Every overnight success we’ve seen has been years in the making. And those overnight successes are rarely because of an amazing idea or a stroke of luck. We asked some of our favorite folks from the community about what characteristics are at the heart of their success story?

Jake Weiss | Bagel Boy

The most important factor behind our success can be attributed to a few factors, one being our staff. The employees that we have are the absolute best, they are irreplaceable. The quality of work that they do is outstanding, the care they take in the restaurant and the ownership they have. The second factor I would say, is the loyal following! Our customers are the best, they make this place what it is, a friendly, caring enjoyable environment. Without a great staff and without a core group of loyal customers, we would not be where we are today! Read more>>

Mantas Kubilinskas | Wedding Photography

One of the essential factors of success is hard work and determination. First, you need to believe in yourself and what you do. If you love what you do, you spend a lot of time shaping your craft. I decided to become a photographer. It wasn’t easy at all. First, I thought I would buy a big camera with a big lens, making me a “professional” photographer. Then I learned that a camera is just a tool, and I need to know how to use this tool. Read more>>

Zion (Z Giv) Givens | Culture Worker

The most important factor behind the success is the Takeover Team. A lot of people would not “work” for free for 2 years those people would have bounced and left 2-3 months in, but this team saw the big picture and rode all the waves with me. Those waves included figuring out how we get new equipment to being asked to host some of the most important shows in the Arizona hip-hop culture. Read more>>

Kevin Michaluk | Director of Photography & Studio Owner

Persistence. As a cinematographer, as with all roles in the film industry, it’s important to understand that you will not get hired for every job. You will not always be brought back to work with a director you thought you had collaborated with well. Things will never be as easy as you hope, and the film will never look as stunning or perfect as you imagine. Read more>>

Felix Alanis | HighDroGro developer & CEO

I don’t have a financial success metric per se, other than staying “in the positive.” My biggest success factor is driven by how well I sleep at night, and how well I sleep at night always seems to boil down to 1) are my customers happy? and 2) Are my tents and kits providing the quality that people who buy MY brand, are looking for? For the last year or so I have slept very well and we have grown significantly. So what does this tell me, Read more>>

Natalie Pace | Co-creator of the Earth Gratitude project and the author of the Amazon bestsellers The Power of 8 Billion: It’s Up to Us, Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is, The ABCs of Money, The ABCs of Money for College and The Gratitude Game.

I believe there are a suite of factors that are important. First, in order to have a business, we must have something that we do better than most people. So, there are: * a pursuit of excellence, * natural gifts and talents, * passion, * peer debates * board of advisors All of these are essential to rise above the crowd. Read more>>

Kelsey Cozby | Owner of k.laine design studio

Any small business is only as successful as the relationships that support it! I am so thankful for the friends and past clients that have supported me along the way. Hard work, commitment to doing the right thing and serving clients with integrity, and support from friends and and past clients has been the key to a successful and growing business the past 6 years. Read more>>

Shae Coon | Author and book cover designer

Listening and being honest with clients– not charging them an arm and a leg but still giving the quality work helps too😁 Read more>>

Rebekah Hibbert | Director of Sports Medicine, Spooner

In the world of sports medicine, it is easy to become competitive but the only way to build a successful brand is to be collaborative. That can be a lot more difficult as it requires individuals to drop their ego, understand there is always something to learn, and that no one can do it alone. Athletes require a team to take care of them, they want to know that everyone has their best interest as the center of their care, and you cannot do that without collaboration amongst sports medicine professionals. Read more>>

Talita Guerrero | Entrepreneur

The most important factor behind my success is maintaining my integrity and mission, when we started Right Key Mortgage we realized most lenders and brokers treated clients very much like a number, we wanted to change that in the industry and provide our clients with the support they really needed. Our slogan became “We’re the company that cares” and we truly do care about our customers and the process, our whole company culture is based off of that and our staff is very much like family. Read more>>