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.

Andreea Modrea

Long before I started my career as a health and wellness coach, my life was very chaotic, stressful, and unhealthy overall. I had a severe health crisis that — when finally diagnosed — turned out that I needed surgery. During the surgery I had an NDE. I was surrounded by a warm and loving bright white light. There were no direct messages that I recall. Read More>>

Ariana Jones

Yes I actually did have a moment/experience that changed my whole career path. It happened after my own C-section and everything that came along with the recovery. I went through a really rough recovery — way harder than I expected or ever imagined due to some very rare unexpected complications — and even with all my training, I still felt lost. Read More>>

Mariah Moyer

There was a moment that shifted the entire direction of my professional life, and it happened while I was suspended in the air…literally! I was a few months into my aerial hoop training, working through a sequence that required deep shoulder stability and trust in my own body. Midway through the skill, I felt a familiar twinge in my shoulder. Read More>>

Maki Kawakita

There are two defining moments that have shaped my professional life — both rooted in passion, courage, and reinvention. Defining Moment #1 — Rising in photography, and learning to let go I came to the United States from Japan with a dream: to become a photographer in New York City, just like the artist Andy Warhol I admired. Read More>>

Odette Coronel

Yes, there was a defining moment. Though it was more like a truth that kept getting louder until I couldn’t ignore it. My husband and I had run a business together for years while raising our three kids. We had great systems, great teamwork, a really good life. Read More>>

Rachel Krentzman

From Pain to Purpose A defining moment in my career came when I injured myself in a yoga class. At the time, I was already a physical therapist and a yoga teacher, but my practice was driven by ambition, intensity, and a competitive attitude. During one class, a teacher pushed me deeper into a forward bend, and I herniated a disc. Read More>>

Cathy Goldstein

Absolutely—there were two defining moments that changed the entire trajectory of my professional life, and both came from deeply personal experiences with my own body. The first happened when I was twenty-six, lying in a hospital bed after being rushed into emergency surgery for Crohn’s disease. At the time, I was completing prerequisites for osteopathic school. Read More>>

Elisabeth Carns

I want to do things differently. I’m not satisfied with the status quo, it’s not conducive to our brain health or mental health. I have felt very uncomfortable in most of my jobs, inadequate perhaps or just that the things we were doing were pointless. Read More>>

Marla Artman

My Jazzercise journey began over 22 years ago! As a young mom I was busy taking care of my children and my own self-care was going by the wayside. I had always been active, with a background in dance, and enjoyed working out. While I was dropping off my son at preschool, at the Hoffman Estates Park District, we passed by the gym. I saw women dancing… I could hear the music…I thought I Need to check that out! That’s when I discovered Jazzercise! Read More>>

Lauren Lastra

A simple email from someone I had never met in a place I had never been changed the trajectory of our organization. Let me explain. In 2023, our organization, Santa Ynez Valley Pride, was hosting our annual Pride Parade & Festival celebrations in Solvang, CA, a small town that prides itself as being the Danish capital of America. Read More>>

Lathell Sancho

Yes — there was a defining moment in my life that changed everything.

It happened when I finally got honest with myself about my own health. I was dealing with multiple issues — high cholesterol, diabetes symptoms, kidney problems, sleep issues, constant fatigue. My body was talking to me, and I knew that if I didn’t take control, things were going to get worse. Read More>>