We have the good fortune of connecting with so many bright, accomplished folks from a variety of industries and we often ask them to tell us what they feel has been the most important factor behind their success. We’ve shared some highlights below.

Kristen Renee Ingram | CEO & Executive Producer

My external success could be attributed to any one of the values, principles, talents or “lucky breaks” that have unfolded throughout the journey thus far, but the factor that stands out the most is my ruthless focus. By applying ruthless focus to every aspect of my life, including my agency (PLUS ONE society) brand, I have achieved award-winning, historical, unprecedented and seemingly impossible successes. Read more>>

Wesley Williams | Musician & Label Owner

I believe the most important factor behind my success is team work. Running a business and brand requires me to wear many hats, however, I am blessed to have an amazing crew of people that assist me in bringing my vision to life. I understand that nobody makes it to the top on their own and it takes a dedicated group of individuals to effectively run an operation. Everybody involved with the brand has their own specific role(s) and they know exactly what is needed/expected of them. We have an open line of communication, great camaraderie and an unwavering commitment to our goals. Read more>>

Leslie A. Rasmussen | T.V. Writer & Author

The most important factor behind my success is determination and not giving up. I’d been a television writer for years, then stopped to raise my children, but writing never left my life. Even though I went on to get a masters’ degree in nutrition, and open my own business, I still wrote personal essays for online sources, such as Huffington Post. When my kids hit that age where they were more independent, I decided to give up my business and get back to my true love of writing full time. Read more>>

Amanda Ma | Founder and Chief Experience Officer

Having a solid vision, mission, and core values for the company. And make sure it’s communicated to the client and team. Our big picture vision is where we are heading as a team. The mission is how we do it and core values are elements that help us get there with success. Read more>>

Nataly Cano-Lopez | If It Speaks To You, Co-Founder & Entrepreneur

Faith. Choose faith over fear every time. Even when you’re not seeing results. The only difference between a winner and a loser, is a winner never quits. If you keep believing in yourself, you won’t quit before you’ve reached your goals. I’ve had the pleasure of working with or for small businesses my entire career. There is a common theme I’ve noticed in those business owners who accelerate with ease over their counterparts: Faith. You have to believe in yourself even when others don’t. Read more>>

Wali Rahman | Director

Number one thing behind my success is that I never gave up. Being who I am, I’ve always seen myself being involved in the creative world of things. When I first started doing videos and photos a lot of my friends would tell me how awesome my work was and that my vision was different. Since then I’ve been working towards building a style nobody else can provide. As cliché as it is, if you keep working towards your goals and visions for life…it’ll come to fruition. I don’t like to compare timelines of success with others, but from studying a lot of directors you can see that time and experience was the reason behind their success. Just keep going and never stop learning! Read more>>

Sean Green | Podcast Host & Comedian

In our business we like to focus on the three Cs; content, community and connect. Connecting with our audience I think has been the most important factor of our success. When the pandemic hit last March our business, like many was put in a precarious spot. Our entire brand is built on creating content for sports gambling, without sports being played what were we going to do? Luckily we were able to pivot, we started simulating sports on Twitch and doing play by play for the games. In addition the viewers were actually able to bet on the games. Surviving without sports was a growing moment for our business and it really helped solidify the connection we have with our audience. Read more>>

Decker and Katja Sadowski and Amirkhanian | Co-Founders

The authenticity of our brand. Each piece is something that we both needed in our own closet to make our lives better. Life has enough obstacles. Swimwear doesn’t need to be one of them! I saw a meme on Instagram the other day that said, “Every swimsuit for women now is like, ok you must feel comfortable showing your entire butt, have absolutely no vulva, and know how to tie the most advanced sailor knot around your torso.” We aren’t saying you should ditch your skimpy bikini– but we will always be committed to giving women other options consistent with our mission of making chic, comfortable and liberating swimwear for women. Read more>>