Defining moments aren’t just exciting – they are thought-provoking and fertile ground for learning. These inflection points often are the result of an illuminating moment where some truth of the universe presents itself in an easier to recognize form. Below, you’ll find talented and successful entrepreneurs and artists sharing the stories of defining moments in their lives.

Brialle Ringer

Before I was leading retreats, facilitating group programs, and coaching clients doing what I love — I was burnt out, graduating with my degree in Social Work, and overworking myself. Read more>>

Joya Santarelli

I had just started my career as a litigator in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was a difficult balance between a successful law career and being a wife and mom to two young boys. But, I was making it work…somehow. Out of nowhere, I started experiencing physical and mental symptoms that seemed to appear out of no where. Little things… Read more>>

JG Larochette

“The first mindful sit: 2012, Room 18 at Coronado Elementary” I went back to my classroom and said, “Boys and girls, it’s so good to see you. A new year, a new me.” I had them get in a mindful position and said, “We’re going to work on listening to sound and focusing on breath for two minutes.” Read more>>

Jake Myers

There are some moments in life that might seem like the worst things in the world to happen to your professional career, but end up being the best. For me, this was the Covid-19 pandemic. When Covid hit, it seemed like it might be the end of psychotherapy. After all, I was used to driving into my office day after day to meet clients face-to-face for individual and couples therapy. When offices were closed around the country, this seemed like the end-of-days for my career. Read more>>

Karen Sadewater

Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you think you’ve been buried, but actually you’ve been planted.” – Christine Caine I started at Chicago school of professional psychology in 2016…yeah, yeah I know the math isn’t adding up since it is now 2023. A three-year program turned into a 6-year journey. I was buried a few times but each time I came back stronger and happier. My dark places consist of deaths of family members and close friends, end of significant relationships, vehicle accidents, imposter syndrome, & health issues. Read more>>

Melanie Joye Pherson

After a few years in private practice doing strictly fascia work & the Rolfing/Structural Integration 10 Series, I noticed a handful of clients returning with the same physical symptoms. I felt so frustrated that I couldn’t fix it! And then came a progression of events! A fellow bodyworker gently told me to stop working so hard & let the work do the work. The next day, an epiphany complete with a soft Morgan Freeman voice told me that I was no longer dealing with just physical problems. Read more>>

Natasha Ewa

I have worked in the mental health field for over 12 years and when I received my cancer diagnosis, I had been in the mist of contemplating opening my own private practice, working for myself and starting a professional family that would service the community around me. My diagnosis of stage 2 ER+ breast cancer rocked my entire world, it scared me senseless, but what it also did was immediately define my priorities. Read more>>

NIKKIMAH DAVIS

In 2020 I said to my then caucasian boss, “You know, in diversity training, I just learned that we are supposed to have interviews with a diverse panel. She looked at me and said with a smile well, you’re going to have to be in every one of them because you know you are the token black therapist. This was the day my career path as a mental health therapist officially changed. Let me give you some of my backstory, “I am an African-American female, born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a single-parent mother. Read more>>

Jesus Hernandez

I was fired from my first job as a licensed therapist. Nowadays I look back and think about how Oprah got fired too, but in the moment this was one of those terrifying make or break situations that I had to go through in my career in order to get to where I am today. When you go into the helping profession you are made to develop some pretty limiting beliefs that teach us we come second. Read more>>

Cardsy B

Before I became Cardsy B, celebrity tarot reader and author, I built my career in the fashion industry designing for brands like NIKE, DKNY, and served as the Global VP of Design and Creative Director of Playboy and also had my own lingerie line Read more>>

Sapna Rad

What makes a child brave, kind, and resilient? Parents who create the safety for children to be their authentic selves. What makes a parent have faith in their children’s nature and their future? Someone who has done their inner work to become aware of their thoughts, fears, and anxieties. Parents who know the “what” behind the “how” constantly examine beliefs that hold them back. Be a maverick when it comes to your children. Read more>>

Raven Gibbs

Oh, imposter syndrome! You have been by my side for so many years and frankly, I’m over it! Pack your bags. You’ve got to go! The first quarter of 2023 has been amazing for me (on paper). I received a grant that I had been hopeful for, my work was really starting to stick in my community, I was becoming increasingly popular for speaking engagements, and I received an unexpected promotion. Read more>>

Christina Furnival

When I began practicing as a mental health therapist in 2009, my vision was to work as a clinic-based therapist, and I did so for almost a decade. But as life tends to do, it opened up pathways for me I couldn’t have imagined, and now I find myself working as a stay-at-home mom, a telehealth therapist providing therapy in the evenings, and an award-winning author of globally-enjoyed children’s mental health themed books. Read more>>

Ìfé Michelle Milligan

A defining moment for me, was finally overcoming fears and surrendering to the healing that was necessary for me. It was a moment when I was able to truly connect with my Destiny and Purpose through Ancestral Healing and Wisdom. Read more>>

Mia Beasley

My defining moment started in college. I was in school for a bachelor’s in education but I needed to figure out what I was doing there. I felt deeply misplaced but I also wasn’t sure what I actually wanted to do with my life so I just did anything to keep myself busy. Since I was 15 I knew I wanted to inspire young girls but I just wasn’t sure how and that dream felt too far to reach. Read more>>

Caroletta James

I was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 1998. After my time in the military, I pursued a career as a unit health care coordinator where I worked on the Burn Unit at University Hospital. I then studied to become a STNA and PCA working at various nursing homes and hospitals. I did that for 4 years before I went to Nursing school and graduated in 2002. Worked in the float pool in hospitals on med surg, ICU, rehabilitee, home health. Read more>>

Bianca Vesco

I’ve had two HUGE defining moments in my career that stand out to me most because they were 100% make or break situations. Two situations where I could’ve accepted defeat and crumbled back into nothing. But I didn’t. I rose, I grew stronger, I gained confidence and was able to fully understand my worth and my passion to bring that feeling to others. Read more>>

Damien Rider

January 3rd, 2015 i walked to me local beach with my paddleboard on my shoulder and I set off on a solo, unsupported 17 day voyage of 800 km. for 8 months leading up i had to learn to remove doubt, boundaries, pressure and some people from my daily life, to turn my mindset 180 to accomplish what i had ahead. Read more>>

Smith Christenbury

There were several years early on in my career as a Doctor of Physical Therapy during which I worked for a few different companies, beginning as a “new grad” and eventually working my way up into a management position. Although each clinic was vastly different they all had one underlying expectation: maximize patient visits. Read more>>

Kimberly Cabral

15 years ago I started this idea of MASK based off a car ride I had had with my son as I thought I was on top of what I needed to know as a parent. And as children always do, my son taught me that I knew nothing- He was in 6th grade and already exposed to things you couldn’t imagine at the time. Drugs, sex and of course bullying. He hadn’t done anything but it was almost like it was second nature conversation among 6 graders, which was hard for me to digest, Read more>>

Sarah Morales

I basically fell in to the career I’m now in. My story is out there in many forms, including my podcast, so I feel comfortable saying that my LIFE changed trajectory the day the FBI showed up at my house and took away my then husband. Fortunately, I had people in my life that could point me to the specialized help I needed. It was there the coach that was helping me saw my gift, and encouraged me to pursue becoming a coach myself. Read more>>

Lee Noto

I’ll share the story that started my career as an Intimacy Coach (TLDR: after massive heart break and health upheaval, I realized that in order to call in the love I was craving from a partner, I first had to become that partner to myself). Read more>>

Kilo Sade

Mental illness throughout my community is at an all time high. A lot of this is due to economical hardships, systematic oppression, and racial economic disparities. Read more>>

Jennifer Santamaria

During physical therapy school, I had my mind set on becoming an orthopedic physical therapist – treating post operation people and general muscle/joint/ligament injuries- and I did. I began my career as an orthopedic PT working at an outpatient insurance model clinic. Over the next two years I began getting burnt out – seeing 20+ patients a day and struggling to provide the patient care everyone deserved. Read more>>

Najah Abdus-Salaam

I’ve always been a spirited child at heart. I’ve always loved nature, animals, and helping and caring for others. So when it came to career paths, of course, I chose to go into marketing and advertising(!!). After working in NYC at the largest outdoor advertising agency at the time, I knew this was not the work for me. Read more>>

Dr. Crystal Champion

I often get asked by people I meet and my patients, “How did you become interested in physical therapy?” I will share with you the same story I tell them. When I was a little girl, I always knew I wanted to be in the medical field. I used to tell my immediate family I wanted to be a dermatologist. I heard the fancy word somewhere, not truly knowing what a dermatologist was. But what I did know, was that it was a career in the medical field. My family would prompt me and say, “just be a doctor if you want to be in the medical field.” Read more>>

Addison Bell

I started my career off as a therapist. After having my own personal struggles with an eating disorder in my late teens and being able to overcome them, I had a major dream of working with other individuals to move through the inner conflict that was holding them in such a dangerous cycle. Though as an eating disorder therapist I found myself often feeling that I was missing something in my approach and began to see how the internal ‘hunger’ of my clients went far beyond food. Read more>>

Ruthie Lindsey

Covid really shook things up for my work, I was supposed to be on a big book tour a few weeks after shut down. Speaking jobs came to a stop and I made the decision to stop working with brands. It was a scary not knowing how I would pay my bills. This all invited me into the next iteration of my work which became 1 on 1 coaching. I don’t believe I would have sought this career out had everything had not happened the way it did. Read more>>

Kathy Waters

Working in the health care industry for nearly ten years before starting the advocacy, I would never have thought that people would look at me as someone who could potentially help thousands, maybe even millions, regarding online crime. After many hours of research, skimming through the largest social media platform for fraudulent accounts, and creating a solid report showing the downfall of their reporting system, Facebook agreed to meet with my partner and me in the Washington D.C. office. Read more>>