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.

Christin Ortiz | Honey Works Photography | Maternity, Birth, Newborn & Family Photographer

I’m probably a little bit off the beaten path as I don’t measure my success in the number of clients I have or amount of money that I am able to make. My goals are deeper than that. I’m successful every time I can give others the best experience I can while documenting their authentic selves. The experience of taking your photo, is just as relevant as the end product of photographs. When I allow those that I photograph to be themselves; real, authentic and natural, as God created them, then I feel successful. Read more>>

Andrew Renteria | Taquero & Former Child

For me: I think success is about the satisfaction we get for the work we put in. You could have a successful career, a successful marriage or a successful business but it took work to make it successful, right? Was it worth it to you? Yes?! Success! Read more>>

Gabby Soriano | Photographer & Owner of Glympse Photography

Success, to me, means that you’ve found a way to be happy and authentically you in whatever you’re doing. It’s not defined by money or status, but personal fulfillment. Money and success can be lost in an instant, but this kind of success sticks. Read more>>

Isaiah Flores | Visual Artist

When it comes to my work, success comes in many forms. How I define success: the process that goes into my art, if there’s a story behind it that I can understand, stepping back and letting my work take hold of me and invoking emotion. Even if my art doesn’t do the desired effect from time to time I dont disregard it, my success was the attempt made. The failed experiment turns into a mental note of a new approach. Read more>>