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.

Shauna Earp-Ballinger

Freedom Lies in Being Bold: How Risk-Taking Built the Life I Love (and the Career I Never Planned)
They say life begins at the edge of your comfort zone. For me, it started with three suitcases, $500, and the phone number of a total stranger.

Back in 1992, I moved to New York City — a place I’d never even visited — with nothing but a gut feeling and a very questionable sense of direction. I landed in the city with wide eyes, big dreams, and absolutely no backup plan. And honestly? That leap of faith set the tone for the rest of my life. Read More>> 

Griff Hanning

Without risk, there is no reward. I take way too many risks. I like taking risks on myself and my
team. I’m not a big fan of betting on the market. I don’t know enough to play that game well. I
like betting on new ways of doing things, on passion, and on hard work. The problem is that new
things don’t always work, passion sometimes dies, and hard work takes an extreme amount of
grit. Read More>> 

Jules Frantic

As a band made up of two bankers, a mortgage guy, and a full-time student, at first glance you’d think we’d be resistant to risk. But forming a band amid a hectic calendar full of scheduling conflicts has been the kind of chaotic leap that we all love. Risk, for us, has looked like enduring traffic to get to a 6 PM show on a weeknight after a full work day, squeezing in recording sessions between shifts and exams, and playing a DIY gig in the drummer’s living room. Read More>> 

Azura Onessa

When I was 20, I felt completely lost. I had just graduated from pastry school—barely—and as much as I loved baking, my health made it nearly impossible to turn it into a sustainable career. My stepdad had paid for the entire program because he believed in me. It was one of the kindest things anyone had done for me, and I didn’t want to let him down. Read More>> 

Julia Brevetti

Taking risks is such an important part of starting your own business—I learned that firsthand. Quitting my full-time job, which gave me steady, good money, to do art full-time was honestly terrifying. But it was also exciting. The idea of being my own boss and creating something for myself felt so freeing.

If I hadn’t taken that risk, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Of course, I still get in my head sometimes, especially when things slow down. I start to think about going back to a stable job, but then I remind myself that I’d just end up feeling stuck in that corporate cycle again—with no freedom to travel or grow in the way I want. Read More>>