We asked some of the most interesting folks in the community to open up about how they think about taking chances and the role risk has played in their lives and careers. Risk is by far the topic folks talk to us most about and we hope the responses below will help shed light on many different perspectives.

Jenny Smith | Wedding and Elopement Photographer

Risk is what ultimately got me here in the first place! I left teaching elementary school with no plan and no direction. I had gone through 5 years of undergrad in the education program, taught 3 years of preschool while I was in school, and graduated with my bachelors in Elementary education in 2021. My whole direction and future was in education and teaching. I had had a passion for photography since I was 14, and I started my little business taking senior photos throughout high school and college. I shot a few weddings during this time, but never saw it as a career for myself. When I left teaching pretty abruptly, I had a friend reach out and ask me to shoot her wedding for her. Something just resparked the love of photography through this, and I’ve been growing and rebranding my business ever since. Now I take risks constantly to grow my business. I’m investing in a trip to Greece this Spring to expand my international portfolio. Without these risks, there would be no growth!! Read more>>

elise | keyboardist, producer, and vocalist

I think risk is one of the most terrifying things in life, and that’s what’s makes the rewards on the other side of it so amazing. Risk has taught me a lot of things about myself. Takings risks and being too afraid to take them has allowed me to understand myself more and be aware of all the beautiful possibilities of life. Read more>>

Redd Walitzki | Co-Founder Moth & Myth

I’m a person who lives with a lot of risk in their personal life. From spending several years riding my motorcycle through North and South America, to backcountry exploring and scuba diving, I live in a manner that many other people might find too risky. Yet many of the risks that have been associated with starting and running a company have tested me more than those other adrenaline filled adventures. The initial idea to collaborate on Moth & Myth with my closest friend Kari-Lise Alexander was a large risk for us both; turning a personal relationship into a business partnership. Along the way there have been many other risky moments, including the choice to grow our company by bringing our manufacturing equipment entirely in-house, to when we have chosen to grow our team or expand into new audiences with campaigns like our wholesale outreach to retailers. These decisions take more courage than you might expect, and unlike many of the choices I make while on an adventure, often rely on relationships with other people, putting more at stake than just my own security. Yet they have also given me a new strength to bring to other areas of my life, for facing those inevitable tough moments. Read more>>