We asked some of the city’s rising stars about why they think they have been so successful and we’ve shared their responses below.

Zahida Merchant | Food Blogger

Experimenting, continuously learning, and patience. Experimenting is one of the things that I habitually do, I often test different techniques, such as trying to change photography styles, posting at a certain time of day or even tweaking certain days that I post. Regarding learning, this involves researching about a business I am featuring, and observing what I might be doing right or wrong based on more or less of a response to a post. I also pay attention to what audience I am targeting, seeing which posts attract what demographics, or trying to see if the people share similar interests. Finally, patience – this requires me to know where I am at in my career and knowing it may take time for me to accomplish my goals, but that if I am constantly trying new things and learning, I will continue to grow. Read more>>

Katie Bray | Heart Centered Life & Business Coach, Owner and Chief Solutions Specialist at Financial Vision Bookkeeping

I have always loved time hacking and maximizing my own productivity. As a 7th grader I carried around a mound of aspirational books in my too heavy backpack. One of which was about speed reading. From an early age I have loved to learn and grow and continually. I have loved reading self help books attending workshops that promised to change my life in ways they couldn’t explain with experiencing them. These were all incredible and gave me some momentum but after time that momentum would fizzle and I would be back where I started. Starting my business I knew I needed something different from the tactics that I had tried in the past, but it was difficult in an overcrowded and unorganized market to distinguish which program or support I needed. I was ready to invest in anything that would help me create a successful business that one day I almost pulled the trigger on a program that promised these kinds of extreme results. After 1 hour on the phone I knew it had to be too good to be true. Read more>>

Henry Aponte | Manager, Music Instructor

Being honest, consistent, and adapting constantly to changing and shifting environments. Read more>>

Angela Castrigno | Customized Meal Planning & Personal Meal Prep Chef

I would say the most important habit for me has been connecting with other people who are on the same journey as me. Not necessarily people with the same life background or even the same type of business, but people on the entrepreneurial journey in general. It’s the road less traveled! And, it can be lonely and frustrating and seemingly impossible at times. Being connected with others who are also on this ride has been HUGE. I think it’s important to have people who can relate to your struggles and hash things out with you. I can’t tell you how many times talking with someone about their challenges in their business has helped me work through my own. To be connected with at LEAST one other person who is fighting the good fight and who can motivate you in a unique way because they GET IT — that has become invaluable to me. The second most important habit has been committing to decisions and seeing them through. This still takes a lot of practice for me. Read more>>

TonyaJae | Recording Artist & Filmmaker

I stopped putting my energy on other people as much; I used to make sure people were on track with their goals so much that I forgot about myself. Then when I realized that, I focused solely on myself. I created a drive within me to get back on track and started the habit of consistently trying to improve who I am. Read more>>

Savannah Miller | Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Dietitian Coach

I’ve changed my view of success, I used to believe success was a specific destination but now I understand success is a process. I focus on taking small steps daily, doing my best no matter what, and being consistent even when I am not motivated. Being a Division 1 collegiate athlete taught me the importance of routine, discipline and how little routines over time lead to big results. I believe in the power of tiny gains adding up, and one of my favorite quotes is “success is found in our daily routines”. I’ve found it’s the same concept across the board- for example our health is a result of decisions we make daily and these decisions are what I get to work on with clients. I think creating and maintaining good habits starts with having a strong drive behind the habit. For me, my drive comes from believing in what I do and helping others improve the most important thing in their life, their health. Read more>>

Mini Mukherjee | Visual Artist & Designer

I have a daily practice around my personal and business finances that has helped me move through the seasons of expansion and contraction that are inherent to managing your own business and career. Investing in yourself can be really scary, especially when you’re the first in your family to pursue a creative path. The first decade of my career was spent in the Finance industry before I moved to Fine Art.I credit having good habits with money and finances in helping me navigate the craziness of 2020 but also, my daily money habits have helped me think strategically about how to take the leap into a career as an artist. I’m very passionate and emotional when it comes to my work but when it comes finances (saving, budgeting, investing, building passive income, automation, etc.) I have built a strong practice and put processes in place so my emotions don’t take over. Read more>>

Lech Juretko | President, Art Mosaic Inc

Habits that have helped me to succeed are perseverence, positive thinking and doing each job as if you were doing it for yourself. Read more>>