Are you a risk taker? Do you think you have a stronger appetite for risk relative to your friends and family? We asked some folks from the community about their approaches to risk and have shared their thoughts below.

Caili Wilk | Photographer & Breast Cancer Survivor

Risk happens every day, in minor ways – the unpredictability of life. It’s natural to want to control and mitigate risk to some degree. In my own life, there has been a huge amount of instability, from childhood and beyond. In those early years, I had no control over the level of risk I wanted in my life, and as an adult, the PTSD that comes with generational trauma overshadowed even small decisions, and fear bled into many parts of my life. Read more>>

Brandon Brewer | Collage Artist

The earliest risk-taking behavior that comes to mind was in Senior year of high school the moment I decided to forego Computer Science, a subject of high interest and motivation, to challenge myself in the area of English literature, which had always been more of an academic weakness. Read more>>

Esther Moon | Actor

I’ve never been one to play it safe. I love exploring, pushing boundaries, and seeing whats possible! I spent over 20 years in two of the most stable professions – social work and academia. Both come with job stability, great benefits, and pension. But stability felt overrated and I couldn’t live waiting for retirement. And so I left. Read more>>

Dominic Figuro | Graphic Designer

Risk to me is the make or break in your life. A lot of people associate risk with irrationality and aimlessness. That is not necessarily the case. Anytime I think about potential risk, I ask myself three questions: (1) Do I have a plan for executing my idea? (2) How likely will I be able to follow through with my plan? and (3) What are the roadblocks that may come up? By looking at risk this way, I can decide if this move is worthwhile or not. While nothing is 100%, I feel much more comfortable when faced with risky situations when I break it down this way. Read more>>

Pam Kornreich | Elopement Photographer

I generally view risks as opportunities for growth. For the most part, unknowns excite me more than they scare me. Despite me being very much an over-thinker and worrier in many ways, I tend to be almost too optimistic when it comes to taking risks. The thought of “what if this works out” more often than not trumps the thought of “what if I fail miserably”, and I’ve seen that play out in many areas of my life. Read more>>

Kelly Jackson | Creative Director

How do you progress in life without taking risk? That is the ultimate question. I always thought I was different and wanted to explore life outside from where I grew up in the suburbs of West Bloomfield, Michigan. It all started at a young age for me, my parents had always immersed my sister and I in new environments from traveling, schools, activities, organizations, cultures and more. Read more>>

Aaron-Gregory Fernandez | Author & Music Artist

I think risk shows an individual’s true character. Taking a risk involves being intrepid and a having optimism in your desired result. Taking risks has elevated my thinking in several ways. I have always been one to follow my heart, and go for the things I desire with intent. Read more>>

Haochen Zhao | Independent Artist

I love risks as much as I hate them. To me, risks mean danger and pain, but it also means surprise, opportunity, vitality and beautiful miracles. Making art is all about taking risks and embracing challenges. Artists have to be brave, otherwise their hands are tied. I basically can’t create without risks. Read more>>

Michelle Tu | Scientist turned Serial Entrepreneur

After I earned my PhD in cell biology, I declined job offers in the sciences (to my parents dismay) and decided to start my own business. It’s by far the biggest risk I’ve ever taken. I had little money saved up, zero business experience, and knew nothing about the industry. All I had was confidence and Google Search. Read more>>

Lauren Ready | Speaker, Video Producer, Business Owner

I have always said you have to take risk to make change and reach your goals. Risks shouldn’t be made blindly but they must be done to move forward. I am realizing more and more that those risks take courage. And courage is something you also have to acknowledge in the process. Read more>>

Taylor Mahon | Photographer

Taking a risk implies doing something out of your comfort zone, which is key for growth of any kind. It implies betting on yourself and trusting that things will unfold. It implies confidence in the vision of what you want, without having to see every step ahead of time. For me, it also implies facing fears, and giving yourself permission to learn and evolve. Read more>>

Adam Scheffler | Adam Scheffler | Owner of Golden Supply & MFG. Co.

We each had to come to the collective realization that risk is what had gotten us to this point in the first place. Being an entrepreneur isn’t something that happens by pure chance. Instead of missing opportunities by dwelling on the possible negative effects our decisions could bring about, we embrace all possibilities and approach it with a healthy skepticism. Read more>>

Jacques Derosena | Producer, Artist & World Traveler

I believe that it is important to take some risks, to get out of your comfort zone, to grow and open yourself up to possibilities that you never knew existed. It is not an easy thing to do depending on your personality, how you grew up and current circumstances but the rewards of discovering what you are capable of is worth it. My risks involve curiosity with due diligence so there is more strength in exploring adventures. Read more>>

 Megan Hunter | Editor, Producer, Writer

In theory, I have taken a considerable risk before. After graduating high school, I moved from my small Pennsylvania town to Los Angeles to attend film school in 2019. Though I came with empty pockets and an empty industry contact list, it honestly didn’t feel like much of a risk because I still felt protected by the refuge of school. Read more>>

Yeranoui ‘Noui’ Dzhigneyan | Kinesiologist

Overall I think we might find it much easier to settle with the status quo rather than make a change, take a chance, or speak up, but I think it’s important to remember that risk-taking can be a good thing. Read more>>

Kayla Hunt | Singer & Songwriter

I think risks are a big part of making things happen in life. It tests our dedication and faith in ourselves and our ability to stay consistent and achieve our goals. I think some of the best things I’ve experienced was due to taking risks and believing that certain things are meant for me. Read more>>

Erika Jacott-Strum | Real Estate Broker

While many believe that risk is the possibility of something terrible happening, I see risk and life as one and the same. Every single day we wake up anything can happen. Whether we get up or stay in bed, something terrible might take place. Yet, most of us choose to get up and move forward. That one decision has already turned us into risk takers without even thinking about it. Read more>>

Fitz Carlile | Wedding & Portrait Photographer

As an entrepreneur, taking and managing calculated risk is one of the most important characteristics of the job. Business owners must take risks – without it, there is rarely any reward. There’s a big difference between dreams and goals – dreams are what we do when we’re asleep, goals are what we define when we’re awake, and that’s where things get done. Read more>>

Wayne X | Music producer, songwriter, vocalist, & guitarist

Wayne X (Vocals/Guitar): I take risks every day. I see it as a necessary evil in terms of achieving anything meaningful. I feel like it’s silly to expect life to give you more than what you ask of it…some people just allow everyone else to dress them up; they don’t make their own choices. Read more>>

Betty Gabbaie | CEO of Zentap, UCLA Instructor, Marketing & Communications Executive

My father, who was an extremely shrewd businessman, was an avid risk taker and with most of those risks came big rewards. I remember when I was around 15, he wanted to start a new business in a completely different industry that was very competitive, which meant moving his family from San Diego to Los Angeles. Read more>>

Ava Elmzadeh | Psychotherapist & Adjunct Professor

I consider myself an adventurous rebel and risk taking has been an integral part of my growth. I took a huge risk to join an improv class to overcome my debilitating social anxiety and it worked. I took risks over and over again by sharing my unique perspective in front of strangers. Read more>>

Amelia Vaughan | 3D Animator

I’ve definitely been told I’m a calculated risk taker; I’m certainly not opposed to taking chances, but I weigh my options and make sure that the risk is worth the outcome. I have risk-taking to thank for a lot of my favorite memories and opportunities; I took a risk when I chose to go to a high-performing animation program for college, Read more>>

Shannon Stowe | Actor, Dancer, Choreographer and Wellness Professional

We have all seen a photo or illustration with “Life begins outside of your comfort zone.” I truly believe that. I think the only way to move outside of your comfort zone is to risk. The very first time that I recall taking a BIG risk – really going for it – changed my life and my trajectory. Read more>>

Andrea Cui | Musician

Every major step I’ve taken as a musician has been a rather risky move, especially as I come from a family without any musical background. When I first decided to pursue music, I actually dropped out of high school to start my first music degree at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM). That’s when I knew I was all in, as not finishing high school would severely impact my other options in life. Read more>>

Peter G | Show Host Of Life With Peter G, The Peter G Show

Risk taking doesn’t feel as bad when you truly believe in what you’re doing. I think that everybody has the thought of wanting to be a rock star or famous in some form or fashion, however for the many it just remains a thought because if it were easy everybody would be doing it. Many start, but few finish. Read more>>

Gabriella Hirsch | Composer | Lyricist | Music Director

I didn’t always think of myself as a risk taker, or of my choices and life decisions as particularly bold. However, I now recognize that taking risks has played a huge part in finding my voice and finally pursuing a career in composition. Read more>>

Moyosade Ademiluyi | Designer and Entrepreneur

To be honest, when I started my first business, I didn’t think much about it before starting. I was 16 and about a year out of secondary school. I wanted to do something to keep me busy while waiting for admission into the university. If anything, I just wanted to prove to myself and other young people that age shouldn’t stop you from doing what you want. Read more>>

James Wakefield | Film Music Composer

I think it’s essential to step out of the box when being creative. The whole point of creativity is creating something new. With film music there’s so much that sounds very similar or predicable and I think I have an unhealthy nagging in the back of my head with what I’m doing sounding unique. Read more>>

Jesika Miller | Jesika The Mind Trainer and Phobia Eliminator

Taking risks are a part of success and even more integral in order to quantum leap in every area of your life. Sometimes we take risks and fail many times and when you finally do succeed its worth all the risks you take All the growth in my life has been accompanied by risk. Read more>>

De’Vonte’ Parson | Executive Director & Author

I grew up in the Central District of Seattle in a time where gang banging was our way of life. In that lifestyle you technically lived in risk. Everyday was a risk walking out the door and hanging out with your friends because you could be killed. I’ve saw it happen many times. Read more>>