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

Matthias Marklin | Travel and Architectural Photographer

Risk can’t be eliminated from everyday life, but it is up to us to pursue certain risks and decide to take the leap. Last year I chose to leave the safety of my full time job to pursue my creative endeavors, and this calculated risk, scary as it can be, has pushed me in ways that I could not have planned. From the incredible people I have met to the loosely planned trips to beautiful destinations, I have found risk to be a way for me to embrace spontaneity and trust the process without knowing the outcome. Read more>>

Peter Katz | Entrepreneurial Real Estate and Property Management Executive

I believe risk is a necessary evil in entrepreneurship. There is inherent risk in creating a new venture, but any good business person or entrepreneur will make sure the risks they take are calculated. Starting a property management company on my own, with two children under 3, was the biggest financial and career risk I had made to date. I was at a point in my career that I felt I didn’t control my future to the extent that I desired. Read more>>

Kathlene Woltemath | Photographer

Risk taking… it’s definitely something that I don’t do too often. But, back in 2019 after being at my full time job for 13 years, I decided to take a risk and pursue Photography. Everything I knew, my day to day work load, the people in the community, my coworkers who then became like family… I left it all behind to follow this passion, this love I have for Photography. Little did I know that in just a few short months the entire world would face a pandemic. Read more>>

Kyle Brackman | Climber & Photographer

There’s no real great answer as to why I started up. I love adventure, fitness, photography, and creating videos, so combining all of those activities led me to where I am now. I definitely have an obsessive personality – before I became a climber I ran Track & Field at the University of Connecticut where I was a distance runner. I was obsessed with running but always had an eye on climbing. After college and a year of living in CO, I decided I’d give climbing a shot. Read more>>

LaTroy Bowman| Podcaster & Music Producer John Perkins| DJ & Podcaster

John Risks are a huge part of life. I’ve had to take many to get to the points I’m at in my life. Risks not only show you the importance of trusting the process, but they allow you to grow and develop in your life/craft. LaTroy Stepping out my comfort zones is a risk. If you want to grow and develop a brand, you have to take risks. Plus you have to discover yourself as you get older, and one of the ways of doing that is taking risks. It helps you figure out what your comfortable and not comfortable with. Read more>>

Ali Headley | Artist

Taking risks is completely about giving yourself up to your own expectations and not letting others opinions of you get in the way. My mantra is ‘risky over reasonable’, because you only have one chance at this life to do what you need to do. I would be so sad with myself if I got to the end of my time here and didn’t do any of the things I wanted or be who I am. Specifically as an artist, though, you have to be brave and be willing to take risks every time you create something. Read more>>

Erica Nicol | Artist

Life is all about taking risks, without them the reward is never as gratifying. With all risks or choices for that matter there is a possibly of failure, but you cannot allow the thought of failing hold you back. When starting the Frisco Art Collective, it was a huge risk for everyone involved but never the less we wanted to have a place that was ours, and that we could run the way we saw fit. Now that is exactly what it has become, not only do we have a place to display our art work as the owners but also give other artists in our community a place to showcase their work as well. Read more>>

Andy Gonzalez | Founder and Lead singer of Roka Hueka

I only have one life, short? long?? Who knows?? Life is an opportunity to be happy , one opportunity to make my dreams come true . I don’t know if im not waking up tomorrow, so what im going to do is take risks!! Im not going to be afraid to fail , i don’t want to ask myself “what if”, so I’ll take a risk to follow my dreams. Read more>>

Hayden Lynch | Adventure Photographer

I almost died climbing in Hawaii. I slipped and fell from a cliff. I was lucky my friend was there to grab my wrist before I plummeted 200 feet to my death. And somehow, I don’t view this experience as a risk. For me, the risk came before. When I thought about quitting my job as a data analyst in 2018, when I began to pack my bag for a year of traveling the world in 2019, and when I decided to pursue photography as a full-time job in 2020. Read more>>

Juli O’Cain | Photographer

I think we all know there is a balance between risk and reward. For me, my natural inclination is to avoid risk. I prefer safety and security. Working towards a goal with a guaranteed outcome sounds way better to me. I would have missed out on so many things if I would have listened to the voice that tells me to stay inside my comfort zone. I even look back at decisions I made and knowing myself better now, I am surprised I made them! Thankfully, the call of adventure and beauty has many times overcome the call of fear and security in my life. Read more>>

Adrian Miller | Sales trainer and consultant, content developer, author, and multipreneur.

Entrepreneurs and business owners, in general, MUST take risks in order to grow a sustainable business. That being said, the risk/reward equation must be looked at closely BEFORE making a decision that can sabotage everything you’re put in place. You must ask yourself, “can I afford to lose in this situation?” If the answer is “no,” perhaps, another path might be the more sensible one. My biggest risk was starting my business in the first place. I was successful at my career, but it didn’t fit my image of myself, nor did it accommodate the work-life balance that I knew I wanted. Read more>>

Maddie Mae | Adventure Elopement Photographer & Educator

I think the willingness to take risks is one of the most important qualities you can build for yourself as a person and as a business owner. The two biggest risks I ever took in my career were the two best decisions I ever made. The first HUGE risk I took was specializing in elopements and creating and branding my business around being exclusively an elopement photographer full time. When I graduated college and was trying to go full time with my business I also niched down and highly specialized in elopements when I actually didn’t see any other completely specialized elopement photographers at the time—there were wedding photographers who also shot elopements, but I didn’t see anyone who only shot elopements at that time back in 2015. Read more>>

Amy Grogan | Woodcut Printmaker and Pastel Artist

When a creative person decides to become a professional artist they take a financial risk with much uncertainty, but with tons of hope for the future. Personally, it was never a big decision for me, but more of an obvious choice to pursue an artistic life. From a very young age I was hardwired as a creative soul and was more drawn to working with my hands. Read more>>

Kelly Spieker | Artist

I can’t say I’ve always been one to take a chance, but lately that seems to be all I have been doing. I think we all found a “pandemic hobby” whether it was baking bread or learning the piano or in my case, painting. A friend of mine found what I call “dotting tools” at a local craft shop and after watching a couple of videos on how to use the tools I thought I’d get some for myself. My first dot paining was awful, but it was fun. 3 months after that first painting I set up a table at my first market and nearly sold out of all the things I’d painted. Read more>>

Victor Teran | Actor, Entrepreneur & Author

We have all heard it before, one point or another that “You cannot get anywhere in life, without taking risks”. I am an entrepreneur, and as many we have failed, we have seen fruitful rewards, and we have learned from experience – That is all thanks to risks! I am always thinking of ways to make things better with my businesses and life. I am who I am because of the discipline, the value of hard work through martial arts, and later reinforced in the United States Marine Corps. Read more>>

Michelle Freddolino | Coach/Teacher/Learner/Owner

I am, and have always been a calculating risk taker. Although I often overthink everything, that “thinking” has always helped me prepare for the unexpected. One can say that I have been lucky, but I like to think that I prepared and positioned myself to take advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves to me. Were there risks or uncertainties? Absolutely! But I’ve always felt empowered to forge my own path. I’ve taken small, stupid risks and I’ve put myself out there when I really wasn’t sure what I was doing. Read more>>

CJ Lovett | Fitness and Sports Performance Coach

This is an interesting question for me because I generally think of myself as loss averse. I don’t enjoy gambling because the pain of losing outweighs the joys of winning. Even in my career as a football player throughout life I recall loses hurting much more than wins felt good. So generally speaking, I am not a risk taker. Risky in my mind means unsuccessful eventually. When starting Game Ready Fitness I wasn’t concerned with the risk I was taking on. Read more>>

Elizabeth Morrow | Professional cellist (performer and instructor), Dyslexia Therapist, creator of the NoteSense Music Reading Program, and photographer.

I have always been a risk-taker. I make bold choices and am rarely disappointed by the outcomes. I find taking risks opens me up to possibilities beyond the imagination. Risks lead to unexpected outcomes and lessons I didn’t even know were waiting for me. Risk is instigated growth. Even failure provides a next step forward. Read more>>