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.

Jackson Emmer | Songwriter / Singer / Producer

Risk taking is where growth happens. Back in 2017, I was playing bar gigs all the time, usually Thursday through Sunday nights. My incredible wife suggested I only book listening rooms/concerts on the weekends, and not fill my time with gigs that wouldn’t lead to new fans. The decision to give up my bread-and-butter bar gigs was intimidating, but retrospectively it is the very thing that allowed me to drive my career in the right direction. Read more>>

Alisha Wielfaert | Coach, Writer, Speaker, Podcaster

I’ve always dreamed big, but when I was younger, I let other people’s fears dictate my choices and override my dreams. That was a mistake that kept me from following my heart. Early in my career, when I was operating from those fears, I wanted to play it safe, I was terrified of going after what I truly wanted because I was scared of the risk. I thought I was supposed to get a steady job that had benefits like a 401k and health insurance. Turns out, living from fear and ignoring my intuition was a recipe for starving my soul. Read more>>

Jason & Amanda Ray | Award Winning Fine Art Photography Team

This is actually a really funny question. There was an afternoon about a year and a half ago when Amanda (a gymnast and admittedly a bit of a dare devil), climbed out on a tree that was suspended over a gorge at Red Bluff, Mississippi. This tree was suspended over 100 feet in the air, but sitting on it was sure to be a dynamite photograph. As she was doing this, a young man around 17 or 18 years old walks up with his friends and says, “Hey lady, I don’t think that looks very safe. You probably shouldn’t do that.” Read more>>

SuperStar Kay | Rapper, singer, music producer & engineer

I am a complete risk taker. You can’t move through life scared and worried about the “what ifs”. No one who’s ever become anything did so by taking risks. Read more>>

Caelinn Donahue | Photographer & Outdoor Enthusiast

I have always been a risk taker. I think thats escalated even more so since moving to Colorado, 6 years ago. There are so many new adventures to be had and lots more activities to try. I think that has absolutely transitioned into how I approach my everyday life and my overall career. If theres no risk, theres no reward. If you really want something, you have to be willing to risk the safety of knowing. The first big risky move I took was moving myself out to Aspen, Colorado as a 22 year old. Not knowing a single person, but fully aware I was about to have the time of my life. Read more>>

Thomas Moeger | Director, Cinematographer & Producer

My life has been full of risks. I’d like to believe that I take it safe, but looking back, I took several risks to get me where I am now. I joined the Ohio Army National Guard when I was in high school so that I could pay for college knowing the risk of what could happen. I ended up with a college degree in Film Production completely debt free. I know people who I graduated with who aren’t working in the industry and have a huge college debt. Read more>>

Maritza Aguirre Sanchez | College Student and owner of Maritza’s Treats

Taking risks is something that I really value. When I first started my business, I knew it was risky investing in it. I didn’t know who would support me or who wouldn’t, so it was something that I really had to think through. In the end, I still didn’t know the outcome, but I knew I had to take the risk to see what would happen. It has been the best risk I have ever taken! Read more>>

Payton Gonzales | Graphics and Fashion Designer

I think risk taking is a prerequisite for remarkability. By imbodying that sentiment in my life it was no longer a question about how I can avoid risk, but rather how can I avoid the inaction that a fear of risk imposes. Because of that I’ve always seen risk as on obstacle rather than a detractor and as such, something that must be understood, managed, and mitigated rather than avoided. My understanding of risk is what gave me the courage to participate in entrepreneurialism as a means of finding my place in the economic world. Read more>>

Alejandra Sosa | Photographer

For me, taking risks is what this photography industry is all about. I quit my stable job of managing a restaurant to pursue photography full time. It was a really scary moment for me, to leave behind my stability and comfort zone to jump into a field I was really new to. Every day I’m trying new things even if I’ve had failures in the past. In order to be creative and stand out, I’m forced to take risks everyday. It really keeps this job exciting. Read more>>

Laura Waldrop | Yoga Therapist

I am a recovering perfectionist. I spent most of my life believing I was only allowed to achieve and accomplish. I was terribly afraid of failure and wouldn’t try anything I wasn’t 100% confident I’d be able to do immediately. The hardest, most important and most transformational part of starting my own business has been learning how to take risks. For me that means not only giving myself permission to, but also celebrating failure! Very gradually, over the last ~7 years, I’ve grown what I call my “risk muscle” by simply doing things scared. I’ve tried a lot of things that didn’t work. But I’ve also discovered things that do work and had more fun through it all! Read more>>