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.

Bonnie Bradford

When I first started my 200-hour yoga teacher training, it was about self discovery. Once I was half way through the program, I realized that I wanted to teach. The concept of teaching wasn’t even on my radar. I began teaching in 2013 and opened a studio in 2014. Read more>>

Darium Bingmon

At my lowest point, I experienced a pivotal milestone in my career. In the year of 2021, I found myself in college, majoring in the field of psychology ,but poorly attempting to apply the tools to my personal life. This is where I found myself worshiping and praying, asking God for signs for my life’s assignment: “Allow me to fulfill my mission in ways that uplift, inspire, and project your love from whatever my calling may be. Read more>>

April Doyley

I was in the Army for nine years and I have a background in IT. I currently work as a Business Managements Analyst for Army National Guard. I am in the process of going back to college to earn my degree in Dietetics with hopes to become a Registered Dietitian. I became interested in fitness and health when I decided to join the Army. Before joining the Army I was overweight and lost over 40lbs to meet the requirements and that was my first journey into learning about health and fitness. Read more>>

Sydnei Hughes

The defining moment in my career where I knew I specifically wanted to help women was with my third child. Since my second daughter was born I became a yoga instructor teaching vinyasa. After 2 1/2years of teaching I became pregnant with my third. During this pregnancy I went along my birth doula training while pregnant and realized how sterilizing birth has become. With my first two I felt I had no autonomy in the hospitals and knew this go round would be different. With Yoga and breathework I feel my pregnancy was optimal! I felt good, really good and I knew I had to help other mothers find pleasure in pregnancy and birth. I went into my training and furthered my education on prenatal and postnatal yoga. I am now in training to become an orgasmic birth practitioner and lactation consultant to help birth become more “pleasurable” and to take the stigma of “pain” out of it. I’ve been breast feeding for 8 years since my first was born and I feel that for mothers who are looking to have a breastfeeding journey, should have the support we all deserve. Read more>>

Eve Powers

Before I became a Life Coach, I worked with at-risk youth who had made some decisions that threatened to destroy their lives. Some of them were robbers, abusers, drug addicts or gang members. Instead of seeing them as being these things, God helped me see them as youth who were powerful, brilliant and capable of success. I never treated them like they were losers. I treated them like they were winners. They started seeing themselves as winners, and started loving themselves enough to start creating positive changes in their lives. Many of them went on to be successful adults, because they were able to change their self-image. Read more>>

Bria Mays

I originally formed Real Queens Fix Each Other’s Crowns as a little Facebook group, born out of a desire to create a safe, beautiful space for women during a time when everything felt uncertain in 2019. . Read more>>

Meryl Blau

“I know you are more than capable of doing this on your own, but why should you have to?” These were the words of my soon to be mentors, as I embarked on what became the most defining moment in my career. At the time, I was not building my career as a coach, I was building a “side hustle” network marketing business, alongside my professor of practice career at University of Miami, while raising two teen athletes. I was pushing myself to extremes, because it’s my nature to do everything to the fullest and to never want to disappoint or not show up, or not do what I say I’m going to do…so I was doing it all. My body was a mess. There were several things going on simultaneously, the biggest to note was degenerative collapse of my spine, in addition to an abdominal hernia, and progressing blindness from Glaucoma in my right eye. My back pain was at an all-time high and was making my foot go numb when I walked. Read more>>

Erica Howe

One day, in the thick of a full-time clinical practice with three toddlers at home and all the exhaustion and mom guilt that comes with that, I was packing up to leave for the day and a colleague walked by and asked me how I was doing. I responded with “Great!” and he went on his way. Read more>>

Rodney Smith Jr

This is an insightful question: “Was there a pivotal moment in your life?” For me, indeed, there was. Understanding my true purpose in life was a revelation. Initially, I was drawn to working with computers, believing that was my calling. However, life had different plans, something I would have never imagined in my wildest dreams. Now, I find myself mowing lawns without charge. It’s fascinating how life and divine intervention can steer us in unexpected directions. As a child, I detested the chore of lawn mowing, yet now, it’s my daily, voluntary endeavor. The turning point came in 2015 when I saw an elderly gentleman struggling with his lawn. Stopping to assist him was a defining moment, helping me realize my passion: to provide free lawn mowing services for those in need. Read more>>

Ashley Lucas

If I had to think of the most significant moment in my professional career, THE defining moment, it would have to be my unexpected pivot into psychotherapy! In 2019 I began working as a medical social worker in one of the largest hospital systems in the area. Initially, I enjoyed my work, but two years, a global pandemic, and the montotous routines of medical social work later, I was burned out! In earl 2021, we were still in the middle of COVID and I found myself jaded with the job and my career overall! One day, a co-worker mentioned that she had given my name and resume to a group therapy practice owner who was now very interested in interviewing me. I was honestly taken aback because, despite the burn out, I was not actively searching for employment, nor did we discuss it. However, I agreed with the thought “Hey I’m not even qualified for the job, the worst she can say is no and that’s okay because I’m not hopeful either way!” You see, at that time, being a therapist was not my immediate goal. I was in the early stages of obtaining my clinical license and everything felt so uncertain due to the chaos of the pandemic. I even remember saying “I am NOT ready to be anybody’s therapist! Haha!” Read more>>

Shannon Roussy-Sanchez

When I first started my Master’s in Public Health, I chose to specialize in Epidemiology and Health Education because I found them both interesting. Halfway through my degree, I got my first job as a health educator at a small clinic in a rural town in Nebraska. One of the moments that was the most defining for me was spending 2 hours with a patient to teach them how to use a diabetes blood glucose monitor, how to read their blood sugar levels, how to draw up insulin, and how to inject themselves safely. This person had been diabetic for years, but no one had ever taken the time to sit down with them long enough for them to learn. Seeing how much my time meant to this person showed me what a powerful impact health education could have people. Read more>>

Alex Richardson

Every since I was five, I knew I wanted to be a teacher, but what I did not realize, after 8 years of teaching high school Spanish, is that having my own child would change everything. With what I was making teaching and what the cost of daycare was, it really was not worth it for me to go back. After having a rough labor and delivery, a second degree tear, undiagnosed postpartum anxiety and ONE doctor’s appointment in which they did not catch my PPA or refer me to see a pelvic floor physical therapist despite my scar tissue from birth, I realize there is a SEVERE lack of care for women post birth in this country. Two years later I had my son and had basically the same experience and knew I had to do something about it. I prayed on it for the summer and decided I would start a nonprofit to help mothers after giving birth. I had never worked professionally in the nonprofit realm, but I knew I wanted our services to be free to help any woman who needed support and education on resources postpartum. I sought counsel, got our 501c3 and launched Mom Club, Inc which became 4th Trimester Mission in January of 2022. I started simple, by hosting new mother meetups in my home to give women a safe place to find community in the early, lonely days of postpartum. We grew to offer a home visit program where we deliver meals sponsored by Clean Eatz and a gift bag to new mothers. We also educate women on resources that are available such as mental health support, pelvic floor phsyical therapy, chiropractic, lactation support and more. It has been a whirlwind, but in two years we have support over 200 mothers and have done over 115 home visits. Read more>>

Stephanie Lewin

In the midst of my teaching career, a life-altering moment unfolded when my water broke during a school day, and I was thrust into the world of motherhood. This unexpected twist became the catalyst for a profound shift in my teaching philosophy. Faced with challenges and uncertainty, I chose adaptation over crumbling. I embarked on a journey of self-development and resilience, embracing personal growth as a cornerstone of my teaching approach. This transformative experience led me to infuse my classroom with not just knowledge but also a growth mindset. I encouraged my students to embrace challenges, learn from failures, and believe in their potential for growth. My defining moment as an educator became the foundation for nurturing resilient, self-aware individuals who could navigate the unexpected twists of life with courage and adaptability. This led me to my career in mental health and addiction treatment, where I was able to use my learning philosophy to bring light into the lives of people who needed to face struggles with resilience and shift their perspective about their current life circumstances. During this time, I also became a self-taught artist, where art became my outlet for connecting with my higher self, allowing me to see my fullest potential. I’ve even written books such as a growth mindset course and journal that I am currently working on getting published. My burning urge now is to teach these same principles of growth, resilience, and self-awareness to inspire others to unleash their inner potential. Read more>>

Tara Washington

I actually have two moments. I think my most defining moments in my career were when I realized I needed help, and when I realized I wanted to live and walk in my gifting. In winter of 2021, we were absolutely drowning in the first surge of Covid. There was sickness everywhere, and everyday I was confronted with death, despair and utter hopelessness. None of the treatments we were using for severe Covid really helped. We tried, they died. And that would just repeat day after day. After a series of personal losses; and being absolutely beat down by being surrounded by death all day everyday, I made the decision to take my life. I couldn’t take it anymore. However after sitting on the side of the 101 with a knife to my carotid, I made the decision to get help. That path led me to taking 3 months off work, leaving bedside nursing, and seeking intense therapy. After two years of clawing my way back, I’m now back in the Emergency room, and happier than I’ve been in years. Im stronger, wiser and walking fully in my gifting, which is healing. Read more>>

Keonna Robinson

When I graduated with my master’s degree in clinical psychology, I thought the world was at my feet. I thought I had finally achieved all that I needed to thrust myself into the next phase of my career. At least that’s what society tells us. However, life had other plans, and I found myself without a stable place to live. I was sleeping on friends’ couches and spending nights in my car. It was a challenging time, and I felt lost, confused, and alone. Read more>>

ALICIA POPE

I grew up as a sick kid. On top of just getting sick all the time, I had multiple surgeries, tumors, and embarrassing GI issues. This impacted my mental health, too, as I missed school and extracurriculars. Doctors told me that I was overly sensitive and to expect this as my life. I don’t think I understood what feeling good meant before the age of 22 when I felt a change while working overseas without access to processed foods and harsh household chemicals. It drove me to explore something different when I returned home. Read more>>

Kaitlyn Rabuck Thiel

After going to school for mental health counseling and struggling with my own mental health, I realized there was a nutritional deficiency component that I did not know the answer to until discovering Dr. JD Wallach’s life work. Mental and physical illnesses can all be traced back to a mineral deficiency and this is exactly what I needed to heal, and what I now help others in achieving for themselves naturally without the help of prescription medications. Read more>>

Marcy Bartula

What changed the trajectory of my career to work in the specific field of human trafficking was my first case in 2015. We had a young 15 year old come in to be forensically interviewed about being trafficking. This case had the FBI attached to it so I knew this was a something very serious but I had no idea what human trafficking was. After trying to connect the family with resources I found very quickly there was nothing out there. There was nothing specific to this childs needs and the very complex PTSD she was experiencing. From that point on I took every training and began to learn more about this dark world. I was in the middle of my Masters Degree and had to go into my internship. That is when the tide turned to learning about this and then doing something about human trafficking. After learning what I learned I KNEW I had to be apart of the solution. I could not sit idly by and let young girls be trafficked over and over. As I entered into my internship I opened a minors facility specific to girls being recovered. This is where I had cases come in with the FBI, DEA, District Attorney office. This is where the AH HA moment came. I leaned the huge gap, the high need for specialized care and realized this was about to be the biggest fight I was about to jump into. Read more>>

Megan Foltz

As a critical care nurse I arrived for the first time in Haiti a few months after their devastating 2010 earthquake. Eight weeks later I returned leading my second team and found myself in the frontlines of a deadly cholera outbreak that would ultimately claim over 10,000 lives. Read more>>

James Blackburn

I started to compound at a local independent pharmacy, working in a small closet basically. I started compounding making 1 RX per week, then 2 per week… Once it got to 3 per day, I was not able to keep up with compounding and running an entire pharmacy alone.. It got to the point where our town knew that I could compound, doctors trusted me, and I was unable to help anyone because I did not have the time or space. I was turning away cancer patients, pediatrics, veterans, and everyone else. Telling a mother that I can make her infant’s medication because I don’t have time made me stop sleeping. This is just one example, as there were hundreds. I tried to buy the pharmacy I worked at and expand my operations, but the numbers did not work out. So I ventured out on my own, starting Blackburn Drug, and have not looked back. Read more>>

Dan Vidal

There was a time in my early years as a therapist when I struggled immensely with impostor syndrome. I knew that I had excellent training and skills as a therapist, but I felt like I wasn’t good enough – like I was still missing something. Read more>>

Keira Barr, MD

I came across a passage in one of Primo Levi’s books that became my north star, and my bigger why, for pursuing dermatology as a medical speciality, and the trauma informed somatic work I do now. Read more>>

Kyanni Fleming

When I was five years old, I attended AM kindergarten. My neighbor, who lived 2 houses down the street, would pick me up and babysit after school. I had an afternoon routine when I got to her house. I would do my homework, if any, while she prepared lunch. My favorite was tomato soup and grill cheese. After lunch, it was nap time. I napped in a spare room that had posters of popular music albums. One poster I found myself gazing at as I fell off to sleep was the group Earth, Wind and Fire. The poster had an ancient pyramid, a third eye symbol and other Egyptian signs. One particular day, I had a dream that the third eye symbol illuminated from the poster and hovered in front of me as I laid in the bed. A voice spoke that said “You are meant to be apart of something bigger than you”. This message has resonated with me throughout my life. Read more>>

Robyn Warren

I went to 3 different colleges and universities and had 6 different majors by the time I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in 5 years. There was psychology, pre-law, photography, liberal arts, communications, and then finally physical education. Read more>>

Erin Anderson-Kipp

In 2015, I started learning the difference between a career and a calling. Although I had enjoyed a long professional life as a content strategist, things changed when I discovered the benefits of well-being through mindfulness and energy healing. I leaned heavily on both as I worked through the emotional complexities of divorce, moving abroad, and job loss–all within a 5-year period. I realized I wanted to share with others the tools and techniques that had helped me so much. I searched, studied, and over time received certifications in reiki, aura clearing, and sound healing. Read more>>

Nia Symone

My defining moment of becoming a birth doula came after I was in the darkest moments of my life. I was lost and confused, I felt like I had no direction and kept getting rejected from what I believed my dream job (creative directing) was then. I saw an episode of The Breakfast Club and they had a woman on there talking about Black Maternal Health. Her passion and knowledge to eradicate the mortality of black mothers and babies poured out. I was inspired by Latham Thomas and decided to begin my doula training through Mama Glow Doula Training. I felt like I had come home to myself. I felt like there was a piece of me who abandoned my dreams of becoming a Pediatrician returning to me as I began my doula training. I felt like I finally found a way to merge my passion and purpose. Read more>>

Cindy Morales

I had been an independent contractor for a well known boutique spa and I had created a following… I was in high demand! Clients waiting to see me? What? Amazing yelp reviews that lead to request and referrals. I knew this was my passion but this was actual confirmation… I was actually great at what I do and this was the proof and the push I needed. That’s when Glow Haus became an idea. Opening up Glow Haus was one of the scariest but best decisions I’ve made. I knew it wouldn’t be the easiest but I encourage others who are on the same journey to do their research and start now and take that leap of faith. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity that this lead me to. Read more>>

Dr. Bashir Easter

When her words stopped my lifetime of service began. In 2007 my mother Deloris Pitts was not controlling her A1C, her levels were so out of control she was told that she was in jeopardy of amputation. With her diabetes being unmanaged she began to have ulcers on the bottom of her feet. This was the cause of the medical decision of amputation. The thing that was confusing is that my mother had a medical background, my sisters and I couldn’t understand why she was not taking care of her A1C. Later we were alarmed to learn that she was forgetting that she had not taken her medication. The surgeon was able to save her leg but stated that they would still need to do an amputation of her toes due to the ulcer infection. We prepared ourselves for the surgery and expected a good report. Waiting for the outcome, her surgeon came to us and stated that the surgery went well. We went to see our mother in the recovery room, she looked well but something was different, she was sitting up in the bed with a smile on her face, but she was not speaking. We asked the nurses what was wrong, she stated my mom was still dealing with the anesthesia and when the anesthesia wears off, she should be back to normal. We prepared my mother for discharge and as we drove her home, she did not speak the whole ride home. Read more>>

Alexandria Marelli

Breaking away from the traditional career path that most take post grad can be intimidating. There are moments where I feel like my hard work will never pay off, and that pursuing a career I’m truly passionate about is simply not in the cards for me. I have had countless friends and family members tell me to “play it safe and stay in a traditional role”. While I do see value in gaining experience in the workforce, spending my entire life behind a desk is something I refuse to concede to. I need something more- something that makes ecstatic to jump out of bed in the morning. Isn’t that what life is all about? Since starting my fitness journey there have been many moments that have made me feel proud- from getting partnerships with brands that I have looked up to since I started lifting, to hitting personal records in my lifts. I have pushed myself mentally and physically beyond what my mind could have ever imagined and for that I am forever changed. However, a recent event really shifted my perspective of what it is I am truly doing when I share my fitness journey with the world. Read more>>

Cleo Amelia Tetzloff

I went to school to be a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. but little did I know the windows of opportunity this profession and career would open up for me. Four months after graduating, moving across country from Chicago to California, studying relentlessly for my board exams, I opened my private practice in Palm Desert. I had never run a business let alone started one from the ground up. The universe was good to me and right out the gate, I started to build a full clientele. From my very first patients, it was clear to me that yes, people needed acupuncture and herbal medicine, but they also needed so much more. Most people did not understand what was going on with their health. They had been to many different doctors before where their symptoms weren’t taken seriously, their lab work was overlooked, and they were left with no answers. The intakes I was doing with patients were becoming far too in depth for the amount of time allotted for an acupuncture treatment. I got into Chinese medicine because of my own personal complications with Lyme disease. Along that journey, I also dabbled in Functional Medicine with great results. Patients were asking and I decided it was time to give. Not long after I opened my practice, I did an 8 month certification in Functional Medicine and have since then weaved this pillar into my practice to help patients clearly understand the root cause of their symptoms, demystify lab work, and be able to implement treatment plans that make sense and fit into their lifestyle. Read more>>

Amber Derby

As humans, we are all subconsciously being influenced whether we realize it or not. My story starts a little sad, but has created a trajectory in my life of giving back. Beginning with a challenging rare diagnosis in elementary school, several losses in high school, and then losing a close friend to cancer, the impact of those experiences had taken hold. After several cross country moves, I started volunteering at a local cancer resource center called Living Well. Over the next decade I continued to volunteer, donate, and participate in fundraising events. I loved spending my time, knowing it made a difference. I didn’t think too much of it until I lost my husband. In the spiraling darkness of grief, I remembered all of those experiences and how they made me feel better. I had been working with plants since I was young because of my diagnosis, and decided to create a business dedicated to giving back and making a difference. I’ve donated over $200 worth of products to various fundraising events including PanCan and the American Lung Cancer’s Oxygen Ball, as well as donating 10% of my profits. Read more>>

Krisztina Paskuly

I had a particular interest in wellness and nutrition from early on in my teens, thanks to growing up in health conscious family, but it was when I was diagnosed with Lyme disease when I took my interest to another level and started educating myself every way possible about the impact of food and lifestyle on ones health. I spent many years studying and trying out different diets, philosophies, and various biohacks with the help of a medical professional to find the best way of living and eating to keep my chronic condition dormant. Thru out my years of research and eduction, I learned, that with the right lifestyle, it is possible to treat or prevent most medical conditions without prescription medication. Read more>>

Emily Jameson

I am a two-time fire total-loss house fire survivor. When I was 17, our family lost our home to a fire, and that ended up having a profound impact on me in my quest to more deeply understand spirituality, psychology, trauma, and how to navigate loss. Read more>>

Hyim Ross

There have been numerous defining moments in my professional career. I would say a few of them are the death of my father at the end of violence when I was 10 years old. Another would be going through the Oakland public school system as a white Jewish kid and still calling that my hometown. Another defining moment was my travels around the world with my brother when I was in my early 20s. All of these were so defining because they allowed me to learn how to connect and relate to a very diverse community and individual. I’ve studied music in Cuba and India and Brazil and my interactions with my teachers and fellow students as well as my interactions with teachers and Phyllis students and open public schools taught me how different everyone can be and also how in the end of the end we are all the same. I have spent time in my early early 20s native American sweat lodges that deeply affected my understanding of my relationship to the Earth below me and my place within nature and. community. Another defining moment is when I change myself up against the entrance sign at UC Santa Cruz (go Slugs!) And to see how positive the response was from my community. I did that in protest of the massive prisons that were being built in California and the lack of funding of education especially in urban cities and communities. Inspired me to use my privileges and education and capacity to speak more and more. Read more>>

Yanira Puy

There was indeed a defining moment in my professional career that completely altered its trajectory. After dedicating two decades to a successful career in marketing across Venezuela, the United States, and Colombia, I began to reflect on my path. Despite the achievements, I felt a profound calling for something more meaningful – a passion for service and a desire to make a positive impact. Read more>>