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.

Emily Wisdom

When I moved to California, my initial plan was to work in a yoga studio, but the universe had other plans. I did not get hired at a single.yoga.studio. Initially I felt some discouragement, then I realized I needed to change my strategy. I started reaching out to private businesses and organizations and offering up my services. To my delight, they were so open to practicing yoga with me and some even signed on contracts to keep my services. Read more>>

Jared Rodriguez

It seems like yesterday I was playing baseball at San Diego State University; honestly, only still playing because 15 years of ball was all I knew. I wasn’t still playing because I loved it. I was there because it was familiar. I grew up in a humble and very sheltered yet loving home, and while I was in college I was fully and completely unaware of who I was, what I actually liked, and what direction I wanted to go in. Read more>>

Olivia Pelts

I remember specifically when I moved to Orlando, Florida, and I had just begun working in a group practice. I could not, for the life of me, figure out how to get clients to schedule with me. I didn’t know how to market myself. I didn’t understand how to even talk about what I offered. Through some gentle self-exploration facilitated by my supervisor, I came to realize that I didn’t actually believe that what I had to offer people was really meaningful and that it was really impactful – ultimately, I didn’t believe in myself. Read more>>

Rosa Linda Cruz

My journey began in the educational setting transitioning from reading teacher to school counselor. A few years later I made the decision that I wanted a stronger foundation in counseling in order to provide more skills and resources to my students so I became a certified licensed professional counselor. During this time, I discovered laughter yoga and became certified. In addition, my first children’s book was published. Thus, my entry in providing pro-bono presentations on well-being strategies, self care tips and wellness skills to communities. Read more>>

Machel Hunt

I started my career as a therapist over 18 years ago. I’ve worked as a clinician in different countries across various fields, from mental health, sexual health, reproductive health, education, higher education, public health, clinical and behavioral research and sexuality. Within my work, I’ve seen all sorts of clients, patients, participants from all ages, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds. Read more>>

Ginny Kappel

There are a few defining moments of my career and I would like to share my most recent. I believe that most turning points in a person’s life/career happen when experience meets dreams. Sometimes you don’t even realize it’s happening, you’re just going through the motions and it just feels right. I recently decided to start a mental health wellness box for my clients. I had been wanting to offer more to my clients for a while but wasn’t quite sure what that would be. Read more>>

Melissa Davis

I was late getting into the Esthetics field, as I previously worked e-commerce for a global retailer. We all sometime settle for less to provide the best we can for our families, and I am no exception. When I noticed complacency and a everyday routine with no challenges, I knew I could no longer grow in my previous career. So I prayed about it sought advice from my grandmother. Well into my 30’s, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. Society demands so much of us to sustain and survive. That we sometime loose our way and struggle to find ourselves again. Read more>>

Maria Soledad Bautista Mariscal

Absolutely! I was born and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. I moved to Texas after being invited to work as an educator. The honor of that special invitation made it impossible for me to say no, although I knew it was putting a pause on my professional path as a Psychologist. Read more>>

Jeff Koziatek

Growing up, I was a HUGE St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan. I ate, slept, and breathed baseball. I watched it on tv, listened to it on the radio, and played little league. As a pitcher, I had a wicked curve and racked up numerous 15 strike out games. Baseball was my life and I dreamed of playing in the big leagues. Read more>>

Karyssa Hartsell

I graduated from college with a bachelor’s in psychology. Immediately after college, I decided to “take a break”. I started working jobs outside of the behavioral health field for a few years. At that time, I felt like a failure, like I wasn’t living up to my potential. Finally, I was offered a case management position. I thought to myself, I’m finally putting my degree to use! Read more>>

Coach Kamshuka

Earlier in my career when I was working late nights and early mornings, trying to beat the clock as a professional photographer and full time mom, my motto was “I’ll sleep when I die” & I pushed myself to the ends of my limit. See I was a photographer and visual artist from 2000 and when 2014 rolled out, I received the “Best Black Canadian Photographer Award” and I felt extremely accomplished as professional and also as business owner who worked day and night to be better professionally. Read more>>

Leshandra Armour

My defining moment in my life was when I had to chose between living and or dying slowly. At the age of 35 I had to decide if I was going to get a hysterectomy. I was in pain daily due to endometriosis. I tried everything that I knew possible to help me find some relief. I was mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually exhausted at this point. Read more>>

Monique Gomez

The first time I was invited to co-teach a workshop on sexuality, it was for a group of women who were interested in learning more about awakening their erotic energy. This group was a mix of ages, ethnicities, and identities, yet they all had one thing in common, a desire to connect to their authentic sexuality. As I led the workshop, I realized how much passion I had to help people feel empowered by understanding their bodies, the complexities of their erotic landscape, and the energy that lives within each of them. Read more>>

Vanessa Musi

When I was studying to become a Chef, I was doing my internship in a restaurant, I was required to do 800 hours of practice in restaurants and hotels. I wasn’t feeling well that day and blacked out and split my head on the wooden boards we used in the kitchens back then. I was later diagnosed with hypoglycemia. It was 1992 and no one knew what to do about this condition. Read more>>

Kojo

The most defining moment for my career as an artist has been reaching my projected goals. The experience of locking in on a task is one thing , but to actually witness it as well as being fully present to accept that your passion and hard work landed you in this space of success is a wonderful feeling. Read more>>

Erika Perez

I think the turning point into my “doula” career was the first training I attended. After the unassisted birth of my son in June of 2019 where I hired a doula to hold space for me, I was set I wanted to do the same. That August I was attending a doula training. The training was 8 hours long and pretty much that was it. If I wanted to become certified I had to read some books, attended three births and a few other things. I never wanted to be certified andedt that training knowing that path or way of “doualing” is not what I envisioned. Read more>>

Tammy Barton

I have had several defining moments throughout the 18-year journey of my holistic healing professional career and there is one in particular that I would like to share that truly changed my life and the way I run my Illuminating the Soul business. I am 51 years old and in looking back at my personal life, I have never been one to fit the mold, the box, the ‘norm’ ~ even though I tried. Read more>>

Latoya Harris

I was the newly hired Laboratory Supervisor working for a very large Veterinary laboratory back when Covid first hit. I must say, I absolutely despised how upper management treated the employees. Everyone was expendable to protect one person’s ego. Employees would go above and beyond to meet deadlines and turnaround times to make the lab function properly only to be scolded and belittled from the smallest human errors. My ideas to turn this lab around and make the Atlanta market #1 fell on deaf ears and my colleagues knew I was drained. Read more>>

Rowena Winkler

I have often heard that becoming a parent is one of the most life-changing, defining moments that a person can experience. For me, however, the impact was before becoming a mom. I am an immigrant child. And with that came a lot of expectations to perform. And so I went about my life being very highly motivated at a young age. And this translated to pretty much everything else in my life. If I wanted something, Read more>>

Karla Jacobs

After 22 years being a 911 Dispatcher, I had to seek out peer support. The years of stuffing into my “backpack” calls that I took, runs that I dispatched, and life in general was overflowing. With the advice of a now retired Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper, I attended a 3 day seminar in North Carolina that helps First Responders unload that backpack. I decided once I had myself healed, I wanted to give back in the same way to those struggling. Read more>>

Heather Hiniker

It wasn’t until I was diagnosed with a progressive and deteriorating autoimmune disease that I found my true passion and path in natural adaptation methodologies. After attaining remission for my Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosis with these holistic therapies, I opened what is now, one of the nation’s leading, human optimization and cellular age-reversal centers… it is no coincidence that my personal health struggles fuel my passion to share these cutting-edge technologies with the world. Read more>>

Armani Williams

A defining moment for me was when I got my first ever NASCAR top 10 finish at a track called New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2018. I finished 9th in that race. It was a defining moment in a sense because I proved to myself that I had the true ability to drive the wheels off a racecar like I’ve always believed that I had. It felt like a win to me because finishing near the front is very hard to do, it was a great day. I thought to myself after that race, if I was ever in the right situation as a driver that I believe that I can truly win in the sport of NASCAR. Read more>>

Dea Lott

My defining moment came after I spent a decade working as an attorney on social justice issues. As someone who grew up in an impoverished and oppressed community, I became a lawyer to understand the inner workings of the legal system and share legal knowledge with my community. In pursuing a legal career, my goal was always to join with the community and other social justice attorneys to demand to change to the systems that have historically and persistently deprived, oppressed, and killed marginalized groups. Read more>>