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.

Mara Richman Czegel

When I was 20, I moved to Budapest, Hungary. I had never been abroad before, but something drew me to seeing the world. I went to study abroad initially in a psychology program, thinking 6 months would be enough to satisfy my needs of seeing other cultures. Read more>>

Sarah Magill

Taking a risk in my artistic journey has always been what my ego wants to resist. But I have come to realize that the only real success comes from taking risks. Whether it be making new paintings or installations that scare me because of the unknowing, or submitting artwork for a group Show at a gallery. Read more>>

Jennifer Emperador

One of the most significant risks I took was embracing my voice as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and domestic violence. It was liberating to publicly share my story at the Ahwatukee Community Network Domestic Violence panel discussion. Read more>>

Evin Rose

In 2016, I found myself 5 years into a sales job, making more money than I ever thought I could in my late 20s, and quickly climbing the corporate ladder. I had accidentally fallen into this career, and from the outside it looked pretty incredible.. Read more>> 

Amy Gerhartz

I think the biggest risk I’ve taken in life, has been trusting my gut and betting on myself – even when I had no evidence that things would work out. Life can be scary, and our minds can be our own worst enemies, consumed with self-sabotaging behaviors and lies like “I’m not good enough, Read more>>

Beth Booth

Owning a business is one giant risk after another. When we started our business in 2008, it was the beginning of the Great Recession. We believed in what we were doing, but times were so tough. Read more>> 

Juan Alvarez

When I was 16 I found out about punk rock from a friend from school when he showed me Blink 182. Before I discovered Blink 182 I wanted to be a marine biologist and had ambitions to study at University of Florida. Read more>>

Lizbeth Cooley

I have taken some risky decisions in the past, which probably took me where I am today. My last one it was a financial risk. I created and started the company Okiez Inc., a brand for children apparel that has a concept, empower our children to dress themselves, but I started as a side business, I never dedicate full time to this company. Read more>>

D. Tina Batten

“Starting my business meant I had to take a risk on me.” Before I can discuss the moment I decided to step out on faith and risk starting my own business; I must discuss the origin of risk as it pertains to my life. You see, it’s so unfortunate that some people have horrific childhood memories. Read more>>

Caroline Jordan

I have been a certified health and fitness coach for over 20 years. I had established my business in San Francisco where I was very successful for 10 years with in person work teaching classes, consulting companies / corporate wellness, and working as an ambassador for large fitness brands. Read more>>

Olena Mytruk

To me, “Taking a risk” is not just words, it is in fact a really big part of my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t made several very important decisions, which at the time didn’t make much sense, but now looking back it’s like they all were pieces of the puzzle that is now finally completed. Read more>>

Marguerite Knowles

When I began selling my artwork on Etsy in 2018, the majority of my pieces were larger acrylic seascape and landscape paintings. Although I enjoyed painting them, they weren’t as successful as I would have liked them to be. Read more>>

Rob Stangroom

You reach crossroads in life that, like Robert Frost’s Poem “The Road Not Taken”, offer you a choice – often with varying degrees of risk. My most significant intersection of diverging paths followed the unexpected death of a close friend and the subsequent reflection on my own life. Read more>>

LORIAN DuCharme

This biggest risk I’ve taken in life has been deciding to “retire” from a 20 year career in education, sell as much as I could from my belongings, move back to Colorado and completely start over. Read more>>

Angelina Rosario

In 2016 an unusual tumor began to take over the right side of my face, quickly growing to the size of a baseball. I had 30 days from the diagnosis until my face would be permanently deformed, and I could never speak again. Read more>> 

Adrianna Reloba

I’m sure most can relate to me when I say, “I am a big procrastinator.” On top of that, I’ve always felt that I move slower than others in many ways. I am an observer and think.. sometimes too much.. before I make a move. Read more>>

Topher Straus

I’ve been an artist for over thirty years- but just started showing my work in public 3 years ago. It took a life-changing event and my son’s encouragement to open my heart to the world. It was a big risk for me but obviously has paid off. Read more>>

Michael Brown

I was Pastor of America’s oldest Protestant congregation (Marble Collegiate Church, NYC) … It is located on 5th Ave. in New York City … Norman Vincent Peale was the pastor there when he wrote “The Power of Positive Thinking” … Read more>>

Leah Schaperow

The first risk I took was opening up a pottery studio and buying all the equipment and supplies in March 2020 as the pandemic was shutting San Diego down. I chose to study studio art, and not business, so I am still learning what is takes to run a small business as I go. Read more>>

Cory Cowley

The biggest risk I’ve taken is exactly what I do now–extreme horror art. When I first decided to take the risk of doing what I do now, I knew the implications it held. The horror and art world had not seen something of quite the caliber as my work. Read more>>

Deserie Fisher

In July 2016 my family and I moved from Orange County our home for 30+yrs to San Diego for my son to continue his education here in San Diego at the same school my brothers and sister attended. Read more>> 

Melba Pearson

I think my adult life has been filled with risk in a lot of ways! My first big risk was leaving everything I knew — family, friends, environment — in New York, and moving to Miami to become a prosecutor. Read more>>

Tyra Racquel

The biggest risk I have taken for my writing career is becoming a self publishing author. I want to say around 2018 is the year that I left the publishing company that I was apart of and created my own lane. Read more>> 

Jazmyn Wyaco

Taking a risk on changing career paths is literaly breath taking. Going on a self discovery journey changes your whole enviroment around. Finding your true self is what makes the heart flutter, then the things you’ve always wanted will come to you naturally. Read more>>

Dr. Wynette Green

I have taken several, what I would definitely consider “big life-changing risks” which has been instrumental in where I am today as a successful entrepreneur and solo mental health clinician helping many people daily. The first big risk I took was changing careers. Read more>>

Jen Wyatt

The biggest risk I’ve taken thus far in my life is my decision to leave everything I knew in my 10+ year home of Boston and start a completely new life in Naples, FL. Read more>>

Sally Gates

Scrolling through the questions, this one in particular connected with me, as my musical career has generally been defined by taking risks and chances. The first major risk I took was moving from New Zealand to the US to pursue music right as I turned 21. I moved by myself, with no family in the country, no job lined up, and no degree to fall back on. (I took a chance and actually won a visa through the Greencard Lottery.) Read more>>

Tyree Morrow

The biggest risk for me was starting my own business and stepping outside my comfort zone to do so. It was something I’ve thought about for a while and in college some friends and I worked out ideas and spoke to out instructors about it, but was afraid to do so because I wasn’t confident in my skills at the time. Read more>>

Valerie Herrero

After many years of working in the marketing field for various companies, I decided to go on my own. The last company I was employed at decided to move the marketing department out of state which helped me take the risk of going on my own. It was perfect timing as my kids were at an age where they needed me and I needed a flexible schedule. Read more>>

Tiffany Meyer

In May 2019, my husband and I finally agreed, I could leave my corporate job. My boss was abusive, HR wasn’t helping, it was overall a bad situation, and I had just earned my certification in Functional Nutrition 8 months earlier. Read more>>

Precious Gause

I’ve always been into beauty since high school, so this is second nature to me. It wasn’t until after high school that I felt I wanted to take this beauty thing a little more seriously by providing services to people to enhance their beauty and make a woman feel like a woman, Read more>>

Scott Gore

Hi, my name is Scott Gore and I’ve been a screenwriter for the last 4 years and have been blessed to sell 5 screenplay in the last two years and have one movie produced (Instant Karma) and another that is currently in post production (Woman in the Maze). Read more>> 

Marshelle George

My first initial risk that I ever took was executing all that I had in mind when it came to ‘Shelle’s Kitchen’. I envisioned many people harvesting with love about my food. Read more>>

Melinda Anna Farina

Starting this company was the biggest risk I have ever taken. I remember reading a quote in a book called The Intelligent Entrepreneur that said “88% of small business fail before the 4 year mark”. Read more>>

Maria Belen Lopez

A big risk I took was recently in 2019 after leaving my job as a massage therapist in a Chiropractor’s office after being there for 9 yrs. The steady clients, the predictable paychecks, the comfort around my own fear to success was getting old. Read more>>

Marc Morrison

I believe photographers/creatives that decide to go it alone and make the move to becoming freelance should be by nature, risk takers. We have to believe in ourselves enough to put ourselves in situations that challenge us, both creatively and fiscally. Photography is definitely not an easy vocation as set-backs can find you often. Read more>>

Lesli Lenover

I started making macrame in 2018 after attending a workshop, similar to what I offer now! It quickly became a hobby and I made an Etsy which averaged maybe $20 in sales a month. Read more>>

Darren Williams

One of, if not the biggest risk, I’ve ever taken in my life was to relocate to Plano, Texas back in 2018. My girlfriend (now my wife) and I packed up all our belongings, and moved down here to Texas all the way from Boston, Massachusetts. Read more>>

John Short

I’m John Short 27 years old from pilot point Tx. I have always been passionate about two wheels and currently compete professionally in the monster energy AMA Supercross series. As you can imagine racing super cross is not an easy career you just happen to find yourself in. This has been a dream of mine since I started riding as a young kid. Read more>>

Anthony & Kaylah Cantu

The truth about being a creative, especially in a town like Hollywood, is that everything you do is a risk. From the moment you decide you have the talent and passion to get paid to create stories you’re taking a risk that someone, Read more>>

Kimberlee Ward

The biggest risk I have ever taken was recent. I decided to quit my job working as an Academic Advisor for 4 years with no backup plan. I knew that I would decide to become a full-time entrepreneur and work on my business but I had no clue what that would look like. Read more>>

Elise Lopez

Risk. We all want it but when it comes down to the decision, do you take it or let it go? It’s easy to stay in the same place, it’s comfortable. I had been here for five years, working the job that I thought I was meant to because of what society told me. Read more>> 

Lashonda Mchenry

I can definitely define myself as a risk taker. I believe in stepping out on faith. As long as I put God first, everything that’s meant for me will align. I have always worked for a company. I was raised to work & make money because that’s all my parents knew. But I taught myself how to do hair at an early age so I formed my own lane on how to create my own business. Read more>>

LeRoy Henley IV

As an independent label/artist the risk is in the business itself. I am a father and soon to be husband and with those titles come responsibility. Ive come to find out that my creative career needs the same time, nurturing, financial support and focus as my family do. Read more>>

Stephen Jaye

Taking a risk is a common topic that comes up on Action’s Antidotes, my podcast. All my guests have had to take risks but their stories vary from those that one day just decided to quit their job and start a business to those that spent many years building and planning to get where they wanted to be. While the latter may come across as more risk-averse by comparison it is still more risk than a lot of people take. Read more>>

Ali Hooten

One of the biggest risks I have taken, to date, is quitting my full time job teaching at a University to pursue my own business. I always imagined building up Coit Creative as a side hustle over several years, waiting for the day it made enough money to justify leaving a more steady job. Read more>>

Stephanie Lee

After 15 years of having a home-based studio and daydreaming about the possibility of a public studio away from home, a change in our living situation brought that possibility a lot closer. Read more>>

Bella Rashay

Since a teenager learning the ins and outs of working for others, I have always been a passionate, goal driven, hard worker, to say the least. I’ve always worked for great companies like Winn-Dixie, Broward County Clerk of Courts, and Quest Diagnostics. Read more>> 

Brian Sostrom

I have done digital art and illustration for years. A company I was remotely working for decided all employees had to physically be in the office for their job. This was many years before the pandemic and remote working became common place. Read more>> 

Jamie Truett

I’ve been an “artist” as long as I can remember. I got my start as an artist drawing pictures and selling them for a nickel. Holding a bachelor’s degree concentrated in Graphic Design from La Roche University, I’ve worked in the graphic design and marketing field for 25+ years. Read more>> 

Kandra Becerra

The biggest risk I have ever taken was opening my business. I had no prior business experience – and quite frankly had no business owning one! I went to MSU for my undergrad. We were in a recession when I graduated. My degree wasn’t hiring so I temporarily went to construction. I grew up in a construction family so it felt comfortable to me. Read more>>

Megan Morrison

I had always dreamed of having my own design business ever since I was a kid growing up in the northeast. One of my first magazine subscriptions was to Better Homes & Gardens. Read more>>

Paula Branez

In 2020 I was still working as a full time teacher and part time Kids Life Coach. When the pandemic started I was trying to figure out how to finish the school year and at the same time virtually coaching kids and teens around the world, Read more>> 

Lea O’Neal

Becoming an entrepreneur and owning my own business was never something I dreamt of. Growing up, I was not one of those people who knew what they wanted to do in terms of a career. At the time, I envied people who knew exactly which avenue to pursue early on in life, whether it be a doctor, an artist, an engineer. Read more>>

Shamsy Roomiani

Working as a freelance artist, every project has completely different factors and challenges. Some projects might include using materials or constructing something I haven’t necessarily made before, but taking a risk and accepting the challenge of learning something new is always worth it. A lesson is always learned and pocketed for use down the road. Read more>>