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.

Kate Hampson | Photographer

The greater the risk, the greater the reward. It doesn’t always work out, but I’ve found a good balance just by being true to myself. Changing all my branding to a polarising aesthetic was a huge risk. I designed and built the website myself, to appeal to couples seeking a photographer for their wedding, not a ‘wedding photographer’. The punk rock vibe wasn’t intentional at first – I built the website I would want to see as a prospective client and it grew from there. Read more>>

Ray Killa” Siirila | Producer

When thinking about taking risks, one must be calculated, and make decisions based on experience. Every risk taken by our team has turned into some sort of success, or a connection that leads us to the same. Read more>>

Raul Rodea | Artist & Freelancer

I think about risk as a masculine trait. Throughout history, men would risk their life’s whether it was to provide food, security, freedom, etc. Lots of innovative inventions were created out of necessity which partly required taking risk. Taking risks has been a huge part of my life/career. Generally, I’m always curious about the what ifs. I like to try/execute things without knowing the outcome because I rather find out for myself rather than wonder “what if I would’ve done that”. I’ve had both failures and success as a result of risk taking but most importantly they have been a learning experience in order to keep going/improving. Read more>>

Ashley Sugano | Brand & Lifestyle Photographer

I’m generally a very “play it safe” type of person but pursuing a creative business has really shifted my perspective on not only the value of taking risks but also the necessity of it. Starting a business and pursuing something new is always a risk. It’s an investment that requires lots of commitment/effort, time, and money all without knowing the outcome. My business was birthed when I was furloughed from my job (ironically) in the medical field during the pandemic and when shelter-in-place measures took effect. Read more>>

Weston Wei | Illustrator & Visual Designer

Well, to me, the risk is an old friend who always comes to me no matter what I am doing. I am in the creative industry, and every piece has its bottleneck. I will know I learned something from the process and finish a good illustration when I overcome it. Also, I love challenging work and Multi-task. So there are lots of difficulties: the time arrangement, how to ensure the quality of my work, how to avoid repeating the old self, and how to make clients happy. Read more>>

Jillian Hessel | Pilates Master Instructor & Author

Nothing ventured, nothing gained‼️ Read more>>

Ben Zerbe | Founder

I would consider myself a risk taker. Although I’m still fairly young at 35 (I would like to think), as I get older, my risk tolerance has already started to subside. Similar to Ron Copper’s story with Del Maguey, I found myself completely enamored with the rich history and incredibly labor-intensive process mezcal production brings. It is truly inspiring and fascinating to witness and eventually become more involved with the families that have been producing mezcal for generations. There are many nuances to mezcal that I believe people are now starting to understand more and more. Read more>>

Jasmine Lamitte, LCSW | Mental Health Leader & Influencer

I’ve learned from those I admire the phrase, “no risk, no reward”. If you don’t take a chance you’ll never reap the benefits! In the last few months, I’ve had to put this to the test. I decided to resign from my position as Director of Mental Health for KIPP SoCal Public Schools, where I’ve worked for the last 10 years. This was an incredibly difficult decision as I love my job and those that I work with, but after becoming a mom two years ago, I’ve realized that it is becoming incredibly difficult to find work-life balance. Read more>>

Meg Takata | Character Designer & Visual Development Artist

I am a Capricorn so I’ve always been a very risk-averse kind of person. I felt for a long time that taking risks was always needlessly inconvenient when you can just control every variable and make it go your way (like a total control-freak). But I think over time, and from the wisdom of mentors and friends, there comes a point where you have to admit that there are things that are just not in your control. Read more>> 

Sonianne Messersmith | Entrepreneur, wife and mother.

Taking risks, chances and change sums me up, and has always played a major role in my life and career choices. I am an immigrant to the United States-that was my first big risk. Leaving my family, friends, everything and everyone I knew and felt comfortable with behind, to move here was terrifying, but at 21 years old, I felt compelled to make the change. Read more>>