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.

Sheyda Nabaee

Since I was a young girl, I’ve had an insatiable passion for the arts – theatre, singing, drawing, painting, and creative expression. My imagination ran wild with dreams of performing on stage, bringing characters to life, and creating something from nothing. Read more>>

Nikhita Buddhiraju

Thinking back on my career, one moment stands out: the decision to switch gears from tech to motion design. Originally, I was all set to stay in California and attend one of the UCs, specifically Berkeley. But then I landed an internship with Girls Who Code at Disney. Read more>> 

Trinessa Kirby

The journey that I am experiencing in this moment is the risk that I am gladly taking. After years of working for others, I branched out in the world of cosmetology. Read more>>

Doretha James

Starting my business was the biggest risk I’ve ever taken. My life tends to be so vanilla, and for some I can be pretty predictable. No one tells you the odds and statistics that are literally stacked against you when you start a small business, and to say the least, very few are successful. Read more>>

DeEtte Stewart

Back in 2019, I was advised to retire from my nursing job. At first, I couldn’t believe it as I relied on my nursing job for my living expenses. The prospect of relying solely on my side job seemed daunting. Read more>>

Bryan Wright

One of the biggest risks anyone can take is to start your own business and venture out completely on your own. When you commit yourself to going all in and are willing to fully invest and believe in your vision, passion and purpose you have to remove all other options. Read more>>

Hakeem Martin

Taking risks is a big part of going after our dreams. For me, Hakeem Martin, it meant jumping into music with everything I had and being 100% true to my artistic self. Read more>>

Aileena Gallego

As an entrepreneur, you’re constantly taking risks. You can’t be scared of failure because it’s where you learn the most and become resilient, preparing you for success. Read more>>

Jade Posey

Last time I told you a lot about me! From now ’til then I did finish beauty school. I obtain my license as an Esthetician now! Anyone that is an entreprenuer knows it’s a risk all in all! Read more>>

Vanessa LaRose

Recently I packed up and moved myself out of Los Angeles to embark on an adventure living in Joshua Tree, CA. Growing up in the city, this has been a massive change for me. Read more>>

Marques Carroll

I’ve been a musician for 38 years now and 25 of those years has been as a professional. I started playing trumpet at the age of 8 and by my mid teens I knew I wanted to play trumpet, make music and tour the world while connecting with people. Read more>>

Frances Wholey

At 51 years old, I was diagnosed w stage 4 breast cancer. Gave everything way @ that point, started completely over. Needed art work, went to Michael’s and the rest is history. Read more>>

Carmella Dean

Being a model, every step of my career carries risk — from attending castings to stepping onto photoshoot sets. But it’s a risk I eagerly embrace every time! Read more>>

JAMECA WOODY COOPER

“What could a therapist possibly know about taking risks?” I understand this skepticism, but it’s important to remember that therapists are human, too. We experience heartbreak, self-doubt, and the paralyzing fear of failure, just like anyone else. Read more>>

Danielle Gerkens

I believe being an Artist is inherently risky. Even before I decided to become a Makeup Artist, I always knew I wanted to pursue artistry. In my early 20s, I began modeling, but soon realized it wasn’t sustainable for me. Read more>>

Jose Acevedo Negron

From the beginning of my career at the age of 11, I have constantly taken risks to discover what works and what doesn’t in the digital and television industry. Read more>>

Ashley Chickman

About nine years ago, I embarked on a life-changing journey by making my aliyah to Israel on a Birthright trip. The experience was nothing short of transformative. It inspired me to pull myself up by my bootstraps and live the life I was meant to. Read more>>

Jammel Goodwin

Everyday As A Creater/Artist Is A Risk In Itself..My Beginning Stages As A Artist I was Wreckless,im more Strategic With How I Compose Music..I had to learn that everyone is not gonna like my Subject matter all though I discuss a Variety of topics Age Appropriate As Well As explicit content So I Take A BIG Risk Every.time I Write.. Read more>>

Takila Nuss

The biggest risk that I’ve taken is definitely quitting my job and starting a dessert business. I’ve been an entrepreneur at heart and was tired of working hard for other companies. Read more>>

Devin Alexis

The biggest risk I ever took was the decision from a young age to skip out on law school and pursue a career in the arts; my instincts despite what the status quo was. Read more>>

Dani Martinelli

I was riding my peloton a few weeks ago, and the trainer says, “Those that don’t believe in magic, will never find it.” I got off my bike… pressed the pause button and wrote this down. Read more>>

Denver Clark

I’ve always been someone who wanted to make people happy. In a way, this was a wonderful trait and yet unfortunately, also over the years it’s caused me to make many choices based on what I thought would make others happy. Read more>>

Marlie Traver

Truly, my journey has been filled with pivots, risk and change. Gratefully so, as they have all brought me to where I am today – running my dream business and creating in an industry that brings me true joy. Read more>>

Roxana Amed

Being an artist implies that you might be permanently taking risks. Being honest with yourself. Challenging yourself to become better in your craft. Accepting the impact that you have on others. Read more>>

Shahin Monjezi

The first time I got the idea of being a “rockstar” was at the age of 12. I’d stumbled upon a video on YouTube of Santana performing their song “Soul Sacrifice” at Woodstock. Read more>>

Josei Harris

I believe the ethos of entrepreneurship is the art of taking calculated risks. My life has been a series of experiences where I’ve done just that. From my very first home search at the age of just 18 years old to my most recent spa businesses and training academy launches. Read more>>

Sara Cortese

I took a huge risk (or at least it felt like it, at the time!) pivoting from working in the commercial and documentary film world to going back to school to become a therapist. Read more>>

TAMMEKA NICKLEBERRY

4 years out of dental school I took the risk of building a brand and opening my own office. I always knew I wanted to own my own business with a vision, mission, and purpose carefully crafted to reflect my heart and purpose. Read more>>

Angela Brown

The risk I took was diving into entrepreneurship with no support, no knowledge, no resources, no money, and no team. I have had to reinvent myself several times over the years but it involved changing jobs and furthering my education to have a career. Read more>>

Danny and Jessica Barry

Hello, we are Danny (37) and Jessica Barry (33). We now own our own liquor company for the past 7 months but before this we opened an award winning Irish Pub at the ages of 20 and 24. Read more>>

Chris Walters

Growing up in Southern California, I always envisioned a future rooted in the familiar landscapes of my childhood, filled with sun-soaked beaches and bustling city life. Read more>>

Gen Pierre

My journey into fashion and accessories design began with a passion ignited during childhood. Surrounded by sketches, fabric swatches, and the rhythmic hum of sewing machines, I absorbed the essence of this captivating industry. Read more>>

Maria Karolina

When I was in my junior year of high school, I performed a speech about a woman who was sexually assaulted and the feedback I got from the women who watched it inspired me to do something I never thought I would. Read more>>

Krislam Chin

In 2018, I felt I was at the apex of my career. I truly enjoyed my work, loved the company, and had great relationships with my co-workers. Read more>>

Grace Lee

Since 2010, I’ve always been in the social media space. I started blogging my personal style and lifestyle, early on in high school and throughout college, which is where I grew my following. Read more>>

Janna Lemur

One of the biggest risks I took happened in a small New Hampshire town at 18 years of age when I was 6 months away from graduating high school. Read more>>

Garrett Wedan

Depending on how you want to look at it, it’s either multiple risks or the same risk over and over, but it’s trying new growth opportunities. Read more>>

Erin Carere

As a full-time freelance artist and creator, I hear from others that I am a risk taker. And I guess I am! But I have a different perspective. Read more>>

Carla LaBella

An important lesson that I highlight in my recent book (The WOW Book: Ways of Optimizing Well-Being, FriesenPress, 2024) is that it is important to get comfortable being uncomfortable at times. Read more>>

Brandon Ransfield

Tom Numan and I (Owners of Radikal Neon & Radikal Signs USA) decided to pursue our dream of expanding our business’ from New Zealand to USA around about 2017. Read more>>

Shane Guffogg

Being an artist or someone in the creative field is equal to being a risk-taker because there are never any guarantees. Having a need to express yourself is half the process. The second is finding a way to do it.  Read more>>

Robbie Robertson

The biggest risk I’ve taken – both personally or professionally – was starting UncleBod during COVID. I’d always wanted to work in & around athletics, but after finishing college in my late 20’s (I’m a late bloomer, not a doctor), I took the first decent-paying gig so I could find an apartment and start paying off student loans. Read more>>

Colin Waite

Moving to LA wasn’t a tough decision. In fact, it was probably one of the easiest ones I’ve ever made. But it wasn’t without risk. I didn’t know anyone when I moved down here. Read more>>

Jenn Levin

When I was working in the fast-paced world of television production, every moment was charged with urgency. Script deadlines, pressure to come up with the next big creative idea. Read more>>

Tonee Shelton

In 2020, during the pandemic and working remotely for several months, I had time to think. What I realized is that I had all of these poems inside of me, in random notebooks, in my notes app on my phone, etc. Read more>>

Katherine Nightingale

There are negative people in every aspect of everything that revolves in the world. Taking risks or doing anything “outside of the norm” will always upset someone or some group that feels they are the correct way of ‘being’. Read more>>

Rebecca Taylor Bratland

I was raised in a small farm town in Wisconsin, population around 1,200. My experience with the world was very limited and I would spend my high school days in the library immersed in Seventeen Magazine reading about fashion and the glamorous model. Read more>>

Ydaly Mer

Pursuing an art career was a huge risk for me as art was mostly a hobby of mine and most of my time was invested into my professional career. Read more>>

Candace Nola

In 2019, I took the risk of publishing my first novel, Breach. A friend had tricked me into writing a story for a contest with her, but it turned out, she had no intention of writing it with me, nor was there a contest. Read more>>

Greg David

Risk. This is a timely question—I’m currently taking one of the biggest risks of my life. I’m betting on myself and feeling more like me than ever. Read more>>