While it’s inspiring to read high level summaries of success stories, we think it’s just as important to learn about what drove the success and made it possible. We’ve asked some of the brightest folks we know to open up about what they believe was the most important factor behind their success.

Jordan Jones | Owner of More Than Motion, Choreographer, & Dance Educator

Relationships, authenticity, and room for creativity. I strive to make More Than Motion a brand / company that leaves dancers and their families feeling good and confident. I try to be as honest as possible with the good and the bad, and be communicative about everything. I truly believe that’s the way to live life, so why not have that same attitude towards my business? For relationships, I just love making them outside of my work life, so same thing. I bring so much of myself into MTM, so of course I make building relationships a huge priority. For me, that’s how I have gotten anywhere in life, was from the relationships I’ve built and made along the way. I always try to expand my creativity through my lessons, calls, goal planning, new offers for the MTM mentor program, etc. It keeps me on my toes but it also allows the dancers to not get bored and stick with you. Dancer’s skills are growing so quickly that you have to keep up with them!. Read more>>

Brutha Eli | Recording Artist

The most important factor behind any success I have had or will have is passion. If you aren’t passionate about what it is you do, or the vision you have, you’ll feel it. You will always feel like something is missing. Find your purpose(s). Read more>>

Karalani Cross | Entrepreneur, Nature Enthusiast

The most important factor behind the success of mist & sea is personal fulfillment in what I do! I spent over a decade of my life working towards other people’s goals, living by the external world’s version of success (money, power, a “stable” job, having a nice sounding job), but to my dismay I was absolutely miserable. So, over a period of years I crept up to the idea of creating my own job with autonomy, moving towards doing things that I actually enjoy doing! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t know if there’s a job out there that’s an absolute walk in the park and perfect every day, but I’m talking about that overall ultimate fulfillment of saying, I love my job. In terms of mist & sea, success comes back to my products’ intention — to help others find peace within themselves through tapping on our spiritual connection to nature. Read more>>

McKenna Avery, Marilyn Austin, Halli Briscoe | Passionate Co-Founders of a Fem Care Startup

Keeping the dream in sight has definitely ensured that we move forward. Any time we feel discouraged or doubtful, we envision what impact we will be able to make and what our company will look like at its peak. The thought that in just a few years we may have the ability to accelerate the movement of women and the environment brings us ample amounts of fervor and energy. Read more>>

Ashkan Mapar | Principal and Portfolio Manager of TRITON FUNDS LLC

Value add. That is the most important factor behind the success of TRITON FUNDS and my own personal brand. At TRITON FUNDS, we focus on making direct equity investments into both early stage private and public companies and have been successful due to our ability to provide a millennial perspective for our portfolio companies from a business development and capital markets standpoint. This millennial approach also allows my fund to identify investments the rest of Wall Street isn’t paying attention. Read more>>

Hyrum Oaks | Race Director, and Software CEO

I come from the space of the problem. I created the Utah Valley Marathon back in 2008 and I did not like any of the registration platforms that existed at that time. I later decided to create Race Entry a software company to provide registration services that met more of my needs than I was able to find in the market at the time. Coming from the space of the problem makes it much easier to create the solution. Read more>>

Jessica Hirsch | Founder of CheatDayEats and Sony Alpha Collective photographer

Regardless of whether it’s the ‘right’ thing to do or not, I’m always going to value the relationship I have with my followers and since Day 1 I’ve made it a priority to respond individually to any/all inquiries I receive. Without my audience’s support, I wouldn’t be able to live my dream job so I value that and appreciate it still more than anything. Read more>>

Jacqueline Thompson | Luxury Real Estate Agent

It’s a culmination of factors -knowledge, quality service, having a current pulse on the market and the ability to out negotiate the other side. I believe success is really more about excellence, which is a commitment to delivering best in class service and results consistently. It takes passion, perseverance and a dedication to working for the most optimum end result without fail. Simply being a hard worker is not enough to be truly successful in the ultra-luxury residential real estate industry. When you service the top echelon, they are the best in their industries, so they expect the best from you. One component of quality service is having intimate knowledge of the market at any given time. Having this knowledge allows me to effectively negotiate for my clients and create a win/win for all. Quality service also involves fluid and open communication which is imperative for a lucrative relationship. One of my favorite client testimonials notes that I am almost “terrifyingly responsive” in an industry that has a reputation for lackluster communication. Read more>>

Kristen Soo | Interior Design Consultant

Authenticity. In order to create living spaces that my client’s love, I have to listen to and understand their story and how they use their space. If I require that of them, I have to lead with that same vulnerable authenticity as I work to create something they love. Home is a passion project, and one that is full of emotion. The emotions are often joyful, but sometimes painful as clients are moving, selling or redesigning after loss. It is a powerful experience to walk through those transitions with someone and that journey is what fuels my desire to design. The beautiful furnishings and finishes are a sweet final note, but the heart of what I love to do rests with my client relationships. I am not in the business of creating spaces that work for me and my taste, or that would simply look good on my social media. My greatest success is creating an environment where my client can use the space in a way that brings them joy and design it so that they can share that joy with the ones they love. Read more>>

Lisa Duffy | Resin Artist

I think the most important factor behind my success has been the support of my friends and family. It has been so warming and humbling to see how many cheerleaders I have behind me. I have friends and family offering their professional expertise to help me with branding and business decisions. This is SOOO valuable because I have never done anything like this before. Others feed me new ideas and inspiration, help my shop for materials and promote me to no end! My husband and sons never disappoint with an excited reaction when I come in from the garage with some new creation. They all are so excited for me and they are what keep me going when I begin to doubt myself. I am having a blast with my new venture and I think everyone is enjoying the ride right along with me!. Read more>>