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.

Courtney O’Connor

There have been a few defining moments for me over the last decade in this industry. Some have definitely felt more like detours or dead ends, yet the one that comes to mind was truly a turning point for me. It was a moment I could have let discouragement and insecurity have the final word, but instead, I allowed the discomfort I felt to drive me deeper into my passion and completely changed the trajectory of my path as a holistic esthetician. Read more>>

Daniel Atkins

A defining moment amongst many transformative moments in my close to 34 years of life happened only a year and a half ago. During this time, I was 11 or so years into a debilitating chronic pain journey that had challenged my mind, body, and spirit. I had gotten percentages better but was still suffering on a weekly basis. Little did I know that the end was near and a new beginning was approaching. At the time, I had exhausted the landscapes of traditional medicine and psychology, and flirted with some spiritual, holistic, intuitive, and energetic modes of healing. Read more>>

Renee Marcou

This was the moment. The divine assignment that I was waiting for. How I could show up for my community in an entirely new level. I was on a plane to Los Angles, CA sitting next to my producer. We were off to the city of dreams for an executive label meeting. Glitter sprinkled on top if its sprawling expanse as I looked down at the city. I called out to my ever trusting source, “Universe, I am asking for another assignment to express my voice and change lives. I’m ready to be more visible. Read more>>

Alexander Stadler, LMT

I’d considered massage therapy as a potential career while I was working as a Facilities Manager for a fairly large law firm in Atlanta. It was my partner at the time who’d initially gotten interested, and when I looked I didn’t think I could make enough to offset my then career, which made me somewhat reluctant to pursue that path. However, several factors actually shaped my trajectory. That relationship ended painfully, and within a year or two several things changed. Read more>>

Rabia Meghani

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to learn, practice and teach eastern healing modalities. As I journeyed through life and began to study public health and education I noticed how much depth and value could be brought to these spaces through eastern healing such as yoga, meditation, and ayurveda. I felt that I lived in two different worlds because there was no crossover between the two schools of thought even though they would work together beautifully. Read more>>

Sarah Sherwood

Many years ago, I noticed that my clients were having significant breakthroughs one after the other. It’s normal for my clients to get results, don’t get me wrong, but these were massive and occurring in a condensed amount of time. So, I decided to do a little experiment. I set the intention to just pay attention for a week and see what I noticed. What I discovered from this week-long experiment deeply impacted me as a practitioner. Read more>>

Kelsey Foss

Five years ago I met my business partner, Donna Washington, LCP during an interview for a counseling position on her team. Luckily, she hired me. At the time, she had more faith in me than I did. She took me under her wing, and allowed me to learn and grow as a therapist under her supervision and guidance. Read more>>

Tim Lodgen

My defining moment in my life was when i found the courage to finally get the help i needed to save my life. After a 27 yearlong battle with bi-polar disorder, drug/alcohol addiction and surviving multiple suicide attempts. i finally found the courage to get the help i so desperately needed to save my life. i surrendered to the fact that i needed professional help and i went into a rehabilitation facility to change my life forever. Read more>>

Tejas Patel

Prior to the pandemic, I had multiple business locations, a large number of team members and dentists working for me, and I was the main dental provider for my offices and I was approaching burnout. I was on a path that was not in line with my internal compass and true vision. So I made the decision to build the dental practice I had always dreamed of. One location, a small team, me as the lead cosmetic dentist, and seeing patients 4 days a week with several weeks off during the year. Read more>>

Dr. Nicole Wagner

A defining moment in all of my careers that I believe changed the trajectory was 1, being told I couldn’t and wouldn’t do it, 2. lack of belief and support in my ability to be successful in the arenas in which I have chosen for myself without limitations. Being thought as incapable of being the trailblazer in my own destiny with no, or limited support is truly an unforgettable moment. One that I will forever be able to look back on and say, “if it weren’t for that, things would be different”. As I continue on my path of life, Read more>>

Maria Lopez

A couple of defining moments for me would be Realizing that one of my members has traveled with me from gym to gym to keep me as her trainer….and we are now at year 7! To know that someone is completely committed to my training really makes my heart happy. Another small, but meaningful moment for me is my hobby of creating Instagram reels of my clients and classes. Although mine are nowhere near the level of nowadays Instagram influencers. Read more>>

Lakesha Quarles

Yes, of course! There are a few defining moments that has occurred during my development as a Doula. As I sit and reflect, I’ve realized that I am on the right path on this life’s journey. Helping and educating expecting moms and/or new families throughout their sacred journey is an exhilarating experience that one could probably only understand if they were truly called to do the work. Read more>>

Iirie Earnest

A defining moment for me is when I realized and experiencing the healing I found in plants. By eating plants and medicating with plants I have been able to help others and myself, I cured Lupus in myself and controlled the pain from both Lupus and Fibromyalgia. I never used and medication prescribed for either condition I just committed to a Plantbased lifestyle. Through my studies I learned to commit to Veganism. Read more>>

Jessica Deese

Growing up, I saw myself doing something deep and meaningful as an adult. The sort of thing that changes lives and leaves a lasting, positive impact. My first memory of this feeling was when I was seven. I vividly remember the physical pain I felt knowing that children didn’t have parents or families, and families didn’t have food or houses, and so on. I knew then, all I wanted to do was help people, more specifically women, children and families. When I think of that moment, it’s the same feeling that drives me each day to push the corporate limits, defy the cultural trends, and change the limiting paradigms of philanthropy. Read more>>

Lacy Ngo

Yes, I was what many would consider on the heavier side when I was in middle school. After being teased, I decided to lose weight. I lost weight, but in the process became obsessed with weight. Later, I decided to get a degree in Human Nutrition so that I could help others lose weight too. While at Clemson University, I learned that the power of food reached well beyond weight loss/weight gain. Nourishing food could drastically reduce the risk of disease, help our mood, promote optimal brain function, and promote a healthy immune system. I learned all of this, yet I still worried about weight every day. Fast forward years later… Read more>>

Nazra Peterson

I feel that like many, the pandemic, particularly quarantine was a huge turning point for me. After years of working a traditional corporate/office job, I knew that it wasn’t for me. I learned a lot along the way, from being a team player to being a team leader and those lessons were invaluable. But there came a point where waking up in the morning didn’t feel exciting and the end of a long week didn’t feel at all rewarding, despite how much I accomplished at work. Read more>>

Kylee O’Donnell

My whole life, I was training to be a classical flutist in a huge orchestra. Hours a day for many years, this was everything I was working toward. However, when my father was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer during my graduate program, I started really taking a look at things. What did I REALLY want? Did I want this career for me or to prove to others that I was successful? I really started to question everything I believed, leading me to a spiritual awakening. Read more>>

Sabrina Jarrett

My defining moment came at the 6 year mark of my career as a dietitian. I found myself waking up miserable every day because I knew I was going into work. At that point I had a serious talk with myself. I said ” Ok Sabrina: in 6 years you’re going to be 40 years old. Can you see yourself being like this for another 6 years?” And the answer was a hard no. I decided that I had to do something in life that makes me happy and do it my way. Read more>>

Lauren Ross

I can’t say there was one particular instance that changed the trajectory of my career; this type of work has many profound moments. However, I certainly experienced a rapid awareness of a defining theme and subsequent mindset shift. Some background for those readers not in the field: Almost all mental and relational healthcare that is currently available is problem-focused. So much so that in order to bill insurance, a practitioner must assign the client a diagnosis from the DSM-5 at the first session. Read more>>

Dr. Mary J. Huntley

Approximately five years into my professional career I began notice that there weren’t many women of color in the professional life coaching, professional mental health coaching, and professional counseling fields in my immediate area. Therefore, I began to network with various individuals to inquire about this gap. We discovered that this had been a frequently discussed topic. However, nothing concrete had been done to change the trajectory. We decided that we needed more women of color in the counseling and coaching profession in my area. Read more>>

Diana Ortega Kahn

My life is full of defining moments because I’ve learned to connect with myself and the universe. You may say oh my, woo woo? It wasn’t just one moment, there are many and expecting more. Making a choice first thing in the morning to be grateful, is defining. Showing up for myself, breathing, calibrating myself as to how do I feel in this present moment and moving forward from there is defining. Choosing to be authentic in every aspect is defining because I am happy with the choices I am making for myself. Read more>>

Tiffany Jones

The most defining moment in my professional career was when I implemented Divine Healing LLC. Building Divine Healing from the ground up with a solid foundation of strong principles, values, and a mission that correlates with restorative justice is when the trajectory of my career shifted. As a Restorative Justice advocate, I have always believed in supporting and healing individuals from within to ensure that the root of their pains, traumas, and problems are identified and properly addressed. Read more>>