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.

Sasha Lewis

We are operating in a time where instant gratification is everywhere we turn. We have become accustomed to finding all the shortcuts and hacks to whatever system we operate in and it’s showing a lot in the digital space. I think that in order to be successful, you have to study the greats. Read more>>

Bianca Zaragoza

Success is unique for everyone as it is the achievement of one’s desired results. Personally, I think it takes a lot of dedication and commitment to be successful. In order to succeed, you must be fully dedicated in pursuing your goal to produce results. You must commit to your goal by staying focused and avoiding distractions. You must work really hard to be successful and become better. Read more>>

Brandon Emmitt

I experience many challenges to get here. My ex-wife left me, I lost my house, I was homeless, I lost everything, and a lot of people didn’t believe in or support me. Challenges in life tend to encourage us to grow. When faced with making a career or life decision, I just chose to focus my energy on self-reflection and prayer. While supporting others with my vision through food. Read more>>

Jennifer Davis

In business (and creative and scientific pursuits), we often think about decisions as being a destination: the finish line of a decision making process which is high-stakes, stressful, and destined to determine the outcomes of our pursuits or careers. In truth, decisions are a starting line and building the right culture within your organization will help you make the most of your strategies, flexible with the details, staying true to your purpose. Read more>>

Brandi Fleck

Success can mean so many different things to different people. But my definition of success is living a fulfilled life full of meaning and love. Of course, you can get to varying degrees of “success” by people pleasing and using pain, control, and force as a motivator, but to truly live a fulfilling and meaningful life — the ultimate success — you must acknowledge and heal your traumas, integrate what you learn along the way, as long as it’s aligned with who you truly are, and embrace and love who you truly are, including all parts of you. Read more>>

Tia Williams

What I think it takes to be successful is discipline and consistency. You have to continue to put in quality work on a consistent basis in order to see the fruits of your labor. You have to believe that it will work out for you some way some how. You must change your mindset before you make something happen. The Law of Attraction is real. Read more>>

Kimberly Orelus

I think as long as you set your mind to a certain goal that you want to achieve that’s all it takes to be successful. I don’t believe success has anything to do with earning materialistic items but having a purpose for a goal with anything in your life. Read more>>

Lila Glasoe Francese

99% of your business is how you present it and how you sell it. The other 1% is just plugging in all the information, facts, knowledge and and stats about your product/brand. Read more>>

Benny & Cat Butrim

As a small husband and wife venture, we feel that the success of Benny B’s Painting is not measured in the number of projects we complete each year (or the balance in our bank account either!) but in the quality and excellence of the work we provide and the happiness expressed by each and every client at the end of a project. We treat every design project with the same care and meticulous attention to detail we would demand if the project were in our own home. Read more>>

Carrie Klewin Lawrence

Identifying and unpacking your fears and what is holding you back from realizing your goals. Not only do we have insecurities (mainly stemming from listening to outside sources), we are told that there are real dangers out there. You have to decide for yourself – What it will take to make a calculated risk? Read more>>

Alonzette Breuer

Being a business owner is bittersweet. You can’t just be in it for the “good times”. There will be the good times, but low points as well.. Make sure you are rooted before you decide to open a business, because the storms are inevitable. To be successful you need to be grounded & clear of who you are. Read more>>

Emilie Mascarell

In my opinion, being successful requires having a clear understanding of what you value most in life and what you want to achieve. This involves setting priorities and working towards specific goals that align with your personal and professional vision. Read more>>

Jordon Wells

I think it takes consistency and hard work. I believe you won’t get better at anything in life without putting in the work and being consistent with your craft. Those losses you take at the beginning only make you better. Read more>>

Vanessa St fleur

To know what it takes to be successful you’ll need to find your own definition success first. Success looks different to us all. To find what that means or looks like for you’ll need to discover your ‘why’. Your why is your ultimate goal or purpose once you know that, start mapping out your ‘how’. Your how is everything that you’ll have to do to get you to your ultimate goal. Read more>>

Kelly Cowden

Being successful isn’t necessarily about the bottom line. To me, I would consider myself and my business successful if we are changing people’s lives. If even 1 person comes out of a class feeling better than when they came in, we have done our job. Whether they take a yoga class and feel better physcially, emotionally, mentally, or even beyond – that is success for a yoga studio. Read more>>

Faith Rowley

To be successful, it takes never ending grit, a strong “why”, and massive persistence. When you don’t accept no for an answer in business you are sure to succeed. Continuing to never back down but to take breaks when you feel bummed or burnt out is what has personally allowed me to grow my business into being so successful to this day. Read more>>

Gabby Conoway

I think in order to be successful we need a handful of things. First, we need to know how we work as a person; What makes you move forward? What keeps you motivated? Then decide how much of yourself and time you’re really willing to commit to something. Once you have your goals in mind (for me, its the end picture), make a plan and GO. Read more>>

Rose Ol

To me success is trying and doing your best even when you’re afraid, even when you’re uncertain of the outcome. When we are afraid of failure, it can be tempting to give up and avoid taking any risks at all. However, if you allow yourself to mess up and keep trying growth is the only guide to your success. Read more>>

Rachel Dashiell

Success can come in many forms. I think it is all about perspective and what kind of result you are looking for. Even if you do not have a clear end goal yet, effort and consistency is key. I truly believe good things will come if you keep working hard towards what you love! Read more>>

Jennifer Hernandez

I struggle with my idea of success daily. As someone with anxiety and major depression that goal is a moving target. That being said there are always a few key themes that stick no matter how I am feeling. A love for what I do, I don’t think I would ever truly accept success if I wasn’t happy doing my job. Read more>>

Ben Enke

It takes a lot of bravery and a bit of recklessness to want to be a filmmaker for a living. It takes being a little scared but saddling up anyway and doing the hard work and seeing what’s on the other side. “Successful” people in all walks of life tend to be the people who always have their engine running. Trying, exploring, motivated to work even if no one knows who they are or cares what they’re up to. The time, place, success is secondary to the energy and desire to make. Read more>>

Aggie Nichols

Personally, I think success is simply an accomplishment of predetermined goals. So what does it take to accomplish your goals? Definitely persistence and hard work, which includes being organized, disciplined, motivated, and committed. Persistence is crucial, because that’s what helps you persevere when facing adversities. As business owners and creatives, we face slower months, slower progress of our craft, or a creative block. Read more>>

Nancy Zaffaro

Success is going to look differently for everyone. I think we need to define what it means to be successful for ourselves. Success is based on who we are as hard-wired individuals as well as all the things that turned us into who we are. Our upbringing, our generation, our relationships, sex, race, where we’ve lived, economic environments—all that. Read more>>

Shontaye Hawkins

Being a small business owner, success is often defined by the numbers – sales, profit, revenue, clients, customers, likes, follows, and subscribers. But honestly, true success can’t be measured because it’s unique to each of us. With that said, I do believe that it takes action to be truly successful regardless of your goals. Read more>>

Michael Gutenplan

In my experience, and opinion, I think the most important thing to being successful is kindness. Yes, many successful people are horrid, but those who are kind get the added benefit of being liked. Being the easiest person to work with makes others want to work with you. DOn’t mistake kindness for being a pushover. You still have to have strength and control of all situations, but empathy, understanding, and just being a good person will, in the end, lead to more success than any other trait. Read more>>

Meagan Shuptar

It takes a ton of mental strength to be successful, especially in an industry that can ebb and flow so often. One month I may be booked solid with jobs and the next month I may be wondering when my next client will call. I’ve had to learn to utilize the slower months to work on parts of my business that may get neglected during times where I’m on set shooting a lot. Read more>>

Aisha Guenther

To put it simply: passion. Passion is, in my opinion, the most important thing you need in order to be successful. For me, it is the driving force that propels my business forward. People respond to passion. You can tell when you put your blood, sweat and tears into something, or when you love it so much that you get completely lost in it. Read more>>

KeTohn Paul

When it comes to successful people there are certain characteristics and behaviors they have in common. Consistency , Dedication, Tenacity, Courage, Elevation, and Acceptance. That is what it takes to be successful. Each time I succeed at surpassing a goal I look back at my behaviors to remember how I got there. Read more>>

Kassandra Love

In my opinion, achieving success requires several key elements. First and foremost, it’s essential to maintain your passion and enthusiasm for your chosen career path. This means keeping the flame inside you burning bright, and dedicating yourself to your work with your whole heart. Read more>>

sara Akihiro

I have always been someone who is ready to take charge and tackle a problem. I always though that would bring me success in life. I was totally unaware the role that patience and timing plays in success. In May of 2022 at 20 years old I was scrolling on Tik tok and saw permanent jewelry for the first time. I wrote some ideas down, watched some videos, and decided there was a gap in the market and I could jump on it now. Read more>>

Dylan Jones

Being successful can be measured in so many different ways, but ultimately it comes down to doing something you’re passionate about and working with people you care about. Of course you need to pay the bills and keep projects coming, but I have found that if you are selective with the type of work you do, and you do a good job, then more of that type of works finds its way to you. Read more>>

Anslei Foster

I think the key to success lies in how resilient and determine you are to meet your goals. There will be road blocks, there will be so many no’s along the way, but the key success is to continue to be persistent and work pass what discourages and hinders you. Read more>>

Kim Palmer

Simply put I think it takes hard work, opportunity and consistency. Hard work will get you there, opportunity will open the door and consistency will keep you in the room. Read more>>

Thunder Walker

Success is the ability to create. Success is really measured by how you see failure. I have had to reinvent myself several times throughout my life. Each failure taught me and brought me closer to who I am today. I have been at the point of “I have nothing to lose and that’s my greatest achievement!” When you have nothing to lose you will take risk, focus and listen to people that have been successful before you. It makes you like clay! Read more>>

Laura Damiano

Your overall mindset! You have to be willing to put in the time, the dedication, spend money to make money + the passionate drive. You need to accept mistakes will be made so you can learn along the way. You need to be open to criticism + not take it to heart. Read more>>

Camika Jerido

Thank you! What matters most in terms of achieving success can have various meanings depending on the person who is defining success. For me, success is taking the initiative “to start.” When I say to start it could be something as simple as creating your first video or making your first social media post about your business. I understand that to draw clients, Read more>>

April Dardis

Success itself is measured differently by different people. To me it’s a combination of hard work, a strong team, understanding strengths and acknowledging weaknesses. It’s also important to put in the work you expect of your team! Read more>>

Marcella Merrill

I think success is a mindset, a state of being. One of my favorite sayings is “Proceed As If Success is Inevitable”. That saying packs a lot in! It tells me, keep going, don’t self sabotage with fear and worry, believe in your dreams, trust the universe, and stay present! The rest will follow. Whatever that may be. There have been so many times I started to panic. Read more>>

Josh Campbell

What does it take to be a successful photographer? I guess that depends on how you define success? I have been successful in photography in many ways. It’s allowed me to go places I would have never otherwise gone. I have been able to meet, spend time with and photograph people that I wouldn’t be able to if I wasn’t a photographer. In those ways I feel I have been extremely successful. Read more>>