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.

Marsha Massih

Let me start out by saying that committing my life to pursuing the arts, especially growing up in an immigrant family with expectations of success defined by higher education and career title, was the definition of life risk from the viewpoint of income stability and identity. I imagine that other children with parents already in the creative arts, whether that be acting, visual, music, writing or other, have a ‘head start’ in expectation or attitude about what the life of a free-lance artist actually entails. The reality for most artists is It’s a tough, gritty road, with no guarantees of climbing a ladder, getting raises, maintaining a steady income stream, having benefits and health care coverage, etc. Read more>>

Saivion Lee

Walking away from law school wasn’t a decision I made lightly. It felt like I was turning my back on everything I had worked for—structure, prestige, and security. But deep down, I knew I wasn’t meant to follow a path that was already paved. I wanted to build my own. Read more>>

Victoria Shepherd

Airbnb is all about taking a risk. I started off in this industry not knowing anything about it. Jumping from Ebook to Ebook , Youtube to youtube, i learned step by step then took the risk to just jump right in. Investing in something that could fail is definitely part of the risk. Luckily for me the risk turned out to be a good one. 5 years later, i’m successful in this industry and teach others to be successful in it as well. Read more>>

Anthony Bambocci

Let me take you back to 1988 when I was in this software startup . At that point, I was broke. Not bad quarter broke—eating generic peanut butter with a finger because the knife broke broke. My partners and I had burned through our cash chasing one of those ‘million-dollar ideas’ that turned out to be worth about fourteen bucks. We were seriously considering closing the doors. Read more>>

Bailey Presley

I launched my business at 24 years old, never imagining how quickly it would grow—within just six months, it exceeded all expectations. Prior to that, I completed a 3,000-hour cosmetology apprenticeship in another state, only to learn that my hours wouldn’t transfer to Alabama. That was a tough setback, and I wasn’t ready to start over. Instead, I took a leap and pursued something I had been passionate about for nearly a decade: specialty coffee. Read more>>

Zander Shine

When the world shut down during the pandemic, I found myself at a crossroads. With so much uncertainty in the air, I was forced to slow down and really ask myself what I wanted from life. Music had always been my passion, but for the first time, I decided to give it everything. Read more>>

Allyson Wynne Allen

We had already considered retiring soon. I knew I’d leave early, there was no way I would continue to work as a pediatric physician assistant for 5-7 more years after Covid. My husband suffered a stroke and would not return to work. After that all settled down, I decided to work one more year then take an early retirement from Kaiser Permanente. Not only do I leave at age 58, in rapid succession, we sell our home to venture across the United States for nearly 3 months in search for our new home base. The route was dictated by where our friends and family lived. They would provide room and board along the way. We spent 81 days on the road, spent only about $5000. total. Read more>>

Kisstina Francis

One of the biggest risks I ever took was leaving the comfort and security of my established job to open Kissy Face Med Spa. It wasn’t just a career shift — it was a leap of faith into the unknown, armed with nothing but passion, grit, and a dream (and maybe a dash of caffeine-fueled insanity). Read more>>

Dr. Vince Hafeli

In 2007, I attempted to end my life. I never told that story until 2021. I was afraid of losing my job or the next promotion. What I discovered after the fact was that showing my vulnerability elevated my career standing and respect within the industry. Read more>>

Sherie

Every time I’ve faced a fear or felt held back by fear, I’ve discovered that just beyond it lies growth, abundance, and powerful manifestation. On the other side of fear is always expansion. Years ago, I made a commitment to myself: to say yes (within reason) —especially to the things that scare me. Taking that leap is the risk I choose to take again and again. I refuse to stay stagnant. I thrive in motion, in trailblazing, in choosing courage over comfort. It has turned out amazing so far! Read more>>

MASKERATT

In that moment we where almost done with getting all the band members when pandemic started, we had to figure it out if we where going to start recording the album since it was a great investment or if we where going to let it go. Read more>>

Daniel Lopez

I think one of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken was stepping out and starting my own business. You see, in 2019, I lost my dream job as a youth pastor, and not knowing what was next, my wife and I ended up moving back home to Southern Illinois. Like hundreds of thousands of other people who lost jobs during the pandemic, I didn’t know what was next. I was working at an electrical company in Carbondale, Illinois, as the shop guy, which means I wasn’t making very much money. Read more>>

Nadine Nicholson

I was at the peak of my career in corporate communications, leading a team of 100+ and earning international recognition—yet I barely saw my two-year-old son for more than 30 minutes a day. Sitting by the Bow River, exhausted and questioning everything, I asked myself, “Why am I doing this? What is all this for?” Read more>>

Alyssa Hatchard

The biggest risk I ever took wasn’t a single moment — it was a soul decision:
Choosing to leave the “safe” path everyone expected of me and build a soul-led life instead. After earning my degree in Psychology and Human Nutrition, I did everything I thought I was supposed to do.
I worked internationally in mental health, advocacy, and humanitarian spaces — jobs that looked inspiring on the outside, but left me deeply disconnected inside. Read more>>

Brandon King Henry

The biggest risk that I’ve taken during my journey in entrepreneurship is leaving a full time job (in 2020) to solely focus on my brand. I worked at job that was demanding and took up most of my day and by the time I’d get home, I was exhausted from my shift. Good thing was, I’d launched my brand and it was so hot and was bringing in plenty of revenue that I could step away from my 9-5 and maintain. Read more>>

Stephanie Brown

For me to tell you a story of a risk I have taken is laughable at this stage of my career. Every day has been filled with risk. No, not physical risk, although early in my career, it was a risk of being bitten by a fearful dog, cat, or exotic animal. But doing what you love and following an unconventional business path is a daily risk. The risk is worth it, and each day you are testing yourself, your abilities, your business savvy, and your devotion to service. Read more>>

Roman Montagueo II

Risk management is my middle name. But I never set out to start or let alone run a nonprofit. What I did set out to do was create art and illustrate dynamic stories. As a creative, designer, and dreamer, I’ve always been drawn to storytelling and play as powerful tools for connection and education, especially for young people who often don’t see themselves reflected in either. Read more>>

Dominique Wilson

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was retiring from my professional basketball career overseas to pursue acting. I had been playing at a high level for years. I was in a good place—performing well, traveling the world, and doing what many people dream of. It wasn’t an easy job, but it was something I had worked toward my entire life. At the time, I was still healthy, still competitive, and had more opportunities ahead of me. Read more>>

Brad Dietrich

I grew up the only child in a small town West of Toronto. Ever since I was in my early adolescence I felt very out of place, kind of like an outcast that really didn’t fit in with the culture and the opinions of the majority of the people. It wasn’t until I began dancing and pushing myself out of my comfort zone where I was able to find my people- in the studio. From then on began my passion for performing and story-telling. After years of intense dance training, I began dipping my toes in theatre, mainly youth theatre and drama class throughout high school. These classes confirmed my passion for performing and I took the huge risk of moving out of my small town after college graduation, to Toronto- to chase one of the hardest dreams a person can achieve, becoming an actor. I haven’t looked back since. Read more>>

Keith Wilhelm Kopp

​​A few years ago, at the start of the pandemic, I found myself at a crossroads. I had spent years directing short films and working as crew in the film and TV industry. Alongside my longtime writing partner, Laurence Guy, I had been fortunate enough to pitch for development funding on a large-budget feature film. We spent years creating visuals and pitching the idea to production companies. While some showed interest, they ultimately felt backing filmmakers who had not yet shot a feature was too great a risk. Read more>>

Robyn Daigle

Staring my own business was the biggest risk I have ever taken. I had no idea what went into it, the time commitment, the money, the blood sweat & tears. I needed to prove to myself this risk was worth taking. Being patient was the key here. We all want things to happen overnight, growing a business sadly does not work like that. There are slow months, months where you can’t catch a breathe, but it is all worth it. You need to truly trust the process, if you are putting in 100% then it will come back to you in time. Read more>>

Anna

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was deciding to pause my practice and step back from visibility when interest in my work was at its peak. I had established a strong presence by curating an exclusive practice that only worked with a select group of clients. Read more>>

Kenney Caston

Being a young black man from the Bay Area is hard but so rewarding at the sometime. My home is what made me and pushes till this day to never give up and make a change. The biggest risk I’ve taken on this journey is leaving my comfort zone and moving a few hours away from home to chase my dream. Every step I make truly counts at this point in life and the risk of leaving home has been rewarding. Leaving family and friends and the somewhat stability I had on my own is what was most scary. But having faith and knowing God is on my side and guiding me through I know I’ll be good. Read more>>

Kathy Zimmer

An adage I always reference is, “When you take a leap of faith, the universe rewards you.” I grew up in farm country, rural Nebraska in a large musical family. There aren’t really any professional musicians in rural Nebraska… there are music educators, and there are a lot of volunteer musicians, but I’m sure when I told people there that I wanted to make a living as a musician, they didn’t put much stock in the idea. But who could blame them, when there’s no reference around for such a thing? I don’t know why I thought it would be possible, as I had no reference around either! But somehow I thought I could do it. Read more>>

JOSE

One of the biggest and most meaningful risks I’ve taken was deciding to enter the sotol business. Sotol is a traditional Mexican spirit, similar to mezcal or tequila, but far less known — even within the state of Chihuahua, where it originates. When we started, there was very little awareness or demand for sotol, even among locals. Choosing to invest time, resources, and passion into a product that most people hadn’t even heard of was a major gamble. Read more>>

Krosby Roza

Being an artist is taking a risk. Even if you have the brilliance of Van Gogh you can die penniless. I attended theater school in New York and was about to graduate when Covid hit. I had been making the rounds of Broadway auditions and was starting to get some bites when the whole world shut down for a little bit. So when I had family in LA that needed caretaking, I packed my stuff and headed cross country. No representation. No bicoastal network. No vaccine yet. It was terrifying, but because I was trapped inside, I turned my focus to training and wound up attending USC’s MFA acting program. Read more>>

Sara Carroll

Starting my own business, putting my skills and reputation to the test in a very niche industry was a huge risk for my future!
I felt I couldn’t go any further in my position with learning or growth after 14 years of managing multiple water districts.
Each district had their own challenges and needs. No staff, no standard administrative processes and board members that had no experience with government requirements. I took them from barely getting by financially to thriving, self sustainable systems. Read more>>

Thee Official

The music..it was a risk to begin with..and I never knew I would reach where I am..many people told me I wouldn’t do it,said I should focus much in school than music because they thought I was wasting time recording, spending money in studio sessions rather than apply for military. Read more>>

Rolanda Lewis

At 34, I’m thriving in Dallas, Texas — a city that once felt like an impossible dream. But my journey didn’t start here.

I’m originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where I worked as a dental assistant. I loved the career, but in my honest opinion, I was going nowhere. The pay back home just wasn’t enough, and I was struggling. So I took a leap of faith and became a certified personal trainer. That leap birthed my first business: Luxe Fab Fit, an in-house fitness apparel line.  Read more>>

Nikol Davis

After I graduated from college I took a job – out of fear, mostly – with an insurance company because it was a “good job.” Although I was being promoted, and had regular pay raises and bonuses, I never really enjoyed the work. And it’s not a coincidence that multiple people would ask me, “Why are you here? or “Why do you work here?” Clearly, they saw something in me that didn’t connect with the work I was doing. Read more>>

Bryce Dean

Hmmmm risks I’ve taken , well changing my price point was definitely a big risk !! Coming to another city being from Memphis I started off charging $30 but something was speaking to me and telling me I was worth more !! So I just stepped out on faith and went for what I felt I deserve or let’s say I got close to it !! Every since I did my clientele changed in a good way and my finances definitely increased! Read more>>

Karen Yount

The realization that I was taking a risk snuck up on me. I announced to my family and friends that I am doing energy healing now. Then the questions came: “What did you say, Karen? You are getting guidance and healing people? What does that even mean?” Much to my surprise, I felt very exposed and unprepared for what followed. Was I ready to tell my fellow psychotherapists of thirty years that I have entered the vague, undefined field of energy work? Why did this create such anxiety for me? I would never be described as risk averse. I loved the thrill of skydiving, and I don’t mind taking an unpopular position in a group. I think my self-esteem is pretty solid. So, what gives? Read more>>

Amelia Thompson

Five years ago, I decided to return to graduate school. The decision was made after a friend shared an encouraging note for me to return to a dream that I had abandoned. This friend encouraged me to dust off the dream that I once had to attend graduate school in Boston. My initial response was to doubt that this opportunity still existed for me and to push forward with a plan I had to pursue a different course of study, but her words continued to stir something within me. This experience led me to apply to and begin graduate studies at Harvard University during the pandemic. This change resulted in a shift in my career to one that had been focused on k-12 education and out-of-school-time programming in the United States to a focus on global development. Read more>>

Yuri Cunza

One of the most significant risks I’ve taken in my career was launching La Noticia Newspaper Nashville, a Spanish-language publication, in March 2003. At the time, Nashville’s Hispanic community was growing rapidly, yet there was a lack of accessible, vital information in Spanish to help newcomers navigate the city. While a handful of Spanish-language publications existed, they primarily focused on national or international news, leaving a gap in local reporting, community voices, and practical resources that many Hispanic residents needed. Read more>>

James Burleson

This is an easy question. You can’t have success without taking risks. In other words, you have to accept that failure is an option. But with unfailing determination, conviction, and perseverance, you set your mind in your faith to pursue what you have long desired to do. For me, that is acting! Read more>>

Jess Salsman

The biggest risk I’ve taken was recognizing that the path I’d been on my whole life wasn’t for me and choosing to walk away from it—without a plan, without resources, but knowing I wasn’t living in alignment. This realization came during my time as Student Body Vice President in college. Since 5th grade, my life plan had been to become a lawyer. My parents saw potential in me, and I adopted their dream as my own. I attended a specialized law & leadership high school, where I was also Student Body President, and continued down this path in college. While I achieved accomplishments and titles to please others, I wasn’t passionate about them. The validation was intoxicating, but deep down, I felt disconnected.  Read more>>

Emmie Keefe

When I was 23, I took a leap that completely changed the trajectory of my life—I moved from Boston to Australia… alone. I didn’t know a single person there. At the time, I was a full-time math teacher, following the secure, safe, predictable path I had always known. But deep down, I had a bigger dream: to become a content creator. Read more>>

Georgina Van Weliwe

I had a very British childhood and education. I was privileged to study Shakespeare at Cambridge University with some of the best scholars in the subject, and my first job after graduating was as assistant to the co-founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company. I spent a year in Shakespeare’s birthplace Stratford-Upon-Avon working at the Swan and the Royal Shakespeare Theatres as well as the Barbican in London, watching some of the world’s great actors such as Dame Judi Dench and Patrick Stewart bringing Shakespeare’s characters to life. Read more>>

Dr. Channing Moreland

I bridge the gap between clinical mental health expertise and organizational strategy in today’s rapidly evolving workplace landscape. As a healthcare strategist, human capital consultant, licensed professional counselor, and organizational development leader with over 16 years of experience, I have established myself as a pioneering force in workplace transformation through evidence-based solutions. Read more>>

Joseph & Theresa Callari

We met in early 2008 while both pursuing acting and singing careers in NYC. Theresa was working in one of the busiest restaurants in Times Square and I owned and managed an engraving store full-time. A business I’d owned for over 30 years. We were married in 2010 and started thinking ahead to what life we wanted to create for ourselves. Read more>>

J.K. Raymond

Being chronically ill comes with days of not being able to brush your own teeth, let alone comb your hair. That kind of failure eats at a person. It tears a little bit of them away with each unattainable miniscule task that slips away with the passing of the days, taking pieces of you with it. Read more>>

Shelby Ward

Train Like A Dancer is the BEST risk I’ve ever taken. It started as a simple Instagram handle for my personal page a few years ago. It wasn’t until I found myself unexpectedly out of a job in December 2024 that I decided to just go for it. Read more>>

Marissa McShepard

The risk I’d like to discuss today is the biggest risk, and probably the only real risk that I’ve ever taken: quitting my full time job to become a full time artist. I had the perfect set up: the remote 9-5, living in a city booming and full of artistic opportunities. Well networked, board member of an up and coming arts district, hosting events and participating in even more, always booked and busy. The best of both worlds, living the dream, right? Wrong. On the surface I felt blessed for the life I built, so why complain? But on the inside, I was deeply unhappy. The treatment of employees at my job from both sides of management and the people we served continue to get worse and worse, and it really reflected on my daily life. Read more>>

Kaytalin Platt

In 2011. I was graduating with a graphic design degree, having grown up in a Middle-of-Nowhere town in South Alabama with limited job prospects, and absolutely none in the design field. But that same year, I visited New Jersey to attend a wedding and decided on a whim to move there. It was in between two major cities—New York City and Philadelphia—and I figured I would have better luck landing a job if I made the leap. Read more>>

Kimberly Dow

In my late 30’s, I was in the middle of a divorce with 3 teenage children. It was starting over to the extreme, but with dependents. The biggest risk I think I have taken is not running out to get a customer service job at that point, but to stick with my art career. It was scary and kind of insane to imagine making enough to support myself and the kids. I had been making progress in terms of sales and press/awards, etc. It was not nearly close to what I needed now, but I kept at it and somehow it happened for me. Read more>>

Kat Kuchik

Taking a risk is very challenging for many and I’m not an exception. I think that I played it save for many years while pursuing my degrees in Finance & International Business from TU & Loyola University. I was working as a Sales Manager of an optical for 15 years – it was my first job and I loved it! After the graduation, when the time cane to pursue a career in my fields of study – I realized something important: I was actually already using most of the skills that I have acquired because of the many different backgrounds of clients and communication and selling and delivering a product and service of superior quality while helping people see the world (literally) while also being fashionable! I made my decision to stay and after some time – I felt like I needed a change. Read more>>

Nicole Delli Paoli

For almost a decade, I worked as a W2 salary position in community mental health. It was July 2020 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was on what I thought would be “maternity leave” with a newborn in tow. Once my son was born, I realized I couldn’t return to the high-pressure, low reward demands of my 24/7 on-call agency position. After working in community mental health for almost a decade, I realized that people weren’t getting well with a traditional medical approach to mental health. This combined with the birth of my beautiful son, motivated me to take a risk. I resigned from my salary job and registered my LLC on the same day. Read more>>

Sallie Vaughan

In 2018, I took a leap into the unknown. I opened a pop-up yoga business with no formal business background, no roadmap, and—if I’m being honest—no idea what I was doing. What I did have was a passion for movement linked to purposeful breath, a deep belief in the power of yoga, and a willingness to meet people where they were—literally. Read more>>

Shane Romeo

Although it may not sound like much of a risk, stepping into an agency I was interested in joining and just introducing myself would start a ripple effect that still impacts how I work today. I’ll explain.
Early in 2024, I was not in a great place at work. Leadership was demanding the entire workforce return to the office after promising that remote work was the company’s future. This shift caused a wave of employee attrition and cast a dark cloud over those who stayed. Read more>>

Joshua Hollingsworth

Leaving the comfort of a full-time leadership role at The Delaware Contemporary after six years was one of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken. It wasn’t just a career move—it was a deeply personal decision, driven by grief, healing, and the need to redefine my purpose. Read more>>

Lakeisha Grimes Fletcher

I jumped out of an airplane. No, there wasn’t an emergency. No, there wasn’t a fire. Yes, the plane was fully operational and safe. Yet, I jumped out of an airplane. And, I jumped out of a flying airplane for fun. Yes, it was risky. Yes, I could have died. And yes, I still jumped. This activity is done by many people and it is called skydiving. Read more>>

Aurora Robson

After overcoming a challenging childhood (a father in and out of jail being the tip of that iceberg) and a divorce from an artist I married at 18 (who miraculously never gave me STDs), I turned my life around. I found myself living in Brooklyn as a Columbia graduate with a mountain of student loan debt, but I had a “great job” and was making good money working at Viacom (MTV Networks) in Manhattan. I got to travel and work with crews all over the world. I got swag bags from Kiehl’s and Puma, met a lot of celebrities, had great co-workers, and a chill boss who had a crush on me. (Unreciprocated.) I was about to go from freelance to full-time with benefits, art directing/production designing sets for special events. Sets that would be used for an evening, then just get thrown out. Read more>>

Rick Hayward

I guess the whole Embers Ignite project was a risk of sorts. I’d played in bands before, recorded some home demos, and even recorded an EP in a studio—but we only ever released the tracks on our social media pages and on CDs we sold at shows. I’d always wanted to release music properly. Read more>>

Beth Bru

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken was moving to Miami to pursue my art career full-time. My journey as an artist actually started in Phoenix, Arizona, where I originally went to college with the goal of becoming a dentist—of all things! But life, and God, had other plans. While in Phoenix, I connected with an incredible community of creatives who showed me what it meant to be a professional artist. Read more>>

John W. Beach

The same risk that everyone takes in the entertainment industry, working in it. This industry is relentless, and it takes time, and 100% passion and persistence to do it. The real courage here, is staying the course. The easy road, to quit and move back home. But, if you persist, and dedicate your everything to making it work, you will make it. It’s taken me over 20 years to get to where I am, and I don’t even consider myself a success. I’m a constant work in progress. Read more>>

Carrie Carroll Hanh Nguyễn

Hanh: Risk is something I always lean into, because I know that on the other side is growth. No matter the outcome, it’s always growth that comes from trying something I believe in and giving myself the opportunity to succeed. In some ways, it’s like a gift to my future self. Knowing this, I set big goals and then I relentlessly keep at them — allowing myself a little grace and kindness along the way. Whether it’s making a feature documentary film for the first time with a negative balance in my bank account, or hiking the 220-mile John Muir Trail with no experience, pursuing a heartfelt goal is the essence of the human experience. In both those cases, I may not have known how difficult it would be — or how transformed I would be afterward. Read more>>

Riley Olson

In 2022 I took the biggest risk of my life in quitting my full-time job to pursue my passion for video game development. I had no formal training and no financial backing, but I had an incredible business partner, enough savings to minimize the need for side jobs, and the drive to make art that could sustain me creatively and financially. The road has been long and arduous; it’s been a massive undertaking. Multiple long-term projects have fallen by the wayside or underperformed, and the drive to keep chipping away at the work can be highly volatile. However, three years in I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done. I’ve learned more than I ever thought I would about everything from the intricacies of a game engine to interior design. Read more>>

Kierra Giles

Okay, let’s be real—KiesKonsulting didn’t just happen.
I worked my butt off to get here. For four years, I was grinding as an Assistant Manager at Mountain America, doing social media on the side—after hours, on weekends, squeezing it in between everything else life was throwing at me. Read more>>

Kayla Bacon

I chose to open my own private beauty studio just 8 months after becoming a licensed cosmetologist. I’d spent my young adulthood working in retail management. I was enrolled in cosmetology school right after high school, then shortly found out I was pregnant with my first son. At that time, I knew I had important decisions to make for myself and the unknown future of my family. I chose to focus on becoming a new mother and unenrolled in school. My true passion and interests of the beauty industry were put on hold and I made peace with that decision because I knew it wasn’t permanent. Read more>>

Kristin Paiva

There’s a certain safety in staying with what’s familiar, especially when “familiar” is a household name like Disney. I spent over 18 years inside the walls of that legacy brand, first in Talent Relations, and eventually in Casting & Talent Relations. Over the years, I had the privilege of helping shape the voices behind many of the shows that defined a generation. I got to witness firsthand how the right voice can bring a character fully to life, and how much thought goes into making those choices feel effortless. Read more>>

Jose Barboza

Before joining Leanware, I was working as a Retail Area Manager for a leading Mazda dealership group in Colombia. My career there had grown steadily. I started as a service workshop coordinator and quickly rose through the ranks, earning national recognition with awards like Best Customer Experience in Colombia 2018, Best Continuous Improvement in Service 2018, and Top Customer Retention Dealership 2018. I was doing well financially, I had job security, and from the outside, it looked like I was on a winning path. Read more>>

Phil Gayter

For years, we knocked on the doors of Chicago’s art centers and galleries — and for years, those doors stayed shut. What finally broke through wasn’t another polished submission; it was a joke between two friends. Joe’s an oil painter, and I’m an acrylic guy — water-based. We used to give each other endless grief about our mediums, and somewhere in all that teasing, an idea was born. Why not turn the rivalry into a show? Not just a show — a real conversation between two completely different styles. That was how Oil & Water was born. Read more>>

Chanel Haley

Working in the field of political advocacy is constantly being willing to take risk. The messaging and decision making made when advocating can turn out good, but also very bad for the community we represent. Risk is also created within my personal life. The public judges on what is said, done, and what is not said or done. Because the issues we tackle are very personal to the community members. Read more>>

Isabella Stoloff

Taking a risk can feel daunting. Without a safety net, leaping into the unknown might even seem foolish. But that’s exactly what I did—it was not the first time, and it was certainly not the last.

When I led my first group to Peru over New Year’s 2009–2010, I had no idea what I was doing. I’d only visited once before and had just begun opening the Orange County Healing Center as a business. At the time, I was teaching acting and public speaking at Fullerton College, had a daughter in High School and was living a relatively normal life. Read more>>