How to Land Your Dream Job

"I launched my high-end clothing store in 2008, just in time for the recession. Soon, we hit bottom. Instead of quitting, I cut costs and sold the same styles for less. We turned a profit, and now we're expanding!" —Rosie Pope, founder of Rosie Pope Maternity, star of Bravo's Pregnant in Heels

Video: How to get an employer's attention (tactfully) >

"My partner and I knew zilch about the nail-salon business before we opened our own. So we hired a celebrity manicurist to teach us and constantly asked for feedback from customers and employees. You get into trouble when you stop listening." —Adair Ilyinsky, cofounder, Tenoverten nail salon

Video: Man, 24, lands job after video resume goes viral >

"Sometimes, you've got to be shameless. When I launched Spanx in 2000, I used my own backside as a model. When I met with buyers from Neiman Marcus, I demonstrated our body shaper on my own derriere while wearing white pants. They ordered 3,000 pairs on the spot." —Sara Blakely, founder, Spanx

• Video: Shaping Up the Economy with Sara Blakely >
• Video: Spanx founder makes billionaire's list >

"Since founding my social-media company, I've learned that my best ideas come when I'm out experiencing life. I'll work on my new book while getting a pedicure, or I'll take a conference call at the top of a mountain. Escape your desk!" —Amy Jo Martin, CEO and founder, Digital Royalty

Video: Meet the Entrepreneurs >

"I was recovering from a knee injury before the 2006 Olympics, so I couldn't train much. Instead, I practiced visualization and imagined a perfect run. It totally changed the way I thought and felt. I went on to get the gold medal." —Hannah Teter, Olympic gold and silver medalist, snowboarding half pipe

Video: How to Practice Positive Thinking >

"There are times I look at my computer and think, What if I never finish another novel? But I conquer the panic, word by word, and my faith always returns. You have to believe in yourself and work through your fears." —Emily Giffin, best-selling novelist. Her latest, Where We Belong, hits shelves in July.