Risk, Reward & Life

Rose Groves | Photographer and Adventurer

I’m certainly not one to jump out of an airplane or go cave spelunking anytime soon- so as for that definition of risk I’d say I’m on the ‘less is more’ side. However when it comes to how I approach my life and my career, I suppose risk and the certainty of change are something I pursue and believe in. Some people say you can’t have good without bad, or light without dark, and without drowning in the existential aspect of that, I’d have to say that I think it’s true. If you don’t pursue some degree of risk, then you can easily float through life in the neutral. The transition from a Masters in Economics to pursue a lifelong passion of photography and adventure might fall under the category of risky. Frankly traveling solo to South Korea to teach English without knowing anyone at 24, or getting a tattoo, or agreeing to fly to Bulgaria for a 3rd date, after knowing him for about a month, might also fall under the category of risky. Read more>>

Christopher Riggs | Director of Photography, Editor

Being scared and terrified about what you are doing and how you are moving forward, either in your career or business, is a good thing. It means you are challenging yourself to be better and pushing the envelope of your skillset and what you can offer the world. As a Director of Photography, whether I’m working on a commercial, narrative, or documentary project, every film set I’m on, I’ve been nervous, not being able to sleep the night before. It is exciting knowing I will be facing a new set of trials and difficulties every day. In that navigation of risk and responsibility comes creativity, but more importantly, comes collaboration. Film & television work is a very collaborative field that fundamentally revolves around numerous sized crews telling stories about the human condition and life on earth that hopefully inspire us to be better. Read more>>

Pablo Nealon | Personal Chef

As hard as it is, I try to transform risk into a motivator instead of a deterrent. I think that helped me migrate to the U.S. from Argentina in 1999, it helped me change careers at age 39 from Architecture into the culinary world and later helped me decide to launch my own business as a Personal Chef. Read more>>

Nick Guenther | Connects the optimistic for collaboration & impact.

Risk is an important part of life, we take risks when we may lose something but typically have a lot to gain. Most risks are perceived risks, in my opinion. I’ve taken risks and been excited by the outcomes… some have not paid off and I’ve gotten burned as well but it’s all part of the process. Risk #1
In 2006 | Nick looked around at the red curtains and bouncing heads seated in the auditorium of his graduating class. People with nicer haircuts and plans to become teachers or real estate agents… He was anxious, not knowing what he wanted to be ‘when he grew up.’ He spotted his parents, who both started their own businesses, realizing he could be and do anything he set his mind to. Read more>>

Lyndy Bush | Artist/Oil Painter

I have to say, that in many aspects of my life, I generally take the safe route. It’s funny though because I love art and with art, there is an innate risk you are taking at the start of each piece. You start with an idea or a concept and are tasked with making that concept into a tangible object in this world. There are so many places where you risk absolute failure along the way. Despite this risk, I keep going back and accepting that I might fail. I have only recently gotten to a point where I consistently end up with a piece I am satisfied with. I failed so much! Each time I failed and kept going, I learned some technical skills, but more importantly, I learned something about myself and what I am capable of. I am currently working on getting my artwork out of my basement and into the world. With this, I have found an entirely new sense of risking your ego. Read more>>

The Fist Coalition | Hip Hop Music Group

Risk taking in the music industry is very vital to any musician’s career. Sitting on the bench just playing it safe will get you nowhere. You have to take gambles with your money time and resources to advance your music career. You have to have the mindset that nothing is guaranteed and the risks you take may or may not pay off. Read more>>

Kalen Jesse Acquisto | Entrepreneur | Professional Photographer | Passionate Entrepreneurial Advocate + Ecosystem Builder

I have a deep passion for entrepreneurship, as I see it as a powerful tool for inclusive economic development, community building and empowerment. An inherent part of entrepreneurship is risk and reward. As an entrepreneurial ecosystem builder and entrepreneur myself, risk is at the core of what makes my world spin. All my best moments, experiences, lessons, and rewards in life so far stemmed from taking risks, and nothing great has come from staying comfortable for too long. I have learned to have the utmost trust in my intuition and make most decisions using my gut feeling as my north star. Leaving everything that I knew to move to New Zealand alone to build a community where I knew nobody was one of the most rewarding risks I have taken so far. Building community and finding purpose in an unfamiliar place was a bucket list item. It was a way to prove to myself, internally, that I could do anything if I was BOLD enough and embraced the uncomfortable. Read more>>

Alvaro Vaselli | CEO of SKYDEX

I’ve always had a growth mindset and a bias towards risk. Not only does it make things more exciting but it increases our chances for success. And even when we fail, there is learning associated with it and in my opinion, equally or even more important. I’ve always been thoughtful about the risk-return equation and have embraced many risks in my career and personally. Most have propelled me forward; others have strengthened me. A few examples are: leaving my first job at Dow (very stable and secure) after 6 years to join a startup effort with ARCO in South America was a measurable risk at the time. Another one was moving to the US with my wife (she left her business) and my son who was 8 months at the time. Moving from Lyondell, a very large and stable company, to Foamex/FXI, a smaller company, relatively speaking, with a weaker financial position was another risk, but it resulted in amazing business leadership learnings and career growth for me. Read more>>

Kseniya Parsons | Mural & Contract Artist

RISK REAPS REWARD. So many people go throughout their lives never knowing their potential because they refused to take leaps when given the chance. Risk to me is the most important way to find out what you’re made of. You’ll never know how talented you are, or how much hard work you are capable of if you are not willing to stretch your passions. People are so scared to fail when it is this failure that sheds light on direction and helps you gain wisdom. Read more>>

Miss Lotus | Street Artist

Risk taking has played an immense role in my career as a street artist! Most of the time, my art is done without permission, so it can be quite risky. I find it exhilarating to go out at night under the cover of darkness, and create beauty and art where there was none. Whether it’s an old boarded up building or a city underpass, there is always a risk when you do graffiti. I love hot boy spots because they get the most visibility, but that also means the chances of getting caught are higher. You have to be stealthy, quick, and have an escape route in mind. Sometimes you have to hide several times during the process of painting. Or maybe you don’t get to finish at all because you had to run. Read more>>

Beth Bullard | Author & Photographer

I’ve come to understand that life is essentially a series of calculated risks and true failure is only realized in not trying. Adversities often challenge us to go beyond our perceived comfort zones and it’s there we discover possibilities that would be otherwise unknown. Delightful epiphanies that serve to broaden our perspective and provide new opportunities. Thus far, the riskiest decision I’ve made was walking away from a thirty-year career in healthcare to become an Author and Photographer. Leaving everything I’d known to enter the unknown. I can happily report, I’ve never looked back. Risk is change and change is an inevitable part of life. Promise me this, whenever asked “Why?” always ask yourself, “Why not?”. Read more>>

Chelsea Reynolds | Photographer & Makeup Artist

The way I look at risk is whatever is going to make you happiest in the long-term is the smarter choice. It’s not just about the paycheck and what you can get out of your job in the short-term. Real happiness and success comes from taking risks and pursuing your passions, no matter how challenging or “out-there” they may seem. I had lots of people telling me how risky it was to start a business without the guarantee of a paycheck. Especially in a society that pushes job security, 401K’s, a 9-5 schedule, etc. I never felt like I fit into the stereotypical full-time job mold and always strived to find a career where I could grow creatively and professionally. I graduated college with a degree of music business and worked in the LA film music scene and Nashville record business for almost 8 years. What drew me to the music business was the idea of being creative. With each job that I had, I saw how restricted my own creativity really was. Someone else above me was always making the final decisions and telling me what to do on a daily basis. Read more>>