We believe that success can mean different things to different people – not everyone wants the same thing, what drives happiness and fulfillment for one person doesn’t necessarily predict what will for another. That said – if we simply think of success as being effective at achieving one’s goal – whatever those goals might be – then we can set a sort of common

Deneka Peniston

Particularly in photography, understanding that networking and creating a support system of like minded people in your industry is key. For about 5 years, I photographed many live shows for Hot 97 which granted me access to artists and their teams. Ever focused on creating the best images, I didn’t take advantage of cultivating relationships with the very individuals that could’ve hired me in the future. Read more>>

James Budd

After nearly 20 years in the industry, we could talk about any of these topics. Feel free to pick one of your liking if you perfer. We have made many mistakes, had a lot of success and learned a ton about business and being different in the retail / textile / social media world. There is no other apparel company in the U.S. that is vertically integrated (raises its own alpacas), designs all our own products, oversees manufacturing and production and then sells direct to consumer (no wholesale) strictly online. Read more>>

Kapri Ridley

There are so many avenues to becoming successful, but if you are not PASSIONATE about what you’re doing, you will fall short. Since starting my business I have learned that it’s not about the degree that you have earned or the amount of experiences that you have had that will put you on the path to being successful, rather it’s the passion that you have that will get you to where you need to be. Read more>>

Amber Thorson

Success begins with a dream. I believe you have to be a big dreamer to even begin a new journey. Behind that dream you need to have a drive or as I like to call it, grit. You have to want something bad enough that you will fail over and over again in order to reach success. You have to go into any dream knowing there will be failure along the way. It is inevitable and unavoidable. The only way to avoid failure is by quitting. Read more>>

Makala Hebert

To be successful I think you need things: discipline, consistency, and passion. With those three things; nothing can stop you! Read more>>

Alex Cottles

Relentless determination and patience is what it takes to be successful. If you’re a business owner like me, it means waking up every day and appreciating your business and how far it’s come. Nurturing it and valuing it even through the lows and hard times. Read more>>

Valerie Oliva

Truly valuing your employees will lead your business to success. Without amazing employees, most businesses would not be successful. As a business owner I strive for all of my team members to enjoy what they do, love where they work, and value their place in our company. We have made the decision to go from an easily affordable company to a higher-end company in order to properly compensate every single team members for their hard work and dedication. Read more>>

Alva Hiers

To be successful I know it takes, much courage, commitment, dedication and more than anything thinking “Smarter, Not Harder!” To be successful there are many paths one can take before reaching your goal but it is doable and you will make it to the finish line you must simply keep striving and going. In this business it is about law of attraction and the need to make others happy but also knowing that you are serving someone who is as much delighted to be in your presence as you are to be in theirs. So why do I say it takes commitment to be successful? Read more>>

Jessica Trushel

As a salon owner and working behind the chair as a stylist full-time, and a mother of two, life can quickly become overwhelming or unmanageable. I have no shame in admitting that I have had to re-do many things in my life in order to be a better version of myself for my family. I have realized that some days the best you can do is make your bed, but always count your blessings. Read more>>

Natarvia Conner

To be successful, the most important characteristic you need is resilience. Success is about being able to bounce back with relative enthusiasm time and time again. Pure talent isn’t enough, you need to know how to adapt and recover when things do not go the way you planned. That is what makes a person successful, learning from your mistakes and always finding a way to keep moving. Read more>>

Shyretta Leanne Clark

To be successful I believe that you must start with developing a plan to serve as the framework on how you are going to execute this goal. It is also very important to study and develop relationships with mentors to help you navigate. Despite what some people think, to truly level up financially in this society you have to network and make partnerships. Read more>>

Natasha Fernandez

To me being successful is doing God’s will through my purpose in life. Finding what you are passionate about and use it as an instrument to help edify others. Success and self fulfillment comes from having faith, really hard work and taking risks. Being focused, disciplined and persistent will help you achieve anything you set your mind to. Read more>>

Taneka Torain

“What it takes to be successful?”, is a question that I am constantly asked. For me, I look at successful is accomplishing your goals. I have a checklist that I one by prior to attending college on how I wanted my life to go. Unfortunately, sometimes our time line does not go as planned because life happens. As long as you get to the rainbow, it does not matter how long it takes you. To encourage some of those that feel like life is moving slow, I did not become a nurse until I was 30. Read more>>

Cara Walker

Everyone defines success differently, but I can almost guarantee whatever personal definition you have for what success means to you it will likely fall within one of three buckets (fulfillment, financial gain, & freedom with your time) Well the really beautiful thing is, you can have all three. How do you do that? By attaching your life to something larger than yourself. The reason you get up in the morning to work on launching or elevating your business has to be connected to a larger mission and purpose in order to see success. Read more>>

Kelsey Barnes

To be successful it takes commitment, being consistent, believing in yourself, and the support from your loved ones. There will be times where you feel like giving up, but only YOU can make yourself go harder. Don’t worry about if others are supporting, all you need is YOU. Read more>>

Kemaya Molden

Hard work and dedication- as the late Nipsey Hussle would say. It’s all about not giving up. I believe in myself and in my work so I know where it can take me. In the hard times you have to want to succeed, that’s all it takes! Pushing through all the really tough times makes it all worth it. Read more>>

Star Stewart

What is success It looks different for everyone simply because we’re created in one image but we’re all different rather it be our ethnic backgrounds or culture. What that I tells is what success looks like to you very well may be different for me! Read more>>

Quteria Bryant

What I think it takes to be successful is easy. Try, fail, repeat and succeed. Always have faith and foremost God as your first priority in your business, believe and know that it is already done. Stay consistent and be intentional Read more>>

Katie Hackmann

When thinking about what it takes to be successful I always go to the traditional answer. Working hard and believing in yourself. But what I am not sure many people say is fear. I think to be successful in business and in life it takes fear. For me its the fear of losing the business I have worked so hard to built that keeps me driven. The fear of ever having to work for someone else besides myself…joking but not really. Read more>>

Jennifer Lunsford

Passion. There is one thing I have learned working in the corporate world that has really transferred to my business and it is being passionate about what you are doing. I found passion making an impact. Helping others is my passion. I learned quickly mornings are the preview of the day. What better way to start off the day but with a great cup of coffee? Read more>>

Bryana Taliaferro

To be successful to me is to be consistent. Being consistent with something only allows you to get better at it. I’ve started my business 5 years ago & I swear I’ve only been successful because I haven’t stopped. I haven’t taken a break – I just kept practicing & posting until it became a routine. Read more>>

Tori Belle-Miller

I believe the key is to find your niche — see what the needs are and fill them, even better if those needs can be filled in a unique way for a price that is reasonable for your client base but profitable for you. Once you have happy customers, they will tell their friends, families, and coworkers about you. Word of mouth is very powerful. A great deal of business has come my way through word of mouth. If you have found a way to make a living, doing what you love, that is success to me. Read more>>

Heidy Moreno

I think a huge part of being successful is enjoying and trusting the process as you work toward reaching your goals. The fun part about accomplishing goals is the personal journey you take and the things you learn along the way. Success also means allowing yourself to dream big and trusting that you will reach your destination even when things get challenging. Read more>>

Kenard Stevens

Success takes time. Success comes from the grind! The more you push through in anything you do in life you will be successful. All things have obstacles that you will face but it is important to keep going and don’t stop because when you make it through adversity, success is on the other side. Read more>>

Jasmine B

Pure drive and determination is what I believe it takes to be successful. Putting your best foot forth and actually believing in yourself. Being able to create a plan that is effective and consistent with your everyday life tactics. Read more>>

Joseantonio Guillen

The term successful has been defined in different ways and modified to each individuals personal pathway and mission. Some can see one win as being successful and others may view all their failures as successful due to the lessons learned from it. Read more>>

Lindsay Carlisle

For me, it has been discipline and a practically delusional confidence in my vision. Success as an artist and as a photographer especially doesn’t come easy and it takes a lot of behind the scenes work and sacrifice. When I started my boudoir photo business in California almost 8 years ago, I knew virtually nothing about business, marketing or even boudoir posing for that matter, but I did know one thing for sure- I wanted this business to succeed and I was confident that it would. Read more>>

MiMi Stylz

In order to be successful you need a spirit of a hustler, ambition and knowledge/ experience of failure. With out these key ingredients your success will come slowly and with many battles. With the spirit of a hustler you can acquire anything because you KNOW that you can get it by any means (legally). Ambition will keep you going and working toward your goal you set out to reach. The goal isn’t to get there faster, it’s to enjoy the journey while you create your story. Failure is needed. Without failure you don’t learn the lessons it will take to gain the wisdom that comes with being successful. This is spoken from experience. Read more>>

Azya & Ricky Rodriguez

To be successful at anything it takes time, patience and dedication. If you’re not dedicated then you won’t spend the time that’s necessary to grow and make a profitable business. If you don’t have patience then it leads to failure. All work hand in hand. Read more>>

Trace Le

I think it takes a lot of perseverance and patience to be successful. I would say success is also very subjective. Read more>>

Jeff Payne

To be successful you have to have enthusiasm. Finding a passion, and being on fire for what you do is greater than anything else. Read more>>

Showtime Arnett

Hardwork, Dedication and practicing on your craft everyday to get better Read more>>

Eric Hayes

To be successful, you yourself must believe and love what you are doing for longevity. Some do thing for the money then live to regret it later . Read more>>

Karteriya sims

I think it takes commitment , patients and a lot of hard work to be successful. Read more>>

Feteema Cooper

Being focused taking your time doing your best and having goals Read more>>

Alana Sommers

Determination, perseverance, resilience, and ambitious Read more>>

Blake Johnson

“Thanks for having me! I am excited that there is a platform for artists and supporters to share stories and be able to read them. Read more>>

J. Clark

‘Pressure bursts pipes – or makes diamonds.’ Resilience. A word that in my youth I most associated with is an isolated triumph or victory, usually in relation to playing a sport. It didn’t occur to me then that I would need resilience in everyday life. I spent some years playing competitive sports and now a couple of years as a full-time business owner. Through these experiences, I’ve learned that no matter what level of skill one may possess, the one with the most fortitude has the best odds of success. Read more>>

Amanda Taylor

I think each person has their own definition of what success is to them. Whether it’s owning a multi-million dollar company, having the freedom to spend time with family, being debt free, traveling, doing something you love, or simply feeding your family, success looks different to everybody. Read more>>

Toi Ames

I have learned that you can accomplish anything with vision and the right mindset. Read more>>