We asked rising stars from the community one of our favorite questions: other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?

Chelsea Shukov

Choosing to work with great people. One line in the Sugar Paper internal brand statement reads, “It’s not just the paper that makes it Sugar Paper, it’s the people.” And by this we mean our team, our customers, our vendors, and our suppliers. We choose to work with great people who share our values and you can feel that within our organization. We spend a large portion of our lives at work and we want it to be time well spent. Read More>>

Dazzler Or Dazz

The single most important decision I made—besides going all in on myself—was doing a full rebrand that truly reflected who I am. I knew that if I wanted to attract the right clients, I had to show up as my most authentic self—bold, polished, and unapologetically fun. Every detail, from the visuals to the messaging, was designed with intention to showcase not just what I do, but the experience I create. The moment I aligned my brand with my energy, the right clients started showing up—because they saw themselves in the story I was telling. Read More>>

Lily

One of the biggest obstacles I faced was starting from scratch. I didn’t have a job for a while as I was trying to get my mobile dog grooming business off the ground. This meant I had to take a leap of faith and invest my time, money, and energy into something without the security of a steady paycheck. It was a risk, but I believed in my vision. Read More>>

Casandra Groves

Not feeling ‘good enough’ is something a lot of people deal with. For me, it took a personal incident to realize I deserved better. Not only in my personal life, but in my professional life as well. A mindset shift happened like no other. I was instantly transported into a higher state of consciousness revolving self worth. I not only knew I was meant to pursue a career in voiceover, I started to truly believe I deserved it. Read More>>