We asked rising stars from the community one of our favorite questions: other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?

Selena Rae | Cosmetic Chemist

Thinking for myself. Oftentimes we get stuck and unproductive wondering if other people will like something we want to do. First of all, the people you’re trying to market to don’t even know your name yet. Being successful is not a dollar amount. Being successful is having an idea, doing it, achieving a positive outcome, and taking a step back at it and saying “Hey, that was me. I did that.” Read more>>

Mari Laqui | Small Business Owner

One of the most important decisions I have made that contributed to my success is not being afraid of putting my creations out there. I always wanted to start my own bubble tea shop. I have worked in a few bubble tea shops before and learned many things about the industry from the owners. To begin this journey of starting my bubble tea shop, I participated in pop-ups. Read more>>

Rufus Choi | Pianist & Educator

The most important decision that moved my purpose forward was when I realized that my energy was finite and working with students 1 on 1 had its limitations. I had to find a way to work with and influence more students at one time. Read more>>