We’ve been fortunate to connect with so many brilliant artists, business owners and leaders over the years and so we reached out to some of these talented folks to discuss what it takes to be successful.

Nikisha Mitran

I believe persistence and grind alongside with patience creates success. A lot of entrepreneurs always have the perception that being successful in your path is easy when in reality it’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears. One thing I can take back with all these years of grind, is sit back and take the little wins; those little wins will add up to the ultimate goal. It takes a lot of years of open mindedness and consistency to be successful. I personally did a lot of trade shoots or shows and every opportunity to put myself out there before DMR Productions asked me to be their model coordinator and lead. Sometimes being uncomfortable with the path is okay. Read More>>

Dr Josias Jean-Pierre

I truly believe what it takes to be successful is to have self belief despite of how things look and making sure that the words that we are speaking over our lives are positive affirmations and not negative affirmations. I was diagnosed with epilepsy as a child and because of that, I was in special education and was in the I.E.P (Individualized education Plan) program. I always had this dream that I will become a powerful prolific person who will make impact nationally and internationally. Read More>>

Kaleb Talarico

While we all know that becoming a successful entrepreneur takes time and dedication, but many seem to often forget that PASSION is the number one thing that will truly help to see you through. I have worked tirelessly in the hair and makeup industry for 15 years and many of the battles and obstacles we face as a community could have never been overcome had I not had a true passion and love for what I do. Read More>>

Sara Hess

I honestly believe it’s depends on what your description of success is. For me in my business success is leaving an impact on every client that sits in my chair. You can have the best business in the world and not be successful. At the end of the day I want each client I’ve had to be able to say wow there’s something different about her. She loves her job. She took time for me. She left an impression on my life and I have to tell others about her. I want my clients to come into my space and know they are important and I’m here for them! Read More>>

Adora Drake

For me, success really comes down to perseverance, thinking outside of the box, and not being afraid to hear “no.” Building something from the ground up isn’t easy and you’re going to face setbacks, you’re going to have doors closed on you, and you’re going to have to figure things out when the path isn’t clear. What makes the difference is the ability to keep going, to stay creative, and to not take rejection as the end of the story. Read More>>

Allie Sepanek

In my opinion, it takes healthy collaboration to be successful. I always feel the most accomplished when I’m able to work together with people to complete a task or goal. I work in a couple creative industries as a photographer and a vinyl DJ, and though there are certainly avenues and opportunities to flex individuality; it’s often a group effort that makes the work truly shine. Read More>>

Andrew Strasser

For a long time, I thought success was a graph that only needed to go up in one direction. As long as my skills were sharper and the bank account was growing, I was winning. The problem is, we don’t live on a graph. While my career was thriving behind a computer screen, I was getting weaker, trading my vitality for my work. It was a kind of success that cost me my health, and I eventually realized that any “win” that requires you to lose yourself isn’t a win at all. Read More>>

Athena Wilkinson

The definition of success can be different for each person, and even within one career there can be different levels of success. I do believe there are some traits that can be influential towards being successful, no matter the career. Determination, open-mindedness, and flexibility. Determination is one of the most important qualities needed to achieve any goal or passion. Read More>>

Lexi Heinzer

When I think about success, the first word that comes to mind is passion. If you’re chasing something you don’t care about, you might achieve a version of “success,” but it won’t feel the same and it probably won’t last. I learned this firsthand when I made the leap from working full-time as a marriage and family therapist to making Lagree my career. Therapy was meaningful, but over time I felt burnt out. Shifting into Lagree which is something I truly love, changed everything for me. Now, as a Master Trainer and co-owner of Lagreeing at Home, my work actually gives me energy instead of draining it. Read More>>

Joshua Jasper

The most important piece to an individual’s success starts with their intentions. Many people hear the word success and correlate that with a monetary value. My perspective of success was finding something that makes me happy while being able to help others simultaneously. The moment I picked up a camera, I knew this was it. I’ve always enjoyed capturing moments and I was always aware of how important it was to be able to have these memories not only to relive the moment, but to have them for when we lose our loved ones. Read More>>

Michael Gatty

I think it takes a passionate, overwhelming and obsessed urge to do something better and different — to improve on an existing service or product — that drives you to eat, sleep and breathe that product or service until you put all the divergent pieces together and suddenly a new thing emerges. That’s what it takes to be successful: a thirst and questioning of the status quo, a drive to innovate, and a desire to do something better than anyone else in the world. Read More>>