Everyday we meet business owners, professionals, artists and creatives. Photographers, florists, realtors and more. They might come from different backgrounds, work in different industries, have varying personalities, and have vastly different income and educational profiles, but the one thing we’ve seen over and over again is that most people have a unique and special reason for why they do what they do. From a realtor helping families afford the first home he always wished for as a kid to a photographer using her skills to give a voice and face to victims who feel voiceless, we have been blown away by what happens when you just ask people a simple question – why do you do what you do?

Weston Carls

My mission is to generate endorphins! I’ve taken almost every kind of fitness class in Austin and all the great instructors offer this amazing energy exchange. That’s what I try to bring every time. Read more>>

Jessica Marcy

My mission is to help cycle bearing people fightback against modern dogmas that PMS, hot flashes, ache, pains, weight gain, depression and anxiety are normal parts of having hormones. I want to help people take back their health and understand what root cause healing. Read more>>

Malik Fletcher

My mission as an artist is to establish a connection with people through my music. When people listen to my songs, I want them to say: Wow, I feel encouraged, I feel happy, I feel excited, I feel included. I create more than a song when I make beats and write lyrics, I create an energy, I create an entire world. I want my listeners to be included in that world. The people that support me should know that the world that I create is made for them to be a part of. I hope that when people hear my songs they take is as more than just a casual listen. Read more>>

Melvin Leland

Grins and Giggles Cookie Co.’s mission is to grow through giving. We concentrate on baking the world a better place. I have always been one to donate, and that has become a central part of my philosophy. My mother has always said, “Give the person the shirt off of your back, but also go in the drawer and grab them another so they have a change of clothes for tomorrow.” That has taught me that it is more important to give, because as you are giving you are always receiving positivity. Read more>>

Michael Sublett

I bought my first dslr camera eight years ago when I was diagnosed with complex post traumatic stress from a career as an emergency medical services worker. Photography was suggested to me, because of my background as a writer and musician, as a fitting new outlet for creativity and to bring joy back in to my life. As I explored this new outlet I learned I could tell stories through my photos. I spent the first few years going through the usual photography and video consumer projects but now am mainly focused on creating and producing original content. Read more>>

Gaea Kassatly

I started a successful business with a group of friends my senior year of college. Long story short, when our relationship ended so did my interest in the business. As a young entrepreneur, I did not realize the importance of legal protections. After this experience I decided to become the attorney for entrepreneurs so that I can help them avoid the same legal pitfalls. Since then, I have helped protect over 500 startups nationwide! Read more>>

Madison Kearney

After years of being in front of the camera, I, over time, realized that I wanted to step up my fashion game for me and also for me feed. I had developed a deep love of jewelry while modeling; specifically statement jewelry. I loved looking at people’s social media feed and seeing their bold jewelry. Walking into a store, I naturally gravitated towards the jewelry section to see what fun, bold, and colorful jewelry they had for sale. Read more>>

Kristian McInnis

. At the age of 3, Iwas diagnosed with Strabismus. Strabismus, more commonly known as cross-eyed or wall-eyed, is a vision condition in which a person can not align both eyes simultaneously under normal conditions. One or both of the eyes may turn in, out, up or down. Growing up my parents made sure that I had the best care for my vision. I saw the best doctors and it has benefited me throughout my life. Read more>>

J0se-Antonio Valencia

My mission is clear, practical, and urgent: to reduce divorce rates by helping couples get married better, not faster. The reality is that a divorce happens every 13 seconds in this country! Almost 7,000 divorces will occur by the end of this day! Let that sink in. We need to realize that 50% of marriages end up in divorce and about 35% of the ones that remain married are unhappy. Read more>>

Sam Richards

Spirited Media is a creative communications collective built to support brands with our expertise in marketing. We work directly with the brands in the beverage and CPG space to tell their stories authentically and creatively through comprehensive social media campaigns. Our mission is to make sure everyone has a chance to sit at the bar (figuratively and literally!). We want to amplify all voices to create an inclusive environment while shattering preconceived notions on how to market your product. We help build brand awareness, drive sales, and get your brand buzzed both online and off. Read more>>

Jhonathan Ramos

Everyone sees the success but no one knows the struggle and sweat I put into my success as a young profitable business I can say that without consistency there’s no results. I have not only worked hard towards my goals for my business but also started another business as pest control and wildlife removal which has also been successful all I can say is under tough times I keep my head up and always figure out ways how to continue building my name. Read more>>

Ashley Vance

My goal has always been to uplift brands and business owners with marketing tools they can use to tell their stories. That’s why I started The Write Brand Agency six years ago, and that’s also why I recently launched my newest venture: Content Day ATL. “Content Day” serves the creative community as a production group combined with an event series, allowing young professionals of all backgrounds with a space to create content that represents their brand. Read more>>

Katy Doar and Brittany Schmid

Making friends as an adult is hard. Brittany and I met in 2015 in Charlottesville, VA where we had both moved while our husbands were attending business school. Although both hesitant to move to a new town for just two years while our husbands pursued their degrees, we ended up meeting each other and making some of our best friends during this time. After Will and Mark graduated we found ourselves in new cities once again, but this time pregnant. Read more>>

Bob Fanok

When I decided to name my new freediving coaching venture “Blue Water Freedivers”, as opposed to what would have been the more conventional “Blue Water FreedivING” moniker (according to popular convention and friends’ suggestions), I had a very clear goal in mind. I wanted to introduce as many people that were interested – in the safest and most engaging and entertaining way possible – to what I consider to be the literal life-changing sport of freediving. Read more>>

Merveil Muamba

I want to start off by thanking you for another opportunity to be featured on Your platform, I truly appreciate it. Despite the journey being difficult, I’ve learned that I have to falling in love with the process. At the beginning, I wanted everything to go my way but I’ve had to accept that my blessings will come in divine timing. Read more>>

Shannel Gray

It all started one day when I was reviewing the newspaper for a small second job. I saw an opening for an assistant at a photography studio with a prestigious photographer in the Russellville, AR area where I lived. I interviewed and got the job. Steve, the photographer and I became close. We talked and conversed every day. He taught me several things about photography. In return, I spoke to Steve a lot about my life, lifestyle and my walk with God. It was interesting to him to learn more about. I began to notice the clientele he had and gained a great relationship with some. Read more>>

Tori Foster

Smiley Sweeties’ mission statement is, “Desserts are luxuries so why not treat yourself.” We often look at luxury as the state of comfort and extravagant living. We pay large amounts of money for desirable things that are hard to find to add pleasure or comfort to our lives. I believe desserts are sweets courses or dishes that put you in a state of comfort and extravagant living. Cheesecake, tiramisu, and even cupcakes are desirable things that add pleasure or comfort to our lives. Read more>>

CAMILLE ESSICK

I grew up in church, the daughter of a minister. As a child, I experienced trauma, which I internalized. As a result, I became extremely introverted. Prior to that situation, I was talkative and was even a corresponding anchor for the school news station while attending Dodson Elementary around the second grade or so. However, after that incident, I became very closed off, only speaking to close friends and trusted family members. Read more>>

Becky Ankrum

My mission as a lifestyle photographer is to make all of my clients see the beauty in their photos. The physical beauty, yes, but also the beauty of the time of life they are in. For my brides and grooms, I want them to look back at their wedding photos and see their day in all it’s beauty with raw and real photos.. real laughter.. real tears.. and yes, looking beautiful in their gowns and suits. Read more>>

Stephanie Mier

Alright, Let’s get into it! Persephone’s Sanctuary was created out of a deep love of empowering women and is more than just a candle business or brand. It’s a self love movement intended to help you tap into your inner divine feminine and cultivate a magickal self care ritual that nourishes your body, mind, and soul while being mindful of our environmental footprint. Read more>>

Faith Nugent

I am trying to change the way people think and feel about getting professional photos done. Too often my clients have told me horror stories about past sessions they have done and how awful they were. From a rude and pushy photographer to outrageous pricing, I have heard it all and I want to be completely different. I try to make my clients, especially the kiddos, very comfortable and provide a fun and relaxed environment. Having professional photos taken does not need to be painful, or cost an arm and a leg. Read more>>

Loren Boyd

Hi, I’m Loren! I like to attribute where I am today to the moment I began a consistent yoga practice in 2009. I was going through a challenging time in my life and found that the more I kept showing up to my mat, the more supported and anchored I felt, and I have been devoted to it ever since. I became a certified yoga instructor in 2010 and have been teaching ever since. I completed my advanced training in 2019 and am currently an E-RYT 500 registered with Yoga Alliance. Read more>>

Taiese L. Nevels

The story behind my mission “Speaking and Writing to Teach, Inspire and Empower people to move into their God-Ordained destinies” as Author Taiese L. Nevels began with my passion to observe and share the wisdom and knowledge I have learned with others as a my legacy. I have a passion to help people find their purpose and balance in life. If a person does not know what their purpose is it is impossible to find balance. An individual has to know the reason of their existence – “Their Why.”. Read more>>

Anwar Stokes

The story behind my mission. Since I was a young child my father was into photography. He would take pictures of my brother and I and I have some of those photos until this day. The art and creative part of photography is what captured me. I began taking photos back in 2015. From there I have been working on learning every aspect of photography. Read more>>

Amber Love

As a modern day mother, minister, educator, self-published author, and business owner, I faced many challenging obstacles that tried to limit my success in life. However, through the love of Jesus Christ, I overcame them and I was able to self-publish a book and complete the project for a second book. With this victory, I have missioned to write books to encourage others to soar beyond any circumstance that may appear limiting to them. Read more>>

bee janisch

the mission behind kitchengoth, my in-home micro-bakery, is to make cakes that are precious to look at until you read the buttercream script. i want to make cakes that are rude & foul, just because i adore the contrast. i’m happy to have been able to turn something i love to do (especially when i’m stressed, which in 2022, is something that happens often) into a small business. i don’t think cake needs a specific occasion, sometimes you just need a “fuck it” cake & i’m here for that. Read more>>

Gregory Standal

My overall mission as a video content strategist is to position myself and my company as an expert at implementing video profitably and effectively. My objective is to determine if my company is the right fit for whatever prospect I am engaging with. Video is the king at communicating value and should be viewed as an investment rather than an expense. When implemented effectively, a video campaign can have a tremendous return on investment. The problem, however, is coming up with strategies that will allow a business to see a measurable return on investment comparatively to their video production budget. Read more>>

April Jackson-Hunter

I guess I could be vulnerable for a second. I am a survivor of a sexual assault as well as Domestic violence. For a long time I carried the weight of my hurt and shame. I was in a very dark place, I felt isolated and alone. This path would lead me to become suicidal. I know you guys are asking if I ever attempted suicide. The truth is, the time and place was set, but my creator saw a different path for me. The very next day I walked into a mental health clinic for help. Read more>>