We asked some of the city’s rising stars to reflect on what made a difference in their journey. We asked them to tell us about what they think the most important factor has been behind their success.

Coach Kit and Coach Zee | Certified Christian Life and Career Coaches – The Flourish Tribe, LLC

“The 4 C’s” – Coaching, Content, Consistency and Community. Through our transformational life and career coaching, we inspire, encourage and empower Christian women across the world to FLOURISH like the Queens they are. We consistently spread light, love and positivity to our global community through inspiring faith-based digital content and life-changing resources. Thanks to all the love and support from OUR TRIBE, we have continued to grow in more ways than we could ever imagine. Read more>>

Maddie Love | President/Founder of Love & Paws Rescue, Owner/Manager of Ruff Resort & Spa

I believe my success comes from my great passion towards caring for animals, specifically dogs. I have been obsessed with dogs ever since I can remember! I would ask my mom for different dog stuffed animals whenever we went to the toy store and remember my dad testing my dog breed knowledge asking “what kind of dog is that?” whenever we would drive to school in the mornings. I always knew I would be working with dogs in the future because my passion was so fierce. Read more>>

Sunita Ritesh | Interior Designer & Entrepreneur

There are so many factors that together form the formula for success of any brand, but for my brand I think the top most have been my people. In the form of clients, friends, my cheer leaders, my team of contractors, my family and many more who are my cheerleaders. My brand has literally being marketed by all these people. Each time a client sends a reference my way or recommends me to someone that is a testimony that they would personally work with me again. Emotions are very high in my line of work. When you are working on a design for someone’s space, there are real people involved. People who might be having a bad day, are not clear on what they want for their house, people who want something but don’t have the budget, people who don’t have the patience in the process to be evolving, contractors that are getting frustrated etc etc.. so there are lot of emotional involvement. But the end result is always a success. And once we are through that and when I receive testimonials and references from these same people, that is my success.. My People! Read more>>

Kelsey Powell | Owner of Pineywoods Pie Co

I feel like the most important part of our success at Pineywoods Pie Company is delivering a product to our customers that is uniquely special and unlike anything they could purchase elsewhere. We hand roll and hand crimp every single pie crust. We hand juice and zest our key limes, every single detail is handmade down to the salted caramel and fresh whip cream. Along with the quality of our baked goods we have formed a tight-knit relationship with our community that has helped Pineywoods grow exponentially to bring us to where we are today. Read more>>

Esteban Blanco | Chief Geek Officer

I feel like the the most important factor behind it was hard work. I was very fortunate to have people around me that own businesses that sat me down and “showed me the ropes.” One of them even showed me his business plan and taught me how to do a business plan like his. Another one had coffee with me and taught me the fundamentals. After all these men and women sowed into me and showed me what I needed to do, I set out to work very hard, provide the absolute best customer service possible and give my clients the absolute best we have. I say to my guys “there is an I.T. way of doing things, and then there is the Blanco I.T. way of doing things” and that at the end of the day is trying to achieve excellence every single day. Read more>>

Aida Magaña Ortiz | Cardio, barre and functional instructor

My community! There are many factors that influence the success of a project. In my personal experience, patience, hard work, sacrifices and courage are a few. But without hesitation, building a strong community is the key factor that has always impacted my business in the most incredible ways. I knew having a strong community was important, but i really faced it when the pandemic hit our lives. All the incredible women that i had next to me, all those clients that became family, all of them were a key piece in the evolution of my Studio. They made the path so enjoyable while having to adapt to the virtual world. They support me or my business any time we need them. Read more>>