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

Samantha Jones | President and Director of The Open Book Project

Community Engagement and Volunteer Commitment are the driving forces behind the success of The Open Book Project. Our mission is to raise literacy awareness while inspiring and nurturing the love of reading across the Upstate of South Carolina. We are continuing the work of The Pickens County Literacy Association that spanned over 50 years. We wanted to expand our base and reach out to more communities. While we are located in Pickens County, we also serve Anderson, Oconee, and Greenville counties. Read more>>

Jhalen Wingate | Creative Media Producer For Gamecock Women’s Basketball

One of the paramount drivers contributing significantly to my encountered successes lies within the domain of trust, coupled with a commitment to authenticity. Trust, whether vested in oneself, interns, clients, or creativity, serves as the cornerstone upon which innovation thrives. For example, I have to trust myself to come up with a plan to put my interns in the best place to succeed; I have to trust them to be at their best to accomplish what I need them to do while still growing as young creatives and leaders. Read more>>

Brittany Marion | Beauty & Brow Specialist

Faith is the most important factor behind my success and my brand. Without faith, you have nothing. Faith isn’t just believing in what your physical eye can’t see, but also believing in the impossible. Many people won’t understand or believe in your vision, and you have to be at peace with that. Your vision is exactly that; YOUR VISION, it’s not meant for any one else’s understanding. God said in Mathew 17:20; “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall ‘remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you”. Faith starts with truly believing in you. Read more>>

Patricia Ploehn | Historic Preservation Specialist

I believe that engaging with people and communities is the most important factor in my work as a historic preservationist. It is important to not only know and understand the history of the cultural heritage (buildings, landscapes, objects, etc.) that I’m working with, but also to listen to, and empathize with, the people whose heritage I am preserving. The heritage that we value lies in the communities that surround us; if we allow these communities to slowly disappear, we lose that intangible tie to our own history, and then we lose the tangible elements that connect us to that history. Read more>>