We asked rising stars from the community one of our favorite questions:  other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?

Alexandria Grado | CEO & Hairstylist at The Glam House

I feel that taking a leap of faith in myself and doing what was best for me and my daughter was the most overwhelming decision i had ever made in my entire life, there wasn’t a certainty of success but failure wasn’t an option so i knew i needed to decide in that moment if i wanted to succeed i need to do something bigger so i made a vow to myself that i would always be consistent in everything i do and helping everyone on my team succeed so there for i succeed but it had to be genuine so i decided to be dedicated to my staffs excellence and i strive for everyone of them to be the best version of themselves because that is the only way they will be happy and therefore successful. Read more>>

D Fritz | Photographer

The most important decision that I made for my business was knowing that I wanted to diversify the wedding industry. The wedding /elopement industry features mostly white/cis/heterosexual couples; and those aren’t the only people that get married. I knew that I wanted to provide services and visibility to the folks that are not often represented. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I started there, and then branched out. I made sure that my website and social media showed every kind of person that I worked with, and every identity; to affirm that every kind of love is valid. Read more>>

Bia Magurn | Owner and Lead Designer of the Painted Primrose Co. & Bitterroot Studio

I believe the single most important decision I’ve made that has contributed to the success of my business has been the decision to specialize in wedding and event flowers. The way that I chose to specialize has allowed me and my business to become experts in a niche and become well known in the wedding industry. Instead of trying to cover all the bases and be event floral designers and traditional florists that also cater to the wider public and spreading ourselves too thin, we are able to excel in one area and develop an established brand within a specific network. Read more>>