Are you a risk taker? Do you think you have a stronger appetite for risk relative to your friends and family? We asked some folks from the community about their approaches to risk and have shared their thoughts below.

Jill Zeidler | Ceramic Artist

Risk taking is scary. Risk taking has been a big part of starting my pottery company. I feel that I had to take the risk and hit the ground running not looking back. It was essential to overcoming the thought of self doubt and failure. Read more>>

Buckstein | Musician. Singer/Songwriter.

Risk is necessary and risk should be calculated. Doing the unexpected can set you apart, but be ready for it to define you in other’s eyes, whatever it is. I work in the creative space. I create and perform art. Challenging myself and pushing boundaries is all part of the game for musicians. The most successful of us know how to bend the “rules” without breaking them completely. Read more>>

DEBRA FINE | Keynote Speaker and Trainer, Bestselling Author

Risk taking has been one of the key ingredients to my success as an entrepreneur. Over 30 years ago, pre-internet, cold calling brought me training and keynote bookings. But I risked a lot of “no’s” back then to get to a “yes”. I still invest time in rattling cages, using the phone feature on my phone to reach out to potential clients, and maintain connections with others. When audience members clamored for my book that I had not written or published, I was met with 100% rejection by publishers and literary agents. Despite being frowned upon at that time (2001), and no Amazon for distribution, I went the self-publishing route. I took the risk of flying to Book Expo America in Chicago (still the largest publishing event in North America) that year, walking up to each table of distributors asking for representation for my little self-published book The Fine Art of Small Talk. Read more>>

Anastasia Canfield | Creative Remedies Practice Owner/Operator, Clinical Director, Clinical Supervisor

Beginning one’s own business and going all in, particularly in a time of economic downturn, is one of the biggest risks someone can take in this country. I have vacillated with my beliefs about risk, but usually, I find myself taking the leap. I see risk as adjacent to opportunity. If someone is willing to accept an opportunity, there is still no guarantee, but the word “opportunity” carries a more positive association than “risk”. In a lot of ways they’re the same thing. I think for much of my life, the role “risk” has played is actually “opportunity” that I seized. Read more>>