What Does Success Look Like to You?
As an entrepreneur, your journey is filled with decisions—big and small—that shape the trajectory of your business. Among all the questions you’ll face, one stands out as foundational: What does success look like for you?
Not for your family.
Not for your friends.
Not for the world.
But for you.
The answer to this question will influence how you start, grow, and sustain your business. It will define the way you approach what I call the three Vs of entrepreneurship—Vision, Vibe, and Velocity (the pace at which your business grows). These pillars are your responsibility as a business owner, and I’ll dive deeper into them in a future post. For now, let’s focus on the question at hand: What does success mean to you?
Success is Personal
There’s no universal definition of success. It’s deeply personal, and it will look different for everyone.Toni Morrison once said, “For me, success is not a public thing. It’s a private thing. It’s when you have fewer and fewer regrets.”
For some, success might mean building a massive company that scales across countries and continents. For others, it could mean creating a small, local business that makes a meaningful impact in its community. Both are valid.
But here’s the catch: Success isn’t just about your business. It’s also about your life.
Too often, entrepreneurs craft goals and visions for our business without considering our own role within those plans—almost as if someone else were going to do the work. We map out five-year plans, revenue goals, and growth metrics without asking:
What will my life look like when I achieve this goal?
How will this impact my health, my family, and my relationships?
Am I excited about the vision I’m working toward?
What will this cost me and is it worth the cost?
Every time you create a new blueprint for your business, you need to place yourself at the center of it. Because what’s the point of building a wildly successful business if it leaves you burnt out, disconnected, or unhappy?
My Journey to Redefining Success
It took me years to realize how critical this approach to vision-making is. I spent a long time building something valuable—something I was proud of—but I made the mistake of leaving myself out of the equation.
I achieved more than I ever imagined, but I wasn’t happy. My health has suffered. I was successful on paper, but more often than not, I felt like a failure.
Now, I am working to adapt a much more integrated vision of success. For me, success must include ease, wellness, and joy—non-negotiable. This clarity has also shaped my plans for the size and scope of my business. I know that I’m not interested in running a 50-person company. That’s not my path. If all goes according to plan, my 14-member team may grow to 20 people at most, and that’s enough for me.
This version of success might not resonate with everyone, and that’s okay. It’s mine.
Define Success on Your Own Terms
If you haven’t done this exercise yet, take some time to reflect. Ask yourself:
What does success look like for me—not what the world says, but what I truly want?
Does my vision energize me, or does it feel overwhelming? Who do I need to become to bring this vision to life? Do I want to become that person?
How will this vision impact my health, relationships, and overall happiness?
Answering these questions will help you define success on your terms. And that clarity will shape every decision you make moving forward.
Further Reading:
It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, founders of Basecamp, offers a refreshing perspective on building a business that prioritizes sanity, balance, and sustainable success.