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.

Patrick Dumas | Product Designer and Entrepreneur

For me, the ventures that carry the most risk, are ones that I haven’t experienced before. Launching a new type of product, a new brand, or even working with a new action photographer, all carry risk and likelihood of success is difficult to gauge without a point of reference. Read more>>

Emily Taber-Moore | Interior Designer

I am probably one of the most risk-adverse people out there. Despite my desire to establish my own interior design firm for years, my focus was always on the potential obstacles rather than the opportunities. My fear of failure held me back, and it wasn’t until 2019 that I finally took the leap and founded my own firm. But I didn’t stop there. Read more>>

Missy Anderson-Fritch | Licensed Massage Therapist, Barefoot Massage Therapist, Massage Educator

Making the choice to start my own business, to be self-employed was a risk. It isn’t always an easy journey. And I knew this when choosing to step onto the entrepreneurial path. You aren’t guaranteed success or even a profit, however, the benefits from taking that risk on my skills, my passion, and my willingness to learn & grow are immeasurable. Read more>>

Rachel Coleman | Artist

As a control freak, I have a problem with taking risks! I believe it has slowed down my progression in art. Fortunately, fluid art forces me to let go of control and that has helped me quite a bit. I can choose the colors, the canvas, the technique I want, but in the end, I don’t have complete control. When I fully let go and experiment, that’s when the real magic happens! It’s a slow process but one that I’m learning from. Read more>>

Kevin Argueta | Videographer/Artist

Risk is part of change, and life requires constant change. Most people are afraid of taking risk, I was too, but I taught myself to enjoy it. The way I see it, life is very short, and it can be taken away from us at any moment no matter how safe you live your life. Read more>>

Annette Venables | nonprofit Co-Founder and President

In my mind, risk and passion are closely related. If you want to be excited about getting out of bed in the morning to work, you have to be willing to take risks. As a young person, I thought risk taking involved following the best offer and moving around, learning more and more and reaping big rewards for the willingness to start again frequently. Read more>>

Adam Rudder | CEO, Improv4Companies / Founder, Playful & Painless Confidence

This is a really interesting question, as a significant part of what I do is help people and teams step outside of their comfort zones. Growth does not happen when we are comfortable, but rather when we can surrender into the unknown and step outside of our comfort zones. Read more>>