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.

Jovanna Joseph | Founder & Design Director at Prime Projects

We have found success in Interior Design by partnering with clients who are also designers at heart. Our clientele has a visual eye and something to say. We have a strong sense of responsibility towards our clients and their involvement is integral to the success of our projects. I see these relationships as a collaboration. Read more>>

Meagan Maldonado | Party Specialist

Being true to myself and my brand. Being able to say no to opportunities that do not align with me. Everything I create is special and personal and I want that to always be reflected in what I do. The way I create, communicate, and who I align myself with in business is most important. Read more>>

JayJay Goodvin | Chief Explorer

We always say, “you can’t spell routine without rut”, on The Iowa Gallivant. Stick to your specialties, but always encourage yourself, and your fan base, to never stop trying to mix it up a little during your travels. That’s what has driven myself and our entertaining brand since 2014. And remember our slogan…..Our favorite destination is the next one! Read more>>

Erin Clarkson | Savannah First-Timer’s Guide

Building a sense of community has been one of the most important factors behind my brand’s success. Have you ever planned a trip to a destination and found yourself wishing you knew someone local who could help you out with the details — someone who would give you honest answers and tell you the truth if you were (for example) planning to stay in an unsafe area or were making reservations to dine at an overpriced tourist trap? Read more>>

Arina Zhirkova | Founder and Organizer of Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup

The most important factor behind my success is staying organized, up to schedule, and consistent. When you have those things, it becomes easier to guide groups of people. My goal is to make individuals happy and enjoy what they are doing. It takes me roughly 5 hours per week to work the logistics, organize, and plan the cleanup. This takes a lot of effort and dedication to lead beach cleanups as I must work out its location, time, as well as complete all the small, but important steps, to make my cleanup fun, successful, and impactful. Read more>>

Dan Maxwell | CEO Marketing Firm|Adventure-preneur

Willingness. I believe that the willingness to work through hard problems and present a useful solution that my competitors might not be comfortable with can set us apart. The most important quality I look for when recruiting staff is that they have the willingness to do great work. It is my wholehearted belief that most people can be great at the thing they are willing to set their mind to, they must choose to be invested in learning, trial, error, and ultimately execution.  Read more>>

Garret Wing | Professional Dog Trainer & Online Dog Training Instructor

The most important factor behind the success of our business is ultimately the long-term success of our clients and their dogs. In other words, the quality, reliability and lifetime guarantee of the product we provide to our clients through the training we instill in their pet dogs is what has created an amazing experience that lasts a lifetime. This has resulted in a seemingly endless supply of referrals from an ever-growing base of highly satisfied clients who are also seeking quality over affordability. Good dog training is not cheap and cheap dog training is not good! Read more>>

Chris Spinoza | Musician

I firmly believe the most important factor behind my success is the “persona” I use when making music, that of an anti-hero who is gifted in his craft but is constantly on the precipice between good & evil. People can relate because anti-heroes are often misunderstood good guys who by one way or another became more reluctant to following through on what they should and shouldn’t do. It is a constant echo of morality but with the ultimate message being “This guy/girl is tormented but their conscience never waivers, good will always prevail.” Read more>>

Christina Perez-Gurri Ash | Partner at Perez-Gurri Law

The success of my business is due much in part to serving our community with excellence. As a personal injury law firm, we know that our clients are going through a difficult time in their lives, so we empathize with them. We make ourselves available any time of the day any day of the week. All my clients have my cell phone number and know they can reach out to me without hesitation. What sets my firm apart is our communication with our clients. Read more>>

Anastasia Khokholkova | Proud owner of Happy Happy Soft Play mobile playground

Discipline, passion and dedication Read more>>

Sagiv Israeli | Business entrepreneur

I believe that the most important factor behind my success is determination and consistency I believe that without consistency even the greatest idea will not come to life. You must know what you want and don’t give up till you get it Read more>>

Dario Belić | Art Director & Photographer

Constantly learning new skills and sharpening old ones. It helped me always be on the lookout for new ways to do things easier or even automate them. People hire you to solve their problems and if you can do it faster and more efficiently that is a big plus for you and them. Read more>>