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.

Shelby Owens | Destination Wedding Planner + Travel Agent

Taking risks has been an essential part of my journey, both personally and professionally. At Simply Classic Travels, we believe that stepping out of our comfort zone is the only way to achieve true success. If I hadn’t embraced the uncertainties and challenges along the way, I wouldn’t be where I am today, helping to create unforgettable experiences for our clients. Every risk I’ve taken has shaped my career and our business, allowing us to grow, innovate, and make meaningful connections with people like you. Read more>>

Erica Taylor | Lip Mermaid Cosmetics CEO & Founder

Being willing to take risks has played a huge role in my business and my life. A few years ago I took a personality test and my results came back with being a risk taker and a freedom seeker which for me is spot on and it was suggesting that the best career path for me was to be an entrepreneur. At this point I had already started my business and it felt like confirmation that I was on the right path. I’m not afraid to take risks because I’m not afraid of failure. I don’t view failure as a bad thing, I view it as a learning opportunity and a way to allow myself to pivot faster. Frankly, I have failed in many ways when it comes to my business but I’ve also learned more than I could’ve ever imagined from failing and starting my own business. For example, I created two Amazon accounts at first under two different emails and my product was initially approved on the account that wasn’t linked to my Trademark, Amazon flagged both of my accounts and deactivated them. I had to delete the account that wasn’t linked to my Trademark and start over on my other account. To get this all cleared set me back 6 months with Amazon as it was a domino effect where I then needed a new UPC code for the product that had been approved on the wrong account and I had to reprint all the boxes for my product with a new UPC code. In this situation, I did fail but I can promise you I learned the hard way to never have two accounts again. My favorite entrepreneurs such as Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx and Gretta van Riel, founder of Skinny Me Tea have both openly talked about how they have failed in their lives and businesses but they learned and kept going. Sara Blakely has spoken about how her father would ask her each night at dinner what she failed at that day and then celebrate it. Gretta has spoken about how when she first started Skinny Me Tea, she had a large shipment from the manufacturer show up and all the tea was moldy. She had just wasted a colossal amount of money in inventory and I’ve had similar things happen with cosmetics where I had to trash product because it wouldn’t pass quality control. The mindset shift of celebrating failure is game changing. Being willing to celebrate your failures as a learning opportunity can help you become a more powerful entrepreneur because no amount of failure can deter your celebratory spirit. This will help drive you forward even when things get bleak or you lose large amounts of money. This is the true mark of an entrepreneur, overcoming obstacles and adapting regardless of what hurdles are thrown your way. Oftentimes, this is when people walk away but if you can learn and keep moving forward your chances of being successful are greatly increased as you become more experienced with each lesson learned. Having a vision and seeing it through regardless of any hardships is the best superpower in the business world in my opinion. I view taking risks the same way in my personal life as I do in business. I’d rather just go for it and shoot my shot and if it’s not for me then that’s okay and I will adjust my approach from there. I’d rather be rejected or fail than live with the regret of not trying and same goes for my business. Be a visionary and turn those visions into a reality, the risk is worth it. Read more>>

Andy Farra | Wedding Videographer

My approach to risk, is what’s the worst thing that can happen? You’re not going to make it out alive. Having my wife in my corner means everything and as long as she is behind my decision whether that be for our business, traveling, or investing I know we are good! Read more>>