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.

Jenet Dove

A Defining Moment: Blue Monday I felt an undeniable pull when I first saw “Blue Monday” by Annie Lee. The painting depicts a Black woman rising from bed on a Monday morning, embodying weariness and depletion. While growing up, I saw many black women, including my mother, mirrored in the image of ‘Blue Monday’- overworked, drained, and often carrying a quiet sense of hopelessness. I couldn’t quite articulate the emotions the woman in the painting stirred within me, but one thing was certain: I did not want to be her. At that moment, I resolved to build a life that stands in stark contrast—a life that is soft, effortless, and anchored in peace. Read more>>

Chrys Salmon

A defining moment in my professional career came while I was working with a particular professional athlete. By that time, I had over six years of experience working in high-end restaurants, with sports teams, and for Fortune 500 executives. I had been managing this athlete’s diet for about four months, but despite my efforts, their physique wasn’t changing. I was meticulously counting macros, controlling every aspect of his nutrition, yet the results weren’t there. I decided to take a closer look, tracking everything they consumed and every hour they spent training. Over the next month, I made adjustments to the diet plan based on the feedback I received on their performance. If they felt weak during a game, I’d increase the intake of healthy, low-glycemic carbs and monitor the difference. If they complained about bloating or sweating excessively, I’d reduce the salt intake. Read more>>

Annysa Cruz

There was definitely a defining moment in my career that change the trajectory. I had been a personal trainer for almost 8 years and my entire career people would tell me that I should be a motivational speaker, because of the way I would speak during my classes/sessions. One day I was training my client in 2020 and she told me she had a life coach and I was so fascinated by that. I had always been into self development, and wanted a coach, but I didn’t know where to find one. So I asked if she could share her coaches info and I sat with that coach (who later became my coach) and she told me right away that I was meant to be a life coach. She helped me get my first program off the ground and the rest is history!! Read more>>

Vilmarie Fraguada Narloch

I have been fortunate to experience several defining moments that have led me to where I am today. The first moment that comes to mind is when I decided to shift my focus in undergrad from working with children and adolescents, to working with people who use drugs (PWUD). This was initiated when my advisor at the time suggested I take a few extra courses which would allow me to complete the required coursework for becoming a drug and alcohol counselor. That defining moment catapulted me into that world, and became my academic focus during graduate school as well. This shift in focus also led to my next significantly defining moment at the beginning of my doctoral program. When I interviewed at Roosevelt University, one of the professors, noting my interest in substance use disorders, offered to introduce me to Kathie Kane-Willis, who was the director of the Illinois Consortium on Drug policy at the time. The consortium was doing research on drug use trends and served as a policy advocacy organization.  Read more>>

Dr. Neema Hooker

The trajectory of my career changed several years ago when I was treating a patient with a history of diabetes, hypertension and high blood pressure. Working together, we created a plan with lifestyle changes that helped him get off some medications and improve his overall health. However, he was unable to remain consistent because he didn’t have support at home. (Also, being married to an excellent baker didn’t help him). For years, my patient would make progress and then fall back into his old habits. This experience made me realize just how much our social circles influence our overall health. Our patients don’t always have the support that they need in their lives to adopt a healthier lifestyle and that’s essential to achieving optimal wellness. This experience made me want to do something different in the wellness space. That’s why I launched Revolutionary Health and Wellness PLLC to help people exceed their wellness goals with the support of licensed physicians and a community of like-minded individuals who share a commitment to developing a healthier lifestyle. Read more>>

Rose Viggiano

It’s funny about defining moments. We usually don’t know they are happening. But when we look back, we see it so clearly. Reminding myself of that gives me hope for shifts I’d still like to see in myself and the world. Hope that there are defining moments happening right now, I just don’t know it. That said, in 2013 I was in a really dark place. I had moved from Manhattan to a small town in Northern California trying to save my then relationship. We had a 2 month old. 1 year later my worst nightmare happened. He moved away, had little contact with us, and I was a full-time single mom. I realized in that moment I unconsciously had recreated my own fatherless childhood for my daughter. How was I going to raise this child by myself? How could I afford to live after leaving my rent-stabilized NYC apartment? Would anyone ever love me again? At that moment I realized something that changed my life. I was not my mother. Even though I found myself in a similar position, I had 11 years of recovery. Read more>>

Alli Vasquez

A defining moment in my professional career was when God completely pulled me out of the fitness industry. It was a tough time because fitness had always been my passion and purpose. When we sold our CrossFit business, it was an emotional and heartbreaking decision, but little did we know, it was part of a much bigger plan. Soon after, we had a son with special needs, which completely changed the trajectory of our lives. This was a major turning point for me. Fitness was in my blood; it was what fueled me. So, being pulled from a career and a community I loved required a lot of soul-searching, refinement, and personal growth. I spent time in deep prayer, asking God to “search my heart” and to guide me through this season of life. I was stretched in ways I could have never imagined—not just professionally, but also as a mother to a son with special needs. Read more>>

Temakha

My first career started with a trip to the mall with my Mother, Taunya Benton. As a thirteen year old, shopping as well as following the footsteps of my Mother’s great taste in fashion was nothing new, however, one fateful day opened a new door of development. Model Productions was conducting a talent search and as I walked into the entrance doors, visibly excited people wearing all black rushed to me with measuring tape and eager requests for my Mother to enter me in to the competition. She and my Father, Marcel, allowed and I won and went on to experience a successful career as a professional model for nearly two decades. The turning point blind-sighted me. The day came where I was blessed to witness my peanut head blown up to giant proportions in Times Square New York as I was the principal for an internationally known hair care brand commercial. Standing at what I considered to be the highest point of my career, I was deeply aware of the inner ache that hipped me to the notion that even with my face in lights, I felt very dark and unfulfilled inside. It was then that I decided to turn my gaze from the outer world of appearances and incline my senses to an inner challenging and painful transformation that has blessed my life for the better.  Read more>>

Rixa Freeze

Prior to starting my nonprofit, Breech Without Borders, I had been invited to St. Petersburg, Russia to give a series of lectures about breech birth (when the baby comes out bum/feet first, rather than head-first). I was citing a study that dominates medical practice in much of the world, and the attendees said, “What is this study? We have never heard of it!” At the same time, I spent nearly a year delving through the medical literature and kept discovering articles and innovations that never made it beyond certain linguistic or geographic boundaries. For example, one set of techniques was developed in Russia but had never spread outside of Eastern Europe.  I realized that we had a pressing need to spread knowledge and techniques across borders: geographic, cultural, and linguistic. I thought, “Someone should start an organization that does this!” (never imagining that the next year, that “someone” would be me). Read more>>

Michele

A Defining Moment That Changed Everything: A Journey of Healing, Transformation, and Infinite Possibilities There are moments in life that define who we become, moments that not only shape our path but ignite a transformation we never thought possible. For me, that moment came in the form of a near-fatal truck accident. I was in Brisbane, Australia, after a concert with my band, and I found myself in the passenger seat of a truck, heading to Sydney. The driver had been behind the wheel for hours, and as exhaustion took over, he fell asleep. We crashed into a telephone pole. The impact was catastrophic. As the truck’s cargo — all the heavy musical equipment — slammed into me, I was left fighting for my life in the hospital for months. But that seemingly tragic moment became the spark for something miraculous. Read more>>

Gabii Rivera

Looking back, there have been many pivotal moments and experiences throughout my life that have led me to my current position as a Life Coach. Early in life, it made sense for me to find a career in the healthcare system, since I had been the friend and family member others went to when they were hurt (physically and mentally) and needed a listening ear, a bandaid and a kiss, or a hand to hold. After graduating high school with an Associates of Science and as a Certified Nursing Assistant, the next step that made the most sense was to become a nurse. Read more>>

Latisha Weaver

The real turning point in my career came when I found and joined the social network group Black Women in Clinical Research (BWICR). Being part of this empowering community connected me with trailblazing women in the field and gave me a sense of belonging and purpose I didn’t realize I was missing. It was through BWICR that I discovered not only the depth of my passion for clinical research but also the potential for a much larger impact—one that goes beyond individual projects and focuses on empowering communities that are often left behind. Read more>>

Joy Feldman

Thirty-one years ago, I had my first encounter with mineral balancing and Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA). At the time, I had no idea the profound impact it would have on my life. I was battling a debilitating autoimmune disease that left me virtually paralyzed from the neck down. With a two-year-old child I couldn’t properly care for, I faced the harsh reality that I didn’t want to spend my life in poor health. At that time, I was working as a corporate lawyer, accustomed to 100-hour work weeks, constantly pushing myself to the limit. But when traditional approaches to managing my condition failed, I decided to give mineral balancing a try. It was a turning point I hadn’t expected. Read more>>