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.

Mary Ashton Burgh | Creative Director & Write

Believing in the power of connection. If you want to do something, go meet other people that are doing it. Ask them how they got there. Ask if they have any advice. Ask them if they have a job for you. Read more>>

Henry Zheng | COO of Peaking Duck

One of the most important factors behind our success was understanding our community and demographic. We value our community and have always, from the beginning, stressed the importance of customer-based experience. Everything from buying the ticket, to walking into our events, to the in-show experience must be cohesive and welcoming. We select up-and-coming artists that the community wants to hear more of. Read more>>

Shannon Sokolow | Functional Nutritionist

The most important factor that drives the success of my brand is the authentic connection I have with my clients and ensuring their well-being with a scientific basis. I do this by running labs like a stool test, food sensitivity, an organic acid test, and a complete blood workup. These tests serve as a cornerstone of my approach to holistic wellness. It’s more than just a strategy; it’s a commitment to precision and effectiveness. Read more>>

Julio Mendoza | Video Producer and Musician

Always knowing what I wanted and where I wanted to go. Sometimes you don’t know which way to go or where to start when trying to pursue a goal, but that doesn’t necessarily means you’re not making progress. Keeping your dreams and your goals in mind and taking small steps towards it every day is crucial in my opinion. Read more>>

Christian Kamaal | Filmmaker & Musical Artist

This may sound destructive to some, but I never listen too much to one piece of advice. Basically, I take everything I’m told with a grain of salt and follow my heart anyway. Everyone speaks about the world from their own point of view and what they believe to be true. But there’s no one way to solve a problem. Maybe you just haven’t figured out how to do your way just yet. Read more>>

Joyce Kahng | Dr. Joyce Kahng | Cosmetic Dentist

The success of my brand, JOYCETHEDENTIST, comes from leaning into my strengths. For many years I sought to become a more well rounded person and improve in areas I was weak. In the last few years, I’ve defined my strengths and sought to develop those skills even further. Read more>>

DeAndre Chisholm | Music Artist & CEO

The Most Important Factor Behind The Success Of My Brand Would Have To Be The Consistency I Put Into Building Molding & Shaping The Brand Read more>>

Royal Dean | Film Composer

Without a doubt the most essential part of what I do comes down to one word: serve. That is the goal – to serve fellow creatives who tell stories. To serve and help their stories come to life, and how I serve is through writing music. Oftentimes I think about what I want to do as a composer, and while expressing my creative voice is important, I always come back to what does the story want to do and what does the director and producer want to do? Read more>>

Aitan Friedberg | Founder & Host of Aliya Homes

It comes down to mindset and energetics. Years ago I learned that everything in this world is a projection of our internal world. So, I created a vision and a dream and I lived it every day for years, rewiring my thought patterns and beliefs to match and equate to success. Read more>>

Caitlyn Lopez | Marketing & Fashion Entrepreneur

The most important factor behind the success of my two businesses is our commitment to keep working and pushing forward. I always jokingly tell my business partners we’re in our Steve Jobs in the garage phase, but it’s real! Even with the successes we achieve in business, we are always hungry for more growth, and that hunger keeps us on our toes. Read more>>

Olivia (Ollie) Shetler | Independent Designer & Illustrator

Community. It takes a village, even though I run my own business. Veterans in this area have faced the same obstacles and can offer critical insight into what makes or breaks your success. You have to surround yourself with trustworthy people to tell you hard truths and support you. Read more>>

Alison Murray | Screenwriter / Director / Producer

I guess my stubbornness has been a factor in my “success” – when I am passionate about a project I just keep pushing away at it, I keep honing the creative process, I keep knocking on doors and I I never give up. With my new movie, ARIEL BACK TO BUENOS AIRES, I wrote the first draft of the script in 2014. From there is took five years to raise the financing, we hoped to start production in early 2019, this got pushed to early 2020. Read more>>

Marlon Bordenave | Owner/President By-You Dogg

The most important factor in my success has always been my walk with Christ. Through the ups and downs, I have always found strength through my faith. The process to get where I am now has been a long journey, but I gained valuable experience along the way and met some amazing people. Read more>>

Julianna Aguirre Martinez | Creative Director, Stylist, & Model

The most important factor that has contributed to the success of my creative journey has been establishing a community. As a independent creative and someone who never previously had access to the technology and resources I do now, starting from scratch can be difficult and overwhelming. Read more>>

Caroline Adegun | Inclusive Marketing CEO & Matchmaker

The most important factor behind my success is radical hope and faith and aiming for the stars. My faith plays a huge factor in everything I do and believing in myself and my ability to accomplish all my goals Read more>>

Tripp Pickell | Actor/Stunt Actor/Fight Coordinator

Adaptability. The Acting/Stunt Acting jobs I book are usually 1 day gigs on well known television shows. It’s always the first day at school with a group who already click. Having an Air Force Dad had us moving around every few years. Uncomfortable as that was at times, it gave me tools to be the new person in a group, do what I’m hired for and leave all feathers unruffled. Read more>>

Sarah Lawrence | Owner / Operator – Cali Craft Cocktails

Giving a f*ck. It was never about money. It was about delivering a damn good service before the event even begins, along with backing it up with a great product onsite. Read more>>