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.

Sam Wood Wilson

Years ago I took the risk to start my own business and pursue art as a full time endeavor. I had practiced as an architect for a good amount of time and felt the need to pursue my own journey rather than continue working for others creative desires. This led me to where I am today, working as an artist and architect, and continuing to build my career through my own means. This was not an easy choice, and the path has certainly been full of sacrifice. Read more>>

Abby Calabrese

I have a desire to constantly stretch outside of my comfort zone. I grew up in a small rural town in Western Pennsylvania. I did pretty well in high school so when it came time to think about colleges, most kids chose from the same 5-7 schools. I wanted to do something different because – why not. I was the first person from my high school to go to a small liberal arts school in Baltimore, MD. It was a Jesuit university and I had never heard the term Jesuit and I was not even a catholic. Read more>>

Justin Petty

Moving from the Midwest (Ohio) to Atlanta Georgia (2007) and then later to Los Angeles (2021) which made way for my current location in Las Vegas Nevada (2022). I’m the owner of Intangible Entertainment LLC an Atlanta based record label I started it while living in a Gwinnett county Georgia suburb (Lawrenceville). I ended up getting some major record label contacts at UMG etc in los Angeles California. I made some money off of doge coin cryptocurrency on the international money market. I was working at a company in Suwanee Georgia called Latham pool products on 2nd shift (I hated it) when I started buying stock and crypto currency. Read more>>

Megan Hawkey

I’m a party and event producer and promoter. Every event I throw is a financial gamble. You never know if people will vibe with a theme, if the weather will keep people away, if there will be other competing events, etc. Over the years, I’ve learned that it’s okay to take a risk, but it’s much less of a blow when you truly believe in the idea. Read more>>

Leah Lepillez-shockley

The biggest risk I’ve ever taken was betting on myself. In 2015, frustrated with the status quo in corporate America, I took a leap into entrepreneurship by starting my own marketing and PR agency. The backstory begins with years of working in corporate environments where I felt like just another number. I was disillusioned by poor leadership, toxic culture, and a singular focus on the bottom line at the expense of purpose and mission. This frustration became the catalyst for change. The risk wasn’t just about leaving a stable job; it was about challenging the very norms of business that I had grown to resent. Read more>>

Arabella Beaubrun

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken was moving to Colorado with my kids 10 years ago. I’ve always loved New York, being a theater kid. I never thought I would leave. In 2013, I performed for AMTC summer shine. I did 10 showcases, where agents come to look for new talent. Two agents gave me a callback; one was for Miami and the other was for Colorado. I prayed about it and chose Colorado. I was asked to play Ruby in the play “Rain.” At that time, I worked as a key-holder manager in a clothing store part-time in New York and took care of my kids full-time. Read more>>

Amy Camp Ryan

Looking back on my career, I realize I have embraced some risks. Risk, if by definition, is stepping into the unknown without complete confidence in the outcome. One significant risk I took was launching my private practice, Balance + Life + Counseling, earlier than I had initially planned. I had always envisioned myself as a “seasoned” therapist with over a decade of experience before venturing into my practice. However, I defied my expectations and started my private practice just two years after obtaining my license. Surprisingly, it was a great decision, and I am thriving in my dream job. Read more>>

Aneesh Shukla

I was working as a high school English teacher in Chicago. Now, this isn’t one of those “burned-out teacher” stories – I genuinely loved it. I wouldn’t even have qualms about going back to teaching somewhere down the line. But, my heart always belonged, and still belongs, to writing. When we decided to uproot ourselves and move to California for a while, I decided not to transfer my teaching license over and to fully devote myself to writing. You know when you’re young, you think, “Oh, I’m young. I have plenty of time to make money and get a real job and do all of that if I need to. I’ll never get this chance again to fully throw myself into writing and not have to worry about other things.” Read more>>

Jonelle Marie Carter

In 2012, a year after a rare cancer diagnosis and some major life changes, I had found myself at a fork in the road. My career in patient care was solid and I was continuing to stack more and more certifications under my belt but my passion for caring for humans in this line of work was dwindling. The quick pace and adrenaline filled days that once fueled my body were replaced with anxiety and numbness. When I graduated from high school, I had immediately enrolled in cosmetology school with a plan to support myself through nursing school by having the ability to work in a salon or even cut hair on the side. Read more>>

Tyeshia Petrie

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken in my life was parting ways with a company in the early stages of my career without having a backup plan. While I am an artist and writer dedicated to sharing my art with the world, I also have a fulfilling career in content marketing, currently working as an Audience Development Specialist. During what I consider the planting stage of solidifying my professional path, I was dealing with a range of negative emotions internally. Read more>>

Stells Di Rossi Hurst

Forming this project was a huge risk in itself. I was going through a creative depression while facing significant challenges, both personally and professionally. As a musician, it’s easy to feel pigeonholed or typecast in your creativity. I had been fighting hard for years to gain recognition as a woman of color in rock, and I continue to advocate for that. I needed something that would allow me to express another facet of my creative energy—something without a name or face attached to it. Read more>>

Moonshine Mollys

All of our music career has been a risk During 2020 diving in Taking time away from family Hope it will pay off After 10 plus years of having someone else decide the path of of our career, we decided in 2020 to take the risk and step out on our own. lessons and experiences making the decision to take the risk and pursue Stepping away from the comfort of cover band the who was holding you back and pushing you down; Making you believe that you can not do it without them. Instead being consistent and growing Career altering move – putting ourselves out there and our music. Read more>>

Taylor “mykal” Curtis

At the age of 25, I made history as the Youngest Black Tenured Woman in the history of higher education in the United States of America. I was a professor of psychology, Black psychology, social psychology, and Black Studies. After almost a decade as a professor and only 3 years after making U.S. History, I took one of the biggest risks of my career and RESIGNED. I left the institution of academia even though I had the security to stay in that position until retirement.

Miranda Miele

Earlier this year I took the single most significant risk of my life- cutting back from my VERY stable full time job as a Doctor of Audiology to pursue my side hustle and passion- crafting!!! Yes, I know this sounds absolutely wild and was not a decision I made lightly, but I am so glad I did! Education has always been of the utmost importance in my family- I was raised to study hard with the intent of finding a reliable career path. Read more>>

Felicia Forbes

Signing the lease for my first almost 10’years ago was one of the biggest risk I ever took. This whole journey to starting a juice company has been risk after risk. But betting on myself is something I’ve vowed to always do. I just have a little faith and let God handle the rest The day I was supposed to sign the lease I actually got cold feet and didn’t go and started dodging the phone calls. I sat there and I said life is too short to be afraid and I have other options! So I signed and it changed my whole life. Read more>>

Tara Zeller

The biggest risk I took in business was to invest all of my money, move out of state, and forgo paychecks for the first few years in order to start a business with a friend that started as a dream and is now a franchise brand with over 30 locations presently. The journey began several years ago when I owned a private practice with a waitlist. I had a comfortable income, with family nearby, and was respected in my community. While I was grateful for the security it provided, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was meant for something more. Read more>>

Jasmine Gutierrez

It was about 7 years ago my husband Kevin and I were looking for ways to bring in income. We were both eager to learn and work hard. We were also young parents so our drive and motivation was our son Eli. At that time in our lives we still were living with my husband’s parents home in a small garage that was converted into two rooms. We had a 94 Honda accord granted it was not in the best shape, but we definitely worked with what we got despite the challenges that came our way. Read more>>

Ahmed Zakzouk

Appreciate you for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken. As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that, can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context? Hi, my name is Ahmed Zakzouk. I’m Egyptian / American. I’m currently a Creative Director, Choreographer, Professional Dancer, Singer, Song-writer, Casting Agent, Stuntman, & Actor. I’ve been working professionally for almost 13 years now. I’ve worked in almost every kind of job you could think of as an artist, such as: Read more>>

Pamela Robins

One of the greatest risks was when I moved to Mexico and then ended up living there for 10 years. It was shortly after September 11, I was living in Chicago and engage I was searching online for a place to honeymoon – one that neither of us had been to before. And then a strange thing happened. Each time I told someone that we were looking for a destination in Mexico the response was shockingly the same – “The Blue Parrot in Playa del Carmen.” I had no choice but to look up the website and do some research. Read more>>

Qihang Fan

My current full-time role focuses on exploring practical applications of emerging technologies such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (XR), and artificial intelligence (AI). Taking risks has become a natural part of my work because utilizing these technologies often brings unpredictable challenges. I embrace these risks, as each difficulty I encounter fuels my motivation and excitement, even if I only make small advancements. Read more>>

Dr. Lisa Liggins-chambers

I took a risk and started discussing my experiences in the psychology field. This includes the gap in the workforce between white and black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) psychologists and unfair licensing standards toward aspiring psychologists. The goal was to put this field on public notice. I want the public to understand why there is a shortage of psychologists in general, the reasons that they do not see BIPOC psychologists and the difficulty in the licensing standards across the United States for aspiring psychologists. Read more>>

Dontrece Woodson

Balancing a private chef career, single motherhood, and a full-time job is a high-stakes juggling act. One notable risk I took was deciding to scale back my traditional job hours to devote more time to growing my private chef business. This decision meant giving up some financial stability and benefits, while making sure I am still providing for my son. This was necessary to build a solid client base and increase my income potential from the private chef venture. Read more>>

Nikki Collier

I have been a yoga teacher for about 17 years now, having had other “jobs” as I taught on the side. After the loss of our little one (our second born), I took a deep dive into the world of trauma informed yoga instruction. As I healed, I found myself drawn to offering this practice to the many walking wounded in our community. After some extra education, and much planning, I decided to open my first yoga studio, Shanti Yoga in Fallon Nevada, and began serving all I could reach there. My husband supported my every whim and remodeled the entire space for my offerings. Read more>>

Emily Lewis

Risks are typically known for being challenging. Oftentimes they push us far outside our comfort zone and encourage us to embrace discomforts and uncertainties on a whole new realm. Even though they can be extremely uncomfortable, they often result in some of our greatest achievements and increase our sense of competency. For me, choosing to start my own private practice was not necessarily a risk I was looking or planning to make. I was comfortable and had grown tremendously as a mental health clinician at the private practice group I was a part of. Read more>>

Lindsie Vizethann

The biggest risk I took was leaving my career as a nurse and an assistant manager of an ER. I was getting burnt out more and more every day, taking care of more patients with less resources, and then asking my peers to do the same. I was tired of giving patients a pill when there was a way to help them by getting to the root of the problem, I was always the workout enthusiast and fell in love with a fitness franchise while I was working as a nurse. Read more>>

Jason Rivera

In my late 20s, I found myself trapped in a routine, craving a new way to create and express myself. So, I made a bold decision: I quit my job, left the country, and embarked on a journey to explore the world. Armed with a Sony camera, I traveled through Asia, Europe, Mexico, and parts of the United States, capturing moments that would forever change my perspective. Read more>>

Kelly Lou Dennis

I was accepted into a great film school in Los Angeles with a partial scholarship – and turned it down. For context, I was raised with the mindset that college was the expected next step after high school, so walking away from college with just an A.A. in Screenwriting was not an easy decision. However, a week before my acceptance letter arrived, I was presented with a once in a lifetime opportunity to write, direct and star in an independent feature film. The timelines completely overlapped. Read more>>

Stephanie Rodgers

This past January the children’s theatre company I was teaching for made the decision to close mid-season. With rehearsals for their planned spring season starting in just 2 weeks the immediate decision was made to open our own Creative Education Center. It was a huge risk but after sleepless nights wondering and debating on what to do, the only choice we comminuted to return to was to find a way to continue the education mission we believed in. And Mosaic Creative Studios was born. Read more>>