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.

Maurice Abelman | Artist and Educator

The most important factor of success starts internally with your drive. Everyone wants to be successful but not everyone has the drive to go out there and get it. If you have a strong drive and the means to do it, you can can do just about anything. Read more>>

Toni Schulze | Owner & Creator

In an industry that is supersaturated, the most important thing I have done to ensure my success is simply to stand out from the crowd and just be myself. What makes my products different from everyone else’s under the same umbrella is ME. I put my unique touch on everything that I do and my brand has built up around that. The beauty of having this business that is my own is the option to do what I want with it. There are no rules holding me back from the creative freedom that I have in everything that I create. My imagination is the limit and ideas flow daily from everyday life and my interactions with those around me. I have had such a diverse employment background in everything from esthetics, to retail cosmetic sales and small business management (to name a few) that have cultivated the very perfect set of skills to efficiently run my particular small business. There will always be challenges in growing my brand, but as long as I remember to keep ME in the equation the success will continue to come. Read more>>

Stephen Marchione | Master Luthier

I would say the key contributing factors to my success have been

– Receiving a guitar performance BA from Naropa University
– Studying spanish art and culture at Cooper Union
-Completing an SBA business program at Baruch College
-Receiving training from a variety of people knowledgeable in craftsmanship, music, and business professionalism Read more>>

Lydia Gallagher | Brand Coach and Photographer

The backbone of my business revolves around one simple truth for me as a human and as a business owner: The legacy I’m writing and sharing does not begin or end with my story. Being an Indigenous woman is my absolute privilege, being a business owner is my commitment to the world. I am Seneca (Snipe Clan) and being born and raised on the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation came with it’s challenges and insights. I am the result of a loving marriage, years of being a student in the coaching world, and I come from 400 generations of mothers. That humbling truth brought me home to the deeply rooted belief that when it comes to business, my foundation is built on Legacy. What is the legacy my life and business are carrying on and what stumbling blocks end with me before being passed on? This exploration has been a personal journey and now is a part of my 7 Generations Coaching Program while I guide service-based entrepreneurs build their own Legacy Brand. Read more>>

Ap Artcraz | Freehand/Freestyle artist

Confidence and originality. Confidence in self I believe is the key to success, and originality is the driving force that pushes me to an astronomical level of success. Read more>>