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. 

Kurston Ghumm

In 2022, I interviewed with CanvasRebel as a nail technician. At that point in my career, owning a business felt like something other people did. Read more>>

Molly Thomson

Purchasing Benbrook Stables was a huge risk for my husband, Steven, and I . I left a lucrative career in the wine industry to purchase a horse facility that had been left in total disrepair. The property was covered in tons of trash, broken fences, dilapidated barns, and had no horses or viable business operations remaining. Read more>>

Angela McBride

The biggest risk I ever took was blowing up my life in my forties. Not because everything was falling apart. Ironically, from the outside, everything looked successful. I had spent years climbing the mountain I thought I was supposed to climb. Every degree, every accomplishment, every milestone told me I was headed in the right direction. Read more>>

Hannah Logan

In 2011 I graduated from university with a BA Honors in Criminology and Criminal Justice with a Concentration in Psychology and a Minor in Spanish. For a long time, while I was studying, I thought that I would continue with my education. Maybe a masters in forensic psychology. Read more>>

Patcha Kitchaicharoen

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was leaving behind a successful photography career in Thailand to start over in the United States. The funny thing is that this wasn’t the first time I had taken that risk. In 2016, I left Bangkok and moved to New York to attend the International Center of Photography. Read more>>

Anna McGraw

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken was walking away from a career that I had spent decades building. Education wasn’t just a job for me—it was part of my identity. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction, a specialist degree in Administration, and eventually a doctorate in Adult Leadership. Read more>>

Zsa-Zsa Rosado

One of the key risks I have taken in my career was transitioning from a stabilized leasing environment into a brand-new lease-up community, where I had to shift from maintaining an established property to helping build momentum from the ground up, creating strong first impressions, and contributing to the foundation of a successful launch. Read more>>

Samiayah Britton-Sorrell

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken was walking away from a stable, well-paying career to build what is now Magical Vibe Parties, LLC (MVP). For most of my adult life, I built a career in management and human resources. I spent over 20 years doing what many people would consider the ‘safe’ thing. I had a paycheck. Benefits. Stability. A clear path. Read more>>

Brent & Chelsea Lang

As content creators, one of the biggest risks we’ve ever taken was deciding to put ourselves out there and share our stories with the world. When we first started creating travel content, we weren’t professional influencers, photographers, or full-time travelers. We were simply two people with full-time jobs who loved exploring the world and finding ways to travel on a budget. Read more>>

Author K Reshay

The Leap into Self-Publishing: A Journey of Courage and Creativity In 2017, I made a decision that would significantly alter the course of my life—a decision filled with both exhilaration and uncertainty. It was the year I chose to become a self-published author, a journey that began with a single manuscript and a dream of sharing my stories with the world. Read more>>

Charles Pruitt

RISK, you say? The story of my life. Every minute, every hour, everyday. From the moment I wake up until the closing of my eyes I am always taking risk. That is how I thrive. Living life in the ‘grey’ as one of my mentors will call it. Risk became evident in my life the moment I decided to get a college education. Read more>>

Steven Gostin

I recently found myself at a crossroads, forced to make some difficult decisions. I kept asking: Why am I here, and what am I going to do next? My job was coming to an end, and truthfully, I hadn’t been happy in it for a long time. I stayed because my family needed me to, but it wasn’t feeding my purpose. Read more>>

Dr. Desi Bartlett

One of the biggest risks I have taken was returning to school to pursue my Doctor of Education degree after being out of academia for more than 25 years. At the time, I had already built a successful career in health and wellness, authored books, taught internationally, and worked with major brands. Read more>>

Robert Ruesch

Our youngest daughter became an addict at 14. Through the next three decades, she tried every street drug she could buy, together with drinking. As a father, I constantly feared for her life. This was a continuous nightmare. Rehab after rehab did not work until she overdosed on meth and fentanyl. She stopped breathing in the emergency waiting room. Four doses of Narcan revived her. Read more>>

Stephanie Luth

My adventures started before I even left college. My professor was great at making connections and networking. We worked closely with the rugby team, creating their team poster. I noticed they weren’t getting much coverage from the college and knew they were about to travel out of state for games. Read more>>

Jamie Tedrick-Monroe

One of the biggest risks I have ever taken was deciding to be seen. For years, my story was filled with things many people would rather hide. I survived addiction. I survived abuse. I survived prison. There was a time in my life when my identity was wrapped up in my mistakes, my trauma, and the labels other people placed on me. Read more>>

Samantha Gregerson

The biggest life changing risk I took was when I decided to go full time with my freelancing business. Ever since I was 15 years old, I always had a job where I was guaranteed a paycheck week to week. I knew I was going to get paid as long as I showed up and did my job. Read more>>

Phoenix DaArtist Irizarry

It started in the Bronx New York in 2004. I’d been doing graffiti and drawing since I was a kid. By this time due to a very rough up bringing the streets claimed me. I took a major risk in 2004 that would shape my life forever. Read more>>

Meghan Webster

The biggest risk I’ve taken was choosing to build my own business and step into the world of being an independent contractor instead of following a traditional career path. Read more>>

Lounjie Tacheline Mathurin

I’ve never been afraid of taking risks, especially when it comes to my career and creating the kind of financial freedom and life I envision for myself. My journey has never followed a traditional path. I’ve always been someone willing to step outside of my comfort zone and bet on myself. It started with my passion for fashion and content creation. Read more>>

Heather Nagy

While I have a website, most of my collectors discover my work through outdoor art festivals. These events come with both rewards and risks. One of the most rewarding aspects is the opportunity to connect with hundreds of people in a single weekend. Visitors can experience the artwork in person, seeing details and colors that photographs often can’t capture. Read more>>

Peter Polyak

When we hear the phrase ‘taking a risk,’ most of us imagine a single dramatic opportunity — a moment when we must decide whether to take a leap or continue living as we always have. But I’ve come to see risk differently. Life is a series of decisions made day by day. Read more>>

Ali The Professor

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was deciding not to wait for the perfect time to pursue creative work. I’ve always loved storytelling and film, but I also wanted a stable career. I became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and built a career helping families, but I never wanted to give up my creative interests. Read more>>

Chelsea Catlin

For most of my life, my focus was simply making it through the next medical challenge. Living with lupus since childhood and later receiving a kidney transplant taught me resilience, but it also taught me how easy it is to put your dreams on hold. Read more>>

Landon Schumaker

The greatest risk I have ever taken was not just a financial one. It was a calculated risk against my own comfort and time. My investing journey began at the age of sixteen. By my senior year of high school, I was working two jobs and logging sixty hours a week between serving tables at Denny’s and working at a local aquarium fish store. Read more>>

Pharah Phitted

I have always known I was destined to be an artist. I have always had a creative spirit. But when you are so young and life sends you down a different path, you have to go with it; especially when everyone around you tells you it’s not possible. After high school, I immediately went to college to study to become a doctor. Read more>>

Amanda Hawkins

The biggest risk I have taken is the one I am living right now. Two months ago, I had a good job in hospitality and events. I had four kids at home, a paycheck I could count on, and a life that made sense on paper. I knew what I was good at. Read more>>

Teresa Gauna

The biggest risk I ever took was starting over and stepping into a completely new career. At the time, I was a stay-at-home mom to our four children while my husband worked to provide for our family. Read more>>

Pavish Patel

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was deciding to step into the world of DJing and live entertainment, particularly in the Bollywood and Garba scene, where reputation is everything, and opportunities have to be earned. When I first started, I wasn’t an established DJ with a large following or years of industry experience. Read more>>

Me Time Book Club

Behind the Ink: A Leap into the Literary Unknown The Genesis of an Idea Back in the summer of 2019, I found myself at a bit of a crossroads. I was working a stable marketing job that was comfortable enough, but there was this itch I couldn’t shake—a real desire to dive into something that spoke to my love of books. Read more>>

Kathy Gray

Twenty-three years ago, our daughter experienced an amniotic fluid embolism while giving birth to her daughter. It was life-threatening and terrifying for her family. When it became clear, though, that she was recovering and that she and her daughter would be well, we were all impacted. Read more>>

Alissa Telck

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was stepping into leadership roles before I felt completely ready. At 24 years old, I accepted a head cheerleading coaching position at a high school. I was younger than many people expected a head coach to be, and I knew I would have to earn the trust and respect of athletes, parents, and administrators. Read more>>

Toi Henderson

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was sharing my story publicly. As the oldest girl of ten siblings, I experienced childhood trauma that shaped much of my early life. For years, I kept those experiences to myself because I feared being judged or misunderstood. When I started my nonprofit, I realized I couldn’t explain my mission without sharing the story behind it. Read more>>

Shauna Ti’er

Having parents and a family that believed in my creative abilities and artistic knowledge at a young age was top-tier; however, if those abilities aren’t fed or poured into, they can begin to divert to other areas that are not so lucrative and productive. Read more>>

Rashad Thirlkill

Rashad Thirlkill Rashad Thirlkill is a reinvention strategist, money motivator, marketing expert, entrepreneur, author, and podcast host whose life and career prove that setbacks don’t define your future—your response to them does. In a world where people are told to find one career and stay the course, Rashad’s journey tells a different story. Read more>>

Aminah Banks

The biggest risk I’ve take in my life thus far has been relocating from Atlanta to Los Angeles to pursue my career in photography. There were many contributing factors that played a part a pivotal role in me deciding to relocate. But if I’m being honest it was a broken heart that really sealed the deal. Read more>>

Lakesha Henry

One of the biggest risks I have ever taken happened when I was only 16 years old. At an age when most teenagers are worried about school, friends, and what comes next in life, I made the decision to share some of the most painful parts of my family’s story on national television. Read more>>

Kaly Herlong

The Story Behind the Brand Starting a clothing brand was never just about fashion for me—it was about purpose, faith, and having the courage to walk into the calling God placed on my life. For years, I worked a stable, well-paying job that provided security for my family. On paper, everything looked good. Read more>>

Trae Venerable

In 2015, I was a college student with big dreams but very little certainty. Like many students, I was focused on classes, assignments, and figuring out what I wanted my future to look like. What I didn’t know at the time was that one decision would completely change the direction of my life. Read more>>

Byron (Byronnnn, artist name) Ford

Like many things, risk taking is an interesting topic to/for me. The thing about it for me is that I don’t consider anything I Believe in to be a risk at all. Everything you see now, I Believed in and saw a long time ago. Living by Grace, I just see life in a very different way from the things we typically hear. Read more>>

Cam Kashani, SSD

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken wasn’t starting a business—it was telling the truth. For years, people knew me as the entrepreneur. The community builder. The woman helping put Silicon Beach on the map. From the outside, it looked like I had it together. What most people didn’t know was how much I was struggling internally. Read more>>

Joshua Kemble

One of the biggest risks I have ever taken was agreeing to illustrate and help create a graphic novel called Not Death, But Love: The Strange, Supernatural Story of Elizabeth Barrett Browning with author Lavender Vroman. What made it a risk was not the possibility of failure. Read more>>

Jessica Duke

I never set out to own a business. When I was in personal training school, we had professional people come in to talk to the class about what it was like to work for this studio and that gym. We had people talk about what it was like to own their own business. I thought that was the one I least wanted to do. Read more>>

Jamie Rodriguez

Founding NashBash Miami was the ultimate test of taking a calculated risk in the music industry. As a Miami native now based in Nashville, my vision was to build an independent cultural bridge, bringing the diverse, contemporary sounds of Music City straight into the highly competitive landscape of Miami Art Week. Read more>>

Carly Lind

The first risk I ever watched someone take was my parents buying our home. I was a kid, and I didn’t understand what a mortgage was or what it meant when the market collapsed, I just knew that one day we had a home and then we didn’t. 2008 took a lot from a lot of families, and ours was one of them. Read more>>

Terri Chaplin

A risk I took recently began with a message that, at first glance, might have sounded unusual to most people. A woman reached out to me after the loss of her mother. She was deep in grief. She wasn’t sleeping, wasn’t eating well, and felt completely overwhelmed by the weight of what she was carrying. Read more>>

Ryann Liebl

For more than 15 years, I built my career in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. I worked with talented people, learned every aspect of production, and developed a deep understanding of how films get made. On paper, I had stability and a clear path forward. Read more>>

Yolanda Kennerly

One of the biggest risks I ever took was reinventing myself after spending decades in an industry I thought I would be in forever. For over 25 years, I built a successful career in the mortgage industry. I began as a loan officer in the early 1990s and eventually became a mortgage broker. Read more>>

Natalie Wilson

The Overton Park Shell has been a series of risks, during my tenure as Executive Director…..From risk to our brand and change of name to risk of programming decisions to risk of scaling the operation in capital development. We as a small nonprofit has lended in an approach that healthy risk is important. Read more>>

Michael Dergar

One of the biggest risks I have ever taken was leaving my home in Mazatlán, Mexico, more than 28 years ago to pursue a better future in the United States. It was not simply a move to another country—it meant leaving behind my family, my friends, my culture, and everything that was familiar to me. At the time, I had no guarantees of success. Read more>>

Marcie Arriaga

The biggest risk I’ve ever taken was leaving my full-time career in property management to pursue my small business, Mighty Oak Designs, full time. With four children and the security of a steady paycheck, it was a decision that felt both exciting and terrifying. Owning my own business is something I dreamed about since I was a little girl. Read more>>

Conan Townsend

Starting my business was one of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken. I’ve always had a passion for food and serving people, but there was a big difference between enjoying cooking and building a business around it. Like many entrepreneurs, I had moments where I questioned whether I was making the right decision. Read more>>

Paola Meraz

The biggest risk I’ve taken was leaving a successful nine-year career at Designworks, a BMW Group Company, to pursue a more independent creative path. On paper, it probably didn’t make much sense. I had spent nearly nine years at Designworks, eventually becoming a Creative Director of Interaction Design and leading projects for brands such as BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce to name a few. Read more>>

Aimée Joaristi

Being an artist means working on the edge of a razor blade: either you get cut, or nothing happens. My first risk was telling my father, when I was about fourteen, that I wanted to be an artist. My father was a strong, conservative man. Read more>>

Ty Wright

The biggest risk I’ve taken was stepping out and not being afraid to fail. When doing what I do, a lot of negativity will be presented both internally and externally. It’s my job to block it all out, to help me to take that risk. In reality everything you want in life is on the other side of your comfort zone. Read more>>

Niki DeConcini

The risk we took was starting something from scratch in a space that already had so many good things in it. When we started Female Founders Twin Cities, there were already incredible organizations supporting women in business. There were networking groups, events, professional communities, and rooms full of smart, talented women doing meaningful work. Read more>>

Janisse Cuevas

My career has always come down to one thing: taking what is complicated or chaotic, and making it feel human. That instinct is what led me to the biggest risk I’ve ever taken. The risk itself wasn’t loud or dramatic. It was quiet, and it played out over years. A few years ago I made a bet that cut against how most large organizations operate. Read more>>

Julie Colotroc

As dancers, I think taking risks is part of our journey. At least, it has always been part of mine. After two and a half years at Rudra Béjart School in Switzerland and a global pandemic, I booked my first professional contract in a Broadway production. To be honest, I was terrified. Read more>>

Heather Walker

The biggest risk I’ve ever taken was choosing to rebuild my life from the ground up when I had no guarantee it would work. In 2022, after an 18-year marriage ended, I found myself starting over as a single full-time mother of three daughters. Read more>>

Megan Weinheimer

The risk wasn’t the plane ticket I bought to kick off my solo travel journey. It was deciding my life was worth rebuilding. Read more>>

Tongie Scott

THE RISK THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING When people hear the word ‘risk’, they often think of investing money, starting a business or making a major financial decision. For me, the greatest risk I ever took was far more personal. It was risking the life I knew in order to discover the life I was created to live. Years ago, I found myself at a crossroad. Read more>>

DEBBY MARG

For years, if someone had asked who I was, the answer would have been simple: ‘She’s an opera singer.’ And they would have been right. I spent years studying classical voice, performing operatic repertoire, and building my life around that world. Opera gave me so much. It became my profession, the path I had chosen, and a fundamental part of my identity. Read more>>

Soleil Cole

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was deciding to build a creative brand while working full-time in IT support. For a long time, creativity was something I treated as a hobby. I enjoyed creating content, photography, modeling, and storytelling, but I didn’t know if it was something I could take seriously. Read more>>

Jesse Proie

It turns out; life isn’t all about money. I spent the better part of 15 years working in sales. I spent roughly 60 hours a week dedicating my life to becoming the best in the business. I missed some weddings, birthdays, and special moments that I would have preferred to be at. Read more>>

Heather Faber

I started photography as a hobby. I worked a full time job for the first 4-5 years of starting this business. After I had my daughter, I decided it was time to take a risk and make my full time career my photography business. It was the best decision I’ve ever made! Read more>>

Megan W

Mannnnnnnn….Being a creative, an artist, a storyteller comes with its fair share of risks. The lack of security at times, the interesting personalities in this business, the threat of being undercut by other people, the scary part of big gigs before the ink on the contract is dry and you’re in limbo. This business brings about its fair share of risks, and scary moments. Read more>>

Gian Shaw

I’ve learned that every major breakthrough in my life has required me to act before I had proof it would work. One of the biggest risks I ever took was pursuing a career in acting when there were absolutely no guarantees that it would lead anywhere. Read more>>

Peter Schiffman

When I started my company, I had been given a key duplicator and a pin kit (pin kits have assorted pins so you can match new keys when rekeying locks). The duplicator was the most basic duplicator you could get and the cutting blade was dull and had broken teeth. Read more>>

La’Teria Robinson

When I think about taking a risk, I can’t narrow it down to one instance. Every decision I’ve made when it came to executing an idea, I was taking a risk. Creating a Digital and Physical Budget Planner, was taking a risk. When I created a Blog on WordPress, I was taking a risk. Read more>>

Ashwina Sharma

One risk I took was becoming the Lead Volunteer and Head Program Coordinator of An Unclouded Conscience and later helping expand its mission through Project CareerTalks. When I first began, I wanted to make education, service, and opportunity more accessible, but I was nervous about putting my work out publicly. Read more>>

Roniqua Griffis

One risk I’ve taken was choosing to put myself and my story out there through my businesses. For a long time, I wasn’t always confident, especially being in a wheelchair. I had to grow into loving who I am, embracing how I show up, and realizing that my story was not something to hide. Read more>>

Victor Olavarria

This topic applies in a lot of ways to what I do. I decided pretty early on that I was going to pursue music (everyone let me know how big of a risk that was) and I did so without ever having a plan B. Read more>>

Brooke Desieus

The biggest risk I’ve ever taken was abandoning a future I had spent years preparing for in order to pursue a life that felt true to myself. When I graduated high school, I had a very clear vision of my future. I wanted to become a scientist. Read more>>

Shadara Ingram

The risk I took was betting on me to succeed, leaving the corporate world and starting a business. I have always known that working corporate or for someone was never really my thing. I don’t mind it at all and I’m not above any of it it’s just that I had bigger and better expectations for myself. Read more>>

Nicolette Ellis

I’ve been taking leaps as a Creative since I was 17 years old. I moved out of my childhood home in MD to go to school for acting in NYC at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Once I did that at such a young age, I committed myself to a creative path and never moved back home, no matter how hard it got. Read more>>

Marlene Davenport

At 42, I decided to leave everything behind and move to the United States on a student visa. My goal was to learn English and eventually revalidate my pharmacy degree. Almost everyone who knew me thought I had lost my mind. Read more>>

William Sanchez

I started Torrchez Entertainment LLC with my wife Emilly as a ‘Side’ business in 2012, as I was already working in the medical field as an office manager. We increased business two fold going from about 50 weddings and events per year to over 100 per year. Read more>>

Tanja Pajevic

I took a big risk when I published my memoir The Secret Life of Grief. Even though I’ve published a lot of personal writing over the past 20 years, this book felt especially vulnerable. I had to deal with a lot of intense (and often conflicting) emotions when I spoke about my book. Read more>>

Animal IZZI

In early 2020, I finally had a chance to visit the tiny fishing village of Caraíva, an isolated sanctuary in northeastern Brazil that can only be reached by boat. I was surrounded by people I loved: my parents, my sister, my brother-in-law, and my girlfriend. I was experiencing one of the most charming beach towns on the planet. Read more>>

Maria Vaughn Swift

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken was leaving behind stability and certainty to create a life that better aligned with my long-term goals and values. For several years, I built my career in customer service, onboarding, and payroll-related roles. On paper, things looked stable. I had a steady job, predictable income, and a clear path forward. Read more>>

Bria Knight

Four years ago, I made a pivotal decision to expand my entrepreneurial journey beyond my initial success with III. VI. Artistry. Since launching in 2018, my business has been a labor of love—providing tools and experiences that empower consumers to indulge in beauty and gain a deeper understanding of their own preferences. Read more>>

Elly Weisenborn

I decided to go full-time with photography before my son was born in November 2024. I’d started my business in early 2021 while juggling part-time jobs, but a few months before he arrived, my husband and I decided I wouldn’t go back. Read more>>

Lisa Mounteer-Watson

I have lived my life by embracing risk, the outcomes mostly successful and if not, a door is opened leading to a path that could lead to exciting unintended consequences. I am an intuitive painter. That means that I don’t plan my paintings. I paint the way I live my life, taking risks, and following my heart. Read more>>

Melissa Lentz

Taking a Risk The greatest risk I ever took was believing in myself when others told me I couldn’t. Growing up, I witnessed domestic violence and instability that shaped much of my early life. My mother worked tirelessly to provide for us, and her strength taught me resilience, determination, and the importance of never giving up. Read more>>

Thandiwe Gibson-Hunter

At the beginning of each year, I choose one word to guide me. For the past six years, that word was Grace. I wanted to learn how to let go of shame. I wanted to forgive myself for the mistakes I had made in both my business and personal life. I wanted to soothe emotional and psychological wounds and find peace in who I am. Read more>>

Chloe McKee

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was choosing to build a practice as a financial advisor at a young age when many people around me questioned whether I could succeed. When I entered the industry, I was in my early twenties. Read more>>

Christina Jones

Honestly, the biggest risk I ever took was betting on myself — and it didn’t feel courageous at the time. It felt terrifying. I had spent years in education — starting my career in 2002, moving from the classroom into instructional leadership and eventually district level work, nationally and internationally. I had given everything I had to building systems, leading teams, and helping organizations grow. Read more>>

Jack Oliver Kotanen

I think every artistic venture involves a risk; a vote of confidence in yourself and your work. As the theatre director Anne Bogart wrote: “Every creative act involves a leap into the void.” My career—and life—so far has been made up of risks and leaps of varying sizes. Read more>>

Remicha Carter

I’d say one of the biggest risks I’ve taken was choosing to walk away from what looked like a very stable, successful path… to build something that didn’t have a clear blueprint yet. Early on, I was actually on a completely different trajectory. Read more>>

Amy Peterson

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken recently is one that, from the outside, probably doesn’t look risky at all. For the past 13 years, I’ve built Rebel Nell in Detroit. Our story is deeply rooted in this city. We transform repurposed materials into jewelry and gifts while creating employment opportunities for women facing barriers. Read more>>

Seejon Czaplicki

Risk and creativity go hand in hand, honestly I struggle to know how to be creative without taking a risk, often I’ll invent semi-hypothetical deadlines, just to engage with the risk of missing it. Restrictions, limitations and stakes are inherent with creative work. Read more>>

Jessica Phillips

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was deciding to stop treating this creative work like a side hobby and fully step into building a life around it. On paper, it probably looked irresponsible. I was trying to balance other creative businesses: photography, writing, and YouTube channel at the same time, without any guaranteed outcome, steady roadmap, or real safety net. Read more>>

Rachel Volpone

Taking risks in my work has meant allowing myself to make paintings that feel more raw, vulnerable, and true, without being overly concerned with how they will be read by others. That shift was necessary to reach a deeper level of authenticity. Read more>>

Heather Hagler

I never considered myself a creative or artistic person. In fact, I earned my degree in Mathematics over 10 years ago and have been working as a secondary math teacher ever since—definitely more left-brained than right-brained. That said, I’ve always loved taking photos with my iPhone and editing them for social media. Read more>>

Jeanne Dunn

To provide some backdrop: My story as a visual artist starts in childhood, between ages 6 – 10 years old.. I grew up in the countryside, far enough from town that my only friends were siblings. For my family money was scarce but my mom always made sure that I had pencil and paper. Read more>>

LAUREN EVANS

I moved to Los Angeles without knowing anyone. No family. Not a soul. Person by person, I have carved out a sense of belonging here in the city, which I am very grateful for. When I look back, I am so proud of myself for being so willing to rip off the band aid of Canadian comfort and buy a one way ticket to LA. Read more>>

Lauren / Elle Wilburne

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was moving from New York City to Miami to pursue a career as a full-time DJ. While I had DJed in Miami several times before and knew a handful of people in the industry, I wasn’t moving for a guaranteed job. Read more>>

Ana Ortega

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken was deciding to expand Promise into something much bigger than it originally was. I first opened Promise Center for Autism in 2014 as a solo provider, doing in-home therapy on my own. Over time, I started hiring a few employees and the work kept growing. Read more>>

Whitney Burnette

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken didn’t look dramatic on the outside, but it completely changed the direction of my life. I decided to bet on myself. Read more>>

Dr. Syerra Lynn Donaldson

One of the biggest risks I have ever taken was deciding to pursue my Doctor of Social Work degree while simultaneously building my career, operating businesses, and navigating significant personal challenges. When I made the decision, it didn’t make sense on paper. Read more>>

Anntreece Jones

Taking a Risk One of the greatest risks I have ever taken wasn’t financial. It wasn’t professional. It was spiritual. Years ago, while pregnant with my daughter Journey, I began losing my vision. My eyes were no longer working the way they should. I was struggling to focus, struggling to see, and losing control in ways I couldn’t understand. Read more>>

Taisacan Hall

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken came during one of the most difficult periods of my life. At the time, I was experiencing homelessness as a youth with my mother and my younger brother, who was a toddler at the time. Read more>>

Anna Bobikova

For years, I watched people change not because someone gave them advice, but because they finally stepped into another point of view. Once I saw this so clearly in psychodrama work with a couple who were close to divorce. They were not lacking words; they had already said many words to each other. Read more>>

Theresa Cephas

One of the biggest risks I have ever taken was leaving the security of a steady paycheck to pursue my passion full-time. My journey in the hair industry started when I was 12 years old. My mother was in cosmetology school, and I spent countless hours practicing on her mannequin heads. Read more>>