We asked the community what factors they felt were responsible for their success and we’ve highlighted some of those responses below.

Lauren Maines | Sommelier

The most important factors behind the success of my brand are the intentions that I set when I first created my business. These intentions are the foundation for my business. My primary intention is to enhance your appreciation of wine. Notice I did not say that I want to enhance your knowledge of wine. Why? I firmly believe that the most important thing that you need to know about the wine that is in your glass is whether you like it our not. Wine should not be scary, intimidating, or snobbish! When you break down wine into its most basic form – wine is juice from a grape. Rather than reciting facts and figures about viticulture, production methods, etc. I prefer to share history, stories, and personal connections to the wine, thus enhancing your appreciation. My second intention revolves around the emotional component of wine. Wine is a vessel for bringing people together and it unites us on a level that is greater than we can possibly fathom. Read more>>

Kandice Meylan | Market Manager

Indie Salons Luxury Studios’ mission is to make beauty entrepreneurs successful. We help them achieve their dreams. The most important factor behind our success is our focus on our mission, we look at everything we do from the lens of making new and existing beauty entrepreneurs successful. This focus and the fact that we truly care about our “Indies” (entrepreneurs in our community) success and it shows, are what make us successful. Read more>>

Njeri Akosua | Artist & Designer

The most important factor behind my success right now is trying really really hard to work through the voice of self doubt. Every moment you give to believing you’re not worthy of what you want is a moment you could be moving toward getting what you want. Sometimes I forget that but when I remember I make way cooler stuff and way more money. Read more>>

Kylie B. Peinado | Family Photographer

There are two things I feel are the most important factors behind my success as a small business. The first has to be, hands down, my loyal customers. The customers that tag me on every “looking for a photographer” post they see on Facebook, refer all their friends to me, leave me amazing reviews, and tag me in all of the photos I took for them when they post them on social media. Those customers that are my tribe, my people. I owe SO much to them for being my cheering section! The second would definitely have to be my willingness to be constantly learning and experimenting with what works and what doesn’t. I take classes and retake classes, I am a part of a bunch of Facebook groups for photographers, I live and breathe photography. I know that I can always improve, and I go looking for knowledge almost every single day. Read more>>