Through our work we have been constantly amazed at the incredible things people in every neighborhood are working on. What’s even more exciting is that they all have different stories, backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses. That there isn’t a single formula for success means that everyone can take their unique set of strengths and characteristics and turn it into a success story. We recently reached out to some folks we admire and asked them what characteristics they feel are responsible for their success.

Natasha Aladin | Entrepreneur & Fashion Enthusiast

I believe there are a few important factors behind the success of Natasha Couture Fashion. An extremely important factor behind the success of my brand is my true passion for fashion and clothing. I put a lot of hard work and research into selecting the styles that we carry. If it’s not something I absolutely love, I would not carry it. My boutique is a reflection of my style. Another important factor is my relationship with my clients. What sets us apart is the personal attention we strive to give to each and every client. They’re a part of our extended Natasha Couture Fashion family. And lastly, my dedication to the business. It’s taken a lot of hard work and dedication over the last 10 years to make our business a success. And I’ve loved every minute of it. I truly believe you must love what you do. Read more>>

James Hicks | Pediatric Dentist & Dad

I believe the success we have experienced thus far has been from being honest with our treatment recommendations and always providing gentle care. Dentistry, unfortunately, can be very confusing for our patients and parents. Showing them a cavity in the mouth or on an x-ray definitely helps, but receiving dental care still involves a lot of trust. My wife and I both agreed that we will always recommend for our patients what we would do on our own children. When families come to us for second opinions we actually prefer to not know what another dentist said so that we formulate our own non-biased opinion on what is needed. Families also learn, when they meet us, that we never force treatment. We would rather be conservative with our treatment plan or find another way to help the child through their experience rather than cause a scary situation. Read more>>

Leah Boresow | Owner and Instructor of Leah Boresow Dance

The most important principles of Leah Boresow Dance (LBD) are 1) to be passionate about dancing and want to share that passion, and 2) to genuinely care about the individual LBD student. I know it seems so obvious, and perhaps even cliche, but I have seen many dance teachers and studios who are in the business for the wrong reasons. Ultimately, I have found that the greatest reward and “return on investment” of my business is when one of my students feels success. Whether it is finally feeling a dance step coming easier, or pushing to perform a dance or compete, I have never felt greater success as both a dance teacher and business owner. By keeping my students’ best interest always at heart, I feel that the success is there from the beginning. Read more>>

Kelvin Thomas | Founder & Leadership Coach and Business Consultant

To honestly answer that question, I would need to define what success is to me/my brand. I define success as the positive transformative impact that results from direct interaction, engagement, or relationship with us. The critical factor that has made me and POSITION Consultants successful has been our relentless focus on client success and its results. Our slogan at POSITION Consultants is “We’ll position you for success,” it is that statement that drives everything we do, and honestly, it has been the driving focus of my life. From a young child, helping others was instilled in me through my parents, who owned businesses and were also ministry leaders. Read more>>

Yelena Hertzberg | Co-Founder and CEO/FilmTribe

Our company’s motto and overall culture is, and has always been, to be “straight shooters.” In our logo, we incorporated an arrow to represent exactly that. When you are known in your industry, in your community, as a company and people behind it, that are real, honest, and down-to-earth, you create a brand that is valued, respected, and sawt after. Our brand’s success solely lies in the quality of the members of our Tribe. Read more>>

Devin Wills | President of A&W Contracting, inc

I believe the success of my brand going forward will be in aligning all of the organizations I’m involved with, whether for-profit or non-profit, to focus on the customer/donor experience and make it one to remember. We have taken this approach more seriously in the Roofing business. After the loss of my father at the helm more than 3 years ago our company’s hindered slightly in that department. But what could you expect after losing the man whom started it all 25 years prior? It took some grit and determined for our team to “weather the storm” and get through the rough years. We begin to really dig deep and understand the business like never before. We analyzed the past years and specific events as to why were were successful and why we had come up short at times. Read more>>

Ariel Smith | Owner of Arie’s Berries, LLC

The most important factors behind Arie’s Berries is the uniqueness and the passion that is behind each and every order. My main focus is to deliver the highest quality ingredients, products, and delectable treats to customers. Arie’s Berries is not just your average chocolate covered strawberry or fruit arrangement, I consider my work as art. With my custom designs I start with an open canvas which allows my customers to be apart of the creative process by expressing what they would like and ending with me creating a masterpiece in which they enjoy. Before Arie’s Berries I was so hesitant on starting because I was fearful that I wouldn’t have any customers and no one would want to to order during this pandemic, man was I wrong!? I decided to launch my business in May and business has been thriving ever since. Read more>>

Luigi Balutto | Owner & Partner of Valchiarò Winery

I must say that the most important factor behind our success is based on family, loyal friendships, love, and our great passion for grapes from the cultivation to the uncorking and tasting of an aromatic and delicious bottle of wine to enjoy and share with those we love. It’s our loyalty to family and friends and hard work to achieve high quality wines that stands behind our brand. We started out in 1991 with six people who share the passion for the cultivation of grapevines to the making of wines. Each of us come from farming families where the great respect and love for our land is deeply tied to traditions. Now, these lands are cultivated by Valchiarò winery, our business. Over time the deep desire to produce high quality wines took us on a long journey to learn about the most famous Italian wines and their making. Read more>>