Tony Robbins says the #1 human need is certainty, but do you know what the second need is? It’s uncertainty. This tug of war between the competing needs of safety and risk are at the heart of so many dilemmas we face in life and for most folks the goal isn’t to eliminate risk – rather it’s to understand this core human need. In our view, the best way to understand or learn is through stories and so we’ve asked some very talented entrepreneurs and creatives to tell us the stories behind some of the risks they’ve taken.

Lacroy Nixon

My name is Lacroy Nixon and I am from Williamsburg, VA. Over the last year, I’ve begun new endeavors, stepped out and started a poetry-based organization, and started a business for creative services. The process has been less than ideal, but satisfying. I have learned so much because I am not afraid to fail. But most of all, My success can be attributed to my love for God and my devotion to Jesus Christ. He is why I am able to take risks and not fear outcomes. Read more>>

Emily Cheng

Travel nursing was the biggest risk I had ever taken, leaving everything I knew and loved for the unknown. Travel nursing has this unique way of helping you get comfortable with the uncomfortable because we are constantly moving for work (on average of 13 weeks at a time), learning a new hospital system, getting acquainted with new coworkers, work flows, teams, and reestablishing routines in a new place. Read more>>

Andres Rossi

I was an art director at MTV networks in Buenos Aires and decided to leave the city I grew up in order to live surrounded by nature in a town in the mountains of Argentina. I took the risk without having clients of my own or the security of a regular job. It was a life-changing risk that worked for the best, The quality of life, and constant contact with nature helped me to stay creative and succeed in my line of work with a great and healthy work/life balance philosophy. Today, I lead Wildthings, a boutique commercial animation studio where walks in nature, brainstorming sessions by the river, and meetings outdoors are a regular part of our day-to-day. Our clients have included Disney, Nickelodeon, and MTV, among others, and we love to work on projects that are aligned with our lifestyle. Read more>>

the boyfriend

We’ve all experienced the power of music – and where it can take you. For me, it took me to Los Angeles… literally. Picture this, a fresh out of college, musical-theatre student in the pandemic. That’s when I began my music production career: truly on a whim. I was still living with my parents in my hometown of Atlanta, GA. It started with a quick song about my then boyfriend. It was cute. Our break-up was not. It was so heartbreaking that I moved out of my family home into my first ever apartment. Read more>>

Slew Rockson

Back in 2015,I was filming an hip hop documentary based upon old school to present day hip hop music.As pre production wrapped and into the editing phase of the project,there was a snag leading towards post production with the editor. I lead to things ceasing to move forward with my film and twiddling my thumbs trying to move onto a new venture.So 2016 comes around and I had made a lot of business connections and music resources to lead me into a different avenue. Read more>>

Bryce Lennon

When UnRegisteredStyle® started back in 2013, I was looking to hire a local photographer. There was a lot of fashion related content to cover on the website, and I wanted an experienced shooter to bring my vision to life. Although there was a lot of talent in the area, most of the photographers were either outside of my price range or they didn’t understand my vision. So, I went out on a limb, purchased a camera, and started shooting the content myself. With very limited to no professional photography experience, everything was trial and error. Read more>>

Dr. Jennifer Tien-Lo Young she/rs

Since the first time I studied abroad as an undergrad at University of California, Irvine, I have looked for ways to work or study outside of the U.S. I have been fortunate to find many opportunities. In one of my early-career sojourns in the early 2010s, I participated in a short-term immersion program in a country in Southeast Asia. The program was led by two male professors who are White cis-men. Read more>>

SAURABH AHUJA

A long time ago, I was really concerned about my career and the work I had to do in order to live the life I wanted. However, my aim is now within reach. Yes, I have taken several risks throughout my career. I believe that risk is an inherent component of business. If you are truly committed to achieving your objective, you must take some minor risks. I’ve always attempted to take calculated risks because taking a life-changing risk could ruin my life, but God directed me to take one, so I did. Read more>>

Amanda Suga

It was October 2020, at the height of the crazy and uncertainty of a global pandemic that we all thought would be over. I had the idea to start my own online coaching business, and it had only ever been a dream. Then I told myself, “I need to decide if this is what I’m doing, and stop being confused about it.” I had a “stable” corporate job at the time, so I decided I would go ahead to pursue a coaching certification while working my job. Read more>>

Heidi Peterson

My dream began 5 1/2 years ago when I first made my trip to Senegal, West Africa. As a child I knew that one day I would travel to Africa. There was something I needed to do there. Travelling to Africa isn’t easy. especially as a foreigner and in a non-tourist setting. I took a risk. I risked the secure and middle-class version of myself. There it was three months after my first visit, I went back. The second time I chose to stay with my son in a town for 5 weeks that was slightly more than an outgrown village, live with a family and our friends were the local artists and artisans. Read more>>

Erin Dellasega

My current artistic practice has caused me to take some fairly big risks. These are risks that I was not anticipating when I started the path that I am currently on; I am half way through a three year master of fine arts program for painting + drawing. Despite being in a painting program, over the last 12 months I have decided to turn my practice back towards working with textiles, fashion design, and garment making. Read more>>

Lauren Lowrey

I’ve been a full-time TV News Anchor since 2006, which means I’m always working under strict talent contracts. These agreements are quite clear in their language restricting an on-air person from using their image or likeness for the promotion of anything other than the TV station. But in the summer of 2021, at the age of 36 I felt the pull to begin working on a creative project outside of TV news. Read more>>

Sami Aaron

I took a risk in 2018 when, at age 65, I founded the nonprofit, The Resilient Activist. As an activist, I understood the immense pressure environmental activists face in their work to preserve, protect, and nurture a healthy planet. At the time, there was almost no support for the negative emotional impact of the work they do. This understanding came to light after the death of my older son, an environmental activist, who began to feel that his actions would not make any difference in the global and systemic scope of the climate crisis and its interrelated social injustices. Read more>>

Ta-Wanda Wilson

I was 10 when I saw my grandmother pass away in the hospital of lung cancer with the doctor standing around her watching and telling my family that there was nothing more they could do for her. I was devastated! She was only 52 years old. Crying hysterically they had me leave the room as I was put into the hallway to stand I ran into a nearby bathroom and crying and angry that we were in a place that was suppose to help people and this doctor saying he could not help. I vowed that I would never let that happen to anyone else, and I would never trust the hospitals or doctors to take care of me. Remember, I was only 10 years old. Read more>>

Jenessa Taylor

I quit my full-time job as a social media producer 3 months after I had my twin daughters. I went from a salaried job with benefits to zero dollars coming into my bank account. My husband and I decided to move our little family into my unfailingly kind grandparents’ basement to focus on saving. Read more>>

Jessica Hornage

For most of my life, I’ve shied away from risk-taking as much as knowingly possible because it’s always been a scary idea. Over the years, I’ve learned different ways risk-taking can and has been rewarding. Starting my own practice and working full-time for myself have been the most rewarding risks I’ve taken thus far. Working 100% for myself seemed “too risky” at first so after filing my LLC I continued working fulltime for various companies while building my practice; but, the burnout was really taking a toll on my mental health. Read more>>

Amanda Virga

I have been in the event industry for over 12 years now. I started my career following the safe, standard route after college to gain experience and find the area of the industry that was the best for me. I worked for venues in operations, marketing and sales for the first half of my career, making my way up the ladder to a very comfortable position with a lucrative salary. I was very happy and content in my role, but I felt an inch for something more and a desire to not work for someone else but to spread my creative wings and go out on my own. Read more>>

Catina Morrison

My whole life changed in the literal blink of an eye. A car accident while on vacation in Jamaica transformed everything in 2012. I experienced various forms of pain monthly since childhood, but I did not know constant chronic pain until that day. I saw more than a dozen doctors to find answers with no success. With prolonged chronic pain and fatigue there was difficulty completing even basic activities of daily life, thankfully, I had my husband’s support. Read more>>

Brittany Doula B” Williams”

A risk I have taken was starting my business; Golden Hour Birth, after certifying as a full spectrum doula and breastfeeding specialist and launching my birth company shortly after. As a first-generation entrepreneur in my family, trying my hand at running my own business was totally foreign to me (I mean, back in high school I did bake and sell brownies but that was the closest I had ever gotten to fully running and creating a stream of revenue all on my own and I also did not have the mindset of it being a business, Read more>>

Ashley Ladd

Well, I officially dove in head first and decided to be completely self employed, and only self employed in the beginning of 2020. That’s already a risk, right? but it turns out that less than a week later Texas was declared state of emergency due to COVID-19. We were all in a complete world of unknown and I was in that world as a new business owner, it was so surreal. As we slowly started to go back to our new normal and we were able to celebrate milestones again, wedding season came back full force. Read more>>

Rashaad Black

There is something liberating about throwing caution to the wind and pursuing a dream. When I first picked up a paintbrush, I was questioned as to why would I ever want to paint? From time to time I began to question my own motivations because I never had the desire of painting before that moment. Was I ever going to be a Picasso or Van Gogh? Maybe not, but at some point, even Van Gogh must have been lost in the dream of creating before his fame ever existed. Although I did not have a clear purpose in the beginning, I never gave up on the feeling that I was doing the right thing. Before I picked up a paintbrush, I was a writer, and was in the process of writing what I thought would be my first short film. Read more>>

Alan Eby

I’ve wanted to do art for a living most my life. In 2018 I found myself between jobs and looking at selling used cars. My wife challenged me to spend sometime trying to get my art career off the ground instead of filling out applications and do interviews. Within a month I had a sizable wholesale order. Getting through that first year was touch and go with lots of failures and successes. I’ve now settled into a pretty steady wholesale business mixed with commissions and other creative endeavors. Read more>>

Mark Scruggs

Taking risk is what entrepreneurs do. I have always believed in the old ” No risk it- No biscuit” philosophy, but in reality what we are asking is if we believe in ourselves and our product. Because if you have a good product, a solid team and a plan for efficient execution, then it’s not much of a risk at all…it’s about having the courage to take that leap and all that comes with it. Having a good understanding of your goals and properly managing expectations will help minimize the risk… Read more>>

Roland St John Perez

As far back as I can remember, taking calculated risk was just a huge thing in my life. Growing up poor, with nothing much of anything normal in our household, I knew I had to focus on being creative and had to plan outside the box. I knew I never wanted to be without love, without prosperity and without integrity when I grew up, so at a very young age I had to absorb as much data I could from other people, other families, watching movies, the news, reading books, and more to see how other people lived, prospered, created and thrived. Taking calculated risk along with everything I absorbed allowed me to expand and create new horizons in my life. Read more>>

Jumel Verna

In 2011 I moved to Los Angeles to pursue an entertainment career. A friend of mine played for the lakers at the time and told me he could help me get off of my feet. I was scared to move 3000 miles away from family and friends but I still packed some of my things and left a 50k salary Job in the city. When I got to LA I saw that friend one time. I became upset, nervous and confused. I was left scratching my head trying to figure what’s next. Read more>>

Jennifer Miller

Launching your product and services involving luxury goods at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic is pretty darn risky. I designed and created custom pieces on a word of mouth basis only until 2019. By that summer. I was busier than I could have ever imagined and was encouraged by friends and family to put my brand out there. After careful and strategic planning, I decided to launch my website and social media accounts in January / February of 2020 and then by March, COVId shut the world down. Read more>>

Justin Holloman

The biggest risk I’ve taken is turning my 1 bedroom apartment into a restaurant. I have been contemplating this for years while working corporate jobs as well as private own restaurants but got discouraged. Upon doing my research I found that a chef that I admire by the name of Jacob Bickelhaupt he turned his two bedroom apt in Chicago his restaurant “sous rising “ which gave him leverage and support to open his first restaurant called 42 grams and winning a Michelin star his first year open Read more>>

Kaycee Dolwick

Where do I even begin with “taking a risk”? Before becoming a full-time photographer, I was a high-school teacher. It was a career that was extremely fulfilling and gave me a lot of security, but at the same time it was emotionally draining. I remember thinking after a really tough day of teaching that I cannot imagine myself doing this for another 20+ years, and that was before Covid hit the educational system. I began really considering other career avenues in 2019, and I began studying and immersing myself in all things photography. That following year I was able to quit my teaching job and devote my life to this photography business. Read more>>

Karlie Muncrief

When I was younger, I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. You know how kids fantasize about being president or doctors…nothing ever felt right for me. As I got older, I realized that I needed to find my footing, so I opted for teaching. There was a special part of educating that allowed my creativity to come out. I loved the reading and writing aspects of my job. I taught my students to find their inner creativity, too. After a year, thanks to the local administration and politics, I decided to leave my teaching position. I had no idea what to do or where I was “supposed to be.” Read more>>

Michelle Goss

It was the end of 2020 and Covid was starting to release its stranglehold on the country. I found myself at a job that just wasn’t working for me. I was miserable day in and day out. I struggled until March of 2021 and I took a huge risk. I walked into my work and handed in my electronics and my badge and quit on the spot. I had decided that I needed to figure out how to get my business back up and running after Covid closed it down. Read more>>

Nicole Hellthaler

I’ve never been one to map out my path or have a specific plan for my career or personal life. Often, the best things that have ever happened to me, like studying abroad in Cape Town, my random roommate turned best friend, ending up in Arkansas, or going to grad school with the most caring cohort I could ever ask for, all happened by following a gut instinct. Working for Prison Yoga Project is no exception. Read more>>

Taylor Higgs

So about a year and a half ago, I was in the middle of a pretty rough quarter at school. I had just come back to campus after a year of being at home due to the pandemic and I was wrestling with some personal issues alongside the dread of not knowing if I was good enough for my field. I really needed to take a step back and realize that maybe I needed another creative outlet that wasn’t centered around my career. I needed to be able to work with my hands away from technology in a creative way for a change, away from the pressure I was already feeling as an Illustrator. Read more>>

Tysen Knight

As a kid sitting on the roof as planes flew over my head as I drew comics, I knew I was always going to be an artist! Read more>>

Sarah Webb

My biggest risk was leaping off the tenure track in order to blaze new trails. I had gotten one of those infamously “rare” tenure track jobs at a university as an English professor. I love teaching and education, but I was unconsciously relying on this job as a safety net, a “more practical” career option that would allow me the flexibility and resources to feed my passion for Colorism Healing on the side or as a branch of the work I did for the job. Getting this job was always meant to be a stepping stone to bigger career aspirations, but I was tempted by the siren call of predictability and consistency, something entrepreneurship rarely affords. Read more>>

Holly Acampora

My husband, Tim, and I met in 2009 working in a digital printing production facility. He comes from a background in pre-press and graphic design, and I was just starting out and trying to decide where life would take me. I’d grown up in a home very supportive of the creative arts, my mom was a painter, potter, crafter, teacher and handy-woman so I knew I’d want to end up in a position where I could express myself creatively while being hands on with clients. Read more>>

kara werner

Going all in me. While becoming a therapist has been a life long dream and something that I know I was meant to do (in the least religious way possible,) it was a really long road to get here. I remember writing school papers with my son sitting on my lap. I remember juggling who would get paid first, timing it out, so nothing got shut off. Navigating my own trauma therapy (that I graduated from earlier this year!). Getting into massive amounts of student loan debt… Read more>>

Christian Young

Taking risks is often associated with negative results. Sometimes risks can have rewards. Throughout my life, I have taken many risks. Risks that have put my life in danger, choices that put my freedom at risk, and risks that could have affected others. The negative risks that I took often felt like the only way to survive. And sometimes they bred negative results. Living in active addiction, addicts take risks every single day. Active addiction can feel like turmoil like there is no way out. Read more>>

Love Small

The Biggest Risk I ever taken was starting my business. Not knowing whether or not it was going to ever be successful .Get establish in our brick-and-mortar locations January 11, 2018, I was blessed with my current location. To later find out that the building was up for foreclosure. Three days before my grand opening the building was up for auction. Read more>>

Da’Shanae Hardy

The biggest risk I have taken would be when I left my job back in January of 2020 to become a Full-Time Makeup Artist. I moved into my first apartment in December of 2019 with my son. I left my job the next month and Covid shortly changed everyone’s lives forever in March, 2020. All of the salons had to comply and close until quarantine lifted. And even with quarantine lifting, the question was, “Would anyone need makeup anymore?” Read more>>

Breana “Baby B” Gray

Life’s all about risks, right? Questioning plans & ideas, wanting perfection, spending money. I constantly remind myself, “if I don’t do it who will?” It’s about how bad you want it & creating experiences that may or may not work. Every show is a risk if not promoted right, merch & orders, studio time. Lots of things come in to play in the midst of building your brand. Just gonna keep trying different things & find out what works along the way! Read more>>