Rich LeComte, 34

ich LeComte has built his business by overcoming the fear of asking questions and asking for favors. When you’re targeting any kind of business, the first steps should be finding the people you need to connect with, and the people you know who can connect you, he says.

After working in finance at PwC in California and completing the banking training program at SunTrust Bank in Atlanta, LeComte somewhat fell into specializing in health care banking. He realized that while the economy tanked, there were still health care deals to be made. “I shifted into health care as a reaction, and I became very good at it,” he says. “In this industry, you can’t just go to the library. You have to learn by doing and be upfront and honest when you don’t understand.”