In our experience, most folks, including ourselves don’t have enough of an understanding of risk and the role it plays in our lives and careers and so we have made a concerted effort as a team to have conversations about risk with our interviewees. We’ve shared some highlights below.

Dr. Lara Pence

For me, risk is opportunity bathed in uncertainty. Very early in my career, I chose to leave a secure position in my field and take a risk on myself by opening up my own private practice. There was tons of uncertainty and success was never a guarantee. And yet I decided that I would reframe the risk as opportunity. This allowed me to be less nervous, pivot away from a focus on outcome, and instead, direct my attention to possibility. Taking such a big risk in the beginning of my career with that mindset in tact has paved the way for me to take smaller risks along the way.  Read More>>

Courtney Yalen

I LOVE taking risks. I literally and figuratively live for getting thrown on the top of a mountain and having to figure my way down. I’m spontaneous which inherently lends itself to risk and mistakes, which are a huge part of the learning process and weirdly my favorite parts. Of course if you ask me this mid-meltdown I would likely disagree on it being my “favorite” part.. but taking risks is how we experience being uncomfortable and are able to grow more than we thought we could. A lot of creatives only portray their “successes” on social media and never their mistakes, letdowns, or the risks that failed. In the last few years I have been working on standing up for myself and being less of a pushover in both my professional and personal lives, which always feels like a risk in the short term. Read More>>

Sarah Tallman

Taking risks is essentially the vehicle to create change. Any decision we make to act on the stirring of our hearts generally has risk attached to it. Risk often sounds scary but I believe it is a tool for expansion. Whether it’s a small step or a big one there is always risk. I like to think about risk as adventure.  Read More>>

Genesis Billinger

My whole career as a makeup artist has been a leap of faith from the very beginning. While working for the Atlanta Falcons, a role I truly cherished, I felt a deep calling to pursue something more aligned with my purpose. I handed in my two-week notice with no clients on the horizon, trusting in God’s plan and the talent He’d blessed me with, even though I’d never pushed myself into the spotlight. Read More>>

Hailey Haxton

I personally think risk taking is one of the most important things to do in business. Risks of any kind help you get out of your shell, build confidence, and see what does and doesn’t work, which is ultimately how you are going to grow your business. I took a huge risk last year by quitting two corporate jobs after I moved out of my parent’s house to take my business full time. It was a HUGE risk because I had REAL things to pay for now and real responsibilities.  Read More>>

 Lisa Smith (Parker)

I believe risk taking as important to help push ourselves personally to the next level and within a business setting. Those leaps may seem like they lack foundation, but if you have done the proper steps, you will find your standing on solid ground and rewarded because of it. Read More>>

Victoria Gordon

I was actually just talking to a friend about this the other day. I think a big reason people avoid taking risks is fear of failure or rejection—and honestly, that fear makes a lot of sense. Rejection can sting. It’s like showing up to a party and realizing no one remembers inviting you. And you brought chips, too. Tragic. But for me, it’s not that rejection and failure don’t affect me—I just think I’ve built a bit of a tolerance. Read More>>