We asked some brilliant folks from the community to talk to us about how they think about risk and the role risk has played in their lives and careers.

Andreas Elsenhans Ryan Murphy | Real Estate Agent

As a business owner you must take risks every day. I gamble myself everyday. When I say, “I gamble myself every day,” it means I consciously challenge my comfort zone and venture into unknown territories. In this grand game of life, it’s important to acknowledge that risks and rewards go hand in hand. Without taking risks, Read more>>

Bitter Darlings | artist

I have no fear, everything meant to tear me down has already happened to me. Therefore, I believe in taking risks and doing all actions one can in order to become the best version of yourself. The only way I am able to overcome any obstacle is by taking risks and making efforts toward achieving my goals. I believe that my talent is just too overwhelmingly great that anything else simply doesn’t matter. That’s how I have to think to overcome the impossible. Read more>>

Daniel Di Biase | Tattoo artist

I think taking risks is essential to growth. Choosing to pursue a creative passion as a career is a risk in of itself. If I wasn’t willing to take that risk, I would not have been able to enjoy the career that I have now as a tattoo artist, and I would probably be doing something that I’m not passionate about, wondering what it would have been like if I did pursue tattooing. Read more>>

Luke Kim | Entrepreneur & Investor in Web3, AI, Real Estate

Life is both a playground and a battlefield where most pivotal moments happen once and for the first time. False starts and setbacks are to be expected. At first, we learn to take risks on ourselves. Then, we learn to take risks on others. To evolve, we must each take risks even if we haven’t done something before or we feel discouraged. Courage does not always roar loudly. Read more>>

KHULULA Production | Film Production company

Risk is an ingredient for success. Actually one of the most important ingredients, the salt, you can say. Every decision we make as entrepreneurs contains a healthy/unhealthy amount of risk. Healthy/unhealthy is subjective to the type and scale of your business so it is important to know where you’re at and what the next goal is. Every level we stepped up to was catapulted by some form of risk, either taken by us or by our clients or even by people that recommend us. Read more>>

Jessica Lee | Actress

I never saw myself as a risk taker until 5 years ago. I moved from Hong Kong to New York by myself to pursue my acting career, without a green card or any sort of work visa, not knowing anyone. That was probably the biggest risk I have ever taken in my life. Read more>>

Lea Roman | Beauty Therapist & Actress

I believe risk taking is the only way you find out what’s supposed to happen in your life. Whether you fail or succeed, the journey which risks can take you on may teach you valuable life lessons. I’ve always been a risk taker. I dive in and figure it out as I go. My life and career(s) actually flourish because of risk taking. Read more>>

Nawneet Ranjan | Filmmaker & Change Maker

The realm of creativity and making a change in the status quo is all about risk taking…be it any creative expression in the form of film, poetry, sculpture, dance or even a product or service…it’s all about risk taking…The history of human civilisation well showcases the possibilities of human endeavours by taking risk… Read more>>

Jacob Hacker | Firefighter, Paramedic, Model, and Actor

Taking risks is the most crucial step in anyone’s journey. It is said that success is just on the other side of fear, and I think that’s why a lot of people don’t take risks is because of fear. Whether it be fear of failure, fear of judgment from others, or even fear of embarrassments it deters people from reaching for their dreams and becoming their most successful version of themselves. Read more>>

Adam J. Eros | Music Producer, Song-Writer, Natural Farm Owner, Club/Venue Owner, Entertainment Manager, Entrepreneur

Risk has always played a major role in the successes of my different business ventures. It’s also been a part of my failures. But learning what doesn’t work is just as valuable, if not even more so, as learning what does work. It’s the failures that teach us how to navigate a similar problem or issue in the future, and that experience is what gains you trust and confidence from your piers and potential partners. Read more>>

Paris La Don | International Celebrity Fashion Designer & Stylist / Creative Director / international fashion journalist/ Model

Taking Risk is truly the story of my life ! Ever Since I can remember I’ve been a daredevil, unafraid of the unknown and willing to explore the depths of the “what if’s.” I think a lot of my bravery came after I came out as a gay male to my family. Once I got their approval to really live in MY truth I knew that there was nothing else on this earth that could stop me from being my true self and going after the things most people are afraid of going after . Read more>>

Paris Simpson Natalie Hadden | The Artist and the Manager. (dancers, singers, models, actress’s a boss vibe legacy….. Where do you stand?

Embracing Risk: The Artist and the Manager Read more>>

Hayley Brownell | Artist/Drummer/Producer

Life is full of opportunities for tasking risks and I love them. I really don’t see how you grasp anything meaningful and of value to you without taking those risks. As far as my career, it has played a huge role; from picking an instrument at an early age that wasn’t necessarily celebrated for people who present like I do- Read more>>

Rachel Rose | Songwriter/Singer/Producer

For me, you have to jump in to swim, but furthermore, you have to jump in to surf. Anytime I’ve ever grown – it’s been from something that scared the sh*t out of me. Just like a huge wave you see coming at you from the distance- you know if you are brave enough to try to catch it – that ride is going to be incredible, you’re going to feel alive & free. I live to surf & I try to take on that wave every single day. Read more>>

Shaman Ada Trinh | Shaman Ada

I really enjoying taking risks in life. The riskier the better because it helps me refine and define my inner strength. I’ve moved across the country from Boston to LA with very little in my pocket and slept in the car for a few months. I landed in Hollywood and created a beautiful career in the film industry as a hair and makeup artist for a decade before leaving everything to follow my family’s footsteps to become a shaman. Read more>>

Napoleon Highbrou | Actor

Taking risks is honesty what defined me a whole. I honestly feel like getting into acting as a career is a risk in itself. But beyond that, had I not taken risks within my journey. I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today. A word of advice I would give for risk taking, is take calculated risks. Be ready for either outcome and go into it with the highest possible chance of success. Work on yourself so the day you have to take a risk, you’ll be prepared. Read more>>

Ray Cunningham | Award-winning Best Selling Author, HBCU advocate and veteran multi-media personality

I’ve learned in my 15+ year career that stepping out of your comfort zone can have an positive outcome! Taking risks can surprisingly redefine our notion of success and growth. One of the greatest challenges is daring to break out of the boundaries set up systematically for us in the first place. By risk-taking, we choose to live more consciously, questioning the status-quo that have been put in place by society. Read more>>

Christy B | Interior and Textile Designer

A great business mentor once told me that life doesn’t reward you just for doing good work, it rewards boldness and consistency. If I look back on the greatest leaps I’ve made personally and professionally, a bold choice or action has always been at the center of it. Taking (educated) risks allows us to grow. Read more>>

KJ Alfrey | Actor | Writer | StoryTeller

Risk it, to get in it baby! Risk of the unknown, risk of failure and risk of admitting not knowing all the answers in life, has made all the difference for me in my life and career. Read more>>

Olivia Hoffman | Actor

I guess you could say I’m a risk junkie because acting is a risk-oriented vocation. I remember my first audition out of college was for the Angel track in Tony Kushner’s Angels in America at a small regional theater. My favorite thing about auditions is that moment where, as an actor, your adrenaline forces you to be present. And that’s exactly what happened during this audition. Read more>>

Bolor Saruul | Actor | Writer | Producer

As an actor, taking risks is the name of the game! It’s risky to just even decide on this career and yet, thousands of creatives do it everyday. The biggest risk I’ve taken is moving to Los Angeles without knowing anybody here, to pursue my acting career. Read more>>

Manny Lorenzana | Tattooer & Artist

I started in a tattoo shop when I was 17 years old. I would clean the shop and organize the stations. I took care of 8 tattooers. Getting food and speaking to their clients and getting appointments booked. It was the way I was going to be able to tattoo one day myself. I was getting consistently tattooed then and one day I asked my friend to tattoo “pray for me” above my eyebrow. Read more>>

Alina Balayants | Intentional tattoo artist

Risk plays a big role in my life choices. I quit my day job understanding that to be fulfilled I need to be a creative in my work. I left a career in operations to pursue my creative passions, not knowing If I am to succeed. Read more>>

Jeff Addo | Afro-R&B Artist

Risk are important but Calculated Risk are most important. You have to be able to take great risk to receive greater rewards. It has played a great role in my life because I feel like my greatest blessings came from risk. When you’re a dream chaser you have to be able to step out on faith to receive great rewards Read more>>

Sam Silverstein & Jeremy Paczos | Entrepreneurs & Lifelong Friends

Taking risks has been and will continue to be the foundation in which we’ve built Exit 14. From dropping out of school to moving across the country to opening countless credit cards and credit lines, we believe in the power of what lies on the other side of taking risks. Read more>>

VHSUPERNOVA | Pop duo

Well… when we started with our first single “D+” we wanted to make a club anthem: and we did it! After this song we experimented new sounds playing with different genres but being true to ourself. Our composing and writing style is still very focused with VHSUPERNOVA’s pop project but we like to influence our songs with several kind of music. Read more>>

Lisa Tomczeszyn | Fine Artist

I believe that the ability to take risks is essential to a creative life. Following an artistic life path is not for the faint of heart. It requires that you trust your instincts, that you have absolute faith in your work – even if no one else does. I believe without risk an artistic practice is in danger of becoming stale. Read more>>

Cait Alexander | Artist

Life is full of risk and thankfully I’ve been able to embrace that reality with open arms. I’ve always felt this innate sense that no matter what- from career to personal life- everything will work out. Maybe that’s crazy, maybe that’s foolish and it’s certainly sometimes put me in less than ideal situations, but I get a thrill from challenge. Read more>>

Akshat Pradhan | Bassist and Music Producer/Composer

The biggest risk I took in my life was to move to LA to become a musician. Read more>>