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.

Ryan Cameron

I’ve always been the same guy no matter what the world or others around me felt. I’ve always had the same dreams, the same goals, the same passions. Now into my adulthood, I’m just able to finally see those things to fruition with no one holding me back. This sky the limit Read more>>

Jazmine Bunch

Ah man, I was fearless. The greatest advice I’d ever gotten was in undergrad, but I think it could really apply to life. I was told to be a ‘bright-eyed and bushy-tailed’ freshman for as long as I possibly could, because once that veil was lifted, that’s it, it’s over. Read more>>

Shannel Resto

Before the world tried to define me, I was curious, fearless, and imaginative. I created without self-censorship, guided by a clear sense of who I wanted to become—a version of myself I still fight to protect today. Even as a child, I resisted gender norms and societal expectations, surrounding myself with people who chose to do the same. Read more>>

S. Marie

Honestly, I was a wild child. I had little expectations of myself and was unburdened by the expectations of others. As a woman entering her 30’s, I feel like I am clawing my way back to that unkempt child who never worried, cared little for how others viewed her, and simply wanted to create worlds while wandering the woods. Read more>>

Averri Liggins

Ooh, that’s a soul-piercing question isn’t it? As children, we dream without boundaries. We believe we can become anything, fearless, bold, and limitless, because no one has told us otherwise. But as we grow older, life begins to chip away at that freedom. Read more>>

Just Jay

Not really sure. I guess I was whoever I thought I had to be in that moment a lot of times that was determined by whatever nickname I was going by. For most of my life I went by names like Crazy or Crazy Jay. And when you have a name like that, people always expect you to be the craziest one in the bunch. Read more>>

Eric Lo-Bateman

Before the world told me who I had to be, I was a cartoonist. I have been drawing comics on and off since 5th grade. Going into college is when I told myself I had to grow up and pick a ‘real’ career. I stopped letting myself entertain the notion of becoming a cartoonist, and chose animation as my major. Read more>>

Brett Ryder

The world never told me who I had to be, and if they did, I wouldn’t have listened anyway. All of my life has been following though with making the dream that ‘little kid me’ had into a reality. Read more>>

Sammy Saladino

Before the world started to shape my path, I was just a small-city guy from Peoria, Illinois, without much direction. For about five years, I drifted in and out of community college while working in the hotel industry. I had plenty of interests back then, and honestly, I still do today, but I really struggled to find the motivation to pursue any of them seriously.  Read more>>

Archie Clay III

Man, I think this is such a powerful question — Who was I before the world told me who I had to be? Truth is, I’m still that same person. See, the world tries to tell us that being emotional or vulnerable is a weakness. Read more>>