There are so many factors that can play a role in determining our results, performance and ultimately our success, but some factors matter more than others. We asked folks what they felt was the most important factor driving their success.

Will Adams | Owner & Lead Surf Instructor

I think the most important factor for us is we put a strong emphasis on connection with our clients. When I worked for another surf school, ownership didn’t care about it’s clients unless their clients left them bad reviews or demanded refunds. That attitude permeated everything they did, and the end result was a tourist trap of an operation. Read more>>

Erika Stormm | Artist, Vocalist, Song Writer, Musician and Music Producer

The most important factor behind my success has always been consistency. Doing things even when I don’t want to do them. Pushing myself to hold onto the visions I have about my dream lifestyle. I go to work, write lyrics, make beats or study music during my lunch time. I do my vocal warm ups on my way home from work. Read more>>

Andy Chu And Johnny Li | Co-founders of Lazy Suzy Cafe

We started Lazy Suzy Cafe to serve the Brooklyn community. And in order to provide amazing quality products and customer service, it all begins internally with the Lazy Suzy Cafe team. We believe the most important factor behind our success is to treat our team well. Read more>>

Saidy Llamas Mena | Photographer & Esthetician

The success of my business comes from the genuine care and comfort I provide to each client. I believe that understanding someone’s unique skincare needs goes beyond just recommending products or treatments, it’s about truly listening and creating a personalized experience that makes them feel seen and cared for. My goal is to build a space where clients can relax and trust that they’re in good hands, knowing that their comfort and well-being are my top priorities. Read more>>

Marcin Wisniewski | Guitarist and Producer

The most important factor behind my success has been my unwavering dedication to my craft, coupled with a deep-rooted passion for music. My journey began when I was very young, growing up in a modest household. Music wasn’t always readily available, but I found a guitar that someone had discarded in the garbage, and that moment changed my life. I was determined to learn, driven by a creative spirit that led me to make drums out of saran wrap and Tupperware, using pencils as drumsticks. Read more>>

Riley Bartlett | Stylist, Designer, & Creative Director

Raw, unadulterated authenticity is the backbone of my day to day. While this is only the beginning of my journey with a creative lifestyle/endeavors, the one thing I will always be able to lean on is my passion for artistic expression through clothing and design. Authenticity is connection, a quality people will always crave to be around. I wholeheartedly believe this is what drives people to humble success. Read more>>

Milon Parker | Writer Producer Director and Actor

The most important factor behind my success and brand as an LGBTQ filmmaker is my unwavering authenticity and commitment to representing the LGBTQ community through my storytelling. By writing, producing, directing, and acting in my own films, I ensure that the narratives are true to my vision and resonate deeply with my audience. My hands-on approach allows me to create genuine, relatable characters and stories that might otherwise be overlooked, filling a crucial gap in the industry and establishing a strong connection with viewers who see themselves reflected in my work. Read more>>

Lesley Mcintosh | Ballroom/Wedding Dance Instuctor

My students! Developing a strong relationship, with each and every student that walks through the door. I so enjoy getting to know each individual person, and why they decided to learn to dance. Most of the time it really isn’t about the dancing, Read more>>

Shannon Kammholz | Speech Language Pathologist, Myofunctional Therapist, Owner/Director of Santa Monica Speaks

The most important factor behind the success of Santa Monica Speaks is the deep commitment to personalized care and a holistic approach. By focusing on the unique needs of each child and integrating innovative techniques like myofunctional therapy with traditional speech therapy, the practice stands out. Building strong relationships with clients and collaborating with other professionals, like pediatricians and pediatric dentists, also plays a crucial role in creating a supportive environment that fosters growth and success for every child. Read more>>

Antonio Liranzo | Pop Artist

I believe that the most important factor behind my success is self belief and work ethic. I love inspiring others and myself as a reminder that even on a bad day, you are still a baddie. I didn’t get this far to just stop, I didn’t fight this hard to give up! If there is something that my inner child wants and I know it is my purpose, I will make sure it is achieved! Read more>>

Nikola Lovick | Influencer

The most important factor behind my success is authenticity. Staying true to myself and consistently delivering value to my community has always been at the core of what I do. Read more>>

Brandon Kazen-maddox | American Sign Language Artist and Grandchild of Deaf Adults (GODA)

The most important factor behind my success is recognizing that everyone deserves a place in this world where they feel safe to be creative, thrive and be their most authentic self, and when that place doesn’t exist for a specific person or a group of people, it is my passion to create it. Read more>>

Brenda Trujillo | ActivePear, CEO

The most important factor of my brand ActivePear is being a brand that helps build confidence and motivates people to stay active and healthy. The fit of our leggings shapes women’s beautiful curves and tucks you in the right places leaving you feeling amazing, before and after a workout. Read more>>

Collin Littlejohn | Guitarist, songwriter, & producer

Honesty. Growing up in Memphis, TN there is an emotional weight and “soul” that cannot be removed from all the music that I make. Art that makes you feel and is honest in the way that my life and “day to day” inspires and informs my art is the key to creating arrangements and songwriting that transcends notes on a page. Read more>>

Eliza Legzdina | Artist, writer , music maker

Relentless passion for my craft. Even on my worst days I feel the need to explore interesting words that express the human experience. Music is this incredible all encompassing art form that is ubiquitous in the world, we don’t do anything without music . There’s joy as well as pressure in that. So with the pressure you have to be able to keep going to keep writing. Read more>>

Gilles Leblu | Illustrator at Saatchiart

Luxury art for modern Contemporary living spaces. There is Beauty in Simplicity. Blackandwhite & Beige. Fashionillustrations, Architecture, beachvibes with a hint of Melancholia. I am a Flemish painter located in Belgium. Follow me on Instagram : leblu.the.flemish.illustrator. Read more>>

Divos | Drag Artist & Award Winning Caesar Salad Aficionado

Being myself! DIVOS is the amalgamation of everything that I have experienced in my life and the culmination of all of my skills. I am most successful when I ignore societal stigma and standards and be as silly as I please and as nerdy as I desire. I combine elements of fashion by referencing occupations, decades, color and fantasy while always remembering to balance glamour with comedy. Read more>>

Miquel Lazaro Cordero | AWM Lead Engineer

The most important factor behind my success has been to stay true to my quality ideals and get to work with the best surf technology company.
The PerfectSwell(R) surf technology by the company American Wave Machines generates the best-quality beginner to high-performance artificial waves. My quality ideals have taken me to be the Lead Engineer at American Wave Machines and be at the front of the engineering and project departments of the company. AWM and I believe in staying true to our quality standards and it has been guiding us to our success. Read more>>

Terry Paradox | Creative

Failing. Not being good enough, having to start out from rock bottom puts a chip on my shoulder. I crave the hunger to grow, getter better and succeed simply because I fail. Everything I’m not made me everything I am. Read more>>

Irina Rudova | Entrepreneur & Beauty Expert

The key to my success lies in my deep awareness and understanding of my global mission. This sense of purpose fuels my passion to constantly innovate, learn, and push boundaries in the beauty industry. I’m committed to celebrating beauty in all its diverse forms and creating products and looks that resonate with people from various backgrounds and cultures. I firmly believe in the transformative power of beauty and its ability to make the world a better place. This conviction drives everything I do. Read more>>

Meahsha Morrison | Book influencer

The most important factor behind the success of my brand is community. I woke up one day wanting to talk about a book and I had no one that was genuinely interested because my friends and family wasn’t big readers like I was. I decided to run to the internet. Open it and talk freely, not thinking too much of it because like I said, I didn’t think anyone would be interested. And that’s when my growth skyrocketed, and I received so much love because I wasn’t alone. Read more>>

Stephanie Bernal | Owner of The Frozen Cart

The most important factor behind a successful business would definitely be having a supportive family! Your village is what will let you thrive in your business . By village I mean everyone literally from your husband to your grandparents to your in laws . They have all have been a huge part behind this business of mine, I mean without them – I wouldn’t be able to do this considering I have a 3 month old and a 3 year old.  Read more>>

Su Bin Sung

As the owner / founder of New Stem Medspa, success has never been easy for me, but it’s always been fun. So even if you’re rocking it in your life right now, it’s crucial to stay updated on new ways to improve. Just because you’ve had success in the past doesn’t mean it’ll guarantee your future wins, especially in this ever-changing world we’re navigating after the pandemic. This is a perfect time to rethink old ideas and redefine what “SUCCESS” really means. Read more>>

Alvaro Morales

As hard as it is to point to one single factor, I’d say more than anything else it’s persistence. It takes a long time to develop an intuition for your craft. It takes a while to learn new tools and integrate them into your practice. Crucially, it’s taken me many years to organically grow a network of clients and collaborators. Read more>>

Lisa Norman

My co-founder, Ian, and I have worked hard to stay true to our original vision for our company of making a product we are proud of and have created a product that our clientele is also proud of. Not necessarily because we made it, but because we help them represent the things they are proud of in a high quality, lasting, and impressionable way. Read more>>

Stephanie Pelino

I believe the most important factor behind my success has been a combination of several key elements. Firstly, getting out of my own way has been crucial. By overcoming self-doubt, fear, and limiting beliefs, I have been able to focus on my goals and push myself beyond my comfort zone. Read more>>

Julia Vasilkovskaya

The key to my success as a fashion makeup artist lies in a combination of continuous learning and effective networking. Staying updated with industry trends and constantly acquiring new techniques ensures that my work remains fresh and relevant. Networking and building strong relationships with clients and other professionals have opened many doors and allowed me to participate in numerous creative projects. Read more>> 

Justus Hajas

In one word PASSION. In the music industry people often get confused with where the line gets drawn between passion and motivation. As creatives what separates us from being a part time weekend warrior and a full time successful artist in the creative space is discipline. The discipline to practice, show up early, and finish that project. Where passion comes in to play is discipline being the contributing factor. Read more>>

Jerome Smith

Being 100% authentic to myself and knowing that at the end of the day what’s for me, is for me. I can’t compare my journey to the next person. I can’t ask why certain people got roles that I have audition for even though I know I could have booked it. A lot of the times it’s not based on hard work or talent, it’s so many other factors that a lot of the time don’t even have anything to do with me. Most of the time the right opportunities tend to happen naturally and organically. Read more>>

Lauren Evans

The most important factor behind my success and the success of my brand is authenticity. Staying true to myself, my values, and my unique voice has been the cornerstone of my journey. Collaboration has also played a crucial role in my success. Connecting and collaborating with other talented individuals has expanded my perspective, enriched my creativity, and allowed for the cross-pollination of ideas, which enhances the quality of my work. Read more>>

No False Ego

The most important factor behind our success as a band has always been true connection and friendship. Making memories together and enjoying each others’ company is the foundation of our group and deeply impacts the music we make together. Read more>>

Alice Jihyun Kim

The most important factor behind my success as a performer and voice teacher is my ability to draw upon the deep resilience and strength inherent in my Korean heritage. Growing up in South Korea, I was immersed in a culture that values composure and humility, often encouraging the concealment of one’s emotions. This upbringing taught me the importance of maintaining an external calmness, which has been a powerful asset in the high-pressure world of performing arts. Read more>>