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.
Katharine Deveise
Some view a credible risk as going skydiving, swimming with sharks, or spelunking. Risk is related to fear. If you don’t have a fear of rejection, public speaking, or fear of “putting yourself out there”, the risk involved in doing that is minimal. However, I was the kid who hid behind my mom’s leg on the first day of kindergarten. I was the kid in Highschool terrified the teacher would call on me. I was the UT student who probably spent longer than everyone else combined to prepare for my genetics presentation only to receive a failing grade because I simply couldn’t do more than look shell-shocked in front of the class. Read more>>
Vanessa Gomez
Corinne Thomas
I have wanted to be a photographer for a long time, like since I could want to be something. Even more than that, I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I have been taking photos on my digital devices (my iPod touch at the time I first started) and found a love for creating the art that I wanted others to see. One of my favorite slogans or phrases is “you should see how bright you shine” because I really with everyone could! It’s scary becoming a full time photographer but I knew this was the life I wanted to live. Read more>>
RYDERMADE
I feel like risks, whether big or small, are taken everyday. Your entire life can be altered by doing one thing different, so each decision we make in a way risks your life’s trajectory. For me, my biggest risk was deciding to give myself no way out. I love music and I love creating, but it’s easy to get discouraged trying to make a career out of it, especially coming from a place where my worth was kind of framed around my academic success and accomplishments. Read more>>
Stefania Pomponi
One of my favorite things to do is to spend time teaching and mentoring young adults, especially those in college. I am always interested in hearing what they plan to do with their “precious lives,” and I listen with interest, and, I admit, a little amusement, as they lay out exactly what they think their life will look like. There is so much pressure not only on in-coming college students to know what they want to do, but also on college graduates and young adults in general to have figured out the exact, right path their life will take. Read more>>
Ikeranda Smith
The most significant risk I have ever taken was to bet on myself; however, it was one defining risk that led to a series of magical, life-changing events. The first risk I took was obtaining my Ph.D. to work for myself. It was risky because I had little kids and was newly divorced; however, I knew it would lead to the best life I could imagine. To appreciate where I am today, you must understand that when I bet on myself, the first thing I did after I filed for divorce was quit my job. Read more>>
Kate Josephson (she/hers)
The most life changing risk for me happened thirteen years ago–in my early thirties– when I left my career in the theater and started a new one in the field of psychology. At 31 years-old I paused my life’s trajectory as a theater professional, which was my full blown identity at the time, and went back to graduate school to become a psychotherapist. I was at the height of my career when I left, but I was so deeply insecure that my career would not take off. Read more>>
Mariel + Sai Bayona + Li
We took a huge risk opening our Tattoo Studio because we signed our lease to our space– literally– two weeks before the first lockdown in San Francisco due to the pandemic of COVID19. As everyone knows, opening a business is not easy since it requires the founders to invest everything they have to build the idea, the dream. We must say that, taking the risk of building a business at the start and during a global pandemic has been one of the riskiest endeavors we have come across. Read more>>
Cat Flo
Before the pandemic I starting a catering business which went really well, but it was not my passion. I wanted to do it with my mom, but that was not an ability always with COVID. Between the events and people I met I came back to realizing what truly made me happy. ART. I took the jump. Closed the catering business and fully went into art. Anything extra was to help my art career. I am so happy to be helping children and adults with behavior or mental health issues now. Read more>>
Ovais Malik
The last job I worked for, I was working for a couple doing marketing for their online business. While at work, I got a call from one of my agents telling me that the client wanted to use me as the voice of their brand for their big campaigns ( said client was Porsche) and that I needed to be in studio within an hour and a half. I called my boss and asked if it would be OK for me to leave for this job and she said she wouldn’t be back for another couple of hours. The owners never gave me a key to close up their office. Read more>>
APRIL HOFFMAN
Starting a Nonprofit, soley operated from donation to save wildlife was a risk in itself leaving from a 9-5 career I prviously held. To say I jumped in head first would be an understatement at the very least. Especially whe I came across 1 squirrel that made me build the 2 nonprofits I currently founded and operate . Saving / Rehabilitationg an average of 800 animals a year. The risk was not only financial but the risk in the sacrifice of family, friends, time invested as a risk to soley focus on Wild Souls. Read more>>
Tameshia Effinger
Wow, The most life changing risk I’ve taken was moving away from my home town where my family and friends reside. I made the decision to move to Atlanta Georgia to expand my business and grow more . At first it was an idea that turn reality, and before you know it my kids and I were on the road to Georgia to start a new life and business. We are now 1 year in and it has been amazing . Read more>>
Camila Ruiz
Me and my brother Octavio, were raised in a family where being brave and taking risks was associated with freedom. And, we believe is a goal every human wants to reach. We were born in France and our parents (mother from Uruguay, father from Argentina) decided to raise us in Uruguay, a very small country of 3 million people. Octavio always knew he wanted to be an actor and I was good at chem so I decided to study biochemistry and biological sciences, two very challenging careers in terms of the socioeconomic reality of Uruguay. Read more>>
Andre Whittington
My mantra for as long as I can remember has been take the risk or lose the chance. This has allowed me to live life fearlessly and truly chase my dreams and follow my passions. I would say the biggest risk I have taken, and I have taken a few, would be walking away from the comfort of my corporate job in the height of the pandemic to start my own consulting company. Now during this time I would say I was in a dream position – I was leading strategy for a Fortune 50, doing the work that I loved, and had the salary to enjoy life. Read more>>
Brittney Alexander
When I initially started my beauty business it was a “side hustle,” something to keep my mind occupied and make some money while doing so. My full time role was bartending at a neighborhood bar where I made pretty good living for myself. As time went on my “side hustle,” started to gain more traction and I started making some real money. The potential was there for me to do it for a living, however I did not have the time to put into it because I was working nights at the bar. Read more>>
Jessika Grewe Glover
I believe that every time we make the decision to pursue something in a creative field, we are taking a risk. Going from the art in our heads to sharing it with others–whether it is one person or the world–is challenging on many levels. I have been an artist and writer my entire life. I started my first novel at 12 years old, and majored in Creative Writing a the University of Miami. It wasn’t until the summer of 2018 that I made the decision to write something that would be seen by others. Read more>>
Brea Mone’
The most recent risk I’ve taken is moving out of state with my 2 kids, by myself, for the second time. I did it in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic but I only had my son then. I moved to Georgia to start my career all over from what I left back home in Indianapolis, IN. I built my brand from ground up in Indy for over 10 years & I just decided I wanted something different, I was tired of the same old things, I was 29 when I moved the 1st time, I am 31 now, and I have a few brands that I own and operate. Read more>>
Molly Brandenburg
I think one of the biggest risks I ever took was leaving a full time job at The Disney Company. I’was a Senior Advertising Copywriter there and had worked my way up after working at a couple of small advertising/design agencies. It was a seemingly stable position with really good benefits, but I struggled to fit in any time for my creative projects as a performer and as a visual artist. Read more>>
Josh Mitchell
Two years ago April, I took one of the biggest risks of my life. In fact, it was a period where I made several significant decisions right after each other. Moments I’ll never forget – all driven by a search for something deeper than what I was experiencing at the time. But the straw that broke the camel’s back? The passing of my Antie. In March 2021, I received the news that she was no longer with us and my world shattered. As days went by and the pain set in deeper, all I could think about was how precious life and time really is. Read more>>
Bailey Haines
The biggest risk I have taken was in January 2022 when I quit my 9-5 position as an Organizing Specialist to pursue content creation full-time. I have always had a job, whether that was as a Day Camp Counselor during the summer when I was in high school to working multiple jobs in college to get by. But one day I came to the realization that life is too short to not do something that brings you joy. Read more>>
Asher Phoenix
Risk-taking is the foundation of the unapologetically authentic life I have the privilege of living today. I was raised in an extremely religious household, where coming out as a Transgender person wasn’t an option. For my own safety, I had to live a lie for the first 18 years of my life. When I was 18, I was cast as Randolph McAfee in Bye Bye Birdie. Through this role and his costuming experience, I found the piece of myself that had been missing for so long. Read more>>
Beth Gelman
I never considered myself a writer. On the contrary, I’ve been more of a businessperson, although I have a long career teaching and performing piano and voice. I actually have a degree in all these subjects. I was taught from a young age to challenge myself and not to be afraid of taking a risk so long as I considered as many potential outcomes as I could, and then find other people who are more knowledgeable about that area of expertise. Read more>>
Conti Conti
Take the Risk! Embrace your “Split-Second Courage!” We have all been there. You want to speak up for yourself or against someone or something that you disagree with, but you don’t. How many times have you seen a parent mistreat their child in public? How many fights have you witnessed? How many times have you stood on the sidelines in your own life rather than stepping up? Why didn’t you take “that trip” you always wanted to go on? Read more>>
Jason Marsteiner
Deciding to leave the corporate world and pursue a dream job can be both exhilarating and daunting. For many, the thought of leaving a stable and secure job can be scary, but for some, the allure of pursuing a passion is too strong to resist. This was the case for me when I decided to leave Corporate America to become a survival instructor and CEO of my own wilderness survival school. Read more>>
Abby Price
Taking a risk is a big step for anyone. No matter how big or small, all risks come with many challenges and celebrations. After receiving my yoga instructor certification, I knew I wanted to take action with it and begin to teach others the amazing mind, body, and soul benefits of yoga. I’ve always anticipated owning my own business. An opportunity arose, so I decided to take action and open my own studio. Read more>>
Abbey Bryant
Every choice I made in my business has felt like a risk. I had completely different plans for myself at one point. I planned to attend medical school and at the last moment I decided to pursue my art instead. Even in school, I wanted to take on illustration work, but I was afraid I couldn’t support myself with small freelance gigs. I felt so influenced by the idea of the starving artist and I worried I’d never be able to have a substantial career. Read more>>
Mandy Zehnder
In December of 2019 I endured a career ending back injury that took me away from the traditional salon setting. It took me a full year to process, grieve, and pick myself back up. I had always thought about being a business coach for hairstylists; I mean, I had built my business so rapidly, even my tax accountant was impressed! But when I got injured, I believed that dream was gone for good, because I could no longer ‘practice what I preach.’ Read more>>
Jill Williams
For years 25yrs Brian learned, assisted and then started building Race team Machine shops. From starting in Indy Car, to Nascar and ending in Formula 1. He was able to do so many things that many will never see including racing the Dakar in Africa. When the first start up of Formula 1 ended in the USA (prior to Haas), Jill and Brian were ready to try this on their own together. Time to build our own shop. Read more>>
Kaitlyn Labberton
I had known that I wanted to start my own women’s health physical therapy practice for years, but I was often using the “it’s not the right time” excuse. First my husband and I were planning a wedding, then looking for our first home, then moving and hoping to start a family. The financial and time commitments of each of these life stages were not insignificant, and it certainly did not feel like the right time to start a private practice from the ground up. Read more>>
Samantha Luegger
The biggest risk I have taken is jumping into brick & mortar 2022 with my business, LUE Outdoors: It was, and is, a huge investment that has benefits and drawbacks. We have experienced both, but due to the location (and zero retail space availability where we are), we are closing our brick & mortar doors. Was the risk worth it? Yes and No. It has been extremely expensive, stressful and exhausting, but we have met amazing people, gotten the word out about our website, and spread the news people can find us at events all summer long. It has been full of life lessons that I am going to use to continue the growth of LUE Outdoors. Read more>>
Shynieka Taylor
I have taken many risk over my career span. You can now call me a professional risk taker due to the fact that I fear no task nor the impossible. It took me some time to get to this point of risk taking. The more risk you take the better you get at taking risk. I know it sounds simple but its truly a skill to be able to put it all on the line despite your circumstances. Read more>>
Deidra Moore
I’d like to think I’ve taken numerous risks in my life to date. A risk I’ve taken was back in 1996, when I decided to quit my full-time job as a commercial real estate paralegal — with TIAA-CREF, a Manhattan based company – after having been employed with TIAA-CREF for nine years. The risk was that I quit the job at a time when I was a single mother to my daughter. I would quit the job to attend law school full time. While needing to meet the demands of being a single mom, i.e., Read more>>
Margaret Sloan
Tell us the story of a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big, life changing risk or a small risk. Either way, paint the picture for us, tell us the backstory and all the relevant details so we can fully understand the context and circumstances around when and why you took the risk and tell us how it turned out. Read more>>
Miroslava De Leon
Making the decision to leave my professional corporate job to start my own business was definitely not easy (letting go of health insurance, 401k, pension, benefits, etc.) and was scary not knowing if my business was going to be successful or not. However, I took a leap of faith and followed my heart and it has been the best decision I have made for myself. I can truly say I love what I do and I never have to “work” another day in my life. Read more>>
KATHLEEN MORRIS
I’ve taken a lot of risks over the years, but this one has had the most impact for me and started me down my path as an author. I have always been a writer, since I was a child writing mystery stories and fairy tales. But, life takes many turns and when I became an adult, school, marriage and children of my own took precedence. Years later, divorced, I made a successful career in medical administration, and while satisfying and supporting, it wasn’t enough. Read more>>
Cassidy Cauley
Taking a risk is something that’s always been in my nature. I like to push my own boundaries and exceed my comfort level. We have to take risks in order to grow, change and evolve, otherwise we’ll be in the same place wondering why nothing has changed. I started my social media journey back when I started transitioning, as I am a woman of trans experience for over 8 years. Through the years, I’ve really had to curate who I’ve truly wanted to be, and who I’ve wanted to be seen as. Read more>>
Oscar Riveros
Taking risks is something that I’ve always believed is essential for growth, whether it’s in our personal or professional lives. We learn and grow the most when we step outside our comfort zones and take on new challenges. For me, one of the most significant risks I took was starting my own business. Read more>>
Lorenzo Chavez
Well, my risk taking was leaving my home in Albuquerque after high school and moving away to a new city and state Denver Colorado pursue my growing passion for the arts, with a small savings and I found an inexpensive apt in Capital Hill Denver. I was getting ready to start school at the Colorado Art Insitute, I would take out student loans to attend. I landed a part time job at Sears that brought enough money to pay rent only if I had a roommate helping by sharing the rent costs. Read more>>