Embracing Risk

Embracing risk is one of the most powerful things anyone can do to level up and maximize the probability of reaching your full potential. Below, you’ll find risk-takers across industries sharing their stories of how they began to embrace risk.

Frances Wholey

As the 7th child of nine, and a female, I had very little value in a misogynistic family of 5 brothers, and 3 sisters. My parents grew a large business together, yet from a very young age I was told “the sons” would inherit the company – 10% each when they turned 21 years old. Therefore, I developed the skill of “yes, I can do this, regardless of being a female.” Read more>>

Judi Lightfield

I started the same way everyone starts, with crayons and coloring book. Occasionally I’d press harder on the crayon and low and behold a different color resulted. Years went by and painting got me. Painting was sloppy. Moving the paint from the palette to the canvas was an adventure. So many times it didn’t look the way I intended.  Read more>>

Ruby Roman

I developed my ability to take risks by embracing challenges and stepping out of my comfort zone. I believe that taking calculated risks is essential for personal growth and success. By learning from both my successes and failures, I have gained confidence in my decision-making abilities and have become more open to exploring new opportunities. It’s all about seeing challenges as opportunities for growth and being willing to push boundaries. Read more>>

Lauren Tully

Developing the ability to take risk is an ongoing journey—one that demands continuous growth and resilience. The act of taking risk requires courage and a foundation of trust within oneself, and those are both things that we build through the act of doing. To embrace the opportunity that taking risk can provide is to acknowledge the discomfort of the unknown and continue anyways. Read more>>

Olivia Mendoza

I was raised by risk takers who taught me that taking risks in life doesn’t necessarily mean taking a chance where the outcome is unknown or uncertain. Taking risks comes from the decision to take control of your life, to chose a vision for your future and embark on that journey where you shape and mold how you want your life to be.  Read more>>

Amy Piper

As a former certified professional project/program manager (PMP), risk was one of the knowledge areas I worked with every day. Risk is an uncertain event that, if it occurs, will impact objectives positively or negatively. The critical element is the uncertainty. If it happens, it may be positive or negative for what you are trying to accomplish. Read more>>

Vanessa Lill

I think it has always been in my nature to take risks, thanks to being brought up by parents who dared to live ‘out of the ordinary’. When I was just two years old, they ditched their stable careers, sold everything, packed up and moved to rural Scotland with zero plan whatsoever, other than ‘figure it out’. Read more>>

Matthew Eberle

I believe risk taking is in a lot of ways intrinsic to success, and something most creatives continuously face. Pursuing an artistic career can feel incredibly risky due to the immense amount of vulnerability that can go along with it. Each time I write a script or shoot a film, I’m putting a piece of myself into that film and asking any number of strangers, “Hey, I think this is good, what do you think?” Read more>>

Sayaka Miyatani

By always following my instinct. When I decide to do something, whether it’s “realistic” or not, I’ve always commit to it before I give myself any doubt. I’ve been that way since I was 3, and when it comes to taking a risk, I’ve never shyed away from it since then. Read more>>

Von Childs

When I look back at my career from over the years, I’m completely blessed to have to the journey I had and I’m still going at 29. I started my career when I was 15 years old originally seeking interest in the journalism world because I love to write but somehow after two years of being in that world, fashion found my heart and I haven’t stop loving it since. I remember when I was a teenager, I was doing so many things in school and out of school. Read more>>

Alex Cheng

When I was younger, I was incredibly skilled at finding myself in situations that I normally wouldn’t want to be in. I wouldn’t consider myself a “bad” child. Curious might be the better word. Also I had an inclination towards doing the first thing that came to mind. And doing it very clumsily. Read more>>

Erica (ET) Taylor

Looking back now, I can tell that there are a few things that I usually experience when there’s a big decision that I have to make. One…there’s always overwhelming feelings that I’m dealing with and I’m usually feeling scared about making that decision or having to take the risk. Read more>>

Johanna Bowen

I’m not sure I would say I developed my ability to take risk – because we all have the ability to take risk naturally in us. It’s just that sometimes, we are too scared to utilize that ability so we cut ourself off from it. Maybe it looks like we don’t have the ability, but we do. It is always there waiting for us. Read more>>

ORYAH

Really just came from being forced into positions where you have to make that choice. I’m always calculated, so I’ll consider all variables before committing to any type of risk. Read more>>

Whitney Crowder

Sometimes you take a leap and sometimes you’re pushed. When it came to going all in with my baking business, Sugar & Bite, I was definitely pushed. And the culprit was Covid. I was working as a bartender and pastry chef in New York City, while I initially started my side baking business, and then everything came to a stop.  Read more>>

Christine Lloyd

My journey with taking risk has been an interesting one, with my relationship to risk changing at different points in my life. I’ve always been someone who has wanted to live life to the fullest and taking risk is a very large aspect of that philosophy. I grew up admiring adventurers, explorers, artists, and storytellers. My mom dated a guy for the majority of my childhood who was a pretty serious risk taker. Read more>>

Felicia Rodriguez

I grew up in a rather large family, which means lots of different opinions and mindsets. My Dad I’d consider to be a pretty impulsive decision maker. If he sees something he wants, he’ll do whatever it takes to get that done. My mother on the other hand is very much so a analytical decision maker. She’ll question everything and do her research regardless of how big or small the situation may be. Read more>>

Tyson Schrader

Remember how Janis Joplin sang, “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose”? I had to live that line to develop my ability to take risks. In American culture, we tend to cheer for the underdog. We relish the “rags to riches” stories. Was I born into poverty? Absolutely not. I had to learn what it meant to hit rock bottom. Let me explain. Read more>>

Brittany Hyde

I am an extremely pragmatic person by nature. I make decisions based on logic first (by a mile!) and then emotion. When I look back on my decision to open a fitness space in the middle of a pandemic, I question my sanity! The reality is that we are naive when we take big risks – if we knew how hard it would really be, we probably wouldn’t do it.  Read more>>

Paula Boggs

Webster defines risk-taking as “the act or fact of doing something that involves danger or risk in order to achieve a goal.” For me risk is a combination of heredity, having role models and finding wherewithal to see the possible while deciding the potential reward is worth it. I stand on tall shoulders that extend back at least hundreds and likely thousands of years. I know I’m approximately 10% North African, meaning some of my ancestors were likely nomads. Read more>>

Breonna Ousmane

I believe taking risks are necessary in order to reach new heights. Dropping out of college was one of the most life changing experiences for me and this is where my journey truly began. I couldn’t sit around doing nothing so it was either get a job or start taking my business more seriously. I always seen the potential in my business but I just didn’t know how possible it really was for me. I realized it was just my mindset stopping me from taking the risk. Read more>>

Alvin Christmas

Developing an ability to take risk is the same way anyone develops an ability, practice. Easier said than done right? Isn’t the whole point of avoiding risk to not put ourselves in what we consider a dangerous position? Yes, but sometimes our minds consider things that are not physically harmful to us to be dangerous.  Read more>>

Christian Covington

“What if…” This is a question that runs through my mind often. I’ll run through different scenarios, creating various outcomes. “If I go to this predominantly white institution, I could be ostracized and may not want to finish what I started.” “If I come out to my family, who is heavily involved in the Black church, I could be shunned.” “If I move over a thousand miles away from the place I’ve always known as home, I may feel all alone.” Read more>>

Nathan Edwin McClements

For me there is little reward without risk. I learned early on in my creating that I thoroughly enjoyed being surprised by instinctive randomness. It’s magical. Tapping into that is more effective with the risks I take. There is growth in this pursuit. It has been helpful for me to use repurposed materials and work on multiple pieces at once. They allow me not to get hung up on the idea of messing up anything. One persons trash is an opportunity for my exploration and a manipulation of those risks provides opportunity for perseverance, then growth.  Read more>>

Seda Tonak

Everything in life has risks because nothing is guaranteed. If you want to achieve your goals you have to take risks. At first, I made progress by taking small risks, but when I realized that I could not progress this way, I wanted to take a big risk and see the results and its contribution to me. Now I see that the big risk you took was actually my breaking point and the steps to achieving the success I wanted. No one should be afraid of taking risks, risk always leads people to success. Read more>>

Denny Meints

Risks are a necessary part of life. You might say all of life is related to some level of risk taking. Trying a new food, asking Susie Derkin’s to dance in middles school, trying out for the team, and of course, starting a business. I think the more risks you take – those heart pounding, sweaty-palm risks – the more you realize you like the food, you get the dance and make the team and when you don’t, you survived and you’re better for it. Read more>>

Jesse Aultman

I am originally from Birmingham, Alabama and fell in love with filmmaking from a young age. Growing up, the world of film felt so far away, and I often wondered if this could ever be more than just a hobby. Still, I kept making movies. That urge just wouldn’t go away. I took internships at nearby production companies.  Read more>>

Margaret Dowling-Murphy

I’d say the best way to strengthen one’s resolve to take risks is to do so over and over again. Every time a risk pays off, it gives you the confidence to keep going and stretch even further. I also weigh the risks of NOT doing something scary or intimidating, and oftentimes, that is enough to propel me past any hesitation. Read more>>

Lynsey Retzlaff

I had to force myself to take risks. Risk was a terrifying concept that I didn’t want any part of. As a child, I went through the world anxious and shy and tried not to make waves. I’d walk through the hallways with my eyes on the floor, not wanting someone to notice me. As a young adult, I began drinking to cope with anxiety and low self-esteem and developed a severe alcohol use disorder. Read more>>

Ilayda Cetinkaya

Having been raised in a traditional culture in the Middle East forced me to contemplate how I want to define myself and live my life. I yearned for a fulfilling career in making TV shows and films. The first significant risk I took was moving to the US at the age of seventeen to pursue my dream of filmmaking – which occurred nine years ago.  Read more>>

Diana Utley

My oldest sister was a great influence in my life. She always told me a scared person can not accomplish anything. You have to be willing to take a chance to suceed. A very power life lesson I learned is you only fail when you quit. Those learned lessons have given me the determination to launch 4 U Organic Body Butter. The determination comes from knowing as long as I keep going I can not fail. Read more>>

Patrick Shatter

Everything we do in life is a risk. Many people think that when you go for your dreams it’s risky. If the past few years have shown us anything. It’s that nothing is guaranteed and nothing is safe, safety is an illusion. In my opinion the biggest risk is to live with regret. Most of the times when we talk about this subject it’s never a life or death type risk, It’s usually the fears in your mind that try to talk you out of doing something.  Read more>>

Luisa Azevedo

I believe my ability to take risks has been shaped by a combination of passion, resilience, and commitment to follow my dreams. I have amazing parents who always believed in me, always encourage me to be brave and every time something went wrong they would tell me to do it again. Read more>>

Irene Bremis

My ability to take risks comes from repeated failures that lead to growth. I firmly believe that as a comedian, the only way I can evolve is by challenging myself to follow my instinct and breech my comfort zone every time I’m on stage. I have always been inspired by comedians and artists who take risks- not only in their writing but in their actions. I love the performer who breaks away from the pack and goes rogue.  Read more>>

Bryan “Ace” Torres

Growing up, I had to learn that life was all about risks. Whether you’re reaching for a certain goal, trying to ask out your crush, or trying to get into a new work/creative space. It’s all risky. I knew that in order to get to where I want to be, I would have to make very tough life decisions and choices. Once you learn that you will have to risk and sacrifice certain things to get what you want out of life, it becomes somewhat easier. Read more>>