How do you think about risk? What role has taking risks played in your life/career? Check out responses from hidden gems from our community below.

Lea Flores | God Fearing, Money making, Action taking, Manifesting Photographer.

I took a few risks in my business and none that I regret. Some of the best decisions I made were very risky. Risk-taking is not only an analytical decision but also an emotional one. I feel that you absolutely need to do your research when weighing out all the good and bad in this decision. Make sure that all the numbers make sense, the outcome to be expected, projections, and whatnot. Then, you may have to weigh in on your own emotions, and ask your self is fear making me say no? Fear is a killer of dreams and I believe that risk is absolutely necessary for business growth. It was for mine. Read more>>

Brandon Don” Donohoo | Director & Dreamer”

I think life is all about risk. We can’t sit down and wait for things to happen. At some point, you have to jump and take that leap of faith. If you fail and miss the landing then you get up. You figure out what went wrong and prepare yourself for the next big jump. To me that’s risk, the knowledge and underlying fear that it could possibly fail but the hope and drive that everything will work out. Every day we are matched up against adversities and challenges. Those challenges help us grow and become better versions of ourselves, but without the risk of taking them head-on, we can never grow. Read more>>

Sheila Anne Murray | Transformation Facilitator via coaching, yoga, and teaching

In thinking about risk, I find it vital to distinguish between what is “dangerous” and what is “scary.” There are plenty of scary risks to take in life and business. From meeting new people, to launching an initiative, to going on a solo adventure, to quitting one’s job. Our body likes to keep us safe and it can be easy to mistakenly evaluate things as dangerously risky because staying in the safe zone is comfortable and predictable. One of the best things I’ve learned about the process of taking risks is getting aligned with my core values. This is a key part of my work with clients as well. Read more>>

Michelle Perl | Artist

From an early age, I learned that taking risks could lead to fulfilling rewards. My parents were entrepreneurs in the restaurant industry, and they taught me that there is no such thing as risk. If you set your mind to something, you can succeed even if it is not in the way you originally envisioned. As I grew older, I learned this on my own and realized that there is no “failure” with taking risks, just a new set of options to choose from. I have moved cross country more than once, and not all of them were “successful.” Read more>>

Coulter Prehm | Painter/Draftsman

Risk is a necessary factor of life that contributes to a sense of adventure and satisfaction when viewed in the correct light. I have never seen risk as negative, much to the contrary. Risk is inherent in everything we do and taking paths of less risk doesn’t necessarily lead to more security. For example, taking a standard nine-to-five job with benefits over deciding on a path of being self employed with less regular income only appears to be less risky, but that is simply and only a matter of perspective. Read more>>

Diana Merkel | Owner & Creative Director | PS.Design

To me, risk exists everywhere. Choosing what to risk is based on so many factors. As artists, perhaps Jeff and I are more comfortable than others in terms of stepping outside the lines, thinking differently, and finding innovative solutions to everyday problems. I believe that we both see challenge as opportunity. That without risk there is less chance for reward. Read more>>

Mark Ryan | Graphic Artist and Illustrator

Risk taking has always been a fun idea for me. Growing up as a skateboarder, and being outside climbing trees or watching thunder storms my heart grew a passion for the risk. I was never the best skater or snowboarder growing up, it was always for the pure excitement and adrenaline. As for the arts I was STOKED! I saw this world that I was going to be apart of so once I started the art career I never wanted to say no. I was always intimidated by the opportunity because I had internal doubts like what if I mess up? Read more>>

Kilena De Cuyper De Cuyper | Student, Reality tv

From the moment I took risks, my life changed 180°. I used to be a shy and insecure girl. I looked up to people who were successful and self-confident. Then things happened and I got depressed. I said to myself: “What do you have to lose?. I just started looking at the characteristics of the person I wanted to become. If you study self-confident people for example, you see that they always walk with their head held high, that they dare to talk and share their opinions, are not afraid of other people’s opinions,… Read more>>

Tina Garbe | Salon owner & stylist

For me risk is a way to experience growth. Risk doesn’t have to be seen as a negative thing. You can take a risk and have it still be well thought out and methodical. Every time I moved to a different place to live it was a risk. But it was to experience a new place, with hopefully new larger opportunities. Each time I would move, I would leave an entire clientele that took me years to build each time. And then I would have to rebuild my business each time I resettled. A lot of people wouldn’t want to take that risk. Read more>>

Delia & Enoch MoLeisureXventures | Full-time Overlanders

You never know what will happen if you don’t take risks. In November 2019, my partner and I took a huge risk to changes our lives. We quit our jobs, sold our belongings, and set off on a trip of a lifetime. We both were working 9-5 jobs, living in a city where rent took half of our salaries. We decided we didn’t want to live this mundane life anymore, we wanted to be free. We wanted to travel full-time and visit all of the National Parks in the US. So we took a leap of faith and chose happiness over stable societal norms. Our vehicle became our home and nature became our backyards. We no longer had rent to pay as boondocked every night. We were able to save money and see the world at the same time. Read more>>

Sista Luna | Artist / Maker

Risk is intrinsically tied to growth and failure, making it an inevitable, albeit, often uncomfortable experience. One of the aspects of making art I fiercely value is the space it creates to practice risk, vulnerability, failure, etc. with minimal fallout. Whether it’s experimenting with a new medium or incorporating emotional vulnerability into my artwork, if I’m not pleased with the final piece I can just turn it over to the next blank page in the sketchbook. There is no artistic growth without risk and I find that consciously engaging with risk in my art practice helps me navigate the role it plays in other areas of my life. Read more>>

Amber Marker | CEO | Founder of Declan + Crew

It is so scary to take risks, but this has been something that I truly believed help me elevate my entire brand. I’ve taken TONS of risks these last 7 years… some small (like putting myself out there on social media) and some much larger-scaled (like moving operation into a 6K sq. ft. warehouse). I will be honest and admit that I have not taken risks without failure, but I also believe that failing is a part of being an entrepreneur. The REAL magic happens when you realize how you handle those moments of risk/failure. Do you stop and let it pull you back… or do you reflect, learn from it, and hustle harder? For me, it really pushes me to try again (or pivot if that’s needed) in order to meet (and, hopefully, totally crush) that end-goal. Read more>>

Chris Anthony | Guide, Filmmaker, Executive Director of a non-profit.

The most educational experience one person can obtain will be when they get out of their comfort zone. Voluntarily or forced, no matter what, you will come out a much stronger person in the end. Everyone of my movements forward I can attribute to taking a risk. I would have never known if I did not try. Sometimes the hardest part about taking a risk is being worried about failing in front of peers or relatives. Other times it is just the physical pain it. In my career the risk appear more physical and in an environment that has physical consequences. Read more>>

Steven Ciezki | Artist, Instructor, Illustrator, and Author of Life on the Rails: Intermediate Glassblowing Techniques

I think about risk as a learning experience. Whether I am traveling to a new country as a visiting artist, or investing time and energy into studio experiments, I always run into obstacles. I have learned to approach these challenges with a positive attitude in order to find better solutions and come to better conclusions. Over time, I am able to quickly filter out what works, what doesn’t work, and what needs further investigation. Taking risks are the building blocks of my life and career because they produce so much progress and development. Read more>>

Lauren Long | Special Education English Teacher & Travel Blogger

Exactly 4 years ago I risked it all, uprooting my entire life to move to Colorado. It was the adventure I had been dreaming of for a lifetime. When I moved to Colorado for the first time when I was 22, the mountains instantly felt like home. I always promised myself that one day I would move to the mountains permanently, start my own business, and live a life full of adventure. After I got my Master’s in Education, I made the move for good. Leaving my friends, family, and a stable career in Pittsburgh to move to Summit County was difficult. Read more>>

Stephanie Salgado | Licensed Esthetician

Risk taking is essential to growth, I have never changed my life by playing it safe or keeping my life the same. To me the bigger the risk the bigger the reward. It can be so scary to come out of your comfort zone and take a leap of faith on yourself but the fear is worth it. Without it I would have never created a 6 figure business on my own. Whenever I get those butterflies in my stomach, that scary feeling full of what if’s running through my head, I know I’m about to change my life. Read more>>

Melanie Alves-Ventrella | Real Estate Agent

I grew up in the countryside of France, near cows and sheep. I learned really fast how to take care of myself and by 17, I moved in an apartment in Bordeaux, finish my culinary high school degree and found a job. A few years later I wanted to be bilingual for work, I almost move in Australia but the insurance price was cheaper in Usa for a student visa. After I met my husband, almost 6 years ago. I went back in France to continue my career in hospitality during 2 years. I finally join him 2 years ago in Colorado in the middle of the pandemic. Read more>>