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

Mim Bartos | Occupational Therapist

I am passionate about what I do. I feel like I was meant to be engaged in this line of work and that I am living into my calling. I am an occupational therapist specialized in treating sensory processing disorder and disorders of regulation. I primarily work with children and families, but consult with adults as well. From a very young age I’ve been able to connect with others and relate to their experiences. As a teenager, working in a day program for kids and young adults with disabilities, I immediately connected with and could calm a boy who struggled with regulation when other staff members could not. At the time, I didn’t understand why the other staff members had so much trouble, but reflecting back over the years, I realized that I was experiencing the benefits of a gift that allowed me to connect in such a way. My own life experiences, associated with sensory processing difficulties and past trauma, have molded me for this work and guided my interests for continuing education. Read more>>

Julie Kessler | Story teller, Photo Collection Preservation, Owner

We take good care of our client’s legacy by providing personal, concierge services. Read more>>

Samantha Schultz | Modern Pentathlete and Army Solider Qualified for The Tokyo 2021 Olympics

I feel there are a lot of factors that have lead to my success as an athlete and in other aspects of my life. One thing in particular is working hard and showing up with the mentality that I am capable of what I set my mind to. I may fail or struggle, but if I show up each day and continue to push myself mentally and physically, over time, I will see results. This doesn’t mean that all days are perfect. There are days where I feel that I’ve taken two steps back. However, my ability to remain consistent always pays off and the progress will continue to move upward over time. Part of this also entails surrounding myself with positive people and support systems to help push me when things get hard. Remaining humble and knowing that I have more room to grow helps to remind me that my journey is a process and it will often times look much different from others around me. Stay humble and work hard is a motto that I always try to remember. Read more>>

Maria Bales | an Adovacate for Mental Health and The Prevention of Teen Suicide.

I would say the most important factor behind Brought to Reality (BTR) is that our son Nick created BTR. Nick is an entrepreneur at heart. He also struggles with anxiety and depression and creating artwork for his clothing brand was one of the ways he would cope. On September 29, 2018, at the young age of 17, Nick ended his life by suicide. Our hearts are broken forever, but we refuse to let that stop us. BTR brings awareness to teen mental health. If you wear BTR you either struggle with a mental illness, know someone who does, or want to help those that struggle. I believe our brand is successful because our mission is to end the stigma surrounding mental health and the prevention of teen suicide. Read more>>

Emily Teater | Commercial Photographer + Content Creator

Perseverance and setting S.M.A.R.T realistic goals. As a commercial photographer, I have bid on many jobs. It was a learning curve at first and one that resulted in getting told “no” many times. Even though I know more now than I did at first, getting told “no” or passed over for jobs is part of the business. If I had let those lost jobs deter me, I would have never gotten to where I am now. Perseverance is hard, especially on the days you lost the jobs you wanted most but in the end it’s what has brought has me the most success. In the words of Dori- Just keep swimming. As a content creator I learned that gaining clientele was going to be a long (sometimes uphill) and winding road. But right before I started this business I learned about setting S.M.A.R.T goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely and the road became easier to navigate. I now have built a thriving business that keeps me busy year round but keeping growth goals SMART, keeps me on track each day without ever feeling overwhelmed. Read more>>

Lauren Butts | Founder

Keeping it real. Read more>>

Christy Bebout | Massage Therapist, Esthetician & Ashiatsu Instructor

The most important factor behind my success in teaching other Massage Therapists is my passion to not only help the client’s they work on, but to help them be able to do so without causing pain to their own bodies in the process. DeepFeet Bar Therapy Ashiatsu and Sarga Bodywork allows the Massage Therapist to extend their career for years beyond what traditional massage would allow. The brand DeepFeet Bar Therapy were the pioneers in this particular modality in 1995 here in the United States. We provide in depth training with our students with the highest of integrity. Read more>>

Jenna A. Rice | Photographer and Filmmaker

Building lasting relationships with my clients and colleagues, and always striving to better myself as a photographer. Read more>>

Morgan Turley | Nurse Practitioner & Author

The most important factor behind my book, Battleground: a young nurse’s journey through chronic illness, is my faith. It’s not easy to be vulnerable with others about something so personal as chronic illness. My faith journey through my chronic illnesses has had its successes and trials, and I try to be candid about the struggle I have been through. I reach people through honesty and vulnerability, but give them a way to find hope through it all. My faith is all about showing how God transforms tragedy into something good and useful. As a nurse, I’ve been on both sides of the equation: the health care side and the patient side. My book illustrates the dichotomy of the medical field and the human experience of chronic disease. It’s vital to validate the difficulty of chronic illness, but to also find a way to be productive through it. There’s no easy healing when it comes to chronic illness, and my book is there for solidarity, education, and encouragement. Read more>>

Josh Franklin | Co-Owner

We believe there a two factors that have encouraged the city of Colorado Springs to embrace ICONS. First, the entertainment aspect. Every bartender at ICONS is a professional singer which was essential for the owners who both have a history of performing in Broadway shows. Second, being an unapologetically gay bar in a historically discriminatory city. Turns out when a community has been oppressed for decades, they’re eager to celebrate their pride at a fun and entertaining lgbtqia+ establishment. Read more>>

Brisa Duarte | Owner of BC House Cleaning Services

Trustworthy and reliable. Read more>>

Su Kaiden Cho | Installation Artist/Sculptor/Painter

The most important factors behind my work, and/or “success” is my audience. My work being immersive and interactive, I allow the audience to engage with my art based on their own perspectives; exploration, not only for the artist, but for those who come in to contact with the art is an integral part of my work. Inclusion is a key factor in my installations and my sculptures. Approaching all art is based upon the personal experiences of both artist and viewer and is the ultimate medium for diversity and inclusiveness. I’d like to share the thought of incubator in my work, a safe space where I aspire the audience to approach my work and experience it in their own perceptions, such as: challenging norms, race, diversity, acceptance, self-struggle, gender neutral ground, is less about feminine or masculine, but predominantly about being a human being. My mission is to bring in otherness, acceptance, challenging norms and inclusion. It is very important for the communities to become more self-aware of their inclusiveness. Read more>>

Madelyn Hadel | Creator Behind Rebellelion

Rebellelion’s commitment to ethically made & sustainable fashion is absolutely essential to the success of the brand. I have limited access to supplies when I only shop from companies that align with Rebellelion’s eco-friendly ethos, but it’s exciting that sos many of the brands I get my supplies from are pioneers in eco-friendly production. There are many situations in which I could make larger profit margins if I didn’t purchase ethically & sustainably. There are many processes of recycling materials that can be so tedious and time consuming. Some may have the perspective that it is simply more expensive & more labor to run an ethical brand and therefore it isn’t worth the effort. My perspective is that the environment and the people are absolutely worth the effort & investment, I’m not afraid of hard work. Read more>>

Lisa Siciliano | Photographer, Owner Dog Daze Photo

I believe the single most important factor behind the success of Dog Daze Photo & my entire photography career is staying true to myself! I do many things in an unconventional manor & have my own very unique way of shooting, particularly my concert & documentary work as I shoot it 100% on b/w film, and I’ve gotten a lot of flak because of it, over the years, even lost a few jobs along the way, but it is also the one thing that sets me apart. I think whoever you are, whatever you do, always do you. Read more>>

John Kadlic | CEO & Owner at Parallel Path, a Digital Marketing Agency

On a personal level, I think it is important to take a genuine interest in people and to know what is important to them. Most of my success in business can be greatly attributed to having high quality relationships with a wide range of people that have helped me along my journey, made connections to other great people or have been a sounding board for me when I need it. For our brand at Parallel Path, the number one factor for our success has been having a clear focus and vision. We help ambitious health, wellness and lifestyle brands grow faster through the power of digital-first marketing. Knowing who we are and where we excel gives us great clarity to make smart decisions to help our team, our business and our clients and also know when to say no to something that doesn’t advance our ambitions. Read more>>

Victoria Robinson | Balayage Artist

It’s important to me that my brand is built with honesty and integrity every step of the way. Read more>>

Dhiana Kho | Business Owner

When we decided to open Doppio Coffee in 2018, our goal was to successfully serve good coffee and food to an amazing community. We continuously strive to bring joy to our customers, but we realized that the only way that we could succeed in this task is to form a strong team of kind, serving, and passionate baristas. We are so proud to have a team that consists of that today. Read more>>

 

Nicolr Wolsey-Neech | Gift Store Owner

Saving money once we started turning a profit. My mom was in the banking industry for years and told me when I opened up my business to save money once we started turning a profit. That has helped us especially this year. When we had to close for a few months this year due to Covid-19 we were lucky that we had some money to live on and that we could pay rent and utilities on a space that was sitting there closed. People tend to throw all their profits back into their business…and mostly we do but save some money as well. Read more>>

Nick Zelinger | Book Designer & Musician

Being consistent and responsible. Meeting deadlines and keeping to agreed-upon schedules. Being flexible and available, and open to opinions. I view the work I do for clients (authors) as a collaboration: It is a team effort to create a product they can be proud of. Read more>>

Mary Dohrman | Founder and Lead Therapist of The Golden Wellness Center

If I have learned anything from being a female business owner, it’s that I can do anything I put my attention! The mantra I say to myself is, “Where attention goes, energy flows.” This transfers in to The Wellness Center as well. With my clients, my employees, even the space itself. I find that where I put my attention, it blooms into life. The self-confidence that I have gathered along the way of building The Golden Wellness Center has been transformational. Read more>>