There is a wealth of academic research that suggests that differences in risk appetite are at the heart of differences in career and business trajectories. We wanted to go beyond the theory and ask real people from the community about their perspectives and experiences with risk and risk taking.

Ahmad Maher | Actor

Just choosing to start a career in the arts is a risk in itself! It is an incredibly small and competitive industry. Your reputation and connections mean everything. However, if you do it right that risk has the greatest payoff. That risk started by making the decision to travel to New York on a student visa after receiving a scholarship to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA). I came to one of the largest cities in the world with two suitcases, the savings I had from an old restaurant job, and moved into a small bedroom in Midtown. Read more>>

Lidia Pozo Pérez | Film Composer & Psychologist

I believe that making decisions that involve a certain level of risk forces you to step out of your comfort zone. And, for me, that’s always a good thing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a very cautious person, and sometimes even a bit of a scaredy-cat, but I think that sometimes you have to take chances, make decisions, and move forward with the consequences, whether they are good or bad. As the saying goes, “you don’t risk, you don’t win.” As for my decisions, the riskiest one I’ve taken recently has led me to be here today, in Los Angeles. Read more>>

Nicole Peplinski | Actress & CEO

I think taking calculated risk is pertinent to having a happy, abundant, stimulating life. It’s what brought me here. It encouraged me to jump when stopped for acting. It prompted me to jump from an IT Consultant to CEO. That jump was one I wasn’t interested In until I spoke to several professionals who said I’d have more time for my acting career and less stress. They were right! Read more>>

Danielle Hani | Composer, Orchestrator & Pianist

I believe that taking risks is a fundamental part of a musician’s journey. When you decide to pursue a career in music, you’re essentially taking a risk because it’s known to be a tough path. Reflecting on my own journey as a composer, I can pinpoint several instances where I took significant risks. For starters, I left a stable job in a tech company to follow my passion for music composition. Then, I began my music studies in Israel with the ultimate goal of completing my degree at Berklee College of Music. Read more>>

Sharmin Karim | CEO + Founder

Risk and I are definitely friends. We’re not as close as we used to be, but we’re those friends that don’t see each other often. And when we do, it’s like no time has passed. I’ve taken quite a few risks in my life – from to moving to new cities and states without knowing anyone, to changing careers multiple times, to traveling alone abroad. I’m a firm believer that you can’t wait for life to begin, you’ve got to just start living and experiencing, even if it’s scary or by yourself. The most recent and probably the biggest risk I’ve ever taken was starting amma360 on my own. Read more>>

Khavory Lee | Portrait Photographer

Taking risks in the catalyst in my career, starting from the first moment I used a DSLR camera. When I first had the chance to shoot portraits it was a complete “fake it till you make it” experience. I was sitting in a coffee shop in Dallas, Texas, where I overheard an Instagram meet up was starting nearby. I took opportunity as a chance to see what all the buzz was about, borrowed my friends camera that she had in her backpack, and followed the crowd of models and photographers to take portraits amongst the city. This theme of risks is what carried me all the way from Dallas to Los Angeles in 2020 where I took the chance to move here with my camera and the goal to uplift people and business’s voices through photography. Read more>>

Faith Freeman | Licensed Midwife

I feel that if I want to truly get to where I want to be in life, I have to take risks. I don’t want to miss anything in life or not give my daughter the best life she can have by being afraid to take the next step. I’ve been an entrepreneur since day one – first as a young person to put myself through school, I traveled back and forth out of state weekly for school 5 days and then back to work 2 days. People didn’t think I could handle the schedule and intensity, but I made it through. After owning my own midwifery practice in Oklahoma (where I’m from) for several years, in 2017 I had my daughter. Read more>>

Indee Ponce | Musician & Model

I’ve always viewed risk as a challenge and good indicator of how rewarding a task/challenge is going to be upon completion. I think that anything worth doing life is going to have some risk, & especially in the creative space risk is going to be a common denominator. In my life and career risk has always pushed me to work harder and more attentively. I would say that I definitely work better under pressure, lol ! Read more>>

Tara Johnson | Illustrator, Painter, & Crafter

I definitely am outwardly more on the reserved side. Personally, taking risks is a bigger hurdle for me to jump, but a necessary one. I’ve always had the proverb “Leap and the net will appear” in my head my whole life but never really put it into action until I started my art business. Getting out of my head and pushing myself to go do art shows and keep going has been quite rewarding for me, since I do have a hard time connecting with people. To have now found this audience that appreciates my art is really inspiring. Read more>>

Fayde Kamal | Writer, Producer, Director & Actor

Risk-taking is not just a strategy; it’s a mindset. From my perspective as an independent South Asian film producer, writer, and director, risk is not just a concept; it’s an integral part of my journey in the film industry. It’s about daring to dream, breaking down barriers, and challenging the status quo. Being a part of a minority group in the film industry has its unique challenges, but it also offers tremendous opportunities once you embrace what makes you different. I view the risk of entering an industry that lacks diversity as an opportunity to bring fresh perspectives and untold stories to the forefront. I’m inspired by the idea of breaking stereotypes and creating authentic representations of underrepresented communities on screen. Read more>>

Meliek Gaynor | Director | Producer

for most of my career, I played everything pretty safe I did what was told of me and suggested. The more I began to risk things the more success I was able to accomplish. Read more>>