My Story
The tale of how I came to finally find my purpose —
The Spirited Purpose Project
MAY IT INSPIRE YOU IN YOURS
“Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart. Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love. ”
Path to Purpose
You know how sometimes the most meaningful things in life start with the most random combination of events?
Well, my path to The Spirited Purpose Project began with a steamy commercial kitchen, a random Sufi flyer, a no-nonsense predictive astrologer — & believe it or not, Duke's mayo. Yes, you read that correctly!
Growing Up in the Family Business
At age 12 — the earliest allowed by law & my parents — I begged to & then began working summers over a steaming commercial dishwasher in our family restaurant. As a third-generation business owner, entrepreneurship was practically in my DNA.
Even when I took detours & worked for other people later in life, I always knew deep down that I'd end up doing my own thing. It's where I feel most alive. Most creative. Most me.
A Spiritual Turn
In 2007, a seemingly ordinary flyer on a friend's coffee table changed everything. It described an upcoming retreat about, among other things, finding your purpose, based on the teachings of the Indian mystic & musician, Hazrat Inayat Khan.
They were describing something called sacred agriculture. I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about, but I knew I was going to be at that retreat. While my head was confused, my soul was already packing!
Since that time I’ve been a student and teacher of Inayatiyya Universal Sufism — my spiritual & practical anchor even as I continue to explore & to learn about other paths & traditions.
The Bridge Between Worlds
By 2019, now in midlife, I was longing to connect the spiritual part with my work. I wanted these to be one & the same, woven together with my purpose. I had founded & grown two previous solopreneur ventures that didn’t quite do that.
On a friend's suggestion, I sought guidance from an astrologer — my first reading ever. I thought maybe my birth chart could give me some clues about what I was meant to do & how to do it. During the reading, I asked the age-old question: "What am I here to do?"
The astrologer, without missing a beat, said, "Why don't you put out a shingle saying 'Dana's Listening Service'?"
I laughed then, not knowing the prophecy of her words.
She offered that many people simply need someone to listen — & my natal chart indicated this could be part of my path.
She also helped me understand my intuitive & empathic abilities (also indicated in my chart), offering this practical wisdom: "Think of your intuition like a vacuum cleaner — just put it away in the closet & pull it out when you need it.”
The Mayo Moment: The Catalyst
This moment of clarity came unexpectedly. I was sitting in my home office, working on a freelance feature article for a copywriting client about Duke's mayo & its growing popularity in Latin America.
Mid-keystroke, I froze with the sudden thought: "Who cares?” followed by the deeper question:
“Surely I'm meant to do more than this?!"
Finding Purpose
Around this time, a friend was enrolling in a chaplaincy program at the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine (ChIME). As she shared about her experiences during her two-year study, I couldn’t help but notice how this program taught her how to deepen her ability to be present & listen to others, helping them to find their own answers within themselves — & something clicked for me.
THIS. WAS. IT. Listening to others!
Though I had no clue what I'd actually do with this listening-to-others-aspect of chaplaincy training, I knew I had to follow that inner knowing/nudge.
In my second semester of year two at ChIME, a transformative experience unfolded as I interned with three unique women & spiritual solopreneurs. Each one showed me a different facet of bringing soul into business.
Through their mentorship, I discovered beautiful truths: creativity isn't just a nice-to-have—it's our birthright & it shapes how we grow both inside & out. I saw how spirituality naturally weaves into business & can show up in many ways e.g. through sacred ceremony, heart-centered conversations, artistic expressions — &, I discovered, even in business.
But the most powerful revelation?
That our greatest offering is simply showing up as our complete, authentic selves—gifts, quirks, & all — & letting our light shine.
Everything finally came together. The Spirited Purpose Project was born — a perfect blend of everything I am & everything I've learned along the way.
