Through our work we have been constantly amazed at the incredible things people in every neighborhood working on. What’s even more exciting is that money is rarely what drives most of the people we’ve connected with, and so we thought it would be great to have some of those folks share their perspective on how they define success.

J.D. Netto | Author

Success is doing what you love and having the spare time to do even more! I’ve been a published author since 2012. I learned to draw before I could write. My passion for storytelling started at a young age. I enjoyed drawing my own characters and writing about fictional universes. I won’t say the journey to get here was easy. Nothing about putting your blood, sweat, and tears on paper is. Read more>>

MC Rosenfeld-Mercier | Fashion Blogger/Entrepreneur & Singer

Success can be interpreted differently and in so many ways. Success can be measured in ways as financially, emotionally or just being able to achieve certain goals and ambitions an individual may have. For me, when I was younger, I always thought that being successful is by being rich, famous and powerful but as I grew older and experienced different and very impactful experiences in my life that helped me shape my individuality; then I realized that for me: success is having stability. Read more>>

Maria Belen Manino | Makeup Artist

The true meaning of success goes way beyond the common definition of success. Everyone wants to be successful but everyone has a different definition to what success is. There is no one size fits all answer. I personally classify success to be a decision; the decision to have a goal and to embark on the journey towards that desired goal. Success however, is a decision that requires much more than just a goal, it requires ambition, discipline, consistency and faith. Read more>>

Jessica Tully | Founder of Palmpress

Still figuring this out, but I recognize that I feel great and successful when I’m really into what I’m doing or working on at the moment. When I only value what’s ahead, it can make my day-to-day feel like it’s never enough which isn’t motivating. So, I think success is when you’re *engaged* in your actions *today*. Feeling engaged is important because apathy definitely won’t make you feel successful or appreciative. “Today” is important because you won’t feel successful if you didn’t recognize your effort. Read more>>

Kay Kiria | Painter & Poet

Living out a significant life filled with purpose, passion and balance creates my defined success. Establishing meaningful work that touches the hearts and souls of others is a calling for me. Knowing my paintings and poetry enrich the lives of my collectors, art lovers and the one stranger who is left with an inspired experience is gratifying to my heart. As an artist and art instructor, my intention is to leave a lasting memory and engrave an impact in other people’s lives. Read more>>