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.

Ambe J. Williams

Success is subjective. I think it takes a mixture of passion, flexibility, creativity, and persistence. As a creative professional, reaching the next level of “success” requires a deep commitment to your craft. An almost obsessive drive to refine your voice and perspective.

With today’s ever-evolving technology, anyone can take a decent photo. The only thing you have as a photographer are your instincts and your taste. Read more>>

Hak Sung Kim

More than an anecdote, I would like to say that for me the key reason to continue prospering is: not to be afraid and to resist, above all not to be afraid of failure. I believe that more than a talent, perseverance and the attitude of never giving up generated strength for me throughout the years. I learned to observe and deduce from an objective point of view, I acquired the courage to do something different and assume the risks and responsibilities. I always try to think about where and what business I would be doing in 5 or 10 years and I plan what I could start doing to reach that goal. I would also like to mention that the other super important attitude in the face of difficulties is to be thankful! I am a Christian and thanking God every morning gives me the strength to endure and move forward in the face of any obstacles and hopeless situations. Read more>>

Valeri Estrada

It depends on your definition of success. Society has put a huge emphasis on wealth, fame and (let’s be honest) followers. Having any — or all — of those things don’t equal success. Wealth can provide comfort but not necessarily purpose; fame can bring attention but not genuine connection; followers may offer validation but not real relationships. Happiness = success. Fulfillment = success. Contribution to the betterment of society = success. I find joy in photography and at home. If my photography career ended today, I would call it a success. I would leave behind thousands of images of love and family and fleeting moments that will be passed down to future generations. True success is deeply personal and should be measured by one’s sense of purpose, contentment, and the impact they have on others. Read more>>

Mia Abdullah

Being successful takes discipline and dedication. There has been many days where I wake up feeling discouraged or not wanting to take any orders but I always look at the bigger picture. I started my floral business because I have a passion for making creative things & I ultimately know that one day I want to help people become successful florist also. So if I’m feeling discouraged and don’t put the energy into my own business how can the next person trust me to grow and elevate there business. Read more>>

Ann Divine (morgan)

I believe that success starts with a mindset. Many people have this misconception that to be successful means you have to be popular or have fame. Success begins with your own personal story of overcoming and your humble beginning; it starts with knowing for yourself what you have personally had to overcome to be where you are. Success should never be based on comparison. For example I have been a spiritual guide/tarot reader for a little over 10 years consistently with a great reputation to go along with that. I have over 200 positive reviews in my 5 star Esty shop and I have clients that have been working with me for years!!! This is success to me. Read more>>

Michelle Wilton

To me, success is about finding peace in the beautiful chaos of life. Building Date Better Snacks has taken what I like to call the “magic trio”—grit, hustle, and determination. It’s been a wild ride, full of twists, turns, and moments where I thought, Wait… what did I just get myself into?

But here’s the thing, I’ve learned that you can’t get stuck in the past or obsess over the missteps. There’s a reason the rearview mirror is smaller than the windshield—because where you’re going matters so much more than where you’ve been. Read more>>

Kyle Petchock

What I think it takes, personally, to become successful in whatever it is you’re passionate about, is doing the work to become the person who’s capable of handling the goal. A person of character, integrity, honesty, and strength to stand true to yourself in a world that constantly tries to break you down. Read more>>

Trinity Vu

It takes hard work, determination and dedication to doing what you love in order to become successful. Nothing happens if you are sitting on your butt at home. Go out, work, and build your legacy. I didn’t realize the behind the scenes of running my own balloon company. After all I was just my stepmom’s assistant for her balloon and backdrop company. When I started Poptastic, everything was thrown at me and I could either sit there and panic, or take what was given to me and run with it. Without determination, support from everyone in my community, or passion I would not be as successful with Poptastic as I am today. Read more>>

Quenjana Adams

Success in business comes down to smart decision-making and sticking to your choices, even when they’re unconventional. At 2048 Non-Alc Wine Shop, this meant starting with a clear understanding of our capabilities and resources. I chose to operate weekends-only initially, then adapted to Chicago’s rhythms—shifting between events-only programming and expanded summer hours based on customer demand. Read more>>

Amanda Pacropis

While it may sound cliche, it simply takes hard work and determination. If you want something bad enough you can absolutely make it happen. Even if it means working through weekends, missing social events, and drowning in work for a bit. Read more>>

Rj Dunn

To be successful is something you have to work on everyday and not just Monday-Friday like it has a cut off point. I was scared to start my company and it seemed easy when I started but once I got into the thick of it that’s when things got real. I was ready to quick about 2 years in because it was so much and I just didn’t think it would work and here we are going on 4 years in May. So to get here I couldn’t give up I had to make a choice of working for myself or working for someone else.. Read more>>

Mike Gordon

can you fix any grammatical errors in this: Success is a varying definition, and is different for everyone. As an entrepreneur I have worn many hats over the year, but did not hit my stride until around 2012. It was my second job out of college, working in the Bay Area for a factoring company (financing) small business invoices. My uncle pushed me to reverse engineer a marketing group’s success of pushing millions of viewers through their website, and arbitraging advertising with video content. Building that business is what really sparked my wants to be successful. Doing the hard things that no one else wants to do; burning the midnight oil, running on minimal sleep, and pushing forward to make success happen. Read more>>

Lexa Gillespie

When I reflect on what it takes to be successful, I believe we must first begin with an intimate understanding of what success means to us individually. As a somatic awareness coach, I’ve discovered that this definition is deeply personal and constantly evolving – it’s a living, breathing thing that shifts as we grow and transform. Read more>>

Adam Hoopengardner

Being successful takes a combination of luck and hard work. Being at the right place at the right time, meeting the right people, and working very hard on your craft. Being successful also means never resting on your success. Always continue to create, and work hard. Try not to lose the joy that allowed you to fall in love with your craft in the first place. Read more>>

Jaden Bouldin-miller

I think it takes being uncomfortable to be successful. Successful people are never comfortable; they always want more. They aren’t okay with doing just enough; they have to go above and beyond. I learned this from my grandmother, as she was a very successful person, but she was never comfortable. Even though she made it so far in life, she was never satified and that was instilled in me growing up. I hated it when I was younger; kids around me were excited to get B’s and C’s and I’d have all A’s and maybe one B; that was never enough. I didn’t get applauded or rewarded for that; it was seen as me not trying hard enough. Some people will say that’s harsh but I’ve never been a B/C student so it wasn’t expected of me to have any. Read more>>

Eliza Barrett

Success, to me, is about living a life that offers both comfort and freedom—the ability to take a week off when I need to recharge, to travel without financial stress, and to feel proud of the work I create. It’s not just about financial benchmarks; it’s about the balance of creative fulfillment, time, and energy. Read more>>

Katie Force-white

In order to be successful in the industry that I am currently in it takes a drive and a motivation that comes from within. As someone who started in real estate as a single mom, I did not have a Plan B. I believe having a Plan B is actually a plan to fail at plan a. In this industry, you were building everything yourself. You are creating a business and developing relationships to build your own business. You are 100% in control of how much money you will make based on the activities that you are willing to put forth. Read more>>

Aurelien Bouche-pillon

I think it takes grit, perseverance, and humility to be truly successful. If you are able to continue standing up after you have been knocked down alongside the ability to not only take feedback but then use it to create something better each time, you are bound to reach your goals and reach success. Read more>>

Destinee Alera

I think success is defined in a lot of different ways, and it’s really dependent on individuality. On a grand scale, I think success is equated to having a lot of money, being widely recognized in your field or profession, and just the optics of what an established person looks like. For a creative, and specifically for me, I think success evolves as you continue to grow as an artist. Right now, I feel successful when I play a strong show, or making a meaningful connection through music, or completing a project I’ve been mulling over. Looking to things to come, I’d feel successful if in a year from now I can look back and say I achieved some goals I’ve set, and have grown from the place I was in. Read more>>

Christopher Bevans

Success is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean? The first step to achieving success is defining it for yourself. For some, success means financial wealth and fame; for others, it’s about raising strong, independent children or simply finding peace and happiness in everyday life. Until you define success on your terms, you’ll always be chasing someone else’s version of it. Read more>>

Sadiyyah Maamoon-means

The key to being successful is consistency and discipline. As a business owner there are days when you may feel defeated, tired and want to throw the towel in, but we know that we are not able to do that. Our clients and customers rely on us faithfully. I truly love being an entrepreneur and what I do. I love helping people and I’m grateful to have businesses that allow me to do this daily. My last business venture was opening my Coffeeshop and Community Events Venue during the COVID 19-Pandemic. It was very challenging. We were living in a world where we had no idea what was going on. While many businesses were closing, I was pivoting within my business. I was thinking of ways to stay afloat and connect with my community. Read more>>

Leisha Thompson

Although I believe this can look so different from person to person because we all define “success” differently so I think it’s first important to look at what success means to you personally and create goals and benchmarks that align with that path. As for me, I think success is a lot about finding harmony within my life, my business, and my relationships, to allow these things to flow in and out in a way that allows me flexibility, peace, creativity, and joy. More specifically in terms of being an entrepreneur, it takes a lot of thinking outside of the box. If you did what everyone else did, then you wouldn’t really have your own vision or purpose and that always show through but rather it’s about being able to find inspiration and craft a different way of doing something. Read more>>

Cole Soileau

It takes everything to be successful. All the way from educating yourself about the industry to actually going for it.

I came up from nothing and I’m from a small town where there’s nothing. I’m not a big Artist at this time, but I’ve made it pretty far on my own and this is what every artist has to do in the beginning.

My advice is just to stay really dedicated and to never give up on your dreams because ambition is far less stressful than laziness and if you got something that you really believe in, then you need to take it all the way with no doubts. You’re gonna have hurdles in this business. Read more>>