astin N. Blount

During August 2020 during the global pandemic, I was working a job as an Executive Assistant at an organization that supported and advocated for children in Washington, D.C. with Special Needs. Read more>>

Scott Morris, MD, MDiv

I first came to Memphis in 1986. Having completed my theological and medical education, I was determined to begin a health-care ministry for the working uninsured in low-wage jobs. I had dreamed of this for years as I slogged my way through the training that would make it possible. Read more>>

Iris Kerin Orbuch, MD

The defining moment for me was when I started thinking outside the box and how to best treat those with endometriosis. Instead of thinking like sheep, which is how I was taught in training during residency, which clearly wasn’t effective at helping those suffering from endometriosis, I decided to look at the body as a whole. I started thinking of endometriosis as an inflammatory disease that affects the whole body. This began my collaborating with urologists, integrative nutritionists, pelvic floor physical therapists, pain physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, trauma therapists, acupuncturists as well as Integrative medicine doctors. At the same time, I started rethinking how the treatment paradigm that existed wasn’t helping patients to extent it should. I felt like a salmon swimming upstream treating endometriosis as an inflammatory disease that affects the whole. Read more>>

Kiki Athanas

When I realized I could still want to be thin, pretty, and desirable…AND heal my relationship to food. For the longest time, and really in most of what I thought was my “healing journey” (cue: therapy, “food freedom”, and “body love”), I had this interpretation of being “healed” as not caring how I looked. Essentially, I believed that when I have a healthy relationship to food and self, I won’t care if I’m slim or not. While perspectives of this may actually be true & I do agree with – the real shift for me happened when I accepted that I can want to be thin AND use food as a healthy source of nourishment. It was when food freedom became enjoying food responsibly to and for my body – in visceral feeling and in aesthetic goals. It was freeing to tell myself the truth, and not shame myself for my true desires. Accepting myself also meant accepting how I genuinely desire to see myself. From that place, I could “get real” about how I don’t actually need to restrict food, I just need to consume it intentionally and in accordance to the innate boundaries of MY body. Read more>>

Kaytee (Kaytlyn) Gillis

I think the defining moment for me was when I realized that an abusive person has more rights in the legal system than their accuser. This is true in all cases, from the assault survivor who accuses their attacker, to the child of abuse who is retraumatized through the court while testifying against their abuser. For me, it happened while trying to protect myself from someone who was out for revenge against me for ending a relationship. I had heard so many stories of survivors saying that the court system is unfair, but it is one thing to hear stories, and another thing to actually experience it. To actually sit there feeling helpless and infuriated at the same time, feeling like you are in the middle of the ocean doing the doggy paddle, with nobody even bothering to throw you a life jacket! Read more>>