Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?

We have had the good fortunate of connecting with Nobel Laureates, titans of industry, rockstars and rising stars across dozens of industries and we have always found their stories about who they were early on to be most fascinating. Below, you’ll find members of the community sharing their responses to this key aspect of their stories.

Eythan Maidhof

I’ve always been naturally emotional, sensitive, and a good listener. A lot of that comes from where I come from. My dad has always been a professional tinkerer — someone with a brilliant painter’s eye who never quite had the support or freedom to pursue his own art fully. Read more>>

Lyndsay Ealey

Before the world told me who I had to be, I was fearless—wildly creative, loud, funny, and outspoken. I said what I thought, dreamed without boundaries, and never worried about fitting in. But as we grow up, especially as girls, we’re taught that those qualities are too much—that it’s better to quietly blend in than boldly stand out, too risky to be different. Read more>>

Jacqueline Hinton

For me, it actually went the other way around. I was the rule follower. I did what I was told, tried to check the boxes, tried to make sense to everyone else. And then I got older. I experienced more. I lived more life. Now I don’t give a f*ck. I do what feels honest. I do what feels aligned. Read more>>

Diana Mayers

I’ve never really listened to anyone telling me who I should be. I was a stubborn child, and once I reached an age where I could make my own decisions, I never allowed anyone to dictate who I was or how I should live my life. That independence is the reason I’ve achieved everything I have today and turned my biggest dreams into reality. Read more>>

Joshua Mosley

Before the world tried to define anything for me, I was a kid sitting at the piano in a house filled with music. I was the kid who got lost in melodies and motifs, sitting through end credits of movies just to hear the score. Someone who saw movies not just as entertainment but as entire worlds I wanted to step into. Read more>>