We asked some of the city’s rising stars about why they think they have been so successful and we’ve shared their responses below.

Konstantin Batygin | Professor at Caltech | Co-Founder at Lucinetic, Inc | Vox & Guitar at The Seventh Season

To a large extent, it’s just work ethic. This is something I acquired through martial arts practice. I am a naturally disorganized person but I got serious about training when I was a teenager, growing up in Tokyo. Learning Karate really helped me focus, and I have carried a sense of discipline with me throughout my career. Another critical insight you learn rather quickly when you are serious about training is that perfection is an asymptotic concept: there are always ways to improve and learn new things. This supposition has helped me to continue moving forward in virtually all of my pursuits. Read more>>

Hannah Gini , Los Deviles | Photographer & Art Director

I adopted the habit of attending concerts alone, a LOT. Experiencing concerts alone is so different than turning to your friend every few seconds to gush, or sing, or scream. While these are all obviously really fun and I do love to nerd out with friends and fellow fans around us, I also came to enjoy the ability to just take the entire experience in on my own. Read more>>

Lyndsay Chollak | Wealth and Success Coach for High Performers

This might sound lame-o, but to be honest habits that helped me to succeed is constantly checking in with myself. To go a little further, being able to trust and rely on me is a habit I had to build. Growing up with all the insecurities every teenager and young adult faces I didn’t realize that I was my best ally. That took many years of struggle and fighting with myself to come to the understanding, I was born with myself and due with myself and to make this thing called life glorious I had to make amends with me. Read more>>