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.

Brooke Johnson

My path to my stepping into helping people heal has been lifelong, every struggle was defining me to prepare me. However, as my work is my life and born through me when my root trauma was finally remembered, everything shattered. My entire life from 3 years old was all crumbing. My heart was broken beyond imagination. Read more>>

Van Ethan Levy

There were many moments. Starting with being in conversion therapy at such a young age then shipped all over the united states to be cured for being trans, non binary and undiagnosed autism. Being constantly kicked out of schools, internships, spaces, places, and every where for the identty(ies) I held, including graduate school programs, associateships, traineeships and so much more. Read more>>

Shawna Danielle

Back in 2021, I began to prepare myself for a huge career change. I wasn’t learning anything new & my job at the time wasn’t aligned with where I was going. A year prior, I had just launched my wellness brand & this was a challenge because it was 100 % self-funded & I didn’t know much about business. Read more>>

Yahzmen Reynolds

As I was in an institutional community the defining moment for me was realizing that I would be looked at as radical or rebellious for calling the pharmaceutical company out on its BS. I didn’t want to become a full nurse practitioner because I was not OK with giving patients medicine that was killing them. Read more>>

Akilah Bailey

One year my co-workers decided to have a Biggest Looser Challenge. I joined with very little confidence to win but was up for the challenge. It was during that challenge I learned about my body and discovered a love for fitness. Seeing that I did not win, I did manage to loose 15 pounds and became passionate about working out. I started hitting the gym frequently, and sometimes even worked out to videos on my lunch break. Read more>>

Korie Leigh, PhD

In my 18 year career as a child life specialist & thanatologist I have worked with dozens of families at their most vulnerable moment; the loss of their child. Through all of these experiences there are two moments connected to one family that shifted my work. In 2011 I worked with a family whose baby was dying. They didn’t know how long she would live, but in whatever time she had, they poured all of their heart and soul into making her life matter; Read more>>

Novia Markes

Novia has been a nurse for over a decade when she decided to advance her career and become a Nurse Practitioner. As she completed her studies towards the end of 2019, the world was on the verge of a major shift, the pandemic. While she knew this was the right career for her, the direction of health care in America was in the spotlight for all the world to see. Read more>>

Wale Okerayi

There have been many defining moments. in my career but the biggest one was starting my own private practice. The year was 2020 and I had been working remotely with 3 different practices. After a life changing year, I decided to take the leap and start my own practice. This has given me the ability to create the life I have always dreamed of. Naturally, I was terrified of branching out on my own but I also had a lot of support from the few mentors I have in my life. Read more>>

Krystle Willmore

I was into my own healing process, dealing with childhood abuse and trauma, and it seemed like everything I did was helping but it wasn’t quite enough. I used to say “logically I understand, but emotionally I don’t” because everything my therapist said made sense in my brain, but I couldn’t feel it into my body. I found something called a Forest Therapy Walk and even though I took my 3 children on weekly hikes, it appealed to me and I decided to sign up. Read more>>

Jeanette C. Hill-Frederick

Being in the industry for over 30 years, I realized that standing behind the chair and offering basic services were satisfying for some of my clients that wanted to maintain their healthy hair, but I also serviced clients that were experiencing hair thinning or they were in the early stages of hair loss. Being that I had not started my journey in Trichology I was making customized treatments for my clients that would cater to their area of concern. Read more>>

Donna Quach

A defining moment would be when I created the Battle Buddies Application to address mental health and suicide prevention for our veterans and active servicemembers. Being a trauma psychotherapist and a veteran myself, I always felt that our veterans and our Armed Forces servicemen and women need to know they are supported when they ask for emotional support, and understand it is okay for them to not be okay. Read more>>

Marcia Perretto

Dr Marcia C. Perretto PT, DPT, COMT Doctor of Physical Therapy CEO of ActifyPT, 7000 W Palmetto Park Rd, Boca Raton, FL 33433 (561) 366-2435 [email protected] www.actifypt.com Dr. Perretto’s Story I have always been a bit of a clumsy kid, always hurting, but I thought everyone felt that way. Read more>>

Heather Sholl

I’ve had three major turning points in my career and all have steered me down the path of expansion into avenues beyond my wildest expectations. Early in my career, when I still thought training was just a job, a former client reached out with the opportunity to manage and train at the gym in a small town where she retired with her husband. At twenty-four years old, I did not think I was ready or capable but I knew if she believed in me, Read more>>