You worked your way to the "top"? Married the daughter/son of a business owner? Friend had idea for business, which you stoled and made successful? Invention? Parents left you already successful business or enough money to start one? After several failed attempts, you finally got some business going? Self employed?

I was a carpenter until my skilsaw accident. I played in a band with 3 guys. 2 owned a carpet shop and 1 worked for them. So while my cut up hand was healing, they talked me into learning flooring. 18 years ago. Been self employed the last 12 years. I don't make a 'ton' of money, but enough to pay my bills and support my guitar habit, and more than the average person in living in PA. Not sure I'd say it successful by everyones standard, but I like what I do and it pays pretty well. So I'm successful!
The key for me I'd say has been working my butt off, willing to do anything at any hour to keep things moving and getting done, and a bit of providence. Knowing the right people that gave me opportunities that led to my success. Not sure if 80K to 100K is considered successful these days for a self emloyed guy with a family. But it's enough for me.

I put my success down to hard work, determination and some luck.
Left university before graduating as I went through a stupid rebellious stage. Ended up working as a cashier for a year!! Moved up to a management position with the same company. Hated it and decided I had to do something with my life, particularly as I'd realised that I was crap at playing the guitar So I transferred over to the accounts department. Learnt the job from scratch and ended doing a course in the evenings and a few years later ended up being doing the *boss's* job, although not officially handed the position (****ing politics, grrrr!). SO I left!!!!
Worked in another accounts company for a couple of years. Left and joined the current company I work for as an auditor. Within a year was promoted to a regional manager. By the time I was 29 was made a non-executive director It's a small company, so the pay isn't what you'd expect, but I enjoy my job (most of the time ) and it does pay me enough to buy some nice gear

I work every day. Working for a living sucks but it is a way to pay the bills.

True, if I didn't need the money for the mortagage and bills, I'd quit my job and spend more time playing guitar and doing other stuff I enjoy

I am a manager at the largest credit card company in the benelux. I started five years ago as a temperary job at the phone and worked my way up. I really love my job and it pays the bills nicely.

Hard work, networking and showing up at the right time at the right place. Got to have a little luck, right?

Cheers you all and keep up buying all that great stuff and show it here

I'm still trying to find the ******* ladder

Same here.

Alwin

I work so I can pay bills

Jimmy

I have a part-time job. I don't work full-time and I don't plan on doing so any time soon. I did that before and I just went nuts.

In that interview with Steve Vai that was posted, in which he spoke about his depression he said that everything other than music was a pale second for him. I have the same with film and music. I don't know about being a full-time musician, but I would like to make films full-time, hypothetically speaking. I could do that. But pretty much everything else is just a job. Something I have to do. Don't get me wrong; I enjoy going to work. But there's really nothing I'd rather do than to make art. And afaik you don't have to 'climb a ladder' in order to do so.

And the job I have (receptionist) isn't really a position that's hard to get, so..

Alwin

I'll never understand why some people have jobs that they don't love. Not like, but love. Why spend most of your life doing something that takes away from your time here? I understand that some people push themselves into a hole that they can't get out of, but it's possible to be happy without money. And for the people that become doctors and lawyers and such just for the money, I really don't understand. I guess money makes up for the crappy job? I know I couldn't live like that.

I'm still climbing though. Our society has made it very hard to become successful in a job that's actually entertaining, and it's not getting any better. I will not allow myself to get stuck with a crummy job, however. I keep telling myself that it's only a couple more years of hell before I can actually start living my life.

The key to my success?

F# minor

Mine's Dm -- The saddest of all keys.

aww, that's depressing...

I am a combination of the "hard work" and "still climbing the ladder" categories.

I don't believe it when people say thing like, "Nobody ever gave me nothing, I had to work for everything I've got." People usually get a lot of help from people in their lives, and I was fortunate enough to have some good teachers and coaches and a mother who loves me.

I am a teen program director and finally achieved my dream of working with kids in the outdoors full-time. Lots of camp counselors go for it, but sustaining jobs in outdoor education are quite competitive. It's typical for a job earning between $20-30,000 to have dozens or hundreds of applicants, and a high percentage of those will have a college degree and two years of experience.

The numbers the other way, from an applicant's perspective, are tough. I had been looking for three years when I got this job. Let's see, my numbers from that time period would be:

about 200 resumes sent out----> about ten phone interviews ----> three in-person interviews -----> one job offer!

Peace and good luck!

Could be worse... you could be Kirk Hammet and have E.

What i wanna know is what do you mean by success?
Do we mean in the society sanctioned $$$ or do we mean in what you think is sucess...
Because for some it might just be, being able to LIVE music so to speek, others some form of enlightenment, others a wife ten years their Junior and a Merc in a white house in Hollywood hills...