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.

Jordana Edelstein

Prior to working as a nutrition, behavior and body image coach I had 2 other careers. Right after college I worked in advertising for 10 years, with a successful career working on brands like Folgers and Hershey’s chocolate. After my son was born I followed a personal passion and did a major career switch to start teaching yoga. Over time, I blended yoga with strength training, mobility and somatics, creating a really unique style of practice and movement that didn’t really exist anywhere else. I built my own successful business, teaching classes and privates in my home and then online. Read more>>

Juliettte Viger

As a Grinberg Method practitioner, I get to teach my clients to rely on their body’s innate abilities to face any experiences or challenges in their lives. I work with people who struggle with chronic pain, with stress, with specific situations, with manifesting their goals, etc. And sometimes I work with people who are in the midst of a crisis and urgently need care. I rarely work with my own family, but last year came an event I would not have imagined that changed the approach to my work.
My grandmother, whom I grew up with and had a really beautiful relationship with, got sick with blood cancer. She was 84 and not only did the diagnosis weaken her, but she had to start a heavy chemotherapy treatment for many months. After 3 months of chemo, her state degraded greatly, she caught a lung infection and had to stop the treatment to heal. When the infection was treated, she had lost all hope and will to fight for her life, knowing how painful and exhausting it had been to go through chemo at her age. Read more>>

Shaleena Tareen

Two key events that shifted the course of my career were the COVID pandemic and my sons’ mental health challenges. I had worked with children and families throughout my life, but witnessing the widespread decline in children’s mental health during COVID, especially as it impacted my own home, profoundly altered my path. Read more>>

Ben Bumguardner

Yes, there was a moment that truly shifted the direction of my career, and it happened while I was still in school. One of my classmates, Jay Bhakta, gave me advice that would leave a lasting impact on both my personal and professional development. He told me something so simple, yet so profound: “If you want to impact as many people as you say you do, you need to be more open-minded.” At first, it seemed like general advice, but the more I reflected on it, the more it hit home. Jay explained that while we all strive to learn and grow, there are things we can learn faster and more effectively through the experiences of others, rather than trying to do everything on our own. From that point on, I shifted my mindset. I made a conscious effort to listen more than I spoke, to ask thoughtful questions, and to seek out wisdom from anyone willing to share their experiences—whether they were in my field or not. Read more>>

Ashley Beeman

I have been in the wellness space since 2011. For over a decade I was personally lost in my own journey. I had put all of my worth into making my body smaller. No matter how small I got it was never enough. On top of that I was never truly able to maintain any of my own results. Which would lead me to resort to horrible ways to make myself smaller. At one point in my career I was highly addicted to stimulants (adderall) and I just felt like a fraud. If I couldn’t maintain my weight loss how could I help my clients. Eventually I gave up my addiction and went on a healing journey. Through this journey I was still focused on making my body smaller. Finally I had enough. I was frustrated and tried of yo-yo dieting. Really I was tired of fighting with myself. So I decided to heal my relationship to food, my body, and myself. I slowly stepped away from coaching weight loss clients and promised myself I would never step back into the wellness space again. Read more>>

Dalia Cabrera

I remember my first research internship one summer in Michigan. I was just starting my career in science, and during a meeting, I excitedly shared with a friend that I was looking forward to returning to Mexico with hopes of applying for a year-long internship at Harvard University. I didn’t have the GPA required for the application—just one-tenth short—and knowing my university standards, they probably wouldn’t even consider my documents or would place me at the end of their list for sending profiles to Harvard professors. That’s when my friend gave me a piece of advice that, perhaps unknowingly, changed my path. He simply said, “Why don’t you contact the professor you’re interested in directly?” It was advice I had never considered before. Read more>>

René García

The most defining moment in my career was to focus my therapy practice on primarily helping Adult Men. That moment came in 2019 when I was feeling somewhat lost in my career. By that time, I had been a therapist for 19 years and felt somewhat stuck. I had a good amount of clients who were seeking therapy however, I did not have a niche. I started hearing conversations about Men and how they are all “evil” or have the inability to change. I kept hearing phrases like “men don’t go to therapy” from friends, family, and unfortunately even other therapists. I just felt these antiquated mind sets not only hurt these men seeking help but, were also perpetuated by the very same people who could benefit the most from these men’s receiving help. Also, incredible movements like #MeToo were now publicly holding men accountable for their actions. Read more>>

Grant Offenberger

There have been many defining moments throughout my journey. The first one being me sitting at home, watching a Tony Robbins video, and learning about hypnosis and NLP. The next moment was just by chance, crossing paths with a man who would later become my hypnosis mentor, Jason Linett. Starting my own hypnosis practice Grant Me Peace – Hypnosis Healing Center. Having my own panel at San Diego Comic Con, teaching a packed double room of hundreds of people about hypnosis. Working with well known celebrity athletes. And finally, becoming the head instructor at the Southern California College of Hypnotherapy. These have been my biggest turning points within my journey so far. Read more>>

Rosita Marinez

During my journey in college, I was preparing myself for the next step in higher education. I was unclear about what area to pursue and how a specific career would be life-changing. I decided to pursue my Master of Social Work(MSW) to focus on clinical and macro issues. As a Latina, I wanted to help my community from a social justice lens and considered being a social worker would be impactful. While navigating graduate school, my concentration area was clinical, focusing on older adults. I wanted to work with older adults and address mental health access in the Latinx/e community. My field placement supported my interest, and being able to give back to our elders was satisfying. Read more>>

Amy Deblase

Before actually entering the field- in all my adolescent wisdom- I swore I wanted to work in a psychiatric inpatient unit. I also swore I never wanted to work in a private practice setting. I was elated when I was selected for my top choice internship placement site- you guessed it, in a psychiatric inpatient unit in a NYC hospital. I felt so unsuccessful, nearly useless, when I was never able to implement all the “cool” things I was learning in grad school. I shared my woes with my supervisor, who imparted words I will never forget… “it’s all in the relationship; without that, the “cool” things don’t matter.” Those words have stayed with me for over a decade and still ring true as I enter my seventh year working full time in a private practice. Morals of the story- healing happens in relationships so never downplay your ability to connect deeply to another human being; we never really know what we want until we try, whether we swear we will love it or hate it. Read more>>

Koji Jagust

Ever since I was a child I had lots of energy and was drawn towards activity. I knew there was something to it when I actually would look forward to doing the mile run in the 7th grade just to try and keep up with some 8th graders. Since then I continually participated in a variety of sports and have always been physically active. It wasn’t until my adulthood where I started to realize that helping others to jump out of their skin, feel good and move their bodies was my duty to the world. Countless times throughout my personal training and fitness career have I had these deep intimate conversations and break throughs with clients, family, and friends. I believe every time you work out, move, and exert yourself it not only is working out your physical body but your spirit mind and thoughts to better express yourself whole heartedly. What I found most consistent is the consistency of ups and downs or peaks and valleys. But it’s not about focusing on those valleys and dwelling in it. Its about learning and taking in everything about that and growing. Life would be boring without some trips and scraped knees. It’s all about the experience of healing getting back up and continuing your way to more unknown lands. Read more>>

Heather Taylor

I’m a local PNW gal. I grew up in a small town in Washington, went to Gonzaga for undergraduate school, even did a brief stint at Microsoft before figuring out corporate life wasn’t a good fit for me. I was planning to return to graduate school to be a librarian in 2009. That was the year my life got turned on its head. I lost my younger brother traumatically in November of that year. His name was Garrett and he was 22. We were incredibly close growing up and I still miss him almost fifteen years later. This was my first big experience with grief. I’d lost both of my grandfathers and experienced sadness and some complicated emotions but it wasn’t world-altering to me. Read more>>

Melissa Gaskin

I have had several defining moments of my professional career. My career in education began in 2009 as a classroom teacher. As I approached five years of commuting 53 miles one way, being the grade level leader, leading technology trainings for my campus, and mentoring new teachers, I was realizing that I had ignored my personal health. I was busy chasing goals and making an impact in my school that I didn’t stop to think about how I was showing up or how my body and mind were feeling, I was plagued by migraines, emotional eating, and getting my dopamine through sugars and carbs. Then, in 2014 I got pregnant. I removed caffeine from my diet but just leaned more into dairy (hello, ice cream) and quick carbs. During that pregnancy, I knew that while my journey began in education that is not my passion. My passion is seeing improvement and growth in those I am working with just not within the confines of the education system. Read more>>

Amber Eilertson

A defining moment in my career happened when I left the corporate world and private practice to create my own online business. It was a powerful experience because it was a culmination of reckoning moments, where I realized that the pace and work I was doing at the time was making me sick. I was repeating a pattern that was no longer serving me. An unconscious pattern of over working and high achievement/performance to prove my worthiness. This transition was an open door and invitation of freedom to work wherever and however I chose. It was an opportunity to think bigger and outside the box that had been laid before me. It meant time freedom and flexibility. It meant I chose the clients I worked with. It meant I could live anywhere while doing work that I loved. It also opened my mind financially to new possibilities, and allowed me to see my vision and dreams as achievable instead of settling for safety and predictability that corporate and a 9-5 offered. Read more>>

Sheila Brown

As a Midwife supporting women and families, I have been honored to be included in the journey of labor and birth. Watching a woman find her strength, develop her voice, and bring forth her child is always an exhilarating defining moment of my life and career. Being “with woman” can look like many things. Listening to her personal unique story, tuning in to her personal needs is a hallmark of my practice. Read more>>

Jenna Morcos

It was my 50th birthday: the pharmacy where I had dedicated the past 13 years was closing its doors for good. As I finished up my final day, I couldn’t ignore the irony—an entire chapter of my life was ending on the very milestone birthday that marked my mid life. Prior to this day, I had a gut feeling that I was supposed to be doing something different. But, I didn’t know what that was. Plus, my pharmacy job was amazing and I wasn’t ready to voluntarily leave it. So, the powers that be, did it for me! With this unexpected door closing, I was actually now free to explore what that “something else” might be. Read more>>

Christie Szpyrka

When my mother passed away in June of 2020 after battling a neurological disorder that left her trapped in her own body, I realized I wanted to be able to help people heal in a way that she was unable to achieve. I had been practicing as a massage therapist for about 9 years at that time and I had seen time and time again the effects of emotional trauma on a person’s physical health. I was limited in my knowledge but driven by the desire to learn as much as I possibly could. This kicked off a journey of not only acquiring knowledge around energy healing, but as well as my own healing journey as I was confronted with my own emotional baggage and the need to take accountability for myself and my own healing. Read more>>

Kristy Mccammon

In 2017, I was overweight, sugar obsessed, and didn’t know how to stop eating sweets. i craved sugar all the time. I was trying another diet plan and right after lunch, all I could think about was the ice cream in the freezer I promised myself I wouldn’t eat. I tried to keep my mind and hands busy, but 15 minutes later I was sitting on my couch in my dark living room with tears in my eyes and an empty ice cream container on my lap. After a desperate prayer, I realized I had to eat to live, but I didn’t have to eat sugar or processed food. That moment changed everything. I learned that I could be abstinent from processed sugar and quit trying to moderate. “none is easier than one” and I can be free from the pull of sugary foods. Read more>>

Belinda Tung

Not in my professional career, but a defining moment in my life that set me on my current trajectory of changing the paradigm of childhood is when my child started her “education” journey. It all started as with almost every child’s story. The minute they turn 3, parents are eager to push them out into the world – hello preschool with promises of socialization, play time, essentially babysitting so mom and dad can work. At my child’s first preschool there was a handful of philosophies being implemented and just as with everything, it all just depends on the teacher. Sometimes you get a good one, sometimes not so much. My child spent her time at the first preschool standing alone at the tables with her snacks just observing. She spent all three hours there never engaging. What did I expect? She was alone and she probably didn’t feel very secure. I was none the wiser as I just thought that’s what all people do. Read more>>