We’ve been fortunate to connect with so many brilliant artists, business owners and leaders over the years and so we reached out to some of these talented folks to discuss what it takes to be successful.

Jared Vinson

Personally, I believe that becoming successful is based on a few things. In order to become successful in todays times it’s important to Work hard, Remain teachable and Put yourself out there! A lot of people get caught up on who doesn’t support them whether it’s friends, family or their community and don’t spend enough time focusing on the people who do want to support their business. Read more>>

Ava Pandit

I think a key element to success is TRUST in oneself. – Starting with having a sense of your own space of being, and then being confident enough in yourself to dream big and trust that it is possible for you; believing in the future before it happens; trusting what you know and following the trails of that energy in action; and most importantly, trusting yourself to have your own back at every step of the way. Read more>>

Olena Klovatskiy

In my honest opinion there are three mandatory rules you have to follow in order to be successful. My absolute number one is to believe in what you are doing. Even if the whole world is telling you’re wrong. Even if the circumstances are pushing you away from your path. Even if there is not a single person on your side. Hold on to your dream and do whatever it takes to make it come true. Read more>>

Austin Gayne

Charles Darwin says “It’s not the strongest or most intelligent that survives but the most adaptable.” This quote hit the nail on the head when it comes to success as well. This concept of success pairs most accurately with Malcolm Gladwell’s ‘10,000 Hour Rule’ for success. Read more>>

Casey Rose

I think defining “success” can be tricky. Just like everything in this life, humans have a way of needing to compartmentalize and structure everything so we feel less anxious. We love to compare. However, I think sometimes by doing so we limit our growth and understanding of who we are as individuals outside of the collective whole. Read more>>

Stephanie Pascarella

There are certainly a myriad of variables that contribute to my business success but I believe the anchor is authenticity. From the very beginning of Wash with Water authenticity allowed our brand to embrace my distinct voice and vision. I prioritized transparency which quickly helped the brand establish credibility and reassure our wellness community that we are committed to delivering high-quality, ethically sourced, and safe products. Read more>>

Crystal Leffel

All it takes to be successful is a dream and hard work! Photography wasn’t my first career. I picked up a camera with no idea how to use it, learned as I went and kept (and still do) work hard at learning more, getting better and staying inspired. Following your source of inspiration, serving clients well & continually growing is the key to building a successful, sustainable and happy business. Read more>>

Michael Leonard

It’s important to define your version of success as it’s different for everyone. For the longest time I thought the way to be successful and happy was from making more money. While money is great, in reality I just wanted freedom to do what I want, when I want, with who I want – a quote I learned at a Tony Robbins event. Read more>>

Sonni Koster

Being successful does not necessarily mean you are the most profitable you can be in my eyes. Success is not always related to money, but the impact of what we leave behind. A lot of times owning a small business, it can be easy to compare ourselves, our work, our business, to others. However, comparison of any kind can lead you down a negative path. Read more>>

Kevin Spears

In order to be successful you have to be confident and okay with ruffling feathers. No matter what you do in life there are going to be people that tell you “you can’t do…xyz bc of xyz” but these same people haven’t even attempted to chase a dream of their own. I was bullied, singled out and chastised for being different. When I was two I was attacked by a dog, Read more>>

Lea Roman

What it takes to be successful is undying ambition and infinite risk taking. I remember at a young age, if something seemed impossible or someone told me I couldn’t, I’d find a way! Yes, sometimes, my risk taking wasn’t the best idea at the time, but I knew there was always a way to make things work. I’m the type of person that dives in head first and thrives in the land of “figuring it out”. Read more>>

Jay Harris

Success comes to our minds as wealth and class, but success varies from person to person based upon ones personal goals and values. These are a few things we keep in mind when it comes to achieving success in our own ways. Read more>>

Agata Uminska

I think to be successful we should build a growth mindset and set up attainable goals to achieve. Important thing is to believe that our efforts matter. The place where I am now is a perfect example that with hard work and a strong mindset we can make our dreams come true. Read more>>

Nina Simmons

Mental focus. Everything starts in the mind, everything. When you wake up in the morning, your thoughts control the dynamic of your day. Focus is imperative, whether you are an Entrepreneur or you are in Corporate America, it is important that you keep your mental strength strong because this world is cold and not everyone is in your corner and wants to see you win. Staying focused on accomplishing your goals and dreams is a Major key to success. Read more>>

Nelson Flores

To be successful I think it takes a lot of sacrifices. Gotta keep your mind set in one goal is going to be a rocky road but the most important thing is not to give up whether it is to be a barber whether it is to be a hairstylist whatever the case may be. I can’t honestly say in these 11 years of being a barber, it comes with its ups and downs, but it’s a blessing to be a barber. Read more>>

Tierra Norwood

I used to believe that success meant having a husband and wife living in a grand house with multiple cars and a significant amount of wealth. However, when I embarked on my entrepreneurial journey as a black young single mom, I doubted my ability to be successful. I wondered how I could get people to take me seriously. I was constantly concerned about what others might think of me, and my definition of success was based on societal stereotypes. Read more>>

Donna Jones

There have been so many challenges I have faced when I started my brand and my company, but I have learned that you need to be clear about what you want and where you want to go in life and also be able to convey that to others as well. Knowing what you truly want will help you get there a lot faster and to become successful. Don’t second guess yourself, even if others doubt you. It’s YOUR dream and vision, so don’t expect others to always get it. Read more>>

Sunil Dyal

Have your PASSION be your north star. Identify and leverage your strengths and tie those back to your passion. Wanting to share my passion about whiskies prompted the creation of Wonders of Whisky on Instagram/Facebook. That handle now commands over 32K organic followers and is one of the most engaged platforms in the category. My whisky journey uncovered the need for unique, quality whisky (spirit) glasses in the US which gave birth to VESL. Read more>>

Lindiwe Mlaba

I believe anyone can be successful, with a clear mind and lucrative goals that can help you achieve your dreams. As a passionate business woman/entrepreneur you don’t have to have everything in order to start ,start where you are ,start with what you have and work on it. Commit towards yours goals and dreams. Change your mindset and how you view certain things, go out do your research ask ,successful people of today how did they make it to be where they are today. Read more>>

Stephanie Wilson

Success to me is a piece of mind. It is the action of living, breathing, and feeling successful. One of my favorite quotes is “I think, therefore I am.” Willing whatever it is you want to be as if you are the one manifesting it. Success is different for everyone, most people have their own idea of what it means to be successful! I feel like if you are working on and staying true to your own interpretation of what success means in your life, then you are in fact achieving success! Read more>>

Rachel Werner

-Connection (I’m a HUGE believer in the power of networking! Especially for women and BIPOC…I also think it’s especially helpful to push yourself to engage with people who work in other industries). -Organization (*Oh man, I could write a dissertation on the importance of timely correspondence, meeting deadlines, being consistent etc) Read more>>

Khali Johnson

When it comes to success the real question is what is success? To many, the definition of success can mean popularity, the number of people that stan you when you enter the room. Success can mean having power, the ability to rule the world or it could be as simple as wealth which is financial stability. When you define what success is to you then you can determine what it takes to get there. For me, success is growth, the realization of life’s purpose. Read more>>

Marc Johnson

To me, the key to success is refusing to fail. Some may say that failure helps you correct yourself to create, pivot or adjust for improvement. This is true, however, it all depends on how you view failure. I view success as the end game, therefore failures at different points along the path are nothing more than adjusters to lead me to the ultimate goal of success. Whereas not achieving my end goal would truly be failure and that’s not an option for me. Read more>>

Dr. Rajanique Modeste

Success should be defined on your own terms and what that looks like for you and not what others believe it should look like. Their business might be different than yours, their story of how they got started might be different. You can can’t apply the same methods that worked for them. Sure, some of the framework to the house can be the same but the furniture and fixtures are different. What I think it takes to be successful is believing in yourself and pushing through the self-doubt when you don’t have anyone in your corner that is encouraging you. Read more>>

Gilde Flores

Personally, I think taking and keeping accountability is crucial on being successful in about any filed you apply that to. For me, accountability is what drew the line in the sand and manifested the results I was aimlessly searching for in life overall. Accountability will hold one to the plan, and if no plan is in plan, it will surely hold one in creating one. Read more>>