There is no one clear path to scholarly success. A productive scholar might be raised by academic parents, or not; might have previously been an educator, or not; might have had a postdoctoral experience, or not; might be in a writing group, or not; might work extreme hours, or not; might be married to another academic, or not … Still, productive scholars share common means for finding their pathways to scholarly success, including curiosity, risk-taking, discovering one’s element, accumulating advantages, offsetting structural disadvantages, and keeping scholarly activities on one’s mind. Curiosity and risk taking help move scholars away from tired, well-worn topics toward the investigation of innovative and important topics, where they discover their element, carve out a unique research agenda, and make a name for themselves. Budding scholars seek advantages, such as research-rich institutions and influential mentors, that multiply and accumulate, smoothing the pathway to scholarly success. Some productive scholars face potentially debilitating structural barriers that could block their path but find ways to rise above the barriers and succeed regardless. Pathways to success are long, and productive scholars stay the course by keeping their scholarly work foremost on their minds.