What role has risk played in your life and career?

How do you think about risk? What role has taking risks played in your life/career? Check out responses from hidden gems from our community below.

Julia Hill | Illustrator & Designer

Risk taking is pretty important to me and has played a huge role in the aspect of my career. I’m an Illustrator with a degree from Art Center College of Design and the decision to take my artistic ability and transform it into a career was funneled through the risk I took applying for and graduating from Art Center. At the time I had heard about Art Center I was about 20 years old. I had a representative come speak at my community college about the school and what they had to offer which really ignited a spark in me to apply. Read more>>

Angel Martin | Artist

As an artist, taking risks is crucial for growth. You’ll never know how far you can go if you don’t push through boundaries that others might have set up for you, or maybe even the boundaries you’ve set up for yourself. Before I officially released my first project, I had so many songs/edits in my laptop just sitting there, and I would send them to friends just to help some of them get through rough times in life; even made some projects that helped certain people who had trouble sleeping (including myself). I would always have a tough time with confidence until a close friend of mine, Daniel, set me straight with some advice. Read more>> 

Natalie Moore | Actress

Taking a risk can be intimidating and scary sometimes, but I believe it is a crucial part of life. Risk taking has played a huge role in my life and career! One of the biggest risks I took was moving to California from Colorado where I grew up. I was 18 and didn’t really know what it would be like here or how things were going to turn out, but I took the risk and made the move and I’m so glad that I did because it turned out to be the start of the greatest adventure of my life!  Read more>>

Brittany Mcvicker | Actor & Model

Risk taking is an inevitable and paramount part of working in the entertainment industry. From taking classes to improve my craft, to seizing every opportunity to audition, to doing low-budget work to build up experience, the amount of time, energy, and labor required to stay in the industry is without any promise of financial stability or success. When I moved to LA, I took the risk of working full time in the industry without having a “stable” job to fall back on. When I heard the many stories from my coworkers and peers about moving to LA with nothing but a dream and a drive to succeed, Read more>>

Hua-Hsuan Tseng | Film Composer & Cellist

I believe taking risks is one of the best ways to help a person grow. In my experience, people will get more opportunities in their life and career by pushing themselves out of their comfort zone; one can only push past their comfort zone by taking risks. Risk-taking played a big role in my life. Without taking risks, I would not be here today. It took a giant leap of faith for me to be here in Los Angeles to start my career as a film composer. Read more>>

MP Rabie | 3D Animator

In many ways I think risk is a way of discovering your true potential, a life void of all risk can’t be exciting at all. I want no part in that. There’s this saying that goes “The biggest risk someone can take is to do nothing.” and thus far this has proven true in my life. I took a big financial risk to study in the US but on top of that I put in the work and made great connections that lead to a flourishing career In the industry. Without risk I’d be working in a factory, doing a job I heavily dislike. Instead, now I’m living my best life, working with the best people and in the best industry. Read more>>

TYLER GARRETT | Artist

I believe that taking risks is a necessary part of life. Honestly, almost everything we do is a risk, because we can not predict every outcome with full certainty. Not taking risks is almost like living in fear. I had a conversation with someone about this recently, and they reminded me of the line in Spiderman: No Way Home that MJ says about disappointment. She states, “If you expect disappointment, then you can never really be disappointed.” Read more>>

Ignacio ( aka: Cacho) Suarez | Tattoo Artist

I believe that without risks there is no way to succeed, risks push you outside of your comfort zone, they make you feel nervous and excited at the same time. Risks are part of the unknown and I don’t think there is a better way to learn and to grow than in those moments in life. Taking risks has been a crucial point in my life, from leaving my country to a new one, learning a new craft, starting a business where no one knew me and competing in a town surrounded by the best of the best. I’ve dived into risks to become the best version of myself, and I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. Read more>>

Jim Zver | Artist

If asked about risk, my first response would probably be that I wasn’t a big risk taker. However, giving it a bit of thought I’m remembering many times when the choices I’ve made were indeed very risky and uncertain. After graduating high school I decided to study painting at the Art Institute of Chicago rather than go to work for a local utility company, which my parents strongly urged. Undeterred, after 4 years at the Art Institute and getting my BFA I was faced with another risky decision: stay in familiar surroundings in comfortable Chicago or move to unfamiliar and challenging New York. I chose the risky path. Read more>>

Karissa Nabbie | Actress, Makeup Artist, & Entrepreneur

Risk-taking is a crucial and necessary part of life. If you aren’t taking risks, you aren’t really living life.Taking risks has played a very vital and important role in my life. The first big risk I took for my life and career was moving from New Jersey to Los Angeles at 18 years oldto follow my dream by pursuing an acting career. I took the risk to take student loans out to get my BFA in Acting. The risk was worth the reward of having the proper training and necessary education to be highly skilled in my craft. Presently I’m taking risks by starting my own businesses. Also starting the business is just the beginning. You have to continually take risks in your business. “With Great Risks comes Great Rewards”. Read more>>

Trina Hines | Artist

In the long run, risk-taking built my confidence. You don’t know yourself wholly until you experience who you are in all lights. Watching me survive in various climates, performing different roles, with all sorts of foreign people, eventually developed into a foundational trust in myself. I’ve taken the right risks & I’ve taken the wrong ones. Through taking those wrong risks, though, I cultivated the skill of forgiveness, which has been integral to my growth. I voice that simply because we all know how to celebrate when a risk has lead to good things! Read more>>

John Eisen | Actor/Writer/4th Gen Entrepreneur

I think that life is all about taking risks, honestly. If we want our lives to be interesting. The safest path will be the one without risks or challenges, but we won’t grow at all. And maybe some people are content with that…that’s their choice. I am someone who always wants to be growing, improving, learning, and moving forward. I heard a quote about a decade ago, that, “…your destiny is on the other side of your fear.” And that really made a lot of sense. As an actor, I think I’m afraid of stagnation—staying in the same spot, not growing, not being challenged. I want any gifts or talents I have in my life, in general, to be fully developed…see what’s there? Read more>>

C.J. Stussi | Actress, Entertainment Attorney, Producer, Writer

In my triple capacity as an entertainment attorney, actress, and producer I believe one has to take risks because otherwise you don’t stand out to your competition. As the founder of C.J. Stussi Law, taking risks means to be proactive to get clients. As an actress, taking risks means to reveal things about yourself that you naturally wouldn’t. Lastly, as a producer, it’s about having the courage to create new things, to go against the stream and to continue believing in your vision. Read more>>

Andreya Simone | Licensed Esthetician

I’ve always taken risks whether it be bending the rules, making choices, fashion or my business. Taking a risk is really about having FAITH. Faith that God will carry you as you move blindly throughout the world. When I decided to get my salon suite I used my last $740 for the deposit and barely any clients. I knew that if I applied myself God would handle the rest. It just took a bit of faith to get started. Read more>>

Kamara Farai | Visual artist

I think we should all take risk in life- it allows us to step out of our comfort zones which brings change and growth. Facing one’s fears of uncertainty, think builds character and skills we need through our lives…. That makes one resilient. no matter how many times you get knocked down, you’ve learned how to bounce back and keep going. Which I believe betters your chances of achieving your goals. Read more>>

Lucas Arias | Architecture Enthusiast & Real Estate Consultant

Let’s talk about Risks… after a few years of self-development and really getting a true sense of who I am. I came to discover that throughout my life a lot of the things that didn’t happen the way I was hoping for were driven by Risk. Everything that we desire in this world is on the other side of fear. Risk and fear go hand in hand, they are one and the same. You will never be able to take that “risk” until you master your fears. Read more>>

Ceci Bastida | Musician, songwriter

More than anything I think we should be honest with who we are and the art we are making and that sometimes means taking risks, not going on the path that seems most likely to guarantee success. I think that the way I make music could be considered “risky” because I’m trying to experiment as much as I can, explore different sounds and write about things other than romantic love all the time. Read more>>

Kyle Anderson | Animator & Tai Chi Instructor

Risks are never risky to me. When I’m not doing animation or story or design I spend quite a bit of time practicing tai chi and similar mind/body modalities like qigong or yoga. One day I was practicing with my teacher, who is literally like a crazy old master from a kung fu movie: wise and loving but aggressively challenging. He asked me to do a meditation based in a buddhist practice where as you’re doing this rather physically demanding exercise, you visualize in your mind losing someone who is very dear to you. Even just thinking about this practice can be upsetting to people. When I’ve mentioned it to people in casual conversation it’s commonly met with opposition. Read more>>

Gina Ronhovde | Freelance Screenwriter, Artist, Filmmaker

I’m definitely a major risk-taker, for better or for worse. It’s both good and bad: taking risks has allowed to me to have extremely unique opportunities and amazing experiences, and it has almost literally killed me numerous times. When I take risks, I ask myself “what is the worst case scenario, can you handle it?” The problem is that I have misjudged what the worst case scenario is. The good news, taking risks allows me to keep going.after I’ve crashed and survived. Read more>>

Nicole Foos | Power Piece jewelry artist and Life Enhancement Session practitioner

I truly believe that risk taking is integral to self development, and doing so in my life has opened doors I never would have dreamed of. I took a big risk in law school in becoming a litigator, as I was terrified to get up in front of people, and had to learn on the job how to think on my feet, and to trust that I actually knew my cases really well as well as what I was doing. I took a risk stopping practicing law after 14 years and deciding to let whatever was next unfold. I took a risk entering the entrepreneurial world and starting my event planning business with a friend. I took a big risk, after desperately wishing to find some outlet for the creativity I always knew was there, by taking a sculpting class when I hadn’t taken an art class since I was 8. Read more>>

Robyn Goldberg | Robyn L. Goldberg, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian and Supervisor and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor

In order to move ahead in your career, my father taught me it’s important to take risks. From starting my own practice as a nutrition therapist, building a home office that is inclusive to all bodies and creating a foundation that provides confidence in taking that risk. By taking risks it’s now 25 years I have had a successful and thriving practice helping people heal their relationships with food, their bodies and diet culture. Read more>>

Catherine Ricafort McCreary Scott McCreary | Co-Founders of Artists Who Code, Software Engineers & Broadway performers

As professional artists, our lives have been full of risks. We risk lining up at 5am on an NYC sidewalk for the chance of being seen at an audition, only to be turned away. We risk pouring our heart and soul into our auditions, only to be rejected over and over again. We risk physical injury every time we push a heavy set piece, flip upside down in high heels doing dance lifts in a heavy costume 8 times a week onstage, or repeat a cello bowing sequence over and over again practicing for hours alone in a rehearsal room. We risk our emotional and financial well-being, for the magic of performing onstage alongside Tony Award-winning actors and taking the audience on a journey for two hours. Read more>>

Lisa Morton | Writer and bookseller

For a writer, risk taking is a major part of the gig. This applies not just to the business side of it (where the risk can involve everything from the expense of new software or tools to taking the ultimate huge leap of losing your day job), but also to the art. The number one piece of advice I give to new writers is, “BE BOLD.” This applies even more to women, who may have to overcome not only societal conditioning to step back and be demure, but also endure sexism in the marketplace. Find your own voice; be well-versed enough in literature that you can avoid cliches and overused plots. Strike out into bold new territory that will excite readers. Read more>>

Director ZANE | Video Producer & Director

If it weren’t for risk, I wouldn’t have started my own business. I remember waking up one morning back in June, 2015 and deciding that I was going to start my own business. While I was still trying to figure out what I was passionate about and what I wanted to do, I knew one thing for sure: I was going to take a leap of faith and work for myself. After I discovered my passion for directing videos, I immediately started brainstorming ways to make a full-time living doing it. The first three years were really tough, I was constantly behind on rent, and I barely could afford groceries. Read more>>

Stephen Letnes | Film Composer and founder of Able Artist Foundation

I am visually impaired (Retinitis Pigmentosa) and have been from birth. There are parts of my life that are governed by safety; street-crossing, ridesharing, structured days, and so on. It’s dull. So, a long time ago, I decided to take risks wherever I could – sometimes to a reckless degree – to feel alive. As my risk-taking matured, it manifested into decisions I’ve made in my career; move cross-country to ‘shake things up’, Read more>>

Natasha Flores-Makon | CEO & Founder, Fullove Foods

Being a risk-taker used to get me in trouble! I used to condemn myself for seeking and actually being comfortable with risk, but it was only when I realized I had to use, not neglect, this element of my personality to my full advantage that I started coming into my own power. I never liked playing small and I never had the problem of overthinking to the point that I would find too many faults before proceeding. Read more>>

Sarah Olea | Brand Manager and Social Media Marketing Strategist & Coach

Every day we take a risk. Whats the purpose of taking risks in life and Career? Success. I’ve learned through my experiences of being an entrepreneur and business owner that with success comes risk. Risks some times brings failure and failure can bring you to a level of success you’ve never seen before. I owned and operated a social media marketing agency for nearly 5 years. Read more>>

Jayson Johnson | Film Director

I love taking risks! I think taking risks is the biggest superpower an entrepreneur can have. Going all the way back to before I got into college I came to terms that I was on the ‘no plan plan’ in life and if there was a risk that made sense and felt right I was going to take it. For example, I chose my college major after seeing the chair of communications in a red bowtie when everyone else had on ties. It just felt like the right thing to do so I took the risk. Then, years later, I decided to become a filmmaker without any prior knowledge of making films. Read more>>

Samia Khalaf | VR Illustrator & Animator

In summer of 2019, I had a decent full time job at Meta. Well paid and easy for the most part, but I was very burnt out from working full time jobs and freelance without any breaks since graduating school. I wouldn’t call it a risk since there was some planning to this, but I saved enough money and decided to quit my job, get rid of everything and move to NYC. I’ve only been there once before and fell in love. I knew I wanted to experience it more! Anyways most of my friends and family thought I was crazy for doing this move but taking that chance to move to a new place without knowing any friends or having a job secured, felt liberating. Read more>>

John Campbell-Mac | Actor / Joker

I’m from the standpoint of no risk no reward, he who dares wins 😉 I’ve always taken risks in my life and career, I guess the biggest one to date was leaving London and the UK and coming to America to pursue the Hollywood dream. Read more>>

Sharon Angel | TV & Podcast Host, Entrepreneur & Motivational Speaker

Risk is my actual middle name lol. From moving to two different countries to starting a business to venturing out to do different projects, I’ve taken many risks in life. Not knowing if I would come out strong on the other side, I will say that some of my decisions were not calculated as I did it because someone told me to. Though, I don’t regret them, stepping into the unknown is comfortable for me. Now when I start a new project for work or sign a contract that is new to me, I know where I or my business will potentially fail. I’m able to step into that world knowing my uncertainties and strangely that gives me courage to explore and conquer the unknown. Read more>>

Johnny Lambiase | Actor

Risk, what about Risk? I’d say it’s necessary but I eventually learned that it’s a very personal thing. I was lucky enough to have been exposed to risk, in a controlled way, since a was a kid. My parents taught me to face obstacles directly, with courage. “And when it’s too much, ask for help to family, friends, God and even strangers but don’t give up!” Read more>>

Jeff Whiting | Theatre Director & Software Developer

When I was considering launching my software company (Stage Write) I hired several experts to consider the field and help assess if there was a real business. Both of them came back to say, no, there was no real market for the idea. Somehow inside I just KNEW it was still a good idea, that someone would eventually do it, and I decided to follow my ‘gut instinct’. Now, 10 years later it is a thriving business and an industry leading business. I’m very grateful that I ignored those experts and followed my intuition. That intuition has paid off many times as I learned to trust that feeling in other business decisions I have made over the years. Read more>>

Lee Youngwook | jehoo

1. What was your thought process behind starting your own business? I worked for ten years at an ordinary steel company. I did not want a life in which I could see my future while working. Consequently, I constantly felt compelled to experiment. I decided in 2008 to become a tattoo artist because I have always enjoyed drawing since I was a child. For the sake of my children’s happiness, I was also motivated to achieve success and improve my own future.
2. Social impact: how does your business help the community or the world? Read more>>

Marina Lang | Producer/ Entrepreneur

Risk. That’s a term I’ve pretty much accepted as a permanent part of my life just the way food is. Haha. I started my career at the age of 14 and the second I started working I realized there were no guarantees for anything I would do moving forward. I think a part of me enjoys the risks that come with what I do and are also a humbling factor for the times I have successes. Read more>>

Jay Choi | Writer

It’s funny because I can’t really recommend my actions to any one who wants to move to LA for their careers and dreams. Five years ago, I was working in New York at a toy store, book store, and some administrative offices. I was lucky enough to have sold a pitch with Nick Jr. and thought “Hey, maybe my time here is done and I should move over.” I moved with $4000 in my pocket with no real plan. There was nothing concrete about my animation pitch ever being greenlit and I didn’t have a full-time job or any substantial security or savings. I just moved on a whim. My east-coast friends who eventually moved over would tell me, “I don’t know how you were able to just do that.” I moved into the spare room of a kind elderly Korean woman’s home where I saw the Cartoon Network building right outside my window. “This is it,” I thought. “Time for a new journey.” Read more>>

Jennifer Brindley Ubl | Contemporary Portrait Photographer & Storm Chaser

I learned a lot from the jobs I had in my early twenties. They were all safe jobs that would guarantee me a paycheck and benefits, and I felt like a good, productive citizen while I worked those jobs. But, the truth was that I was severely limited as long as I was working for someone else. I was limited in the amount of money I could make, the type of schedule I desired, the amount of time off I could take. I was limited in the freedom and the fulfillment that could only be achieved if I were to create a business I loved and run it for the betterment of my own life. Read more>>

Nili Rain Segal | Actor

I think about risk the same way I think about luck, it’s simply when preparedness meets opportunity. If you’re as prepared as possible by doing your research, putting in the time and being mentally ready, then the risk you’re taking only requires patience until you are met with the right opportunity, and then it will pay off. I’ve taken several big risks throughout my career as an actor, such as quitting my day job, maxing out credit cards for classes, and turning down lucrative job offers in other fields. Read more>>

Mary Moran | Chef, Recipe Creator, Food Painter

Risk has played the most important role in my career and life. Growing up in Oklahoma and graduating high school in 1999, I was offered one option for my path, college. I was among the fortunate who were able to go. Hollins University was where I began taking risks, I had to start there to know I didn’t want to finish my education there. I moved to Dallas, Texas and attended not one but two colleges. Again, I felt something was missing, and, so, I made another change. Read more>>

Merrill Joan Gerber | Novelist, Short Story Writer, Professor of Writing

Deciding to become a writer happens before one has the maturity or awareness to know what the risk might be. This is true in all of the art forms–a desire to create, to paint, to compose, to dance, to perform, happens to the artist at an early age, often in childhood. By the time you are able to plan a professional life in a certain field, take lessons, enter a university or school to advance your skills you are already committed to the life that will make you who you want to be. Read more>>

Caroline Lesley | ACTOR & ARTIST

Risk has been extremely important to me in my life and my career. One of my favorite quotes is “Leap and the net will appear.” Sometimes you just gotta do it. Take the plunge. No risk, no reward. I think people are often afraid of risk, because when you take a risk you are also risking the possibility of failing, and failing is scary. The thing about failing is that you learn from failure and you grow. Without failure, you stay the same. Stagnate. Safe. As an actor, I fail all the time. I learn from it, pick myself up and start all over again. Read more>>

Kaylin & Raul Cañada | Founders/Designers/Realtors

Taking risks lead us to discovering ourselves and our potential. We were each faced with unexpected challenges that forced us to grow up quickly. By 18, we were both getting started in potential long-term careers. Within a few years, we had our first son. We were young but he was the greatest thing that ever happened to us. A few months went by and we were feeling unfulfilled and under appreciated at our workplaces. Read more>>

Qwenga Cole | Creative Director, Movement Artist & Aspiring Architect

I’ve had this conversation with someone close in my life, and i honestly feel that risk is faith in motion. It has taken me so long to realize that while playing it safe & staying within my comfort zone because how other felt about me reflected what i was accustomed to. Read more>>

Sydney Karmes-Wainer | Founder & CEO of French Squirrel

First, I want to acknowledge that I was/am privileged enough to be in the position where I could take risks with my business. I am still working full-time, so that definitely provides a cushion to take more risks. I operate by feeling, and when I know something feels right, I do it. Read more>>

Lavinia Aghakhani | Artist and Small Business Owner

The hardest part of taking risks for me was battling my own fears of failure and the unknowns.Being from an immigrant family, my parents have always advised me to follow a more “direct” path. So the pressure of going against the grain was difficult. As the older child, I understood the sacrifice my parents had made to give me and my sister a better chance at success. So, I shied away from taking risks and became caught in a cycle of “what-ifs” and I still find myself battling those thoughts from time to time. Read more>>

Shaun Maye-Williams | Business Owner & Entrepreneur

Taking a risk to me is taking a leap in faith. Something we all will experience whether you like it our not. Risk can be scaring at times but is required to grow. There will be a point in time when you will have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. You may never unlock your untapped potential if you don’t take risks. Life is all about risk, some big, some small. Read more>>

David Banks | Actor

There are two sides of risk taking for me. I would say I was a bit riskier when I was younger, and the older I get the less risks I feel comfortable taking. Then again there is the other side of me with the attitude of “oh well” If they like me great, if not, that’s fine. It can never hurt to stand out, and the only way to do that is to take some risks you might not normally take. Read more>>

Webb Travis | Personal Trainer, Gym Owner & Entrepreneur

Since I can remember, I’ve always taken risks. I would like to say that about 80% of them have worked out for the best. The other 20%, while they were failed risks/attempts, they were lessons that allowed me to be prepared & successful for the next task that would come along. Read more>>

Monica English | Realtor & Performing Artist

As a Performing Artist, Realtor, and Entrepreneur, I consider myself a trained risk taker and routine breaker. Instead of pursuing the Master’s Degree program I was accepted in after graduating from UC Irvine, I decided to pursue an unconventional lifestyle and career in real estate and entertainment. If it wasn’t for this decision, I’d be stuck with unnecessary debt living a life of dissatisfaction still trying to please others. Read more>>

Stephanie Chloé Hepner | Actress, Producer, Writer, Lover

Fear feeds me every day. As a society, I believe we are indoctrinated to play it safe, to stay within what we know, to fear the unknown… and to me, that’s why a lot of us are bored with our routines. If we add curiosity-driven risk into our routine, as a habit, then we are intentionally rejecting the hamster-wheel. Read more>>

Madison Policastri | Artist Manager, Music Publisher, Radio Promotion Administrator

All my life, change has made me so uncomfortable. I was a very quiet and reserved kid, so doing anything outside of my comfort zone was terrifying to me. The moment I realized that I needed to get uncomfortable and take risks in order to succeed was scary and so motivating. I’ve taken a few risks, but the one that stands out to me is moving from my hometown of Staten Island, NY to Nashville, TN to pursue my career. Read more>>

Monique Watson | Professional Dancer & Creative Career Educator

Taking risks to get to where you truly want to be is an absolute guarantee. Similar to change it is the only constant in this life and something to get comfortable approaching and doing. In general, every aspect about my. journey has been risky. Leaving behind a solid life of becoming a college educated military personnel with an already predicted and projected future from 18 years old forward I believe that leaving a life of “stability” to pursue passion was the best risk I’ve ever taken and I continue to stare down the barrel of risky situations but I move from a place of passion and strategy and it hasn’t failed me since. Read more>> 

McKenna Alicia | Vocalist, Musician, Songwriter, Performer, Educator

I think being an artist is all about taking risks. The most impactful experiences in my life thus far have come from a decision that involved me going out on my own and trying something new. Read more>>

Karin Tala | Fashion wholesale/ designer / stylist

I think in order to succeed, to actually fulfill your dreams you’re going to have to take a risk. Time passes by so quickly and at times we catch ourselves in the same place, nowhere near our goals because we’re too scared to make that next move. To take the risk, out of fear of making a mistake. Read more>>

Alicia Camiña | Saxophonist, Composer & Producer

Risk-taking can be scary and can push you out of your comfort zone, but that is the key to success. Sometimes, we have to make decisions that can change our lives completely, but those are the ones that are going to make you closer to your dreams. Read more>>

Nichole East | Storyteller

The biggest risk I take is putting myself out there for judgement. Being the face of a company has its good and bad days. Being on social media – every word you say and image you show is up for interpretation by others – and we all know that the internet just LOVES to share its opinion. Read more>>

Scott Langer | Writer/Producer of Die Pretty & Founder of Ninety90 Pictures

Bet on yourself, and bet like you’re out of options. You have something and you believe in it, why wait on someone else to give you the thumbs-up? As a screenwriter and producer, I’ve grown to realize that no one will care as much as you. My un-comfortability with others dictating the timeline of my projects drove me towards producing my own material. Read more>>

Vedant Mugalikar | Director,Writer, Editor [Filmmaker]

Risk, for me, works like a navigator it guides me toward my destination with no set path. It changes as the condition does, but the main thing I have to do is believe in my choice. Taking risks is always good without it we will not get out of our comfort zone, and we will not thrive for more in life. Read more>>

Alex Geringas | Songwriter & Composer

Risk taking is and was essential in my career path so far. When Kelly Clarkson recorded my song “Dark Side” in 2011 my wife and I packed our two toddlers,sold our house in Hamburg,Germany and moved to LA. We had no idea if we would stay longer than a couple of months or not. Read more>>

Avi Dahan | Music Attorney

I think failing to pursue a path or objective that matters to you because it feels like a risk is a bigger risk than not pursuing that action at all. The idea goes back to the famous saying of “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” All of the success that has come to my life was a result of taking action, which may felt risky, but always ended up not being risky at all. For example, I took a risk pursuing a career in music which felt like my calling, which everyone around me said was a waste of time and a sure way to end up broke. Read more>>

Rotem Rozental | Ph.D, Executive Director, Los Angeles Center of Photography, Curator, Writer

There is no fixed set of rules that will guarantee success. There is no one formula to follow. If anything, the only model that we can rely on is that along the way we would need to pivot, pivot and pivot again. Professions that seemed solid and safe are gone. New areas of expertise are expanding and changing in the most exciting ways. We have to be flexible and adaptable in our approach. Risk, to a certain extent, is an integral element of the path forward. Read more>> 

Angelica Gutierrez | Creative Director

Risk-taking exists within me in the same way it once existed within my ancestors. It beats within the hearts of my parents who came to a new country in hopes of a better tomorrow, in the same way it synchronously beats within my own. Taking risks is all we’ve known and the common theme of all the stories I’ve grown up hearing of so I learned quickly that uncomfortability was my “normal”. Read more>>

Roger Steele | Golf Personality / Entrepreneur

Risk has been the backbone of my professional progress. From the start of my professional career I’ve been in a deep search for passion, and the leaps it takes to monetize those passions can put you in very compromising positions. My first brush with risk came when quitting my job as a civil engineer to ambiguously pursue my understanding of entrepreneurship. Read more>>

Luis Resendez | Marriage and Family Therapist

I always view risk in terms of wondering what could NOT happen if I do not take a chance on going for something. I view it as minimizing the possibility of life regrets I will reflect on in my final years of life, in not taking a shot at opportunities that might have been. Read more>>

David McAbee | Writer & Director

Being in the entertainment business is all about risk. Unless you’re lucky enough to be born into it, this business is nothing but risk. Personally I think it would have been easier to take a more conventional route- go to school, get the ‘job’, work 9-5, rinse, repeat, retire. Read more>>

Morgan Barbour | Circus Artist, Movement Director, Writer & Model

I’m a multidisciplinary artist. I started off as an actor, but have largely moved on from acting professionally. I now perform circus full time (I specialise in flying trapeze, doubles hoop, and iron jaw), and continue to work as a movement director, writer, and artists’ model. Read more>>

Jessika Grewe Glover | Author of the Another Beast’s Skin series (among other titles), traveler, & personal trainer

The way I see it, without taking risks, you end up stagnant. Perhaps a comfortable situation, perhaps a gross misrepresentation of who and what you could be or achieve. As a creative, without taking a chance on yourself or an opportunity, there is zero room for growth. Read more>>

Chanel Jackson | Real Estate Advisor

Brian J. Patterson | Multi-Hyphenate Actor/Performer

taking bigger risks, the doors to powerful possibilities began opening. Today, I have come to recognize that I enjoy taking risks. Because as someone named ‘CEO Skor’ once said to me (and this is paraphrasing), “The universe’s law of attraction follows the science of cause and effect. When someone invests themselves in an intelligent and passionate way, they will always get some kind of equally powerful reward!” Read more>>

Christina Nicole | social media

Risk is scary, plain and simple. We’ve all had a time in our life where we didn’t know what to do or if it was the right decision to make. I think about risk as you can either win or you can learn. The most succesful people we idolize have been told “no” so many times before they got their first “yes!”. Risks have played a major role in my life and career. Wether I am trying to figure out how to manage my social media to choosing brand deals. A lot of the risks I have taken have not worked out in my favor, but I learned from it. Read more>>

Shawna Horns Pettigrew | LA Woman in her Baldwin Hills Bungalow

Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career? Risk – Someone or something that suggests a hazard – Merriam-Webster Rick – Perform a task or procedure without having control or knowledge of the outcome – Shawna Pettigrew My life had been mostly dominated by the box I’d lived in. Risk taking was not something that came easily to me. When my children were growing up and I was married I seemed to live 5 minutes from the present with life planned out and I felt in control, or I wanted control of all actions and the outcome of the activities that involved myself and my family. Read more>>

Shane “Maux” Page | Singer (KNOCK THE VANDAL) & DJ

I’ve always been a person that just does things. When I have an idea or a dream it just try it out, most times it doesn’t quite work out the way I want it to, but sometimes it does and those ‘sometimes’ are always worth it. I never wanted to be a person who’s always talking about doing but never doing. I wanted to leave Michigan and move to NYC, so I did it. I learned how to DJ and now I have a skill that I can always profit from. I’ve always wanted to live in LA, so after 14 years in NY, I moved my family to LA. I never had financial support from any of my family, so following my dreams has been pretty hard, but there’s always a way. Read more>>

The Girls at “Bitchin’ Digs”! | Entrepreneurs in Design, Real Estate & Music!

Excellent question! Simply put, everything… and I mean everything in life that’s worth it, is a risk! You cannot know exactly how things will turn out, but most of the time it’s ABSOLUTELY worth taking that leap! Read more>>