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

Mariana Melendrez

Be honest with what you want and trust yourself. Ignore small-minded people who may say “Maybe you can try something more realistic” or, “Shouldn’t you try something else/have a plan B?” That’s their own self-doubt speaking to you. As long as you push through other people’s negativity and your fears, you can obtain the reality you want. Be open to constructive criticism from your peers, it’s vital for growth and new forms of inspiration. Another important factor is to not be afraid of failure. My perspective changed entirely when I began to see failure with curiosity and as a learning opportunity. Read more>>

Sarah Lawson

For me, success has come when I leave space for my staff and clients. Sure, each session has a timeline for the day and an order to things, but the women that come into my studio are there to fall deeper in love with themselves. When a client needs something not “on the schedule”, the schedule can wait. I’ve had multiple clients come in and need to sit and talk out their feelings for an hour before we even start hair and makeup, or need to process and decompress after their shoot because of something happening in their lives. Many have had a deep inner and outer emotional connection to an image from their shoot. Read more>>

Vanna Collins

Well that depends on how you find success. Personally- success is when I can affect someones life positively and it creates a forever memory. That is the most valuable success. The fact that I do so on a daily and for a living is the icing of the cake- and I like buttercream so its heavy baby! (wink) Read more>>

Alexandria Blake

I believe success is a reward of the journey. It is the product of achieving a goal through perseverance, humility, and sacrifice. I was once told, “It is better to aim too high and miss your mark, than to aim too low and hit it”. Being equipped with the burning desire to strive through accomplishments, hurdles and failures is what makes the journey rewarding. Taking that leap of faith and not surcomming to various obstacles have led me to where I am today. Gaining this mental toolkit has allowed me to gain the appropriate techniques and strategies that have proven to be effective. Read more>>

NaDasia Cochran-White

It takes hustle to be successful, most definitely. If you don’t have hustle, that means you don’t have the drive to do the things you love! Success doesn’t mean having a lot of money either. Success means having the freedom to live your life the way you want to, however that may seem. Success doesn’t mean being a celebrity , or even being someone of social status. Success is what you make it! Read more>>

Hattie Gilpin

To become successful in anything, I believe it takes consistency and a strong support system to help you along the way. Success within my career is having it bring joy in my life through my accomplishments, colleagues, customers, my continual education, and my support system. Read more>>

Dillon Farmer

Success can be defined by many things, but for me, success is defined by happiness. When my wife and I decided to go into the food truck business, I dissolved my other business to put my entirety into a new one, one that I had extreme passion for. While money and the feeling of our financial security was now in jeopardy through the loss of our dissolved business, my happiness and fulfillment in my new career drove me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. It was through this happpiness that we were able to regain that financial security, but this time, in something we lived for. The moment we began to value our happiness.. in this case, in our newfound career.. we became successful. Read more>>

Nicole Greer

Drive and motivation. I am very self drive when it comes to my baking business and often motivate myself simply by baking and coming up with new creations. Or new ideas in how I want to brand and market myself. Read more>>

Tyreq Miles

In order to be successful you have to be focused and disciplined. There’s no shortcut and no secret formula it’s just waking up everyday and putting in the work that will get you closer to your goal. Read more>>

JP Lambiase

I truly believe success comes from the mindset and drive to achieve realistic goals, persevere during tough times and reward yourself during milestones of hard work. It is important to have the expectation to fail at times and be okay to accept slow growth. Enjoy what you do, be passionate about your goals and respect the process you are on. Read more>>

Katie Bray

I have been an entrepreneur for almost five years and so much of this journey has been about the exploration of success. The first few years was all about experimentation, trial and error and finding a coach in my life who could help me peel back the many layers of beliefs to find my true definition of success. And often, success can look different from year to year or even season to season. Taking time each year, quarter and month to review and define the vision for my life, both internally and externally has been the biggest key to building a life I love and find joy and meaning every day. Read more>>

Bailey Brooks Mashburn

To be successful in a business that you started from the ground up with almost zero capital is a very disciplined but easy thing to do. Being in a business that does not provide a particular product and focuses on a service allows you to keep costs low in the beginning. Product driven businesses generally require an inventory in order to service the customer on time. Being in a service driven industry I am filling a need for my clients and charging them a few for my opinion and expertise. As a wedding and event planner I do not have to carry the expense of an office or storage space for products. I require a computer, access to the internet and only need to pay the staff that are onsite for an event. Read more>>

Connie Leon

Consistently showing up as yourself. Being you and true to that. I know that I have probably had some missed opportunities because I don’t fit “the mold”. Or because I don’t conform to the status quo. I am okay with that, I can’t dwell on that. I can only be myself and continue to stand firm in my own beliefs, standards and perspective. Being successful along with all the usual “cliché things”, like being consistent, never giving up and accepting failure also consist of truly knowing who you are and what you want for yourself; and going after that. Will you fail and disappoint? Absolutely. Read more>>

Nicolas Golden

This certainly pertains to my field, but it’s absolutely applicable to anybody who wants to achieve success. The first and most important thing is to define success; what does it mean to you personally to be “successful”? For some it could be making a million dollars, for others it could be working a job they can make a difference in the world, community, etc. I recommend keeping this broad enough so that you don’t get discouraged if you don’t hit every one of your 57 check points on what you deem success to be. Read more>>

Alicia Washington

I feel the willingness to try is what makes you successful. My reasoning is because if you don’t at least try to do what you are wanting to achieve, how will you expect to be successful with it? Putting your best foot forward and at least trying will make you successful at anything you are wanting to achieve. Read more>>

Roxy Szigat

The definition of the word “success” is entirely objective. For me, “success” equals balance between serving my clients’ needs while surpassing their expectations, managing marketing, advertising, accounting, and all of the other administrative tasks that keep a small business running, navigating unexpected challenges, generating a profit at the end of the year, and actually enjoying what I do. Whew! Read more>>

Carly Paige

When I look back at where I started in my company, where I’m at now, and where I’m headed, there are several success qualifiers that come to mind. One is being open to new and different opportunities. When I left my corporate job and shifted my career path, I had a vision for what this might look like. It turns out, the business I have today is quite different than this, and I realized that I wasn’t allowing myself to dream beyond my limiting beliefs of what I thought I was capable of. Saying “yes” to things that pushed me out of my comfort zone helped me break through this. Read more>>

Jojo Trumbly

The recipe to be successful is something that people have pondered over for years. Unlike baking, there is no clear precise measurements and ingredients on what it takes to be successful. Really, the word success itself is defined so vastly different by people it becomes difficult to quantify what success is. My definition of the word/feeling of success would be that I am able to provide for my immediate family as well as my extended family both financially and with my time. The way that I have been able to find my success thus far is dedicating myself to making it work. Read more>>

Tayo Ishola

I believe success comes at different stages of life and in different measures. If one’s vision is achieved, irrespective of what that looks like when measured against societal standards, I think that is success! Read more>>

Juna Jeannot

If you want to achieve success, you need to put in the effort, push yourself to your limits, and provide your customers with top-notch results. Achieving my goals in the floral business is something I am determined to do. Every day, I try to come up with new ways to advance my company and better meet the needs of my clientele. Read more>>

Yvette Amakor

Success to me is never given, it is Earned. Everyone wants to be successful, but only one percent of people want to put in the work. It takes hardwork, committment and consistency if you want to succeed. Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship so if you’re looking to succeed, be prepared. it’s not going to be easy but it definitely is Attainable Read more>>

Diamond Cash

1. You need to have goals and execute what’s your success. 2. You need to be committed to your success story. Whatever you need to get done set as a deadline 3. Be consistent. 4. Focus grind. I know to be successful we have to have information. But without you executing on the information that you have your business grow you need to focus and execute. That’s it! 5. Be disciplined. Hold yourself accountable. Read more>>

Kim Washington

In order to know that success has been reached it is in truly in the mind of the person looking to reach that success. Everyone’s definition of success is different. I do however believe that in order to create success you have to put the work in. It is said that one must give at least 2 years of time into their business in order to see the results of any success. Now that doesn’t mean that baby steps are not success because they are. Those little steps lead us to the ultimate success. It does require us to have grit but it also requires grace. As a business owner for the last 23 years I have had to go through many challenges in order to reach my desired success. Read more>>

Jessica Tyson

I think the most important thing is passion! Without it, it can be kind of hard to find a true meaning of success. And that’s not to say that you have to be over the top passionate about your work every single day, because that’s not super realistic. We all have moments where we’re just doing what needs to be done to get through the day, or to pay the next bill, but at the end of the day; passion is what I believe fuels us to success. Read more>>

Debra somerville

I believe to be successful you must first be passionate! If your lucky enough to find something you love to do & get paid for it your more then halfway there. That said passion is not always enough. Hard working & consistency is key for success. I believe you don’t always have to be the best at what you do, you just have to be the one that consistently follows up, gets the job done & doesn’t give up. Read more>>

Jill Cherry

I think relationship capital is one of the number one ways to become successful. In order to obtain relationship capital you have to treat people the right way. It’s easy to forget someone’s name or even what they say, but you never forget how someone made you feel. Read more>>

Marisa King

To be successful it takes perseverance. It takes passion… It is the result of hard work, failure, focus and persistence. Success is a journey. Your definition of success may vary, but you might define it as being fulfilled, happy, safe, healthy, and loved; all of that is success to me. In order to be successful, you must develop a growth mindset, pay attention to and manage your emotions, believe in yourself, don’t give up, practice self-care, seek opportunities to grow, challenge your self, stay hungry, stay motivated, set achievable goals, be willing to change, adapt and adjust as needed, create a strong support system around you for the different aspects of your life and avoid burnout… Again, that goes back to practicing self-care. Read more>>

Natalia Burrows

I think consistency & passion are the keys to being successful. If you are passionate about something, you need to consistently hone into that craft. Learn everything you can about it and then practice practice practice. Sometimes it may feel like being consistent is not moving the needle, but it is. It’s building a solid foundation for your business because overnight success isn’t a thing. Read more>>

Nathaly Tabares

Success is different for each person. For some, success is having enough to cover all the expenses and responsibilities while being able to spend more time with their families. For others is having is being in a prominent position, earning a great income, having freedom to manage their own schedules, etc. For me being successful is living my life on my own terms. Having flexibility, being vulnerable and being more own boss. Read more>>

Greg Wolf

There are thousands of cliche’s when it comes to what people think it takes to be successful. We have all seen the memes, inspirational quotes, people’s daily affirmations on social media, etc. But, it simply comes down to YOU. You have to have the drive, determination and the will power to do anything in your means to make things work. It’s surely not going to be an easy road. There are no manuals to the path to success as everyone’s path is different. However, I do believe that EVERYONE has the ability to create success, no matter what the task is, the mission or the end goal. But, you have to want it. Read more>>

Byron Wilson

I think what it takes to be successful is to be plan, prepare, and execute. You have to have a vision, believe in your vision, prepare for your vision and execute your vision. Read more>>

Lori Kendall

I think the most important quality you need to have in order to be successful is resilience. The ability to fail, experience hard times, doubt yourself and dare to come back anyway. The truth is that there is not just a high chance of failure when you chase success – there is a 100% chance of failure in one or several areas of your life. Failure and difficulty are necessary stepping stones and you can’t get where you want to go without going through those trying moments first. Read more>>

Chantel Fidelia-Thomas

Success takes consistency, dedication and hard work. Success doesn’t happen overnight. sometimes the road to success is a long one but there really aren’t any shortcuts. The journey to success is filled with lots of ups and downs, twists and turns and bumps in the road along the way. If you pay close attention the road to success teaches you many lessons to what may work for you and what may not work so well in which you may have to take a step back and change your approach and your reach. Most successful people will tell you they didn’t get it on their first try but stayed consistent and found their stride. Read more>>

Nefertiti

I think initially, a person would need to start with the depth surrounding their ‘why.’ If you don’t have a strong, purposeful reason for why you want to be successful – then you are going to be more willing to give up when things get tough. In order to be successful, you have to have a very strong anchor for your motivation to succeed. Read more>>

Hykeem Brown

From my own experience I will say what it takes to be successful is being your authentic true self, remember there is only one you. It’s like a commitment to yourself, staying optimistic about life while staying focused. Read more>>

Carly Mack

What has led me to the most success in my career is genuinely having fun with what I do and ignoring all the noise from other people telling me what to do. Most of the time, the path to success feels scary and unknown. A couple months ago, I was let go from my stable 9-5 job weeks before moving out of my parents house and was placed in one of the most difficult situations of my life. At that point, my only other income was my design commissions, but it was far from being enough to support myself. I had the realization that this was 100% meant to be and would push me harder than ever to actually pursue my goals to be a freelance designer. Read more>>

Cecelia Steidinger

Success is always a tough topic to discuss with my business owner friends. That definition of “success” is so different for everyone! Some people want a full time, thriving entrepreneurship that allows them to quit their 9-5’s. Others just want to make a little money on the side for the fun stuff. Some want to be able to stay home with their kids and not sacrifice all of their autonomy and sense of self. Some want to be able to help others or donate proceeds to causes they care about. Read more>>

Sali Ouattara

I believe there’s no elevator to à success you have a take the stairs . Consistency is the most important , hard work always pay off , believe in what you’re doing . Trust yourself that you’re capable of achieving big things . Be kind , humble yourself to learn from other . For people like us who also believe in Allah keep praying your time is coming . Read more>>

Kristina Latraverse

Success is defined in many ways, and being successful looks different for everyone. For me, success has been fluid. In 2019 when I opened Seagrass Pottery, success meant building a community around clay and designing handmade pieces inspired by the sea. Today, we have build an amazing clay community, one that shares and inspires. I design and create work that I love to share. Yet, I feel that success remains elusive, as there is always a new goal and new idea to persue. I believe that to be successful one must be focused, creative, and willing to keep moving the success marker. Read more>>

Kate Ledbetter

Dedication. It takes dedication to be successful. It allows you to focus on what’s important and gives you something to look forward. When you have a goal that you want to achieve, it provides motivation and keeps you going. Taking the time to do the education, learn your work and equipment, implement what you have learned, and staying consistent. Read more>>

Jessica Nguyen

In order to be successful in any business (especially real estate), I believe that one must operate from a place of servitude. Meaning I work to serve the needs of my clients and community. I believe every home buyer is unique and has different situations so I cater and customize my services and marketing to each individual client. I work extra hard and take a lot of time in order to make sure my clients needs are met and make sure they are completely satisfied with the industry expertise that I can provide. Customer satisfaction comes before my paycheck because if my clients are not completely satisfied, I feel that I have not done my job to the best of my abilities. Read more>>

Jeremy Williams

In my best-selling book, Survive Scale Soar: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Building the Life and Business You Deserve, I lay out 7 success strategies that come through personal experiences and the experiences of others. The book was initially written to be a guide for my children, and then I realized how many more people I could assist in their journeys. The 7 strategies are: how to get clarity, why it is important not to worry about others, reinforcing the fact that anything takes work, teach you how to fail faster, explain why it is okay to be the turtle, discuss the importance of getting outside your comfort zone, and that growth requires leverage Read more>>

Jenn Richardson

At 27 years old, I found myself in a state of “floundering” through life. I was about two months postpartum with my second son and was definitely trying to figure out who I was outside of “mom” and “wife.” I had always been an ambitious person, even as a child, and for the first time in my life I found myself without a real direction or career path. As a little girl, when asked “what I wanted to be when I grew up” I responded with “I want to help people and change the world.” Sounds basic enough but as I grew into adulthood that desire was still there. I just wasn’t sure how I could make that possible. Read more>>

Anetta Paver

I believe the hardest part of entrepreneurship is the mental aspect. The ability to stay calm, confident and positive when everything is falling apart, when your existence as you know it, is at risk. I believe the key to success is being extremely careful and selective on what you give your mental energy to. Things are going to happen – insurance rates will go up, accidents will happen, employees will leave, clients will be unhappy, hurtful things will be said about you. The difference between someone who is successful and someone who isn’t, in my opinion, is wether or not you have the ability to acknowledge the bad, and instead focus instead on the positive, and continue moving forward with a smile that is genuine, from within. Read more>>