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.

zhijun he | illustrator

I would say it’s about constantly learning new things. I think a person’s creativity will decrease if he stays in his comfort zone for a long time. If one does not learn something new and then think about it, he will only repeat what one has done before. Each new thing is like a small stream, and the small streams keep coming together to form the big unstoppable river, which is creativity. Read more>>

Ally Melideo | Owner & Designer, Sur La Côte

I think being super authentic to my brand’s niche has really helped with our success. I’ll see some trends come and go, and of course it’s tempting to hop on to whatever is happening in fast fashion at the moment, but in the long run I just want to be true to myself and what the brand is really about. Having our main focus as resort wear while still being able to slowly branch out in other directions has really worked for us. Read more>>

Tyler Seller | Videographer/Photographer & Founder of Masshole Media

In the Music and Entertainment Industries, when you start and even throughout your journey you have to be a hustler. The most important factor to my success personally is being strong mentally with the mentality that if I want to do something so badly I will find a way no matter what. It leads into the idea many creatives agree on, which is how everyone hustles to what is next and gets excited. Read more>>

Vizan Giri | Co-founder of Terra Thread

The most important factor behind our success has been investing in our supply chain. We work directly with the farmers who grow organic cotton that we use to make our products. We have chosen to make our products from ORGANIC and FAIRTRADE cotton grown by family farmers in India. The organic cotton used in our products is grown without using GMOs, and harmful and toxic inputs such as fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Read more>>

George Mathews | Sync Licensing Professional & Music Producer

What sets Smash Coast apart is our unwavering commitment to putting creatives in the best possible position to succeed with their music. Our executives are highly accessible to our team and offer consultation and guidance when needed. This makes us truly unique in the industry. We firmly believe that our success is only as good as the people on our team. Read more>>

Melody Pourmoradi | Founder of GiRLiFE, Author, Podcaster

Doing business my own way. There is so much content out there on the exact “how-to’s” to start and run a successful business but what I know for sure is that as an entrepreneur, you really need to pave your own path. It’s easy to follow all the guidance that’s out there but ultimately there will be many instances in business where you need to decide that it’s ok to zig when others are zagging. Read more>>