We asked some very talented folks to talk to us about success and what it takes to be successful. We’ve shared their responses below.

Ladonna Lane

To me, success is about persistence, passion, and having a clear sense of purpose. It’s not just about achieving a goal but embracing the journey—the ups, the downs, and everything in between. You have to believe in what you’re doing, even when things feel overwhelming, and stay connected to why you started in the first place. For a small business owner, success also requires adaptability. Trends, challenges, and opportunities change constantly, and being willing to learn, adjust, and keep growing is essential. Most importantly, you need to nurture relationships—whether that’s with customers, supporters, or collaborators. The encouragement and feedback of those who believe in you can make all the difference. Read more>>

Wyatt Poindexter

Success in the luxury real estate industry requires more than market expertise or sales acumen—it demands a commitment to integrity, character, and a genuine desire to serve others. At its core, success starts with honesty. It’s about doing the right thing, even when no one is watching, and consistently prioritizing the best interests of your clients. When people trust that you operate with transparency and ethics, they know their goals are in capable hands. Putting others’ needs before your own is essential. Real estate is not about selling; it’s about serving. Every client’s situation is unique, and success comes from listening carefully, understanding their goals, and tailoring your efforts to exceed expectations. By building genuine relationships and putting people first, you create a foundation for trust and loyalty that lasts far beyond a single transaction. Read more>>

Judy Snead

Being the daughter of a super successful business owner, I always thought success was all about making money. But I’ve learned there’s so much more to it. For me, success is waking up every day excited to go to work and feeling like I’m on vacation because I love what I do. That’s why I feel really successful at Snead’s Farmhouse—I’ve achieved that kind of joy in my work life. I have allowed myself to get into a routine because I have no choice but to get up and take care of the animals, prepare for field trips, unexpected vet visits, etc. I have my “kids” depending on me to be fed and loved. Being successful doesn’t allow for sitting out, it requires you to dance. That’s what I remind people of when they visit my farm or interact with me online: you have choices, you can sit it out or dance. You have to have a positive mindset and be able to know that you’re making a difference in others through that commitment. Read more>>

Raquel Wong

To me, success is a deeply personal and individualized concept, one that is defined differently by each person. For some, success might be measured by financial achievements—how much money they make, how many properties they own, or how high they rise in their careers. These metrics often align with the traditional “American Dream,” which emphasizes wealth, status, and material possessions as the ultimate markers of success. According to this view, success is often seen as a destination where having a large bank account, an impressive job title, and an expensive home with a luxury car symbolizes that you’ve “made it.” Read more>>

Joe Stones Mazzone

Success requires unwavering belief in yourself and the value you bring. But to truly believe your service is the best, you must put in the work. Confidence isn’t built on entitlement or ego, but on preparation and mastery. It comes from relentless effort, and that effort drives success. It won’t come without hard work, sacrifice, and discipline. You have to outwork everyone—early mornings, late nights, and missed events if needed. Read more>>

Isaac Odeniran

I believe it takes hard work, commitment, consistency, diligence, continuous development, re-invention of oneself, and faith to find ones purpose and to be successful in it. Hard work in the sense of working hard continuously. Developing oneself through training and exposure to current trends and the desire to acquire knowledge and catch up with changes. I also believe faith in God has a place in finding purpose in life. When we walk in purpose and combine hard work, diligence and consistency to the mix we are sure to find success. Success for one person may not be success for another. A successful mother is different from a successful baker or a successful accountant or a successful homemaker. Success is relative to the lane you were called to walk in. Read more>>

Britny Duffy

For me it takes resilience, self-reliance, and having a bigger vision than your circumstances. Over the summer, my life took a turn I never saw coming. For years, I had been a stay-at-home mom, with my real estate career being something I did on the side. I always knew once my kids were in school full-time, that’s when I would really step into my career and go after my dreams. But when everything fell apart, I had to figure out how to step up for myself and my kids in ways I never expected. Read more>>

Michael Driver

I think it takes a willingness to never quit. Setbacks will always come at every stage of your journey, but it’s how you respond to them that determines the outcome of your story. And at the same time, you have to celebrate your wins, no matter how big or small they might be to other people they are still YOUR wins. I can remember feeling discouraged after I published my first book because it felt like I had no sales and no one who wanted to read my work or cared about what I had to say. The process to publishing had been chock full of delays: my first cover artist backed out on me, the person I had asked to edit my work abandoned the project, and a whole slew of other problems. Finally, everything had come together and I was able to publish and I’ll never forget the euphoria of holding my own finished book in my hand. It was a feeling I’ll never forget. If I had let those problems I’d encountered stop me or discouraged me, I would have abandoned my dream. I say all that to say, no matter how hard it gets, never quit on your goal or your dream. Read more>>

Forest Shipp

Success is such a subjective concept. To me, success boils down to achieving something that brings pride and joy. Almost three years ago, I was fresh out of college and working on a contract-to-hire position for a small tech startup in Kansas. It was my first major opportunity as a college graduate to prove I belonged in the field. From the outside looking in, people might have thought, “Wow, what a great opportunity! He’s doing so well.” But to me, it felt far from a success. I was flown out to meet the team, tour the office, and even look at apartments in case I landed the role permanently. While the experience was exciting, I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. I felt like I didn’t belonged, and my contributions felt uninspired—like I was the wrong tool for the job. Read more>>

Jas Joya

I honestly believe that in order to be successful, you have to believe in yourself enough to stand firm in the decisions that you make. Though it may seem like a cliché, staying true to who you are will ALWAYS yield you the results that you want. Either you will get the result that you want, or you will be redirected towards the way you need to go to get what you desire. Having success is beyond the flashy material things – those things will come; but instead, it is about the choices you make and how those choices prove to be favorable in your efforts. Read more>>

Kate Shiloh

I love this question because it’s something I’ve been contemplating since an early age. Is success defined by the money in the bank? Becoming a millionaire overnight? Being famous? Pulling your lineage out of poverty? Or is there something less outwardly focused that actually defines success? As someone who has traveled the world, shifted between social classes, and experimented with many versions of success, I’ve realized time and again that success cannot be fully defined. In my early 20s, I backpacked solo in Uganda, and witnessing the Ugandan people’s definition of success showed me that, at times, it’s not all about money. Yet, it is entirely about community, health, and the abundance of fruit and food on your land. Read more>>

Ramona Lee Soo-jun

If you’d asked me this question a few years ago, I would’ve answered that success is all about hard work, believing in yourself, never giving up and putting in the effort. Over time, I’ve learned that success is something we each measure from our own perspective. We look at where we are and we’re constantly comparing ourselves to others. It’s a cycle—an unhealthy one—where we always feel like we want more, like we need more. It’s not about being ungrateful, but it’s also hard to find peace. Read more>>

Joanna Nisbet

Success is measured with different rulers. For some living a simple life with loved ones can mean more than riches. My defining success views have altered throughout my life. Currently I’m excited about having a strong marriage, and a loving family. My faith has grown over the years inspiring new creations. When I let my imagination free I discovered a talent. I wrote my first novel ‘In the heritance’ within two months and over half of it on my phone. Since then I have completed three more manuscripts that I cant wait to get published. Read more>>

Kesha Denise

What it means to be successful – well, that’s a loaded response, so here goes: To be successful you have to put in the work! You must be dedicated, resilient, and have a willingness to learn and adapt to the challenges which means you need to be able to be flexible. Also, you must have a positive and growth mindset which will allow you to set your goals. And the last thing, be consistent! Read more>>

Diana Kimmay

To be successful, you need vision, determination, a strong team, and patience. As a Real Estate Investor, I wouldn’t have succeeded without my team. Having invested in over a dozen properties, there were many instances where I relied on my team’s construction expertise to help avoid potential disasters during home builds and renovations. I’ve learned that building homes is a group effort, and patience is essential. Delays are common—whether due to material shortages or weather disruptions. A strong team can help you navigate these challenges. Just as it takes a team to build a house, it takes a team to build a successful business. Teamwork is what drives success. Read more>>

Heather Kirchner

I’m a firm believer in leading by example and doing the right thing always. Be it in personal or professional settings, if you work hard, prioritize treating people with respect and are focused on doing right by your team, your customers and your business, the rest will fall into place. Read more>>

Louis Tinsley

Well I think everyone has their own measurement of success, but when it comes to running a business, especially in the creative industry, you’re going to face a lot of headwinds. You really have to have an almost inhuman belief in yourself to make it.  But outside of that, success, to me, hinges on staying curious. Curiosity keeps you learning, evolving, and finding new ways to solve problems or create opportunities. It’s about asking the right questions, listening intently to everyone, exploring beyond what’s comfortable, and constantly challenging yourself to grow. When you combine that curiosity with a clear vision and the focus to keep going, you unlock the ability to adapt, innovate, and thrive in any situation. Stay curious, stay hungry, and watch how the world opens up to you. Read more>>

Christy Fish

Success in tattooing isn’t some overnight fairytale. It’s blood sweat and a whole lot of humility, if you’re doing it right. This is a centuries old art form not a quick way to get TikTok famous. If you’re coming in just to trend on social media or make a fast book you’re probably not going to last. First off , you’ve got to respect the craft second, you’ve got to put in the work. So many times I hear someone in the shop say that they’ve been entertaining the idea of starting to tattoo… And the first question I ask them is … do you make art? It blows my mind that nine out of 10 times the person standing in front of me saying that they are interested in tattooing don’t paint or draw at all in their own spare time. So respect the craft by not muddying the market with a lackluster drive to make art, if you’re going to do it figure out how to apply it to every aspect of your life… there are 1 million amateur mediocre Tattoer‘s in the world doesn’t need another one. Read more>>

Nikki Grebel

I think success as a team leader requires resilience and the ability to accept feedback from your team. It’s no secret that entrepreneurs will encounter plenty of opportunities to fail. The ability to forgive yourself and treat failures as a lesson while continuing to move forward is sometimes easier said than done. I personally believe this is why many businesses fail in the first few years. When I opened my salon, I had some management experience from a toxic environment and I learned that I was carrying some negative traits over. I only learned that because I encouraged my team to have difficult conversations with me. Having your flaws on display as a leader is a tough pill to swallow. I could have blamed others, I could have ignored my team, I could have continued to feel hurt by the feedback. I chose to accept it and grow from it. This improved the culture of our workplace and helped us scale the business to 7 figures within our first 15 months. Read more>>

Thomas Goodman

It takes a lot of hard work. Perseverance, belief and faith in what you are doing. You have to have confidence in your abilities and that you will succeed. Read more>>

Jessica Fernandez

I truly believe that to be successful in life, and build long-term financial stability and success, all it takes is passion & making sure you surround yourself with the right people. When you love what you do, success and financial long-term stability follows. Whether its pursuing a dream goal or finding a cause, or business venture that really resonates with who we are as a person. We are all born with natural born gifts, and I feel once we tap into that on a healthy emotional, mental , physical and spiritual level, we can accomplish anything we set our minds to. Everything we need will flow into our lives easily and effortlessly, the moment we let go of the outcome, and trust the universe around us. Once we do, the doors of opportunities will start to open with little effort on our part. We meet the right people, who go out of their way to help us, or connect us with the resources we need to accomplish our dreams and/or goals successfully. Every day, things feel as if they are falling into place naturally. This is when you know, you are on the right path to reaching greatness, and fulfilling your true potential in life. Read more>>

Nicole Saavedra

To be successful, I believe it takes a combination of passion, skill, and the ability to make a positive impact on others. Finding something you are good at and genuinely enjoy can lead to both personal fulfillment and financial success. For example, I once worked with a mentor who was deeply passionate about his craft. He dedicated countless hours to honing his skills, which not only allowed him to excel but also enabled him to inspire and uplift those around him. He often shared stories of clients whose lives were transformed through his work—showing me that success is not just about personal achievement, but also about contributing to the well-being of others. Read more>>

Vanessa Ocando

Believing in myself! I manifested what I wanted daily, and I always spoke positively about my career. Whenever I doubted myself, I would never or have never said, ‘I could never do that.’ I have always said, ‘I can’t wait till I do that, or I can’t wait to learn it.’ I never allowed myself to use limiting belief words when it came to my career. Continuing education is also very important to me. I take at least two courses(hair cutting/styling) a year, and I always come out feeling inspired and with new techniques. The moment you think you have learned everything is when you stop growing. Read more>>

Keira Leake

I recognized that the definitions of success vary widely. Success is being able to make a positive impact and helping others create a life where they can do the same for themselves it also can is being proud,confident and connected to the community and the people around me. Read more>>