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.

Dawn Karwoski

At the start of 2023, I took a risk by investing a large amount of money in myself and my business. I joined a women’s business mastermind group, designed to help me scale my business and support myself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Read more>>

Joclyn Benson

I think that being a business owner in general is “taking a risk”. I am married to an entrepreneur who opened his practice during COVID shutdowns, it was a risk, but with risk comes reward! I have always been the friend that took pictures… with my iphone haha! I didn’t care what I had, I always wanted to use photos as memories. If we didn’t have photos, it would be harder to return to that moment. There are so many moments that I am so happy I took the time to capture photos of, even if it was just with the dinky phone I had. Read more>>

Bryon Jones

The biggest risk is always the risk that a person takes on themselves. I’m a dreamer so I always have these ideas that may sound totally outlandish to others. I remember discussing some of my visual ideas with some people and they would just stare at me like I just told them I had a pet Alien named Alphie in my basement! And to some that may really be discouraging right? Well to me, it’s motivation. Nothing is more satisfying than creating a thought, building on it, actually completing it, and then watching others eyes light with the flame that my outlandish ideas sparked. Read more>>

Amy Newberry

My biggest risk has been starting my own pelvic health physical therapy practice only 2 years out of school in a new city where I didn’t know anyone! I found myself in a place where the type of pelvic health physical therapist I wanted to be was not possible. In that moment, I decided I needed to make a change, so I purchased a treatment table, some gloves, and lube and began a concierge, mobile pelvic PT practice out of my small crossover car- and if it didn’t work, I would move back to my hometown and get another PT job. Read more>>

Karen Weihs

Putting yourself out there as a young artist is risky. The competition and direction one chooses are different for each, but my risk decision came through a moment of clarity when recovering from a car accident. “This is it, stop procrastinating,” a voice whispered in my ear.. Do it. Without hesitation, I started to really work with a goal of selling my art professionally. This was the 90’s, no social media, no clue about carving a roadmap to success. So I rented a space for an art gallery and convinced other artists to join me. Read more>>

ROHINI BEDI

I moved from India at the age of 40 to USA. I was a very established designer in India and had been selling my label successfully in multiple stores all over India. I had been traveling to the US for exhibitions for many years but to move from one country to another and leave behind a successful career to restart and rebuild from scratch was the biggest risk and challenge of my life. My husband fell in love with California on one of our holidays and that became our home. It was a very tough decision and very challenging but now I feel like I achieved more than what I would have back in India. Read more>>

Arnol Zepeda

Life is all about taking a risk. If you’re not at the edge of fear every single day, if you’re not questioning the meaning of your existence and not feeling the beating of you’re heart coming out do your chest. Are you really alive? Risk it or lose the opportunity, you can have regret your entire life or you can start living. Life starts when you realize you only have one. To risk is learn and I like knowing it all. Read more>>

Alfredo Conrique Rosales

When I came out of college, the natural thing for me to do was to look for a job as a Graphic Designer in an advertising agency or Design Studio. At first, it seemed like I was a perfect fit, I love sharing my creative input on things and I specially loved doing more than I was asked for If I was asked to design a logo for a campaign for example, I would pitch creative ideas for the campaign during meetings and such, and I was often received with praise from my superiors and sometimes (a lot of the times) I was told to focus on the thing I was asked to work on. Read more>>

Erica Adams

When my youngest son was 3 years old I decided it was time to take a calculated risk that I had been pondering for a few years. I left the comfort of working in an outpatient clinical setting amongst other physical, occupational and speech therapists to go out on my own and build my own brand. I did 6 months of research on the internet, reading books and following podcasts of others who had done it before me. Read more>>

Brooke Knippa

I think a certain amount of risk taking is necessary in being a creative. There are so many unknowns in creative work. It’s a risk simply putting your work out there, hoping people will like it enough to buy it! Every time I do any sort of show I pray that people’s tastes haven’t changed too much! Being self-employed in general is risky, relying on yourself to be able to adapt to people’s interests and market trends. Read more>>

Nicole Brancato

Creatives are often typed by society as rebels and risk-takers. And to much of the world, the very notion of existing outside the bounds of a salaried nine-to-five is a perilous act in and of itself. But the reality is that the arts – like any other field – is full of one-size-fits-all life paths. Deciding to step off of those well-worn paths is one of the most unnerving things an artist will do in their practice, but the immense rewards in fulfillment, authenticity, and purpose far outshine the risk. Read more>>

Julio Aguirre

It was roughly 2015, I was at a fork in the road about life. I had a baby on the way, living in my mom’s basement with my then-girlfriend, and at a dead-end job. Internally I felt like I needed to do something more to provide for my future family. We were living paycheck to paycheck and not making ends meet sometimes. It was important for me to get out of this rut that we were in. At the time I was unaware of how to express my needs. Read more>>

Maria Cortes-Graham

We each have our own unique story, and mine is about overcoming pain and transforming myself. I was in a challenging personal moment where I had to make a difficult decision. I spent years exploring and studying various theories and therapies, including Yoga and Meditation, to make the right choice and have peace of mind. Eventually, I was ready to leap. It was not a leap of faith. My mind, body, and spirit were all aligned, and I found myself in a new stage of life. Read more>>

Melissa Green

After two years as a pottery student, my treacher and studio owner decided to sell her business and leave the country for good. I was a full time commercial real estate banker at the time, with a young xchild an in no position to quit my job. Three other women students and I got togather, raised some capital from our personal savings, and bought the business lock, stock, and barrel. We desparately searched for a place to open a studio. We had about two weeks left on the existing lease, which couldn;t be renewed. Read more>>

Lawren Desai

Opening a small business is always a risk, but it is such an important thing to do, for the community and for the local economy. I don’t think enough people realize how much a person puts of themselves into it and success (and by that I really just mean survival) is not got guaranteed. And then risks are always taken after you open the doors with many of the decisions you make about how you spend revenue to earn more revenue. Read more>>

Dexter Nunnery

ROUND4 was created in the middle of the pandemic when everything was online and I decided to create a in-person hip hop show not knowing if we would ever go back to live shows again. Read more>>

Dr Emily Loveland

After 2 years of prepping with the small business association I took the leap to purchase a building, renovate it and open a 5000 square foot day spa. Opening day was March 9, 2020. After one glorious week of business the world shut down. The fear was real that I would go bankrupt before my company even got a chance to try. Fortunately my business advisor, Harriet Parker, didn’t let me over borrow or over extend my finances. She said “plan for the worst”. Because of her great advice, Sage survived. My tiny company has grown to 33 employees and exceeded our original projection by 250% Read more>>

Bernard Yagee

**Bernard Yagee:** One of the most significant risks I took was auditioning for America’s Got Talent. Stepping onto that stage, showcasing my talent, and navigating through the rounds in Dallas, Texas—it was a leap into the unknown, but one that opened doors and expanded my musical journey in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Read more>>

Karsten Spencer

Risks have consistently played a pivotal role in my career journey. Whether it was investing every dollar I had in a new camera, discreetly slipping out of the house to travel from D.C to New York City to shoot for modeling agencies, or even quitting my job to fully commit to honing my craft, I have always embraced challenges. Nevertheless, the most significant risk I’ve ever undertaken was the decision to move to the United States. Read more>>

Danay Jones

One significant risk I took was founding Sober Girls Houston, a support group for women practicing sobriety in Houston, Texas. The backstory to this endeavor traces back to a deeply personal experience. The decision to create Sober Girls Houston wasn’t an easy one, especially against the backdrop of the unique challenges faced in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. It meant stepping out of my comfort zone and taking on the responsibility of establishing a safe haven for women facing similar struggles, a decision that had been brewing during a decade-long personal battle with my own sobriety. Read more>>

Bianca Harris

I recently took a significant risk by moving from Toronto to Los Angeles in my 30s. This move was not just about changing locations, but also about a dramatic career shift. I transitioned from being a makeup artist to exploring a new path that intersects art with wellness. This decision was driven by a deep-seated desire for growth and the need to challenge myself in uncharted territories.  Read more>>

Genevieve Ngosa Daniels

There’s this maxim by Jim Rohn who was an author, entrepreneur and motivational speaker before his passing, yet his words and teachings continues to live and impacts the lives of so many individuals the world over. The first time I heard one of his motivational speeches this nugget of wisdom leapt out at me and has been etched in my mind ever since – “all of life is a risk; in fact we’re not going to get out alive.” Read more>>

Elke Robshaw

7 years ago, I walked into my husband’s home office and had to leave immediately because I wasn’t able to breathe. That’s when I knew I had to do something. For years, I was looking for the “right moment” to leave him. Once the boys are grown, once I’m not the president of the school anymore, once I have a job that can financially support me. But in that moment, I just knew I couldn’t wait another day. Read more>>

Sharmayne Bolling

I used to take risks to other people by being dependent on their responses towards me. I would people please to validate my self-worth, which in turn causes me to be perfect for a perfect response. I became drained in seeking validation and realized I needed to do the work on pouring into myself. I took a risk on me. This risk requires me to do the work and build up my esteem to love myself. Read more>>

Little Joe Bourgeois

I really wandered with no direction through most of my life. I tried being a chef. mechanic, bus driver along with a list of other things all the while ignoring my music. I finally got some firm direction after my second marriage ended. I went back to basics and started playing music and posting different country blues on Facebook and TikTok. This led to people hearing and valuing my music which led to opportunities to get out and play what I was actually passionate about.  Read more>>

Mimi Zieman

The biggest risk I took is the topic of my memoir, Tap Dancing on Everest, (April 2024, Falcon/Rowman & Littlefield) about the risks we take to become our truest selves. I grew up as a city girl in New York, the daughter of immigrants, but I accompanied a small team of mountain climbers to a remote side of Everest in Tibet to serve as the “doctor” when I was a 25-year-old medical student in 1988. I was terrified that I’d fail in my role if serious injuries or medical conditions occurred. Read more>>

Dylan Berry

Life is a risk. Relationships are a risk. Everything you do is risky, but what is risk? Risk is forward progress. The action of moving forward even though you may fail. This is what I call progress. Without risk, you are idle. Without failures, you are not learning, progressing, becoming more valuable to all around you. Read more>>

ZomNye’t Webster

A risk that I have taken recently is definitely taking a break from posting every single day. Earlier this year I was posting everyday vlogs and I did love and enjoy them, but I started to feel burnt out. I needed a new way of navigating what and when I want to post. I enjoy sharing moments with my kids, but I don’t want to feel like I have to share something everyday. Now this was a pressure I was putting on myself! I need to let myself relax haha! I am really enjoying trying to figure out what kind of videos bring me joy. Read more>>