Legend holds that Cornelius Vanderbilt had built a massive fortune in the steamboat shipping industry, but then realized the railroads were the way of the future and invested almost his entire net worth into railroads. The gamble paid off and made Vanderbilt one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs ever. But risks are inherently…risky. How do you think about risk and how has it affected your life and career? Some of our community favorites share their perspective below.

Celeste Lanuza | Actress, Professor, Filmmaker, Choreographer, PhD Candidate

Risk taking is exactly what it sounds like. An exciting and scary thing all at once. Thankfully, because I lead with assertiveness and not fear, I have taken many dives head first into some deep waters. I worked full time for years as a performing artist. This has meant traveling all over the world touring to China, Romania, Indonesia, Malaysia, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, and all over the US. Read more>> 

Michal Idan | Model, Influencer, pilates instructor, nutrition advisor

I believe that taking risks is an essential part of personal growth and career development!!!
In my experience, embracing risk has often led to remarkable opportunities and experiences that I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise. While it can be daunting to step outside of one’s comfort zone, I’ve found that the potential rewards far outweigh the uncertainties. Although! Risks as they are called, taking them may not necessarily have the result as we expected. Read more>>

Sean Brown | Music Producer & Songwriter

In 100 years we will not be here. With that said, why not take the risks needed to pursue your dreams? Why not take leaps of faith? Why not?? I would much rather live my life knowing I at least gave myself a fair shot at something by taking the necessary risks than to live in regret by playing it safe. They say on the other side of risk is reward and I truly believe that. I believe that a certain level of success cannot be reached without a gamble. Read more>>

Jess Humphrey | Dancemaker, Professor of Dance, Wife, Mother.

Risk is like a beacon. If something starts to feel risky, I’m probably getting closer to some kind of catalyst. My late contact improvisation teacher Nancy Stark Smith taught in a way that sensitized me to the threshold between risk and recklessness. Over time, I’ve learned that listening while you leap is key. If I remain receptive when taking risks, if I continue to take in information from my own and others’ bodies as well as the environment, I am less likely tip into recklessness. Read more>>

Regan Carney | Wardrobe Stylist & Closet Coordinator

When I think about risk-taking, the first thing that comes to mind is the approach of “fake it until you make it.” This was a significant risk I took early in my career, and it turned out to be a major reward. Despite lacking clientele and extensive experience, I relied on my personality and confidence to project an image of expertise. This mindset not only helped me secure opportunities but also built my reputation in the industry. Looking back, I realize that taking this risk was crucial to my success. It taught me that confidence and self-belief can often pave the way for real achievements. Read more>>

Jen Baers | Jen Baers | Graphic Designer, Web Developer and Founder of RZN8 Media

My entire career path has been infused with risk. After college I worked for a movie trailer house in Los Angeles called Aspect Ratio. I was a driver first making deliveries to all the studios in Hollywood and then I moved to the print department and became a production artist for movie posters. This is how I learned my graphic design skills which formed the basis of my career. Read more>>

Kristen Lane | Floral Designer

I’m quite cautious when taking risks; I like knowing whats next for me and I like to prepare myself for all outcomes. I struggle with anxiety and naturally that comes with being an over thinker. I have talked myself in and out of many risks. But Senescence was the one risk I didn’t take much thought on. During the time I discovered I wanted to become a floral designer I was trying to learn about social media marketing to do as a side hustle while also working full-time at a media agency as a coordinator. Read more>>

Lindsey Hartfield | Business Owner

When it comes to taking risks, I try to take time before making big decisions to pray on it and to weigh the outcomes of either way I choose. Also, my dad has always had two sayings 1. “anything worth having is worth fighting for” and 2. “You can’t fail if you don’t try.” So I feel like when I get nervous, anxious or start to self doubt, I really remember those sayings to keep me going. Read more>>

Fernanda Vilela | Award-winner Brazilian Actress

I believe risks are inevitable for a successful career and achieving your dreams. I would even say that taking risks is what makes dreams come true.
I have always wanted to be an actress, and that’s a risk by itself if you decide to follow this path. The uncertainty of the industry, all the challenges that come with it, and mainly the fact that this career is not based on meritocracy make it very risky to even try to pursue it. It feels like jumping into an abyss, not knowing if there is a net to hold you at the bottom of it. Read more>>

Amber Bolden | Founder Havilah Bath and Body & Embolden Consulting LLC.

Risk-tasking is fundamental to living a full life. For a recovering perfectionist, like me, I’m excited that I can say this with confidence. In my past, I made decisions based on what I felt I could do well or accomplish in excellence. I was conditioned, like most of us to think that accomplishments, accolades, money, recognition, etc. somehow validated my space on this planet. What I’ve learned is that life begins with risk. From the time you take your first breath, there is risk in this world. What one might see as “risk” can actually be an opportunity – the question is ‘how will you respond?’ Read more>>

Christine Kilmer | Jewelry maker

Risk is just another made up four-letter word, and is only as real as we allow it to be. It happily provides us all the excuses in the world to stay in our comfort zones but, like a plant, we can only grow as much as our container allows. A redwood will never be a giant if she’s kept prisoner in a tiny pot. Read more>>

Meghna Verma | Private Artist and Public. Health Professional

Navigating life as a kidney transplant recipient while running a small business and diving deep into public health has taught me that every day is a tightrope walk. But here’s the thing—life’s too short to play it safe all the time. Risks are everywhere, but I choose to maneuver through them like an artist, making sure every brushstroke I make adds color and depth to my canvas of opportunities. Read more>>

Dzhuliia (julia) Melnik | FX and Beauty Makeup Artist

“If you don’t take risks, you won’t reap the rewards.” From the very beginning of my career as a makeup artist, my strategy has always been built on taking risks. It’s not just about financial losses—though I’ll touch on that—but about the risk of failure. Why? My first risk was working as a makeup artist without any formal education. Yes, it happened that I started working first, and then decided to get an education. After I got my education, I began to take even more risks, and each time it felt like a game, testing how ready I was to step out of my comfort zone. Read more>>

Kimberly Artley | CEO | Founder of PackFit Dog Training and Behavior, Published Author

Everything in life involves a level of risk. It’s through taking risks we gain new and different insights, knowledge and understanding, inspires creativity, builds confidence- as well as adaptability and resilience, develops new skillsets, and usually leads to opportunities we could have never anticipated. Read more>>

Kassie Vasquez | Professional dancer and instructor

Risk taking is incredibly scary but very necessary. I have found throughout my life and career that the greatest things have come from the times I’ve taken risks. I currently have a job I love because I took a risk. A few years ago I had a friend ask if I wanted to teach color guard at a drum corps over the summer, to which I responded with a hesitant “yes.” I did not have much teaching experience at that point, and did not fully know what I was getting myself into. I had performed with a drum corps years prior, but teaching was a different beast. That risk led me to a job and career that I love. Read more>>

Jorge Alayo | Mixer and Music Producer

Risk is everything for me. I’ve taken three big leaps of faith in my adult life to get where I am. The first one was after graduating as a Psychologist with honors and being the only one in my class employed even before graduation. I decided to quit everything and start over in a new career: music production. That meant leaving my entire life and future in my hometown to move to the capital of the country and pursue my big dream. Read more>>

Ric Roccapriore | Drummer, Artist & Educator

Good question! For me, its mostly been about taking risks. In high school I was into rock and some pop but I had to learn jazz if I wanted to play in the school band and meet other musicians. This was a good thing because it started me on my journey to be more open minded towards learning other styles of music. Read more>>

Dirty Happz | Music Producer

To many people, “Risk: is a decision you make when something may change drastically that would put them directly in harm or in a situation where they may have a loss. In my case I would say I was born into risk. Growing up in a broken home wit migrant parents in a low income community just pushed me to become numb to risk. Nevertheless after so many lossess or misfortune one can definetly develop wisdom and mitigate the odds even though the risk may be neccesary from time to time to get ahead in life, Read more>>

 Ian Wolterstorff | Ceramic Artist

Risk is unavoidable. Especially in art because someone is going to judge a thing you made and they might think it sucks. Ouch. That’s gonna sting baby. It hurts because a person’s art is but a piece of their shattered soul. Great metal band. I got tickets to the Warped Tour to see SHATTERED SOUL! But for reals, creative expression is very personal, so the next time you see sh*tty art just keep it to yourself. Read more>>

Alexandra Stone | Podcast Host & Life Coach

Risk-taking is essential for personal growth, empowerment, and adding depth to our life’s journey. When we take risks, we challenge our fears and open ourselves to new possibilities, whether through a change in mindset or environment. While risk can be intimidating due to the fear of failure, it also presents a unique opportunity to learn, grow, and redefine our path. Read more>>

Yitong Jiang | Graphic Designer

I rarely refer to risks as “risks”—to me, they are simply decisions. Even choosing to take the same route to work every day could result in an unexpected fall. Who can guarantee that any decision is 100% right? What we can do is reduce our fear of taking risks and embrace the possibility of making mistakes. I believe that risk-taking and caution are opposites, much like pain and joy or storms and rainbows. If life were only filled with joy and rainbows, we wouldn’t appreciate them as much—they would just be ordinary. Read more>>

Kasia Sasinowska | Photographer and Creative Producer

shied away from. I took a risk when I decided to leave the traditional education system in Poland and go to an IB school. I took a risk when I applied to universities in the USA. I took a risk when I packed up my life and moved to Australia, then Boston, then Munich, and finally NYC. I took a risk when I quit an unsatisfying job and decided to go freelance. Read more>>

Athena Wrong | Singer, Songwriter & Multi Disciplinary Artist

I truly believe that everything you’ve ever wanted is just beyond your fears. For me, embracing risk has always felt vital, and reading Susan Jeffers’ Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway really solidified this understanding. Jeffers explores how our fears often stem from the belief that we won’t be able to handle whatever life throws our way. As musicians, it’s easy to fall into the trap of playing it safe, thinking it’s the best way to protect our creative selves. Read more>>

Gregory Gordon | Actor

I fully believe in taking risk in your career and in life. I think life is too short to play it safe. Most major success comes from taking risk & betting on one’s self. I don’t think I would be where I am today if I didn’t take chances. I’ve seen success in just stepping out and it paid off; so i will always tell others to be brave go for it. Read more>>

Sara Matsui-colby | Actor and Owner/Marketing Designer at Actor One-Sheets

Risk is often seen as the possibility of facing danger, harm, or loss. In my life and career, I’ve come to understand that sometimes these risks are very real, and sometimes they’re creations of our own anxiety, more imagined than actual. Read more>>

Barbara Reed | Performing Artist

Everything I’ve done thus far in my life has been taking with taking risk and or sacrifice, but I don’t regret any decisions I’ve made. In order to make it in the industry or just make it in life in general you have to be willing to give it 1000% Because if you don’t train, if you’re not hungry, if you’re not in the right mindset and stay ready your gonna get pushed aside. Read more>>

Loy Lee | Stand up comedian

As a stand up comedian, I feel that it’s all about taking a risk. Most of the journey is taking a risk, seeing how it goes, getting up again and doing it all over again but trying to not fail as hard as you did last time. Taking a risk and being ok with failing is most of comedy. The drive to do it again and the drive to try to be better. Figuring out what went right and what went wrong only works if you take risks. If you’re not taking risks to make the joke better are your jokes getting better? Taking risks and failing helps shave off the stuff that doesn’t work to reveal the things that do work. Without risk, comedy would just be boring Ted Talks. Read more>>

Jared Bailey | Writer and Comic Book Creator

I experience taking risks as creating an opportunity for myself to grow. If it all happens to work out, whether in life or for work, then I’ll find myself in a new situation that I was hoping for, and for that I’m grateful. And if it doesn’t work out, then I think taking the risk in and of itself can be rewarding in knowing I did something that I was uncertain or afraid of. It also makes me grateful to then be able to learn from what didn’t work, and try again. Read more>>

Leo Emanuel | Product design, CEO and Entrepreneur

Everyone that’s started a business has lived through their plans completely falling apart. This isn’t a risk, it’s a guarantee. Mike Tyson put it best: everyone has a plan until they get hit in the face. Read more>>

Cathy Segal-garcia | Jazz vocalist, composer, arranger, educator, producer of music and events/venues, connector, national and international recording & performing artist

Interesting to think of “risk” as risk. When I think of the things I did, in life and career, that might be considered risk from others…to me it was an idea attached to a feeling, sometimes in the moment, and sometimes over a period of time…short or a little longer. Read more>>

Michaella Bloom | Brand Therapist, Entrepreneur, and Sustainable Artist

No risk, no reward. I am a big risk taker and would say I often dive in head first without knowing if I’m diving into the shallow end or deep end. Ive definitely figuratively bumped my head more than once but I always rise back to the surface and dive again. Read more>>

Daniel Rhyder | Actor/Writer/Producer

I am by nature not really a risk taker, however being drawn to a life of creativity, and specifically acting and writing, I didn’t really have a choice to NOT become a risk taker. My career is a risk itself!
I just finished a film, Perfect Stranger, that we shot in Warburg, Germany. It’s a very grounded, indie feature about a relationship on the brink of … life after being together for a number of years. The original story is by Andre Schneider, who plays my partner, and a stranger, played by Sten Jacobs, adapted by our director Phillip Xia. Read more>>

Martin Arreola | Writer & Director

I believe that in order to grow you must take risks. I see risks as a way to explore the unknown grounds. If you play it safe every time, what are the chances to get something unusual? — Zero. In order to get things you’ve never gotten you must do things you’ve never done. Read more>>