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.

Katie Baechler | Photographer

When contemplating a creative or professional risk, I find myself buzzing between fear and exhilaration. For me, it’s a mandatory journey toward personal and professional growth, even though I might occasionally grumble along the way. But once I embrace a risk, I’m rewarded with a deep sense of pride and accomplishment, pleasantly surprised by my own gumption. I’m also a wife and mother of two school-aged children. I’ve reached the point in my motherhood journey where I’ve become a school-bus and secretary. It’s busy up in here! This whirlwind stage doesn’t often leave time for experimentation with new ideas. Read more>>

McKenzie Smith | Christian Outdoor Creator

A quote I live by is: “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” I truly believe life starts when you step out of your comfort zone. I have always made decisions based on that I would rather say “that didn’t work” than get to the end of my life and wonder what if. I would not be where I am/have a quarter of the experiences that I have if I wasn’t a “risk taker”. My life/career looks completely different than I would have ever imagined but I am so grateful for that. I have had opportunities I would have never dreamed I would have, traveled to places I never thought I would, and met strangers who I now call friends. 1 Corinthians 2:9 says: “However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”[a]— the things God has prepared for those who love him” Read more>>

Lizeth Morales Tena | Mexican model, actress and entrepreneur.

I think about risk as the seal to all of success. My late mother used to say to me daily, “the one who doesn’t risk, doesn’t win” and I’ve lived by that my whole life because she was right. Taking a risk means trusting in yourself, knowing that getting out of your comfort zone will only make you better. Not being afraid of losing and understanding that it takes risking practically everything to get to where you want to be. To achieve the level of success that one desires. my life has taught me so many things but most importantly that whatever you’re risking doesn’t matter as much as what you are risking it for. If it weren’t for those risks I took I would not be where I am now. Read more>>