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.

Jeyhan

A recent risk I have taken is deciding to include more of my Turkish culture into my music. After a few years of deeper self-reflection and soul-searching, I realized that I wanted to feel more connected to my culture and upbringing, so I knew it was time to include more of that in my music. Read more>>

Samantha Overton

My first risk was actually turning my hobby into a business. I remember always carrying around a camera, paper and pen throughout my youth, but I always thought I would be a news reporter or something. However, one day a hair company emailed me about taking pictures for their company and asked me about my prices; I was so happy that they admired my work but I didn’t know how to tell them I’m not a professional photographer. Read more>>

Iliasis Muniz

Since I was born my mother Evelyn took me all over the world with her. She moved from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico which is where our family roots are from, and decided to give birth to me in Hampton, Virginia in 1990. She married a man in the Navy thus allowing us the opportunity to experience living in and out of many unique cities. We began to travel around many stunning locations around the world such as Hawaii, Italy, and New York.

Flavio Vela

I think the whole ceramic practice is a big risk taking. You could spend days building a piece, choosing carefully the glazes and applying them correctly, and even doing that it wont guarantee a good result in the end. Read more>>

Robert (Hustleman) Mitchell

I have taken several risk that lead to other risk, but i don’t call them risk, I call them leaps of faith. In 2001 i dropped out of college to pursue a career in music. I pursued this career for about 10 years without much success on a large scale. At the age of 30 I decided to pursue a career as a journalist. Read more>>

Matt LeBris

In 2018, after numerous years working with Daymond John of Shark Tank, I decided to take a leap of faith and build a plane on the way. Truthfully, the journey hasn’t been easy and that decision was a really, really big one. I was losing my full time, safe, fun, and challenging job that granted me access to a mentor who I viewed as a father figure. But, if I didn’t make that move, if I didn’t take that risk, I wouldn’t have started my podcast, Decoding Success, when I did – maybe not ever, which is scary to think. Read more>>

Teko Lewis

I was working as a 1st assistant manager when I was 21. I was making pretty good money and had numerous opportunities to make more if I accepted the promotions to become a GM. During this time I was conflicted because I knew that I didn’t want to work there for the rest of my life, but I also knew that this could be a great financial decision for my future. Read more>>

Angela Ficken

One of the best risks I took led me to finding my mantra, which helped me build my confidence and my business. It was April of 2017 and my therapist of 17 years had suddenly passed away and I was about to go through my first trial of IVF. I was feeling incredibly sad, lost, and anxious. Read more>>

Aleia Kristene

Since I can remember I’ve always been a go-getter and a risk taker. Going after what I wanted or desired was always second nature for me. If I envision it, I can achieve it. If I don’t have the blueprint, I will figure it out. The first major risk that I took in my life was moving from Florida to Atlanta immediately after college. I did not have much of a plan except to somehow get my foot in the door of the film industry. Read more>>

Latricia Taylor

I would say about 10+ years ago I had the idea of opening a food truck of some sort near my home. The main reason was one day I wanted some fried fish, you know like what you get at home. However, I did not want to cook it myself. Since I am not originally from Jacksonville I often call my friend to ask where I can find things or how to get to them. I gave her a call and ask where can I find some good like home cook fish from. Read more>>

Jonathan Carr

Worked for a non profit that supported war affected children in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Got arrested by rebels and corrupt govt officials there for about 5 days while on our mission to help war affected kids. Read more>>

Allison Cardon

It’s 2015 and Trevin is finishing up his second year of medical school. He is taking his first set of board exams and getting ready for his third year of medical school. Third year is when clinical rotations begin. Its also the time that medical students typically start thinking about what specialty they will pursue. At home we have a four year old and a two year old. Read more>>

Bamn Ford

Taking the plunge from 9-5 work to full on 24/7 entrepreneur has to be the biggest risk I’ve taken career wise. I didn’t know what to plan for or how to plan for it. I was working in a retail space feeling like I wasn’t maximizing my potential, and that reason alone made me feel like I was leaving something on the table that was meant for me. Read more>>

Casara Andre

A state of complete health is one of physical, mental, emotional, and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Recognition of the interdependence of human, animal, and ecosystem wellbeing is essential to achieving a state of global, holistic health. A significant amount of physical, mental, emotional, and social healing must occur across both human and animal populations, as well as within the ecosystems that we all inhabit, in order to achieve a global state of wellbeing and health. Read more>>

Giancarlo Brajdic

I own a company called Skull Asylum SFX Studio in Fayetteville Ga. We predominantly create special makeup fx , props, human reproduction, Architectual reproductions, and medical devises, etc. Our studio has been opened in Georgia for 5 years and have worked on numerous feature films, television series, subscription series and films. Read more>>

Latasha Davis

Purpose is defined as the reason something exists. To know the reason you exist is so powerful yet so humbling, and many people live their entire lives without ever knowing their purpose Passion is not always the same thing as purpose, even though that’s what we want to believe. Just because you feel strongly about animals doesn’t mean you are supposed to be veterinarian or dog walker. Passion might get you started, but purpose is what takes you to the very end. Read more>>

Ana Dévora

Being an artist is a risk taking, the artist work as a freelance in a world that is competitive and elitist. You never know if someone would be interested in buying a work from you, and you do it without knowing in advance, you realize that you have to do it because your soul need it, not just for a sale, even though the sales are important to us to continue producing our art. Read more>>

Katelynn Martin-Isip

Before starting my business, I was working at a call center in collections which was a 9-5 job. I had planned to grow within the company and go to school (since they offered school reimbursement). I worked so hard to make it at the top of my department, that the next step was to become a manager for new hires. I was so excited to finally be off the phones and help agents that are coming into the company. Read more>>

Julie Lee

My villain backstory is… (just kidding)- When I was born, I was a premature baby, so I had a weakened immune system; I was sick often while growing up, all through to adulthood. During school, when teachers asked us to draw our real-life superheroes, I saw my classmates sketch out their firemen and policemen, but for me, my hero was always a doctor. Read more>>

Brittany Summers

Since I was a kid, I never knew exactly what I wanted to do, I just knew I wanted to work for myself. That was the one thing I was so determined on. Of course, the idea is less intimidating than the reality of it. Unfortunately I kept with service jobs, and I only did hair and makeup on the side. Read more>>

Lauren Lawless

The biggest risk I’ve ever taken was leaving my career in sales and chasing my dream to become a chef. In 2017 I decided to quit my job and try out for MasterChef Season 8. It had always been a dream of mine to compete on a cooking competition show and this was my chance. I made top 40 out of 34,000 contestants. From there I decided to become a private chef and open my own catering company. Read more>>

Jessica Smith

Becoming a paramedical tattoo artist was an exciting and intimidating path to go down, the rewarding and life changing results achieved with clients has been incredible and makes the leap of faith worth every minute of hard work and determination it took to get my business where it is today. Read more>>

Addie Rawr

The biggest risk I’ve ever taken and still can’t believe I did it was quitting my job in 2018. I knew when I entered the “adult” workforce after college that I didn’t want to work a normal job forever. I wasn’t against working in general, I just knew a standard, in office job wasn’t for me. I worked as a senior technician for a popular cellular company for 5 years until I resigned in 2018. Read more>>

Alexandra Labarr

I was working in a high-speed corp company and I decided one day to bet on myself. I decided to take a leap of faith and open up my marketing firm after 20 years of being in the corporate world. When I made that decision I did not have a customer in mind however I did have a marketing plan and also I knew what my niche was and who my target audience would be. Read more>>

The Smoogies

The concept of our band has been summed up in both of our album titles. Our first record is called ” Planet Smoogies.” We felt like we took risks making this record by putting a lot of different styles and influences into one album. Each song has a different feel, and some may think it is all over the place, but it was intended to be this way. Read more>>

Lindsey Leite

My husband and I have always been “risk takers”. From the moment we boarded an aeroplane 25+ years ago, and headed from family, friends and all that we knew in South Africa to go and live in London, we have had a reputation for being “those people”. Read more>>

Danica Najar-Redin

Growing up i was a very shy child and did not like taking risks i was terrified to put myself out there partly because i was bullied as a kid so i had no self confidence. However i did over come that fear by taking a risk. One of the best risks I have taken on has been my Acting & Modeling Career. I have been blessed to have made it thus far and experienced things I never thought imaginable. Read more>>

Kendra DeÀnna

Girl, you’re a singer songwriter, how you are just going to start an event planning business throwing Business Baby Showers, what is that even? How are you going to build a successful business, you don’t even have the right education to know how to run a business? Read more>>

Desiree Klaus

I’ve taken. 2 big risks in my life, the most recent one was in April of 2021, when I decided to quit my 9-5 job as a Insurance Agent that I had been at for 2yrs. It actually started in 2019, when I started blogging I was working towards featuring women of color who owned small businesses. Read more>>

Airreia Pierce

I went to school to first become an interior designer, dreaming of making big money and living the life I always dreamed of. Second year into the design program, I realized that I was not happy. I packed all of my design supplies, sold them, and changed my major to early childhood education. Read more>>

Ranonda Penn

Honestly, culinary school. It has been the biggest and most life changing risk of my adult life to date. I had been working in IT for over 15 years and at the time was a Business Analyst for an energy software company. I had been thinking about going to culinary school in the evenings simply because I loved cooking so much. Read more>>

Regina Toliver

I would say the biggest risk that I’ve taken would have been last year 2021. I had gotten so fed up with my last job in healthcare. The management wasn’t very supportive and I had to put up with a lot of attitude from the providers. I just didn’t feel appreciated no matter what I brought to the team. So I decided that I would get back into real estate, which I had been trying to do since 2005. I think back then I wasn’t really focused and plus the market wasn’t like it is today. Read more>>

Paige Bostic

I would consider myself a traditional A-Type overachiever. For the longest time, I used to proclaim that I was a “relaxed” A-type, not quite B, but someone that could go with the flow. Luckily, I have been delivered from such foolish thoughts. As self-awarness set in, I realized that I was never “relaxed” just a diligent over-planner. Read more>>