Success looks different these days. It’s not about working sixteen hours a day or following every shiny new strategy. Some chase it. Others build it with purpose. These ten entrepreneurs didn’t stumble into greatness. They made it their mission. Each one created their own path, driven by unshakable belief in impact, service, and transformation.
These individuals turned their personal stories into platforms. They took pain, passion, faith, or curiosity and built something meaningful with it. From leadership coaching to soul-aligned publishing to luxury skincare, these change-makers are proof that business can be impactful, profitable, and personal.
You’ll meet voices that are reshaping entire industries by simply refusing to play small. What do they all have in common? Purpose is their engine.
If you’re looking for a reminder of why you started or for motivation to start, these success stories are here to provide you with valuable, bite-sized advice.
- Tony Robbins
Tony Robbins didn’t just ‘awaken the giant within’; he gave it a microphone, a stage, and one hell of a message. Born Anthony Mahavoric and raised in a chaotic home, Robbins transformed personal pain into purpose. He left home at seventeen, worked as a janitor, and stumbled upon a Jim Rohn seminar that would change his world and his future. Today, he’s a world-renowned motivational speaker who offers businesses the blueprint for transformation.
His words have travelled through millions of ears and into the hands of readers worldwide via bestsellers like Unlimited Power, Awaken the Giant Within, Money: Master the Game, and Life Force. Netflix even turned his infamous “Date with Destiny” seminar into the documentary Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru. With fans like Oprah, Bill Clinton, Hugh Jackman, and Pitbull, Robbins is the master of the art of personal growth. But he doesn’t stop at stages and books; his foundation has provided meals to millions through Feeding America. From investing in eSports to co-owning Team Liquid, Robbins proves purpose can take all sorts of miscellaneous forms.
- Grant Cardone
Imagine not just beating the odds, but multiplying them by ten. This is Grant Cardone’s reality. Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Grant’s early years were anything but smooth sailing. He lost his father at ten, his brother at twenty, and spiralled into addiction for nearly a decade. However, that didn’t pull him down. By 25, he was checking into rehab. Years later, he was cashing checks as the founder of Cardone Capital, Cardone Training Technologies, and a real estate empire worth billions. From selling cars to selling out arenas, Grant hustled, giving the grind a name: The 10X Rule.
He’s penned five books, including Sell or Be Sold, Be Obsessed or Be Average, and If You’re Not First, You’re Last, a New York Times bestseller that’s bold and motivational. He’s been seen on Undercover Billionaire, Turnaround King, CNBC, CNN, and Fox. His YouTube channel and socials have attracted millions of followers who crave his no-nonsense, all-gas-no-brakes style. In 2024, he even jumped into the future with a bitcoin real estate fund. Grant Cardone’s grind speaks louder than words. He’s a purpose-driven entrepreneur who turned pain into profit and built an empire brick by brick, unapologetically.
- Dr. Sarah Sun Liew
When it comes to turning purpose into a global platform, nobody matches Dr. Sarah Sun Liew. She has over 30 years of experience across fintech, law, real estate, education, and nonprofit leadership. As the powerhouse behind MPS Merchant Services Group Inc., she transformed a payment processing company into a full-fledged system for economic empowerment. Today, MPS offers everything from blockchain and AI-powered fintech tools to PCI-compliant systems, real estate consulting, and higher education through Liberty Institute of Technology University.
Dr. Liew is also scaling impact. Through the Meridian Wish Foundation, her mission is to train 10,000 entrepreneurs by 2030 and bring blockchain-based transparency to global government systems. She’s partnered with Worldpay, VANTIV, and leading U.S. banks, all while penning over 20 bestselling books, including her standout collaboration Succeeding in Business in Any Market – Volume 2 with Brian Tracy. Dr. Liew holds multiple doctoral degrees and studied at Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard Law. She’s the founder of Liberty Bankcard, Liberty Press, and Meridian Institute of Technology, and, hold your breath, a U.S. Senate candidate. Her work redefines fintech not as an industry, but as a mission. In her words, “We built a company that not only offered better rates but also educated merchants on the value of financial tools.”
- Blair Kaplan Venables
Before social media had rules, algorithms, or influencers, Blair Kaplan Venables was already making waves. Her career began with a Facebook photo album from a summer in Greece, becoming the foundation that rewrote the rules of digital connection. At just 23, mid-recession, Blair ditched her Lululemon job and launched Blair Kaplan Communications in Vancouver. She also started a wellness coupon company at the same time. Armed with a PR background and resilience, she took the plunge into social media marketing before it was trending. Entrepreneurs asked if she could help them with their socials, and her answer was “Yes,” followed by action.
Fast forward to now, and Blair’s client list includes BC Transit, Miura Golf, WNORTH Conference, and more. She’s taught at BCIT, spoken on global stages, and been featured in Forbes, SUCCESS, CBC Radio, and USA Today. She’s the author of two #1 bestselling books: Pulsing Through My Veins and The Global Resilience Project. During a pandemic, she turned her story into a bestseller and launched Radical Resilience, a podcast amplifying stories of strength and growth.
Her passion for purpose birthed The Global Resilience Project, where vulnerability meets strength in the form of community, education, and storytelling. And when she’s not working, she’s paddleboarding, rocking out at concerts, or binge-watching reality TV with her husband and cats in the mountains of British Columbia.
- Kristin Kaufman
How can a boardroom merge with a classroom? Kristin Kaufman is here to answer this question. After more than two decades leading at the top of corporate giants like Hewlett-Packard, Vignette Corporation, and United Health Group, Kristin swapped profit margins for purpose. Her redirection led to the birth of Alignment, Inc.® in 2007, a leadership coaching consultancy with a mission to bring people and organizations back to their mission. Her clients include Amazon Web Services, Bon Secours Mercy Health, American Heart Association, Greater Cincinnati Foundation, to name only a few ; Kristin helps leaders do more than perform. She helps them align.
The inspiration behind Alignment, Inc. came during her three-year experience with the NYC Leadership Academy, backed by Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Joel Klein. As one of just two private-sector executives tapped to coach and train 1,200 principals and New York City’s top administrators, Kristin witnessed transformation up close. She’s the bestselling author of the “Is This Seat Taken?” trilogy, a series endorsed by Stephen Covey and Marshall Goldsmith. Her second book, “It’s Never Too Late to Find the Right Seat,” spotlights late-in-life reinvention, proving it’s never too late to take the wheel.
Kristin also has masters certifications from Georgetown, University of Michigan, and the International Coaching Federation, and carries credentials for MBTI, DISC, and The Leadership Circle, just to name a few. Her insights are based on real-world leadership and transformation, making her not just a coach, but a catalyst.
- Brendah Ndebele
Most journeys begin with a passport and a flight. Brendah’s began with a crutch. After a life-altering health battle, she powered forward. Through resilience, mindset work, and deep inner healing, she traded survival for strength. Within six months, one crutch was gone. A year later, she was jogging. Now, as a certified Health and Life Coach and Law of Attraction Practitioner, Brendah helps others do the same. Loud and clear, she declares: “IT IS POSSIBLE!” And she means it. Her platform, A Joyful Life Coaching, is a sanctuary for those ready to reclaim their health, mindset, and purpose.
Brendah’s purpose-driven mission comes with soul-deep support, and one transformational read: MANIFESTING ABUNDANCE INTENTIONALLY: A 30-Day Guided Journal of What It Takes to Enjoy Life Of Freedom. This Book mirrors her own story… starting from scratch, building from within, and showing others how to thrive. She wants to help people drop the weight (physical, emotional, mental) and rediscover their joy. She focuses on gut health to goal-setting, from burnout to breakthrough, and beyond. Today, she’s showing the world how to do the same. Brendah proves that rock bottom isn’t the end. It’s the turning point.
- Allison Maslan
Success never arrives gift-wrapped for anyone. Allison Maslan can vouch for that. Early in her career, she had to slam on the brakes, literally. Burnout from running every aspect of her business and being a single mom led to a near-fatal car crash. That moment started a gigantic shift. She realized true success comes from scaling smarter. She built 10 businesses, then wanted to share what she had learned. Now, as the founder and CEO of Pinnacle Global Network, Allison helps 7- and 8-figure business owners scale with soul, strategy, and structure.
Named one of Forbes’ “10 Women Entrepreneurs to Watch,” Allison has helped over 150,000 founders build high-performing teams and companies. Her company has landed on the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest-Growing Private Companies four years in a row, and it’s no surprise why. She and her team of CEO mentors deliver actual, tangible results. Her bestselling book Scale or Fail (endorsed by Shark Tank stars Daymond John and Barbara Corcoran) is a masterclass in sustainable growth.
Her podcast, The SCALEit Method, brings tactical wisdom and inspiration straight to listeners’ ears. She’s shared stages with Richard Branson and Magic Johnson, and appeared everywhere from CNN to Fast Company. Allison proves that scaling a business doesn’t have to cost you your sanity. She’s here to show entrepreneurs how to rise higher without burning out.
- Anu Khanna
Anu Khanna has worked across multiple countries, from South Asia to Switzerland, making a global impact with industry leaders such as General Motors and IKEA. Bringing this wealth of international experience to the UK, she invested in the world’s No.1 business coaching franchise with a bold mission: to make a difference not just in one company, but in the lives of hundreds of business owners. Passionate about business growth, systems, and leadership, Anu is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs scale with confidence and transform their businesses and lives for the better.
Today, as an ActionCOACH business coach, she’s the engine behind hundreds of thriving small and medium-sized businesses. Anu simplifies the complex and makes it all feel achievable. Her clients have gone from feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or plateaued to gaining clarity, control, and a renewed sense of purpose. According to her, simple problems have simple solutions; she lives that truth by helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, profits, and purpose. Results matter to her, but so does fun. She’s also a proud mum of two, which is a full-time role that keeps her grounded and growing. Through ActionCOACH, she gives her clients access to world-class strategies used by top-tier companies, helping them break free from burnout and build businesses that work for them.
- Dr. Nadine Collins
Dr. Nadine Collins has a Ph.D. in Education and a research focus on women in top leadership. She has become a global voice for purpose-driven transformation. From nearly 100 countries and countless cities, she has ignited faith, courage, and clarity in women who once felt voiceless. Her WOW Prayer Series, a nine-book collection, and her programs on international networks like 3ABN and Hope Channel Kenya, are changing what it means to live in divine alignment. Her signature combination of spiritual knowledge and psychological depth birthed the world’s first Certified Prayer Counsellor program, enabling women to connect more meaningfully with God to uncover their Divine purpose. Her programs and her book, The Pursuit of Purpose: A Woman’s Guide to Activate Her Purpose & Uniquely Impact the World, empower women to shatter ceilings, especially the Mentally Constructed Glass kind.
Dr. Nadine helps Christian women write books, craft messages, and master the mic through offerings like the Speaker Mentorship Program and the Runway to Soar experience. She’s also the creator of WOW Life: Le Magazine Féminin, a digital powerhouse for purpose-led Christian women. Honored by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for her influence in prayer and leadership, Dr. Nadine is mobilizing faith. “If you hang out with me long enough, I will brainwash you into believing that you can do anything,” she says. And with that kind of energy, it’s no wonder she’s the go-to coach for women ready to trade fear for freedom and live their WOW life right now.
- Ana Paula Ford
When passion meets purpose, the impossible happens. Ana Paula Ford, who has been on the runways of New York to the glow rooms of Palm Beach, agrees. Originally from Brazil, she started with a fascination for skin health and established her presence across luxury skincare, fashion, and hospitality.
With over 22 years of experience, Ana is now a lead trainer and educator for MBR (Medical Beauty Research), one of the world’s most exclusive science-based skincare brands. She teaches professionals how to bring transformation to the skin using knowledge as her secret serum. As a seasoned model, she has also graced international fashion weeks, using her platform to support causes that matter.
But Ana didn’t stop at beauty and runways. She has also stepped into the dining scene with C-Level, a high-end restaurant in Bonita Springs, Florida, that serves culinary sophistication. Her touch of digital strategy and branding genius ensures every project has class and impact. Juggling roles as educator, entrepreneur, and aesthetician, she credits her 8-year-old daughter as her greatest muse and motivator. While training elite aestheticians, curating elegant dining experiences, and walking a charitable runway, Ana Paula Ford is in a lane of her own.
Conclusion
Purpose doesn’t wait for the perfect time. It emerges in the midst of doubt, passion, risk, and bold decisions. The ten entrepreneurs you’ve read about didn’t follow a predefined path. They wrote their own. Each one took a personal calling and turned it into something that moves people.
They prove that purpose is action. It’s showing up again and again, even when the road is foggy. It’s choosing impact over applause. And it’s trusting that doing the work with meaning will take you further than doing it for approval.
Take this as your sign. Start messy. Start small. Start scared. But start with purpose. Let these stories become whatever you need right now to move forward.
