We asked some of the city’s rising stars to reflect on what made a difference in their journey. We asked them to tell us about what they think the most important factor has been behind their success.

Voiod Stryker | Music Producer

To me, success means excellence in my field. Which is music production, engineering and sound design. Being able to compete at the highest level of this is one of my daily drivers. I believe my success comes from my constant state of curiosity and patience for the process. I always strive for excellence and continue to build upon my craft, connections and the evolutions that come from the process of being successful at what I do. Read more>>

Adrian Per | Director, Photographer, DJ, and Production Company Co-Owner

I strongly believe that my work ethic is the most important factor behind my success and the success of my brand. A lot of people think it’s having talent. Everybody has talent but not everybody has the discipline, mentality, and grit on top of it to get where you want to be. Over the years I’ve mastered being able to meet deadlines, be a people person, create habits, and set daily goals. It’s really about the small things in your routine that will make you successful. Read more>>

Bradley Meccariello | Actor & Model

I think the most important factor behind any success is staying true to your authentic self. We live in a world now where everyone is trying to become someone, but no one wants to be their true self. I believe we find our real power and voice when we fully accept ourselves, the good, bad, and ugly, and focus on our God given identity. In any field, but especially in the entertainment industry, authenticity will always be the key to “success” in my opinion. Read more>>

Leek | Leek – DJ / Content Creator / Mental Health Advocate

There are so many things I could say, and so many people I could think, but if I had to name one thing it would be education. When I say this I don’t mean going out and getting a degree in business, but the idea of just staying open to learning. When I first started learning how to DJ I would watch videos all night, staying up until around 3am on YouTube. Read more>>

Manoj N. Shah, Esq. | Managing Partner

The most important factor behind Brand Counsel’s success is our decision to thrive at the intersection of creativity, community and commerce. In doing so, we choose to represent only the most creative minds, around whom we incubate talent-based communities, which in turn allows our clients to drive commerce. Our other superpowers as a firm include being knowledgeable, relatable, accessible, providing practical strategies to avoid costly legal wormholes, and reinforcing a value creation mindset. Read more>>

Brittany Falardeau | Writer | Director

.The People. In acting, you’re always told that you are only as good as your scene partner. Well, in directing, you are only as good as your team. Vision is important, and being able to make decisions when the entire plan you spent months carefully laying out has been dashed to pieces, because of one thing or another, is key, but really, when it comes to the true defining factor that makes what I do work, it’s the people, the team — our team. None of what I do would be possible without them. Read more>>

Harper Leblanc | Makeup & Hair Artist

Creative individualism Read more>>

Othello Banaci | Director | Cinematographer | Photographer

This is a two-fold, God and failure. I spent most of my younger years pursuing basketball. I fell on my face so many time that I actually became something. In 2007, I was a preferred walk-on on the Ball State basketball team. When it came time for tryouts I didn’t do too well and I was cut from the team. I worked out every day, multiple times a day and the coach noticed. I knew the assignment and it was to constantly be better than I was the day before. I got a second chance and was put back on the team. Two years past and though I am working out round clock I never played. What I did gain was curiosity. What if I could do this…? What if I could do that…? So I left school to pursue a fashion Internship in New York. From fashion explored photography and from photography, I explored video. What I learned was that you have to constantly be working and improving yourself and that the failures you have are there to help you and refine your art. Read more>>

Harshit Gupta | CEO and Co-Founder

Being honest and transparent with ourselves, our values, with our customers. That has been one of the key factor to our success. We love to honestly talk about our company, how we started, how we come up with flavors, how we operate, why fair trade practices are important to us, why our chocolate is prices at $9 per chocolate bar. This transparency has helped us gain the confidence of our customers, which in turn has helped the success of who we are and where are we at today. We believe in sharing and we believe sharing resources, contacts, how we do something only makes us grow. Read more>>

Valerie Christopherson | Global Public Relations Strategist

Global Results Communications for 17 years now has remained on a forward path as a direct result of our ability to attract top-notch talent throughout the decades. Having won more than 100 awards, the GRC Brand stands for results, quality, reliability, diverse and intelligence. The most important factor behind the firm’s continued success stems from a collaborative team that mutually respects each other and understands that the ultimate goal is to be a partner to our clients and garner their desired outcomes. It’s also important to note that GRC’s brand success stems from it’s legacy of relationships, on a global scale, with members of the editorial community. Without the win-win combination of our talent, clients and the editorial community, the brand wouldn’t be what it is today. Read more>>

Tanner Agpoon | Artist, Human Being

I think the most important factor behind my success and the success of my art would be to bring more light into the universe. There is a lot going on right now in the world, and there always will be, but I hope to add more love and positivity into the mix. Read more>>

Malinda Rochelle | Certified Peristeam Facilitator

The most important factor behind my success and my brand’s success is my unwavering call to action: FREE BLACK WOMEN’S WOMBS. I have found that authenticity, transparency, and true concern for the state of Black women and our bodies has attracted my clients and audience. So many women have countless reproductive and uterine health concerns that go unsolved, or worsened, by the Western medical institution. By naming these ailments, creating community amongst women surviving through these ailments, and then providing solutions and support through research and education I have birthed a platform and brand of trust, community, and impactful change in Black and Brown women’s health. Read more>>

Ian Clark | Fashion Designer

I believe the most important factor behind my success is the team I have around me. They allow me to fully express my ideas and are vital to me executing at the highest level. When its comes to the success of House of Orange, it’s definitely the quality of our designs, our presentation and the authenticity in each release. The motto has always been “Above all create something to be proud of”. Each colleciton we release is rooted in real life experiences and or personal ideologies. Ultimately, House of Orange is a brand that tells stories through fabrics. Read more>>

Hans Hernke | Actor/Producer/Stand-In

The most important factor for me is maintaining relationships with people that you work with all the time, not to burn any bridges. Communication is very important, promoting your work is very important, no matter how big or small your role is in a film or tv project. Promote your work because the producers that hired you when they see this, that makes them happy and most likely they’re going to cast you again in another film or tv project because if you’re not promoting yourself or your work as an actor or actress, who are you performing for then if you want to be in the entertainment industry. Read more>>

Jenny Chase | Fashion agent, designer, astrologer, writer, spiritualist

While the success of my company took effort and drive I also felt divinely guided to follow the opportunities that were laid in front of me twenty five years ago. I always tell young people that when it’s the right career path the universe aligns to make it happen. I’m forever grateful. I recently wrote a book about a spiritual experience I had in 2019 and in a similar way I felt I was being guided to go on this journey and guided to write about it. Read more>>