Risk is the most common topic that comes up in our conversations with entrepreneurs and so each week we ask entrepreneurs to talk to us on the record about how they think about risk.

Jerry Zyno

Risk is the biggest bet you can take on yourself. While uncomfortable the amount of growth you have after the process is worth it no matter the result.

If you truly believe and have faith , sky’s the limit , take that risk! Read More>>

Sauram R T

For me, risk is not just a challenge—it’s an invitation to grow. I’ve learned that real progress often begins where certainty ends. Taking a risk isn’t about being reckless; it’s about choosing purpose over comfort, even when the path ahead is unclear. Read More>>

Vanesa Martinez

I believe that many times when you make a decision in your career or in your life, the risk is directly proportional to the success you can get. Although we have more to lose, limiting ourselves to the known terrain confines us to a small range of possibilities where there is also risk but in this case to conform to what we have and maybe even to feel incapable of more. I also believe that taking risks for what we believe in, beyond the result, gives meaning to life and generates a motivation that can make you reach things you could never have imagined. Read More>>

My Tran

Risk-taking has played a huge role in my life and career. To me, risk isn’t just about stepping into the unknown, but it’s about having faith. I’ve always been a high achiever; I graduated with my bachelor’s degree from the Paul Merage School of Business at 20, and I had a clear plan to get my MBA by 22 and land a six-figure corporate job right after. But everything shifted when I met successful student entrepreneurs in the e-commerce space. It completely changed my perspective on what was possible outside of the traditional path. Read More>>

 Sofia Pezeshk

Starting our own business was a major risk—especially as immigrants without access to many of the resources others might take for granted, like business loans. On top of that, we launched in the aftermath of a global pandemic, during a time of serious economic uncertainty. But we believed in ourselves and in the vision we had. Taking that leap brought us something incredible—something that never would’ve existed if we had let fear of risk hold us back. Read More>>

Kaitlyn Barnes

Risk-taking is a large part of my practice. I see risk-taking as a form of experimentation. When I am working with clay, there can be a lot of constraints, but I enjoy pushing these constraints and seeing what can come from this. At university, we were taught about radical design, and this is where I found I flourished as a designer. Radical design is about pushing the boundaries and taking risks in your design method. Read More>>

Nidhi

I think many would say that art is always a risk to pursue, but for me, it was always a way to increase my odds of success. Ever since I was young, I was bent on going to every art class, applying to every art competition and every scholarship. It’s an attitude I’ve carried with me today, if I can, I will always say yes to an opportunity. I think many would say that art is always a risk to pursue, but for me, it was always a way to increase my odds of success. Ever since I was young, I was bent on going to every art class, applying to every art competition and every scholarship. It’s an attitude I’ve carried with me today, if I can, I will always say yes to an opportunity. Read More>>

Zoë

I think the necessity of risk is familiar to anyone in the entertainment industry. Choosing this career path is a risk in itself and therefore it is intrinsic to everything else that comes with it. Personally the biggest risk that I have taken in my life/career is moving from my hometown in New Jersey to LA after graduating college on a wing and a prayer.  Read More>>

Jose Reyes Bustamante

I see risk as a catalyst for innovation. One of my core beliefs as a creative is that our mission is to challenge the status quo and pave the way forward for future generations — and that simply isn’t possible without embracing risk. Progress demands boldness. Someone always has to be the first to try, the first to challenge convention, and the first to risk being wrong. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t taken the risks that shaped my path. Read More>>

 Isabela Zawistowska

I see risk as a form of self-investment – sometimes the only way to move from where you are to where you want to be. It’s an invitation to grow. Even in failure, risk offers perspective and often a deeper understanding of how to navigate life.

In my own journey, risk meant trusting my ability to meet a goal within a set timeframe. With Companion of the Setting Sun, a short environmental film I’m directing, I took a leap by investing my own resources through a loan just to get to Mexico and start filming a story that felt both deeply personal and urgently important. It was a calculated risk.  Read More>>

Daniela Garcia

Back in 2018, I was working as a freelance content creator, photographer, and video editor. During my college years, I discovered my passion for filmmaking. I decided to produce a short film on my own time, which it’s called Instantes. I shot it in what people love to call “guerrilla style.” At the time, I was still a student, just starting to understand how the industry works. That experience revealed a new side of myself, and it gave me the confidence to pursue a Master’s degree in Filmmaking abroad. Read More>>

Page Person

As an artist, the goal is to take risks and find unique modes of expression that are suited to your needs in the time and place you exist in. Every individual is so unique, it’s what makes this life worth living. I have grown increasingly bold in forging my own path as a creative person. I am always surprising myself in how much space opens up when you push at your own boundaries. Read More>>

Bailey Lehfeldt

Ever since I was in my teens, I’ve always been one to take risks. The first risk I ever took was at 15 years old when I dropped out of high school. It was partially because I wanted to try and pursue theater professionally, but also due to the fact that I had severe social anxiety. I knew from a young age that traditional education was not for me, and with the support of my parents, I decided to take that jump. In my new found free time I became an obsessive writer and avid reader.  Read More>>

Ethan Everts

I perceive risk as a tool. I’ve used risky situations and uncertain outcomes to my advantage, either learning a valuable lesson, or reaping a high reward for my work. Every influential musician, businessman, and visionary starts with a shot to shoot. If they hadn’t marched up and glared at risk dead in the eye, our world would not be what it is today. Read More>>

Chris De Anda

I’m not a huge risk taker. I’m very conservative and cautious when it comes to taking risks. Most every time I have taken a risk, it has been the best decision. For example, before I was a full time barber, I was cutting hair in my garage as a hobby. I always wanted to cut hair as a career, but I felt keeping a regular job was safer. My last job before becoming a full time barber, I was working for Meta as a Data Analyst. The pay and benefits were excellent but I wasn’t happy. I felt overworked and overwhelmed. I finally decided to take a risk to leave Meta and come to LA to go to barber school. I was already in my 40’s and I was starting a new career. Read More>>

Jonathan Young

One thing my brother and I always say to each other is, “You can’t grow if you’re comfortable.” That’s been a guiding principle for me, especially in this industry. Some of the best opportunities I’ve had were the ones that scared me the most at first. But I’ve learned that fear is usually a sign that I’m stepping into something bigger—and that’s where growth happens. Read More>>

Tyris Winter

I think there is a risk in everything. I also think when something feels a little daunting, that it’s a signal for further growth. In my life i’ve taken many risks and I’ve learned something from every leap of faith good or bad. There is no growth conceived in confinement. Read More>>

Alexia Vigör

I see risk as the price of growth. Every major step in my career—stepping onto a stage for the first time, dropping a track that exposed my most vulnerable side, choosing alignment over comfort—came wrapped in uncertainty. But the fear of staying the same has always felt bigger than the fear of failing. Read More>>