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.

Crystal Mclaurin

I want to share a life-changing risk I took, one that stemmed from my battle with sensitive skin. Growing up, I felt like I was living in a bubble, surrounded by products that triggered my allergies. Simple things—like soaps, lotions, detergents, and even outdoor elements became sources of constant anxiety. Each time I tried a new product, it often disappointed me, as my skin would react painfully and irritably. As I entered adulthood, my sensitivities grew stronger, leaving me frustrated and isolated in my search for effective skincare solutions. Read more>>

Megan Shope

Pursuing any type of art in our current world is a huge risk! I began to step into my role as an artist in 2019 when I had stepped away from my Program Director job, advocating for women and families. We had two small children, and I was working more than full-time driving all over 3 states with my Mom and step-Dad trying to find answers to her fast and extremely debilitating health issues. This was a season that was completely unsustainable and everything came to a head at once. I ended up leaving my Program Director job, although I greatly loved my work and the amazing people and families I worked with over many years in that position. At that time I had no plans to be an artist, I had no art background or formal training. I was applying for other Program Director jobs, but would leave even very good interviews and sob in my car. Read more>>

Abigail Ryu

Sitting in a classroom, I listened to what felt like aliens speaking. All I could do was try to make sense of the words swirling around me. The teacher was passionately writing on the board, filling it with so many words it almost looked like a drawing I was begging to understand. This was me—almost 16 years old, alone in America. I had made the bold decision to study abroad, knowing no English, no family, no friends—just me and God. All I wanted was to explore what America had to offer. Yet, in that classroom, all I could think was, *“Wow… I’m completely lost.”* Read more>>

Sean Beeson

When I was first starting off as a full-time freelance composer (around 2006), I was encouraged to move away from Ohio to a larger city like Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, or Seattle. I decided that I could stay in Ohio, start my career entirely online, and work remotely to build my portfolio, career, and business. Read more>>

Nina Linda Alvarenga

The story of how I found yoga and the leap of faith that allowed me to fulfill my dreams beyond my wildest imagination. In 2008, I was a full-time bartender in the entertainment capital of the U.S., Las Vegas, NV. I knew I needed a change from a life filled with drinking and indulgence in Sin City—you can only imagine. Nights in my 20s were thrilling, but something was missing. Read more>>

Lana Electra

The biggest risk I’ve taken in life thus far is starting drag. After going through months of heart issues and no answers- I knew now is a better time than ever to live life to the fullest. I knew if it got to the point where I wouldn’t be able to do drag- and never tried it, I would’ve been disappointed in myself. Now, almost a year into my drag career, I keep taking risks. Yet another risk that paid off- I have my own drag show produced by ME!! It was a risk that it won’t work, that nobody will show up, but the shows have been so successful creating conversation. Read more>>

Rue Mapp

When I reflect on my life, it’s clear that many pivotal moments were rooted in risk—sometimes calculated, but often uncertain. One of the biggest risks I took, which shaped the work I do today, was deciding to return to school full-time while working full-time. This happened during one of the most challenging periods of my life. I had recently divorced and was raising three children under the age of eight on my own. Read more>>

Abby Britt

Throughout my life, I’ve been quite risk-averse. I’ve occasionally stepped out of my comfort zone, like when I order a mocha latte instead of my usual caramel macchiato, but generally, I lean towards less risky options. I chose Physical Therapy as a career because I love helping with people’s recovery and it seemed like a stable path for me. Read more>>

Julia Belian

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken was founding Roam Boulder, the University of Colorado Boulder’s first-ever life and style magazine. The idea for Roam was born in July 2021 during a time when I felt completely unmotivated and stuck. I was searching for opportunities that aligned with my passion for fashion, but nothing on campus seemed to fit. It felt like I had hit a roadblock, and I knew I had two choices: transfer schools to find the creative outlet I craved, or take a leap and create that outlet myself. Read more>>

Linh-ly Vinh

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was starting my career as a therapist by opening up my own solo private practice. It was a decision. I made that took lots of discussions with other professionals and loved ones and lots of challenging doubts I had about myself and my capabilities. But it is a decision I made that I am very happy about and glad that I had such a supportive circle to do so. Read more>>

Sagi Chen

The biggest risk I’ve ever taken was moving to NYC. Before making the leap, I had never even visited the United States. I grew up in Israel, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve felt this deep connection to American culture, especially music. It’s always been more than just an interest for me—it’s like this gravitational pull I couldn’t ignore. So, at age 21, I decided to follow that feeling, pack my bags, and move to the Big Apple to chase my dreams. Read more>>

Blake Hermann

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was starting PILLAR while I was still a college student at Arizona State University. The idea came to me in 2019 when I realized there was a need for versatile, high-quality clothing that combined performance and style—especially for taller athletes. I wanted to create apparel that looked great outside the gym but was functional enough to handle an active lifestyle. Read more>>

Emily Swarts

It was when I realized that I did not want to be a person who choose comfort over growth, that I took the leap. As they say, no choice is also a choice. After a full year of indecision and deep introspection, they way I mustered up the courage to quit my 8 year tenure at Google – the only post-grad job I had ever known – was to realize that I did not want my life decisions to be dictated by fear. Read more>>

Rachel Wolf

One significant risk I took was transitioning from traditional photography to becoming a cameraless photographer. Stepping out from behind the camera, which is typically the central focus of photography, I decided to explore the medium from the perspective of light and chemistry so as to focus on the raw, unmediated interaction between materials. This decision opened up a whole new world of creative possibilities. Read more>>

Tana Newberry

Thank you so much for this opportunity to share not just my work, but also the story behind it. My name is Tana Newberry, and I’m an International Psychic turned Wealth Activator and Luxury Psychic Business Mentor. I help spiritual entrepreneur girlies align their intuition, lifestyle, and business with purpose and prosperity through my program, the Rich Intuition Society. While my work might sound niche or bold to some, its heart lies in a universal message: we don’t have to choose between our spirituality and our dreams of abundance. We can be both deeply aligned and unapologetically prosperous. Read more>>

Natalia Rey

One of the biggest risks I took in my career was reaching out to people—texting and DMing them to ask for opportunities or to trust me with projects, even though I had no experience. I had to figure out what to do as I went along. It felt like a big leap because most people are afraid of being judged, rejected, or misunderstood. The fear of hearing “no” over and over, or even letting your ego convince you that you shouldn’t put yourself out there, can be paralyzing. Read more>>

Rinus Pauel

I will tell the story of how I quit my job attempting to make a world record, travel the world, learn foreign languages, meet my fiancé, move across the planet and end up switching career paths to live my dream live. 7 years ago I was living in Belgium and had just started working as a full time physical therapist. Fresh out of college and working hard at a successful career in pro-sports.  Read more>>

Andrea Elise Velez

This year, I accepted the fact that I needed to rebrand my business. It’s been something that has been on my mind for a couple years now and rebranding is not only a lot of work requiring lots of time and energy but also it is expensive. However, I felt I needed to take this risk because it’s something that I could not stop thinking about and I’ve learned to follow that as a sign that it was something that I needed todo. Two years ago, I opened my Salon, Bloom Beauty and Lash Bar and six years ago I started my wedding business Bloom Glam Squad. When I started the Glam Squad, I was in a completely different place in my artistry and my idea of what I wanted to be known for in the wedding and beauty industry. Read more>>

Karah Ruczynski

When I learned I was being laid off, it felt like an uncertain and vulnerable moment in my career. However, it also presented an opportunity—a chance to take a risk on myself. Working with startup companies has always been my passion and expertise. I thrive in environments where I can build people-focused cultures, create processes from scratch, and contribute to the foundational success of businesses. So, instead of searching for another role, I decided to lean into my strengths and launch my own fractional HR business, JKC Solutions. Read more>>

Sarahmarie Neves & Megan Daley

The healthcare industry was drastically changing in 2020. Nurses by original trade, we met while working together at a hospital in California. We weren’t even what you would call, “work friends”. We were more like, “work acquaintances”. But during this time of great uncertainty and lockdowns, we actually found that we had a lot in common. We soon started to bond over shared values, common interests, bible study and a longing for drastic change. Read more>>

Collin Reynolds

Sometimes you have to make the jump and bet on yourself when going after what you want. I had some money saved away when i made the choice to start doing art creation full time, but I had a belief in my own abilities in order to make that jump. I was working a normal 9-5 over worked and stressed, my Crohns disease was starting to flare up more than usual and I just wasn’t happy with where I was going. Read more>>

Julieta Gaitan

One of the most significant risks I’ve taken was while developing my project, Wuasi. This project focuses on creating environmentally friendly textiles using pigments derived from fungi. It all started during the pandemic in Colombia, a time filled with uncertainty and personal challenges. Back then, biodesign and sustainable fashion were new concepts in my country, and resources for experimenting were limited. Still, my passion for sustainability pushed me to explore the fantastic potential of fungi as a natural dye. Read more>>

Kressa Phillips

The biggest risk I’ve ever taken was leaving my 9-5 job to pursue Krescent Studios, my production company, full time. I worked in different communication roles after obtaining my undergraduate degrees and the last job I had before I became my own boss was an in-house videographer. I ran my business on the side, doing videography and photography for Krescent Studios on the weekends. I’d stay up late on weeknights to edit and finish my projects for clients, and start work at 8:30am the next day. It was a perk that both jobs overlapped regarding skillset, but I became exhausted quickly. I decided early on to do whatever it takes to become sustained by my own business. Read more>>

Camille Kouyoumdjian

About 20 years ago, I took a significant creative and professional risk: I decided to leave the stability of a public service career in health policy to pursue my passion for art full-time. It was a leap into the unknown, especially because my art practice had always been a personal endeavor—a way to process the world, not necessarily to make a living. I wasn’t sure if I could sustain myself financially, much less build a successful career, but I felt deeply compelled to create work that captured the urgency of environmental sustainability. Read more>>

Mitchell Drake

I have read several books related to business and game design, however, my favorite has to be The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell. In that book Jesse talks about how game design is an art form made up of many other art forms. As an artist, he explains, it is hard to ever feel that our work is complete. The artist usually finds fault and continues to make corrections to their art. The important lesson though is that at some point the art is as good as it is going to be and it is time to accept that and move on to the next project. The biggest risk I ever took was declaring my game Celeste complete and beginning to mass produce it. It was nerve racking, but in the end it was the right move. Since then I have felt more comfortable moving on and creating more games. Read more>>

Kayla Weber

The biggest risk I’ve taken so far in my life was jumping off the metaphorical cliff and buying my current business. Since 2017 I had been gathering certifications in the mindfulness realm and doing side work for my LLC in the areas of forest bathing, nature education, and grief support. Over the years I got certified as a nature and forest therapy guide, Grief Recovery Method specialist, yoga 200hr teacher, Mindful Grieving facilitator, sound healing practitioner, and AcuDetox practitioner. With all of these modalities I was working with people up and down the Vail/Eagle valley in Colorado and it was getting to be a lot. I was doing my own programs as well as partnering with others to collaborate on events and although it was fulfilling, it was exhausting. I was doing all of my own outreach, marketing, execution of events with travel and setup/break down, and behind the scenes accounting. My good friend and I started to look for a space where we could host events and have other healers rent space from us so we could have a collaborative healing space. Life took us on a journey of searching but we came up with nothing.  Read more>>

Dan Rathmann

“EFFORT MEETS FATE” The Dan Rathmann Story

I’ve told my story on my start on becoming a local and national performing comedian, but that didn’t come without risk. In the comedy world, they talk about paying dues, which means sometimes you perform just to get your name out and even lose money to get the opportunity to do so. Performing in front of crowds of 5 to 20 people will humble you but also give you an experience that many may never get in life. When I think about risk, I think about how taking time away from your regular job to fly across the country to perform in front of strangers. I think about putting your own money into your flight and hotel to chance making more than the cost of travel and lodging to even perform. In less than 2 years, I’ve been very blessed with opportunities to perform but all that came with risk of loss but it introduced me to very talented people who connected me to other opportunities for future shows that could make up for any losses. I say to anyone who reads this, if you use Effort Meets Fate to follow your dreams, then the risk will always be worth the outcome. A failed risk isn’t the end of the road. It’s a lesson in the book of life! Read more>>

Jewel Monet Lux

As an intuitive reader, I often find myself navigating the delicate balance between my humanity and my awareness of the greater spiritual realm. Specifically, I’ve had to balance humility with confidence in my gifts. There have been many instances where I’ve received messages from Spirit—messages deeply personal and specific—that I was urged to share with strangers. In those moments, I’ve felt the risk of being perceived as presumptuous or invasive. After all, it’s no small thing to tell someone something so personal about themselves. Read more>>

Nicole Marie Quinn

When I was a teenager, I dreamed about being a professional singer. I also loved playing the piano & songwriting. I got busy with life, college & work so I ended up taking an extended break from music. In my late 40s I began singing, playing the piano & songwriting again. It was very rewarding & therapeutic to have the joy of music back in my life. In Spring of 2023, I decided to finally pursue my passion. With the encouragement of friends, I had the courage to take the huge risk of shutting down my business & plunging straight into becoming a full-time musician. Time was of the essence so I launched my brand new career with minimal knowledge & experience. But where I was lacking, I made up for it with passion, hard work, positive thinking & the motivation to succeed. I took away my safety net, which in turn forced me out of my comfort zone. This helped me grow & accelerate quickly with my progress. Taking the risk was well worth it! I’m now having the time of my life doing what I love. I started out as a soloist performer & I’ve recently started collaborating with other musicians in duos & trios. I’m currently working on a variety of new projects including songwriting, recording & a full band show. I thank God every day for all the blessings He has given me. My perseverance combined with a wonderful support system of friends has allowed me to achieve my lifelong dream! Read more>>

 

 

Roy Fowler

Taking risks is a very important part of the journey. I took my first big risk when I decided to move to Atlanta, Georgia to pursue a career in entertainment. I had people in my life at the time who told me that trying to be an Actor or Artist would be hard without knowing someone in Hollywood or without an agent. I knew it wouldn’t be an easy task to just up and move but it still did not discourage me from making my decision. I always knew that anything that comes easy is not meant for me. If it comes with a challenge then count me in because i’m all for a challenge and proving others wrong. I went to Atlanta and lived out of my car for the first 6 weeks. I would go to the local QuikTrip gas stations every morning and brush my teeth, take a quick wash up, and say a prayer and then out the door I would go to see if I would land any auditions that day or if I would get a call back for any acting gigs or any job offers surrounding anything in entertainment. I had a membership at the YMCA, so every day I would go and shower there. Read more>>

Nicole Berrios

From: A Burnt Out Medical ICU Registered Nurse & Clinical Documentation Specialist. To: A passionate Entrepreneur in pursuit of a dream helping others live their absolute best lives; free of burdens, negativity and health imbalances. About 18 months ago, I started to consider leaving my Remote RN position to do anything other than what I was doing. I even considered bartending/ waiting tables (which I have never done before) because I was convinced that just about anything would make me happier than what I was doing; Monday- Friday approximately 6am-4pm, sometimes longer, it was awful! Full transparency, I couldn’t afford to leave my job. I am married to a Law Enforcement Officer who doesn’t get paid what he deserves, so with my head down, I kept on treading water. As time went on, I was in tears daily.  Read more>>

Andrea Vilchez

When I first started my photography career, it was at the end of 2020 and I was a freshman in college. Starting a career in something you won’t see much profit from right away is always a risk. The first year and a half, I earned close to nothing as a sports photographer. I was in a unpaid internship at my university, and shooting professional soccer games every other weekend for free. Read more>>

Angela Lyons

A risk that I’ve taken would be when I decided to turn my love for photography into a business in 2015. A couple of friends kept encouraging me to do it- however, I was hesitant. I didn’t know the first thing about running a business. Furthermore, my greatest fear was not being accepted in an already saturated market amongst other photographers with much more experience than I. However, I eventually came to understand that what God has for you is for you. Read more>>

Liam Nachawati

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken happened during a race weekend in Miami at AMR Homestead. What started as an ordinary race day took a sharp turn when I got injured in an off-track incident. I ended up with cuts on my forehead and lip that needed stitches, so I was rushed to the medical center. The doctors told me it would take a few hours before they could stitch me up. Read more>>

Jasmine Klapia

We imagine – we create! Taking a risk was the first step! And I am a risk taker… Seeing your own products the way you have imagined explains that sometimes things can be difficult, but not impossible. For every risk we take in life, there are steps. We just have to decide which direction to take. Being responsible, and truthful to yourself at the same time sometimes can be challenging. Finding the right people on the path you are walking through is also challenging. Money is not always an answer. People often think that if you have money, you can do anything, and if you don’t, you can’t go too far. I don’t believe that. If you have the right team, you can create anything you wish to create. I took many risks. If you lose (money) you gain (lessons). Having a plan is the first step to any success. How well you do next, is another story for another time. Read more>>

Daniel Easterly

They say opportunities are made, not given—and I’ve lived that truth more than once. My journey into tech wasn’t conventional, and neither was my path to making a lasting impact on Detroit’s future. From walking into Intuit and landing a job on the spot to convincing city leaders to adopt blockchain technology, my story is proof that audacity and preparation can change everything. Read more>>

Larry Mcdaniel

I don’t take risks ! I take LEAPS OF FAITH! When I first started doing hair at the age of 19 I never thought of my “life long journey in hairdressing”. At the age of 19 I was not aware of my youth and how lucky I was to be starting my hairdressing career so young. Going to beauty school felt risky because it was choice not to go to college… university was something I spoke about all through my academic focused life in school. When the time came to go to college let’s just say “ I wasn’t in the mood “. I felt free at the age of 18 as a legal adult I took a year off to express myself and found deep down that college was not an interest of mine. I decided to take the leap and go to beauty school!! Read more>>

Candice Goodman

I am going in to my fifth year of business. For many years I shared my luxury soy candles and melts at craft fairs and flea markets. Last year I began to take on wholesale and consignment spots around Oregon and California. This year I took the biggest leap yet when I acquired a space to offer my customers and wholesalers a place to shop in our very first storefront. After we finish getting our shelves stocked up we are doing a Grand Opening with a ribbon cutting. It’s all becoming official and I am so excited to see where this year takes us! Read more>>

Shanté Renee Roline

One of the most significant risks I’ve taken in my career has been a recent and transformative one. As the CEO and designer behind Vanity Couture, an affordable luxury brand for women, risk-taking has always been part of the journey. Vanity Couture began with a focus on women’s swimwear, but as the brand evolved, we expanded our offerings to include dresses, loungewear, and soon, menswear. Each step of growth brought new challenges and opportunities, but the most pivotal decision came when I recognized a gap in the wholesale market. Read more>>

Elizabeth Pennington

Responding to the lockdown of 2020, I created an idea….an idea that had never been attempted. I transformed a Sprinter Van into a mobile play therapy office. I began bringing the power of child and family therapy to the homes and schools of our clients. Reducing the risks of COVID exposure, and removing geographic barriers to care, I was able to launch this innovative idea. Without a model to follow, I took a risk and invested in a van with the hopes that clients would respond to this new concept. Having never completed a van conversion, I took a risk and watched a lot of youtube videos. My proudest moment in the conversion was finally getting running water from the sink! The result was better than I anticipated. What I hadn’t considered was the clinical impact of the space. When children walk into the van they are instantly welcomed by a novel space designed just for them. The space doesn’t feel like anything they have done before. They don’t feel the emotional resistance to familiar experiences with doctors, principles or other “fix it” places in their world. They are transported into a place of peace, comfort, and acceptance associated with our camping theme. I also never expected adults to respond so well. But, who doesn’t want to sit around a campfire and open their hearts and minds to share stories? The camping theme has had a significant impact on the clinical outcomes of our clients across the lifespan. Read more>>

Isadora Bonumá

Imagine abandoning a promising career in law to follow an artistic calling that has burned since childhood. This was exactly the courageous decision of Isadora Bonumá, a talented performer who traded Porto Alegre, a city in south Brazil, for the vibrant stages of New York City, in a journey filled with risks, challenges, and above all, a passion for art. Before New York, Isadora was already a force in Porto Alegre’s artistic scene. As a dancer, actress, teacher, director, and producer, she accumulated experiences and collected successes. However, a part of her was still dedicated to studying law, a choice that seemed to offer a safer and more conventional path. This duality between art and law created an internal conflict, a search for a balance that she would only find by fully embracing her true vocation. Read more>>

Rebecca & Mitchell Breese Breese

This might be a little rambly but hopefully it provides some context A few years ago our family moved back home after living in Colorado, filled with aspirations of establishing a farm and homestead. Despite setbacks encountered during the pandemic, our resolve grew as we continued adding more chickens to our budding farm. We were pretty pleased with ourselves on our few dozen of eggs a week. But when expecting our second daughter this past year, had us reevaluating what we wanted our future to look like. We decided to bet on ourselves and embark on what many described as a “giant mistake” Mitchell left his corporate finance job to nurture our farm and revive our vineyard on a full-time basis. Read more>>

Andrea Michelle

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken was launching my business. About 10 years ago now in 2015 I started my masters program. I had just gone through a massive life transition, and was uncertain on where life was going to take me after having moved across a state, experienced heart break, and moved to a new state, then back to my old state. All I knew is that I was about to start a new job, and start grad school. But what I didn’t know was that my Hobby of photography was about to support me through school, and through the rest of my future. Read more>>

Sheryl M

As a young girl, I discovered a love for creative writing at a very young age. The ability to make life go the way I wanted in my mind helped me cope with what was happening in my reality. I would spend hours sitting and playing with stories flowing through until one day, my friend Katie and I wrote a story together. It was about her coming to my house for the weekend and all the things were going to be doing. I was the writer and she, the artist. However our classroom teacher at the time told me I would never be a writer and had no idea about writing good stories. I was heartbroken and from that moment on, I hated English and only just passed the subject throughout the rest of my schooling days. I focussed on discovering other loves in life and ended up doing a beauty course and having my own somewhat successful business. However, after a health scare, I sold my business and studied cosmetic formulation, specializing in organic products. Read more>>

Forrest Savage

Musically…..I’m currently taking a huge risk betting on myself. Spending over two decades performing primarily in groups and duos has given me stage seasoning, but performing alone will be a completely different animal. I feel like I have a lot left in the tank. My main group recently disbanded due to relocation reasons, this has left me as essentially a solo performer. First night on my own….i won a performance contest and really found self validation in doing so. It made me realize that dreams don’t die if you don’t let them. Read more>>

Aura

Three years ago, I took one of the most defining risks of my life, quitting a secure, well-paying full-time job as a software engineer to pursue my passion for music. At the time, I was balancing a stable career with my weekend hobby of DJing. But when I discovered that my employer wasn’t supportive of my passion for music, I realized I had to make a choice: continue down a well-established but unfulfilling path, or take a leap of faith into the unknown world of music and performance. Read more>>

Paul Santoli

I took a risk with Writing, Directing, and Producing “We Want the Virus.” – A comedic movie about Covid 19, coming this year. We are swimming against the current of the movie making agenda. I believe that comedy is supposed to have risk and we are supposed to roll some dice. And that is exactly what we did with this movie. Read more>>

Dan Kazan

The biggest risk I ever took wasn’t one decision—it was a series of leaps into the unknown, a refusal to walk the well-worn paths laid out before me. It was the risk of living unapologetically as myself, of embracing the beautiful chaos of uncertainty and letting it sculpt me into the artist I’ve become. It began with a quiet rebellion, a spark igniting my biggest risk: breaking away from my family’s expectations. They had dreams of white coats and stethoscopes for me—a life of structure, stability, and respectability. But I couldn’t see myself in that picture. It wasn’t a life; it felt as sterile as an examination room. School felt like a vacuum, draining the color from my spirit. The thought of switching to art briefly crossed my mind, but the art students I met—pretentious and painfully egotistical—left a bad taste in my mouth. No offense in advance to all art students, but I just ran into plenty who were so full of it. So, I stayed silent, biding my time, and when the moment came, I chose escape over conformity. Read more>>

Kelli Carlson

In the already challenging current landscape of the entertainment industry, my team and I have set out to produce a documentary film about a skydiver breaking 3 World Records in one epic jump, making history in human flight. There is risk in every direction, from the mission of the skydiver himself, to finding the right investors and people who believe in doing something this abstract that has never been done before. Through this production process, I’ve been faced with challenging my own fears, trying daring new things, and putting myself out there in a way I never have before to accomplish the dream of making this movie. We started production in Morocco, and now we are raising the rest of the money to finish it. Read more>>

Tamir Bejar

Probably the biggest risk I have taken to date is the artistic journey I am currently on. I graduated from Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts in 2020 at the very beginning of the Pandemic. Going into art school I knew I enjoyed making art and that I was pretty good at it, however at the time I did not necessarily consider myself to be an artist nor did I have any idea where it would take me. By Junior year of college I had stuck with it and deepened my love of art and creating instillations within spaces for my peers to get together, experience art and simply have an excuse to be together. That year I was living in a really cool loft and decided to host an art show there. I gathered a handful of my fellow artist friends, curated my first show titled Up in the Clouds (the loft was on the second floor with a steep staircase and used to be a smoke shop with clouds painted on the walls) and we had an amazing turn out and time. Read more>>

Katie Winchenbach

My first job out of law school while stable and respectable, felt ill-fitting. As days turned into months, the feeling grew stronger, and I knew I had to make a change. I hadn’t even been at the position for a year, so I wasn’t even sure what other job I could get with my limited experience, but I put myself out there. Read more>>

Markanthony “mac” Claiborne

I’ve taken several risk throughout my life. Whether it was leaving for the military or leaving the military to start my first business Marquis Diamond Apparel. Life is a risk whether we want to accept it or not. The risk I’m the most proud of is leaving Corporate America in 2022 to follow my dreams of building my own business. I walked away from a 6 figure salary with all the creature comforts a man could want for an unknown path titled “entrepreneurship”. The risk has been the most rewarding, challenging, nerve wracking, stressful BUT amazing experience I’ve ever had. This risk forced me to grow well beyond my comfort zone. Read more>>

Chiara Cucinella

The Risk That Changed Everything As a single mother, every decision I make carries weight, not just for me but for my two sons. For years, I worked tirelessly in the corporate world, climbing the ladder and building a stable life for my family. But deep down, I felt unfulfilled. The grind left me exhausted, with little time to truly enjoy life with my children. I always believed I was meant for more than just helping someone else achieve their dream. I wanted to build something meaningful—a legacy I could be proud of while showing my sons the value of pursuing one’s passion. Read more>>

Jordan Chervitz

I always do the opposite of what’s been proven to work. Life is more interesting to me that way, not to mention more authentic. I think a lot about my trajectory as an artist and professional creator, but I usually go with my gut feelings on important decisions that build the foundation of my career. Read more>>

Amanda Meuwissen

I finally quit my day job and became a full-time author in 2021. No, I didn’t wait until I was already making a living wage from my writing. I set into motion a 5-year plan ahead of that and stuck to it. Part of that plan gives me a leg up because it involved a very understanding partner, who already wanted to change their career as well, and thankfully, that career is a lucrative one. We worked together, however, to ensure we were comfortable enough that we could survive on one income if necessary, allowing me to focus on my writing until I was making enough to contribute to the household again.  Read more>>