Adria Brown

I attribute my success to the values my parents instilled in me - humility and always looking forward. My mother would always say when I showed her accomplishments, 'Who's who? Who cares? It's only you. What are you doing tomorrow?' My parents would always ask, 'This is wonderful, these are great accomplishments, but so what are you doing tomorrow? What about tomorrow?' They taught me not to just soak it in and rest on my laurels. I loved that humility. That's what keeps me going full blast on my environmental company, working 12 to 14 hours a day, even after being in business for a long time.

The most important values to me are humility and authenticity. My parents taught me to stay humble and always focus on what I'm doing tomorrow rather than resting on past accomplishments. As my mother would say, 'Who cares? It's only you. What are you doing tomorrow?' I loved that humility. I also value real recognition and genuine honor over superficial acknowledgments. If something is truly an honor, it should be given freely without asking for financial support. I believe in doing the work and letting that speak for itself. I've done my work, I've done my time, and I don't need to pay for validation. What matters is what I'm doing right now - going full blast on my environmental company and working 12 to 14 hours a day.