According to business coach Holly Howard, those looking to run a flourishing enterprise should begin by taking a deeper look at themselves. “I always say there’s no business growth without personal growth first,” says Howard, who served as a professional ballet dancer, music therapist, medical researcher, and professor at Pratt Institute, among other roles, before starting her Brooklyn-based consultancy Ask Holly How, in 2012. Since then, she’s worked with more than 500 businesses and founders, guided by the belief that effective entrepreneurship requires self-evolution, company growth, and the pursuit of creativity—and that all three must be present for success. “I work with people who want to be self-reflective,” she says, noting that that desire is important because it questions intent. “When we think about what our motivations are—‘How will my vision impact the world?’—we start to break down the connections between our everyday actions, and the bigger picture we see.”