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.

David Beeler

The other day, one of my mentors, Mavis Karn, asked me, “How are you?“ It’s a fairly common and straightforward question. I began to tell her what I’ve been doing. She stopped me and said, “That’s not what I asked. I asked, ‘How are you?’” I smiled as I realized she was right, I was totally missing the question. I find I tend to get caught up with what I’m doing, more than how I’m being.  Now, why is that significant? Because it ties into success.  I know that when I’m coming from a good place in my being, it totally changes not only how I look at what I’m doing, but the quality of my doing— I see more opportunities, I have fresh ideas, I interact with clients and collaborators differently. And they experience or “feel” me differently. Read more>>

Clara Baio Antonija Atanasova

Success comes with a will to pursue something you love. If you don’t love what you do, you won’t be able to do it every day. If you can’t do it every day, you won’t be successful. Read more>>

Krista Gorzelanczyk

To be successful has nothing to do with luck it has everything to do with you. It takes hard work, determination, dedication, and manifestation of your ideas. It takes the belief within your self that you can do anything. It takes sacrifice and no sleep. Also what your ideas of success may differ from others. It’s not always about money and status. It’s about what truly makes you happy. Read more>> 

Alexis Kimbrough

To be successful, you first have to define what success means to you. It’s not a one-size-fits-all concept, and it varies for each person. Success could be achieving time freedom, financial independence, or mental and spiritual peace. It might mean reducing stress, being able to operate remotely, or simply having the freedom to take breaks whenever you like. Read more>>

Paola Recht-hirsch

Success, especially in our industry, is built on three key pillars: the quality of your product, the atmosphere you create, and the relationships you nurture. It’s more than serving great food; it’s about crafting an experience that keeps people coming back. When we envisioned bringing the Belén de la Cruz Empanadas & Pastries experience to Savannah, we knew we wanted to create a gathering space where delicious, homemade food ignites connections, where friendships grow over empanadas and pastries that are truly “Baked with Love.” It might sound old-fashioned, but that personal touch is at the heart of our success. We’re not just serving food; we’re building relationships. When customers feel like they belong, they return, time and time again. Read more>>

Charles Freeman V

Overall, I think success comes from continuous work and always looking to gain knowledge. Those two combined for me at least, have been factors in my success. You have to be willing to learn and apply that knowledge to your mission. It’s always an on going process. Read more>>

Jennifer Fairbanks

Success is all in the eye of the beholder. I did not have success throughout my career but through the learned experiences of my path. Early on, I had a lot of incredible press coverage, was featured in news articles and fashion shows and received a number of awards. But behind the scenes, I was broke and barely making ends meet. I lived in the back of my store, in a loft my dad helped me build with my sewing machines underneath to conserve space. I slept on half a futon next to a stack of fabrics and cooked my meals in my toaster oven and microwave. Read more>>

Allie Lasorte

Great question! I think to be successful you need to have a real passion for what you do—it’s what will keep you going when things get tough. Learning from others is key; connecting with people in your field can give you valuable insights and support. Time management and staying organized are also essential since you’re juggling everything on your own. Don’t be afraid to take a break when you need it, though—being burnt out won’t help you much! And finally, be prepared to make some sacrifices, but know that it’s all part of building something meaningful. Read more>>

Katrina Herritt

I think more than anything else consistency is the key to success, especially with something such as starting your own business. There will be highs and lows, you will make mistakes, and you will feel simply discouraged at times, but coming back and showing up for your business every day is so important. Of course working hard, doing your research, and implementing what you learn along the way are also elements of success, but that can only happen if you first show up. Read more>>

Lyndsie Hinch

Great question! I surely do not know everthing by any means. I learn from experience and observing! Personally, I think it takes a lot more than just a creative idea and drive to run to a successful business. Lots of people dream of opening up a salon or spa and often fail at doing so. Dreams are lovely, but a plan to action is critical. I believe I have a successful business because I took small but forward steps year by year in accomplishing realistic goals for myself and my business. It was a slow and steady process. I am Not a get rich quick kind of story! I thoroughly enjoy what I do. I love my customers and employees and authentically care about what people want and what their needs are and how they feel. I think that is a big reflection on my success and story. I put family first and god in the center of every decision. I pray and think things thru. I have been in some tough spots and I am sure there are more in my future. But my vision for my life has never shifted!!! It’s my purpose and I love it!!! It takes dedication, consistency, integrity and good leadership in my opinion to run a successful business!! I am young and always learning and I am grateful to have many mentors I speak to often on big decisions in business!!! Read more>>

James Glenn Jr

To be successful you have to have a different mindset. Being a success takes long hours and hard work, so you must be wired differently. It takes making sacrifices that others may not want to make. It takes discipline that others may not have. It takes a mindset that you will give anything to accomplish what you set out to accomplish and you will not rest until your objective is complete. Read more>>

Tiffany Jenkins

Having patience, Upon initiating a business venture, we commonly underestimate the importance of patience, expecting instantaneous success; however, it is through patience that we overcome the inevitable challenges. My guiding principle will always be “ slow and steady wins the race “ Read more>>

Marcela Gaviria

Success is often defined differently by each individual, encompassing personal achievements, professional milestones, and overall fulfillment. It’s the journey of setting goals and reaching them, shaped by our unique experiences and values. Success comes from pursuing your passions; I dedicate my heart and soul to my work because I truly love what I do. Read more>>

April Davis

To be successful, it takes a strong foundation of values and the ability to stay true to your moral compass when making business decisions. This is especially important in maintaining integrity and trust with clients and partners. Patience is equally crucial, as success rarely happens overnight. Hard work and resilience are necessary to push through challenges and setbacks, which are inevitable in any business journey. Read more>>

Skylar Hagen

Success requires perseverance, adaptability, and a genuine commitment to clients’ needs. As the managing attorney at Hagen and Associates PLLC, I’ve learned that success often comes from going the extra mile, whether it’s gathering additional evidence in a tough personal injury case to secure a fair settlement or expanding our practice areas to meet the evolving demands of our clients. Adaptability and persistence have allowed us to achieve strong results while maintaining high standards of service. Read more>>

Filipe Ramos

To me, success isn’t just about reaching a certain status or achieving material goals—it’s about finding fulfillment in what you do and how you grow along the way. It starts with having a **clear sense of purpose**. When you’re connected to what truly matters to you, it fuels everything. For me, that means being passionate about what I’m working toward. Passion is like the fire that keeps you going, especially when things get tough. Read more>>

Jamie Merril

I think in life there are multiple ways to be successful, and depending on your definition, you may disagree with me. By traditional standards, success is typically defined by making lots of money and being famous. I do think a lot of that kind of success is based on hard work, but it’s also a little bit of luck, and that’s really hard to replicate. It’s a lot of “right place, right time” scenarios, or people working for X number of years before someone discovered them (or they lucked out and went viral). It’s nearly impossible to tell someone the right steps to becoming successful in that way, and I believe it to mostly be luck. Read more>>

Julia Mullaney

To be successful, you have to be willing to allow two things: failure and criticism. When I started Five Ingredient Feast, it was a weekly newsletter; I sent five original recipes to subscribers’ inboxes every Monday. All of the recipes pertained to a theme (for example: 5 tasty pasta salads, 5 easy cocktails, etc.). Eventually, I dropped it to every two weeks because weekly became too much to keep up with. And from there, I realized the business model just wasn’t sustainable, and people around me (including my former business coach, whose feedback I still value tremendously to this day), said I needed to take additional approaches to win over advertisers. I needed other ways to add value for potential brand partnerships, and in my head, I had failed at what I set out to do. But in allowing that criticism and failure, I saw the potential in building a social media brand instead of a newsletter model. Read more>>

Coach Holly

To be successful in the fitness business, it requires a person to be comfortable with leaning into the uncomfortable, to do the simple things savagely well, and to prioritize making a positive first-impression with any person you interact with. For the past 12 years, I’ve learned that these are the attributes necessary in order to be in the top 5% of the fitness industry. Read more>>

Savannah Newman

As a freelance creative, I get this question a lot: “how did you do it? how has freelance been profitable for you for 6 years?” If I’m speaking to another designer or creative, my advice to them is usually the same: have a niche. There are so many creative agencies, designers, etc in the world, having a niche will give your freelance offering an edge. It will show potential clients why they should hire you for specific tasks, and once you knock those out of the park, you can inform the client that although this is your niche, your skillset is broad. Having a niche can also present you as a consultant once your experience grows, it shows you’re a well-versed thought-leader in your chosen category. Read more>>

Jordanne Pallesen

I believe success requires persistence and a commitment to consistent action. You need to move forward every day, even if it’s just one small step toward your goal. Whether it’s growing your business, hiring new team members, building connections, or pitching yourself to your favorite podcast, the key is to stay in motion. Another crucial factor is having crystal-clear goals. Do you want to build a massive company, or are you aiming for more flexibility? Knowing exactly what success looks like for you is essential. Read more>>

Alexis Brown

Success Is Not a Destination—It’s a Mindset You Shape Through Action” Success is not a thing or an object. Success to me is formed in your mind and manifested through meaningful actions and life habits. Keeping in mind that mental attitudes, habits, and behaviors must be build for where you are trying to go in life. This requires a lot of deep thought and a willingness to undertake study, make sacrifices, and discipline. Once I learned understood this invaluable fundamental principle the path toward success became more visible. Read more>>

Kia Frazier

There are so many factors to being successful but you have to believe in yourself first and foremost. Have a vision for your business and believe that you can achieve it, even if it seems unrealistic. From day one of starting KiaInDaKitchen I promised myself I’d always have faith in my craft and everything would fall into place. Believe in you!! Read more>>

Mike Ladisa

In simple terms, to be successful, you have to do the work. Grind. Put in the hours. Invest time and/or resources in yourself. If you don’t invest in yourself, no one else will. Success in broader terms, for me, and my business, is a few things: – I treat my clients like friends. It’s a business relationship, but we are all working together to achieve the same goal, whether that is to produce a TV show, commercial, corporate video, or broadcast news. Everyone wants to put out the best product possible, efficiently, safely, and in a timely manor. As long as I can be profitable for me, I try to overdeliver and undercharge. Read more>>

Dequann Piner

In order to become successful at anything you want in life, you must be a believer, achiever, dreamer, a manifester, & fail a bunch of times. If you believe in yourself, you have already done the hardest part: people will always come and go, but what you decide to do during your journey is all up to you, 10 years ago I was enrolled in culinary school, and I didn’t know that when I graduated I was not guaranteed a “chef” job, but that didn’t stop me, I had a 5 year plan, I had alot of down time, and most of all I had to make a move in order to finish what I started, here we are 10 years later and I am proud to say I am officially an EXECUTIVE CHEF. It took me 10 years to get here but I am proud of myself for not giving up and sticking it out through this difficult industry. Read more>>

Amanda Threatt

I believe that be successful; you must have faith, a positive mindset, and be able to adapt to change. “Taking a leap of faith” is a saying that we have all heard or used in our life, personal or career related. Faith by definition is a belief that is not based on proof, so when you take that leap, you must believe you will be successful, or have faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”. Even though I can’t physically see God working in my life, I believe and know that he is guiding me and my success. You must maintain a positive attitude because you won’t always get your way and you will get told no more often than not. You can’t let the negativity get you down. Last but not least, you have to be able to adapt to change, especially in my industry. Change is inevitable and if you don’t embrace it, you can easily get stuck. Read more>>

Taylor Clemons

Success is relative, but I believe there’s a common baseline that many aspire to. While I’m still on my journey towards that, I’ve learned that the key to success lies in having faith and trust—in both yourself and the process. Without self-belief, it’s challenging to maintain the consistency needed to achieve your goals. I recognize that obstacles will arise, but if you trust in your abilities and your plan, you’ll find it easier to navigate those challenges and get back on track rather than giving up. Although I haven’t reached my definition of success yet, I’m confident in my skills and have faith in my journey, which I believe will ultimately lead me there. Read more>>

Adam Irino

To me, success is setting a goal and working toward achieving that goal. Sometimes, this can be as simple as chores around the house, other times it can be something that takes years to achieve. One of the success stories that I am proud of: A few years ago, I started steelhead fishing. I had fished most of my life but never targeted this particular species of fish. I set myself a goal to catch a steelhead in a particular river that only sees a few fish each season. Not only that, the season is very short and can sometimes be limited to a few days each year (due to the weather). It took me three years but eventually I was able to catch the fish that I set out to catch. When I look back at the journey, I am proud of the fact that I never gave up. Although some may see them as failures, I took all the days that I spent not catching fish as opportunities to learn more about the fishery. The entire journey is documented on my youtube channel here: Read more>>

Amber Leblanc

Success does not happen over night. It involves taking risks, persistence, optimism, discipline, having a support system, learning and evolving, and most importantly, passion. There will never be the “perfect time” to go after that goal you’ve been longing for, you have to just have to start! Will you fail at some points? Probably, but using that as fuel and as a learning experience rather than a downfall is what makes you/your product/business even stronger and better. Read more>>

Benjamin Lockhart

“Success in any field or career requires patience with your progress, even when things don’t go your way. You may also need to make tough sacrifices, such as deciding what to do when your business has a slow month in terms of clients, or choosing to spend time building your craft instead of hanging out with friends and Family.” Read more>>

Marci Palla

We’ve all heard the saying, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” The same goes for judging the success of a business owner. I’ve seen business owners throw launch parties and buy thousands of social media followers, only to disappear within five years. On the other hand, I’ve seen multimillionaire business owners with business cards that have handwritten updates. In fact, I love when restaurant owners update their menus by hand with Sharpies and white-out. It shows they know how to prioritize their limited resources! Read more>>

Sandra Thebaud

We all know what happens when we’re stressed. Stress clouds your judgment, makes it harder to stay focused on your goals and encourages procrastination. Without the ability to think clearly, make good decisions, and maintain your energy over the long term, you cannot be successful. I had a client who was struggling to grow her business. She was stressed out from working long hours and felt overwhelmed by all the tasks involved in running a successful business. Working harder was not going to make her more successful. By learning about her stress triggers and responses, she was able to use stress management techniques to reduce her triggers and manage her responses. She got better control over her personal time, saw her energy level improve, her focus returned, and her productivity increased. Read more>>

Bradley Looney

My vision of success has changed a lot over the past few years, and I believe it will continue to evolve as I grow as a creative. While my idea of success has shifted, certain core beliefs and values remain constant. To me, success isn’t defined by a title or the amount of money you have. It’s about finding happiness and joy in what you do. I believe it’s essential to challenge yourself and step outside your comfort zone to grow creatively. However, at the end of the day, success isn’t about living a luxurious, fast-paced life filled with wealth and a packed schedule. It’s about enjoying your work and surrounding yourself with supportive, uplifting, and loving people. Read more>>

Vehans Ayvazi

Success, to me, is a combination of several key elements. First and foremost, it takes an unwavering work ethic. I was raised by immigrant parents who instilled in me the value of hard work and resilience. My father has always been my hero and the one who showed me that nothing worth achieving comes without dedication. That lesson drives me in everything I do. In my journey, I’ve learned that success also comes from persistence. You can’t quit when things get tough—those are the moments that define you. I believe in seeing things through, no matter the challenges, because true success isn’t just about reaching a goal but about how you handle the adversity along the way. Read more>>

Ryan Gomez

Grit and passion Above all I think it takes these two qualities to be successful. Passion is the catalyst for anything great but grit is what keeps you going when you don’t see the results you want. I still haven’t seen the financial success I’ve wanted to after a few years with my business but I’ve been exposed to so many new experiences and relationships.  Read more>>

Laura Stearn Wieters

The definition of success is a personal point of view, actually defined by each individual. Success can be measured in actions and or results. It can be physical, personal, spiritual or financial. For me success is accomplishing my goals in all of the above. It is the feeling of pride for being successful in arranging my life how I want, to be able to do what I love to do, and to do it well.  Success is reinforced with the appreciation and acknowledgement of others, yet not dependent on that. Success can also be dependent on timing; right time, right place, a right decision that leads in the right direction.  Read more>>

Brian Villanueva

Success in business, especially in manufacturing, requires a combination of grit, resilience and the ability to learn from your mistakes. I believe that achieving success is deeply tied to adaptability and continuously growing from the challenges you face. One experience that shaped this view happened early on when Seamless Manufacturing was still building its reputation. We took on a large order without a physical prototype, relying solely on sample images. While the client initially approved the design, they were ultimately dissatisfied with the final product, leading to an $80K loss. It was a tough lesson in communication, expectation management and the importance of validating every step before scaling up production. Read more>>

Ashley Mccombs

Success in the beauty industry, particularly under the esteemed banner of Lemon Ivory Beauty, hinges on a triad of foundational principles: integrity, excellence, and accountability. First and foremost, honesty is paramount. In an industry often characterized by trends and fleeting fads, maintaining transparency with clients fosters trust and cultivates a loyal clientele. By openly communicating about services, pricing, and outcomes, Lemon Ivory Beauty can establish itself as a reliable partner in each client’s beauty journey. This trust is invaluable and can lead to enduring relationships that significantly enhance brand reputation. Read more>>

Nico Murillo

Success is subjective and varies based on personal values and priorities. For some, it’s about financial wealth and material possessions, while for others, it’s about having a large, close-knit family or living a carefree and spontaneous lifestyle. I believe that true success is defined by the personal bubble you create for yourself, filled with the best aspects of your life—whether that’s a fulfilling career, genuine relationships with people who care about you, the pursuit of dreams and aspirations, or simply being happy and content. Read more>>

Monica Ortega

To be successful takes a few different things, Tenacity, Resilience, and the ability to Pivot when necessary. The biggest thing that I see is people giving up on entrepreneurship too soon. It’s a LONG game! You need to be able to weather the storms and have a strong backbone to do it. Being able to pivot is crucial! It may mean getting a side job while you build things up or when you hit a slow season, it may mean switching up your strategies, or it may mean changing directions entirely! Read more>>

Rocky Walls

I was just talking about this on a podcast the other day. The host asked about success in filmmaking, saying something like, “What’s it take to be successful, you know, get that big streaming deal with Netflix or get your movie in theaters across the country?” He admitted that he didn’t really know the industry, and he unintentionally demonstrated a really important key to understanding success – that we get to define what it means to us. In my case, for example, a nationwide theatrical release or a deal with Netflix isn’t my goal, so it’s not a measure of success. I think, as entrepreneurs or creative people, we sometimes fall victim to measuring ourselves up to someone else’s idea of success. It’s important, then to set aside time to really consider what success means to you and plan for how you’ll achieve it. Read more>>

Wilfried Aubin

I think authenticity is what it takes to be successful. When I first started designing clothes and pieces, I would try to appease to certain audiences or groups of people, thinking this would lead to more visibility and sales for my brand but it actually did the opposite. When I shifted my focus to creating pieces that truly resonated with me and my interests, it completely changed the direction of my brand. I realized that our authenticity is truly the greatest thing we can offer to the world and if something resonates with us, chances are, it will resonate with thousands of others as well. Truly falling in love with every single aspect of what we are creating and surrendering the outcome or destination that we’re chasing will always lead to success! Read more>>