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

Alexandria Fall | Fine Artist and Model

The most important element to my growth, both with my brand as well as in my personal life, is simply believing in myself and what I am capable of. I think a lot of people have dreams but have a hard time believing that they can actually come true deep down and nothing else will hold us back more than that. Maybe its self doubt, or maybe its being surrounded by negative people, but a lot of people really have to unlearn that. It dosn’t matter where you came from, or even where you are today. Read more>>

Tori Lowell | Owner/Baker

Support for and by the small business community. There are so many fellow cottage food businesses and small business owners out there that could have easily said I’m their competition and watched me sink or swim. Instead all these amazing people help to lift each other up and give advice or leads on markets. I’ve had so many people give me advice on my brand and help me make tweaks here and there to create the brand I have today. Read more>>

Stephanie Alexander | Small Business Owner

The most important factor in our success is our work ethic. We are always seeking to improve ourselves, our brand, our products, our knowledge of the different ingredients and how they can help people, etc… It is a constant pursuit of improvement and overall excellence. Read more>>

Katerina Gallus MD | Plastic Surgeon & Business Owner

The most important factor behind a successful brand or person is staying true to your vision and values. Being inspired by what creates joy and fulfillment in your career is critical to staying the course. Without the proper motivation it can be impossible to continue the upward trajectory of success. As a physician, I truly love what I do – educating, interacting, and taking care of patients. Without that passion, it would be extremely challenging to create a private practice, run a successful business and continue to provide outstanding surgical care. Read more>>

Chad & Jessica Brazee | Co-owners of The Fix-it Fox. Chad: General Contractor. Jessica: Coordinator & Bookkeeper.

The success of our business has been due to word of mouth & excellent communication. Businesses in our industry live and die based on reviews and word of mouth. We are members of several local Facebook groups and have built a good brand. Though we are not allowed to advertise in the groups, we can ‘comment’ with our contact information if someone is asking for referrals. We have awesome clients who tag our Facebook page and recommend us. Read more>>

Maki Kaplinsky | CoFounder & COO of ASKA

Not giving up and working hard! I work as en entrepreneur more than 20 years now, and ASKA is my third company. Starting a new company, building a good team and creating innovation is not easy and you need to overcome many obstacles. Each time I faced doubts from others, I trusted my instinct, business model as well as the uniqueness and advantage of our product, and just kept going. I believe that not giving up till you have results – that is an important factor behind my success. Read more>>

Danielle Cazarez (Brown) | Writer, editor, digital creator & food blogger

My success can only be measurable based on the success of other local and small businesses. My blog is used as a platform to shout out (see what I did there) and showcase all the amazing restaurants and businesses San Diego has to offer. There is nothing more exciting than when I get messages or get tagged in posts of people going to a local business based off of my recommendations. It’s a win-win for everyone! Read more>>

Jae Lee | Co-Founder

The most important factor behind my business is to stay true to myself. We at Tapped want give people something that we would use ourselves on a daily bases. That is why we take so much pride on the flavor and also the ingredients that goes into our products. Read more>>

DaZM | DJ

Having been born into the music scene in the UK, my passion for house music began when I listened to BBC Radio 1. Back in the 90’s the radio was really the only source to listen to this music and I was often glued to the radio on the weekends, recording DJ shows with cassette. Read more>>