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.
Stacey Raeburn
At the end of 2021 I was living in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. I was working in a management position for the UK foreign office with responsibility for teams in both Abu Dhabi and Islamabad, Pakistan. I was earning decent money (more than I would have been as a civil servant in the UK, that’s for sure), I was good at my job, I had a beautiful apartment with a stunning view and a great group of friends. Read more>>
Dr. Sophia Khousadian
From a young age, I’ve always been a woman of ambition, dreaming of making a lasting impact on the world. I knew that taking risks would be an integral part of my journey. Read more>>
Sophia Haddad
My heart was pounding, My mind was racing with topics – Social media, online safety, and community service. “Welcome Sophia Haddad, Miss Frisco’s Teen.” called out over the speakers backstage. It was time to determine the first 20% of my score for my first state competition with my onstage question. Read more>>
Amanda Adkins
I believe any artist out there that is creating and allowing themselves to be vulnerable through their work is taking a risk. Or at least it feels risky allowing yourself to be so open with your work. Read more>>
Laci McKinney
I didn’t realize it at the time, I just knew I needed a creative outlet so I started to explore entrepreneurship. It took years to come to this conclusion but what my side hustle was doing was helping me build skills in my 9 to 5. One increasingly popular path to career growth is through a side hustle. Read more>>
Michelle Emdin
I come from a family of entrepreneurs and am close to several business-minded individuals but never saw myself as someone who would want to work for myself. I didn’t think I had the bravery, the tenacity, or the desire to risk starting a business. I found security in a routine paycheck and a set schedule. I was perfectly content with clocking in as a physical therapy clinician and clocking out—until I wasn’t. Read more>>
Ryan Correll
Thank You God & Canvas Rebel for the opportunity to uncover my superpowers. In this case showcasing my ability to manipulate wind & weather can be a risk, a huge one in fact. I’ve always felt this electrical surge throughout my bloodstream. Read more>>
Nicole Castellese, MD
I think of some critical decisions I have made as having taken risks, but, at the same time, feel the choices we make every day can all be thought of as taking risks, even when you don’t realize it. The one risk I’d like to share is my approach to my practice. I have chosen to create a practice rooted in treating patients in a manner that aligns 100% with my beliefs regarding overall wellness, beauty, self perception, physical health and emotional well being. This is in contrast to using financial motivations or what people often call business savvy to guide those decisions. Read more>>
Maxine Krasnow
My son and I bought a 5700 square foot property on half an acre. It was so scary but the building has so much potential. Our dream is that it becomes the Clay Art Center for the state of Arizona Read more>>
Ray Sharp
During the pandemic I began taking online film scoring classes. The first few were one-off master classes and nothing too involved. The pandemic then eased and I began performing live again but now I had the beginnings of some new skill sets and my urge to get into film scoring was calling more and more. During the summer of 2022 I was approached by a professor from Berklee Sound of College of Music and he explained to me that they had a new film scoring masters program and would I be interested in joining in the fall. Read more>>
Rebecca McDaniel
I typically post about my twins on my social media platforms. Usually about their matching clothes and where to find them and what it’s like being a twin Mom. My sister reached out to me and told me about this influencer opportunity on TikTok. You had to have at least 5000 followers and I barely made the cut. Read more>>
DURINGTHETYME
Being an artist, or just someone that wants something out of the ordinary, has to take risks. There is no way around it. It’s the joy and horror of the business. Read more>>
Joy Washington
My biggest risk was leaving my 9-5 to go for my dreams. Read more>>
Petri M.
Certainly, let me paint the picture of the risk I took in pursuit of my filmmaking dreams: Read more>>
Michele Friedmann
here are so many reasons why taking risks is important- both professionally and personally. I believe that for real growth to occur you must step outside your comfort zone and do things you’ve never done before. Starting a travel business was a risk and the best decision I ever made! Despite all the highs and lows. Read more>>
Sara Wong
I left my 15-year career to open a store that was all about supporting people in understanding their energy and offering tools/services to support their energy needs. When the pandemic started, the store had been open for almost 2 years, and to avoid rent issues, we decided to move out. Transitioning online led to a drop in revenue, as our income heavily relied on in-person services and events which were no longer possible. Read more>>
Krystal Wagner
Taking a risk was the hardest decision I ever had to make when it comes to my day to day life. I took this major risk when deciding on stepping out on faith to start my own hair business and no longer working for my employer. The reason why I call it a risk is because, despite knowing if my choice would actually be successful the way I wanted it to be, I did it anyway. I had no clue on how to start. Read more>>
Tamra Oellig
Karnage Beats
The biggest risk I’ve taken was quitting my job and becoming a full time artist, it was definitely terrifying because I didn’t know what the future held but I always believed in myself, I always knew I was meant for more in this life. It’s been 2 years since I’ve become a full time artist and the results are astonishing, I’ve managed to achieve over 2 million plays, I’ve gained thousands of new supporters, I couldn’t be happier. Read more>>
Monique Dao
Anna Lownes
The first biggest risk I took was moving to LA after almost 11 years of living in New York. I did find a full-time job out here, but I didn’t know many people and really had no idea what to expect. It was a huge leap of faith. I then got let go from that job after only 3 months, which was really scary. Read more>>
Jeanne Assinthe
As a single mother and a trauma-informed licensed clinical social worker, it’s been a challenging decision, but I decided two years ago to step away from my “well-paid” job with benefits and place my greatest bet on myself. I decided to dedicate my time and energy to working full-time in my own company, where I can serve individuals in the ways I truly believe in. This decision hasn’t been an easy one, considering the financial stability and security that comes with a traditional job. Read more>>
Elena Pineda
Back in 2015, I had the idea to pair up my Vegas Runway Fashion Shows with the Vegas Runway Magazine, everyone in my circle told me it was a stupid idea and a gigantic waste of money. Of course, none of those people would invest a dime, so I decided their opinion didn’t matter. Read more>>
Brittany Rogers
Becoming A Entrepreneur With No Funds Save Up Just Having Faith In God I Started This Journey 2016 With Two Kids Leaving With My Mom Had Leave A Corp.Job Due To My Daughter Getting Diagnosed With Autism She Began To Have Tantrums And My Mom Couldn’t Handle It My Son had Just Turn 1 With This Big Change Happening I Knew I Was Going To Need Funded So I Use The Gift God Gave Me And That Was Being A Baker And Deco Treat Tables And Now I Celebrate 10 yrs Of Becoming A Event Planner Read more>>
Sormeh Attarzadeh
Growing up, I was surrounded by the idea that the right path involved going to college and finding a stable job. It’s what everyone expected, and honestly, it’s what I thought I wanted too. But deep down, I began to realize that I was following a script that wasn’t truly mine. So, taking a deep breath, I decided to step away from law school. The surprising part? My parents and my closest friends were incredibly supportive. Read more>>
Laurel Schaffer
Nothing was working. Standing at the crest of the Raider Ridge hike, with a bird’s eye view of my tiny mountain hometown, nestled in its ancient glacial valley in southwest Colorado, I had to admit this to myself. Nothing was working. My marriage of 23 years had recently ended, a tenuous adjunct position at the local college offered a “salary” of $5,000 a year, and my grandiose plan of finding a new life direction researching craft textiles in Oaxaca, Mexico was abruptly cut short by the onset of Covid and global meltdown. Read more>>
Russ Smith
Putting up your own capital while still figuring out if it was a passion or not was very challenging. Also, there were some things I’ve decided to do marketing wise that helped us get recognition but didn’t return cash. Read more>>
Mike Hickman
Becoming a creative involves risk, as does many jobs, hobbies and interest that require us to put ourselves out there. We have to be willing to be vulnerable, criticized, praised but not allow it to inflate our ego and become prideful. Questions come up in our minds such as “Am I good enough?”, “Will they like me?”, “Can I make a living at this?” Read more>>
Milky Tran
ransitioning out of my full-time job as a creative producer/director and fully betting on myself to be a freelance artist has been daunting. I felt the anxiety and thought of applying to a new full-time job – but, I know this is the path I need to take in order to live the life I want! When I think about how I envision my life to be in 5 years, it’s freely writing and directing what I want, while picking up a few branded or music video projects. Read more>>
Dr. Aimee Bennett and Dr. Lauren Paradiso
Embarking on the journey of starting our own company marked a monumental risk in both our lives, a leap that led us from the familiar terrain of clinical expertise into the uncharted territory of entrepreneurship. As seasoned clinicians, we had finely honed our skills in the realm of physical therapy, navigating the complexities of the human body with finesse and precision. Read more>>
Evan Stein
There is famous quote by Nick Vujicic that says, “risk, then, is not just part of life. It is life. The place between your comfort zone and your dream is where life takes place. It’s the high-anxiety zone, but it’s also where you discover who you are.” Read more>>
RETI
Not spending enough quality time with my kids. Making sacrifices and taking the risks so i can be able to show them that there’s more to this life than what we are told and to reach their maximum potential. It’s hard for me because i always wanted them around but it didn’t happen like that! Read more>>
Diego Oliverio
For me, risk has always been associated with opportunity. 3 years ago, I was faced with the decision to travel alongside a stranger I had never met before across 12 countries for 12 months as a personal content creator for this man. With the project starting only 2 days after I was given this proposition, the element of risk precipitated many uneasy questions and emotions from both myself and my parents. Read more>>
Jasmine Loren
As an artist, I’ve always believed in the importance of embracing uncertainty, stepping out of my comfort zone, and pushing my own boundaries– taking risks, and taking them easy. In this day and age, artists who share their work online can easily succumb to the pressures of perfectionism, and the critiques of others– that’s why it’s important to always be brave and champion yourself. Read more>>