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.

Jeremy Troupe-masi | Owner | JTM In The Kitchen Spice Pantry

I enjoy answering the question of what factors have impacted my success. It gives me the opportunity to take inventory of essential elements in creating my business. For me, the most consistent factor in making progress has been building and nurturing relationships. Read more>>

Latisha Wells | Certified Etiquette Coach

The most important factor behind my success, was simply ‘knowing’ that I was capable of becoming somebody, and realizing that I have something to offer. Throughout my life before the age of twenty-eight, I’ve always been abused, left out, rejected and overlooked. All of these things would come against my character and affect my looks. Although my brand/ministry “The Modern Day 31” is reaching over hundreds of men and women over social media, it was never like this before. It was a struggle back then, to realize whatever trail that I’d have ever faced, it was faced for a reason. But before I could do the things that I knew that I could do, I had to put my past behind me and move forward. I stopped allowing the judgments from people, to keep me in bondage. I had to choose to listen to the opposite of being indifferent in other people’s sight, and choose to be “feminine” and begin living in that passion, and turning it into passion, to introduce to other women, that trauma doesn’t have to have a look. Read more>>

Neshi Designs Corp | Fine Jewelry Company Located in Los Angeles

The most important factor behind my success has undoubtedly been the steadfast support of the remarkable people in my life. Their unwavering belief in my vision, their encouragement during challenging times, and their consistent backing have been the cornerstone of my achievements. From friends who cheer me on and share in my triumphs to family who offer unconditional love and support, their presence has been instrumental in propelling me forward. This profound personal support underscores a vital truth about the success of any brand: leading it with genuine love and passion is paramount. A brand that is infused with heartfelt dedication and genuine care resonates on a deeper level with its audience. It’s not merely about the products or services offered but about the authenticity and emotional connection that drive every aspect of the brand. When a brand is guided by a passion for its mission and a genuine love for its customers, it fosters an enduring bond of trust and loyalty. This love translates into every detail, from the quality of the products to the sincerity of customer interactions, creating a powerful and lasting impression. Therefore, the synergy between personal support and passionate leadership is what ultimately shapes not just individual success but the flourishing of a brand in a meaningful and impactful way. Read more>>

J. Robert Parker, C.ht | Clinical Hypnotherapist, Author and Entrepreneur

I truly believe the most important factor to my success is intention; that’s to help people. More than the money in its own way, the satisfaction and validation that I feel from knowing that I made someone’s life just a bit easier is wonderful. Of course, providing results doesn’t hurt either! When you clearly offer someone a result and deliver upon it, that can only make you look good, after all. Tangible results and positive intention for sure. Read more>>

Kody Desmond | Social media influencer

I think the most important factor that has helped me to the success I have achieved now is not having some of my friends and family believe in me, I am the first person in my whole generation of family to take a non conventional way of work that didn’t include working in a office or working 9-5 everyday of the week. Hearing my family and friends tell me that it won’t workout I won’t make money I should go to college and work in the trades like most of my family helped push me harder to prove them all wrong and show that it might be different from most in the career path but I’m going to succeed in it. Read more>>

Anndrea Gutierrez | Co-Founder and CFO

I’d have to say that the singular reason for our success is Love. Our love of animals, our love for our clients, our love for our employees and our love for Jesus. Our passion for what we do comes from the love and kindness pets show us. The effect a pet has on a human is incredible. We are grateful for the love and joy that pets bring into our lives, and we are honored to be able to give back to them in any way we can. And we hope we our we are showing that at Balanced Dog. Read more>>

Camille Mejia | Founder of Pickle N’ Tequila

The most important factor behind the success of Pickle N’ Tequila is the connection we’ve been able to build with our community. We’re incredibly grateful for the people who choose to spend their time with us, especially those who come back regularly, even weekly. Our goal has always been to create a welcoming space where everyone feels included and encouraged to try a new sport, and it means the world to us that so many people have embraced that. We don’t take this for granted, and we’re always striving to ensure that our events feel like a place where everyone belongs and can make new friends. Read more>>

Edith, Yeeting Ho | 3D Artist

The most important factor behind my success in 3D art is embracing the challenges that come with it.
Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, once said, “I wish upon you ample doses of pain and suffering.” His point wasn’t about causing harm, but about recognizing the growth that happens when we face difficulties head-on. I believe that enduring struggles is key to building resilience and character—two traits essential for succeeding in any field, especially in business and the arts. Read more>>

Emily Lara | Professional Makeup Artist and Hairstylist

The most important factor behind the success of my Makeup and Hair business has been networking with others. Networking with others in my industry has opened many doors for me and I am grateful each day for that, I have learned the more you network the more jobs open up for you. Read more>>

Joshua Waters | Circus Variety Entertainer, Acrobat, Fire Performer, Juggler, Business Owner

There are many factors that contribute to my success. 1 is my focus on diversity and uniqueness. I target the skills and aesthetics that are under-representing or interesting, I never try to compete in over-saturated environments and rather try to create my own opportunities in under-saturated environments. This gives me a lot more control, and removes a lot of the luck factor behind booking work. 2 is focusing on offering an above-average product and creating an exceptional user experience. I always go above and beyond in my performance, try to be a joy to work with and focus on communication, clarity, and make the experience so good that it is a no-brainer to re-hire me. I also hold to high levels of professionalism so there is no chance of errors that would make the client look bad, and I have all of my paperwork in order and am usually ahead of the client in this way. 3 is networking and focusing on people, and genuine authentic connections. I almost always leave my events with lots of new friends whether it be in the cast or the clients themselves. I love people and take the time to connect and get to know people which works in my favor for re-hires and makes working way more fun and is something I genuinely really enjoy doing. It’s a really small world in circus and entertainment, and you tend to work with the same people a lot, so it’s way better if they are your friends. Read more>>

Vince Kelvin | Social, Dating, and Success Coach

To me, the most important factor behind my success, has and continues to be, a core uncommon lasting devotion to the clients! In a day and age where most either promise or seek a “quick fix”, and profit often overrules personal attention, I prefer to focus more on genuine care and organic assistance. Read more>>

Carli Glubok

I believe the most important factor behind my success is staying true to myself and always knowing my worth. I think it is easy to become manipulated in the modeling/entertainment industry and staying true to myself has always led me to the right path. Read more>>

Aliza Brugger

The most important factors behind my success as a filmmaker are my scrappy, determined approach to filmmaking and my need to create connection between my characters, the people I work with and the audience I make films for. I care a lot for humanity, and this has been the driving force behind my motivation and focus. My commitment to my craft and the people involved is what fuels my obsession with filmmaking and what gives my work what I hope to be raw authenticity. Read more>>

Elmira Alamdari

We wanted to create a brand that was associated with a great customer experience. We work closely with our clients to turn their dreams into reality by paying attention to the details and their needs. After listening to our clients’ ideas, we guide them through our concept design for their spaces to final detailed plans and offer exclusive project management services. This includes coordinating between all stakeholders to ensure the construction process runs smoothly and efficiently. Read more>>

STAVE

I will start off by saying that while I am very proud of where I am now and the progress that I have made over the years, I still have a ways to go. The most important factor behind my growth as a musician, which can be applied beyond music as well, has been consistency. Consistency in practice, production and content creation has been crucial. At the heart of my musical journey is the desire to reach as many people as I can and hopefully evoke the same emotions I felt listening to my favorite artists growing up. Staying true to yourself as an artist and trusting your journey in finding your sound is key. Read more>>

Dauly Cuello

My mother’s support has been the most crucial factor in my success. She never questioned my career choices; instead, she proudly showcased my artistic creations. She encouraged my creative pursuits, enrolling me in an art and architecture program, and buying me a sewing machine and countless art supplies. Read more>>

Oliver Aull

The most important factor in being successful in the social media industry is having a strong mindset to do what you love. I faced hurdles that made me more determined to make it work. It’s crucial not to get discouraged by others and stay true to yourself. Just be authentic, and you’ll build a genuine relationship with your followers and those interested in learning more about you. Read more>>

Chivan Lim

The most important factor behind our success is our community! And we’re talking about our very local community here in Olympia/Lacey Washington.

I think a lot of times people try to early to expand to the world without first connecting with their communities and really focusing on the home towns and influences that brought them up. We love a good home town hero. Read more>>

Xaviaer DuRousseau

The most important factor behind my success is my unwavering loyalty to one group: my audience.

My followers, aka “my cousins,” are the ones who give my platform its value, so they are the ones to whom I owe my utmost loyalty. I love the brands and organizations I collaborate with, and I take great pride in my reputation within the industry. However, I’ve realized that if I prioritize not burning bridges with celebrities, politicians, or other bigwigs over remaining loyal and dedicated to my audience, I risk losing everything much faster than I gained it. Honesty may get me uninvited from some parties, but at least I can sleep at night with a clear conscious (and in a home where the rent is PAID). Read more>>

Nandan Pemmaraju

Failing in grand/interesting ways (but always in a context I chose to do it in) has been a big part of my journey. I believe we should all craft our stage and formula for making mistakes and eventually learning from them. Doing this in cycles, the measure for how much you have learnt could be distilled from how uncomfortable your failure was. Staying fully true to this process is how I find joy and what I consider a big recipe for my success. Read more>>

Marcello Lara

For me the idea of success, or being successful is just the possibility of doing whatever it is you want to do, and being able to make a decent living out of it. In what I’ve accomplished in my life, both in music as well as in social media, I consider myself successful basically under that principle. With that in mind, I believe the most important factor behind what I do is being honest, congruent and true to myself and what I believe in. I’ve never tried to please anyone else but myself. Happily, this has been shared by many people. So never trying to be something I’m not, or speaking in a manner other than true with myself has been a means to reaching people and getting my messages across. Read more>>

Kara Heater

The success of Banana Ball is all due to our mission statement – Fans First. Entertain Always. We put the fans first in everything that we do. Fans don’t want to feel sold, they want to feel valued! Our goal is to make baseball fun and do things on a baseball field that no one has ever seen before. On our social media and at our games, we don’t try and sell things constantly to fans. What we do is put on a show and put out fun content simply to try and make people smile! If we can bring positivity to our fans, then we’re doing it right! Read more>>

Kimberly Foo

The most important factor behind my success and the success of my brand is the combination of hard work, passion, and the unwavering support and values instilled in me by my parents. Every day, I reflect on my “why” and find joy in creating content that helps businesses and the people behind them. My parents, both immigrants—my mom from Mexico and my dad from Malaysia—have taught me the importance of perseverance, integrity, and giving my all in everything I do. Their example has given me the confidence to stand out, try new things, and pursue what I love with dedication and purpose. Read more>>