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.

Leticia Vernizzi

I think success is defined by how compromised you are with what you do. What it takes to be successful is commitment and focus, whatever you want to be successful in. Sometimes we fail, and we think about give up, we get frustrated, and if we do not have commitment with ourselves, if we do not respect our growth journey, we will not reach success, because success demands learning, and you only learn if you fail a plenty of times and even though, keep trying until you make it work. Read more>>

Meredith Herman

Success looks different for everyone— if you want to be “successful” you first need to clearly define what that means for you. It can be easy to get caught up with what others are doing or feel like you need to dive into the “hustle” culture our society loves so much. But success isn’t one-size-fits-all. By doing this you’ll be able to have a clear vision of what you need to focus on to reach your personal level of success. For me, success looked like taking my business from part time to full time so I could live a more flexible and fulfilling life—I wanted to break free from the “corporate world”. Once you defined what success looks like for you, create goals both small and large to help you get there. Write them down and let those be the driving forces behind all that you do. Evaluate them often as goals tend to change and evolve as your business grows. Read more>>

Keianna Williams

I believe it takes focus, hard work, discipline, consistency and persistence, BUT more importantly I think, in order to remain successful you have to do what you love and love what you do. Discover your gifts and one of those gifts will lead you to your passion which will ultimately lead you to your purpose. Read more>>

Mona Chaudhry

When you start your business, you see a vision of it being successful. The commitment you make to yourself for always working hard and never giving up even in hard times is what it takes to be successful. Read more>>

Kathy Baxley-Stewart

When owning your own business, the main thing it takes to be successful is customer service. Something I have done from day one is always, always, always return calls and emails in a timely manner. It doesn’t matter what else is on your plate in any given day, returning those calls or emails is key to letting clients know how important they are to your business and to you. Typically I always contact them within 24 hours. One thing I always tell my clients is that, “If you’re happy, then I’m happy.” It’s a win win when you can go above and beyond to make a client want to come back and do business with you again. Read more>>

Mallorie Gomez

Consistency is key! Stay motivated and productive even in the hardest moments is so important. Starting your own buisness is scary and hard at first so staying consistent and finding a good balance for everything that needs to be done is a absolutely must to be successful. We have been experiencing so much right now in this world and believing in yourself as well as your business and just truly never giving up is crucial to your success. There will be so many ups and downs but as long as you stick with it there will be so much reward to come. Read more>>

Patricia Sheppard

I have always been an observant person. I wish I could pinpoint a moment that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life, but truthfully it was simply a part of me. I took photography in College but did not fully understand what I wanted to do with it. So with this, I pursued Teaching primarily, but photography was always in my heart. When I met my partner, another artist, I thought my passion for photography was ignited. Together I feel we feed off of each other creatively. Read more>>

Tyrone Bachman

In my opinion success is when you push yourself to be excellent spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally and financially. Your biggest opponent in life is you. Striving to be excellent in your relationship with God, your family and within yourself is the foundation of success. In order to achieve these objectives you have to find balance in these areas of your life by properly managing your time to each one. Read more>>

Jessica Martin

Failure and perseverance. So many people try to skip over failure. It doesn’t feel good to fail so we do everything not to fail or make mistakes, but in reality it’s inevitable. We all fail and it’s what we do with those failures that teaches us how to succeed. So we need perseverance to help feel our way through those difficult moments of failure. When we combine these two things one can start using a growth mindset to ask the important questions. This question doesn’t define success and that may be a key component for business entrepreneurs to consider. What is success to one person may not be success to another. Read more>>

Director Huey G

Being successful takes sacrifice and many sleepless nights! Having a strong supportive circle without egos who believe in your vision. Having a mentor in the same field doing what you wanna do. You can’t be afraid to go get it and take risks! Read more>>

Chef Adrian Perez

Emotional intelligence is an important ingredient, if not the most important ingredient, in your formula for success. At the end of the day it’s all about people, and knowing that once you’ve reached a level of independence, you have to understand it’s about interdependence from there on out. That’s the notion that we have to depend on each other to get what we want accomplished. So emotional intelligence is key in order to understand people and navigate through this new level of succession. Knowing what motivates others, what inspires them, what makes them get out of bed in the morning, what persuades them, what motivates them, what drives them. All of the factors that help others help us move forward in life, professionally and personally. My mother gave me those tools, the ones that count when it comes to people and relationships. Read more>>

Rico Boone

When it comes to being successful, I think of it as one of those situations where it depends on how bad you want it. Of course, it’s easy to want success but what matters the most is the action you’re taking to get there. You have to be willing to put in the work. It won’t be easy but in the end, it will be worth it. You have to be willing to grow. I myself has learned that without growth, there is no progress. Being in that kind of mindset inspires me to go harder with every step I take along my journey. Read more>>

LeAndrew SR Will” Pearson”

I think that the term “successful” can mean a wide variety of things. Many can have small victories but never grasp their ultimate goal. for some, that ultimate goal is all that they see. For me, Success is a puzzle piece. The more pieces I collect, the bigger my image becomes. With that said, I believe these three things are what it takes to be successful. First is a no brainer, hard work. treat your work ethics and professionalism (not ego) like you are already selling out shows. No matter the level of talent, People will not work with lazy. Second, be consistent. I still struggle with this. Notoriety is like a locomotive, you have to keep up that momentum otherwise you risk having to restart that engine which that can be difficult for some. So stay consistent. Read more>>

Alaisha Croker

What it takes to be successful ? Hard work and dedication ! You have to give your all to get where you want to be . Hard work means staying up late, making sacrifices, not hanging out with friends, and handling business. Sometimes you have to be uncomfortable to live comfortable . You have to be dedicated to whatever you’re doing. Meaning you have to really put in the ground work for whatever it is. Success comes with trials and tribulations. You’re going to have to be able to deal with it the best way you know how. There are going to be sleepless nights because your mind is constantly running on how or what you’re going to do. There’s going to be plenty of days/nights were you’re going to cry ! Crying not because you’re stressed, but because your ready to be successful and reach your goals. You have to be fully committed to whatever it is thats going to make you successful. I call it being hungry and taking whatever steps necessary to get to where you want to be. The hunger is going to push you to want more and strive for more .Read more>>

Naimi Salazar

Everybody has a different definition of success, for some is m0ney, for others it might be fame, but for me it would “not working” any day of my life because I truly love what I do. The most important mindset to be successful is to always be true to yourself, don’t try to please other people or work on other people’s goals, instead think of yourself and your plans first. Secondly, if I have learned anything in this entrepreneurship journey is to always keep trying, even when you feel like everything is failing, keep trying, keep pushing, hard work always pays off. And finally, always be on the lookout for new opportunities, you never know when the next big project or an important connection might happen, tell everybody you know about you do, people love talking! Read more>>

Natasha Stevens

That’s an interesting question because success is subjective for everyone. For some, hard work, ethical behavior, dynamic leadership, and extreme moral character play a role in their success: something that their family can look back on and be proud of. While for others, especially over the last two years, success might mean just getting out of bed in the morning and doing the bare minimum with what they have. I don’t think that there is one measuring stick for success for all. Read more>>

Lynnecia Eley

To be successful in anything, rather it is as a career professional, leader, or entrepreneur, we must first start with reprogramming our default to doubt ourselves. We all have that nagging inner critic that constantly whispers doubt inside our heads, but the trick is to learn when to pay attention to that voice and when to ignore it. I am a believer in following my intuition and I’ve learned the difference between intuition and self-doubt by taking risks. Larry Osborne offers us this observation on successful and effective leaders: “The most striking thing about highly effective leaders is how little they have in common. What one swears by, another may warn against, but one trait stands out: the willingness to risk.” Read more>>

Starasia Abraham

Defining success has always been personal to me. In my opinion, it truly depends on what stage you are in and where you’re trying to go. For example, When you are just starting out with anything that you do it could be considered a success to get your first customer success comes in stages but I guess simply put it is whenever you make a goal you are considered successful in my opinion. Read more>>

Colleen Bentley

The team is the core of our business, so hiring the right people is the key to being successful. I’ve always believed that if you hire smart people with good values and the right personality for the job, the skills and work can be taught. Relationship building with clients is such a huge part of our business and what keeps clients coming back, so you need the right people on your team to make that happen. Read more>>

Ledia Regis

The key to success is Perseverance. If you want it then don’t allow anyone or possible obstacle stop you. The world is made up of ideologies and themes of what success is. You are told by society that success looks a certain way and if you don’t fit into that mold, then you are not the epitome of success. However, when you understand who you are, when you understand your worth then those principles and ideologies of others are thrown out and you will write your own script with charisma and courage, You will be the author of your destiny. Each milestone will be your achievement. Each challenge will be your stepping stone to your success! Read more>>

Marijana Kurcubic

When you love what you do, success is guaranteed. Putting in work every day, investing in your business and continuing education are certainly necessary. When you’re motivated and provide an excellent service to your clients, they will recognize and remember it. It takes lots of love and creativity and that’s the key to success. Read more>>

Maria Orozova

I am a firm believer in “mind over matter”… a positive mindset is key — paired with a lot of grit, passion and thick skin. I literally don’t allow it to cross my mind that I will fail — I simply focus on what is in front of me, giving that goal 100% of my attention and energy. Of course things can go wrong, but I personally don’t give those possibilities any power. Beyond that, everyone’s definition of success is very different… which is why it’s important to define yours and live it to the fullest. Read more>>

Avnah Long

I think it takes a lot to be successful but the one thing you must do is take risk. You have to take risk, operate outside of your comfort zone and create fresh ideas. If you’re not willing to take risk, you will never know what works and what doesn’t. As a fashion designer, creating garments that are innovative, couture and unparalleled opens doors for elevated opportunities. These opportunities can bring more customers, prospects and exclusive clients that will help grow your business. Read more>>

Sierra Coleman

To me, becoming successful is as equally important as living your dreams. What I believe it really takes to be successful is never giving up. Sometimes, life can throw curve balls knocking you down. The important thing to remember is to always get back up. No matter what. Grit and resilience is what it takes to be successful in life and all of its endeavors. Read more>>

Keenan Green

I Think it takes consistent hard work & dedication, the staying up late at night until the early morning , out working the man next to you , studying , practice, discipline , trial & error, having a short memory when bad things happen & most importantly keeping the faith and believing and God . Read more>>

Raul Camargo

To become successful I believe discipline and consistency are the main factors that play a big role in someone being able to reach and obtain their goals toward success. Discipline is being able to wake up everyday and work towards your goals despite feeling tired, unmotivated, and willing to make sacrifices to reach success. Consistency is being able to do the things that will benefit you and your goals even when you don’t see results at the moment. Being consistent and moving forward is what separates you from the rest and give you that extra boost for success. Read more>>

Lindsay Grabb

Integrity is vital. Being clear on why I’m doing what I’m doing and then having my thoughts, words and actions line up 100% of the time. This builds trust with my team and my students. It also creates balance for myself as I work faster and more efficiently if I’m clear. Read more>>

Sara Annapolen

It has truly been a lifelong dream to launch a collection of my own. Success to me – is that I am doing this at all. I practice “action over perfection” every day. I get comfortable making decisions quickly and knowing they might be wrong – and moving on. In the first few years each stepping stone of growing a business is new and so thinking of everything as a test makes it easier to try new things. If they don’t work out, you learn. And when decisions end up being the right ones, and steps forward end up working out, you become empowered and excited! Lastly, I would say it takes trust and patience. Space to brainstorm, and allow yourself breathing room to be creative. It’s easy to get stuck working too hard. Remembering to take time away is so important. Read more>>

Loren Usher

I believe it takes 3 simple yet critical steps to be successful. Faith + Works = Results The Vision- “Faith” this is the brainstorming era. For myself, this is my time to connect with God. To truly understand my purpose & mission that needs to be fulfilled. The Plan “ Works”- this is where pen & paper come into play. You should be writing down your ideas & goals. Specifically with each goal you need to write ALL the steps to accomplish each goal. Remember the plan might change- adjust, & proactively find solutions. Read more>>

Brittany Rogers

I’ll start off by saying, my career and passion are fortunately the same; I am an audio engineer, producer and composer. Essentially, I sit around making noises all day to hopefully evoke feelings and experiences in people who choose to listen! Understanding our own definitions of success and what that word means to all of us individually is an important first step to finding it. Success to me means a few things. 1) Feeling good about who I am and how I show up to the world around me. 2) Continuously growing in things I’m passionate about. 3) Feeling heard, seen, and valued by people I love and respect. I’ll tackle each of these one by one. Read more>>

Miesha Burks

The definition of success is tailored to the individual and how they value it. The strongest and main frame of success in my life is inner success. Inner success is the discovery of peace within one’s self. I believe being privately successful could lead to other extensive levels of success. Be it in business, money, relationships, education, etc., as they are all built on the shoulders of inner success. Read more>>

Sierra Sexton

The short answer to this question, perseverance. It’s a fight every day, mentally and sometimes physically to keep pushing through and believing your hard work will turn into success. When starting your own business, you experience the high highs and low lows. I wholeheartedly believe if you can make it through all of the ups and downs and just have faith, your business will be successful. Read more>>

Dr. Donna Lindsay

Some would say that success is having your business recognized by Forbes Magazine as a Fortune 500 company. Others define success as having the opportunity to drive a Maserati or owning a company that brings in $20,000 a month. I believe success looks different to each of us. Some may base their success on their life experiences, levels of education, or a variety of accomplishments (i.e. opening a business, getting married, earning a degree, purchasing a home, or starting a family). I believe that success happens in stages. I call these combined stages the Success Cycle: Purpose, Process, and Productivity. Read more>>

Frank Rosa

To be a success in any business you have to pay attention to the details. My motto has always been “Success is in the details.” In a recent discussion with an employee I was asking for an update on some clients and the employee mentioned there are no updates at this point, so to give an update it would be overkill and my response simply was no update is an update. If you promise to provide an update every Friday I will expect that update every Friday. That creates a higher level of accountability. I higher level of intensity when things are expected. The level of focus is lifted in our success bar. Read more>>

Debbie Bush

I consider myself to be successful when I’m focusing my efforts toward what I’m passionate about. Life is filled with so many distractions…I try to make sure that my time goes in the same direction as my goals. Read more>>

Shaleena Lott

You have to be passionate about whatever it is that you’re doing, because that passion will keep you focused, especially during the difficult times of when you want to give up. There will be long days, late nights and early mornings. You will miss out on social gatherings. It may take time for you to see your business make a profit. You also have to remember your why. Why did you start the business? What are your goals? How often are you evaluating your goals, and are you setting new ones consistently? Read more>>

Dominique Cooper

I believe it takes passion to become successful. Being fully passionate and believing in your craft will give you the drive to keep going, continuing to grow and challenging yourself. Read more>>

Markus Lindsey

First you have to define success. If money is a measure of success then you will never be happy. My measure of success is that people recognize my work and seek me out. Read more>>

Katie White

Consistency and courage have been the main ingredients to my success. Showing up everyday, even in a little way, allows me to feel connected to my business. As a creative entrepreneur, I can’t sit around and wait for the creative moment to strike. It isn’t always going to flow during the work day. However, I never let that stop me from showing up. Setting daily intentions helps me regain focus and jump start my creativity when these moments occur. More times than not, I find that I can continue creating through the work day and make something beautiful. Read more>>

Heberto & Rona Segura

Heberto – The short and obvious answer would be hard work, but there are also so many other details that are easily overlooked. You need to be true to what you want to do, lay out a plan and follow it; you need to be studious on your field, learning must be a constant pryority, be ready to take calculated chances, make changes as needed. you also need to be transparent, with your guest/ clients as well as with your team. you need to know and be willing to treat everyone with respect especially those who work with you to help you make your business successful. Read more>>

Daisy Penzo

There is no right or wrong way to be successful, but there are steps you can take to satisfy your idea of success and accomplish your goals. For me success is like running a marathon. Along the journey, you must be willing to put in the work, challenge yourself, and step out of your comfort zone, all while calibrating the pace until you reach the finish line. You must hold yourself accountable along the way, and have realistic expectations of yourself and the outcome of your endeavor. When I encounter a challenge, I write down a game plan and track the progress on a calendar. Remember, the devil is in the details, so don’t lose them! It’s important to celebrate the small victories and learn from any missed opportunities. It’s never too late to pick up and try again. Read more>>

Yanover Blanco

In the beginning to be successful in business it will take one of two things. A lot of money or a lot of time, maybe both. You have to be willing to put the work in on the front end to be able to reap the rewards in the long term. The successful entrepreneurs that you see living comfortably and not working hard are the ones that are reaping the benefits of their hard work. You are seeing them on the tail end. It’s important to remember that in the beginning you will have to work really hard to build the client base, the systems and have the know-how of running a business. Be prepared for the ups and downs and the hardship. When times are good make sure you are learning and growing. At the end of the day to be successful you need to have perseverance! Read more>>

Brianna Chapman

Success is not measure by the amount of money you have, yet; success is measured by happiness within. You may ask what does it takes to be successful? Confidence, Knowing you are great in every way. Goals a list of achievement that you will complete. Perseverance, falling 10 times and succeeding the 20th time. Discipline, doing what needs to be done even when you don’t feel like doing it. These 4 words are the key to having success and being successful. Read more>>