Based on the belief that literature can heal, Josiah Luis Alderete and his partners opened a new bookstore in the heart of the Mission District this past November. They call it Medicine for Nightmares Bookstore and Gallery.

Jeanine Nicholson never thought she could be a firefighter in the first place. After 20 years, Nicholson now takes the reins as chief of San Francisco’s fire department.

Meet the photographer who rejected social media for a much more personal way of connecting with his subjects and displaying his work.

We meet a second-generation vendor whose family has been selling at the Berryess Flea Market for over three decades and is fighting to keep her family's business from closing.

Meet Dr. Wailani Sung, an animal specialist whose job is really about training humans to shift the way we interact with animals.

Is the cost of success worth your happiness? This question was pondered by Phillip Feemster, an SF resident who felt stifled in corporate life. A life-changing conversation with a few concerned neighbors lead to Phillip becoming owner of a century-old plant nursery that was falling apart. Although he faced numerous challenges, the process of transforming Clement Nursery lead to a transformation of himself.

In Oakland, everyone has their go-to corner store. Reporter Alia Taqieddin sure does. But she found out her local corner store owner is grappling with a question she also faces: about where to find home. Alia brings us this latest story in our “At Work” series.

Naturalist Trent Pearce leads KALW Andrew Saintsing on a walk through Tilden Nature Area and shares why he loves his job and the great outdoors.

A doula is a person who provides emotional, physical or spiritual support at some sort of life transition. You may have heard of a birth doula, a professional who supports a pregnant person before, during, and after labor. Maybe you’ve heard of a death doula, who helps a dying person and their family with that process.

Meet Earl Thomas, an environmental health and safety consultant who years ago walked away from a job with a legendary Motown trio.