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

LaPortia Frazier | Chief Operating Officer and Angera Bolton | Chief Executive Officer

We believe the most important factor behind the success of T.R.I.B.E. Of Georgia, Incorporated is the support of family and friends. T.R.I.B.E.’s , as we affectionately like to call our organization, mission is to create a safe space for women to become their higher selves. We seek to mentor and encourage high school aged young ladies by focusing on our four Jewels :Friendship, Community, Life Skills and Wellness. In our first year of operating we relied on friends and family for fundraising, volunteering and spreading the news about our non-profit organization. The Jewels that we chose to instill in our mentees are the very things that we needed ourselves . Our journey with T.R.I.B.E. is teaching us to tap into our resources. As we use social media and word mouth to gain exposure , more people have contacted us to collaborate on various projects. At some point we all need support from someone else. We are happy to know that T.R.I.B.E. has surrounded itself with people who want to see and be apart of the success. With that in mind , we can say the organization is living to its name. Read more>>

Mojo. @JustMojoPeriod | Artist & Serial Entrepreneur

The most important is God & my faith. It’s honestly what drives me when I’m feeling great and even when I’m not feeling it at all. Being a business owner isn’t all peaches ‘ cream! Sometimes you have to self motivate yourself especially on days when the support is dry and the money is low. You always have to remember where your help comes from. Also, surround yourself with likeminded people. My team plays a big part as well because I don’t do any of it alone. They always push me to be better, go bigger and I’m thankful for that!. Read more>>

Brian Henderson | Director

The most important factor behind the success of the brand is having a hardworking team. In the industry that I’m in its important to have people around you that are not going to be lazy. You can only get so far doing things by yourself, a one man army doing lights, editing, directing, taking photos and sound can get overwhealming .The quality you get from a team dwarfs a single person doing everything. Read more>>

Livefromthecity | Songwriter, Performer & Producer

I believe the most important factor behind the success of my brand has been authenticity. I don’t try to present my brand nor myself as anything I do not believe it to be. My approach is basically, “What you see is what you get”. I wear my heart on my sleeve and that helps me connect to those who’ve been supporting me throughout the country. Read more>>

Happiness Nwozuzu | Registered Nurse & Blogger

The people I influence is the major part of my success, and the face of my brand. “Nursehappiness” is not only a platform on Instagram that I use to post my nursing journey, but I also advise, speak, and have great conversations with other nurses, students, and healthcare professionals. Having a place where people can meet and talk about important matters drives what I do 100%. Read more>>

Grant Troutman | Cocreator of Awaken Education LLC & Superheroes Club

The secret to our success and the secret panacea we are waiting for the world to discover is the children. We try to never lose sight of our intention and mission to empower all children in our programs. This single idea, has guided me professionally for the last 15 years, and on an instinctual level since I left the innocence of childhood. Every child is capable and has a gift to share with the world. Once they believe this about themselves, everything else becomes possible. Things are more complicated with adults, but with children it is simple. The truth is always that we are stronger together and that putting time and energy into helping children develop an awareness of the infinite gifts inside of them is ALWAYS a good choice. Providing a truly fun environment where children can explore and learn from nature while developing social skills that challenge them to think outside of the box, solve their problems, practice flexibility and develop resiliency is our mission and the reason for our success. It is never about us; it is about the children. Read more>>

Csandra Rosetta | Artisan Jewelry Designer

Persistence. There were hurdles in learning what kind of jewelry I wanted to create, techniques to improve my designs, and how to best market myself and my brand. I had to accept that I would have failures before I would have success. I would work on a technique for weeks only to find myself unsatisfied with the end result, take a few days to regroup, and then try something new until I created something I loved. There were certainly days where I wanted to give up – there still are – but I look at my family and the life I allow myself to live by working for myself and it inspires me to keep pushing. My brand has evolved remarkably over just the past year as I found what worked and didn’t work for my style and vision. That persistence has allowed me to expand from online retail to wholesale in just under a year of launching!. Read more>>

Kelsey Edwards | Co-Founder and Creative Director at The Ballog

Our mission is to support artisans who are local, independent and socially conscious. We want to create a shopping experience with a purpose – to encourage people to think more about their consumption, understand that there are actual people behind the products they purchase and see the effect their dollar has on their community and the world. I think once we determined the “why” behind The Ballog, we were able to become even more intentional with our products and decisions and that is when we really began to see success. Having a mission behind the shop helps us press on when faced with hard days and makes the good days even more impactful. Read more>>

lisa williams | Commercial Door & Specialty Distributer, Owner

There are 3 important characteristics that have contributed to the success of Cap8 Doors & Hardware: 1) Good/Great Employees- Exercising judicious decision making around hiring and firing of resources is one of the most critical components in ensuring our success. Ultimately, you can have the best process, products and services in place, but if you have employees who are unable or unwilling to execute effectively, you will fail. 2) Tenacity – The construction industry is a tough and competitive marketspace. In short, there are a lot of factors that can not be controlled and there are oftentimes challenging personalities. In order to thrive in this industry, you have to have tenacity and grit. There will be a lot of barriers thrown in your direction in every industry, but it is critical that you barrel through the barriers. 3) Faith – My faith is the cornerstone to my success. Overtime you realize that there will be financial cyclicality in any business and you have to maintain the wherewithal to withstand these challenges. Faith and the ability to trust in God is is paramount to success and emotional/spiritual wholeness. Read more>>

Rachel Puckett | Floral and Event Designer

The love and intension I put into my work. Flowers are almost always used to show someone you love/care/are thinking of them, or part of a celebration such as marriage. Being a florist, I get to play a role crucial in that! I put love and excitement into each arrangement, bouquet and installation. I am sincerely honored to be part of those moments with my clients. Read more>>

Antuan Wright | Editor In Chief & Media Plug

One word and one word only, consistency. Read more>>

Bryce Cobbs | Artist

I would say that the most important factor behind success would be my willingness to accept a challenge. The many times I decided to step out of my comfort zone and do things i wasn’t used to doing involving my creativity, were the times i learned the most. For example, taking on projects that might’ve been scary or intimidating, or even something as small as trying out a new material. These types of things allowed me to grow and become a better artist. Read more>>

Jaeden Henderson | Singer, Songwriter, & Graphic Designer

FAITH!! One of the biggest factors behind my success thus far has been my faith. I have RADICAL faith, and there is nothing I won’t believe God for. Since I begin singing at 5 years old, I have believed God for anything that I could imagine concerning my success, and I have seen many things that I believed for come to fruition and manifest. So, it is my belief that my Radical Faith, alongside my willingness to submit to the will of God for my life, and my passionate hard work have granted me unmerited favor and success. I stand on the word that faith without works is dead because I have seen that combination work in my life. I realize that the success of me and my brand solely rests in this truth. For me the formula is simple, FAITH + “DOING THE WORK” + A WILLING HEART = UNMERITED FAVOR & SUCCESS. Read more>>

Lanasia Angelina | Life Coach, Author, Founder of Rise Coaching Agency

The most important factor behind my success and the success of my brand is faith. Everything that I am and that my company is, is a manifestation of simply believing in God’s promise and completing the actions that reflect my belief. Before I had even known what a coach was, I began taking steps to learn more about it because it was revealed to me that I was called to serve at this capacity. Before I had ever helped one person, I believed that it could be done and that I was the one to do it. Before I had ever secured one client or partnership, I could see the vision. Before I ever had a team, I prayed for God to align me with the people that I needed to carry out the mission. And today, my agency has not yet made our mark in international territory but I can confidently tell you that it’s happening because my faith tells me so. Read more>>

Brandon Dunn | Professional Entertainer and Multi-Business Owner

Customer Service – it’s the key to WellDunn Entertainment’s success. Mainly because we are a service-only providing company. The magnitude of our bookings, referrals, advertisement thrives from a happy client simply sharing their experience with us to the next person. The process works and has not failed our business model and we appreciate every single one of our trusted customers for their support. Read more>>

Ron Hsu | Chef & Restauranteur

I think it’s important to start with a product that has high impact and high aspirations. If you have those 2 items then you have will have more appeal to potential team members. Your goals for the business have to appeal to a higher sense in order to have a team that is truly vested. Read more>>

Tylissa Lockhart | Journalist & Digital Creator

My compassion & empathy. I created a community of individuals within the music & creative industry to share their life experiences with work and relationships. Many people cannot openly communicate their frustrations or ask important questions because there may not be many resources available. I created a safe space for artists to be themselves unapologetically while also sharing information & knowledge that may not be significantly known or easily accessible. I allow people to share their viewpoints in a judgment-free zone and emphasize the importance of mental health. Artists and creators gravitate towards my brand because they feel heard & understood. I appreciate that so much about my brand because there weren’t too many safe spaces like this for me. Read more>>

Justin Hill | Founder

Helping people make informed decisions about how and where to travel. Originally, we compared every mode of transportation between cities – things like buses, trains, flights, and ferries. During the pandemic, we have pivoted quite a bit to include traveling safely during COVID-19. Providing all of this information in one place achieves our double bottom line. Read more>>

Mackenzie “Macknificent” Adkins | Singer & Song Writer

The most important factor behind my success would have to be my drive and consistency. Ever since I decided to sing, full time, I have not stopped creating and putting out content. This has pushed me faster and closer to reaching my full potential. In the music industry the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. I have made a vow to myself to go get the life I want, and with that being said, I have to work hard to obtain it. The only way to get more success is to keep going and doing more. Read more>>