Getting to do what you love?  Providing for your loved ones?  What does success mean to you? Below you’ll find perspectives from some of the city’s best and brightest.

Lara Estrada | Yoga Studio Owner & Yoga Instructor

Success is having the freedom to do the things that you want to do. I’ve felt successful when I realized that I truly love all aspects of my business, and none of it was “busy work” or out of obligation. I’ve felt successful in knowing that my work and business supports my ability to travel and dictate my own schedule. Read more>>

Seth Allyn Austin | Actor, Artist & Creator

I believe the majority of people have an idea of Success that puts far too much of a burden and anxiety on their shoulders. We are a society that is judged by our ability to complete things and as an artist that is unrealistic in my opinion. Most people see success as a finish line. They set a long term goal(I will be a series regular on a network show!), they set a time line(5 YEARS!), they give themselves small goals to work toward that larger goal,(If I do A, B, and C… then success WILL happen!), then they go for the ride and they are either “Successful” or not. The mental endurance, stamina, and thick skin required for this journey can be soul crushing… If they never see any signs of getting closer to the finish line, it is all to often that they throw in the towel.. Read more>>

William Correa | Success Coach

As I reflect on my past efforts, success has always been a concept that has driven me to step put of my comfort zone. I remember being a kid climbing a tree and trying to get to the highest branch, not making it all the way up then falling a couple of times, to reaching the highest branch and feeling like I was on top of the world. That feeling is how I define success. It’s not tangible. It’s emotional. It’s validating. It’s a rewarding feeling inside that makes you feel warm and confident when you think of it. Success is the treasure that follows every attempt towards a goal. Read more>>

Rue Romani | Fashion Photographer

Success is dependent on your mindset. Let’s get metaphorical, pretend your goal is to grow a flower. Can a flower grow without water or sunlight? Your success in the physical, outside world can not come about if you are not equipped with the essential and fundamental tools to begin it’s cultivation on the inside, within your own mind. Your mind must be fully furnished with not only purposeful thoughts and ideas but also the willingness to act on them. The Universe will take care of the rest; just like your flower WILL bloom if it’s properly tended to. Don’t trouble yourself trying to understand HOW a flower grows, or HOW you’ll reach your end result, you don’t need to. Your job is to give The Success what it needs to grow: Your thoughts and your actions. Problem solve, connect, navigate, come up with new ideas to break down barriers and then act! Read more>>

Kid Kern | Hip-Hop Artist

Happiness on the journey. No destination! Read more>>

Christopher M. Tandy | Multidisciplinary Artist

My idea of success is more about the opportunities that have manifested. There’s a crack in time before a show opens or the release of a project when the imagined becomes the reality – that moment of alchemy is success. Read more>>

Erin Maala | Illustrator

“Success” is a term that has evolved for me over time. At first, success was just a set of moving goalposts. I thought I would feel successful if I could just get one piece published. Just one. And, when that happened, if I could do it again, just to prove it wasn’t a fluke. Maybe if I worked with this publication or professional I admire, I’d finally feel like, and be seen as, successful. But, I’ve found out, it doesn’t work that way. Feeling successful can be hard in an industry where achievements feel so brief until it’s on to the next one, or where a peak can soon be followed by a very long valley. You always have to be looking for that next project and working toward that new ambition. So, I’ve tried to redefine success – not as a set of external career goals to check off, but as an inward reflection of how my work is connecting to the whole. Read more>>