There is a wealth of academic research that suggests that differences in risk appetite are at the heart of differences in career and business trajectories. We wanted to go beyond the theory and ask real people from the community about their perspectives and experiences with risk and risk taking.

Sea Maryjaneslady | Internationally Published Eclectic Model & Author

Risks in life are the difference between staying comfortable & growing . As a creative my entire life I never saw myself becoming a model & by extending myself & my versatility I continue to blossom . I show others each & everyday that you can come from the valley & end up at the top of the mountain. Risks have taught me hard lessons from developing ptsd to bringing me to the climax of happiness. Read more>>

Juliann Johnson | Entrepreneur & Business Owner

I think taking risks is a necessary part of both life and business. The common saying is: “no risk, no reward.” Any new business is a risk, but if you don’t take the initial chance, you’ll never reap the potential reward. Read more>>

Mai Berjaoui | Tarot Reader

Risk in general as a word at first sounds a little scary, especially when you’re taking a risk on something you care about, but if you look at it from a different perspective, you start seeing the beauty in taking a risk on yourself. Read more>>

Katie Meuser | Fine Artist

Taking risks as an artist can be morally complicated. As a career artist, I struggle with the fine line between art for art’s sake and making art to sale. I invest a lot of money up front when I am working on a series and hope at the end I at least break even, but it’s a gamble. Usually when I make a series of work I try not think about what others might like and try to work out an idea I have. Read more>>

Tony Washington | Illustrator & Music Producer

I feel that taking risk in my career has been key to my very fortunate success, But in the greater life role, at times, extremely difficult to withstand. Read more>>

Kandi Patterson | Entrepreneur

I relate risk to fear. I believe that if you are fearful to make a decision, then that probably means there is a risk involved. When I was beginning to think about starting a skincare company, I was fearful of failure and was especially worried about the risk of losing money. I also understood that there was a risk of my product not being accepted by my target market. Read more>>

Amanda Perez | Owner of Choc Full of Sweets

Taking risks has always been something I am known for. I am not afraid to fail and I think that mentality plays a huge role in how we run our small business. I like to view risks as a no-lose situation. Read more>>