I remember sitting at my desk in junior year, endlessly scrolling through lists of the highest-paying jobs. Neurosurgeon was at the top of the list. With a salary of $800,000 a year, I genuinely considered it. The prestige, the financial security, it all seemed like the end goal. The question, ‘How has your career shaped your identity, values, and the way you engage with the world?’ led me to explore the deeper reasons behind why people choose the work they do. It made me wonder what stories could I collect from my community that would help me on my own career pathway. For many people in emotionally demanding careers, fulfillment doesn’t come from a title or a salary. It comes from connection, impact, and passion. Whether it’s working in a high-stress emergency or carrying on a family legacy, what keeps these people going is the sense of purpose they’ve found in their work and people they serve.

At just 58, Tommy Guerrero has built something special with his first restaurant, Kitos, a small but thriving Mexican restaurant inspired by his late grandmother. What started as a tribute to her cooking has become a beloved local spot, known for its authentic flavors and welcoming atmosphere. Despite the restaurant industry’s challenges, Guerrero believes success comes down to sticking to his simple values: making good food, treating customers with respect and fostering a sense of community.
“Every day my goal is to make people happy and feed them good food. I try my best to create a space where people feel safe and create a family-like atmosphere,” Guerrero says.
His dedication has turned Kitos into more than just a restaurant, it’s a place where food and family come together. Guerrero reminds everyone of his grandmother and establishes a community with patrons who are included as members of his family. For him, the restaurant is more than a business; it’s a way to preserve family traditions and create a space where others feel like family, too.

John Daley is a firefighter in Marin County and he describes his role as technical, but deeply human: “If there’s a fire, I’m on entry. If it’s medical, I’m seeing the patient, taking their history and deciding on care. Whatever it is, we all work as a team.”
“Being a firefighter is a 24/7 kind of job. We’re short-staffed so the same number of people work each day. When one person gets sick or needs a vacation, there’s an opening, and it always fills up with a qualified person who can fill his or her place,” said firefighter Daley.
Daley describes his role as technical but deeply human: “If there’s a fire, I’m on entry. If it’s medical, I’m seeing the patient, taking their history and deciding on care. Whatever it is, we all work as a team.”
Making meaningful connections helps Daley cope with the seriousness of his job. His path from businessman to firefighter was spurred by a need for purpose, but it was the stories that solidified his commitment.
“We pulled a man in cardiac arrest out of Boudin’s recently. He was clinically dead when we arrived. We worked on him, calmed his wife down and got him to the hospital. Two days later, he walked out. His family came to visit later, left a thank-you note and a pan of lemon bars. That is the kind of story that helps make it real that we are capable of creating a difference,” Daley said.
Daley found purpose in firefighting, where every emergency became a reminder of why he chose to serve.
These anecdotes are not just working moments of reflection; they are lifelines that shape firefighters’ perceptions of their high-stress work. Ryan Day, another firefighter, recalls his initial encounter with a defibrillator:
“I pushed the button and suddenly the man’s eyes opened. At that time, all I knew was that he was alive. That’s when I knew that this is what I’m supposed to do,” said Daley. For them, firefighting isn’t just a job; it’s a calling.
But purpose doesn’t always come from a crisis. It can also be found in creativity, connection, and self-expression.

For the tattoo artist Theo Mindell, art and human connections are inseparable.
“I was always artistic growing up. At first, I was designing leather jackets on Haight Street, but my friend convinced me to try my first tattoo. Although the first one didn’t turn out great, I kept going and it became my passion. I realized right away it was a way for me to express myself,” Mindell said.
On top of artistic skills, Mindell adds that tattooing requires empathy and patience. He says the most challenging part is working on a canvas that moves, speaks and feels.
“The hardest part of my job is that my canvas talks. But the challenge is also the reward, the connection and trust I have with my clients is what I love most about my job. People come back to see me multiple times. They trust me with something permanent on their bodies. That creates a different level of trust and connection,” said Mindell.
For Mindell, tattooing is more than a profession; it’s a way to help people tell their own story, one design at a time. To protect the NEXT individual’s privacy, the name ‘Luis’ has been used in place of his real name for the story about his journey as an undocumented immigrant and his work in the restaurant industry. Luis’s story is one of hard work, sacrifice and devotion to his family. From dishwasher to head chef at a well known Mexican restaurant, he has spent years in the restaurant industry, accompanying a second family among the other chefs. His career success has come at a cost: it has prevented him from staying in Mexico, where his wife and three children live. He has not seen them in 11 years but he tries his best to stay connected with them daily by phone–his daily highlight. Luis’s tale highlights the fate of countless immigrant laborers suspended between their aspirations and the agony of separation from loved ones.
Luis’s story reveals the reality of many migrant workers, the people who work tirelessly to support their loved ones, often at the cost of their happiness. For Luis, his job is more than just cooking, it is how he cares for his family, even from a distance.

For Steve Taylor, a defense attorney at Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP, the line between work and life often blurs. This reality can bring both fulfillment and burden, depending on how it’s carried. “Helping people is what drives me,” said Taylor. Taylor was inspired to pursue law after his father, but a memorable case forever changed his perspective on law. A woman had been arrested for murdering her husband, but as he investigated, he uncovered years of abuse. His work led to a drastically reduced sentence—30 years less than originally what was given to the woman.
“That case made me realize that a job isn’t just a job, it’s about making things right, about giving people a chance they wouldn’t have otherwise,” said Taylor. For Taylor, the law isn’t just a profession; it’s a calling to seek justice where it might otherwise be lost.
Whether it’s a firefighter finding purpose in a rescue or a restaurateur honoring a loved one through their craft, passion, not just storytelling, drives their work. For these individuals, a job isn’t just a way to make money. It’s about purpose, impact, and building something meaningful. When work becomes part of who you are, the answer is clear—it’s worth far more than a paycheck