We asked some brilliant folks from the community to talk to us about how they think about risk and the role risk has played in their lives and careers.

Amanda Brown | Licensed Esthetician & Registered Nurse, Owner of Névés Skin by Amanda Brown Aesthetics

I have found that following my gut intuition has led me to explore the right risks to take in my life, career and business. The past two years have shown the power of this in not only my business but personal life as well. At the beginning of the pandemic I was working as a nurse while trying to build a new skincare service business. I was leaning on the stability of the nursing income but also working hard for my business to take off and focusing on building a strong connections with my customers. Funny how things work out because with the pandemic I forced to leave my nursing job, the outpatient surgery center I worked for closed and therefore I was laid off, I was also forced to close my business. Read more>>

Somer Mock | Photographer

I believe that taking risks throughout life is necessary for growth. You either succeed and learn, or you fail and learn even more. They say life begins outside of your comfort zone, and I couldn’t agree with that statement more! My journey with photography began when I was young. I enjoyed taking photos of flowers, the way the sun hit tiny pieces of grass or leaves, insects, animals, tall snowy mountains, long curvey roads, and whatever else I found interesting within my natural environment. In 2016 I had the opportunity to study biology in Tanzania, Africa. I had just recently purchased my first LEGIT camera, a Nikon D3300. Of course I took it with me! It was during my time in Africa that I fell in love with photography in a completely different way. Read more>>

Chris Murray | Wheel Builder, Bike Shop Owner & Content Creator

I love this question because to answer it well you have to get extremely nuanced. I believe there are different types of risk and that we all have different tolerances to risk. I believe there is a big difference between perceived risk and actual risk. To me perceived risk is something that may be scary to you but even if what you are trying to avoid ends up happening, the actual fallout is minimal at most e.g., needing to pull a small amount of money from already abundant savings if an investment doesn’t produce returns. Read more>>

Logan Tyler | Owner of Basecamp Ouray LLC/USA Ice Climbing Team Member

As a professional climber and entrepreneur, risk is inherent in almost every decision I make. Through our guiding business we are very aware of the risk that are associated with the activities we guide our guest on. We always try and stay focused on three main questions when guiding and when making decisions within our company. First, and above all else we ask ourselves, Are we bringing the maximum amount of value to our guest? Do the values of our company align with the values of our guest? Are we connecting with our guest on a authentic and positive level? By distilling our mission into three main questions we can bring clarity to our purpose, through the clarity comes the confidence to take on the risk. Read more>>

Ryan Cook | Photographer & Videographer

I think risk is necessary for any type of significant growth. It separates the ones who wish versus the ones who are achieving. It needs to be calculated though. No random amount of risk is ever a smart move especially involving business. I think the best thing you can do is forecast the worst case scenario and move from there. Get to know yourself in such a way, you can predict how you will react to the worst case. Theoretically if you know that, I would assume anything in between can be handled. Taking risks has been a pivotal part of my growth not only as an entrepreneur, but as a person as well. I have gotten to know myself better allowing me to make better decisions for my overall happiness. Read more>>

Jennifer Owens | Conceptual Artist/Animator

I connect risk to fear. You cannot allow fear to control your actions, so why not take a risk and see what happens? As kids we take risks with the people we meets and the life choices we make as we turn from child to young adult. We don’t know where the risks will take us – but hopefully in the end we come out the other side as adults a more well-rounded and reflective person of both ourselves and the world around us. I chose to go back and earn my art degree after 20 years of being out of school. Without taking that incredibly huge risk on myself, I wouldn’t have discovered a love of video editing, sound design, and animating. I now have the ability to pursue an art career in film and television. Read more>>

Jeff Glode Wise | Sculptor

For me, risk taking simply means not letting marketplace pressure or external voices dilute or alter my personal artistic vision. I’ve had to take commissions that were driven by economic necessity but they have provided the resources to make the work that matters. I have to trust my own voice, while being courageous and honest with myself. Sometimes when I’m working, I realize that the art has lost focus or become merely decorative and it needs to be cut away and redirected. If days of work are lost, so be it. Read more>>

Jodi Jahrling | Marketer, Photographer, Gallerist, Community-Builder

My mantra is “everything is temporary.” Telling myself that takes the fear out of it. If it’s painful, I can endure it. If it’s amazing, I need to enjoy it while it lasts. So risk becomes relative. Read more>>

Nolan Gross | Musician, Artist, Creative Engineer

Taking risks is so important in any form of creating because you have to jump and make the idea happen, just taking that leap is a risk. There are going to be many more that follow after that and what I’ve found is just to let myself try the wildest idea that might want to come through instead of shooting it down right away. Even the smallest idea could spark something else that helps bring the whole piece together. I feel like there have been decisions that I’ve made while making music that might not be normal but that’s what has made it fun. The album I’ve been working on for almost 2 years now feels like a step in the direction where I’m taking those risks and seeing them formulate into more articulate ideas that come together in a bigger story. Read more>>

Steve Karas | Local Real Estate Agent

Risk is an interesting subject. It can be scary, exciting, nerve wracking or all of the above, all at the same time! It can also be a very pivotal point in life or in ones career. I think of it as a necessary evil almost. Obviously, risky things that can be dangerous or harmful to yourself or others is a no-go, that’s easy. But it’s when you start looking at things like, should I apply for this job, should I ask them on a date, should I book the one way ticket or move across the country- things like that can end up being a huge part of someones life and that is where the excitement and the scariness can come from. Read more>>

Alexa Adamczyk | Leckie Glassworks, Glass Artist

I think that taking risks is an essential part of success. You either grow or learn from every experience you have. You never know until you try! My riskiest experience was moving across the country at the age of 23 from Historic Williamsburg, Virginia to beautiful Colorado Springs, Colorado – in pursuit of my dreams to be a glassblower. I packed up everything I had and flew by the seat of my pants with hardly any money, and I worked hard to chase my dreams when I got here! It has taught me that if you don’t take risks, you’ll look back and regret never knowing what could have been. No one said it would be easy, but I’ll tell you from experience that it’s worth it! Read more>>