We have the good fortune of connecting with so many bright, accomplished folks from a variety of industries and we often ask them to tell us what they feel has been the most important factor behind their success. We’ve shared some highlights below.

Tina Torres | Client Retention Expert, Marketing and Branding Strategist

Creating a Morning Routine has changed my life forever. When I thought I lost everything, I was able to start creating this morning routine that helped me change personal things inside me that I was holding on to. By creating a morning routine I was able to start personal development I never thought was possible. My morning routine consists of waking up at 5 AM every morning starting my day in my gratitude journal writing everything that I I am grateful for. I then drink lemon water to help my digestive system, I start my visualization process of where I see myself in three years. I guide myself through my entire life the house that I want the car that I’m driving the life that I’m living in the amount of money that I am making. As well as the people’s lives I am changing. I then go into meditation and prayer, I read 20 pages of the book that I am reading that month and for my physical activity I do yoga and cardio for 45 minutes. Read more>>

Laura Maddox | Event Planner & Venue Consultant

I had the blessing of working for a man I deeply admired before starting my business. He had this way about him of not accepting “no” or “it can’t be done” for an answer. I often attributed this one thing to his success. That, and the kindness yet unrelenting determination for everyone around him to bring him their very best. Aside from being a marketing and sales genius, he started a green news website without a whole lot of expertise in the subject but knowing there was a hole in the market, and that he could fill that hole. He found the people that knew more than him, hired them, and then would come up with new ideas for them to figure out how to make happen. When they would think something was near impossible he’d look at them and just say, “I don’t understand why.” So they’d go back to the drawing board and work at the impossible task again, come up with new angles, new strategies and eventually, EVERY single time, they would accomplish what he set out to do. Read more>>

Vondre Clark | Portrait Photographer

Total Immersion. I started being intentional about the kind of media I absorbed, I made a note of the directors and DP’s of my favorite films, etc. I have studied and absorbed the art form more in the past two years than my four year in school. In doing so, I’ve landed in a place that i’m happy with, for now. Read more>>

C.L. Cannon | USA Today Bestselling Author & Marketing Guru

I have a goal, sort of a New Year’s resolution, to learn a new skill every year. I’ve been doing this since I was a teenager. I decide on a skill that I think would help me in the future, and I leverage free information on the internet like blogs and Youtube videos to help me learn and master the skill by the end of the year. I think that has greatly shaped the businesses I participate in daily and my level of success. I can never be content with knowing what I know today, and I’m always reaching for tomorrow. I’m hungry. Read more>>

Maurice Houston | Music Producer

Building a schedule and sticking to it no matter what. Also writing out my goals, short term and long term. Keeping it in my face. And holding myself accountable. Read more>>

The MJ Johnson | Comedian & Actor

There are several habits i feel that helped me succeed. Habits can be bad and habits can be good, but it all depends on how you use them. One of my habits is depending on myself. When we’re dealing with life we seem to immediately expect others to meet requirements and expectations of our own needs. Independence is the habit that helped me succeed. Read more>>

Ruju Hailey Shah | CEO The S Collective

My goal is to dominate my industry and for that you have to make sacrifices because nothing is free in life. I don’t take my work and my passion for granted. I am extremely grateful and work harder today than I did yesterday on my businesses because not everyone gets to do what they love on their own terms. Read more>>

Tyeisha Smith | Event Planner/Designer

What habits I feel that help me succeed in my business was truly having Faith and also having a positive mindset. With hard work and dedication is what truly let me see the fruit of my business. Read more>>

Eve Catharine | Model and Incoming Social Worker

I believe that success is about putting yourself out there with no shame. People, especially people socialized as women, grow up learning that confidence and pride in yourself makes you self – centered. This holds a lot of people back from taking the first step. When I first started as a model, I contacted every creative I could find on social media. It was difficult at first as I was afraid of rejection. The truth is that I did get rejected. A lot! However, I also got some yes’s. I started to set aside the fear of rejection and just accept it as part of the process. I am so glad that I did because over the past year I have met many talented and wonderful creatives. I would tell any aspiring artist or creative that you have to unashamedly go after every opportunity you have and stop being afraid you aren’t good enough or experienced enough. Letting those thoughts steer your choices will only ever hold you back. Read more>>

Latika Williams | Boutique Owner & Marketing Strategist

Just doing IT! Literally. That’s it. The thing is, we can get so wrapped up in ideas, taking classes, reading books, and talking about what we are going to do but the truth is, if you don’t implement those things then they’re pointless. Go from an idea to strategy and how you’re going to implement that idea to doing it. Nothing more, nothing less. As soon as I started doing the right things consistently, my business soared. Read more>>

Bri Wenke | Bri Wenke | painter

The creative process is a very fluid one. But it takes certain daily structures to get there in an efficient way. Some people can certainly stumble into the creative process naturally, but I believe career artists understand that there is a deliberate structure behind full freedom at the easel.
Physical discipline is a big one for me. By exerting myself physically in the form of running, weight training, yoga, etc I find that my mind has a chance to get quieter, and more focused. A lot of thoughts run around my monkey mind, anxieties, etc, and true ideas can only surface in an efficient way once I can quiet some of those jumbled thoughts. There is a primal connection between the endurance of the body and endurance of the mind. One feeds the other, and to fully execute a concept start to finish in the form of paint, writing, music, etc, it takes endurance. Read more>>

M.C. Ray | Creative

I definitely think asking for help is one thing that every entrepreneur should practice. Oftentimes we feel that we have all the answers. Whether we are coining something new or doing something innovative or fine tuning a universally known process/product, asking for help is something we need to get used to doing. It takes a team. Be sure to use an many beta testers as you can. While often times it’s great to hear that your family and friends love your product, they are not your, well at least your targeted, audience. You need to make sure a large amount nonbiased individuals who don’t really care to spare your feelings, review your product/business. They will give you insight you might not have thought of as well as navigating at a base level marketing to someone who feels your product is not their cup of tea. Seeking opinions outside of your safe space is a habit we should form early on. Read more>>

Despues Green | Audio Wizard, Passionista

I have been blessed with an unrelenting desire to learn and make progress. So the inherent habit of seeking education mostly through learning others’ experiences has helped me understand the “whys” of a lot of things. I am one of those people who, many times, have to have very sound, objective reasons why I’m doing something in order for me to understand what type of progress and thus end goal I’m working toward. I remember when I stumbled upon “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki and Rich Dad said “Your issue is that you’ve run out of ways to make money.” — monumental for me. I read “The 5AM Club” by Robin Sharma, and it provided me with reasons why waking up earlier in the morning makes for a productive day. And once I put into practice waking up the first time I wake up (which is always super early), doing my work, and then coming to realize it’s still not even 11AM, I felt empowered that I could do more. Read more>>

Edward McGrath | Professional Photographer & Entrepreneur

Consistency, persistency and integrity are the three things I really believe in when it comes to business. I feel in todays world that all three are key to building a business and maintaining professional relationships. Read more>>

Katrina Ayers | Financial Coach

Definitely being coachable. I didn’t come from a background of legit entrepreneurs. So I had to get a mentor a coach and just learn and Implement what they were saying and to this day I’m still like that. Read more>>

Matt Metzger | Actor, Creator, Producer, Stuntman/Coordinator, Writer & Pro Wrestler

For starters, “Always do EVERYTHING” has become a habit of mine for a long while now. I never say no to work, classes or activities. From writing and improv theater to pro wrestling and stunt work. It’s very much a ‘yes and-‘ lifestyle and it’s gotten me pretty far and introduced me to a LOT of wonderful people in the entertainment business. Aside from that, I wake up before 8a.m. (7a.m. if I’m not up late) and ‘work before work’ every day. I take as much time as I can in a given day to try and progress myself in the business. Even if it’s just a simple social media post of a job I did- anything to remind the universe what I do. Read more>>