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.

Michael DiBiasio-Ornelas
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As an independent filmmaker, every larger project I’ve taken on has been a big risk. My wife and I started as two working-class creatives building what we could with what we had (or felt we could get). From my earliest days as a self-taught filmmaker obsessed with the craft, I’ve kind of lived alongside risk as a general rule. It’s been a blast. Read more>>

Samantha Skal

It was October 2019, and I’d just ended a job I loved with people I loved working with, in order to pursue a long-held dream: writing a novel. And particularly, a thriller. Read more>>

Amoy Virgo

There came a point in my life where I had to pause and ask myself what truly mattered — not just in my work, but in how I wanted to live for myself and my four sons. After a long nursing career, I found myself at a personal and professional crossroads during a challenging season of transition. Navigating divorce and uncertainty pushed me to reevaluate everything: my purpose, my values, and what it meant to live authentically. Read more>>

Heather

Launching my own luxury brand, JULIANNA MILANO, was by far the biggest risk I’ve ever taken — and the most rewarding. I walked away from stability, structure, and a traditional career path to pursue a vision that felt deeply personal, creative, and culturally rooted. Read more>>

Doreen Dodgen-Magee

When my children were in middle school, flip phones were just making their way onto the scene. As a psychologist, I watched, aghast, as they redirected the attention of groups of children away from eachother and down, toward their devices. Play began to change before my eyes and I watched early online bullying behaviors begin to take shape. Read more>>

Alejandra Becerra

Back in 2019, I decided to take one of the biggest risks of my life—I opened Alfa Fitness. At the time, I had only $200 in my bank account, no investors, no social media following, and honestly, no solid business plan. What I did have was a bag full of dreams, a passion for fitness, and a deep desire to make a difference—especially in the Hispanic community. Read more>>

Bijan

Biggest risk is cashing out my 401K and investing everything I have into my music career, clothing brand, and building community. I was laid off from a big corporation because of the shift to AI. I’m risking everything I’ve invested in to live out my dreams. I’m putting the work in, putting everything on the table and betting on myself and my family (team). I have no fall back plan and no other options but to risk it all and walk by faith in leading. We’ll have to do a follow up to see how it turns out… Read more>>

Shannon Cothran

Being a doctor was my dream since I was 14 years old, and I was able to achieve my goal and become an OB/Gyn. This was the perfect field for me with. a combination of office and hospital practice. I loved the operating room and delivering babies. Read more>>

Jinglin Zhou

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken in my life was deciding to pursue music seriously, despite starting later than most musicians. I only began violin at the age of ten—quite late compared to my peers who typically start as young children. I studied with a kind, elderly teacher and made steady progress, but eventually I became frustrated with practice and even stopped playing for three years during middle school. Read more>>

Carla Calderas

For me, one of the greatest risks I’ve taken hasn’t been about moving to a new city, starting a business, or making a career change — it’s been the risk of choosing to heal. Read more>>

Jenny Bogios

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” I try to live by that. Sometimes I take calculated risks. Other times, I dive in headfirst. Life is full of uncertainty—but that’s what makes it meaningful. Only the dead stop taking risks. And I am very much alive.  Read more>>

Dee Selmore

Making the move to become a professional actress was a huge risk. I was a single mother of a three-year-old who had just completed two degrees in Theatre and was working as a professor at the local community college by day and a bartender by night. Read more>>

Mason Kelter

When I was 10 years old, I discovered Open House Party. A nationally syndicated show heard on over 200 radio stations every weekend from 1987-2017. Hosted by one of the most accomplished people in broadcasting, John Garabedian, it was he who taught me everything I know and love about the radio industry. Read more>>

Kimberly Horne

My biggest risk was starting my company, Simply Balanced Business Solutions. Prior to my business, I worked as an Accounts Receivable Assistant Manager, Accounts Receivable Manager as well as an Accounting Manager overseeing Accounts Payable and Receivable. I enjoyed my jobs and colleagues as well as opportunities of continuous growth and education. Read more>>

Destiny King

Music has been a part of my life since I was a young child. My grandmother lovingly introduced me to this art form through the hymnals she would play every weekend when I visited her. After begging for lessons, I began learning not only piano but also violin, clarinet, and eventually my primary instrument, the oboe. Read more>>

Dakota Mason

Om-Le Road finally opened this year! It was an idea in the works for a long-time and we finally decided to bring it to life. The risk was the same as any other restaurant; will people like the idea and the food we serve? Read more>>

Jennifer Vasher

One of the greatest risks, one with an extreme lifestyle reward, was the building of our studio home here in Placitas, New Mexico. Filled with enthusiasm in the adventure and faith in my husband, then soon to be, Architect Max Vasher, we financed the property and construction independently, designed, and then built a sustainable, studio home. Read more>>

Daniel Benoit

This is the story of how I accidentally started a cult. In 2019, after working as a professional theatrical projection designer for seven years, I came to the conclusion that I needed to do something about my frustration with the limitations theatrical productions imposed on my work. I came up with the idea to create a 360 degree immersive installation in a vacant building in downtown Duluth. Read more>>

Toii Pryor

With nothing but my tax refund check and a vision, I invested in a business that I hoped would change everything for me and my children. I didn’t know if it would work. I didn’t know if my dream would come to life. But I believed in myself, and I was determined to show my kids that betting on yourself is always worth the risk. Read more>>

Mitch Curley

We formed High June two years before graduating from East Carolina University and committed to chasing music full time after school. James (rhythm guitarist) gave up job security to stay in the band, and after having virality on social media we got swarmed by labels and management companies wanting to work with us. Read more>>