The capacity to take risk is one of the biggest enablers of reaching your full potential and so we want to create a space where risk-takers can come together to talk about how they’ve developed their capacity for risk taking.

Shannon Sitzler

Me and one of my best friends who unfortunately killed himself last year use to have a saying that we tattooed on to each other- “Follow the fear”. In life we are always taking risks whether we realize it or not. You could get hit by a car just by deciding to risk crossing the street. There is so much risk within living life day to day; this is why you shouldn’t ever fret it. We believe that fear is the opposite of love. To love something is to understand it for exactly what it is and appreciate/accept it. Where by, fear is the complete opposite.  Read More>>

Bella (Eunseo) So

I think I developed my ability to take risks through my mindset. By nature, I tend to feel more anxious staying in the same environment for too long than stepping into the unknown. If I don’t regularly challenge myself—whether in my career or personal life—I start to question whether I’m actually making progress. Doing the same things over and over gives me the feeling that my development is stagnating. Read More>>

Anahi Barrios

My way of developing my risk-taking skills stems from wanting to step out of my comfort zone, which is why I embarked on a trip through Europe with no return date, and so I’ve been away from home for a year and three months now. When you step outside the familiar, there’s a 100% risk, and that’s the magic of exploring the unknown, with the risk that the new will be better. Read More>>

Victoria Laessig

Growing up in a rural area—with just a couple of stoplights, one gas station, and the closest shopping mall two hours away—life felt pretty small. But that quiet upbringing made it more exciting to explore. Most people I knew stayed close to home, but as a child, I told myself I was going to see more. That drive to experience the world helped shape my willingness to take risks.

As a teenager, I had big plans: attend the Paul Mitchell Academy in Michigan and eventually move to L.A. to open my own salon. That path shifted along the way, but I’ve learned that life has a way of teaching you things exactly when you need to learn them. Read More>>

John Miller

Risk is a four letter word. In many cases, risk carries the same negative connotations as some of the more well known four-letter words. The higher the risk in something, the greater the likelihood of failure. But what is failure? Who decides what failure is?
Some one who is risk-averse can generally be thought of as precise, methodical, and diligent. Why are they this way? Because they want to minimize the likelihood of failure.  Read More>>

Hera Güneş Barlowe

I take a step back. I remind myself all I have is merely right now. The biggest risk is choosing to stay in my bubble and never growing out of it. As long as my gut and heart feel at ease, I’m on the right path and I’m not taking any risks, I’m just living my life. Either way, we’re all going to die one day, and I would rather live my way till then, instead of being scared about the “future”. The future that we all bet our money on while skipping out on today. Read More>>

Dwayne Allen

I’ve always been wired for curiosity, a trait that often veered into mischievous territory. From a young age, exploration and discovery were my personal Popeye’s spinach, the source of my childish power. This wasn’t just ordinary inquisitiveness; it was the kind that once led me to dismantle our family TV with a screwdriver, purely to ‘see how it worked.’ That same relentless curiosity defined my teenage years, fueling countless unsupervised adventures with friends. We scoured every inch of our hometown, our escapades culminating in a daring (and admittedly risky) exploration of the restricted airfield at the local Army helicopter base. Read More>> 

Yaritza Cherry

Honestly, becoming a risk-taker didn’t happen overnight—it was born out of growth, grit, and a deeper purpose. Working in the ICU taught me how precious and unpredictable life is. I witnessed so many moments that reminded me how quickly things can change, and that gave me a sense of urgency to live a life that feels meaningful, not just safe. Read More>>

Crystal Bettenhausen-Bubulka

For me, risk is deeply tied to mortality—both the awareness of it and the reverence for it. As a military spouse, I’ve lived in a constant state of transition, uncertainty, and separation. And through my work in hospice and my studies on end-of-life care, I’ve come to understand just how sacred and fleeting this life is. That clarity has shaped the way I approach risk. Read More>>

Damaris Morris

My ability to take risks has always been present, but it hasn’t always been easy. I’ve often felt fear alongside my willingness, but I’ve learned to move forward anyway. From early on, I found myself doing things differently than those around me. One of my first big decisions was leaving Canada at 17 to attend college in the U.S.—something most people around me didn’t expect or do. Deep down, I knew staying in Canada would mean missing out on something vital to my growth. I longed for change, for new experiences, and for a version of myself I hadn’t met yet. Read More>>

Alex Kravchenko

My ability to take risks developed through real-life challenges and bold decisions, starting when I was just 22 years old in Ukraine. At that time, I made the difficult choice to leave behind a stable job and a growing career as a professional automotive drift pilot to pursue something completely new: working at sea as a seaman. I had never been that far from home, didn’t speak English, and had no experience in the field. But I was determined to change my life. I started learning English, gaining skills, and within a year, I got my first contract. Read More>>