We asked some of the city’s hidden gems to tell us about what they feel is the most important factor behind their success.

Michael Hale

I find that no matter what I’m doing, be it filmmaking, music, or education, professionalism goes a long way. People want to work with professionals. You could be the best cinematographer or guitarist in the world, but if you’re a jerk, that’s what people will remember. Read More>>

Tommy Welch

My passion for success is rooted in my commitment to creating success for every child via equitable education by preparing children to accomplish their dreams. Using strategic leadership, curriculum design and high quality teaching we can create children who love learning as critical thinkers, responsible citizens, innovative problem-solvers and life long learners. With nearly 25 years of experience as a school leader and educator focused on improving systems to increase student achievement, I love working to increase collaboration to achieve common goals to transform learning environments.  Read More>>

Roshard Mckinnie

The most important factor behind the success of my company is, my mom and my girlfriend. They have kept me level headed throughout all the lows of running my company. They make sure that I have everything I need to succeed and they continue to push me to be a great business owner and better human being. Read More>> 

Jas Jakes

I’d say the most important factor behind my success is that I always try to come back to my why. It’s so easy to get caught up in planning for the future or overthinking what’s next, but when I feel overwhelmed or unsure, returning to the reason I started this journey always grounds me and points me back in the right direction. My why is my people—my community. I’ve been held so deeply, seen, and supported by the people around me, that love has given me so much healing. I want to give that back tenfold. Read More>> 

Ray Lewis

The most important factor behind my success is authenticity. In today’s media landscape, there’s a lot of pressure to be overly polished or PR-trained, but I’ve found that people are craving realness more than ever. With everything going on in the world, audiences are drawn to people who show up as their true selves. If I wasn’t being fully authentic, if I was trying to fit into a mold or perform a version of myself to please others, this brand wouldn’t exist. My ability to stay grounded in who I am has been the foundation for everything I’ve built. Read More>> 

J Cae

Being true to myself and trying to live out what God has for me. That’s the main reason behind my name J Cae. I’m not trying to be anyone else but me. I’m a Nerd/Geek that likes anime, and other related topics, a combination that is pretty niche in and of itself. I still struggle with some aspects like marketing, but it’s something that I’m improving on. At the end of it all, I’m doing what I do best, growing, developing, and having fun with it. Read More>>