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.

Judith Kanu

There is a Mark Anthony quote that says “And one day she discovered that she was fierce and strong, and full of fire and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.” I love this quote because one of the biggest risks I ever took was believing in my capabilities. Read More>>

Rosa Herrera

Taking Risk – My Story One of the biggest risks I ever took was choosing to bet on myself when life gave me every reason to quit. After losing my son, Jayden, I was in a place where nothing felt stable — emotionally, financially, or artistically. I could’ve stayed quiet, kept my head down, and lived safe. Read More>>

Kaitlyn Clink

When I graduated college, I had no idea what my future would hold but I knew I had a passion for cars and a passion for all things creative. I worked for a company for the first year out of school, but I hit a point where I knew I had to take the jump and work for myself. Read More>>

Kayla Czarniecki

One of the first official wedding assignments I ever accepted was in Germany. A country I had only visited once, where I spoke almost no German, and where I knew even less about the local wedding traditions I was about to document. Read More>>

nida jalal

Opening my own business was a tremendous leap of faith, a risk that felt like stepping off a cliff without knowing if a net would appear. I poured years of savings and countless hours into developing a concept I deeply believed in, knowing that the stable paycheck and predictability of my former career were now gone. Read More>>

Gina Hill

Pinehill Pavilion: A Risk Worth Taking When Pinehill Pavilion first opened its doors, it wasn’t just the start of a new venue – it was the realization of a dream built on faith, vision, and a willingness to take a chance.Pinehill Pavilion: A Risk Worth Taking When Pinehill Pavilion first opened its doors, it wasn’t just the start of a new venue – it was the realization of a dream built on faith, vision, and a willingness to take a chance. Read More>>

DIANA LOMELI

A meaningful risk I took was leaving a secure job to start my own business in the auto title and trucking industry. It was a big step. I had no guarantees, just my savings, experience, and determination. I spent months learning the legal and operational sides, building relationships with dealerships, and earning clients’ trust. Read More>>

Kam Franklin

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken in my life is making the decision to quit my day job and do music full-time. In 2015, my band, The Suffers, was invited to be one of the last independent bands to play the late show with David Letterman. Read More>>

Courtney Mony

The biggest risk I ever took was moving to Seattle from Arizona with no plan. Seventeen years ago, a friend and I saved for a few months and decided to go for it, even though we didn’t know where we’d live or work. Read More>>

Valerie Dickson

After serving my community for 14 years as a full-time professional educator, I made the decision to pursue my business venture full-time and open my boutique Reformer Pilates and Group Fitness Studio. While I have a true passion for education, the demands and high stress of the profession began to impact my daily life.  Read More>>

Brittany Ross

For over ten years, I worked as a makeup artist on the side while juggling a full-time corporate job. I always loved the creative freedom that came with makeup artistry—the transformation, the confidence it gave people—but for years, it remained just a passion project. My “real job” was behind a desk. It felt stable, predictable, and safe… until it wasn’t. Read More>>

Francisco Chavez

i think the biggest risk ive taken has been making the choice to pursue music as a career in general. the past 7 years for me as a whole has been a risk and so is my future as a whole. Read More>>

Maya Williams

After getting laid off from my full time job in 2024, that pushed me to take the risk to pursue poetry and acting related work on a full time basis. I was able to do that work while working full time, but it’s been so nice having more dedicated time than ever before since the fall of 2024. Read More>>

Michelle Dorion

For most of my life, ‘risk’ wasn’t in my vocabulary. I was the person with the five year plan, the detailed budget, and a future that was pre-calculated and secure. My career trajectory started early in healthcare, a field I was drawn to for its stability and inherent ability to help people. Read More>>

Cheryl Walker

After 11 years as a physical therapist, I made the difficult decision to step away from patient care — a career I truly loved. It wasn’t burnout in the traditional sense, but a quiet exhaustion that came from giving so much of myself to others while missing moments that mattered most at home. Read More>>

Daniel Bourget

I would say one of the biggest risks I have taken during my career was to purchase my analog console. I had been saving up for 10 years but when the moment to purchase came, it was quite the stressful event. Purchasing a piece of equipment you have never personally used felt like a big gamble to me. Read More>>

Sara Rojas

We can’t believe this collaboration with a magazine that has highlighted so many incredible people in business, small ventures, and individuals who have dared to take a step forward. We currently own the first Talavera gift shop in Brenham, Texas, with multiple awards and achievements, and it’s a favorite among many of our customers. Read More>>

Sean Dooley

There’s not really a major story of a big risk or anything like that. What I’ve learned throughout life is much like the success of eating an elephant one bite at a time, big risks come from taking little risks and they compile. It was a big risk to choose the industry I chose coming from where I came from. Read More>>

Franchelle Dukes

The Risk That Redefined My Life and Purpose When I look back, the biggest risk I ever took wasn’t just starting a business — it was believing in myself enough to do it. In 2018, I was a busy mom of three, working full-time and balancing life’s daily responsibilities. But deep down, I knew I wanted more. Read More>>

Aydan Cohen

I took a major risk along with my family when we moved our lives from Istanbul to the Big Bad Apple when I was just about to start high school. May 2018. We had no definitive plan. We sold our home, said goodbye to our loved ones, put our valuables in a storage unit and packed our lives in a suitcase to just fly. Read More>>

Meaghan Thomson

Peachtree Curling is thrilled to celebrate our 10th anniversary as a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to growing the sport of curling right here in Georgia! Our story began in 2015, when a few determined pioneers took a risk and saw an opportunity to bring curling to the South in a big way. Read More>>

Emily Bradshaw

I believe that going to graduate school and deciding to become a therapist is one of the biggest risks I have taken in my life. Deciding to spend such a large amount of money on school studying for a career that I was unsure I would enjoy, or even be able to handle emotionally was something I worried about for a long time. Read More>>

Ashley Munoz

Music has always been influenced in my life. My dad sang everywhere, in the studio, in the car, even in the grocery store. It was our language. But somewhere along the way, I lost the courage to speak it. I was too shy to sing around the people I loved most. Read More>>

Julio Garcia II

One of the biggest risks I ever took was pitching the idea to launch a nighttime half marathon through the streets of Downtown LA on New Year’s Eve. It sounded crazy, runners starting in DTLA, looping through Dodger Stadium, and finishing in front of the Staples Center just as the new year began. But I couldn’t shake the vision. Read More>>

Renuka Rajagopalan

I used to have a stable, cushiony corporate job. It was safe, structured, and on paper, it all made sense. However, there was a growing feeling inside me that was consuming me each day. A longing to lead a purposeful life, doing something meaningful that connects with people and brings me joy. Read More>>

Rashida Vassell, MD

My decision to leave a secure, established career and launch Safahla Medical was not incremental; it was a profound, abrupt pivot driven by personal necessity and the recognition of deep flaws within the healthcare system, cemented during the most uncertain economic period of our time. Read More>>

Kyle Railton

I believe a big part in growth is the ability to take risks. We have created this business on believing in ourselves and putting that belief first when deciding to take on projects that may have seemed out of reach. One project that stands out as a turning point in out company was a 12,000 square foot estate nestled right on Lake Tahoe. Read More>>

Shawnti Refuge

The biggest risk I ever took was betting on my healing, and walking away from everything that no longer served me, even when I didn’t know who I’d be without it. Back in 2018, I had a complete mental breakdown. I was functioning on autopilot, showing up for everyone but myself, and silently battling severe depression and anxiety. Read More>>

NneNna Carr

One of the biggest risks I have ever taken was walking away from a 14–year Air Force career to bet on myself. I was on track for retirement, working my event planning business part-time, checking all the “right” boxes, but there was this inner tug I could not ignore that kept telling me it was time to go. Read More>>

Ashlyn Fabré

After earning my esthetician license, I decided shortly after to take the leap and start my own business, Ashlyn’s Aesthetics. I opened my treatment room inside By Jessica & Co. Beauty Lounge. Even though I’m still building my clientele, I’ve had amazing support and guidance from my team at By Jessica & Co., family, and friends, which has helped me grow while gaining real experience. Read More>>

Stacey Johnson

I found courage to take the risk in turning my business vision into reality with a little push. I began realizing, if I take this risk I’m getting out of my comfort zone, I would be taking a change on myself, I’ll be turning the thought of waiting for an opportunity to making it an opportunity. Read More>>

Keyuna Anderson

The biggest risk I ever took was leaving my hometown to start fresh in a new city. I didn’t know anyone, had no safety net, and had to rebuild my life from scratch. It was scary and uncertain, but I knew staying meant I’d never grow. Read More>>

GB Two Good

Somebody very close and dear 2 my heart told me 1 time “take risk or take order” A lot of your life youre feed negative energy and doubt from our side people, God really shows you how simple and beautiful life can be with faith and believe. Read More>>

Kate Pulley

The Risk That Changed Everything Ten years ago, I took one of the biggest personal risks of my life—starting a moms group in a brand-new city where I didn’t know a single person. I had just moved here from out of state with two little kids, feeling completely isolated and craving connection. Read More>>

Lisa Dubrovich

I don’t believe in risks. I know that’s counterintuitive to the topic of “taking a risk” but I don’t believe “risks” exist. I believe that your life presents you with opportunities that seemingly come out of nowhere. Opportunities that you may have never thought about but somehow feel right. Read More>>

Melissa Koss

The biggest risk I’ve ever taken was starting my photography business full time. I was actually about to enter dental hygiene school when I realized that wasn’t my true calling. I had spent so much time and effort preparing for that program, only to realize my heart wasn’t in it. Read More>>

Doniqua Portley

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was deciding to fully step into my social media and wellness journey while maintaining a demanding career as a real estate paralegal that focuses on litigated matters. The work is high pressure, detail oriented, and requires a lot of consistency and reliability. Read More>>

Drizzy Hanna

Taking a risk is incredibly important when building any career or business. I’ve learned that a lot of times the feeling of stagnation or depression while working towards life goals can come from the lack of change in one’s natural routine or in other words, risk. Read More>>

Carlos Malache

Back in January 2019, I walked away from a full-time job as at an ad agency in the automotive world. It wasn’t some dramatic exit but I just knew I was starting to turn into someone I didn’t like. The agency had just lost a major client, the pressure was relentless, and I could feel myself hardening in ways that didn’t feel right. Read More>>

REBECCA PASKO

After nearly a decade of building my dog training business in Miami—where I had a strong client base, reputation, and deep community ties—I made the life-changing decision to move back to my hometown in Michigan. The catalyst? My 18-month-old child. I wanted to raise my family closer to our roots, but it meant starting from scratch in every way. Read More>>

Chabeli Castillo

The biggest risk I’ve ever taken began the day I left what often felt like an island prison — my home in Cuba — at 18 years old. I arrived in the United States alone, with one suitcase, no network, and limited English, but with an unshakable belief that freedom and opportunity were worth any uncertainty. Read More>>

Sarena Kae Bueno

It’s somewhat of a long story, but let me break it down. My husband and I ran a theatre company in Springfield, Missouri that focused on original musicals and scripts my husband would write. He and I would take turns directing the projects, and we would also act in them as well. Read More>>

Katlyn Brumbelow

February of 2020 I started a small side business selling posey arrangements at pop ups around town. It was just something extra to help save up and buy cute baby things while I was pregnant. It went great through the spring and into the summer, but it wasn’t something I put a lot of focus into. Read More>>

Lisa Rainey

Following my passion to be an artist has been a risk. It’s been a risk since I started art school up until now. Being an artist was something I knew I had to do ever since I was In grade school. It made me feel like I was home, and that I was being true to myself. Read More>>

Clarinda Mac Low

When I was at the end of the first semester of my senior year in college I decided not to pursue an advanced degree in Biochemistry. I had at that point been double majoring in Biochemistry and Dance for over two years. While I loved the study and practice of science, I was being pulled more and more towards creative practice and dance composition. Read More>>

Cara Cartee

Starting my own travel business was the biggest leap of faith I’ve ever taken. I traded comfort for uncertainty, a steady paycheck for the unknown — and I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. The risk was real: sleepless nights, endless planning, and moments of doubt that made me question everything. But the rewards have been beyond anything I imagined. Read More>>

Antoinette Messam

Yes, I took a risk. As Co-Founder of ISBCD, I knew how vital it was to create a space for Black costume designers across the diaspora. Our community needed the visibility, support, and shared resources that this organization could offer. But the timing was far from ideal. Read More>>