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.

Harper Cullen

Risk is the most exciting thing about life. For a long time taking risks was easy for me- I felt like I had nothing to lose. I sort of still feel this way, with every creative endeavor I sort of just think, Why not? Who cares? If it brings me joy and happiness-Fuck it all. I work in many different creative worlds. I love them all. Every day putting yourself out there is a risk! Showing your art is a risk. The risk is judgement. If you can let go of giving a shit about that, I feel you’ll be rockin and rolling pretty quickly. Read More>> 

Maya Chungbin

Taking risks is everything. My perspective of risk taking has changed a lot throughout my life, and thus my career as well. Every time we make a choice, we take a risk. But I’ve found that as I make sure my choices are aligned with my true intentions, these things that feel risky or scary become new opportunities and doors opened that I wouldn’t have otherwise stepped though. Read More>>

Ksenia Vasileva

Growing up, the world never felt like a predictable or linear place—and I think that uncertainty, being the norm, became something that keeps me excited about life. In fact, being outside my comfort zone has become my comfort zone.

I remember hitchhiking across Europe as a teenager. I didn’t have a clear plan or destination—I trusted my instincts, and I had to learn to trust strangers too. I have so many amazing memories of that time—waiting by the roadside, sleeping in train stations, sharing stories with people I had never met before. That time in my life shaped how I think about risk: not as something to fear or avoid, but as a necessary part of discovery. Read More>> 

La Rance Braggs

I love taking risks because when they’re healthy risks the reward is amazing. It also gives me a chance to to prove to myself that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. Read More>> 

Jun Lin

I love taking creative risks—a calculated, intentional risk pushes people to grow and often leads to exciting results. The risks I’ve taken in the past have often involved a lot of labor. I’m trying to move away from time-consuming solutions, though; sometimes it makes more sense to go for something simple. That said, I still love laborious projects. There’s a sense of deep commitment that comes through when someone has really toiled over a piece. You can tell it was made with care, and that moves me. In a design world focused on logic, scale, and systems, that kind of emotional imprint feels rare. Read More>> 

Terrin Mobley

As a child, I was afraid of everything. Adults, other kids, my gymnastics skills. I was easily intimidated and I wanted so badly to get everything just right. As I got older, I started to grow out of it, but it was dance that helped me shed that risk aversion entirely. It began with turning down a college scholarship in gymnastics to train dance instead. In college, I studied pre-medicine. I actually have two degrees (psychology and exercise science) and 2 minors (chemistry and Spanish) from my university. Read More>>

Yadiel Casillas

I personally view every decision as an educated gamble or a calculated risk. On one end, you want to minimize risk by knowing as much as you can but on the other end, there’s an opportunity cost penalty for not acting in a timely manner.

I chose a fairly risky career early on becoming a musician and music educator. I jokingly call it “living life on hard mode”. I knew that my unorthodox approach to teaching would lead me down a hard path. Fortunately, time proved me right and now I have a leg up in the space. Read More>>

Casey Rogers

That feeling of butterflies in my stomach or a lump in my throat before talking usually means I’m on to something good because there’s enough risk involved that I’m nervous but it’s a calculated risk where the purpose is worth the potential for failure or coming up short.

I’m not someone to do risky things just for the sake of being risky. I’m willing to do risky things (or things that are perceived as risky) because of my passion for the cause. And, I’ve also done things to mitigate risks in the early stages–market research and bringing together a smart team, for example. Read More>>

Cameron Newson

I see risk as the cost of growth. Every meaningful move I’ve made in life and in my career has involved stepping into the unknown with faith that what’s on the other side will be worth it. From pursuing comedy and acting to walking away from comfort zones, taking risks has shaped me into someone who doesn’t wait for opportunities—I create them. Read More>> 

Angela Johnson

Over the years I’ve realized I’m much less risk-adverse than most people, which I think has been key to most of the success I’ve had. That’s not to say I’ve never failed, I’ve failed many times in fact, sometimes very publicly and spectacularly! But the more risks you take, the more chances you give yourself to succeed. Without taking risks you limit your chances for success. Learning to move on and move forward after the failures also gives you more strength to take future risks. Read More>> 

Dustin Goodroad

I find the idea of interpersonal risk to be extremely subjective, outside of obvious things like running around in a storm with metal on, swimming around sharks with chum in the water, betting on the Vikings in the Super Bowl etc.. (lol)

It depends who’s telling me what I’m doing is risky.!

Are they living a life I would want to live?

Do they believe what they’re saying, or are they saying what they’ve heard? Read More>>

George Nelson

My whole career since moving to L.A. has been a risk.
I didn’t come here to become a clout chasing Hollywood stylist or to chase industry fame. I just wanted to become a great wardrobe stylist; just be great at what I love.
Denver’s fashion scene had its limits, so when the idea to move to L.A. came up, Read More>> 

Vania Ariffin

I’ve never viewed myself as a risk-taker. The decisions I’ve made throughout my life have been driven by my passion for art and the wish to explore the world. However, reflecting on my journey, I can see that these choices have often involved significant risks. From pursuing a career in the arts and relocating to a new country, to ultimately leaving a stable job to push my creative boundaries, I faced numerous uncertainties. It wasn’t always easy, but I’ve found that when I remain true to myself, things tend to work out for the best. Read More>> 

Lindsey Normington

I think the only way to “make it” in any creative field – outside of being born with money or family ties – is to bet on yourself 100% of the time. This doesn’t mean you’re going to win every time, or even come close, but you have to believe in yourself in a world that is stacked against you. Deciding to move to LA from Michigan to “become an actor” is not any sort of behavior I’d had modeled to me. No one told me that I would be able to transition from being a very out and proud stripper to an actor in an Oscar award winning movie in a way that would appear somewhat seamless.  Read More>>

Josh Klassman

Risk is everything. If it wasn’t for me taking a risk I wouldn’t have ever gone as far as I have when it comes to photography and art, as well as my job as a stage manager. I’ve always thrown causation to the wind and it’s worked out well, I choose my battles wisely and navigate well in the photography art world as well as the live music production world. I’ve been shooting photos since I was a little kid but started shooting consistently since I was 14, and I’ve been stage managing since I was 26, I’m 54 soon to be 55 in two months.  Read More>> 

NAKKAB

Everyone’s view and understanding of risk can be different. Since I couldn’t live most of the things I dreamed of until I turned 18 (and knew I probably never would) taking risks became inevitable for me. They say “losing hope is freedom” for a reason.

The first risk I took was standing up to my family and saying, “I’m going to be a tattoo artist,” and quitting the random office job I was working. As an 18 year old Turkish kid, of course, this wasn’t received well.  Read More>>