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.

Lauren Fontein | Founder and Chief Compliance Officer of The Artist Tree

Cannabis is an industry built by innovators and risk takers who are not afraid to challenge current regulations or create something truly original. Because the industry is new and constantly evolving, taking risks is the only way to advance and expand in the industry. I’ve taken many risks since entering the industry. I took a chance in 2009 when I transitioned from corporate law to starting an edible company and literally pounded the pavement seeking out potential dispensaries to carry my products. Read more>>

Jennifer Schwartz | Life & Professional Coach

Taking risks is about getting out on the skinny branch of life, doing the things that feel most hard and allowing yourself to grow out of your comfort zone. Risks are also the things that make life worth living…let me explain!
The term “risk” we associate most with decision making from our headspace, taking analytical action and weighing the pros and cons to any option and assessing from there. There’s massive value in inviting the idea of taking risks from our heartspace. Read more>>

Cee Smith | CEO

Risk-taking enables and encourages innovation and that’s an important part of the development of our business and products. Every time we set up we aren’t guaranteed to have people participate, shop or support our store. But in faith we put our energy and funds into creating the best space we can. And so far the risk has been worth the reward. Any failed risk we endured haven’t been negative because we learned so much that lead to greater success. Read more>>

signed, rosie | Indie Pop Artist

A lot of people might say being an artist is “risky”. Well, I think it depends on your intention behind what you’re doing. My intention is to love what I do every day and be proud of the work I put out into the world. In my opinion, it’s risky to not do it at all. To live a life and not be doing what you truly want? And hope something comes of it along the way, you get lucky? Someone gives you a shot without seeing the work you’ve put in? It’s unlikely – and all of that is risky to me. Never do I want to look back and think I was too scared to put my all into this. It’s fulfilling, and makes me feel whole. Read more>>

Valeria Aceves | Actress

I truly believe that life is there for us to take risks all along the way. Either jumping off a waterfall or telling that person we love them, risks are part of the magic of being human. Arts, referring more to acting, explore this humanistic magic. Therefore I believe actors all over the world should always take risks. There’s more art when you’re not playing it safe. Read more>>

Kris Chaney | Podcast Host and Entrepreneur

Risk is necessary in most things in life. We can never know what the future holds for us or if we’re going to be successful or not but we can decide whether or not we take the necessary risk to find out. I have learned that through taking risks things work out or they don’t, and each time is a lesson. I learn more lessons from taking risks than not taking them. Read more>>

J RieLa | Music Artist & Owner of “GoRieLa GruB”

I’m a firm believer in the quote “without risk there’s no reward.” More importantly I’ve learned that when you truly believe in what you’re doing there isn’t really a risk it’s just a beautiful struggle. Read more>>

Adam Schwartz | Bassist and music producer

The riskiest parts of my life have involved either stopping or starting something. I tend to over-analyze a lot of the time, but once I know my true dreams and goals I find that I am putting myself in a situation that forces an issue and a large change in my life. That is, it could be forming a band or project, writing and performing music, producing a track, or pursuing the love of my life. I feel like every accomplishment in my life has required me to take the risk of committing to it, usually in small steps until I find myself facing another huge life-changing decision. Read more>>

Nasreen Jadmani | Event & Wedding Planner

Risk or taking risks doesn’t come naturally to me. I’ve always been scared of taking risks, be it in my personal life or professional. I have always felt safe with having a routine, the steady paycheck lifestyle, but I always craved more. I know, strange coming from a person who actually didn’t mind routine life. I just knew that this isn’t what I wanted for myself. I think taking a risk of wanting to go down the path of entrepreneurship, not having that stable job or what each day or month is going to look like, has definitely been scary, challenging yet extremely rewarding all at the same time. Read more>>

Gabby Salinardo | Photographer & Cinematographer

It sounds corny and overdone, but risk-taking is what got me where I am today. I graduated college into the COVID pandemic and it took me months and hundreds of applications to finally land a job at a company doing “content creation,” which they then let me go from — not even a year into working there. So I had to make a choice last year – repeat the same job search process however many times over and hope for a better result, or take a chance on freelancing full time. It’s a huge risk to take, given that your next job is never guaranteed, but thankfully as of now it has gone as smooth as I could hope, and I’m grateful to all the people who have continued to hire me and recommend me to others. Read more>>

Shontei Hampton | Curator of Love, Yoga Instructor & overall Lover of Life

Thoughts, oh how provoking they can be. It was one of the most challenging times in my life thus far. I had the opportunity to take a risk and make a decision that would change my life in its entirety. Leaps and bounds of full sacrifice would have to be reflected upon. Who was I too even think this was something that I could accomplish. It was a Thursday middle of the night phone call that would be the pinnacle of what true destiny begins to look like within ones life that holds so many coveted pieces. Read more>>

Paola Rodriguez | Hairstylist

Never in my wildest dreams, would I have imagined having my own business. However, I had to step out of my comfort zone and take a few risks in order to make this possible. In 2011, I graduated from Paul Mitchell The School Sherman Oaks. But I wouldn’t get my cosmetology license until 2019. Unfortunately, I had put my dream job aside for a few years, although still dyeing and cutting family’s hair throughout that time. Read more>>

Celinda Damiana Cruz-Arce | Cake & Floral Designer

I have to say that life is all about taking risks especially when you start a business. Growing up, I was always a risk taker. Never afraid of peoples opinions or afraid to try new things out of my comfort zone. For some weird reason when I was planning to start my business, I was so afraid and just worried about failing. I was worried that I would regret starting my business because I wouldn’t get any clients. I remember when my university got shut down, I didn’t have a choice but to start my business. The second week I got out of school it was time to execute my business and start taking pre-orders for Valentine’s Day before it was too late. Read more>>

féi hernandez | Writer, Artist, Spiritualist

Risk is fully definitive of who I am as a person. To live undocumented for twenty years as a childhood arrival was a risk. To live in Inglewood was a risk. To be trans in the United States during long standing violent policy against trans bodies is a risk.To be a published writer and storyteller committed to sharing the truth is a risk that costs/can cost me privacy and relationships. I have lived in and witnessed my family take risks as means to survive— immigrating to a new country for safety and overstaying our visas, being:  Read more>>

David Winther | Leader, anti-title professional, avid runner who does not necessarily enjoy running

To be honest, I feel like my whole entire career has been risk after risk. My mother raised me and my two sisters in a great town with a great school system by working two full time jobs which had NO CONNECTION to the entertainment industry. In college, I started to love the industry side of music and entertainment more and more. I eventually started to work with some of the folks who are now the biggest managers in the game when I was at GWU. Read more>>

Christine White | Designer & Animator

Taking risks has been the bottom line in all of my decisions that have ultimately become successes. If I had not decided to go against the norm in high school and go to art school, had never cold applied to positions in new york, who knows where I would have ended up? Every decision we make affects our futures, so why not take a risk that excites us? Anytime I invest in myself, my relationships, and my career, they all benefit from each other. Risk brings reward! Read more>>

Paula Iglesias Perez | Film Producer

The most important thing in someone’s life is that you need to take risks to get where you want to be. So always take a chance, but think properly about it. Risks have the possibility of giving you what you are looking for, and if you don’t get where you want, at least you tried. It is better to try and fail than not to reach your goal because you’re scared. When I finished High School, I took a little risk with my decision to move from my hometown to a bigger city, which was the correct decision. Read more>>