Webster doesn’t know everything. Some words can’t be defined by a dictionary. Rather they are defined by our values, ethos, and principles. We asked hidden gems from the community about how they define success and have shared their responses below.

Morgan Ryan | Content Creator & Artist

I can honestly say persistence and failure have been the keys to my success. In times of challenge both in my personal life and/or my brand, I often look towards to legend of the Phoenix. The legend of this mythological bird states that it cyclically regenerates or in other terms is constantly, born again. Associated with the element of fire (the sun), a phoenix obtains new life by rising from its own ashes. This imagery has always uplifted me in times of defeat because, to me, it portrays the nature of ‘try again, all that which you go through, you grow through.’ Many times I have failed and beyond persistence I can honestly say, failure is a second cornerstone to success. This is because, without failure, there’s often no risk, and therefore you never reach new levels. You stay in the mediocrity of comfort. Read more>>

Treva Christopher | Realtor & Mortgage Loan Officer

My drive and passion for helping people. I am very detailed with explaining and a great listener. I’m always educating myself so the I can stay up to date on daily changes in the real estate industry to be the very best for my clients. Read more>>

MoNique LeRoux | Artist, Film Maker & Podcast Host

Realizing how diving deeper into yourself you can unlock so many more ideas and creativity that is very unique to you. Authenticity matters and how you share yourself with others can directly make an impact on your busienss and brand. Once I decided to focus more on what I love about life and the ideas I had, I began to see a change in the way collectors, customers and other artists interacted with me. Things instantly began to feel more natural and passion filled. Read more>>

Brittney Drinkard | Artist, Live Event Artist & Art Teacher

I believe an important factor to success is the company you keep. I try to surround myself with kind people and animals; my fiancé and I have a couple of mini-goats, and I swear it is pure joy. By the grace of God, I have received so much love on this journey. I was blessed with outstanding parents since day one. My family, fiancé, mentors, and friends have always supported my art and loved me for who I am. Then Shannon Moore introduced me to weddings, and my support system continued to encourage. Of course, there will be moments when you struggle on your own, but the way you choose to get back up can be attributed to the people, and lessons, placed in your life. I’m saying who you choose to communicate with as your outlet, your circle, and as your friends can really decide the strength of your drive. I think it’s essential to choose who you share your energy with because the lack of drive can ruin a dream. Read more>>

Mike McDonell | President

While I believe that there are a number of factors that have contributed to the success of Kidventure including the willingness to fail, I believe that the most important is that we have been true to our mission from day one. Businesses get nudged, pushed, and thrown into a lot of different directions for a variety of reasons. However, always staying true to why you began in the first place has been essential to providing us with grounding and a road map to navigate our way forward as an organization. For us that has always meant helping children grow, learn, and be great. When faced with the million of decisions that come along over the course of 26 years, you always have to place that mission at the forefront of the process. Read more>>

Camille Percy | Brand Photographer

Finding a niche has been the biggest key to success in my business. In doing so I focus on a very specific market which requires a specialized skill. I provide women entrepreneurs and creatives with authentic and professional online marketing tools. Women are starting businesses at a rapid rate and they want their branding to match the level of service and products they offer. In this digital age there are so many distractions online and on social media, it’s important to stand out from your competitor while also attracting your ideal clients. I provide services that allow you to do both. Read more>>

Youth Impact | Youth Radio Host & Motivational Speaker

One of the key factors behind Youth Impact success is preparation and commitment. If you plan well and take steps to commit to the process of success. More than likely you will succeed. Read more>>

Marissa Ramirez | Make-up Artist

My passion to create has been the key factor to the success of my business. Developing relationships with my clients, getting to know them, and building the trust to know they are in good hands every time they are in my chair are all very important. My goal is not working FOR them but WITH them as a dream team to execute their visions. Their stories inspire me every day, and I am passionate about using my diverse makeup skills to creatively complement their individuality. I am blessed to be able to make women look and feel their best doing what I love. It truly is a dream come true! Read more>>

Michael and Chih | Co-Founders

It has been over a year since we began our adventure into the world of dumplings. Our journey to follow our dream and build our own business from scratch has been exciting, scary, and rewarding beyond belief. If we had to pick out the most important factor in our success, it would definitely be agility. Here are two short examples of how we applied agility and pivoted in our business model. We began with a small class of six when we first open the doors of DD. Soon after, we were contacted by an individual who asked if we could travel with our operation. We said,” Sure, that sounds fun! How many?” The answer that came, blew us away. 35… people! After we caught our breath, we said we’d be there! Thus, Dumplings-To-Go was born, and the event was a huge success. The second time, we were forced to pivot due to COVID. March 2020, we were going into our biggest month yet. We were a team of 4 at the time and had started production for several outdoor events. Read more>>

Manny Castaneda | Entrepreneur

I think for Whatcha Craving its been our commitment to making every experience special and unique, to make it memorable. We place our priority in adding value to our community whether it be through our food or the relationships we build along the way. I think that has helped us be successful. But our food is pretty good as well. Lol. Read more>>