Every overnight success we’ve seen has been years in the making. And those overnight successes are rarely because of an amazing idea or a stroke of luck. We asked some of our favorite folks from the community about what characteristics are at the heart of their success story?

Brigham & Aelias Stewart & McHam | Mural artists, Fine artists, and Business owners

The fact we get bored really easily. I don’t mean to sound flippant, but it’s more honest than saying “dreaming bigger” which is true, we have big dreams we are excited about. But the fact of the matter is, once we do something like an event. Before it’s even over we’re already asking ourselves, how can we make this bigger and better? A pop-up in our gallery is great, but a whole street fair with more vendors and live music is better. An art show is awesome, we help lots of artists price their work and network with the community, but can we throw an art show with 50+ artists and some from out of state? Read more>>

Kiki Connects | Sexual Liberator & Tantrika

My desire to take risks, be on the edge of disaster, and come out of it totally reborn. Growing up I took risks that involved drugs, alcohol and partying my butt off. I was that person in the friend group who was swinging on chandeliers at clubs, getting kicked out of parties for starting food fights, running around naked in public… …mmm! I loved to see how much of myself I could expose and still live to tell the tale. I got sober in 2017 (thank God) and instantly dove into entrepreneurship. Read more>>

Franky Nines | Artist / Founder SupDucks

Stay authentic and true to your craft. What I found specifically with the type of art and community i’ve built in the NFT Space one of the secrets to my success is pouring my heart and soul into it. Keeping it relevant to me and what I like. Not necessarily chasing what I think its going to be cool, or what the new trend is. Sticking to my originality and flavor. Read more>>

Stephanie Lytle | Business Owner & Life Coach

Integrity. I firmly believe that how we do one thing is how we do everything, and so when I started with the vision for this healing retreat center business here in Sedona AZ I kept that thought deep within my mind. I’ve had many experiences in my life that had led me to these moments behind creating yet another successful business, and the one thing that has always proven to shine through in good times or bad is who we are truly choosing to be. The integrity that we hold as humans functioning in this chaotic reality that’s being played for us is what can make or break our success, in my opinion. What this means to me is that I am who I am, who I want to be, and who I am becoming all in one. I take account for my mistakes as well as my achievements and am always willing to humble myself in the truth of others. Read more>>

Lakesha Roberson | Trendireds CEO Let$ Talk About !t

The most important factor behind my business is that our products are a reflection of the women in my life. Fashion is my passion and each time I step out; I am representing the style, hard work, drive, determination and success of every woman that has been an inspiration to me.. Read more>>

Fernando Cuevas | Designer and Owner

One of the most important factors behind CASAminimo’s success contributes to fresh, new, and unique designs. In the Interior / Furniture Design Industry where so many options are accessible to the consumer internationally, it’s become very important for me to curate products that speak to this brand individually. When I think about designing a new product for the collection, stepping outside of the box is a thought that’s always at the forefront of my mind. I start with one bold piece and usually curate the rest of the collection based off of that first product design. Read more>>

Nicole Knosp-Guiral | CEO, Echoes of Hope

Passion and hard work. From a young age my parents made me aware of disadvantaged populations and injustices that occur all over the world. Through that awareness, I became passionate about working to solve some of our communities most pressing issues, one of which being access to a quality education. I was fortunate enough to go to good schools growing up and I understand the value in quality education for everyone, which is why I work so hard every day to try to afford that same opportunity to every student. Read more>>

Nicole Hendrix | Executive Director, BRIC Foundation & Co-Founder, Concept Art Association & Freelance Producer

I think the most important factor behind my success is that it’s not about me. Every company I either co-own or work with is deeply routed in advocacy and equity, with every project taken on intentionally supporting the mission and populations served. When you’re passionate about the work, have a plan, and a track record for executing a vision successfully, it can be easier to get people on board to help further the cause. Read more>>

Ryan Beardslee | Barber/Painter

I would say the biggest part of my quick success with trying to sell paintings was quickly realizing you can go in with a game plan but also at any given moment you need to be able to attack the same goal from a different angle you can’t get frustrated when something doesn’t work out like you planned that’s just life instead take a step back and reevaluate it think of a creative way you can still get the same outcome. My biggest thing was trying to get my artwork and commercial buildings public areas which was hard so I focused on building a clientele for paintings off of individual people that I knew for years through my Barber shop once I got that flowing the money was coming in very good so I was able to pull from my profit and walk into restaurants or department stores and offer them a one time free piece of my artwork. Read more>>

Ishqa Hillman | Business Consultant and Marketing Strategist

Integrity. My personal motto has always been “integrity first” and for me that has always meant doing what I say I will do. I enjoy being methodical along with letting my creativity take over because coming up with a system to support my vision is what makes it sustainable. Building sustainability is a big part of what I consider integrity in business because it is making sure you can deliver on your promises. Read more>>

Bob Bryant | Co Founder and Chief Technology Officer

Perseverance and determination to keep our name circulating among our base and in turn that base has also helped us to build the MissionK9 brand. In the nonprofit world you have to be charismatic, unique, and marketable. We’ve been able to achieve all these things and they have enabled us to ramp up our work and over all growth. The working dogs we serve are the main reason for success. Dog lovers everywhere can’t get enough of these heroes and we are proud to be able to support their health and retirement after their service ends. Read more>>

Richard Cannon | CEO of Booming Productions

The most important factor behind my success has been consistency. One of the hardest things to do is keep going, especially when you get hit. For example, it’s one thing to get 1 million views on a video, but how you gonna act when the next one only gets 3,000 views? How are you gonna act after filming a video for 3 hours and editing that same video for 7 hours and the platform blocks your video from being seen. These are the type of things that makes people quit. The anxiety and disappointment that comes from it is extreme. The people who can overcome that are the one that see growth and success. Read more>>

Margie Traxler | Founder/CEO of Grain Free Mama’s

Quite simply put passion. I was fighting for the health of my children and myself. When I found out that the combination of wheat and sugar was burning little holes in my 6 year old daughter’s intestines a passion was born inside of me to discover the answer to the problem. A couple of years later, my middle son developed a problem with wheat, oat and sugar. Then my oldest son developed ulcer-like symptoms and we discovered his problem was with corn and sugar.
These events were the catalysts for my creation of Grain Free Mama’s Trade Secret formulations of baking mixes. Read more>>

Mia Mormino | Singer Songwriter

The most important factor behind my success is my authenticity and dedication. I firmly believe that anyone can be successful as long as they are true to themselves and put in the work. I make music from my heart’s most vulnerable, genuine place and keep. going. even when things get tough. That’s what’s led me to be where I’m at today. Read more>>

Jeremy Ball | Photographer

Communication. We own a creative business and there are tons of talented people who also do what we do. But I think what sets us apart is that we are easy to work with. My wife/co-owner and I both worked in hospitality for years before we started this. So making people feel comfortable, putting them at ease during a shoot or over email, and following up in a timely manner are all things that do set us apart from other creatives. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard a client tell us that their previous photographer/designer never responded or “disappeared”. Because of that, most of our business is through word-of-mouth which is the best form of free advertising you can ask for. Read more>>

Kacper Owsian | Founder of LA Tennis Coaching and Former Professional Player

I truly believe that knowledge, experience and every day hard work are the most important factors of success behind LA Tennis Coaching and my personal brand. The beginning was very difficult, but dedication and patience allowed me to build a very unique place where my clients feel comfortable and they know they will always get the best possible experience on the tennis court. Being a generous, and loyal person, which are my core values, were also one of the main components of the success behind LA Tennis Coaching. Read more>>

Makaila Nichols | Actress, Author & Founder of the Blatantly Honest Foundation

If I was not unapologetically myself, I would not be where I am today. The Blatantly Honest brand is exactly what it sounds like and in a world where some have started to sugar coat everything, pretend to be something we’re not and give everyone a trophy, I remain authentic. I believe people are so afraid to be themselves because they’re scared of judgment, but I have found that the success of my brand relies solely on what my gut says, being honest with myself even when sometimes it’s difficult to and most importantly having the courage to be judged. Read more>>

Jennifer Gregoire and Jim Lee | Co-Owners of Yeppie Paper, Sister-Brother Team

From the start, we knew we had to make it a priority to design greeting cards that are genuine, sincere, and most importantly – unique. I think the fact that I hand-paint every illustration gives our line a distinct voice that helps us stand out. Our aim is to make people smile, to find that perfect card for that specific person, and to be memorable enough that they’ll think of us the next time they need a card. We strive to be different and I think that has helped us along the way. Read more>>

Jay Baur | Life Coach

There’s an old adage that says, “Write for an audience of one.” It’s a sage piece of advice that guides the success of my life coaching business, Confident Robot. The Confident Robot approach starts with the idea that by understanding a bit about how we are wired up mentally, we can reprogram ourselves. That is, we can shift our thoughts, emotions, and habits in order to live more meaningful and fulfilling lives. The starting point for this understanding comes from evolutionary psychology—the study of how evolution shaped our brains to be what they are today. Read more>>

Mary Little | Artist

Persistence. Throughout my career I’ve been determined and fortunate to be able to make work that has been acquired by collectors, institutions and individuals. Those people provided me with the emotional courage to continue creating and exploring new directions. Read more>>

Francesca Pittaluga | Founder and Chief Tomato Officer

The most important factor behind our success is heart. We started this company from a humble and meaningful place, with intention to bring communities together at the table and in the kitchen. The heart behind Ciao Pappy was inspired by memories of our family together, the food we cooked, and the conversations we shared. Read more>>

David Julfayan | Candlemaker & Entrepreneur | Christopher By David

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly one factor that has helped my business thrive as there are many facets contributing to my success. However, there came a point when, reflecting on my brand and what I have achieved, I realized how much of an influence my family and friends had on some of my greatest projects. The constant support that I have received from those closest to me and the connections that I have made through them are what keep Christopher By David alive even through the toughest of times. Read more>>

Thomas Orlina | Recording Artist, Producer, Host

Perseverance is the most important factor behind the success of the Thomas Orlina brand. I think it’s extremely important to never give up and believe in your mission. When I launched my YouTube series, “Your Time With Thomas,” I began having doubts about releasing it, or what people would think, but once the cameras were rolling and I became more comfortable in my own skin, I realized that I made the right decision in pursuing this personal journey. Now, years later, a feature in Forbes and coverage about my YouTube show internationally, I am grateful that I stayed the course and believed in myself. Read more>>

Arijana Bradley | Fashion Designer

The most important factor behind my brands success is authenticity. The Fashion industry is huge, which makes it harder to be noticed. I found success in designing one of a kind pieces and staying true to myself and my brand. Read more>>

Will Bryan | Broadway voice teacher, coach and pianist

I’ve been fairly successful in a couple other fields. I was a story editor at a Hollywood film distribution company, I worked on Wall Street. – there were a few others. The reason I’m a successful Broadway vocal coach is because I truly love my work and I’m deeply satisfied at the end of each day. I also bring to it a “business brain” that helps my students always see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m very goal oriented! Read more>>

Lily Sais | Mental Health Educator & Anxiety Coach

Focusing on love, being in a calm state of mind, and having brilliant mentors. I started Peace From Within to help others reconnect to their natural peace of mind, resiliency, and wellbeing through sharing the principles of Mind, Thought and Consciousness as described by Sydney Banks. Loving myself allowed me to move to the beat of my own drum and share lighthearted (but impactful) videos on social media. Sydney Banks wrote, “Love and understanding harmonize the mind of humanity to its true inner nature. What you give in life is what you receive. To give love is to receive love. A mind full of love and good feelings can never go wrong.” Read more>>

Marcus Gray | Nightlife Consultant & A&R coordinator

The most important factor behind my success is that I am unapologetically myself. No matter who I am around , doesn’t matter how big or small I will always be true to self. Ive seen too many people lose themselves trying to impress others that don’t care about them or try to keep up with the lives of others. More than anything I do great business and keep things very professional, because there is a thin line between personal and business . Read more>>