There are so many factors that can play a role in determining our results, performance and ultimately our success, but some factors matter more than others. We asked folks what they felt was the most important factor driving their success.

Kelly Kole Joann Kandrac | Co-Founders

We are not afraid to dip our toes into uncharted waters. We are the first to say “YES” even though it scares us. It keeps the adrenaline pumping and helps us to continue to grow as designers and as a business. Because of this mantra, we’ve done a lot of crazy projects that been really worthwhile. Read more>>

Emily Petraglia | Graduate Student & Social Media Marketing Specialist

The most important factor behind my success is my trauma, actually. I was in a car accident when I was sixteen where I fractured my neck in two places, had 10 broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a punctured lung, a concussion, and a laceration in my left quad that went all the way to the bone. I played volleyball in high school and, due to the condition of my spine and knee, the chances of playing in college went out the window. Read more>>

Caralee Case | Artist & Professional Photographer

A great deal of things over time have played a roll in my pursuit of running and maintaining a successful business. One word that encompasses many of the most important factors is consistency. *Note to Shout Out: I am happy to expand on consistency if needed. I am not sure what the upcoming questions will be and if they will lead me to give more specific information. Read more>>

Elizabeth DeVoe | Elopement and Wedding Photographer

When I first picked up a camera in August of 2021, I had no clue where it would take me. I was really just looking for a creative outlook for after work; something to help me destress and unwind from the day. It was an immediate love. Today, I am able to work with some of the most incredible couples, capturing their love stories as authentically as possible. Read more>>

Laura Abbott | Owner/Full Service Cosmetologist

Connecting with people on a personal basis. There are so many stylists in the industry and so there is plenty of competition. I work hard to connect with my clients and other vendors so they know they’re important to me and they can trust me to authentic in my working relationship with them. Read more>>

Cinque Q. Singleton Jr. | Entrepreneur & Inspirational Motivational Speaker

My faith and desire to convert my visions into revenue were the two things that contributed most to my achievement. The most essential aspect in my life was faith because, after going through and having to fall and get back up, I had to then one day decide to not only change my mindset but to change the way I felt or looked at the things I was thinking or wanting to do. We often have this excitement and the argue to want to complete something or do something new and often times when that argue comes along when still have fear within us. Read more>>

Gracie Dorr | Wedding Videographer & Editor

The most important thing someone can be is themselves. I think a lot of people get caught up in trying to be someone else or act a certain way to get a job, get people to like you, to fit in. The most important factor in my job specifically has been to just be authentic. Also, giving my couples their own authentic love story is what really makes you successful as a wedding videographer. Read more>>

D. Francis | Hip Hop Enthusiast and Owner of Nolineradio LLC

The artists…. As a former rapper myself I believe the artists are the success stories. Even with the landscape of social media some artists still have trouble getting their names out there and getting the recognition they deserve you know. I’m just using my platform as another avenue to help get their music out there and promote them just to get started in their music endeavor. Read more>>

Sai Sriraman | Aerospace Engineer & Creative

Passion is probably the most important factor behind my success, the idea of doing something just because I want to do it and have an interest in learning more about it, not for any external incentive. I stumbled upon Windows Movie Maker at a young age when I was messing around on my computer, and thought it might be nice to use for presentations in school since it was different than the usual PowerPoint slides. Read more>>

DuragDevTheGoat | Content Creator

I think one of the most factors of my success has been diversifying my content. There are so many audiences out there looking for the content only you can provide the way you do. Once I started to realize how HUGE the creator economy is my view of my impact changed completely. Read more>>

Brice Jenkins | Basketball Player Development Coach

The biggest factor of my success would have to be staying dedicated, committed, and intentional in the process. I pride myself on being dedicated and committed to every player that I work with on a day to day basis. Intentionality would be the key factor that drives success within my brand. Throughout the journey of developing my brand I’ve encountered numerous ups and downs which has taught me to be intentional in valuing the process and not the results. Read more>>

Esmahan Abdallah | Jewelry and Textiles designer

Passion and dedication!! If you ask any entrepreneur why they have started a business, 90% of the times it goes back to their passion. Starting a business is alot of work and alot of the times you feel like giving up. But when you do something that you love and passionate about, you are most likely to stick to it and succeed. Read more>>

Sonia Latin Music | Cantante

Love what I do and always do it with passion. It doesn’t matter if I’m tired or going through a personal problem, every time I sing I do it with love, dedication and passion. Read more>>

Ron Godfrey | Actor – Author – Entrepreneur

There are three important factors, but the one that is most important is keeping God first in everything I do. The other two factors are being committed and remaining consistent because without commitment, you’ll never start. More importantly, without consistency, you’ll never finish. Read more>>

Marla Bowie | Wedding and Event Planner

The most important factor behind my success is my ability to truly take the stress out of event planning for my guests. I have heard countless times that I bring a sense of calm to the individuals that I work with as we lead up to the event as well as during the event. This feeling comes from listening to my client’s needs and ensuring their requests are granted. Clients often know what they want and desire for their event. It is my job to take those thoughts and bring them to life. Read more>>

Manswell T. Peterson | Author, Screenplay Writer, Ghost Writer

The most important factor behind my success/success of my brand is that I go against the norm. I currrently write in several different genres. My most current is paranormal/sci-fi. I am the first black man to create an entire universe that will include 200 books. Within the universe, there is the Locrottum Academy, a series just for the kids & the rest is for adults. Read more>>