Through our work we have been constantly amazed at the incredible things people in every neighborhood are working on. What’s even more exciting is that they all have different stories, backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses. That there isn’t a single formula for success means that everyone can take their unique set of strengths and characteristics and turn it into a success story. We recently reached out to some folks we admire and asked them what characteristics they feel are responsible for their success.

Hank Robinson | Engraver

Hard work. It sounds cliche I know, however nothing else has gotten me as far. The lane my business is in, is really being paved as I go. I am in a constant creative “work” mode, taking in ideas and working to push the envelope, think outside of the box and create something new regardless of what others think. Read more>>

Daniel Harris | Small Business Owner & Designer

The most important factor behind the success of my company is the fact that I started it all on my own from nothing. All my hard work and dedication paid off and it all goes towards helping local companies elevate their brand. Read more>>

Shana Velazquez | Hair Salon Owner

Quality. My success is based on fantastic customer service, thorough consultations, clear expectations on the services/products guests will receive and a strong delivery. Every client is important. Word of mouth is still extremely important marketing to focus on when building a business. You want to create raving fans that can spread the word. To do this you have to follow through on what you’re offering. Read more>>

Jeffrey Waymire-Crone | Owner- Air Support Heating & Cooling

My HVAC career has taught me to never stop learning. Early on in my career I learned from a lot of my mentors that nobody knows everything! With the ever changing technology, new methods of doing things, and the demand for energy efficiency there is always new things to learn, that is one of the many reasons I love this industry. I like to think that I carry that same mentality into my family and personal life, stay humble and always keep learning and adapting. Read more>>

J Reid | PRMRCDS Owner & Musician

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned that you can not control anything. Even the things you think you can control will always find a way to show you that you have no control over them. Stay true to yourself and continue on the path you chose to follow. In music, it is especially easy for one to “sell out” or do disingenuous things to make more money. Following fads will result in you falling off as fast as that fad came. I used to be obsessed with the idea of being a 20-year-old grammy-winning arena touring musical savant, but as I grow older (25), I realize that the only thing that matters is the quality of the product I’m putting out. I’m very very happy you guys didn’t hear a lot of the music I was making at 18 and 19 years old because that does not describe the person I’ve grown into. I say all of this to come back to my original point, you can’t control anything. Work hard trust the process, do your homework and work hard as hell. The results you’re looking for will come to you, don’t go chasing them. Read more>>

Jeremy “Jay” Cash | Gym Owner

The most important lesson I’ve learned in business is that not everyone will see your vision. There will always be the naysayers and doubters but thats just white noise. The only person who has to believe is YOU!. Read more>>

Becca Rowley | Artist

Being my own employer has taught me so many things, as I’m sure for most. Honestly, I don’t have a one most important lesson, but 2 major lessons that creating my own business have taught me that really go hand in hand together. STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND JUST DO IT. MAKE TIME FOR YOUR BUSINESS. Before I was finally able to quit my serving/bartending job, I kept making up excuses as to why I was too “busy” to get the ball rolling. Finally I decided to force myself to make actual time, and dedicated hours to put work into staring up my own business. Research, reaching out to people, offering to do small art projects to get my name more out there.
I found myself feeling a bit out of my league, again with excuses, and kept falling back and not growing. So once again, learning the lesson of stop making up excuses and just do it. Prioritizing making time to work on things like social media posts, building a website, creating new content and sticking with it has really got me to the place I am now. Piggy backing on that, prioritizing time to allow my self to get inspired. Read more>>