The chapters in our stories are often marked by wins and losses. Getting a new job, getting fired. Getting a life-threatening medical diagnosis, beating it and getting a clean bill of health. Too often, due to a societal expectation of modesty and humility we are discouraged from talking about the risks we’ve taken that led to those ups and downs – because often those risks draw attention to how we are responsible for the outcomes – positive or negative. But those risks matter. Those stories matter. We asked some brilliant entrepreneurs, artists, creatives, and leaders to tell us those stories – the stories of the risks they’ve taken, and we’ve shared them with you below.

Christine Rennie

At 6 years old I discovered my passion, painting. I’ve loved creating and making as long as I can remember. Most of my childhood memories consist of joy filled days spent paint brush in hand. After completing high school I found myself pressured into perusing a career. Society as a whole pushes you to earn a degree, find a job, settle down and work. With this, I perused a career in nursing. After marring my husband and settling into being a stay at home mom of our two beautiful daughters, I found myself again, paint brush in hand. Read more>>

Ben Gage

I never thought I would be able to quit my corporate job. There is something comforting about know that you have a glob of consistent money being slopped onto your plate by someone else. You didn’t have to worry about doing any cooking, you just gobble it up and wait for more. That is the cycle I found myself in for just over a decade. I graduated college and entered the corporate world, anxious to push my square degrees into the various round holes of opportunity. I got comfortable real quick. Read more>>

Summer Madison

As a child I always wanted to become a model. I never thought I would be able to say I have been in several magazines and made cover photo, especially magazines in and out of the USA. I have learned to love my look. Every woman is beautiful in their own way. We often compare our selfs to what we see in society, but I promise once you learn to love yourself nothing will be in your way. You will see changes and find new challenges to conquer. Read more>>

Eliud Sanchez Jr.

I believe that everyone should progress and look for new opportunities in their career. At one point in my life I just knew that making music was all I wanted to do…it’s what I felt I was best at. Until one day I was talking with a fellow artist who was at a very low point in their life and wanted to advance their acting career, but hit a major roadblock. I took the risk in saying, “let’s film something right now!” Read more>>

Ali Alsaleh

Growing up a product of immigration, as a family of political refugees from Baghdad, Iraq to Nashville, TN in 2000, I was not afforded the privilege of taking risks. Specifically post 9/11, life for Arabs was difficult, and the name of the game was assimilation; fitting in, finding stability, and creating opportunity went hand-in-hand with survival. My parents instilled in my sister and I the need to build on the sacrifices they themselves made, the risk of uprooting their lives and starting over in America. Read more>>

Yuri Kenan

In 2018, I heard God say, “Get your LLC.” I was hesitant because I’ve always heard others say to wait to create an LLC until your business makes enough money. I started writing years prior, but I never thought to make it a business since it was more of a hobby. I told my husband and others what God was leading me to do. Luckily, my friend also said God was telling her the same thing too! So we put our heads together and filed for our LLCs. I felt God tugging on me to leave my job. My boss was kind, and the work wasn’t too hard, so quitting was unnecessary. Well, God had other plans. Read more>>

Moise Michel

Just going into business as an entrepreneur is risky, because you blatantly making the decision to bet on yourself. I recall, over a decade ago I had finished written my very first book; “Diamond In The Rough: Trials & Tribulations Of A Southern Belle”. It was sitting on my desk collecting dust til one day my friend and began to read it. Once done with the read, he was immensely impressed by it and encouraged to publish. At first I was skeptical but looking back at that moment im glad I took heed to my friends advice and now I’m a 4x published author. Can’t forget my daughter Samiyah Michel is also a published author as well. Read more>>

Matiyah/ngbgogetta Brown

The risk I took was kind of an impulsive move, but at the same time conversation had taken place. It was last year in September when I had seen ombbloodbath post stating, that the artist had features half off. So, I took the opportunity with the little money I had at the time and copped the feature. Song got sent back to me that night. Read more>>

Kelmi Bermúdez

Retrospectively, my adult life up to this date has been a series of life-changing choices that most could consider a risk. With time, I’ve learn to take the negative connotation out of the word. Taking a risk is a gamble of trust in the person you should love and protect the most: yourself. Right when I got accepted in college, back in paradisiacal Puerto Rico, I switched majors the day before classes began. The day before! I had no confrontation from my parents. They trusted my judgement. Read more>>

Misha McClure

I have learned a lot of lessons in life, that have shaped who I am as a wife, mother, community volunteer, and professional. One big lesson that has been a learning experience for me, is to not let fear keep me from taking risks. I grew up on a farm in a small town in Louisiana. and can remember shelling peas on the front porch, collecting eggs from the chicken coop, and exploring the expansive pasture where my family’s cows would graze. Read more>>

Keisha Haynes

The biggest risk I have ever taken was/is pursuing a career as an entrepreneur. I say that because when I started, I didn’t know the outcome and I didn’t know what to expect. It was and is very risky for my husband and I because we cannot be afraid to invest, and just because we invest that doesn’t guarantee success. We’ve learned and is still learning through trial and error. that there is so many components that has to be learned during the process and as we discover them, we’ve often found out that some don’t work, Read more>>

J.C. Cirese

Taking risks always produce the greatest rewards in life… Success or failure, we grow, learn, and can vastly improve. Those who have taken the biggest risks have changed the world the most. I guess you can say my entrepreneurial journey began after my greatest risk. In January 2016 I found myself laying face down in a pool or my own blood after a federal fugitive on the run decided to shoot me in the face while I slept and hold my girlfriend hostage as I bled out dying. Read more>>

Cassie and Tanice Johnson and Coates

The biggest risk we took was becoming business owners and pursuing our dreams. Then taking that dream to the next level. We definitely took a risk at the height of the pandemic we decided that we were going to take what was a hobby and turn it into a business. Trust me when we say we have been facing all kinds of uncertainties and more but we keep in mind our end goal and completing our dream with opening a store. Read more>>

Kam ONeal

Choosing to be an artist/entrepreneur is a risk. The choice in itself is a risk. It’s easy to get discouraged and feel like you’ve made a poor decision. I have taken a multitude of risks to get me where I am today (though I still have work to do). We still live in a society where though being a creative more common, it’s still new. The older generations ,my generation often looks up to have little advice for the new age direction unless they’ve taken the time to study it. Needless to say most have not. Read more>>

Ingrid Kindred

In February of 2009 I was laid off from my job as a Finance Manager for a non profit. After applying for over 50 jobs with no interviews or calls, I decided in July to start my own business. I had no prior experience with entrepreneurship, but I knew that I needed to do something to help secure my financial future. Read more>>

Kendra Miller

So I took a leap of faith and moved my daughter and I from my small hometown to a city where dreams are made of for business owners and entrepreneurs, especially minority owned. I always wanted to make the big move, but fear was always in the way. As I look back i don’t know if I could have handled what all I’ve endured during the transition of the leap I took. I had way more growing and learning to do before I took the leap. It was risky because no job offered to move us, I was taking it upon myself and betting on myself to make the move. Read more>>

Katrine Wallace

I was on social media a lot at the beginning of the pandemic for the same reason everybody else was. I was bored during the stay-at-home order and scrolling on my phone to pass the time. In addition to seeing videos of people’s pets, their food, and TikTok dances, I was also unfortunately seeing a lot of COVID-19 misinformation. At that time, there were many posts suggesting that COVID-19 wasn’t even real: it was just a massive ploy to throw the election. I have a doctorate in epidemiology, so this obviously bothered me because this was my area of expertise. Read more>>

Adam Gilmore

I was working a 9-5 at a place I truly hated. One day when the pandemic hit I became really sick. The company would call and ask when I was coming back instead of asking how I was. That was the last straw so I took it upon myself and I prayed about it and I quit. Went out on faith and started doing my photography full-time Read more>>

Nicole Hidalgo

I never thought I would be a business owner. Even the thought of starting my own business was not only laughable but brought along paralyzing fear. The fear of failure, of letting others down, of letting my family down, and of letting myself down was enough to banish any urge I ever had to start my own business. It wasn’t until I encountered the lowest of lows in my life that I gathered up the courage to entertain the thought. I came to the conclusion that it was time for me to take a risk and do it.  Read more>>

Dominque Vela

Dominque: I grew up in South Texas where nothing much happened and not a lot was around for people to stress about. I moved to Austin in 2017 after graduating with a degree in Exercise and Sports Science from Texas State and started coaching and personal training. Two years later my passion for coaching dwindled and I wanted to look for something different. I started an entry level builder job for PW23 Fitness early 2020, soon after the pandemic shut the world down and no one could go to gyms. Read more>>

Ashley Shelley

Leap and trust that you will soar… Friday July 31, 2020 I clearly heard my higher self whisper to me that it was time to be a full time private practice therapist. This was followed by the nudge to submit my 30 day notice to my current part time job. I remember clearly asking myself aloud, “Completely private practice by the end of August?” This was an interesting place to be mentally and emotionally as I felt very sure of what I needed to do while also being very present in my current reality. Read more>>

Ducee’ DropTop

A big life changing risk for myself was deciding to quit my job, move to Charlotte and become a full time artist/ Entrepreneur. In 2020 I was working for this company and I was working a 9-5 but they offered over time. I was always down for trying to get extra money so some weeks ill put 50-55 hrs in. Come Check time I felt like I was working all these hours not having much time for myself or my music or any of my side hustles. I was feeling uninspired at times because I wasn’t doing much and felt come studio time I would get writers block because only thing I could think to talk about or I’ve been doing is just working at my job. Read more>>

Kristine Miguel

Years ago, I had a cushy, well-paying corporate job. The kind of job you’d get with a Bachelor of Commerce and a CPA, CA designation. I went to school, got the lucrative career… I did everything “right”. … So why was I dreaming of a life outside of long office hours, tedious corporate work, and steady income? Like many people, I had a vision of the “perfect” life and how it would all play out. I’d go to school, graduate, get my degree, find a secure job in my field, and perhaps stay there until retirement. Read more>>

Skinny Trell

Going head first into artistry feels so scary, and honestly sometimes I’m not sure why. You know, when we look up, the world is ran off the back of creatives. Imagine your favorite scene in a movie without the musical soundtrack to add to that emotion they are trying to display…without the music it would feel bland. All those people who’s music was the glue to that movie that spark emotion took risks to get there. We never know if anyone will like what we deliver as artist, and that’s the biggest risk of all: standing behind something you actually believe in. Read more>>

Carrie Schonhoff

I took a risk publishing my poems. My editor told me that at the end of my first book, “The Liminal Space,” it would be an emotional journey captured on the pages. I didn’t realize the impact it would have on others when I shared my vulnerable self through poetry. It’s risky to share your inner most thoughts, but it has been the most validating experience of my life. I published my second book, “The End of the Beginning” in the fall of 2021 and have begun work on book number 3. A risk that has certainly paid off! Read more>>

Sharon Babineau

I joined the military right out of high school, wanting to serve my country, travel the world and help where I could. They taught me how to persevere against the odds, and to never give up. To go “all in!” I was prepared, yet I never imagined my greatest battle would actually be fought at home. When I met my fiancé Stephen, it was love at first sight. He was a civilian, rode a motorcycle and looked just like Paul McCartney. Life was perfect. Within a few months we were inseparable, and a marriage was in the near future. Read more>>

Taylor Street

September 11th, 2021, I found myself standing in the middle of my new, empty Philly apartment. No plan. A decreasing savings account. No job. But this space was mine, and I was ready for new memories. A month prior, I’d decided to walk away from an unfulfilling job that provided me with housing, meals, and good benefits. Despite its perceived safety, I was unhappy and stagnant, and although I couldn’t paint a picture of my dreams, I knew a fresh start was necessary. Read more>>

Maria Paula Rodriguez

I moved to the United States from El Salvador when I was 14 years old. I was raised in El Salvador my whole life and somehow I always felt like I never quite fit in. When I was little I lost my sister to gang violence and as I grew older I didn’t want to be in my country anymore. I spent years living in fear and with trauma I never processed up until recently. All those years, painting helped me deal with it whether I knew it or not and that’s something I came to understand until I started going to therapy not so long ago. Read more>>

Terrance Green

In the corporate world, there this mentality in thinking it’s okay to gatekeep information, that can potentially change his or her life in the long run. What the corporate world does wrong in my industry, is that sometimes they don’t help independent artist. They like to gatekeep information. There was an artist I work with, which is a amazing artist, has have issues with previous distribution company’s getting his music on all music platforms. Read more>>

Jeff Berney

Writing is risk taking. Especially writing fiction. You’re starting with a blank page (or screen these days). Then slowly, somehow, a whole new world pours from deep within your subconscious through your fingertips and onto the page. Entire people who didn’t exist before you typed them into being start doing amazing, crazy and sometimes awful things. Read more>>

Nova Mosaico

Hello Family Thank you for my second interview, as much has shifted in my life since discussing my offerings last autumn. I am stepping into my next evolution. Here we go! For some background .. My husband and I left our traditional jobs in June of 2021 to embark on a soul quest for our own retreat service. We learned to traverse the landscape of being our own boss, and have made our living as mentors. All of the money we made was funneled into traveling about the U. S. in our car, meeting with potential investors in our soul project. Read more>>

Katrina Bell

I took a huge risk when I decided to leave my stable job in Corporate America to become an Independent Contractor job at a Private Group Practice doing therapy. I really enjoyed my job, it was effortless and I worked from home, but I was not totally fulfilled. I knew that it was time to leave when I began to feel unhappy, but I stuck in there because of the need to have stability to help contribute to my household. I was presented with the opportunity to join this practice, set and make my own hours, take time off when I wanted, to make more money, to have more time with my family and most of all to get back to providing therapy. Read more>>

Aaron Chesling

One of the biggest risks I can say I’ve taken, arguably terrifying, has been to quit the corporate job to pursue my passions in the music business. I have worked heavily in the corporate record business and frankly outside of the music business in almost every role, from PR assistant, promo, forklift driver, A&R to Executive Producer. There came a time when I realized that while I have enjoyed many parts of this business, with many rewarding experiences, what I wanted to do all along was to stay a creative and well “create” versus being focused on someone else’s bottom line or goals. SO in a leap of faith I decided to leave the majors. Read more>>

Lisa Edwards

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken in my life was moving to California without knowing anyone or having a job lined up. My husband instantly felt a connection to San Francisco – he said it reminded him of home in Cape Town, South Africa. So, I took the plunge and packed up my life in Connecticut and moved out west. It was a scary and daunting experience, but it ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I found my dream job within a few months of moving and have never looked back. The risk paid off in a big way and I’m so grateful that I took it. Read more>>

Emily Vargo

The most recent, and largest, risk I’ve taken is opening the second location of Health in Hand and planning for future growth opportunities. When I opened Health in Hand Downtown Spartanburg, I was very young and it was a very small footprint (450sqft). I didn’t have much to lose. Seven years forward, I’ve expanded into a space that’s three times the size of our first location with a full production kitchen space and a much larger financial investment than anything I’ve ever done. Read more>>

Bianca Tucker

I’ll never forget the time I quit my full time job to pursue my passion in event design. This was huge risk because my business hadn’t fully blossomed, it wasn’t even considered a real business at the time, but me and my partner were confident in what we were trying to build and we knew it would take our full dedication and time. Read more>>

Pras Luebke

I took a risk to become a Photographer and leave a very secure career, and discovered I just enjoy making art through photography. I’m still betting on becoming a photographer full time and having my LLC flourish, but currently I still remain at my 9-5 office job. Sadly, it’s still just a side hustle, but with time I believe I can make the transition. Read more>>

Maggie Glenski

I took a life-changing risk when I quit my full-time job to open my company Wrinkle’s Media, a digital marketing agency, in the summer of 2021. I walked away from the security of a guaranteed paycheck, good benefits and paid family leave in search for an opportunity that could be both fulfilling and flexible. As a new mom, I needed to have more flexibility and control over my hours in order to better prioritize my family. At the same time, I wanted to make sure I was still feeling fulfilled in my career. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit and knew it was time to take the risk and go off on my own. Read more>>

Sarah Boutwell

When my Dad called me the risk taker of the family a couple years ago it really hit hard. I knew my path was unconventional but I didn’t consider myself a risky person, little did I know… It was so natural for me growing up to quit a job without notice because my soul had had enough. My parents hated that, they would always tell me I should be prepared with a backup job. After 20 years of moving around in the restaurant industry, I was good at what I did, really good. This meant I could make as much as I wanted at one of the best restaurants in the city, but I still wasn’t happy. Read more>>

Chelsea Davenport

What is a Portrait Park? Well that is the issue. You never hear of a “Portrait Park” where someone places different props all over a property then rents it out to customers. So trying to explain to insurance what this meant was a difficult one. But we figured it out….eventually. Sometimes I still wonder what to do next because it is such a unique business. I switch out props for every season…. but I have to create props that will with hold the outdoors and 100s of people that come visit. Read more>>

Roman Khachaturyan

One of my biggest first risks in life was becoming a business owner. My wife and I traveled a lot and we would visit sneaker stores all over the country. I knew it was something that I wanted to eventually do myself. One on particular trip to LA, my wife told me she was tired of hearing me talk about it and that I was going to start the business as soon as we got back. From the minute we got back from that trip we started looking at locations all over the city. We secured a tiny 600 sq ft store front that was an old Italian restaurant. We remodeled the shop and opened it within 3 months of returning from that trip to LA. Read more>>

Natasha Johnson

Despite never having ran a business before, I took a risk when I started mine. Many people attempted to persuade me not to do it, but I persisted because it was my dream. I had to give it a shot or I would never find out whether I could run a business successfully. In just two years, so many small businesses collapse. That is simply the reality of being an entrepreneur. I’m still in business after six years. Read more>>