What drives your success?

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

Carlisa Lynn | Business Owner, Model, Content Creator, YouTuber, Entrepreneur

I feel personally one of the main keys to success is staying consistent. Alot of us want to do things and know how to do them but never end up actually taking any action to do so. Everything sounds great from the outside looking in but once you find out what it takes to get to your end goal alot of people get discouraged where they will work towards it for a little than stop and slowly get back into it or fully stop and never look back. I can say im not perfect and there has been alot of distractions along the way throughout my journey. Read more>>

Sara Spencer | Tutor, Mentor & Resource Specialist

The most important factor behind my success is ensuring that my it was actually defined by me. If pursuing a perceived “successful” income, quota, or status, my business was instantly removed from my unique talents, inspiration and art. I often found myself spinning my own wheels, feeling stuck and in a rut. My success greatly depends on the joy, excitement and enthusiasm that comes through my work. Ditch the non-essentials, delegate the mundane, and focus on what truly lights you up and energizes you. The “success” will follow. Read more>>

Destiny Darcel | Digital Illustrator

The most important factor is hands down, consistency. Consistency is extremely difficult when starting anything. Let alone a business. You lose motivation, life happens, you get discouraged, etc. As cliche as it sounds, successful people don’t speak very highly of consistency for no reason. Aside from me being talented lol consistent is the biggest driving factor of my success. And I must add that it’s something that I had to teach myself. Discipline in that consistency is another thing I had to teach myself over time. When the consistency factor is mastered, so is discipline, and so is patience. Read more>>

Gina Ayanna | Brand and Beauty Photographer

I believe the most critical factor behind the success of my brand has been focusing on listening and delivering a great experience. I spend a lot of time at the beginning of every client relationship understanding my client’s business and what they want to achieve by working with me. I check in to ensure that the vision I’ve created for the session aligns with the client’s vision. I believe that continues to be the thing that helps me stand out. Paying attention to the small details that the client mentioned is always something that creates a great experience. Read more>>

Erin Winter | Salon Owner & Hairstylist

I think the most important factor behind my success and the success of my brand is staying true to my values as a hairstylist behind the chair and as a leader. Here are some things I do to guarantee a successful business and a full book of my dream clients: – Connect with your guest and make them feel special! – Promote what you love doing. If you’re not skilled at doing a specific service, don’t advertise that you do. Read more>>

Samantha Johannes | Realtor-Entrepreneur

Creating generational wealth in Real Estate while also teaching my clients and community how to do the same. Read more>>

Aniyah Rasheed | Business Owner, ArikaCLAW

Transparency. Owning a business is not easy, and at times things don’t always work out according to plan. So, I always try to remain 100% transparent with my customers to not only put them at ease but to also remind them that I am still human and that things happen sometimes. During these transparent moments though, I ended up realizing that doing that for them, helped them trust me a lot more, and made them want to return or recommend me to other people. Read more>>

Kevin Kurz | Painter

Brands can succeed or fail for any number of reasons, but every business or endeavor will succeed for the very simple reason that somebody took that first step, that first leap. If you don’t simply take the risk and try, then you will never succeed. I’ve had projects that have worked very well, and some that have flat out bombed… but even the ones that fail provide valuable learning experience for future endeavors. And taking the risk of starting out doesn’t have to be a massive undertaking, either. Read more>>

Keunsha Upkins | Master aesthetician

The most important factor behind the success of the brand definitely would be to hustle harder. I know anything worth having or maintaining… you gotta hustle! Physical, mentally, hustle… Read more>>

Jodie Kennedy- Aguina | Licensed Insurance Agent, Licensed Nail Technician, Founder & CEO of Qoh Nail Art & Essentials

The most important factor behind my success and the success of my brand is my ability to be selfless. I have learned that every successful brand has a leader that cares about the people that represent the brand and most importantly the people that support it. Read more>>

EASE Doula Collaborative Leatrice Priest, Shayla Rhem, Iris Jones | Certified Birth & Postpartum Doulas, Childbirth Educators, & an IBCLC

It is important to our brand that we create healthy boundaries that prevent us from becoming “yes women.” Particularly to things and/or people who are are not an added benefit to what we want to accomplish in supporting families. It also pertains to not saying yes for the sake of building our business. Trust is the single most present characteristic that people are seeking in choosing our us. Read more>>

DeJunae Dominique | Author & Motivational Speaker

The most important factor behind all my success is knowing that everything I do and accomplish is to make sure people in front and behind me never have to go through what I went through. Every hurt and pain i experience is so I can successfully show and gave the techniques on how to conqueror without the long process. Read more>>

Melissa Smith | Racial Equity/Healing Consultant – Community Builder and Culture Shifter

What is the most important factor behind your success / the success of your brand? I believe the most important factor behind the success of Authentically Grounded is our ability to help people bring awareness to and accept their whole selves as a daily discipline. We support individuals and organizations to examine their role in systemic oppression and learn how to dismantle systemic oppression in their circles of control and influence. We are not a fluff-and-go type of coaching and consulting firm. Read more>>

Laquita Burton | Candle Creator & Science Enthusiast, Business Owner

The ability to remain focused under adverse conditions while utilizing the strength gained from those experiences to craft a product that not only enhances the lives of those that purchase the products but also motivates others to pursue their own goals knowing that no matter what obstacles they may encounter, Success is possible as long as you’re willing to not give up if/when things get rough. Read more>>

Mercedez Starr | Serial Entrepreneur, Artist and CEO

The most important factor behind the success of my brand is negativity. Being told I wouldn’t make it because I am a dominant female unwilling to be stereotypically sexualized. Being told my music is too different… having friends and family fold… leaving me high and dry… Made me want to go a trillion times harder. Im a show and prove kinda individual. The negativity fuels me! Read more>>

Kelly Conley | Technology Systems & Marketing Coach

Never quitting! Every day in business is different. Some days will be amazing and other days you will feel like quitting. The only thing that really separates successful people from those who aren’t is not quitting. I know it sounds corny but it’s true! Even when it comes to launching new services and programs success is about being all money in and not giving up when your doubt starts to creep in. Read more>>

Gbabii (Gee) George | Kids Talent Management

The most important factor of my success is hand’s down my children. That’s with not only talent management but anything I feel successful in at this point in life. I was born & raised in Macon Ga. Unfortunately , we don’t have many modeling or Acting Anything in that location. No talent schools , no studios , no anything to help you progress in the modeling / acting industry. Yet so much talent in a small city. Read more>>

Ashley Arnett | Digital Marketer

Doubters and the need to prove people wrong. I grew up in a family where college was the only option. Being an entrepreneur wasn’t the norm, going to school and getting an education was. I knew I wanted more. The time, money, freedom and excitement I wanted from life couldn’t come from a job. My success is driven from knowing I wanted more than a regular life. I wanted to show family and friends that there’s no exact blueprint to life, you do what makes you happy. Dropping out of school to become a full time entrepreneurn was the best thing I’ve ever done. Read more>>

Rnb Rik! | R&B/Soul Professional Recording Artist

One of the most important factors that created success was being vulnerable through my music . It lets my listeners know I know what they’re going through or how they feel. In return it heals the listener. I’m just in this vessel to deliver a message that needs to be heard. Read more>>

Alisha Sherman-Waters | Licensed Nail Technician & Owner of Ashanti Beauty Supply

The most important factor behind my success and brand is consistency, faith, and motivation. Dedicating myself to work on my goals no matter what, and always pushing myself to learn new things and elevate. Knowing faith without work is dead. I had to step out on faith and motivate myself to execute all my goals and dreams. Read more>>

Jordyn Weaver | Founder & CEO of Forefront

The sole mission of Forefront is to bring Black brands to the ‘forefront’ of the world. Our success is fully dependent on the success of the Black businesses on our platform. Our goal is to help make Black brands and products become household names and supported all across the globe. When people come on our social-shopping app, they’ll be able to search, shop, & share all things Black-owned with an all new shopping experience – with their friends. Read more>>

Lonny P | Rapper

To me the most important factor behind my success is consistency. You’re going fail or fall at times but make sure that’s not where you end. You can’t accept failure by any means. Failure only exists in your mind. You gotta pick yourself up and keep going. You never know how close you are to achieving your goal. The next action you take could be your breakthrough. When I started being consistent with my music, I started seeing all types of progress and success. Read more>>

David Spellmon | Hip Hop Educator

I understood the pain points of my industry then created an undeniable product, but it was by design. I’ve worked in the Education/Mental Health space for all of my professional career and in those roles the goal was always to create positive outcomes for those I served. What I quickly learned was that the “best practices” were often programs or strategies made by people outside of the culture. If Hip Hop is apart of the community and students in your school then I strongly believe it should be utilized to get the results you want whether academically or socially and emotionally. Read more>>

Sandra Tanner | Health Coach, Blogger, Vibration Plate Fitness Instructor

The most important factor behind my success is my passion for helping people. My core value is serving so that’s what I focus on in my business first. Because i’m so passionate about implementing this aspect into my business, I always give people more than what they pay for or expecting. I don’t look at the money. In fact, money doesn’t motivate me. Seeing how I can help others and impacting lives motivates me. Read more>>