How did you develop your ability to take risk?

Risk-taking is at the heart of making a difference, but often we’ve been conditioned to avoid risk as much as possible. So, we asked some successful risk-takers to talk to us about how they developed their comfort with taking risk.

Julieta Braum

Risk-taking wasn’t something that always came naturally to me, especially when it came to Daizzy Gear. I had never designed dog collections before, and it was daunting to step into an unfamiliar industry. I didn’t know if people would love my designs, and that uncertainty was a huge risk in itself. But I realized that staying in my comfort zone wasn’t going to allow me to create something meaningful or unique. Read more>>

Jack Douglas

I developed my ability to take risk incredibly young and taking negative and potentially life changing risks, before I risked it for beneficial purposes. I learned without taking risk, you will never achieve your goal. Being uncomfortable is healthy, heightens your senses, makes you use your survival instincts. I had to take risks to gain rewards, even if it meant putting my life on the line to eat. Read more>>

Ashley Vidoli

The world is full of risks, and I welcome them daily. I am a successful wedding officiant and planner in Las Vegas, NV. However, my success didn’t happen with the snap of a finger. It took confidence, long hours, and, most of all, risk! I had to learn to believe in myself when no one else did. I had to trust my gut and take the leap, embracing the unknown. Read more>>

Sandy Wolf

While I am not one to take on skydiving or scale a cliff, I do think that owning a business takes a certain comfort with risk. I’ve honed my ability to take risks over the years and that has been crucial to Office of Ordinary Architecture’s success. Prior to taking risks I to ask myself to find not just the worst case scenarios, though that is part of the analysis, but also what opportunites I will leave behind by staying the current path. For instance, when determining if I could really branch out, leave my steady job, and start my own business I determined that the worst case scenario likely involved not having enough business to stay afloat and needing find a new job.  Read more>>

Antonia Miller

In my 45 years, the most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that the greatest risks often bring the greatest rewards. If something scares you, go for it! I made a promise to myself that, when I’m sitting in that rocking chair one day, I don’t want to be saying, “Oh, I wish I’d done that!” This commitment has driven me to pursue my desire to create and try new things. Life is about experiences, and you never know what one step forward might lead to—a new skill, an exciting opportunity, or perhaps meeting a new friend or fellow creative trying to find their way, too. These connections can lead to collaboration and fill your life with good people and meaningful accomplishments. Read more>>

Alima Botasheva

I developed my ability to take risks out of necessity. Growing up in a conservative environment in Cherkessk, Russia, I always knew that pursuing fashion would go against the expectations placed on me. In a society where women were often expected to prioritize marriage and family over careers, choosing to leave that behind and follow my passion felt like the first major risk. Read more>>

Tetsuya Fukazawa

My ideal is to become a wonderful illustrator like Raymond Savignac or Dick Bruna. My purpose in creation is to produce works that resonate with people’s lives, infused with humor and empathy. As you know, it’s always difficult at the beginning… In my activities in Japan, I tried many things and experienced failures, sometimes facing prejudice against my profession. I don’t consider myself a lucky person, but because of that, I had to work hard even when the possibilities were limited. Still, I always imagined that all the difficulties I faced were necessary to make my mindset and work even more appealing and to foster my growth. Read more>>

Angie Hernandez

I’ve always felt my best when I would create things. I’m a second gen Xicana & when I couldn’t find any jewelry that I felt represented me I learned to make my own. Learning this new craft I gifted earrings to friends & family. I began working on mixed media art, designing tshirts & jewelry inspired by my cultura & personal experiences. This hobby was the start from working for Corporate America to being a full time artist. Read more>>

Trevor Akimoto

I think my ability to take risks really developed from my passion for freestyle skiing. Growing up, I learned that if I put in the work and took the risk, things usually worked out better than I expected. The risks I was so nervous about rarely turned out to be as as I’d imagined. Skiing taught me that taking calculated risks, especially when you’re putting in the effort, can lead to great rewards—both in skiing and in life. Read more>>

Nora Tofigh

I’ve been exposed to risk over the years, being self-employed for most of my adult life, never quite knowing where the next chapter will lead. I now operate in the art world, and embrace the perspective of the modern Bohemian, who pursues self-expression, often at the expense of self-preservation. It really emboldens my worldview, realizing how creative and liberated a person can feel when letting go the traditional metrics of success. I think very few true impactful changes can be made from a place of safety. I am also aware that it is an incredible privilege to be able to take certain risks, and am incredibly grateful for the context, community and opportunity I have had to live my life my way, and I almost feel it is my duty to push the boundaries of my own liberation. Read more>>

Joshua Kanterowitsch

I’ve developed my ability to take risks through many experiences and lessons. One of the best examples comes from motocross riding. I’ve been riding bikes since I was 8, from professional BMX to motocross, and one of the biggest things I’ve learned is that commitment is essential for success. How does this relate to motocross? When you approach a 90-foot jump you’ve never tried before, your best chance to succeed is to fully commit. If you hesitate for even a split second and ease off the throttle right before the jump, that’s when you’re likely to crash. Read more>>

Emily O’brien

I didn’t truly get comfortable with risk until my 30s. Once I crossed that threshold and realized that life moves on whether a risk works out or not, it was genuinely life-changing. The confidence I gained from taking one risk then helped catapult another jump and so on. Read more>>

Stella Chen

Taking risks has been at the core of my creative journey, beginning when I transitioned from traditional art to digital motion branding and UI/UX design. For years, I honed my skills in traditional painting, which led me to pursue an illustration major in college. However, with the rise of digital technology and my desire to explore beyond the familiar, I chose to embrace the motion track. This decision was a leap into the unknown—a world of graphic design, branding, and 2D and 3D motion, areas I had little experience in at the time. But the challenge excited me. What started as a risk evolved into a passion, as I discovered joy in combining cutting-edge technology with my deep love for art. Read more>>

Stephanie Tatum

I have never been a reckless risk-taker. As I mature, my risks have become more calculated and strategic. One of my most significant risks came in 2022. While my peers were eager to find positions within established community organizations as we completed our graduate program, I contemplated a different path—leaving my role in the financial industry to become an entrepreneur. After careful thought and strategic planning with my husband, we decided it was the right time, and I founded Still I Rise Counseling Services.  Read more>>

Domenick Risola

I have always had the personality of a natural risk-taker, and as a kid and young adult I didn’t understand it; I just went with it. As an adult, however, I have chosen to use it as a tool both personally and in my professional coaching business. I have had to work incredibly hard to control the risk-taker inside me and to refine it to be more calculated and less accidental. Read more>>