Risk & Reward: can you have one without the other?

By far, the topic that comes up most in our conversations with entrepreneurs and creatives is risk. We’ve had conversations about risks that worked out and risks that did not. We’ve seen eyes light eye sharing about career-trajectory changing risks as well as folks sigh about the risks they wish they had taken. Below, we’ve selected and shared some of those thoughtful conversations.
I am an artist because it’s a compulsion. That’s the most simple answer. I have always felt this irresistible itch to create. The classic story of a young kid who can’t stop drawing – I remember my mom always pulling receipts and scraps from her purse so I could draw. Read more>>
As both an introvert and an overall cautious person, confronting risk is something that I have often struggled with. I’m not sure how many times my high school sculpture teacher suggested I loosen up while sketching, I lost count. Finally, something clicked in a drawing class during my time at CalArts, I loosened up. Read more>>
“Shoot your shot” is my mantra in both my life and career. I never want fear of failure or the need for perfection to hold me back. I don’t want to live my life full of regrets. I’m not always confident about my skills/abilities and I am definitely an introvert, but if I see an opportunity that excites or intrigues me, I go for it—why not. Read more>>
Risk has been a huge part of my life and work. I’m an artist first and then a graphic designer. I notice all the small risks and definitely the large ones.
When I first launched to working full time for myself I had already been working as an artist and designer on the side. I was coming up on 13 years as an artist and 5 as a designer. Read more>>
Risk is an inherent part of business. The most obvious risk is that, as an entrepreneur, you risk failure. Many people often overlook the other risks that come with choosing to be an entrepreneur. You risk your health, your relationships, and your financial well-being. Read more>>
I think like everyone, taking risks seems daunting. One of the most significant leaps I took was pursuing my master’s degree in another country after establishing a good foundation in my career through three years of professional practice. Read more>>
I think risks are a necessary part of growth and self-actualization. The phrase “no guts, no glory” comes to mind. Risk signals to me that there’s an opportunity for more abundance; more space to be in alignment with my true self. When I look back at moments in my life where I took a risk, I see how I was prioritizing growth over comfort. Of course, the journey comes with growing pains and the reality of navigating a world that is riddled with injustice, but I guess it’s made me more confident and resilient. Read more>>
It’s been nearly thirty years since I started my career in the world of audio and video production, and a lot has changed. I would say investing most of my time and money into the business without really knowing what the future holds. I quickly understood my personal life and earnings were not my own. Read more>>
“Smooth roads never make good drivers”. For a person coming from an adventure sports background, ‘RISK’ is a very common word yet holds utmost importance. Risks are everywhere, I feel. May it be in starting your own business to literally trying new food items for the first time. Read more>>
I understand risk tends to be something that might not align with societal standards, and therefore is risky simply for being unknown, uncommon, with a high tendency for failure. I always have to ask myself if those standards are mine and if not, what are my standards? Is failure the worst thing? Read more>>
In order to take a risk, one must first have the belief and the faith that whatever they are going after is worth it and will one day become a reality. I visited LA in 2021 for a week to decide if this was a place I wanted to move to post film school in 2022. Read more>>
Creating a fine art portfolio can go in two directions: catering the the economics of making a very salable body of work that fits in with the current styles in the realm of home/office decor or choose the higher risk of making work that might challenge the norm. Read more>>
The way I think about risk is doing something that you are either not accustomed to or makes you feel uncomfortable in your usual routine. In my life, taking risks has played an extreme impact whether in my career choices, music and entertainment journeys, even to my personal well being. Read more>>
One of our mottos at BCD is “Step out of your comfort zone and into your Magnificence!” And as the founder of Blane Charles Design, I live by these words. One thing that I did realize is that if you’re going to live by these words, you must learn to get comfortable in the uncomfortable. Read more>>
Risk-taking is an integral part of life and career development. Personally, I view risk as an opportunity for growth and innovation rather than a deterrent. I approach risk by weighing the potential benefits against the potential downsides. This involves thorough research, analysis, and consideration of various scenarios. Read more>>
I think, as an artist, than risk plays an important part in art. Starting a new adventure is always a great trigger for emotions. Also being too comfortable is dangerous for creativity. Read more>>
I love tasking risks! That’s not to say that it can’t be scary or uncomfortable but I like to live by the saying “Whatever makes you uncomfortable is your biggest opportunity for growth” and I think that kinda ties into tasking risks. Read more>>
I was born in 1989; in 1990 my dad, uncle and grandpa started desert racing. As it turns out they were pretty good at it, so they have remained involved to this day. As a consequence my life became organized around motorsports. Read more>>
Honestly, I’ve never thought about risk. Not because I haven’t taken them, I’ve taken plenty. You could say my entire career is built on it. When I graduated from film school, as a loyal east coast native I had no interest in moving to Los Angeles, but when the right opportunity called I moved across the country in 7 days with no long term plan and a new life that fit neatly into the truck of my rental car. Read more>>
If I had never taken a risk, I would not be where I am today. From leaving dead-end jobs to taking a risk opening up a pizza place, risk-taking has been a major part of where and who I am today. Read more>>
As a filmmaker, I am constantly taking various risks in my life and career. Some risks are bigger than others. For example, every time I accept a gig as a crewmember is a small risk. Often, all the information I get is when/where I need to show up and the role I am doing. Read more>>
Taking risk is about learning all the boring elements of your craft to the point where they are second nature. Understanding the software, the budgeting, the people managing aspects of what you do so that you are free to make spontaneous and subtle choices that can be risky. Read more>>
I firmly believe that the only way to make a real mark is to take huge risks. I have been a risk taker my entire career. In a massive sea of noise the only way to stand out is to take huge risks. I was born in Phoenix and came up in a thriving music scene.. I took the risk of moving to LA which set me on the path to become a record producer. Read more>>
I think risks are necessary to grow. Without taking risks your life won’t elevate. I know most people shy away from risks because it causes you to enter the unknown without knowing the outcome. Most people play it safe with life’s biggest decisions. When you play it safe there’s very little reward., you stay in your comfort zone. Read more>>
I like the idea of starting the interview with the question of risk. It’s a term with a certain connotation, but I’ve always had a bit of a different perspective on it. When I was younger, I got the stereotypical side eye when mentioning that I wanted to be a writer or producer or move to California to work in Hollywood. Read more>>
Risk helps me differentiate what I want versus what I need. I feel like everybody has had a circumstance in life where they knew they could excel more if they went out of their comfort zone or took more risks. Much like studying every day for a week before a test instead of cramming the night before or working those longer hours at work instead of the regular hours you’re comfortable doing. Read more>>
I strongly believe in taking risks if you truly believe in what you want and willing to work for it. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. But you can’t loose either way. I say this because of all the risks I’ve taken in my life/career, some succeed and some don’t. Read more>>