There is a wealth of academic research that suggests that differences in risk appetite are at the heart of differences in career and business trajectories. We wanted to go beyond the theory and ask real people from the community about their perspectives and experiences with risk and risk taking.

Collin Allen | Artist

Risk is a major part of an artists life. I’ve spent decades building the skills to make my work. I did this by going to art school, welding school, and taking jobs in different industries to learn the skills that I needed. My path has been a bit different then a lot of artists. Because I work with recycled materials, a varied set of skills have been needed to achieve my goals. This also comes with risk, materials can be hazardous and understanding what and how to do the right thing is very important. Again this takes a huge investment of time. Read more>>

Chelsey Farnum | Art Educator & Fine Artist

In a lot of ways I am a pretty risk-averse person. In life, I play it safe and try to make practical decisions. My art practice is the one place it feels safe to take risks. There are no consequences. Worst case scenario, something looks like total crap and I have to start over. The consequences are never permanent, always fixable. I would like to actually push myself to take more risks in life and with my career. I think the consequences of those things are far less permanent than I assume, and I think playing it safe really holds you back. Man, I’m having a bit of a revelation here. Be bold! Bring on the risk! Read more>>

Marissa | Travel Agent

Taking risks is a part of life. You have to out-way the risk vs reward in every day scenarios. If I didn’t decide to take the risk and jump into something totally new to me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Read more>>

Suzanne White | Student, Artist & Teacher

As I ponder this question, I realize that risk-taking has been a part of me since childhood. The word, ‘risk’, is defined as, “The possibility of something bad happening”, which, when I have a deep passion and love for something or someone, does not enter my mind. This desire has taken me to many parts of the world, and along with my willingness to do badly or fail, has enabled me to become fluent in Spanish, live and work abroad, and most recently embark on learning the skills of a ceramic artist, and a spiritual practice. I remember the fearlessness I had many times as a child. One of my earliest memories is my 5-year-old self, climbing out my bedroom window to sit on the roof and look at the stars. Read more>>

Chaz Faulhaber | Chief Marketing Officer, Co Founder

I think sometimes “RisK” and “Fear” become synonymous, and often people will interpret something as “too risky” instead of saying to themselves “that scares me”. The truth is that when we shift our perception away from that reaction to “risk”, we can see a roadmap to a better form of ourselves by addressing our fears. Now I’m not saying “Go jump in the lion exhibit at the zoo”, but I am saying that the “Risks” we see in life may simply be disguised by fear as the next, better form of your evolution. Read more>>