You’re working hard, things are going well, piece by piece you’ve built a life you are proud of, you’ve overcome obstacles and challenges, beat the odds and then you find yourself at the center of an unexpected dilemma – do you risk it all to keep growing? What if growing means leaving the job you worked so hard to get or the industry you worked so hard to break into? How we approach risk often has a huge bearing on our journey and so we’ve asked some of the brightest folks we know to share stories of risks they’ve taken.

Everly O Of Silverwild Designs

Despite the fact I’ve been a performing musician since childhood and have been studying and creating visual art in a variety of mediums in sincerity since I was a teenager, I’ve kept my works largely hush-hush. Up until recently I have operated as what the author and artist Julia Cameron describes as a “shadow artist”. It wasn’t until the 20th annual Seattle Erotic Art Festival (S.E.A.F.) and the Tucson Erotica Art Show (T.E.A.S.) calls for art in January of 2022 that I decided to submit works which would prove to become the basis of my first ever juried public art shows. Read more>>

Laisha Martinez

The biggest risk I took was making the life-changing decision to move across the country—from North Carolina to California—on just two days’ notice, right after graduating high school. At only 18, I knew I needed to get sober and start fresh. Leaving behind everything familiar, I went to California with the hope of reshaping my life and confronting my struggles head-on. The journey didn’t stop there, though. As I progressed in my sobriety, I made the even bigger choice to open up about my experiences with addiction publicly. I started sharing my story online, which eventually led me to launch a podcast and create a platform for others to do the same. My goal was, and still is, to break the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction. Read more>>

We’re All Set Podcast

We take risks by continuing to put out our unbridled opinions into the streets. We keep it as honest and raw as if we are having a conversation in the group chat. Some people may be turned off by that but our fans tap in week in and week out specifically for it. Living in Atlanta, we have encountered celebs or athletes that we may have criticized but it’s been all love so far and we appreciate that. Read more>>

Mae Riley

When I became famous and popular after my first shoot, I was told to sell my photos to friends, family, and supporters offline who I met, but I posted them online on social media, business sites, and modeling, and acting sites, and gained a huge following. The following helped me land me jobs, helped me network, and helped me gain some friends. Read more>>

Mandy Podlesny

A defining risk I took in my life was choosing to bet on myself when every logical sign told me not to. Over a decade ago, I was in a dark place—diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, undergoing multiple joint surgeries, living on disability payments, and being told I’d likely need a wheelchair by 30. Physically, emotionally, and financially, I felt stuck. My body was breaking down, and I didn’t know how I could work, pay my bills, or even find joy in life. Read more>>

Lisa Haisha

I traveled to Iraq alone to discover my roots George W was about to invade Iraq. My father is from Iraq. I moved to LA to be an actor and it wasn’t working out because of my background. I could not do most parts that I was asked to do and I kept getting #MeToo’d . After a few years, I quit and felt lost. I decided that my Iraqi roots is what is holding me back from being my authentic self. I had to think about dozens of people before I could make a decision because all of their lives would be affected by my choices. I saw Christiane Amanpour on the news saying they closed the Iraqi airport and now people had to take a 15 hour bus ride into Baghdad from Jordan to get in and it was dangerous. .The bus stopped five times and sometimes terrorists kidnapped Americans for ransom. I got an idea. I could go to Iraq and take this bus and get kidnapped. Read more>>

Holistic Coalition

In 2018 I, Carita Hall, cofounder or Holistic Coalition, left a very secure position as a corporate compliance director with a very successful property management company in Bellevue, Washington. I left this job after almost 10 years to go back into my passion of massage therapy and a first attempt of entrepreneurship. I understood within my corporate position that I wasn’t happy and always very combative with every change within the industry because I didn’t belong in that atmosphere. I gave my employer a 90 day notice of termination with the option to train as many people as it would take to fulfill my position. I loved them for allowing me the opportunity to rise within their organization without any formal training or degree. Read more>>

Diana Hufford-green

In early 2020, life as a personal trainer was fulfilling but predictable. I had been running a thriving business for about a decade by renting space in a local studio, where I used their equipment to train my clients. It was a system that worked well—until COVID-19 turned everything upside down. Like so many others, I found myself staring into an uncertain future when the pandemic forced the studio to close indefinitely. Then came the curveball: the studio owner decided not to renew the lease. Read more>>

Kimberly Maroon

I was working in a toxic job environment for almost a year. By Spring of 2016 after seeing how it was affecting my personal life and mental health, I decided to take the leap and quit – the first time I quit a job without having another lined up. Big risk, but also the greatest gift I could give myself. I went full time freelance photo and video. Barely knowing anything about running a business or getting clients, I took it as a trial and error experiment. The open time allowed me to take a breather, take it all in and explore — What do I want to focus on in my photography and video work? What am I curious about? Read more>>

Eric J. Blanco-l.

At first glance, taking a risk might seem like you’re setting yourself up for trouble… yet, there truly is something rather exhilarating about taking a calculated risk, isn’t there? One driven by passion, purpose, and a willingness to just go for it, even if you’re unsure of how the journey will end… That reality of that risk wasn’t just in following a creative path for me. It was in giving myself permission to try. I believe this is crucial for anyone on the creator’s journey. It’s about trusting yourself enough to step into the unknown and have the courage to make it real. Read more>>

Pm Barnes

A few years ago, when I started B’OK MEDIA LIFE LLC, I was walking into an industry and a medium of art I had not previously dabbled in. Prior to that time, I had largely focused my artistic talents on literature, fiction and poetry to be more specific. I had never made a video, had no idea how to edit and had some of the most basic equipment you could think of (think one step above a flip phone). But I had a passion and a desire to branch out into something that would give me an outlet for all the creativity that was swirling around inside of me at that time. Read more>>

Conor Perkins

I think choosing yourself is one of the biggest risks that you can take. As a creative it’s probably the most important step to take in your artistic journey and one that only you can know how to do. I was an auditioning actor in New York City fresh out of school in 2015 and was very lucky to have an agent, manager, and a job lined up almost right away. It was followed by another small TV gig a year later and then…nothing. Audition after audition for six years with nothing to show for it. As time went on, it became very easy for me to make my survival job the center of my life. After all, that’s where I was seeing “success” or value (or at the very least money). But working for a nonprofit off-Broadway theater company…there’s not a lot of money there and I was giving every spare minute I had to make ends meet. I worked in box office and reception to facilities and operations to teaching and student production — pretty much every job but being onstage.  Read more>>

Chelsea Marrin

I’ve taken a lot of risks, but one of the biggest was a leap of love. Not a lot of people know this, but I am a big nerd. I build computers with my boyfriend and we game together. In high school, my friend added me to his video gaming group he’s had since he was eleven. It was a group of around twenty people who would play World of Warcraft together. Most people were not from our hometown, they were actually from all over the country ranging from Georgia, Delaware, Illinois, California, even Canada. After years of talking every day and playing games like League of Legends, I would eventually come to call this group very close friends of mine. Read more>>

Laura Patalano

Moving from New York to Los Angeles to pursue my dream of acting, I risked it all leaving my family and everything I had behind to follow my passion. One night, I had a dream where I was on a balcony overlooking a beautiful yard, wearing a stunning red dress. In the dream, I thought to myself, “Wow, my acting career gives me all of this.” Not long after, I had a deep conversation with my twin daughters, and I decided to make the big move to Los Angeles with only a couple hundred bucks in my pocket and a place to stay for a couple of months. Throughout my journey, I bounced from room to room, enduring a difficult time while pursuing my career. I used to take public transportation to auditions, sometimes spending up to two hours to get there. The hardest part, though, was being apart from my twins, as we were very close. Read more>>

Siddy Static

As a recent college graduate with a degree in fashion design in 2018, I faced the daunting challenge of balancing a new business while needing to make ends meet. To help pay off my student debt, I took a barista job at a café right across from my old high school. Every day, I found myself in a routine of grinding espresso and envisioning a future where my fashion career would flourish. One busy morning, the school’s principal came in. We exchanged greetings, and he then noticed the dress form tattoo on my forearm—a nod to my passion for design. Curiously, he asked about my career plans. I admitted that, while I was running a small fashion business, I hoped to move beyond the café soon. It was then that he suggested I email the drama teacher because the school needed a costume design contractor to assist the department. The idea of teaching costume design thrilled me, but it also felt risky since I had never taught before. Still, I was willing to try. Read more>>

Jinave Turner

Tell us the story of a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big, life changing risk or a small risk. Either way, paint the picture for us, tell us the backstory and all the relevant details so we can fully understand the context and circumstances around when and why you took the risk and tell us how it turned out. Taking risks can be really scary and necessary in order to make your dreams come true. In 2020 I was minding my bald headed business (taking care of myself mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically) when one of my friends called me seeking advice after a pretty nasty break up. I didn’t have any advice to give, people don’t usually want advice on that first call they just want someone to listen. So, I listened. I listened for an hour and a half. At the end of that time my friend said “ Jinave’ thank you, I think I needed to hear myself talk in order to see where I was wrong in the situation”. I said you’re welcome, I didn’t do anything- you did all the work” My friend took a risk by revealing their true feelings about their break up, good and bad to me, a person just sitting there listening. Read more>>

Kayla Cunanan

I’ve taken significant risks both as a Freelance Photographer and as a co-founder of the Women in Business Collective. First, let me talk about my journey as a photographer. The creative field, especially photography, is incredibly saturated, making it easy to doubt your decision to pursue it as a career. However, after graduating a year early from SDSU with a marketing degree this past May, I felt I owed it to myself to take that leap. I wanted to use this year to embrace risks and explore new opportunities. Read more>>

Liana Soifer

For years, I lived with unanswered questions about my origins. Being a transracial adoptee, the complexity of my identity was always present, but I had learned to live with the uncertainty. At some point, though, I realized that these questions weren’t going away—they were becoming louder, shaping how I saw myself and my place in the world. But searching for my birth mother felt daunting. It wasn’t just about finding her; it was about confronting the unknown, facing potential rejection, and stepping into a story that might change everything I thought I knew about myself. Read more>>

Allison Ortiz

My Sister Caitlin and I had always dreamed of owning a Medical Spa together, and that’s all it ever seemed, just a dream that would probably never happen. During 2020’s Covid pandemic we were working together in a medical office and decided let’s just start the process of making this dream become a reality. We signed up for a course to become certified in cosmetic injectables and that started our track of immersing ourselves into the aesthetics specialty. We planned on working in a medical spa prior to opening our own however all signs kept pointing to starting on our own. We put in countless hours of behind the scenes work in addition to our hands on trainings. We started by being strictly concierge going to homes to provide service to keep overhead cost down. Read more>>

Lindsay Milnes

I would say first big risk I took was moving across Canada to follow my passion of supporting neurodivergent children. I had just graduated with my Honors in Psychology (major: Behavioural Neuroscience) from Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and lived at home in Nova Scotia for the summer while I job searched. I didn’t find a job related to my education and prior work as an Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) Home Therapist, but found a decently paying cash job working on a haskap farm for the summer. Although it wasn’t ideal, only working 4-hour days allowed me to .also volunteer at a Speech & Hearing clinic to further obtain experience and network at a workplace with helping professionals. Read more>>

Kate Faoro Wright

I think the biggest risk I ever took was between two different life paths. This risk was less about being brave, and more about listening to my heart. Prior to launching my wedding planning business full time, I was a yoga instructor, teacher training lead, and studio manager. I was very happy and fulfilled in that job. Prior to that opportunity I sold software, which provided a good living but had almost no joy in it for me. The choice to transition my life and lifestyle from software sales to full time in the wellness space was an intentional one. I planned, plotted, and economized to make sure my partner and I could sustain the transition while I went and got my slice of joy. It was one of the most rewarding decisions I had made to date. Regardless of whether anyone understood it, I lit up when I walked into the yoga studio and I had something to offer that helped people every single day.  Read more>>

Allie Gee

I spent my whole life as a dancer. I went to college and got my BFA in Dance Performance. Moved to NYC after graduation and joined a dance company in the first year of living there. Performed in NYC for 2 years before receiving a job offer for a company in Mexico City. Relocated to Mexico, traveled the country and performed with them touring the world. Retired performing and became a model/actress and full time dance teacher. I lived the life people kept telling me was a risk but I didn’t truly feel like I was taking a risk until I decided to change careers and start my own business. Read more>>

Stephen “steph” Groce

In the bustling world of energy drinks, where giants like Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar, and Celsius dominate the market, I decided to take a leap of faith and launch my own brand: Bragabilia Energy Beverage. The idea was born out of a desire to create an energy drink that not only provided a powerful boost and captured memorable moments but also gave back to the community through charitable initiatives. The outcome was the successful launch of Bragabilia Energy Beverage. The unique selling points—brand, gratitude, amplification—and the commitment to social responsibility struck a chord with consumers. Within the first year, Bragabilia gained a loyal following and received positive reviews for its taste and effectiveness. The brand’s BragabiliaX (aka BragX) charitable initiatives also garnered media attention, further boosting its visibility. Read more>>

Zahra Abbas

A few years ago, I made a life-changing decision to leave a high-paying corporate job while successful on paper, left me struggling to balance work and family. Constantly missing milestones and meaningful moments, I felt the weight of choosing one over the other. Though financially secure, I felt disconnected from what truly mattered—my family and a sense of purpose. My journey began with launching MYiDOCUSA, an Oncology/Hematology teleconsultation platform connecting patients with USA board-certified Oncology and Hematology specialists, from the comfort of their homes. Once it was up and running, I returned to a passion I had nurtured since childhood: designing jewelry. Read more>>

Karin Capellan

When I started my business. I went into business during Covid. This alone was a huge risk to take considering the future was unknown, the world shut down and we were living in fear; Who knew what opportunities we would have or essentially what would happen the next week or even if we would live past the following month so starting a business was a huge risk and I didn’t fully understand the the idea behind owning a business, but I’ve learned a lot along the way Read more>>