Is there a book you still think about? Perhaps a book that made you challenge your beliefs, attitudes about life, work, politics or culture? Has there been a book that deepened your convictions or broadened your worldview? These are among the questions we asked some thoughtful members of our community recently and we’ve shared their responses below.

Dan De Nose | Founder & Exectuive Director of Leaders of the 21st Century / CEO of DM De Nose Consulting

My life experiences have transformed me into a social justice leader. As a child, I frequently found myself getting into trouble — I was a failing student. At the age of 11, I moved away from my family in Newark, New Jersey to live with a Caucasian family in Geneva, New York. It was there that I realized that my trajectory was contingent on my socioeconomic status. Read more>>

Nadiah Cunningham | Teeth Whitening Specialist and Instructor

Starting my own Teeth Whitening business have enlightened me on what I want my career to look like after graduating college. In December, I will be graduating college with my bachelors in biology. With that degree, I will be going to dental school to pursue my career in Cosmetic Dentistry. After graduating from Dental School, I envision taking Polished Smiles to another level. Instead of offering just Teeth Whitening services, I will be offering other Cosmetic procedures, specifically dental veneers. Polished Smiles with have multiple locations across the United States. Read more>>

Ashlyn Ayers | Celebrity Makeup Artist

Ideally, my end goal career-wise is to have a few studios where anyone can learn all the things necessary to further their career as a makeup artist. From various techniques and must haves for your kit to set etiquette. These locations would also be used as photography studios and venues to hold networking events to connect other creatives. Alongside these studios, I would like to have a few big clients, whom I travel with. Lastly, I would like to have a successful makeup line in addition to my skincare line that is available in various widely known beauty stores. Read more>>

Celina Farquhar Maniece | BizClips App Developer | Day In The Life of Pursuing Your Dreams Executive Producer | Host

What is the end goal? To enhance humanity by making BizClips the Uber of Marketing. Where do you want to be professionally by the end of your career? To have BizClips positioned within the same bracket as today’s most popular social media apps. Read more>>

Balekane Legoabe | Artist, Illustrator, Curator and Animator

For me personally, the end goal is not to have an end goal. My approach to art making is driven by the notion of process. I love to tinker, play and experiment. It is an hourly task to practice resilience and not be stifled by the world’s constructs and criticism, but rather to continue to explore and experiment with different approaches and materials till the day that my mind and my hands fail. The temptation is to find an approach that works and roll with it. It takes work to constantly be pushing myself to get out of my comfort zone and explore in order to expand my creativity. Read more>>