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.

Karah Langson | Creative Director & Wedding Videographer

Before I started my own business and life as a freelancer, I worked for an aerospace repair company selling services and meeting with major airlines. I always had dreamed of living a life full of travel and creativity, but at 24 years old I thought having a high paying salary and occasional travel was enough for me. Over time the job started become draining and emotionally toxic. I had to deal with a hostile work environment and abuse from managers. After two years, I was burnt out and felt empty still wondering about my dreams of living as an artist. I picked up photography as a hobby, teaching myself everything I could about framing, gear, lighting, etc. I started dreaming about taking a huge risk- what if I just quit my job, traveled and took photos for myself? And so I did just that. I saved $10,000 for two years and bought a one way ticket to Hong Kong a month before I gave my notice. Read more>>

Magu The Dog | Beat Maker & Co-Owner of Spacecasa Records

Taking risks is the most important part of growth for me. When you put everything on the line, you grow tremendously. When you’re doing music especially, and you want your music to travel around and get picked up, you must take serious risks. I started my music career in Honolulu. Things were going really well and we were playing shows, opening for major acts and making records. I could have stayed there forever and been comfortable and probably would have had a good amount of fun; but something just kept eating at me and telling me to leave – to risk it all in search of something more. So I moved to Oregon and then we learned how to screen print and we were able to finally really start building a record label. In that transition, I did lose some of my old connection but I felt that I had to do it to grow. I risked it again by leaving Oregon and moving to Chicago. Read more>>

Brandon Craig | Woodworker

One of my favorite jobs I have ever worked was a Power Line Clearance Tree Trimmer, talk about dangerous risk. Now that I’m a little older (30 on the 14th of march) let’s get the idea of a dangerous risk off the table. I am a father, therefore I need to take calculated risks. With that said, you’ll never grow if you’re always in your comfort zone, and I find it incredibly important to believe in yourself and what you do. Take the wildfire fundraiser that I started “Cutting Boards For a Cause” as a perfect example of risk. It’s early September 2020 and the Holiday Farm Fire in Oregon is destroying the area surrounding my parents home. My girlfriends family cabin is turned to ash and the entire highway for 20 miles forever changed. Homes, cars, neighborhoods, churches, all destroyed in the flames. My woodshop was focused on producing guitar pedal boards, with the occasional cutting board. I decide to stop all production on pedal boards and switch entirely to Cutting Boards with the idea of a fundraiser. Read more>>

William Feldon | Professional Dancer

“Risk taking” is one of the most vital characteristics of any artist. The nature of being an artist, typically means going against the “norm” of getting a normal 9-5 steady job, which requires some sort of degree. Being an artist in itself is taking a risk. We are taking a risk hoping to believe others will monetarily or personally value our art. The day I graduated college, I moved across the country to work with a dance company. I never lived away from home nor have I ever been to that part of the country. I didn’t have family or friends there, let alone a job, sufficient to pay my bills, but I had a dream, and had to take that risk. I had the honor of performing with an amazing dance company, have amazing experiences and make great connections. Again, I recently moved to NYC mid covid 19 Pandemic. Again, I knew no one here, had no job, but again I had an opportunity to dance and had to chase it. Everyone will tell you “no, I don’t think that’s a good idea” “shouldn’t you just do ‘blank’ instead.” I wouldn’t have gotten where I am today nor accomplished my goals without taking a risk and following my passion. Things always work out. Read more>>

Felix Martinsson | Actor

Risk-taking is essential for anyone who wants to grow and reach their goals. If you don’t take risks and try something you normally wouldn’t do, you would never find out if it works for you or not, and then you will never know what path to take and decision to make next, which means you’ll be stuck and you won’t get to where you want! There’s NO success without struggles and failure, so we gotta teach ourselves to find ways to use this. As an actor, I know I do my best work when I let go of all control and take those risks. You just have to get used to that scary feeling of “maybe I’ll make a fool out of myself” and “maybe this will turn into a disaster”, sometimes it does happen but then I try to tell myself, “okay, good, at least I tried and now I know it didn’t work, so let’s find out what does”. It takes practice and lots of confidence, but I like a challenge. Read more>>

Alexis Damita | Actress

Personally for me risk is all about getting out of your comfort zone. It is also a little bit of gambling, 50/50 chances in all areas of your life. It all depends on how far you’re willing to push yourself. Results may vary. You have to be willing to understand you will take a lot of losses. However that is not an invitation to become permanently discouraged and regularly having a negative point of view. Take notes; you learn and grow from it tremendously. Now you have so much strength in knowing that you were able to get through that and how to handle things moving forward. But wait… There’s more 🙂 — A grateful heart will attract a lot of blessings. When you least expect it or you have a good feeling… A win or many wins come into fruition. Risk is a beautiful thing. You just have to be willing to put in the work consistently, take what comes your way and have a balanced mindset. It’s a process but it is worth it. My life? Time management. Read more>>

Steve Mangurten | Cinematographer

As a cinematographer, risk plays an important part in my career as well as my life in general. Crew members on film sets are predominantly, if not entirely, freelance workers. In that respect, the choice to pursue cinematography as a career is, in and of itself, a risk. There are no steady paychecks and no guarantees as to when one might work next. The most successful get paid well and work frequently, but it is a long road to reach that point as a cinematographer. There are many paths to choose from and the process is different for everyone. The timeframe is different for everyone as well. As a freelancer, the choice of which projects to take and which to turn down can have a drastic affect on the trajectory of your career. There is inherent risk in each decision. Creatively, risk is an important part of cinematography. If everyone shot films in the same way, there would be no originality and movies would lose a certain amount of interest. Read more>>

Jerry Housey | Gym owner & Entrepreneur

Sometimes, your biggest fears in life, can end up being your biggest blessings. That is one of the most important things I have learned on my journey to success. Looking back, my whole career has been about taking risk. From moving to LA almost 8years ago. To having my first child, to quitting my corporate job to follow my passion. Even the decision to move forward with my gym at the start of the pandemic, when there was so much uncertainty. I was offered to back out of my lease but I took the risk and moved forward, because I knew that this was the next step for me in my career. Each of these events forced me to take risks and take a chance on myself. And each of these events ending up being my biggest blessings. Read more>>

John Bradbury | Music Producer

The concept of risk and how that relates to life and career has always been somewhat of a moot point for me. Risk is subjective; How we perceive it is based on our upbringing, surrounding community & societal expectations. This of course varies greatly through the lens of each individual. Risk is imperative; Each action risks one outcome at the expense of another. Understanding the subjectivity of risk has been vital to understanding my own life and path. More often than not, I’ve found that citing risk is simply a crafty excuse our brains conceive to paralyze us into inaction. Yes, we risk losing things with every decision, but the greatest peril is the opportunities we miss in favor of perceived safety. Read more>>

Sergio Pelayo | Latino Cleaning Industry Influencer & Business Coach

Every entrepreneur knows that risk is necessary when starting a new Business/Project. But risk is not something I personally think should be taken lightly, which is why I use my number one rule when it comes to taking risks. The rule of balance, weighing out the advantages over disadvantages and making sure they line up with my purpose. Risk-taking is something that is in my daily life, given that for me to position myself as the leader in the cleaning industry is not easy. Many people have judged me for the risks I have taken to get to where I am today, saying they were reckless or unnecessary, but it is because of those risks that I consider myself a real entrepeneur. Read more>>

Karina da Cruz Beltrani | Screenwriter & Development Assistant

As a South American woman pursuing a screenwriting career in Hollywood, I knew risks were going to be a huge part of the ride. So I made sure I was prepared for them: First, I learned to compromise. I established what I was willing to give up and what I was not. I left behind a comfortable upper-middle-class life in Brazil to live in a dorm as a penniless film student. I also had to end a serious relationship, refuse exciting job offers in other fields, and give up the opportunity of living permanently in London, which is my favorite city in the world. Some of these sacrifices still hurt. Learning to let go is an ongoing effort that requires time to process losses and experience grief over opportunities that will never return. It was also pretty humbling, and it helped me grow a lot as a person. It forced me to develop a level of resilience that became pretty useful during the current pandemic. The second step I took was making sure that I was getting to the top of my game by constantly honing my screenwriting skills –by writing every day. Read more>>

Tony Black | Entrepreneur

“More will be revealed” is something that my mentors have always preached to me. I feel in life, taking risks is sort of a rights of passage. That facing challenges will “reveal” more about me than taking the path most traveled. It’s through the struggles where I find the true depths of who I am, it’s where my character has been created, going through the struggles, not around or over them, but through them. I came from a small farm town in Oklahoma, I was a big fish in a little pond. With $500 cash in my pocket and recent college grad I took I-40 all the way to the 10 to LA. I often think about that drive, how full of fear I was, yet full of wonder and excitement. At 42, taking risks like that drive out to LA has the same affect, and the same outcome. Growth. More is always revealed when I face my fears and take risks. Now I have a life beyond my wildest dreams, and taking risks has facilitated that. Read more>>

Anjini Taneja Azhar | Director, Screenwriter, Producer, and Owner of A Ghost Story Production Company

Risk is the reason we have art to begin with. I think there are two types of risk that come into play regularly, for me at least. First, there’s the risk to create art. Second is the risk in sharing it with today’s “industry.” To tell your story, to feel the pain or joy that allowed you to create is, in itself, risk. I don’t think people talk enough about how artists have to look into themselves to really create. It’s an emotional risk, so as an artist often becomes consumed by their work, it might be the most important risk we take. I’ve learned throughout my career thus far that when you create something from the heart, something that actually matters, you’re not only tapping into the moments in your life that give you warmth or kind nostalgia, but you are infinitely closing, reopening, and picking at wounds- new or old. That, to me, is the greatest risk an artist can take. It’s been one of the most difficult ones for me personally, but overtime I’ve learned to embrace it in my own writing. Read more>>

MOSSI | Artist

I’ve lived most of my life in fear. Fear of other people’s thoughts, fear of being attacked mentally and physically by others due to past trauma. Things you should realize: You are the people you keep, you are a reflection of them in some way and they are a reflection of you. You shouldn’t be afraid of living, you should be afraid of not getting to live before you pass on. You shouldn’t let others’ thoughts corrupt you. You are special. You are deserving of what you want even if someone thinks you don’t fit in that mold. You create your own reality. If you wake up pissed off, your day will surely lag and create more issues throughout the day. Your energy is how you show up to the world. People receiving your energy won’t fuck with you if your energy is fucked up unless they are fucked up too. We all have issues. We all have dreams. Don’t let your dreams be other people. Let your dreams be all the things you would have done if someone didn’t tell you NO, and then wake up from that dream and make it a reality. Read more>>

Caleb Nash Feemster | Actor, Model, YouTuber

I think risk taking is a very vital role in my career. For one, moving to LA was a giant risk! I packed my car up and drove 23 hours to LA and didn’t even have a place to live yet. So I always encourage people to go after something even if It mat be a little risky because all it takes is a little faith. I think risks span just outside of work as well. Take a risk and go talk to that girl that is way out of your league. Take a risk and join a club or team where you know no one yet. When I first moved to LA I took a lot of small risks as well as big in order to see what worked and what didn’t. If I never packed up and moved, I would be living a very content life but always wondering, “what if?”. Read more>>

Danny Galieote | Artist – Painter

I think Risk Taking is key to success. I think as artists we must trust our gut feelings deep down and believe in yourself and your talent and skills. Calculated Risk is key. For me personally, since early childhood, I always felt a strong attraction to painting. But I also felt a very strong attraction to animation, film and cinema in my early 20s. So when time came to graduate from art school, I had to choose a path as career. I knew I wasn’t ready to make painting my sole income, so I chose animation as my focus. I ended up becoming a traditional character animator at Disney for 12 years. I animated on such films as Lion King, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Tarzan, Atlantis, Treasure Planet, Home on the Range, Princess and the Frog and Tangled… And all the while, I was practicing and studying my craft of classical drawing and painting. At one point, I left the studio to just teach Figure Drawing and Anatomy at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena so that I could take time to focus on painting for a while and further develop my artistic vision. Read more>>

Margaret Bayston | CEO – Laura’s House & Adventure Seeker

I consider risk as having the courage to face the fear of uncertainty. I try to think about risk as a chance or an opportunity to give something up in order to gain something better. If I don’t take any risks in my life then I feel as though I won’t have accomplished as much by the end of my life as I could have done. Also, I’m fairly sure I would have missed out on some incredible experiences. In my personal life I would say the greatest risk I took was when I gave up a promising legal career and proximity to my close knit family to follow my boyfriend (now my husband of 26 years) from the UK to Paris, France. We didn’t know anyone, we didn’t speak the language and we had less than 2 months to make the decision. We considered it an opportunity – an adventure if you like and we went for it! It lasted 4 amazing years where we lived in two beautiful areas of central Paris, we made some lifelong friends, learned to speak French fluently and gained more knowledge about food, wine and French culture than we could ever have imagined possible. Read more>>

Free J | Musician & Entrepreneur

I think taking risks are necessary, you can’t always play it safe. Sometimes things don’t necessarily work out the way you planned but that’s how you learn what benefits you and what doesn’t. For me, I evaluate if I’m able to recover and if I exhausted all my resources with safe bets. Read more>>

Chelsea Sutula | Retail Dispensary Owner

I have always been a bit of a risk taker; I think all entrepreneurs takes risks but I chose one of the riskiest industries possible (legal cannabis). I was actively speaking out in favor of regulations and holding local politicians accountable for their positions prior to California legalizing cannabis in 2016. That put me on the radar and I believe was a factor in the sealed-search-warrant police action that was taken against me. I’ve taken calculated risks by moving to new cities for school or to take a better job many times. For me, fear of the unknown was always less of an obstacle than the risk of being bored or doing work that wasn’t aligned with my core values. Today the risk of selling cannabis in California is at an all-time low but still not without its challenges: I can’t obtain a mortgage until cannabis is rescheduled. Read more>>

Malcolm Bowen | Professional Actor & Entrepreneur

I think that risk-taking is super important. Especially as an actor, risk-taking is crucial if you want to find yourself being one of those coveted actors that you see on the big and small screen. Why? It’s how you know what your limits are and what you are truly capable of. My first big risk was moving across the country away from all of my family to start a life and pursue my career on my own in California. While I still had their support, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid of what would happen. Flash forward to the present and I’m still benefiting from that risk today. I am no longer afraid to travel to places far away, especially if my motivation for doing so is strong enough. Audition-wise, taking risks has aided in getting me out of my comfort zone and into a place where I surprise even myself. So I encourage other actors the I occasionally coach to do so. Read more>>

Dueling Cousins | Dueling Pianos Act

With our version of dueling pianos, risk is the central conceit of the show. There is no setlist. We’re trying to play purely by audience requests. We routinely attempt to play songs/requests we’ve never tried before, off of frantically-found online guitar tabs, which are often fraught with musical errors. As I’m sure you’ve never heard about risk, it can sometimes be rewarding? After a show, while Jimmy and Patrick are loading gear up into their cars, there’s a giddy “debriefing”, in which they’re recapping all the weird stuff they tried that night. That excitement of, “Wow! Can you believe what happened in there?” is the distilled essence of why playing dueling pianos is great. Strangers sometimes ask to sing a song, or they pick up a percussion instrument and start contributing. There is a huge risk in letting a confidently drunk person grab the mic and start representing your musical act. However, when it goes right, it’s one of the most memorable moments of the evening. Read more>>

Daniel Mah | Martial Artist & Actor

Risk is a key ingredient in any success story. “No risk, no reward” may be a bit cliche but in my mind the phrase is nuanced by another guiding thought: No one ever made anything of themselves by following a pattern. I look to the stories of everyone who ever inspired me and realize that the common trait is that they all destroyed the mould and set a new one. Bruce Lee brought real and grounded kung fu techniques to his films. Jackie Chan proved that the nice guy could replace the macho man. All of these approaches were highly discouraged but they were precisely the things that made the difference in the end. I could never be the next Bruce Lee or next Jackie Chan but I have all the power in the world to be the best Daniel Mah. And Martial Club can be the greatest Martial Club. But this is a risky venture because it comes without assurance or blueprint. I traded my career in the oil industry for the struggle of breaking into a film industry that’s oriented against people of the Orient. Kung fu fighting is supposedly associated with expert timing. Read more>>

Tiffani Johnson | Creative Director

I think risk taking is a major factor in being an entrepreneur. I probably wouldn’t have the experience I have if I didn’t take risk. Being a creative is a risky situation to begin with so if you’re up down for failing a little don’t jump into this field. Being a risk taker has played a major role cause if I didn’t take risk I wouldn’t have a fully functioning digital marketing agency or my high profile clients. Read more>>

Karalyn Zamora | Serial Entrepreneur & Marketing Expert

Taking risks has played a major role in my life and career. I was originally supposed to be a Nurse Practitioner, but decided last minute, right after getting accepted into a nursing program that I wanted to drop out and continue my path in marketing. I think taking risks is important because you need to get yourself out of your comfort zone to grow and realize what your full potential is. Read more>>

Jasmine Ogunjimi | Screenwriter/Filmmaker

Taking risks has gotten me outside of my comfort zone, challenged me to expect greater of myself and has stretched me past the limits I thought I had. All of those things have gotten me where I am today, which despite what I may try and convince myself of, is exactly where I need to be. Read more>>

Rebecca Herrington | CEO of Elan Strategy Group

I was a person who was playing my career very safe. I had built a reputation around making other people and products successful but I was living “behind the scenes” in my life. Three years ago I had everything safe upended when my ex-husband was arrested for domestic violence in our home. At that point victims, advocates came in and gave me a harsh reality. “Can you leave here and never come back?” “Can you quit your job?” “Can you leave the State?” I was faced with taking a bold risk and leaving everything behind in the name of safety. And that’s what I did. I packed up our 1996 Dodge Ram Camper Van and I hit the road. With $23 in my bank account, I started my business with zero business strategy and a single goal- survival. Flash forward three years and this business has pushed me out into the front of my life. It’s grown into a company that is employing 11 people and that makes a larger life possible for me. Read more>>

Grace Babineau | Artist in The Animation Industry

“Shoot your shot” is the best advice I can give in regards to risk taking. One instance in which I really took risks during my early career was when I was still a student. I went to CTN Animation Expo in Burbank, a fantastic place to network and see some Animation Industry legends’ personal art. It’s comparable to ComicCon, but on a much smaller scale. I went with a physical art portfolio of my “best” works at that time, and I threw that bad boy in front of anyone that would listen. I obviously asked for their consent and help before I did so, but I definitely put a lot of people on the spot. The main risk here was being told “No”. I was also putting my pride and ego on the line in exchange for some constructive criticism. Let me tell you… they ripped my portfolio to shreds. HAH! It was such a humbling experience. All of the notes were spot on and only helped me in my career. In addition to positive risk-taking, I think trying not to take things personally is the best piece of advice I can share. Read more>>

Amy Ludwig | Executive Director, Motivating Our Students Through Experience (MOSTe)

My professional life has been shaped by taking risks. As a stage director, producer, teacher, writer, and now nonprofit leader, each move forward has required me to cultivate “beginner’s mind” and be willing to fall on my face until I learned the new skills to succeed. Fortunately, the more times I have re-invented myself in this way, the more I believe in my ability to do so. The risk can still feel terrifying, but the growth is worth it – and better than the alternative of standing still. Read more>>

Gia Trevisan | Personal Trainer & Entrepreneur

The way I think about risk is that, without risk there won’t be a reward. This sounds a bit intense, but in reality risk can come in many forms. Risk isn’t only monetary. When we risk something it can be an emotional risk, a risk of feeling uncomfortable, or a risk of trusting ourselves. Throughout my life, 90% of the time that I took a risk, I was rewarded. Now, was I rewarded with exactly what I wanted, not always. If I wasn’t rewarded with what I wanted, then some might ask, then how was the risk worth it? In my eyes, I see that the risk was worth it because I gave myself a chance, rather than asking myself, “What if?” I believe that, even sometimes when we 100% believe in ourselves, that is risking some of our comfortability of sitting back and seeing how things play out. But life isn’t meant to be lived without intention, and without application. Read more>>

Athan Slotkin | The Shadow CEO

Asymmetric bets don’t come around so often, especially ones with potentially large returns. As a CEO, your job is to make positive expected value (EV) bets, and then ‘numb’ yourself to the outcome so you can be rational about it. If you keep making positive EV bets – both the small ones and the larger ones – they will compound to a better outcome, especially over the long-haul. So it’s not ‘risks’ ever; it’s calculations, where you know the probabilities and expected value, even if roughly, and make the decisions to go ahead based on your analysis (whether formal or otherwise). Poker taught me the foundation of this. In poker, you have you routinely place large bets with imperfect information. And even more so, you have to be comfortable that sometimes..even if you make a perfectly optimal decision..you’re going to lose. And that cannot impact your play after. Poker is therefore the lens through which I look at all business decisions. As a result, I always like taking risks..calculated ones as you can tell. Read more>>

Lizbeth Van Zoelen | Actress

I think risk is a choice. I love being able to make risks because I am exploring my ability to be better. The fear I have when I take a risk is making it my friend not my enemy. When I was 16 Years old, it was my first role, I was lefou from the play beauty and the beast. This role made me realize that I wanted to be an actriz. I wanted to take risk, I wanted to be the character. Read more>>

Patia Prouty | Director

I have probably grown the most through my epic failures. Most people approach risk by thinking about all the horrible things that could go wrong and the cost of a negative outcomes, and I do, but I also give equal weight to all the possibilities and positive outcomes. I think everyone inherently has some sort of gut instinct, a deep kind of innate knowing, the trick is listening to that above all else. The nature of risk is that it’s an unknown variable that can change at any time so once I make the decision to take a risk, I don’t look back, I focus only on the goal. Obviously, I also have to work very hard to achieve my goal or else my risk is just a bad decision and not a risk at all. Read more>>

Florence Mae | Entrepreneur

Risks are honestly opportunities in life. Without taking risks in life, we would not be where we are. After college, I took the risk to move out to Los Angeles with a marketing job and not enough money in my savings account. I’ve definitely learned a lot being out on my own without my family helping me. The struggle to get by in Los Angeles has taught me to be creative, to hustle, & to have patience. Read more>>

Ana Temponi | Actor & Musician

I think risk has played an important part in my life because it really helped me grow personally and professionally. Someone once told me, ‘we can never learn or grow unless we let go of something, unless we risk something’, to me that meant to be willing to go all in and to be open enough to the possibility that sometimes we have to make difficult decisions knowing that we might lose anything in the process. However we have to understand that whatever we end up losing, probably wasn’t ours in the first place. When I was eighteen I made a decision to leave my country, Brazil, leave my family, and friends and move to LA by myself; I lived in California for almost six years, and then once again I felt the need to change; I had already made LA my home; I had a job I enjoyed, I had many friends, and I knew the city like the palm of my hand. However, I risked it all and moved to a new place where I didn’t know anything or anyone. Read more>>

Matt Howells | Tara’s Chance Executive Director

Every day in our personal lives and our professional lives, we take risks. Using Peter Drucker’s definition of an entrepreneur, “the entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity.” To exploit opportunity, one must take risks. The margin of risk is what we try to manage every day. In my professional and personal life, I take calculated risks. I would never jump out of a plane without a parachute, but I would risk investing in my employees. We as modern human beings do a wonderful job at mitigating daily life risks through things like seat belts, safety switches, and medications. We can never completely eliminate risk, but we can do our best to build in safety measures and plan to reduce the negative repercussions from risk. Read more>>

Peter Dobson | Director

Risk- That’s what I think any artist has to do…As a young kid opting out of college to study drama at the Academy of Dramatic Arts. Having a vision is one thing, going after it, takes 100%. commitment. Coming to LA after graduation and continuing studying to be prepared if you get an agent, show the work. Within a year got the agent and was prepared for the audition process which landed starring roles in Sing, Last Exit to Brooklyn and The Frighteners leading to a successful acting career in TV and Film. The “Risk” was lessened by being prepared. The same applied for wanting to direct. Making sacrifices which is really taking a Risk. Taking what was learned on productions. Having the vision once again but to follow through with it.. Making short films learning the camera, the lenses, all aspects of production, to a point where one says “Ok I’m willing to risk it. Read more>>

Relvyn Lopez | Artist Marketer & Content Strategist

Life isn’t always about putting yourself in uncomfortable situations, but the best way to grow is to put yourself through experiences outside of your level of comfort and allow yourself to navigate the unknown. I believe risk is powerful when in proper context. Putting yourself in a dangerous situation is not the type of risk I’m referring to, but instead the type of risk that could potentially help you get to the next level of whatever goal you’re trying to reach. The biggest risk I’ve taken is moving to Los Angeles in August of 2019 with only $1,600 and no job. I didn’t see a future for myself in Dallas, where I was born and raised. I knew I wanted to work in the music industry and that Dallas wouldn’t have enough resources for me to properly excel in the field. I was depressed, unemployed, my car had just gotten repossessed, and frankly, I didn’t have much to lose. I decided to book a one-way flight to Los Angeles and figure out the rest when the time came. Read more>>

Emilio Guerra | Director / Producer

There’s been a million times I’ve been confronted with risks and truth be told I’ve never regretted taking one, I have however regretted not taking one or two or three too many… This morning I contemplating getting a tattoo that would read: “Fortune Favors the Bold, and if not it would at least make a good story”… I think as an artist, personal life and career are pretty interconnected and usually the best stories start with an appetite for risk. Last month I decided to move my production company to Mexico City. Truth be told I don’t know how to get bigger clients, but I do know how to stretch a dollar, and the fact that everything is cheaper in Mexico City, which is experiencing a bit of a Renaissance at the moment, is fascinating to a director with dreams of commanding an army to take take a hill with timed explosions in the back ground and sky. I hope that taking this risk leads to building a bigger and better portfolio and if it doesn’t well… I guess that’s more ammunition for a good story. So far it’s payed off. Read more>>

Ryan’Ashley Hawkins | Business Owner/Poet/Medical Administration Assistant

My thoughts about risk taking is that it can either a blessing or a curse. What I mean by that is with risk you never know the outcome it can be a blessing simply because taking that risk or leap of faith can be the step towards greatness if done with pure intentions. I also say it can be curse as well because some risks aren’t meant to take and if you take that risk it can also lead to failure if you don’t have the right mindset or plan behind that risk you are taking. Read more>>