Taking risk is natural for some, but in our experience most successful risk takers gradually developed their ability to leave comfort zones and take risk and we’ve asked them to share their experiences and advice below.
Victoria Blanco
My journey in developing the ability to take risks has been profoundly influenced by my experiences and the individuals who have shaped my life, along with my faith. Living with ADHD, my brain naturally gravitates towards taking risks, but organizing my thoughts and initiating actions has always been a challenge. Research shows that people with ADHD often struggle with executive functioning, which includes planning, decision-making, and impulse control. This means that while the desire to take risks is strong, the ability to execute them thoughtfully can be hindered. With that said, throughout my life, I’ve managed to channel this impulsivity into a determined effort to take action, largely thanks to the role models who paved the way for me. Read more>>
Suzanne Weller
For me, risk brings up a collection of emotions, including excitement, anxiety, and a dash of curiosity. I was brought up by expatriate parents who ventured to America in their 20’s, who were recently married and looking for new opportunities outside of England. Without a doubt their adventurous spirit rubbed off on me and my sister, making us more comfortable with the unknown – wanting to explore it, rather than run away from it. I consider myself someone who lives in a space of “managed risk.” I’m able to strike the delicate balance between staying in my comfort zone vs. jumping in to see how deep the water is. I’ve cultivated this skill through experimentation, trusting my intuition, and enlisting perspectives from others to ensure I’m asking the right questions, assessing scenarios, and vetting my assumptions. I’ve always been a fan of tapping into my hive – the people I trust and love to support me through the process of making hard decisions and taking leaps. Read more>>
Alli Thul
I’ve always been a big dreamer, and I think that built up some confidence in that whatever I get myself into, I can figure it out. If I had to pinpoint where that came from, I’d say it’s a mix of two main things. Growing up, I played competitive soccer as a goalkeeper. There’s this interesting dynamic in that position because it’s a team sport, so you rely on your teammates and trust that together you can persevere. But as a goalkeeper, you’re also in this solo position where things come down to you as both a leader and the last line of defense. This experience helped shape my belief that I can handle tough situations and also taught me the importance of being able to rely and lean on those around me. Additionally, both of my parents are pretty entrepreneurial, so I grew up watching them create their own freedom through hard work and creativity. I remember tagging along with them on various gigs after school and on weekends when I was really little but balancing all of our extra curricular, too. Looking back, it was just another example of their dedication and hard work to ensure our family had a good life. Read more>>
Brendan Lutes
I have always been a risk-taker—but a calculated one. Since I was a kid, I’ve been very involved in motocross. Is it a dangerous sport? Yes. Have I had my fair share of injuries? Also yes. But it’s a sport that when respected and done in a safe manner, can foster countless life lessons. Growing up racing dirt bikes, I learned what it meant to never give up, what it meant to face adversity, and how it felt to overcome pressure. As a young 15-year-old, I was already racing 300-mile events across the Nevada desert and winning, and I entered the expert/professional class at 16. As I grew up, I continued to race, and I loved motorcycles so much that I combined that with a passion for photography, landing a job at a motocross magazine when I was 22. After 10 years of a steady job as a magazine photo editor, I took a huge risk, venturing out on my own to pursue a freelance career. Read more>>
Val Gallo
I’ve always been afraid of failure and of not being good enough. Self-esteem is something I’ve struggled with throughout my life and it’s something I’ve had to work really hard on. I’m learning to put myself out there and take risks by trying to see life as an adventure and having fun with it. I don’t want to waste opportunities and regret the things I didn’t do because I was too scared. The only way to develop the ability is by taking action. I’ve noticed that – especially relating to music – when I’m feeling nervous it’s because I have to be brave and take that step forward. I’m an anxious person and I tend to get nervous a lot so I’m constantly pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Read more>>
Kashaeda Sutton
It has never been very easy for me to take risks, and maybe it never will be! However, it’s a crucial part of running a successful business. I never was the kid to jump into a puddle without an extra pair of socks. Some will think I’m crazy, and some will relate. I’ve always liked to have an idea of what could come next. I would consider my first big risk to be in high school. I had planned my life out with my 14-year-old paint horse, Little P, to start my career. I originally wanted to breed cattle after I graduated college with an agriculture degree. Everything changed when one day my best friend, Little P, was unable to get up off the ground. An unknown tumor was found that day by the vet and it was too far advanced to remove. Getting out of school early immediately turned into the worst day of my life. After this, I wanted nothing to do with horses or rodeo. Now I had no plans, which felt like no future. Where would I go from here? A year or two passed and my uncle had different plans for me. After forcing me back on, I was able to see the world from the back of a horse again. After covid, I wanted a career that would “stick by me” in hard times, which was massage therapy. Read more>>
Victoria Thayer
I developed my ability to take risks through one of the most challenging experiences of my life: moving from Venezuela to the USA. At the time, I had no family or friends to support me, and my English-speaking skills were very rough. This move was not only a significant leap geographically but also an immense personal challenge. The decision to move was driven by a desire for better opportunities, but it came with immense uncertainty. I had to navigate a completely new culture, understand and adapt to different social norms, and learn to communicate effectively in a language that I was not comfortable with. The fear of the unknown was overwhelming, but I knew that staying in my comfort zone would limit my growth. This move tested my resilience. Every day brought new obstacles, from finding a place to live to understanding the nuances of the English language. There were moments of doubt and fear, but each challenge I overcame built my confidence and resilience. I learned to embrace failures as learning opportunities and not as setbacks. This mindset shift was crucial in developing my ability to take risks. Read more>>
Violeta Avila
Taking risks is definitely a very hard thing to do. You will spend all day questioning yourself with, “What if….?” Well, what if you don’t even try? Yes, so many things can go wrong but what if everything goes amazing on your behalf? You won’t ever get anywhere in life if you don’t take that risk. About a year ago I finally decided to invest into a Permanent Makeup course. I had thought about doing this for YEARS prior to actually doing it. I was always afraid of the outcome. Drowning myself in all these thoughts. Thinking nothing but negative things. What if I don’t get enough clients? What if it’s too hard? What if it’s a scam? What if I lose all my money? Having all that in my mind was just hurting me and I was getting no where. I decided to let all that go and pray about it. It wasn’t a one day decision. However, I ended up taking that risk. I am now a Licensed Permanent Makeup Artist in Las Vegas doing something I absolutely love! Am I where I want to be at ? Read more>>
Kara McKeage
Growing up as an Air Force brat, I moved to a new school every year until high school. This constant change taught me to be adaptable and perceptive. I would sit back and observe the students, teachers, and school culture before opening up and choosing my friends. Each new environment exposed me to different cultures and ways of thinking, shaping my ability to embrace uncertainty and diversity. I don’t fear failure; I see everything as an experiment. If something doesn’t work, I learn from it and move forward. When I know what I want, I don’t wait for the ship to come to me—I dive in and swim out to it. This mindset has been instrumental in developing my ability to take risks, as it allows me to approach challenges with confidence and resilience. Read more>>
Jamie Taylor
I develop the ability to take risk by realizing I can have more of a great outcome by just being myself. What I mean by this is taking a risk has its advantages and you can network with so many people by taking a risk. I don’t look at things like taking a risk; I look at life and my dreams and I take a chance at taking a risk and I know that will benefit me in the end. Read more>>
Grace C
I try to minimize risk as much as possible by creating safety nets ahead of time. For example, I developed my brand presence online for over a year and started selling my jewelry on the side, while working my corporate job. It gave me an opportunity to learn how to run my business without all the pressure. I think it was important to do as much as I could to prepare, when I had a steady income, even though the progress was much slower and I had to give up some free time . I figured out my packaging, my website, social media, taxes, materials, etc before my livelihood depended on it. So when I got laid off, I was set up well to just scale my business up and expand. It made the risk a lot less daunting and felt like an easier transition. Read more>>
