I’ve always been interested in people’s secrets to success. Recently, I decided to seek out this information out. I asked people I know, researched online and even asked a few people I didn’t know what they thought it was personally. Here are the most important keys to success from 13 innovative entrepreneurs on the scene today.
On taking control of your life and business:
“The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you’re in control of your life. If you don’t, life controls you.” – Tony Robbins
On goal setting and its connection to success:
“Our key to success has been helping our clients grow their business one trade show at a time. Rather than asking a client what kind of trade show exhibit they want us to design, the first question we ask is, ‘What are they trying to accomplish at their next trade show?’” – Lisa Bertaina, President of ExpoMarketing
On your business plan and core values:
“A vision and plan are the core fundamentals of starting a company. If you don’t have a plan to be able to measure metrics and goals, then you cannot easily course correct.” – Carter Wigell, CEO of Ideator
“We focus on four strategic initiatives each year. All of our employees understand those four goals, are regularly updated on our progress, and can clearly see how their own work contributes to our customers’ success, as well as the success of the entire organization.” – Debra Schwartz, President and CEO of Mission Federal Credit Union
On automating and innovative business processes:
“Our No. 1 key to success has been our ability to create repeatable business processes around our core areas of operation. Creating repeatable, automated processes has allowed us to focus on growing our business instead of getting bogged down in day-to-day tasks that can be automated.” – Doug Hopeman, CEO of HopeMaru Enterprises
On staying the course during challenging times:
“We like to say ‘persistence in the face of resistance’ is the key to our success. Whether that means the time spent inventing and developing products for our niche, assisting brewing clients, or just generally spreading the word about Kombucha and fermented foods, we always come up against roadblocks because it’s an unusual topic. Persistence in the form of not taking no for an answer, understanding the objections, and crafting unique solutions has made all the difference.” – Alex LaGroy, co-founder and CEO of Kombucha Kamp
“Diligence has a major factor in my success. Many people say their businesses fail when in actuality they failed their businesses by not being diligent. A key factor in my success has been my commitment to staying in the race. I’ve made adjustments on the journey, but I always stay in the race.” – Nicole Robinson, CEO of Divine Purpose School
On the need for collaboration and communication:
“Customer experience management should be more than a buzzword. Companies that have figured out how to effectively attract and engage customers stay in the game. Those who have forged collaborative business partnerships with a mutual high level of customer commitment are ahead of it.” – Richard Arroyo, Director of Corporate Strategy and Marketing at TeleDirect
“Effective communication is a key part of our success. Teachers have to be able to properly explain ideas and concepts to students, and it’s no different when running a school. Making sure everyone is on the same page improves efficiency, problem-solving and overall teamwork.” – Brennan McLaughlin, Executive Director of San Diego Virtual School
On constantly improving and innovating to stay competitive:
“Our No. 1 key to success is being prepared to change our execution strategy to fit changes in the market. We strive to plan ahead and, even if everything goes according to those plans, there will always be opportunities to improve our execution. By creating contingencies and constantly evaluating the success of our projects while they are still going on, we easily pivot our execution to fit changing requirements. This flexibility ensures that we take full advantage of all possible opportunities for success, instead of waiting until the end of a project to evaluate the outcome.” – Natasha Franzen, Director of E-Commerce for the FF Group North America
On the importance of wanting to succeed:
“The thirst and hunger for a job well done coupled with unending love and support from my family is the key to my success.” – Dr. Harold Lancer, Founder of Lancer Dermatology and Lancer Skincare
On the need to do one thing better than everyone else:
“Our protocols have maintained their status as the communication method of choice for so many users because of their simplicity, low cost and robustness. There is no substitute for being able to present the best available solutions to your customers.” – Robert Kirstein, CEO of Stratus Engineering
On staying ahead of the curve:
“The greatest success for us has been our ability to respond quickly to the healthcare needs of the communities we serve. We have placed a high priority on hiring new staff with the latest training, expanding service offerings and investing in modern facilities.” – Irma Cota, President and CEO at North County Health Services
