Taking Risk is essential, but how much, when and why? Taking risks effectively is as much of an art as it is a science and we’ve asked some of the brightest folks in the community to tell us about how they think about risk taking.

Anne Carlson | Global Real Estate Broker

For me life is all about taking chances and not following that straight safe line. Change is something most people steer away from as it makes them feel uneasy and fear the unknown but for me I thrive on change and sometimes maybe to a detriment and it’s something I do try to rein in at times. Growing up my parents were constantly re inventing themselves; they were both in politics and were at the mercy of the voters so depending on the outcome they may have to change employment. We were also moving a lot; all in the same city but would buy houses, fix them up and then we would move again…from mansions to condos and everything in between. Read more>>

Jarrod Mason | Entreprenuer

I look at taking a risk as a necessary ingredient in any success. Without risk, there is no reward. However, taking risks isn’t simple. As humans, we are hardwired to avoid risk and instead to retreat from threats and gravitate towards safety. This can make it challenging to take risks, especially the risk to take the leap to start your own business. There are endless risks to think through like the risk of not having a paycheck, or health insurance, legal risks, tax implications, etc. Read more>>

Daniel Roman | River guide and owner, Western Slope SUP

My first big decision as a business owner: whether or not to start my business, totally changed the way I approach risk. I have always been fairly conservative in my personal life. I do my best to calculate all the outcomes of my decisions and try to choose wisely. When it came to starting a new industry in a part of Colorado that was not known for tourism, I had no data to look at and nothing to go on. I just knew I had to do it. I was 33 years old. I had been working as a river guide and waiting tables in the Colorado high country for the past 7 years. Read more>>

David Quint | Filmmaker

Trying to accomplish something important but failing can feel bad. Not pursuing an important goal or a dream also feels bad. And while both of the resulting outcomes are painful and disappointing , they are not the same. For me the pain of a failed attempt still contains at its core the kernel of hopefulness and bravery that were necessary in taking the risk. For me, that’s a far easier feeling to live with. Read more>>

Joshua Firth | Founder/CEO of StoneyBois™

Risks are apart of life. You either risk failing or risk regret of never trying. Now i wouldn’t advocated for the reckless indulgence of risk, but calculated risk are a must to move forward. I would say taking risk above the norm is a very ingrained part of my life and who i am as a person. One of my favorite quotes on the topic of risk. “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” ― William Faulkner Read more>>

Tracy Hill | Entrepreneur, Educational Psychologist, Writer and Inventor

I am definitely a risk taker. Most people are risk aversive. I am not. I believe that you have to endure some amount of risk in order to be successful and achieve what you want to achieve. If I had not taken risk, my current company would not have grown from making $25k the first year to over $500,000 three years later. That more than 1,200%! That’s right more than a thousand percent growth in three years. Read more>>