Hardwork? Luck? Good habits? What would you say is behind your success? We’ve shared some thoughtful responses below.

Mindy Tran | Associate Marriage & Family Therapist and 500-hr Certified Yoga Teacher

I think the most important factor behind my success is the authenticity of the work that I do. A big part of my own mental health and trauma-healing journey included yoga and mindfulness. Now, as an associate marriage and family therapist and a 500-hour certified yoga teacher, I use the information that I embodied from my own practice to incorporate aspects of movement and breath with the trauma therapy work. I also am very proud of my identity as an Asian-American woman therapist, and it is very empowering for me to be able to work with clients who share similar intersections of their identities. Read more>>

Laura Novack | Personal Trainer

I think the root of the success of my business comes from genuinely wanting to help people. Feeling that I’m contributing to the health and happiness of those around me is what makes me tic and quite frankly I would do it for free. As a personal trainer I try to really understand the individual in front me; what motivates them, what scares them and what my role is in getting them where they want to be. Read more>>

Vesela Deterline | Owner & Creative director

I believe the most important factor would be discovering your target customers and marketing it only to them. As narrow as possible. To be honest when I started the brand I was experimenting with styles of marketing, bringing my products to a farmers market, pop up shops which turned out to be very disappointing because the product that I have doesn’t sell in places like these. Once I knew exactly who would wear the clothes that I was making everything was much easier and I started having sells. Read more>>

Christina Ward | Cake artist and stay at home mommy

I think one of the most important factors to the success thus far in my business is confidence in what I’m doing. It’s very easy to doubt myself or wonder if I’m making the right decision when I am so tired from being a stay at home mom and looking at a sink full of dirty dishes at the end of a busy day. I wonder if I’m actually really as creative as I think i am or if someone could do it better than me. Doubt is an awful feeling and it is what has always held me back in the past but I took a leap of faith and I’m so glad I did. Read more>>

Ovais Malik | Voice Actor

Trying to build a business is incredibly challenging but starting one in the entertainment industry is basically the house betting against you. I’d argue that there’s no other industry as cut throat and everyone’s replaceable at the snap of a finger. There’s no one way to see success in Voiceover, but in my experience, it helps to study your craft and then as cliche as it sounds, sticking with it even when it feels like nothing’s happening and you feel like quitting. Read more>>

Shana Bull | Children’s Book Author, Freelance Writer & Marketing Educator

The most important factor behind the success of my business is networking. Creating and maintaining relationships is key to success. While this was easier to do when I didn’t have a small child at home, I have tried to make time for connections (well, pre-pandemic and now trying this again). In the beginning of my career, I would say yes to almost any free networking event or lunch with a colleague. Now, I’ve worked with some marketing agencies over and over again for 8+ years, and coworkers have become clients, and clients have become friends. And many of those friends have become the best customers of my books. Read more>>

Chris Pinar | Woodworker and Veteran Business Owner

Valuing quality over quantity in the products we make, finding solutions for custom requests, and ensuring customer satisfaction, Read more>>

Gianna Buzzetta | Pastry Chef

The most important factor behind my success in the culinary industry is passion…without passion any other career I would have chosen would have become lackluster. Choosing a career I am passionate about has allowed everything I create to be full of inspiration, artistry and care. Never sending anything out of the kitchen that I do not believe in, something that I wouldnt be proud to put my name on. Read more>>