By Lynette Barbieri and Jordynn Cheatle

Running a thriving business takes drive, determination, and a whole lot of hustle! We’re spotlighting six savvy entrepreneurs whose immense success proves how a little belief and a big leap of faith can land you a leading role in your own life. Looking to recalibrate your career path? Let their accomplishments be your compass.

Maria Soccor

New York/New Jersey

MARIA SOCCOR PRODUCTIONS CEOMariaSoccor.com MariaSoccorProductions.com

MY BUSINESS: My company focuses on productions for film, TV, branded content, and AR/VR. As an actress, award- winning director, writer, producer, and comic creator, I have a responsibility to create, perform, and direct stories that inspire, motivate, and raise the human spirit. My goal is to make you laugh, cry, learn something new, be filled with rage, be filled with excitement, and say, “That’s really cool!”MOST REWARDING: Every day, I get to serve my passion, which is to be a creator of content and work with talented people. By being in front of the camera and behind the lens, I have found my purpose as an actor and filmmaker. I have the opportunity to captivate, empower, and entertain an audience that is willing to open their minds and their hearts. Powerful storytelling is everything, and [it’s] a great way to show people are more connected than we realize.SECRET TO MY SUCCESS: Being multi-hyphenated and constantly pushing boundaries while being thoughtful when I am most critical is the secret to my success.

Amanda Ringel

Marlboro, NJ

WEARWITHAMANDAFOUNDER | STYLIST | DESIGNER

WearWithAmanda.com

MY BUSINESS: WearWithAmanda is a company I created in order to help women feel unapologetically who they are. The company offers personal styling services, such as closet refreshes, events, or seasonal sessions, with an end goal of the client feeling more confident stepping out in their items. WearWithAmanda also offers custom designs made to fit and order. With each styling session, the client is able to choose a charity of their desire, in which a percentage of the profit will go toward, making fashion rewarding for not only the client, but those they care about.

MOST REWARDING: The most rewarding aspect of what I do is watching my clients grow into who they were meant to be. Having cool items means nothing if you aren’t portraying who you really are, which is the beauty of fashion. Getting texts from my clients about how much more confident they feel after a session as opposed to before means everything! It is equally great to know they have someone they feel they can trust to help them get there—and look fabulous while doing so!

SECRET TO MY SUCCESS: The secret to my success is never giving up, blocking out what seems like the impossible, and living every day like my dreams are coming true.

Alexandra Niel

Red Bank, NJ

ALEXANDRA NIEL COACHING OWNER & LEAD COACH

AlexandraNiel.com

MY BUSINESS: I am a certified high-performance coach who brings with me 30 years of corporate expertise and global working experience. I help women who feel something is missing from their lives to gain perspective and self-awareness and boldly step into their greatest potential. Together, we break old patterns and create a life that is more authentic and aligned with their true desires.

MOST REWARDING: Seeing the evolution of a client over time not only mentally, but also physically, is what I Iive for! I had a client recently whose self-confidence was so low, she even made herself small on camera. By the end of our sessions, she owned her space, filled the screen, and radiated confidence, while still remaining the humble, wonderful human she is. So much so that her kids, mother, and co-workers noticed. That’s the best part of what I do!

SECRET TO MY SUCCESS: I care deeply about my clients and will push, pull, challenge, joke around, and empathize to help them get out of their own way and live their greatest lives.

Joy Martin & June Martin

Fair Haven, NJ

JUNE AND JOYFOUNDER | CREATOR | DESIGNER

JuneandJoy.com

MY BUSINESS: As twin sisters from Tanzania, we created the lifestyle brand, June & Joy, with a focus on hand-crafted bags, fashion apparel, and accessories. Our designs and creations are simple, classy, modern, unique, and elegant with a dramatic twist. We get our inspiration from all over the world, the lives that we have lived, the people we have met, and the places we have experienced. Our vision is to create a lifestyle brand that is elegant yet sustainable and accessible to everyone.

MOST REWARDING: We enjoy meeting and getting to know people from all walks of life. We love the idea of challenging ourselves in creating new and different things. It is the feeling and satisfaction of taking something from an idea to reality. It gives us joy to see the finished product and the positive reaction of people, and to be able to say to ourselves, “We created that!”

SECRET TO MY SUCCESS: Follow your passion, believe in yourself, and ignore those who do not believe in you or that passion. It is not easy, it is not glamorous; it is hard work, and you have to keep at it. It is all worth it at the end of the day to be able to share your passions, creativity, and designs with other people. We love what we do because we have created a space that is an extension of the things we love.