What is the Most Important Factor Behind Your Success?

We asked the community what factors they felt were responsible for their success and we’ve highlighted some of those responses below.

Ben Caron | Transformational Experience Producer, Musician & Creator

Personal integrity. If something doesn’t feel right in my spirit, if it isn’t in alignment with my personal integrity, then I know that it has to change somehow to get back into integrity. I think it’s important to cultivate personal awareness of ones internal harmony, and to be in conversation with oneself so that when something is out of harmony you can feel it and act accordingly. I oftentimes ask myself in moments of internal tension/dissonance, “how could this situation be adjusted/modified in a way that would feel good/exciting/right to me?” Then I try and courageously communicate that need for adjustment to whomever I need to in order to set the situation back into alignment. Read more>>

Dena Crowder | Power Catalyst & High Performance Coach

My Spirit is my superpower. Without hesitation I can say that the most important factor behind my success is my Spirit. Let me be clear: it’s not about religion or dogma. What I mean by Spirit is the place where the deepest part of me meets the deepest part of life. It’s the abode of consciousness and the hub of inner power. Now, this might sound odd in the midst of the current emphasis on branding, brand alignment and the latest “ business hacks” that purport to give you an edge. All of these are tactics. And while tactics are helpful, they are not the source of success. In fact, my ability to connect people with their own Spirit and inner power is why my clients- visionary leaders, founders and gifted creatives- top in their field- choose me as their guide. My inner connection pays twofold dividends: it allows me to be clear, vital, and on the right path personally, and it also differentiates my brand. Read more>>

Michael Kelly | Irish Fiddler, Performer, and Online Instructor

What has helped me most is giving up the idea that I have to have a perfect product before I can present/promote it to my audience. If I waited until my product was perfect before sending it out into the world, I’d never have anything to promote. Being okay with an imperfect product allows me to move ahead, gain momentum, increase audience interest & participation. I get feedback from my audience as to how I can tweak the product to make it more desirable, thus giving my customers more of what they want. It’s a similar concept to that of Carol Deck’ s Fixed vs Growth Mindset … Put the best possible product out, imperfections and all, and learn from your customers how you can make it better. Improvement over time, rather than perfection at the start, is the most important factor behind whatever success I’ve achieved. Read more>>

Ronnavit Varin | Owner of Arize Bistro

The most important factor behind my success is my goodwill toward my customers and the community. In my opinion, for a business to be successful, the business owner(s) must think like they are the customers, and try their best to provide the feeling of satisfaction to customers. Read more>>

Al Rahn | Founder & CEO

In a word: flexibility. Since starting Spirit Guides, I’ve realized that the business has a ‘spirit’ of its own, and that ‘spirit’ has gone in dozens of different directions that I never could have anticipated. I learned quickly to not force the company in any particular direction that wasn’t generating attention & revenue naturally. Being flexible means keeping an open mind and letting the market and the public tell you what’s working and what isn’t working, and not being too terribly attached to one outcome or another. This has allowed us to pivot quickly from doing live events to almost exclusively virtual ones in 2020, and this unexpected niche has served us extremely well for the last 10 months. Read more>>

Louis (Lou) Lee | Hobby Shop Owner

Obviously there are a multitude of factors to consider when starting a business and as importantly how and what to do to sustain it. The daily ups and downs in business can wear on you, it can get depressing, one must keep the target in sight, do your best to maintain consistency, how you/staff treat customers, keep regular hours, because you are a business owner does entitle you to take the day off because you feel like it. Keep your eye on trends but don’t blindly follow it, look at what happened to the “Beanie Babys” fad, “Pogs” to name a few. Read more>>

Esméralda Agnès Jönsson | Stationery Designer and Calligrapher

The most important factor is when I asked myself -What would I like to see in the market for stationery lovers?, when I asked myself that question is when i started having success, it’s when you ask yourself this question is when you come up with something very unique to offer to the people looking for something really specific. Read more>>

Johana Marin | Owner and Creator

My husband, he has giving me the freedom to explore parts of my creative personality that I didn’t know existed, without worrying too much about the financial part to our family and not to mention the concept of “COCO” – That’s how we named the trailer – was all his idea. I have my hands on the branding and making, but none of this would have beeing possible without him. When you visit me, you see bits and parts of him and his creations all over CASA LULO’s set up. Read more>>

Jerimiyah Dunbar | Actor / Rapper / Stand Up Comedian

I realized that In the beginning I was putting myself in positions that made other people happy but belittled me. Once I made the executive decision to only do things that brought me happiness in the process of making other people happy It was a game changer. The most important thing about business of all kinds is relationships. When you’re genuinely happy people can see that. It makes people want to gravitate towards you and more relationships get built which brings more business. Read more>>

Telli Swift | Entrepreneur, Fashion Designer, TV Personality, Fempowerist, Model & Founder of @BoxingWagsAssociation

The most important factor in my brand was believing in myself. As far as fashion designing, there is always someone making jackets, clothing, fitness products, and masks. I believed in my brand, my products, and what made mine different from the rest (my “it” factor). No one can push your brand better than yourself and if you don’t believe in your own product, who else will? As for my association, I knew collectively we needed an association for the woman of boxing to come together and lend a helping hand to our communities. I believed in myself and my mission and got others on board with similar visions to join the board and the rest is history. To be an entrepreneur, I believe you need to inspire yourself to push your dreams out and act on it to your best ability and not seek validation from anyone because your so confident in your brand you have no choice but to succeed. Read more>>

Kathy Garcia | Floral Designer

The main factor that’s placed my brand in the spotlight, is humility. I value every person that has crossed my path, and have listened to their stories. I have an extensive history with working with people and listening to their stories, the good and the bad. The main thing I’ve learned is everybody wants love and to be accepted. Therefore, when I surround my creations around those two aspects, I then create their visions. As long as you have good intentions, then you will succeed at whatever you put your mind too. Read more>>

Carlos Davis | Actor & Author Carlos Demond Davis

They always tend to ask me What drives you and What is the most important factor behind your success to keep going for goal after goal after goal? My answer is simple(my family) my mother and my brother are my main motivation period. 1) I want to make my Mother proud and for her to never have to work hard ever again just kick back relax and enjoy life 2) I want to be the best example possible for my younger brother so that he knows hard work pays off and to stack dream after dream after dream never be satisfied with average And of course I have other family my siblings my sisters my Granny( madear) in Alabama, my aunts and uncles, cousins, my God Daughter Dior my close friends who I won’t name cause I def won’t have enough room lol so there’s plenty of people who I make sure I’m succeeding for. Read more>>

Omar Grand | Producer/Musician

The most important factor behind my success is definitively God and my work ethic. It’s all about what you’re doing when no one is watching. You know, those times alone when you’re just trying to figure it all out. Read more>>

Andre Pelaes David | Concept Artist

The most important thing is to be able to look at your own work from the perspective of a potential client and figure out how you’re being perceived and how you convey the value that you can bring to a project or brand. Read more>>

Linda Nguyen | VP of Community Relations, 360 Clinic

Being open to learning from others. Admitting what I didn’t know expanded my knowledge base as my network shared their experiences with failure along with their successes. I asked questions to further develop my understanding in areas where I was not well versed. Being vulnerable allowed me to let others into my life to help me where I needed a little uplifting. In the end, we all rose together. Read more>>

Cleo Kades | Founder & Owner of Sacred Sunday

I believe that success is rooted in passion and drive, which are the pillars I have built my business on. When I created Sacred Sunday I was not only looking for a creative outlet for myself, but also to build a community where like-minded individuals could shop high-vibe essentials, for their sacred spaces. I also understood a key component for success, in a competitive landscape like online retail, would center around putting my customers first. My goal is, not only to understand the needs of my customer but more importantly to provide them with a lasting shopping experience. I treat every order with the same care I would if I were sending a special gift to a friend or family member. Every order is fulfilled with love and an attention to detail. When I started my small business I had just lost my job as a retail buyer, in the fashion industry. I was at a turning point in my career. I wanted to do something that set my soul on fire. I realized I wanted to help people live more intentional lives. Read more>>

Dan Nguyen | Artist, Creative Director, Composer

One of the simple, yet grounding principles that continually guide me in my life and my work is respect: self respect, respect for my craft, respect for my clients and practices. It might be hard for some to maintain personal or ethical values once they are challenged, backed by a large sum of money or award. I like to think that if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Read more>>

Leena Roy | Niru Beauty Founder

It may sound strange, but I think the main factor in our success is the fact that I never started out with success as a goal. My company started as a solution to my own skincare problem. My creating Niru Beauty skin care line was simply my wish to share these traditional Indian beauty routines and remedies with other moms like myself that struggled with skin issues. Every product I made was something I wanted for my own skin. I think my investment in making it the best product for whatever issue I was facing, acne or dark under eyes is what made our products so effective and successful. As I look back at it, I would say that I acted as a customer and that gave me a level of authenticity and understanding of my customers’ pain points that helped me relate to them at a deeper level. I understood their frustration of quick fix products that never last; or money spent on beautifully marketed products that leave you wanting more; or long elaborate routines that are not sustainable in our busy lives. Read more>>

Robin Pettus | Esthetician, Holistic Nutritionist, Ayruveda Student

Open communication and trust. I’ve created an environment where I feel open and connected to my clients and likewise, where they feel completely comfortable and trust that whatever I recommend is only going to benefit their skin. I take the time to study my client’s skin and their lifestyle habits, and then I provide a custom regimen to maintain results at home. I check-in to see how my clients are doing post-treatment and offer any support and guidance. I am confident in my esthetic ability and I pride myself in healing and helping people feel confident in their skin. Read more>>

Andi Norris | Creature Performer & Action Actor | Managing Director & Performance Conditioning Coach at Mind’s Eye Tribe | Action Actor’s Academy | I’m Really Glad There Wasn’t a Character Limit Here

These three are what I focus on constantly and they work in concert with each other: 1. Diligent Analysis & Focused Training 2. Perseverance 3. A Tribal Mentality “Whether you win or lose… You can always come out ahead by learning from the experience.” – All Might, My Hero Academia Objective Recall is all about letting my mind run record in the background of my performances, not interfering, but not asleep. This allows me to look back at my work, without judgement, after the fact. What worked? What didn’t? How did I serve the character? The story? The director’s vision? What I felt during a performance became only a part of the whole equation rather than my only experience of it. This skill has been pivotal in helping develop my career. Not only do I do this with my performances, but I also look at other’s performances objectively: auditions, working on set, behind the scenes footage, and finished products. Read more>>

Kaining Wang | Concept Designer & Visual Development Artist

I am always interested in drawing ever since I was a kid. It is not until before college that I realized I want to pursue it as a career. To me, the most important factors are persistence, passion, discipline and determination. They set you apart from people who are just interested in something and make you become a professional. I never stopped practice my skills and embracing different sorts of inspiration. And I always keep reminding myself what is my initial goal to pursue what I am doing right now, and live up to it. I also have the fortune to have many amazing inspirational friends around me. They help me realize what does it mean to become an artist/designer and keep pushing me to the next level. Read more>>

Billy Price | Co-Founder & CEO

Relationship. Our brand started with a small idea and then grew beyond our wildest dreams. Early on we got connected with a factory to produce our shoes, which ended up being a disaster, both in terms of quality and financial impact. From there, we got connected to a new factory through a friend of a friend. The new factory could have easily turned us away, but instead generously took on our project. From there, we got connected with Nordstrom and Zappos through similar channels. Then being in the marketplace, customers began sharing their success stories. And then as exposure continued to grow, more customers reached out and more retail partners wanted to carry the brand. All of these connections are rooted in relationship. The power of association is a great thing, and has certainly been a key factor in the success of our brand. Read more>>

Notkyle | Rising RnB Artist

The most important factor behind my success is honesty. Although I’m still in my early stages with music, I do believe that any success that I’ve experienced thus far is driven by the rawness and truth behind my songs. Music is a subjective experience, so sometimes it can take time to reach the audience your music is made for, but patience is key. In my eyes, it is far more satisfying to know that individuals love the music I love making, rather than me only trying to make music I think that people would love. Read more>>

Caren Chroma | Multi Artist & Body Painter

I’d say the most important factor is that the art and messages I spread are coming from an authentic, heart centered place. Anything I share is something I’m passionate about or has brought inspiration to my own life, so chances are it will do the same for others exposed to my work. The main focus is not on ‘how many followers can I get’ but rather ‘can I create from a pure place of intention within myself and trust it will ripple out to the hearts it is meant to reach?’ The goal with my art is to not only be an outlet for my self expression, but to also uplift and empower others to take creative ownership in their personal lives. I believe self love is the first place to start in the pursuit of making the world a more harmonious place. The body paint adornments are especially successful because they celebrate each individual ‘hueman’ as a unique work of art. I truly enjoy getting to connect with new people throughout the process while creating a safe space for each person to be seen, heard, and celebrated. Read more>>

Adam Schmidt | Score Mixer and Recording Engineer

I am a filmscore mixer and recording engineer based out Los Angeles. So there are many factors that take place in being a freelance mixing engineer, but one of the main things I value in my career is being able to build teams and working relationships with clients over the years. No matter how big or small the project is that I am hired for, I always give 100%. My work is being reflected on the clients art, so it needs to be the best possible. When having these working relationships with clients, the overall final product becomes better and better over time. Just workflow in general becomes smoother and faster, which is very valuable under stressful deadlines. Every client is different, but over time I know the general things that each client will expect. Also having a great line of communication is everything. Read more>>

Kendelle Lyn | Video Game Host & Digital Content Creator

I think this is more of a two-part answer for me. Most of what I do, in the video game industry, involves high engagement with an audience. I produce, edit, and host an open discussion podcast about news within the industry. On top of that I also stream on Twitch four days a week for roughly 6 hours each day. In simple terms, I am a digital content creator. One of the most important factors behind my success is persistence. It’s important to continue doing what you love with a great amount of effort. A lot of projects will come and go and you can’t let the dead projects stop you. Continuing the journey of creativity and having the persistent mindset to never give up is a huge key factor. Part two of my answer is community. That’s really the backbone of my success. I would never be where I am today if I didn’t have a supportive community. Building one is tough but once you get there, they really help your art thrive. Read more>>

Patsy Dolan Bouressa, LCSW | Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Executive Director of The SIMS Foundation

The most important factor behind the success of the SIMS Foundation is summed up in a comment we are fortunate enough to hear from our clients on a daily basis: “SIMS saved my life.” For the last 26 years, SIMS Foundation has been, and continues to be, the only non-profit in the United States that provides the full range of behavioral healthcare supports and services to musicians, music industry professionals and their dependent family members. I will only feel that I have been a success at SIMS once we there is SIMS Foundation office in other cities across the nation so that our music industry is taken care of no matter where they live or tour. Read more>>

Autumn Cooke | Pole Dancer/Instructor & Illustrator

Not giving a F&ck. No matter what, someone will have an opinion about what you do and it’s not always going to be nice. You know yourself better then anyone. Do what makes you happy and whats best for you. Most of all, if you’re making money moves why would it even matter what anyone else has to say. Especially, if there going against what you do. Be unbothered always. Read more>>

Shalet Monique | Actress, Stunt Artist, Writer, Producer, Educator

The most important factor behind my success is the expression and promise of the word “when”. As artist and creatives we will never know “when” our lives will take off in the direction that we want it to go. We live this life with such uncertainty and the only person that really knows “when” is God; and often times he chooses not to share! lol.. The success of my brand is in the unknowing of “when” but the faith to know that the “win” in coming as long as I continue to do the work. This keeps me grounded as Im constantly sharpening my skills and learning new things. I don’t always know when I will see the fruits of my hard work and dedication but I do know that “when” that time comes all of the sacrifices, risk and lessons will all be so worth it! My brand is my undeniable drive, limitless imagination and the gift to unlock peoples gifts because I genuinely believe in everyone and the success in that is so rewarding. Read more>>

Teddi Gold | Musical Artist & Songwriter

The most important factor behind my success is team work and valuing everyone who contributes to the success of the music. From the writers, the producers, the managers, the lawyers, the sync agents, the music supervisors. It’s a big chain. It starts with me and my songwriting/producing team, but it doesn’t end there. Everyone’s role is important to the success of the music. I think your perspective and mindset is also important. Having gratitude and respect for each person who plays a part in the success of the music no matter how big or small. It’s important for everyone to feel valued and appreciated on a project because then they want to be apart of your team. They’re invested as a team player. I just treat people how I want to be treated and by doing so I’ve been able to create an awesome team around my music! Lastly, it’s important to give yourself permission to fail. To try different things. Read more>>

Adam Winn | Musician, Model & Father

Making a living being a musician is quite an arduous journey, if I didn’t love it I don’t think I’d keep going, so I’d say being in love with what I do is the most important factor behind my success. Read more>>

Ted Nguyen | Muscle Therapist

The most important factor behind my success is staying true to myself. This is important for success because only YOU can determine YOUR success. Everyone can walk the same direction, but not everyone will take the same path. My work has become my Passion, and Passions have become Priority. Read more>>

Ariel Brigmann | Photo Retoucher and Color Editor

There are many factors that contribute to success, just as there are many pathways to getting there. I believe I have been successful simply because I refuse to stop learning. There have been many times in my career where I had no idea how to make my final image align with or exceed a client’s vision. It’s my job as a retoucher to problem solve and that involves doing research and educating myself off the clock every single day. There are thousands of ways to edit a photo and I could definitely skim by on my college education. However, I have found that my success has almost entirely come from my drive to continue learning various programs and finding new and better ways to get an edit from point A to point B. I understand that there is always something new to learn in the creative field and I don’t let that intimidate me. I am successful because I refuse not to be. Read more>>

Gina Castellanos | Producer/Writer/Actress

Definitely will be trusting the process without focusing a lot on the outcome. My success started to take off the moment I started to enjoy every single step I was taking and at the same time working within myself. To work within your own self is to work with your “out” self. The moment I let go, everything gets done. My real security comes from within. It comes from the trust and nurture of my own capabilities, and recognizing that these capabilities actually give some value to other people, when I share that, everything blooms. Money, success and growth comes from sharing what you have and letting go of old ways of doing things. I always wanted to start whatever project I was embarking on, from the outside in, and this time with “YO Mujer” I did it the other way around, from the inside out. And not only did I thrive fantastically, but I actually manifested and matched all that is mine and true for me. Without comparing or envying anyone, but collaborating and cooperating within my own community. Read more>>

Ellen Cantor | Fine Art Photographer

Being a fine art photographer and having a fine art photography business are activities that use different skills. I always wanted to take photographs that expressed who I am and where I came from, but I also wanted to have them spread joy to people who see them and hopefully purchase my work. One is the creative output; the other is marketing a product. Making the work is one aspect. Selling it is another, sometimes at cross purposes. I have always made photographs that tell my personal story and then I work hard to get them out in the world—entering exhibits, seeking galleries and outlets for my photographs, finding a mentor and and never giving up on my long term goals are important factors in my success. However, I know that I must continue to create and market in order to continue having a business as a fine art photographer. Read more>>