One of the most common questions readers ask us is what’s the secret powering the success of the folks we feature. Below, you’ll find some of the inspiring folks we’ve featured in the past sharing their thoughts on what they feel are the most important factors behind their success..

Agnes Muljadi | Ballet Dancer & Influencer

Authenticity and purpose driven platform. Read more>>

Anne Manassero | Owner

Without a doubt, our hard work. My husband and I work 7 days a week. Obviously, not all day on the weekends but at least a couple of hours every Saturday and Sunday on top of the full work week every week. When it’s your business, the owner is responsible for every aspect of the success or failure of the company. If we don’t show up for a few days, like during this COVID-19 quarantine, our employees will inevitably do something unexpected. Read more>>

Christopher Leyva | Artist & CEO

I would say the most important factor , is accessibility and humbleness with a strong emphasis on education and a pay it forward attitude. Read more>>

Dr. Jen Esquer | Doctor of Physical Therapy and Founder

I believe the most important factor has been a level of consistency in showing up day after day, but also, a level of awareness. I began creating educational content nearly 4 years ago. At first, I was unaware of how people would respond to educational content vs entertainment, but based on feedback I was receiving, it was clearly something people wanted from me. So, I began to ask what else they would want to learn. I started to notice trends as to which videos would do best and why. Read more>>

Alysia Moskolis & Kat Adkins Owners of The Bar Method Studio City, Brentwood & West LA

The most important factor behind the success of the studios is all about mindset! My business partner Kat Adkins and I strongly believe in the power of hard work and a positive outlook. Owning 3 studios brings on constant challenges and you can’t let them get the best of you or slow you down. We hustle with a smile and when things come our way we stay calm, collected and figure out how to move forward. Most recently we have come to the biggest challenge of our career with being forced to shut down our studios due to Covid-19. Read more>>

David Bianchi | Actor, Producer, Motivator & Author

Everlasting perseverance is the key to any entrepreneurship. I am in the constant drive to push harder and faster than ever before….and I will not quit until I collapse. Read more>>

Chelsea Stardust | Film Director

There are a few things. I’m a big believer in kindness. There isn’t enough kindness in this world. I make a point to learn everyone’s name on my crew and would say hello at the start of our day and say thank you at the end of it. They are all there to help me execute my vision and I wanted them to all know they were appreciated. I also never gave myself a Plan B. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a director and I just kept pushing forward. I never gave myself and out or a “backup” plan. I never let myself think “what if this doesn’t work?” Perseverance was key. Read more>>

Naiia Lajoie | Entertainer & Writer

All of that to say, the most important factor behind my – or anyone’s – success, is adaptability. You just have to roll with the punches, “yes, and” it all, and trust that there will be better days ahead. Better yet, don’t assume they’ll happen, make them happen. Read more>>

Deborah Badillo | Owner

Truly believing in your brand and giving your customer an authentic, honest experience is what is important to me. Customers can see when you’re geniune and are able to differentiate between someone who’s clearly passionate and invested in their business and someone who’s just “doing a job” Read more>>

Travis Peters | CEO

Scrappiness. As a marketing and media agency in a giant sea of other marketing and media agencies, we’ve always done one thing that’s set us apart- We’ve been able to find creative ways to stretch a marketing dollar. As a young entrepreneur, I was forced to learn how to be scrappy when building my first business. I didn’t have investors or any other sources of cash, aside from the few dollars in my bank account. Read more>>

Aida Yodites | Founder & Mom Entrepreneur

I think what has made Delicate Seams successful is that it’s a brand which was created out of pure necessity. My young daughter (10 at the time) approached me with a sincere plea to replace her existing undergarments with better ones. That was the catalyst that sent me on a creative journey where I learned immediately that there was a huge gap in the market. There were very few undergarment options for growing girls who’s bodies were changing and tastes were maturing. There was no “in between”. Read more>>

Rae Drazin, Ph.D. | Independent Patient Advocate/Medical

I believe that my passion for what I do, and the fact that it’s obvious to my clients that I am passionate about my work is the most important factor behind my success. Read more>>

Richie Kulchar | Executive Producer & Director

Relationships. Period. We firmly believe that the reason we’ve been successful since we opened shop in 2017 is simply due to the fact that no matter what, we never leave a client in the dust. We pay our vendors on time, we pride ourselves on our clear communication, and we always bring everything we can to the table no matter the size of the project. Because at the end of the day, we’re a service business, and we want our clients to always be thinking to themselves: “I’m not worried. Read more>>

Gurmukh Bhasin | 3D Concept Designer

In my opinion success comes from passion and hard work for what you love to do.  I personally believe that anyone can be successful at anything they wish, they just need to be the best at that specific thing.  The only way to become the best is to practice, work hard and fully enjoy the work you do to the point there is no boundary between work and play and your life becomes a dedication to your work.  Your work never ends or begins, it is just an extension of who you are and you are always working on improving your identity and brand with everything you do. Read more>>

Lindsey Baruch | Food photographer, Videographer & Recipe Developer

I would say first thing is finding my niche and having a clear vision on what I wanted to do. Another major factor is my balance between work and life. This helps give me the time I need to allow creativity and imagination to flow for the content I put out. Then it would be consistency. Being consistent and not giving up on all factors of my brand, constantly showing up and creating content are major factors into the success. And then on the other side of that, giving myself the time and space if I need my own time. This helps me fuel more creativity and create stronger ideas. Read more>>

Amy Dellagiarino | Playwright & Screenwriter

As strange as this sounds, the most important factor behind my “success” is failure. I started as an actor and thought that’s what I’d always do, but as time went on it seemed like acting was hell bent on pushing me out. I didn’t understand it, and I was MAD. Oh god was I SO MAD. I didn’t know what my purpose was, I felt like my whole identity was dissolving. It was during this frustration and depression that I started writing… and from there discovered a whole new identity. Writing gives me a freedom I never had as an actor. Read more>>

Shirley Alonso | Freelance Artista & Graphic Designer

Displaying my work in galleries and events to people other than my family to see was a success in its own. I had the courage to show work that my culture found taboo to talk about. My thoughts’ and art’s purpose was to aide my mental health whenever I felt depleted. Every time I posted my work on Instagram or set it up on my 6ft table for a show, I had mostly positive responses and having people feeling heard and seen for the first time in their lives has been such a rewarding experience for me. Read more>>

Atziri & Yajahira Peña | Co-owners

The most important factor behind our success and the brands success is most definetly the community that constantly supports us. We have been able to help our undocumented community through funding for DACA renewals or crowdfunding for other resources that can be hard for people without status to obtain. We know that we always have our community to back us up just as much as we help them. We have also been blessed with brands and artists shouting us out such as Vive Cosmetics, María Del Pilar, Cusi Coyllur, and Goods Perdido. Read more>>

Faren Collins | Artist & Designer

When I started Farever Art, I had no intention of becoming a brand or a business. I began painting at a very young age. My journey through art has always been a form of therapy. My process with my art is very personal and it took a while to share it  with the world. One day, I got up the courage to post one of my paintings on a social media platform and within a few hours, it was sold. That is where my brand and business journey began. I have experienced career highs and lows. Read more>>

Mass Appeal The DJ Mass Appeal The DJ (This is Proper Spelling of the Name) | The Future Of LA Nightlife

Originality. This has been a big factor with me not being from Los Angeles. I was able to come in and keep my own flavor from the Midwest. But once I learned the West Coast club hits it was over. But that’s my main thing is that I don’t sound like another DJ in the city which is how I wanted it to be. Read more>>

Claire Frajnd | Beauty Agent

The most important factors behind my personal success and the success of Exclusive Artists as a business and brand are meticulousness and teamwork. I have always paid great attention to detail in everything I do, whether it was double checking the punctuation of one of my papers in school, or reviewing all my emails daily to make sure nothing slips through the cracks in my professional life. Everyone, whether it’s my family, friends, artists, or coworkers, appreciates thoroughness and thoughtfulness. Read more>>

Amy Perdigone | Bridal Hair and Makeup artist & The Traveling Stylist Owner

The most important factor behind the success of The Traveling Stylist is service and the value this creates for our clients. With such a small team of only 5 stylists and 4 assistants, we are all very close and align with our work ethics, values and views on how we provide service to our clients. When I started this business over 10-years ago, Youtube.com was only three years old and Instagram had not been born yet. Make-up and hairstyling were skills learned by experience. Read more>>

Vicki Cooper | Founder & CEO

Integrity and trust are two factors that contribute to ecologica skincare of Malibu’s success. In the highly competitive beauty field, trust is imperative. For ecologica skincare of Malibu, I’ve spent years carefully sourcing the highest quality ingredients for our formulations. It’s a painstaking process and can be timely and costly, but it’s worth it to make sure we get it right. Customers trust that they are receiving the best and most effective ingredients for their skin and that the ingredients are cruelty free and truly all natural. Read more>>

Mia Esterak | Hairstylist

That most important factor behind my success is truly doing what I love. I always look for ways to improve, and I really love my clients. My clients always help to keep my skills sharp (no pun intended). My family have always been my biggest supporters and motivators. Read more>>