It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day, but it’s important to stop ask: what’s the end goal? Knowing where you are trying to go is step one in getting there and so we’ve asked some folks we admire to tell us their end goal and where they want to be by the end of their careers.

Sonalii Castillo | Actor, Model, Writer, Director, Producer

The end goal for me, as an artist, as an actor, writer, producer, director and model, is to be able to leave behind a beautiful body of work. To leave behind a piece of myself that family, friends, and future fans can relate to and enjoy. I want to continue to write films and stories that will uplift, encourage, give hope, and of course entertain and allow others to know that if you want it badly enough, if you can see it, you can become who your inner child always knew she or he could be. I want to continue to push boundaries and to break molds. I want to continue to break away from what society has told me I should be. I want to continue to be the one who shows my younger family members that you can breakaway from the traditions set by our elders and family member that came before us, and allow your heart to reach for that stars that seems so unreachable. I want to look back at the end of my life and know that I did and tried everything I wanted and have no to very few regrets. Read more>>

Folayan Obembe | Technology Consultant & Strategist

The end goal is to build/buffer an eco-system of authentic African culture and lifestyle in the Americas. At the end of my career I want to see healthy African communities basking in the fullness of their heritage in these United States. Read more>>

Julia Marley | Actress, Singer & Dancer

I want to have made an impact on the world through my art. I hope to be apart of projects that inspire and challenge me to be not only a better artist, but a better person. I want to tell stories that have an impact. My end goal is to be fulfilled creatively while lifting up those around me. Read more>>

Treisa Gary | Actor, Coach Author & Energy Healer

Since I can remember, I’ve always been interested in the journey of the human spirit and all things personal growth. For my 40th Birthday, I treated myself to a private spiritual retreat in Ojai, CA. I was going through so much at the time and just by stepping on the grounds of the retreat property, I knew something different was happening to me. It was an amazing, healing experience and it transformed me. By the end, I knew…THIS was what I wanted to help other artists do too…to find peace in their lives. Because my retreat experiences heightened my personal and professional life, I was able to incorporated the tools I gained, into my actor coaching business. Over the course of my career, I’ve created 4 transformational programs for artists and non-artists, to explore who they are and heal their lives along the way. Read more>>

Robert Kley | Artist

I don’t think about end goals too much anymore. There have been many times I have had goals set up for myself and when I achieved them they weren’t what I thought they were going to be. The same goes for others that didn’t work out and I was happy that they didn’t. I’ve found the process of working towards them much more memorable than the actual goal itself. I don’t put pressure on myself about them. Sometimes they work out and sometimes they don’t. It’s ok either way. I can’t really see and end to my career but more an evolution. I will always be involved in photography, music, and art in some form or another. In the end as long as I am still happy creating that’s all that really matters. Read more>>

Cel La Flaca | Visual Artist & Animation Producer

I don’t feel like there’s a true end goal for me per say. I think there are breathless “aha!” kinds of moments where I can feel some satisfaction, and then continue to pour myself back into learning the craft. I’ve found my engagement with art, whether it be illustration or film, to be a winding road that has lead me to so many experiences and people that it’s hard to constrain that to a career path or position. Not to sound cheeky or try to deem everything I do so ethereal, much of what I work on is very accessible and by no means groundbreaking. However, I’ve always found magic in the mundane, the pedestrian, and do gravitate towards expressing my personal work in a more avante garde fashion. All of this being a rather long winded way to say, by the end of my career, my life, I hope to have made things for people to engage thoughtfully with themselves and others. A simple albeit Herculean task. Read more>>

The Little Friends of Printmaking | Illustrators/Printmakers/Designers

We would like to make and sell prints for as long as we can physically do it. We recognize how grim that sounds, but it is truly such a source of joy in our lives. We were stuck in our studio through the pandemic, and while it should have been miserable, we actually had a lot of fun. It reoriented our thinking about our career, and we started to envision a dream future without deadlines where we just design, make, and sell prints (in a little house, preferably surrounded by cats and potted plants). We’d also love to continue to make children’s books, so I guess we’ll have to allow a few deadlines into our little perfect bubble of pure printmaking. Read more>>

Trica Jean-Baptiste | Hospitality Real Estate Consultant

I do not subscribe to the idea of reaching an ‘end goal’ in one’s profession or career. For me, as long as what I am doing brings me joy, inspiration, pride and a feeling of accomplishment, there is no need for an end goal. Life is a journey, professionally and personally, one should enjoy the various destinations. It is important to always look towards what is ahead and not necessarily the end. As we are living longer, there will be many chapters and careers. And that is a tremendous fortune, to be able to Reinvent professionally throughout your life. At this phase or chapter of my career, I am playing for legacy. After two amazing careers – in hospitality and real estate, my focus now is on integrating all that I have mastered in both professions into something that will redefine my industry, evolve for years to come. Most important, I am creating a legacy that will provide opportunities for others to prosper and thrive. Read more>>

Maxx Nies | Singer/Songwriter

My end goal is to take my own life experiences, emotions, and feelings and express them in my music to free myself of them but also to connect with my listeners who might relate to them. I want to have a huge and successful music career but at the same time I want to help people heal through my music. Read more>>

Sharon Joetama | Visual Storyteller, Photographer

Working is a lifelong journey, we are created in this world to work. That is why, often when seniors retired, their health tends to decline. I want to say that in the end, what you work on matters less, as you learn to value other things. Such as the friendship and support you’ll get from your coworker and the continuation of growth in skills, attitude, and mindset. A lot of people got hooked and trapped into the cycle of working and that is the least of what I want. Having graduated from Art Center College of Design, I then got recruited to work at WET Design. A world-renowned design company. There, I was a photographer under the branding team. After that, I explored building my own small design agency. Now, I work at a CTO company called Rebelworks, as a business developer. Never have I imagined that I would work in a company full of developers and coders. This experience made me realize that you can never predict where you end up or what you enjoy, that is until you try it. Read more>>

Candice Lenoir | Actress, Author, Producer, Fit Model

The end goal is to have a legacy. I want to build something that my children, children, children can be proud of. Something that says I was here. I would love to have an impact on my community, the people I love, and the world. By the end of my career professionally I want to still enjoy what I love to do. But I would love to be someone that can open doors for others. Be a conduit for other people’s dreams. Break down barriers and create opportunities. I would love to be a household name and I would love for my Production Company to produce films that inspire others to live and tell their truths. Read more>>

Sebastian Ramirez | Freelance Photographer/Creator

My end goal is to be able to work with superstar athletes and organizations. It would be a dream to have high end clientele on a regular basis. I’m aiming for the soccer industry but i welcome all work that can come my way. Read more>>

Lou Prime | Song Writer & Artist

Upon entering the music industry, I knew that the road ahead would be tough in terms of breaking through. During the journey, I realized that my passion for writing and creating melodies is what drew me towards this dream. I would say the end goal is not to become a pure artist but to become an acclaimed songwriter known throughout the industry. As a result, I have been writing and performing songs that are outside of my niche to hone my writing versatility. Read more>>

Prasad Narse | Senior Visualization Artist & Animator

I think goals change as we move further in our career path. Seven years ago my life goal was to become a successful animator and to be able to contribute to the animation industry, now I feel fortunate to become a Visualization artist and able to contribute not only to animation but to visual effects society. As a Visualization artist, I provide many ideas/ options to the directors to visualize a shoot beforehand the filming schedule. On every production, we are constantly involved in a creative decision-making process. I would like to take this experience into directing my own stories. In recent years I started developing multiple concepts/ film scripts.  Eventually, my objective is to continue to learn and excel professionally, but further, than that, when it comes down to my personal end goal I hope that I can make an impact and empower others through my own stories. Read more>>

Giannè Nascimento | Hair Stylist

The end goal for me personally is to have a brand that represents not only my morals and values in the ways I move through life but to have a strong clientele base in following of people who also represent the morals and values that they live in life. Authenticity is important, tradition is important, respect is important, communication is important. my goal is to work is hard as I need to so that one day I won’t have to introduce myself my name will. Read more>>

Chaun Phattz | Designer, Artist, Creator of Love None Worldwide

Its simple, I want my impact to be undeniable. When its all said and done I want my fingerprints to be visible everywhere. Even if LNWW doesn’t get to the place I want it to be, at least I know I created a bunch of dope shit for the people I’ve worked with. Read more>>

Samantha Sadoff | Filmmaker

Working in the entertainment industry is challenging because there is no one path to get to where you ultimately want to be. Unlike medical students who study, go on to have a residency and then become doctors, there is no one path to becoming a filmmaker. With a mix of tenacity, grit and perhaps a little luck, maybe you can find yourself on the path to where you want to go. This can be demoralizing and frustrating, as for someone who craves a sense of direction- there is no direction! However, the most important thing I have come to recognize in my time entering the professional sector is that each step is an opportunity to learn and grow in the right direction. Read more>>

Cali Masih | Influencer & Actor

I want to accomplish things people dream about and go beyond my expectations, I want to take everything that I’m doing within my brand and transition it into something I can look back at and be happy.. the end goal is to take whatever I have knowledge wise and put it out to the youth to keep that success going for the next generation. Read more>>

Kati Rausch | Actress & Writer

My goal is to be part of great movies and TV shows. My biggest dream is to star in my own sitcom 🙂 And once I am old enough to retire, I want to become an crazy cat lady 😉. Read more>>