Success Tips from the Forbes Under 30 Game-Changers

From October 19th to 22nd, Forbes hosted over a thousand innovators in downtown Philadelphia for the first-ever Forbes Under 30 Summit. Among the attendees were those selected for the 30 Under 30 lists spanning across a multitude of industries.
Here are success tips from just 30 honorees from a wide variety of sectors for all you youngin's out there dreaming to get into the spotlight:
1. "To make yourself better, surround yourself with people you aspire to emulate in the future. Never become complacent because that will be the difference between whether you are good or great." -Vikas Mohindra, Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch
2. "Don't be afraid to chart your own path. You don't need to climb a ladder to become successful and make an impact. You're never going to feel experienced enough. Just start and never look back." -Andrew Dumont, Entrepreneur in Residence at Betaworks
3. "We've become too complacent with what it means to be a teacher, lawyer, social worker, etc. We shouldn't buy into the old definitions of these roles just for posterity's sake. We need to redefine all our society's positions in order to create the world that everyone deserves." -Lauren Burke, Co-Founder, Executive Director, and Resident Obstacle Smasher at Atlas:DIY
4. "If you think you have a good idea, just go for it. Worst that can happen is you'll fail and you'll learn a lot. If you don't at least try, you will likely regret it." -Aaron Firestein, Co-Founder and Chief Artist at BucketFeet
5. "If your idea, pitch or product can't be explained simply, keep refining. The best ideas are so simple, you feel stupid for not thinking of them first." -Jezali Ratliff, Senior Director, Global Consulting at Wasserman Media Group
6. "Building a community around an idea means identifying opportunities for all to participate. At every juncture, there is a network worth engaging." -Dan Berkowitz, Manager at Youth Orchestra LA
7. "Be open to what you don't know and never stop learning. Whether it is from books, experiences or people, the day you stop learning is the day you stop living." -Gregory Kimball, VP of Marketing & PR at Caskers.com
8. "Develop a habit of self-reflection. Knowing how you're doing is as important as what you're doing."-Dale J Stephens, Founder at UnCollege
9. "Getting buy-in is an ongoing journey -- there will always be naysayers. The most important thing is to roll up your sleeves, bootstrap prototypes if necessary, and prove to the world your idea is of value." -Priyanka Bakaya, Founder, CEO at PK Clean
10. "Contrary to the sometimes popular opinion, YOU can actually make a difference! It's your drive and willingness to work hard that will lead to success. And, once you find that success, get involved and give back to the community around you!" -Aaron Letzeiser, Founder at The Medical Amnesty Initiative
11. "Don't do it for the money. Find something you'd do for free. Money will come and go but if you're happy and you can positively impact some peoples lives, that's truly being successful." -Shane Spencer, CEO at Green REIT
12. "It's a marathon, not a race. Always approach your success with the mentality that there is no destination. You have to keep going.-Carlton McCoy, Wine Director at The Little Neil
13. "My father once told me: Always try to make time for family and friends because at the end of the day, no matter how great work is going, your job will never love you back."-Siobhan Pattwell, PhD, Researcher, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
14. "Passive plus drive equals success. Strive for success in all aspects of whatever you do."-JJ Johnson, Chef de Cuisine at The Cecil
15. "Don't assume your advisors have all the answers. Get your hands dirty, muck around and figure it out for yourself. If you're wrong, imagine how much you'll learn in the process."-Aleksandar Kostic, Postdoctoral Fellow at Broad Institute
16. "Find something you love and specialize in it. It's good to be well-rounded and diverse in your skill set, but also be the best at something. Don't be good at many things, be phenomenal at one thing."-Jesse Katz, Winemaker at Lancaster Estate
17. "Create the life you've imagined and above all, take pleasure in any work that you pursue."-Albert Mach, Senior Engineer at Becton, Dickinson and Company
18. "Don't start a new company/organization unless you're seriously committed to seeing it through to success, which usually takes years of hard work. Use your talents to solve problems that really matter." -Teryn Norris, Tech-To-Market Advisor, US Department of Energy
19. "You need to position yourself. Know your capabilities and your incapabilities. And then follow your heart to do whatever you really want to do." -Changxi Zheng, Assistant Professor at Columbia University
20. "Starting a company will be the biggest roller-coaster ride of your life, and the only way to get through the rough times is to truly believe in what you do." -Derrick Fung, sold Tunezy to SFX Entertainment
21. "Have more than just an idea. You need to not only have unique idea but also relentless will to execute it and the foresight to pivot/restructure when the market dictates despite your attachment to the current plan." -Marc Succi, Founder & Editor-in-Chief at 2 Minute Medicine
22. "Show interests outside of textbooks. Have a passion beyond an academic subject and let that guide you as you choose a career. Follow that and good things will happen."-Jonathan Cloonan, Director of Partnerships at GroupM Entertainment
23. "Be authentic, kind and generous to others. You will find you have so much more momentum if you have the genuine help and support of those you have supported yourself." -Tiffany Pham, Founder & CEO at MOGUL
24. "If you truly believe in your company and vision, others will see that and be more willing to listen. Articulate a narrative that others can easily grasp." -Courtney Powell, Founder and CEO at PublikDemand
25. "Failure is something everyone experiences. The real difference in terms of success is how you look at failure. If you're willing to learn from your experiences, you'll likely turn it into something better than what you started out with." -Steph Parker, Activation Strategy at Allen & Gerritsen
26. "Make sure to not lose sight of your own mission. It's hard to remember the change you want to have in the world -- don't forget what you believe you can do." -Amy Karr, Global Creative, Zero Dot at Starcom Mediavest Group
27. "Don't go at it alone. I attribute a great deal of my success to my business partner and my incredible team. Know your strengths and weaknesses and surround yourself with the smartest people you can find with complementary skills."-Brent Weiss, Principal at Brotman Financial Group, Inc.
28. "Find an arena that is endlessly fascinating to you. Stay humble and never stop searching for the "truth" in your area of expertise." -Alex White, Co-Founder and CEO at Next Big Sound
29. "The competitive advantage that comes from relying only on being the smartest person in the room or only on your business, financial, or strategic acumen is incremental and limited at best. So, in EVERYTHING you do, be a person whose every decision is led by LOVE. I promise you that you personally have everything to gain by doing so, too." - Seth Maxwell, President & CEO at The Thirst Project
30. "Your inexperience can be your greatest asset. You may have few preconceived notions on how a problem must be solved. Pursue ideas that may seem strange, unlikely or off the beaten path...because the distinction between ridiculous and genius is sometimes only one of semantics." - Derek Khanna, X-Lab Fellow
Undoubtedly, advice from these passionate, young game-changers provokes your imagination. Now that you're inspired, it's time to put some of this awesome wisdom into practice. Good luck!

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