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?

Chris Lonsberry

I’ve been into photography on and off since I was a child. I shot motorcycles for several years and contributed to a number of regional and national motorcycle magazines.. made some covers, wrote stories, covered rallies.. all that. Because I was doing photos, video and writing, I chose the name Chris Lonsberry Media to encompass all I thought I was going to be doing. At some point, I decided I should be getting paid. Read more>>

Brandon With Yin Yang Infusions

Growing up, I was always passionate about cooking and making things with my hands. In my teenage and college years my love for both cooking and cannabis transitioned into a passion and hobby of making edibles. In 2014 much about my life completely changed when I began seeing cannabis as a powerful medicine that was being repressed by main stream society. Read more>>

Anthony DeLuca

The RealReal is the world’s largest and most trusted online source for authenticated luxury resale. Our Mission is to Extend the Life Cycle of Luxury. We have over 33 million members and counting. We provide a high touch experience to clients who wish to resell their luxury clothing, purses, shoes etc either by private appointment in their home or a management sponsored initiative within their building. Read more>>

Terrell Cox

Ok well in music, especially over the past few decades, there’s been this lack of love. Me being in the genre of R&B I take that personally, especially knowing what love can really do. So that’s how it became my mission, to bring the love back. To remind people yes we do need each other and we are better together. Read more>>

Rebecca Paxman

In 2017, I was sexually assaulted outside of my workplace after I got off work. I received help from Victims Advocates to help cover the costs of hospital bills, doctors, and therapist visits. The total the VA put towards me was about $20,000. The job I was assaulted at fired me while I was in the hospital. My PTSD made it hard for me to work in a normal setting as the assault happened at work, so I couldn’t keep a job for long. Read more>>

Linda Vogt

The first thing most people say to me when I tell them what I do? “I HATE social media!” For many small business owners, managing their social media feels like the worst part of running their business. The “free advice” about social media is completely overwhelming. One person says that you need to post 7 days a week, 2 times a day and another “expert” claims that Mondays and Wednesdays are the only days worth posting. Read more>>

Lee Fearnside

The EVAC Project uses storytelling and art to bridge the gap between civilians and veterans by educating the public about life in the military. My Co-Curator, Joe Van Kerkhove, and I started the project in 2017 when we were both art professors at a small university in rural Ohio. We saw that there was a huge divide between our traditional students and our student veterans. Being artists, of course we thought that art was the answer! We had this idea to interview veterans and have art students make visual interpretations, but as we started to interview veterans and hear their stories, we realized this was bigger than a class project. Read more>>

Svilen Rusanov

I’m on a journey to visit every National Park in the U.S. My mission is to inspire people to travel more and help them reestablish their connection with nature as well. I believe that in the technological era that we live in, many of us feel a void and need of much deeper relationship, that with nature. Only in the recent years humanity has developed a way of living so remote from the natural world, that feels foreign and lonely. Read more>>

Tiffany Franklin

T’Monique Naturals is a product based company that believes in the use of natural and organic hair products. After years of trial and error of using other store bought products, we decided to curate our own. During our research we noticed that most products contain harmful chemicals such as phthalates, silicones, sulfates and parabens that are known as xenoestrogens. Read more>>

Mike Rozhkov

We’re a mission driven company! Our mission is to deliver the best service moving people around the US. Our most valuable asset is our employees. We have a huge international team from all over the world! We train them to be the movers who cares about people and their belongings. Many of them have quite a story behind them and our people do everything to move them from one home to another safe , fast and easy.Read more>>

Israel Castro

Our organization’s heart lies in the passion for our city and community of El Paso, Texas. At Strive Now, we emphasize the importance of finding purpose in daily improvement and growth, not just having to constantly envision it ten years down the line through a career title or college degree. Purpose is something that can be defined, refined, and built every day. Read more>>

Danielle Wallace

At Chayil Media Publishing, a boutique copywriting & video storytelling agency, I’m committed to empowering powerhouse online coaches to flip their facts into cohesive, sales-driven narratives. My path to founding Chayil Media Publishing in June 2019, was paved during my seven years as a TV news reporter in Central & Southeast Alabama, a self-published author during my college days, and founder of a digital/print magazine for Christian women. Read more>>

Meaghan Macdonald

My mission is to grow and evolve as an artist, and nails have allowed me to do that. Through practicing my skills and craftsmanship it has given me the opportunity to learn, develop and grow my business. Read more>>

Megan Glenn

At Happy Go Social, our mission is more than simply a statement – it’s the driving force behind everything we do. We’re passionate about helping small business owners get back to what they love about their business. You see, we recognize that most entrepreneurs didn’t start a business to become marketers, web developers, or graphic designers. They started their businesses because they were passionate about a craft – sewing, painting, hairstyling, or helping others in some unique way. Read more>>

Mikiko Arias

y story behind my mission began in 2011 and 2012, when I became deaf all of sudden. This life changing experience impaired my balanced and tremendously affected my emotional and mental state.  I looked anxiously for a healing solution to my hearing loss, but I realized that real healing comes from inside of you. When I was disconnected from myself, I could not restore my body, mind, and spirit.  Read more>>

Kris VanBogelen

Sly Game Design was started with generosity in mind. Though we are officially listed as a for-profit company, we exist to create games that will generate funds for non-profit entities. Each game is only printed once and is used as a unique fundraiser for one or more charities. In order to maximize the amount of money that can be donated, co-owners Kris and Jordan volunteer all of their time and effort for the business. Read more>>

Mazen Shafee

I have been making music for a few years now and its so much more then just instruments and vocals to me, but more a way of life. As crazy as it sounds Music has taught me how to grow as a person on a spiritual level and make me reach mental heights within my self I didn’t know existed. Todays music that’s trending is very miss leading and counteracts the way life should we all should be leading. Music , in my most humble opinion cannot be created from a genuine place if it’s only used as a way to “make money”. Read more>>

Wendy Ozburn

Honestly, I shouldn’t be here…alive, that is. I was lured away from my home when I was a child, hemorrhaged after childbirth and have walked away from multiple car accidents – not to mention experiencing much trauma and sadness. My mission is my “why”: To continue to live with gratitude and purpose – building a brand centered on functional art and the importance of individual uniqueness. Read more>>

Aaron Davis

I want to create a environment, that will express all different types of art forms. From hair, and beauty, fashion, music, photography and videography. Art and creating. My goal is to inspire and motivate young artist to follow their dreams, as a starving artist I know how hard it is to make it big as a artist. I feel like I can be a out let for young entrepreneurs to look up to because I have had to go through ever obstacle, and emotion to get where I am today. And I’m still working and chasing after my dream. It hasn’t been easy or free. But I would love to inspire and help others. Read more>>

Ashley Lewis

I’m Ashley Lewis, a passionate artist and portrait photographer finding inspiration in the vibrant tapestry of the world around me, with a special focus on celebrating the beauty and resilience of females. My work is a celebration of the beauty and uniqueness of young women, expressed through colors and emotion. Read more>>

Melissa Fabian

Simply Nourished Market & Mercantile’s mission is multi-faceted. To support & grow….. – Downtown Mason City – Local Farmers & Ranchers – Local Makers & Manufacturers.  And….Provide excellent customer service in and extraordinary grocery shopping experience. For Foxtrot Properties our Mission is to save vacant and forgotten downtown spaces one building at a time. Read more>>

TINA GAFFER

My mission for Inspire Health & Wellness LLC is to provide knowledge on weight loss and eating healthy with balance for life. I created Inspire to be unique focusing on emotional eating and the ups and downs of weight loss and gain in your life. I lost over 110lbs in 2010 keeping it off and going back to school to learn more of the emotional parts of eating. With a degree in Life coaching. I wanted a place that was unique, something that you didn’t have to spend a arm and a leg to learn healthy eating and weightloss. Read more>>

Shamiyah Hood

Starting 2 cute is meaningful to me because I worked at retail stores and enjoyed helping people find outfits and seeing the excitement on their faces. I love shopping for myself as well but sometimes some things aren’t available, whether it is pricey or the customer service weren’t the greatest. Why not create that wonderful experience that I wish I had sometimes while shopping. Read more>>

Stephen Ezell

The driving force behind the creation of Truly Free began with my firstborn child. Soon after bringing him home from the hospital, a routine bath turned into a life-changing event. When I undid his onesie, he was covered in a head-to-toe raised rash and was bright red. After numerous appointments with pediatricians and dermatologists, the cause was still unknown. Read more>>

Jessica Tuset

Our mission is simple, to create a safe and accessible space for folks to start their health and wellness journey. Our yoga studio was created to inspire everyone. All bodies, all abilities, and of course that includes making our studio financially accessible. Our yoga studio hires top-notch instructors, and with the low cost of membership, we break the socio-economic barriers and get folks on their way to a healthier life. Read more>>

Jen Cannon

I’ve always been incredibly energetically sensitive. When I was eleven years old, I had a heart awakening which led to a complete and utter state of joy, unity and absolute harmony. It lasted for weeks. Of course, I had no context or idea what it was, being raised Catholic, and when I went back to my normal state of consciousness I experienced immense suffering. Read more>>

Mela Clark

Events By Clark is a Luxury Rentals and Day of Coordination company that is on a mission to promote the awareness of prostate cancer in African American men. The owner of Events By Clark, Mela Clark-Pitts, has a personal connection to this cause, as she has tragically lost both her grandfather and father to prostate cancer. Read more>>

Joel Newman

Our mission is pretty simple: serve artists and guests. Of course that quickly expands to a number of adjacent goals but it all comes back to those two things at the end of the day. The shows are unique in that we bring in a food truck and the artists and guests all eat together, then the openers play for around 20 mins, and the main act gets a full 1.5 hours to play through a substantial portion of their catalog. Read more>>

IvyMay

My journey as an entrepreneur has been an unexpected and profound path, one that has brought invaluable life lessons beyond my wildest imagination. As with many who take the entrepreneurial route – it started as a struggle for survival, but along the way, I uncovered the most significant bet I could ever make in this lifetime – a bet on myself. Read more>>

Chris McKinzie

ADRIAN AGENCY is our company, and we are a purpose-driven marketing. Why did you start your business? Adrian Agency was founded by multiple people and out of Chris McKinzie’s desire to utilize his unique set of skills and experiences to help businesses grow through purpose-driven marketing. An epiphany led to the realization that their most fulfilling relationships were with clients who shared their value of serving others, either through their businesses or with the revenue generated. Read more>>

Gregory Gray

Our mission is to help business owners free their businesses and free their lives. We help them find time freedom while increasing the profitability of their company. As someone who spent the first twenty years or so in large companies, I was able to utilize the resources we had at our disposal and understood the power behind that leverage. As an entrepreneur at heart, I wanted to leave the corporate world and start some of my own enterprises. Through acquisition, I bought my first business and went to work while building a second business along the way, the one I run today. Read more>>